Archive for Recreation and Sports
Scuba Diving in Asia
Posted by: | CommentsThe tropical regions of this vast continent have always been highly praised by divers for the staggering richness of their marine life and their glorious reefs, but adventurous new diving opportunities are also beginning to open up to the north—even in Siberia.
Reefs Under Threat
The geographical span of Asia, the largest continent, is reflected in the vast range of diving available. For many divers and marine biologists, the highlight is the famed “Triangle of Diversity”—a region in the Indo-Pacific that boasts the world’s greatest diversity of coral and fish species.
The many thousands of islands of the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Malaysia are host to some legendary dive sites, with evocative names such as Sipadan, Lembeh, Tubbutaha, Komodo, and Kimbe. Sadly, while these are all dream destinations for any diver, destructive fishing techniques in the Indo-Pacific region, such as dynamite and cyanide fishing, are damaging some of these delicate ecosystems. In the Philippines, only 4 percent of all reefs remain unaffected by human activity, with up to 30 percent reported to be impacted beyond recovery. Beautiful pristine reefs can still be found in the Indo-Pacific, but when diving on these threatened reef systems, be mindful of your responsibility to minimize any impact your presence could have.
Beyond The Tropics
The classic perception of Asian diving tends to be the archetypal tropical island chain fringed by glorious technicolor reefs. Dive sites throughout the region, including the Maldives, the Andaman Islands, and the Similan Islands, are all justifiably famed for their extraordinary diversity and beauty, both above and below the surface.
However, although much of the diving in Asia tends to be concentrated in the tropics, there are some excellent dive sites to be explored; farther north. One of the most notable is Lake Baikal in Siberia. This is the world’s deepest lake, and the largest reservoir of fresh water on the planet’s surface. Because of its size and varying depths, Lake Baikal contains a huge variety of ecosystems.
Scuba Diving in Tasmania, Australia
Posted by: | CommentsTasmania offers a diving experience far removed from that of the usual coral reefs and warm waters of Australia. Nonetheless, this tiny island off the southern coast holds a host of diving possibilities for those prepared to travel a little farther afield.
Unsung Island
Tasmania is a small island dwarfed by the immensity of mainland Australia to the north. It measures only 186 miles (300 km) from north to south, and is frequently overlooked by divers visiting Australia, distracted by the magnitude of the Great Barrier Reef and the big animals of Ningaloo Reef.
Tasmanian divers are delighted at this relative anonymity, since the island offers some of the finest kelp forests on Earth and some gloriously colorful and diverse cold-water dives. Currents rich in oxygen and nutrients sweep up from the icy waters to the south, giving life to wonderfully dense kelp forests and heavily colonized rock walls.
Small Wonders
Of particular note is the abundance of smaller animals, such as red handfish, although the island also plays host to numerous penguins, Australian fur seals, a number of different types of sharks, and a variety of visiting whale and dolphin species. This rich diversity means that divers visiting Tasmania come to appreciate the true breadth of Australia’s natural heritage.
Diving Sites in Africa and the Middle East
Posted by: | CommentsA continent synonymous with adventure and exploration, Africa offers spectacular shark encounters and many miles of unexplored reef. The Middle East boasts the Red Sea, perhaps the most famous of all places to dive, with a highly developed dive industry to match.
African Highlights
South Africa is renowned throughout the world for big animal encounters in particular with the great white sharks of the Cape—and for the epic shark dives to be had off Natal. The latter is also the scene of one of the greatest spectacles in the marine world – the legendary Sardine Run, where gigantic sardine shoals move slowly up the coast, harried by dolphins, whales, sharks, seals, and gannets.
Lying to the northeast of the African coast are the magnificently wild beaches and reefs of Mozambique and the islands off Kenya and Tanzania. Farther put to sea lie Mauritius, the Seychelles, and tin Comoros, all offering diving of real quality on reefs influenced by the J abundant marine life of the Indo-Pacific region to the east.
Red Sea Riches
The outstanding gem of the Middle East is the Red Sea, perhaps the most heavily dived body of water in the world. From the northern resorts of Eilat, Ras Mohammed, Sharm El Sheik, and Dahab, through to the wilder southern sites like the Brothers and the coast of Sudan, this region provides superb reef diving, as well as varied wrecks, such the famous Thuistlegorm. Despite its popularity, the Red Sea still has unexplored regions, and new dive sites continue to be opened, so it will always have much to attract divers.
Top Diving Sites in Africa – Gansbaai
Posted by: | CommentsGansbaai offers a rare chance to see the ultimate marine predator. With an island packed with breeding seals just offshore, Gansbaai is one of the finest locations on Earth to get up close and personal with the great while shark.
Shark Center
Gansbaai initially appears to offer little as a dive destination, with a small harbor on a rocky shore that is frequently battered by large swells. It is only when the diver stands on the wharf and squints into the middle distance that the reason for this site’s global fame emerges. A low island several miles offshore is the home of 60 00,000 fur seals, and proves irresistible to the great whites that cruise this region of South Africa. Great whites are one of the ocean’s most formidable predators, growing up to 20 ft (6 m) in length. The great white’s notoriety as a man-eater, however, is a misrepresentation of this fascinating creature, about which surprisingly little is known.
Main Attraction
The presence of the sharks has spawned a thriving industry, with thrill-seekers coming from all over the world to dive with the great whites. Only cage diving is permitted with the sharks, but it is possible to dive within the seal colonies around the island in certain regions that are considered safe by local dive operators, farther afield, there are beautiful cold-water reefs covered in swaying fields of kelp, but their is really only one reason why divers visit Gansbaai that most magnificent of marine predators, the great while shark.
Top Diving Sites in Africa – Sodwana Bay, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
Posted by: | CommentsThe only coral reef dive site in South Africa, Sodwana is set in the heart of a national park in northern Natal. The reefs host more than 1,000 species of fish, as well as impressive transients, such as whale sharks, billfish, manta rays, and whales.
Remote Reefs
Sodwana lies in a beautifully remote region of South Africa, nestling right up against the border with Mozambique to the north. Simply getting to the site is something of an adventure, requiring a journey by four-wheel drive vehicle through wild bush on bumpy dirt (racks. Although the dive industry in Sodwana is well established, it is also closely monitored. Only three dive centers are allowed to operate in the region, to limit the number of divers on the reef and so protect the delicate coral reef ecosystem.
Diverse Attractions
The four established reefs off Sodwana are nammed after their distance from the launch site, and are called Two, Five, Seven, and Nine Mile Reef. Each offers something slightly different, ranging from the most delicate of hard corals through to encounters with large oceangoing species including whale sharks. Although the journey to Sodwana is a considerable undertaking, the reward is nothing less than the finest coral reef dives on the continent.
Top Diving Sites in Asia – Similan Islands
Posted by: | CommentsA tiny string of granite islands sitting off the coast of Thailand, the Similans are best explored by liveaboard dive boat, but with some of the best beaches in Thailand, they have a great deal to offer both above and below the water.
Stone and Sea
The Similan Islands consist of nine large granite outcrops sitting 40 miles (64 km) off the coast of Thailand. They rise from the depths of the Andaman Sea, and run for 15 miles (24 km) north to south. Although the islands do have individual names, they are commonly known simply by numbers, starting in the south with Number 1 (Koh Huyong), and continuing to Number 9 (Koh Bangu) in the north.
They are characterized by steep granite undersea cliffs on their western shores, with more gentle slopes to the east, where, sheltered from the summer monsoon winds, the coral growth is particularly lush. Over 1.000 fish species swarm over reels colonized by a dazzling array of soft corals. Brightly colored species, such as coral grouper, sweetlips, snapper, and blue triggerfish are present in great numbers and, from October to May, whale sharks and manta rays are frequently encountered.
The thriving reef systems around the islands were once threatened by overfishing as well as “dynamite fishing” – the use of explosives to kill and collect large numbers of fish – but the islands were declared a national park in 1982, and commercial fishing is now-banned. The sweeping coral fields of Christmas Point are particularly-spectacular, although they were slightly damaged in the tsunami of 2004. Other notable attractions include a dramatic maze of huge boulder formations at Elephant’s Head Rock. The Similans remain well worth every hour of sea crossing required to visit them.
Top Diving Sites in Europe – Iceland
Posted by: | CommentsBorn from the depths of the sea itself, Iceland is still a youngster in geological terms. The country’s volcanic past provides some unique dive sites, including the opportunity to explore the marine life around a hydrothermal vent.
Volcanic Birth
Iceland was formed by volcanic action on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and has a surface area of just over 38,600 sq miles (100,000 sq km). The island is still experiencing an extraordinary level of volcanic activity, with 30 eruptions recorded in the last 200 years. Iceland’s coastline is classically volcanic, bristling with craggy inlets, dramatic cliff and rock formations, and fissured reefs.
There are two diving experiences in Iceland that are not found anywhere else in the world. The first is the legendary Strytan hydrothermal vent, which rises from a depth of 230 ft (70 m) to within 50 ft (15 m) of the water’s surface. Divers can see—and indeed feel—the hot water rising from the vent while enjoying the diverse invertebrate and fish life drawn into this oasis of warmth in an icy sea. The second is Silfra, a water-filled ravine in Thingvellir National Park. This is another dive that gives a marvelous insight into Iceland’s fiery origins. Part of a huge rift in Karth’s crust between the Kurasian and American continental plates, Silfra is filled with glacial meltwater that has been filtered through lava for decades, giving famously crystal-clear visibility.
Top Diving Sites in Europe – Norwegian Fjords
Posted by: | CommentsCold water, steep walls, and strong currents may not be everyone’s ideal diving experience, but for some marine life, these are ideal conditions. Diving the Norwegian fjords is not for the faint-hearted, but the rewards are well worth the effort.
Wild Coastline
Norway’s convoluted coast stretches for around 14,000 miles (22,000 km) in a series of jagged inlets, bays, and fjords, and is dotted with over 50,000 islands. Norway also has, in Sognefjord, the longest (140 miles/225 km) and deepest (4,430 ft/1,350 m) fjord on Earth.
There are many great dive sites along this gloriously wild coastline: one of the finest regions—and one that is gaining an international reputation for the quality of its diving—is Ryfylke, to the southwest. Diving the fjords requires previous experience and competence in cold-water diving, along with the relevant cold-water gear. The topography of the fjords creates steep walls colonized by kelp, dead men’s fingers, sponges, and some rare deep water corals. Piked dogfish, skate, catfish, and numerous crustaceans are particularly abundant in Ryfylke. Seasonal highlights include migratory visits from salmon and their attendant predators, such as orcas.
Top Diving Sites in Europe – The Isles of Scilly
Posted by: | CommentsSomething of a well-kept secret among British divers, the Isles of Scilly are a cluster of tiny island that sit at the tail end of the Gulf Stream. Rich marine life, lively reefs, and an abundance of wrecks make this archipelago a diver’s paradise.
Sparsely Populated
The Isles of Scilly (or the Scillies, as they are universally known) consist of 300 granite islands 28 miles (45 km) off the southwestern tip of England. Only six of the islands are inhabited, and even these could hardly be described as crowded. The islands are low-lying and very beautiful, with white sandy beaches fringing green islands.
The islands’ position in one of the worlds busiest shipping channels means that wrecks are abundant. The most recent wreck here was the cargo ship Cita, which foundered on March 26, 1997, leading to a bonanza of free goods for enterprising locals. This vessel is now an excellent dive, lying in 115 ft (35 m) of clear water. By contrast, the wreck of the Eagle, a British warship that sank in 1707, offers a glimpse into naval history, with cannons still visible on the seabed.
Other Attractions
As well as numerous wrecks to explore, divers also have access to splendidly busy reefs, and may even encounter larger species such as seals, as well as seasonal visitors, including basking sharks.
Top Diving Sites in Europe – Ustica Island
Posted by: | CommentsUstica Island was described by no less an authority than Jacques Cousteau as the most beautiful island dive site, in the Mediterranean. A tiny volcanic outcrop off the coast of Sicily, its qualities have seen it established as a Marine Nature Reserve.
Small Is Beautiful
Ustica Island may owe its undisturbed ecosystem to the fact that it was a penal colony until 1950. A tiny island—it has a total surface area of 3 sq miles (8 sq km)—it is nonetheless one of the most significant sites in the Mediterranean, to the extent that Italy’s Academy of Underwater Sciences and Techniques is based here. The volcanic origins of the island (seen in the name itself—the Latin usta translates as a burnt red color) mean that the reels around the island are particularly dramatic—with a craggy underwater topography featuring numerous caves, caverns, and overhangs.
Top Dives
One of the best sites is Medico Tumid, off the northwest of the island, which consists of a tall pinnacle with a tunnel passing directly through it. Another site of particular note around the island is the Colombara Bank—well known for its beautiful reefs and aggregations of large fish, such as barracuda and tuna.