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United KingdomThe Galicia
(18m) 400ft long, hit by a mine in 1917, then 'dispersed' in 1923. As a result she is fairly flat despite coming up to 5m proud of the bottom, but is a large site and a nice dive. Well worth a good rummage, still 'ship shaped' bits to see, various things are still on her (although ideally not removed). Lots of congers, pollack, usual pout, wrasse etc.
You can dive this wreck from the dive boat Sunfish. You can contact Mike of Sunfish Charters on 07968-262421 or email
click here to email or visit
website Never been on Sunfish before, then check out our Testimonial page on
website more info about Galecia including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Kiribati PacificGrapple Rocks was an expansive pinnacle which peaked at forty-five feet. A dive to sixty feet revealed boulders and rock formations with increasing coral density approaching the summit. Flame angels abounded, as well as rabbit, trigger and filefishes. Large anemones with delicate, lacy, pink-tipped tentacles could be seen, and dozens of juvenile three-spot damsels danced before their anemone hosts. A common encounter is inquisitive green, leather back, or hawksbill turtles.
more info about Grapple Rocks, Christmas Island including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Ecuador PacificExploramar Diving is the only PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Center authorized in Galapagos Islands and Ecuador, also DAN Business Members (Divers Alert Network). Our crew with PADI Instructors, Divemasters and Marine Biologists highly qualified guarantee a first class service and a safety dive. All of our tours are conducted by experienced guides and are carried out in your own language.
website WOLF AND DARWIN ISLANDS Wolf and Darwin are the north western islands of the archipelago, famous because they are the most exciting and desirable dive sites in the world. Strong currents are the ruling feature of these singular dive sites, where a diver can station himself at a rock to watch giant schools of every kind of fish drift past. The sites are especially known for the high presence of hammerheads and big galápagos sharks as well as marine turtles, various types of rays, mantas, dolphins, moray eels, and invertebrates. Here, you may live the unique experience of finding yourself with the greatest fish of all, the Whale Shark, between June to October.
ACADEMY BAY At Santa Cruz Island. This is the bay of Puerto Ayora at Santa Cruz Island, offering 5 dive sites within 10 or 20 minutes by boat from our Dive Center . Three of the sites are generally calm with little current; ideal for students or novices. At the other two sites the dives could be a little more complicated if there is current, so they are suitable for intermediate or expert divers. It is possible to see reef fish, sea lions, sting rays, golden rays, eagle rays, invertebrates, morays, garden eels, turtles, marine iguanas, and white tip reef sharks.
SANTA FE ISLAND This island is about an hour away from our Dive Center, and offers 4 dive sites. Generally the waters are clear and the currents mild, so they are ideal for novices. At the same time, the animals and topography make them interesting for intermediates and experts. We can see reef fish; sting and eagle rays, garden eels, turtles, sea lion colony, invertebrates, morays, pelagic fish, maybe white tip reef sharks or hammerheads.
FLOREANA ISLAND Floreana is about 90 minutes south from our Dive Center. The 9 dive sites usually have calm water but when we find strong current at one we can quickly move to another. This makes Floreana ideal for all levels of divers. You may see coral heads, endemic black coral, reef fish; sting and eagle rays, turtles, sea lion colony, barracudas, pelagic fish, white tip reef sharks, galápagos sharks, hammerhead sharks, sea horses, morays, garden eels, invertebrates.
NORTH SEYMOUR ISLAND This island is about 90 minutes north of our Dive Center. There are 5 dive sites suitable for all levels of divers, although sometimes the currents can be strong. We can see reef fish; sting and eagle rays, a large garden eel colony, turtles, invertebrates, sea lion colony, morays, pelagic fish, and usually white tip reef sharks and hammerheads. Occasionally the galápagos sharks.
GORDON ROCKS This rock formation is a world famous dive site close to Plazas Islands, about one hour from our Dive Center. There are 5 dive sites in the area, but only the three at Plazas are for novices. The other two sites are for intermediates and experts because there can be strong currents and surge. The Gordon Rocks dive sites are mostly walls with a deep bottom. Reef fish, large pelagic fish; golden, sting and eagle rays, turtles, sea lion colony, endemic galapágos fur seals, morays, invertebra
more info about Galapagos including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Costa Rica PacificOne of the best land based dives in Costa Rica is at the Catalina Islands between the months of November and May. That is the best time to have an opportunity to see giant Pacific manta rays. These are not just ordinary manta rays but Manta birostris . This species of manta ray can have a wingspan of up to 24 feet (about 7 meters) and weigh up to nearly 3,000 pounds (1,360 kg). These enormous animals feed primarily on the microscopic plants and animals found in the plankton that is so plentiful at Catalina Islands.
They glide by you in no particularly hurry allowing you to get a good view and take prized photographs. The distinctive patterns on their bodies provide a personal signature for each manta. Some are nearly all black, while others sport white chevrons on their backs. The patterns and sometimes scars make the mantas easy to recognize.
The manta’s mouths are bracketed by two flexible cephalic lobes that look almost like horns when rolled up. During feeding, these lobes unfurl in a downward direction like two arms and appear to sweep plankton toward the mouth. When not feeding the lobes roll back up or are held in a relaxed gesture beneath the mouth with the tips nearly touching. Mantas do have teeth. To be more precise, they have rows of tiny pinhead-sized teeth along the lower jaw. The teeth are probably no rougher than the sandpaper hide of the manta are useless as a defensive tool. During mating the male grasps one of the female’s wingtips in his mouth as he swims under her for a brief belly-to-belly 90 second interlude in which the eggs are fertilized. It probable that the teeth help hold the female in position much like sharks do during mating.
During the manta ray season at Catalina Islands the water is cooler than normal and you should wear a full 3MM wet suit or maybe even a 5MM if you chill easily. If the water is not cold enough for a 3MM then it is probably not cold enough to see schooling, giant manta rays. You should make reservations in advance for Catalina Islands as you don’t want to miss this opportunity to swim with the giant manta rays.
Bill Beard
website more info about Gulf Of Papagayo including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Indonesia Bali SeaMy Favourite site. Saw 25 hammerhead here on aug '04. Dog-toothed tunas are also quite a common sight. Excellent soft corals and mesmerizing colors mixed with huge boomies- as big as a house. Not the easiest place to get to in Bali but well worth it. Go with an experience guide. Very important. Minimal experience for this dive is 50 dives. Current is common but not wild. Safe when close to the reef. White tips are almost guaranteed. Have questions regarding this site can ask me at
click here to email , personally I have dived this reef over 250 times.
more info about Gili Selang including maps, reviews, and ratings...
United KingdomLooking for great Pike shots?
Pike may be able to avoid most anglers, but they will usually allow divers to approach and study them, beating a hasty retreat only at the last moment. They are nevertheless frustratingly difficult to capture on film. As an underwater photographer, I have spent much time trying to get the pike shot - you know, the one that is a definitive expression of the popular image. Unfortunately I have not, to my own satisfaction, so far succeeded.
Kevin Cullimore, probably the country’s top freshwater u/w photographer, had long urged me to try my luck at Gildenburgh Water. He recommends a 28mm lens to capture medium to large pike on film - and plenty of patience
more info here
website more info about Gildenburgh Water including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Colombia PacificI don't know who would rate this magical Island absurd. There are more than six authorized sites to dive. I would say that conditions vary, but is pacific and you really need to have a good guide that knows the tides in order to obtain the best visibility. I have seen whale shark, manta ray, white tip reef sharks and a lot of turtles. This is the huge stuff. Barracuda rings are often, parrot fish, grunts, morays, angel fish, butterfly fish, groupers, rays, idols amongs a lot of jacks. To me a wounderful place!!!!!!!!!
more info about Gorgona Island including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Turkey Aegean Seathe best place in Gümüldür to learn to Dive with PADI and TSSF registered diving courses and scuba diving equipment at discount rates.
Scuba Diving is one of those sports that at one time or another we all want to have a go at. It offers the chance to explore a silent and wonderful world full of exotic creatures with excitement unsurpassed by other sports and holiday pastimes.
more info about Gumuldur-Izmir including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Italy Mediterranean SeaThe Nereo Cave, is a huge marine cave under the high limestone cliffs of Capo Caccia.
The cave is considered the bigger marine cave of all the Med Sea. With the many entrance, archs and tunnels, itis possible to make an astonishing dive from 0 to 35 mt.
The blue effects of the many entrance give to the video and film photographer, incredible chance. The roofs covered of red coral and yellow leptosamnia full of color any picture.
Thanks to the many canyons and the many other caves, all the area around permit to make more than 20 different dives in only 150 mt of coast line.
The place infact is considered one of the Mediterranean Sanctuary for divers, biologist, photographer and the wild lover.
With the other cape of Punta Giglio and the Porto Conte Bay, who are now Marine reserve from the 2003, there is the choice to dive in more of other 30 caves, and a lot of caverns.
All around the tipical mediterranean flora and fauna, with groupers, lobsters, congers and moray heels and a lot of colored incrustation life.
More detail at
website Marco Busdraghi
Video and photo maker
more info about Grotta di Nereo, Capo Caccia - Sardinia including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Ghana Atlantic (South)All new dive locations. There are schools of whales and other things to discover. Charlys Extreme Diving is not only offering diving but also relaxing on the beach having a great party at our beach house. Information about our new website will be presented soon.
Be one of the first to discover the beauty of the Golf of Guinea.
more info about Gulf of Guinea including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Bahamas AtlanticThe Grouper Hole is one of the most outstanding dive sites in the North Eleuthera/Harbour Island area for sheer density and diversity of marine life. The stie ranges from 65ft to 90ft and boasts huge overhangs and grottos covered in hard and soft corals and sponges all in pristine condition. The site is a few hundred yards from a 2000ft drop-off and provides the only real protection for schools of fish in the area. As a result the site is packed full of fish: big schools of Bermuda Chub, Bar Jacks, Black Jacks, Horse-eye Jacks, Goatfish, Yellowtail Snapper, Grunts...the list goes on. From December through April, around the full moon, large numbers of Grouper visit the site to spawn, and so divers are treated to the rare opportunity to photograph schooling Grouper. The visiting Grouper also attract sharks, so be prepared for close encounters with Carribean Reef Sharks, Nurse Sharks, and on occasion Bull Sharks.
The site is 7 miles off-shore and is often subject to strong currents, making the site undiveable. Ocean Fox Diving, on Harbour Island, has figured out when the tides are slack at the site, so contact them in advance to see when the site is available to dive. If you are in the area during a grouper spawn, you will not be disappointed!
more info about Grouper Hole including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Maldives Indian OceanThis site lies on the east side of the South Male’ Atoll, outside of the reef at the south side of the channel mouth. Nearby islands are Losfushi, Guraidhoo and Kandooma. The reef top drops from ten meters (33 feet) to 30 meters (100 feet) and more; there are grottoes and projections just about everywhere. The edges of the channel drop down to a depth of 30 meters (100 feet). Large isolated coral blocks grow, from the scarp of the reef upward.
Guraidhoo Corner is a drift dive. It is therefore necessary to be quite an experienced diver on the reef; all the more so because there are powerful vertical currents all around the site at certain hours of the day. The direction of the principal horizontal current is towards the interior of the atoll. At the edge of the channel, which is also the deepest point, one comes drifting along the reef. The dive comes to an end along the wall of the channel or at the edge of the reef.
Because of its location outside of the reef, and because of the water movements and the topography, this place is destined to be the home of larger fish.
On the edges of the channel, which is to say, at depths ranging from 25 to 30 meters (80 to 100 feet), the best chances are that one will be able to observe a great many gray reef sharks (Carcharthinus amblyrhynochos) and the local school of eagle rays (Aetobatus narinari). The latter tend to swim in the open ocean, at a considerable distance from the seabed. In this same spot large hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini), whale sharks (Rincodon typus) and sailfish (istiophorus platypterus) have been sighted frequently. Guraidhoo corner is also home to large schools of oriental sweetlips (Plectorhyncus orientalis), bannerfish (Heniochus diphreutes), and large black-and-white striped snappers (Macolor niger). And of course the large and friendly humphead wrasses (Cheilinus undulatus) are ever present.
more info about Guraidhoo Corner including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Fiji PacificFiji is known for it's huge sea fans and soft corals, along with mantas, hammerheads and big pelagics. The diving is for all levels with shallow and deep reefs, ledges, wall diving, lagoons and wrecks. Dive sites are the Great White Wall, Purple and Red Wall, Yellow Wall, Rainbow Reef and the Pinnacle. At Beqa you will find a reef-filled lagoon with it's outer reefs having drop-offs that can plunge up to a mile down bringing in sharks and pelagics. Diving is all year, although there is normally a plankton bloom from February thro March. The water here is warm, but a lightweight wetsuit or lycra suit will give protection from abrasion etc.
more info about Great White Wall including maps, reviews, and ratings...