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Philippines South China SeaKoala is south of Eagle Point and was about a 10 minute boat ride from Club Ocellaris the resort I stayed at. It’s made up soft and hard corals along with some very big rocks. It gradually slopes down to a sandy bottom at around 80 feet. I’m told there usually isn’t much current and it makes an idea night dive. I ended up making two dives here. One on the 1st and another on the 2nd.
The first night we were in the water at 6:22. Water temp was 85F and visibility was as far as my light would reach, which meant over 50 feet. Beyond that it was hard to tell.
I almost immediately spied a nudibranch and was delighted to see that it was one that I did not have a photo of. I took several photos. Then a few of some brightly colored feather stars (crinoids) and then my camera stopped working
I cursed myself immediately as my first thought was that I had been getting close to a full memory card and I had allowed myself to get in such a hurry to get in the water, that I had forgotten to change it Then I turned off the camera and continued the dive... what else could I do
Of course this meant that I would have a great dive … among other things I didn’t get to take a photo of was a very nice Warty Frogfish (a small juvenile), a few more species of nudibranchs, various crabs, fish, etc… Plenty of life down there, and I wasn’t getting any photos…. but I would get to make it up a little the following night.
After a short 46 minute dive where I had a maximum depth of 76 feet, we returned to the boat and headed in.
I was back the next night. My dive started at 7:10 PM and lasted 62 minutes. Maximum depth this time was 74 feet and water temperature was again 85F. Visibility also again was as far as my light would shine, 50-60 feet plus.
The dive started off with my getting a shot of a Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray. Roger had suggested earlier in the day about getting shots showing the huge variety of colors and I found myself often following this advice, ending up with photos with the most incredible colors from the huge variety of corals, anemones, and feather stars.
On into the dive along with the usual variety of fish, Peri, my guide, pointed out two nudibranchs right near to one another. Chromodoris willani they turned out to be. Then there was a little red octopus, then an anemone crab, two lionfish together, a wide assortment of corals, sea pens, a prawn, squid, another new species of flatworm (I’m still working on identifying), porcupinefish, another nudibranch (Halgerda carlsoni), another as yet unidentified nudibranch, a flathead, another nudibranch (Phyllidiella pustulosa), and another nudibranch, another anemone crab, a hermit crab, another new species of flatworm, a huge pufferfish inside a barrel sponge, another crab I haven’t identified yet, another new nudibranch, a huge crab, and an hour had flown by. No sign of the frogfish from the night before, but my air supply said it was time to go up!
more info about Koala Reef/Anilao including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Saudi Arabia Red SeaA collection of small islands and shallow reefs dropping off into the depths of the red sea. Wonderfull corals, white tip reefs sahrks, reports of hammerheads, eagle and manta rays, turtles, dolphins, barracuda, napoleon wrasse and whalesharks. An excellent site if the weather is calm enough.
more info about Farasan Banks including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Thailand Andaman SeaPopular dive site on the west coast of Thailand between Phuket and Phi Phi Islands. Passenger/Car ferry that sunk in May 1997 after colliding with the submerged pinnacle Anemone reef. The ship is 85m long and 25m wide and consisted of several decks that are partly collapsed due to the fact that the ship was already quiet old when it sank, the divers entering the structure leaving bubbles inside and the sea taking its tribute. The wreck is standing on the sandy bottom at 30m with its shallowest point at around 15m. Loads of swim throughs. The upper part is increasingly covered with small staghorn corals, tree soft coral and sea urchins. Sea slugs, scorpion fish and lion fish are using the wreck as home as well as moray eels, sea snakes and Hawksbill turtles. Big schools of pelagics like trevallies, barracudas and rainbow runners. Visibility and currents can be challenging.
more info about King Cruiser Wreck including maps, reviews, and ratings...
United States Pacific1st Cathedrals is a big cavern formed from Lava. The roof of the cavern collapsed and fell to the floor giving the cavern a fantastic sky light opening so you get all kinds of beautiful rays of light inside the cavern.
more info about 1st Cathedrals including maps, reviews, and ratings...
United States PacificGreat area to dive. Lots of reef fish, moray eels, mantas, and dolphins, macro & wide angle subjects. There are numerous dive operators to take you boat diving as well as lots of shore dives to do. The most popular shore dive is at "The Place of Refuse". The dive site is called "Two Step", named for the two lava steps leading into the water. Ask any dive shop how to get there. Diving in Kona would not be complete without doing the night manta dive. This is a Boat dive and well worth it.
more info about Kona, Hawaii including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Egypt Red SeaNot good for the day, but can have some nice surprises in Nightdives.
It's a tie up point for liveaboards out of Sharm and a handy shake down dive.
Basically a huge coral bommy. I've seen shoals of barracuda, crocodile fish. Hawkfish can be found on the black coral. The usual Gorgonia, Lionfish, and a huge Napolean Wrasse in a cave having his mouth cleaned!
more info about The Alternatives including maps, reviews, and ratings...
United States PacificNot a dive site -- at least not during a south swell!!
more info about Wedge, Newport Beach, CA including maps, reviews, and ratings...
New Zealand PacificA beautiful arch which extends from just under the surface right down to 40 metres. Tricky to do unless the sea is calm, since a strong current through the arch makes it difficult and dangerous. Just outside the arch, there are some small caverns with lots of colourful sponges. Sea Temp 19c (Jan 2008)
For photos
website Marine life observed: Lord Howe Coralfish, Kingfish,Grey Moray, Spanish lobster, Red Pigfish, Bigeye, Red Moki, Nudibranchs ( Clown & Verco's Tambja), Rock Cod & Crested Blenny
more info about Tie Dye Arch, The Pinnacles, Poor Knights Islands including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Egypt Red SeaIf conditions are right this is a wonderful drift dive.The coral garden is fantastic and this is the only place I've dived and had a cornet fish swim on my sholder.
more info about Jackson reef including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Oman Indian OceanVery rich site one of the best in the area
more info about Limah Rock, Musandam/Oman including maps, reviews, and ratings...
United States Pacificgood dive site
more info about Kona hawaii including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Oman Arabian SeaGood dive side
more info about Daymaniyat including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Brunei Darussalam South China SeaGood
more info about Maratua including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Maldives Indian OceanOne of many great dive site off the Sea Queen liveaboard out of Male. Diving the Souterhn Ari Atoll in Feb. best time of year for that part of Maldives.
more info about Miaru Gala Tila including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Thailand Andaman Searoundish limestone rock, north and west side steep wall: soft corals, gorgonians and shoals of snappers, tunas, frogfish. south and eastern side shallow: sandy slopes with staghorn coral fields, boulders with swimthroughs, sea horses, nudibranch, leopard sharks and hawksbill turtles, stingrays.
more info about Bida Nai including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Malaysia Andaman SeaInteresting dive site at about 15 metres, lots of sunken fishing boats with great swim thrus and life of all sizes. Not the greatest dive sites in the world but interesting for photos.
more info about Sunken Boat Reef, Palau Payar including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Mexico Caribbean Seathis is one of the most spectacular coral reefs in this island, it runs about 5 miles long w its top at about 15 feet deep and it descends down to 3000 feet at the deeper point between the chanel separating Cozumel from the main land, colorful sponges of all sizes and colors crowed its walls among big forest of black coral threes where houndreds of fishes swim to welcome the divers that come down to see these beautiful sights.Water has an average of 100 feet visibility, clear as the tequila to toast a god dive.
more info about Palancar reef one of the most famous and beautiful reefs at the island of Cozumel including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Egypt Red SeaWreck Kormoran, deep 8-13 m
more info about Tiranes Island, Wreck Kormoran including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Cuba Caribbean SeaSharks, Sharks, Shars, Sharks ........Fantastic country for diving
more info about Jardines de la Rejna - Cuba including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Egypt Red SeaGlase
more info about Far Garden including maps, reviews, and ratings...