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East Timor Banda SeaLocation: 42.0KM East of Dili. Enter the area enclosed by a wall. The entrance is rocky and care should be taken when entering with a vehicle with low clrarance.
Entry : One can enter the water at the small gazebo-like structure in the enclosure. The first few meters is rocky leading to sandy bottom and then on to coral structures.
UW profile : To the West the coral is more of an expansive coral cover with small outcroppings whereas to the East, the area is characterized by larger coral outcroppings in a more sandy area.
Points of interest: Alternating small walls and sandy slopes. Resident Napoleon wrasse to the East of the entry.
Topside : Nice shady area with big trees and gazebo. The area is often frequented by people from the local village who are interested in watching divers.
Go to
website for a list of dive operators in the area.
more info about Behau Village including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Papua New Guinea PacificThe best gorgonian fans ever seen!!!
more info about Susan's reef including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Egypt Red SeaSharks Observatory is located at the famous Ras Mohamed Park - Sinai, very close to the resort town of Sharm el Sheikh.
The site can be dived from shore, dayboat or live aboard safari. In spite of its name, Shark Observatory is not noted for its sharks. Despite this, it is possible to see sharks at the site, white tip reef sharks, grey reef sharks, black tip sharks, tiger sharks (during summer months) and if you are lucky, whale sharks as well, have all been spotted at the site.
The dive normally begins on the western side of the corner / point. From shore it is an easy entrance "through a man-hole
type entrance, descending into the reef plate, that leads into a big cave (about 7 meters deep / 10 meters long). Once you exit the cave you will find a big canyon, dissappearing into the blue. The cave itself has some groupers, clearfin lionfish
and also special "comet starfish" near the entrance of the reef plate. The top of the reef is abundant with fish, Arabian surgeon fish, parrotfish etc... Light filtering through the reef plate into the cave is also spectacular. The reef starts right at 0.5 meters depth, dropping vertically down to approximately 200+ meters at some spots. Once you have exited the cave the best is to follow the wall to your left hand side. Along the wall you will find good hard corals with lots of sea goldies, groupers, lionfish, moray eels, turtles, if you look into the blue, you will see jacks, dog tooth tuna, barracuda passing by. Before the corner, on the western side, at a depth of about 15 meter, are some huge fan corals and cave where we always spot hawk fish and in the cave you almost always find a resident scorpion fish and the "rare" Broad-banded pipefish. Above this cave is some "cracks" in the reef, filled with glassfish and groupers. The wall especially at the "corner" offers some of the best and most colorfull soft corals in Sinai. The area also abounds with marine life, lots of jacks, groupers etc...
Late afternoons it is also possible to spot eagle rays and manta rays passing by in the blue. Please take care as the current at the corner can be very strong at times. When diving this site in the afternoon, you will have lots of shadows, giving again excellent light effects.
Sharks Observatory always offers the "X" factor, you never know what you can expect!
more info about Sharks Observatory, Ras Mohamed Park including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Australia PacificBrilliant dive site, safe for all levels, has a cave going right through the rock. Deep enterance is at 23 meters that comes up to about 16 meters inside the cave, dark for about 40 meters or so and light for the rest, come out at about 10 meters at the shallow end. The cave is about 100 meters or so long with turtles, crayfish, sharks, lots of tropicals, normally houses three to five large black cod. Plenty of soft corals, cowries and nudis and spanish dancers.some very friendly bat fish and blue grouper. Other sites in the vicinity are Murrays Passage, which is great for deep diving and some penatration. The aquariam, which is 8 meters to 17 meters or so that houses schooling fish small tropicals, turtles and sharks and nudis. Great machro site. King wrasse corner, shark gutters, fish and chips are deeper sites, all on the southern, eastern and western side and when the conditions are good, the pinnacle on the northern side is an awesome dive for big fish and sometimes up 70 sharks, great tropicals and brilliant vegetation. I know this sounds a little amazing, coz it is. I have been diving there for about 10 years and it never ceases to amaze me. Green Island has much the same life, depth is about 12 meters to 17 meters, the island houses the red indian fish, anglers, nudis, sharks, turtles, schooling drummer. Black rock, 12 metes to may be 15 meters if you have a shovel, once again plenty of tropicals, turtles, hordes of wrasse and blue angels, butterflies everwhere. Bait reef, 9 to 12 meters and ladys reef, 10 meters, awesome machro.. Temp ranges from normall 22 degrees to 26/28 degrees over summer.
The boys at South West Rock Dive Centre have 3 boats, accomodation, hire gear, guided tours and great diving.
0265 666474
website has all the info.
more info about fish rock cave, south west rocks including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Costa Rica PacificMurcielago or Bat islands
This dive spot is for experienced divers and really worth taking the 1 hour and 15 minutes boat trip.
A free decent and you are in a wonderfull place. In the season May - November this place is famous for it's bull sharks.
My firts trip to these islands was awesome.....16 bull sharks!
The biggest Murene eels and big schools of rays. It's just a magnificent place to dive!
Your saftey stop has to be made in mid water without reference, this can be tricky because sometimes the currents are strong; therefore the experienced dive certification.
If you plan to go, be prepared, bring a saftey tube for the boat to spot you.
Bat islands is a national park and an entrance fee of $6 needs to be paid, make sure you take a diveshop that has legal permission because alot of divecenteres will take you on this trip and then you end up returning without any dives because the coast guard interfered with the plans.
One of the dive shops with a permit is Rich Coast Diving in playa del Coco.
website more info about Bat Islands including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Barbados Caribbean SeaThe SS Stavronikita is the wreck of a 365ft Greek freighter which ran in to trouble off the coast of Barbados in 1976. The ship caught fire and was severely damaged. It was towed into the port of Bridgetown where she sat for almost two years.
In 1978 The Greek Government disowned her, so the Barbados government decided to deploy the ship as an artificial reef in the calm tranquil waters of the west coast, just off of Fitts Village in the Parish of St James. The shipwreck lies bolt upright with her bow facing East and the prop is at 40m/130ft. The top of the mast is at 6m/20ft. The house and main deck are to be found at 24m/80ft. The huge forward and aft cargo holds, and the cabins, stairways and engine rooms can be penetrated. This dive is rated as one of the best wreck dives in the Caribbean. Hightide Watersports visit this site approx 3 times a week.
more info about SS. STAVRONIKITA West Coast 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...
South Africa Indian OceanBest of both worlds... underwater and land safaris on the same trip! Great visibilty, very little surge. lovely dive!
more info about Sodwana Bay including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Bermuda Sargasso SeaThe largest wreck in Bermuda, at originally 500ft long, the wreckage is spread over close to 1000ft. It was a luxury liner from Spain, which ran aground in 1936. There were no fatalities, at least at the time of the wreck. The entire crew (all 160+) were believed to be sympathisers to the Cuban (or Puerto Rican, can't remember which) revolution, and were all executed on their return to Spain.
Very photogenic site, starting from the stern, where the prop shafts and propellers are still visible. There's a lot of fish life, (including a lion fish, seen on my last dive, and a moray eel that lives in the bow), and coral is doing very well colonising the wreck itself. There are other wrecks nearby, caused by the original wreck - the Colon was seen sitting in the water, and other captains assumed it was a safe passage...
more info about Cristobal Colon, North Rock including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Italy Tyrrhenian SeaI like much this wreck and I made many dives here like a guide. History: a german ship that in its first trip to Africa was sinked by the english U- boat Safari. A torpedo hit the prow. Now the wreck is like in navigation.
website more info about KT 12 Orosei, Sardinia including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Croatia Adriatic SeaFrancesca di Rimini is a wreck from the second world war. It was used as an amunition transporter and sunk through to torpedo shots.
It lays between 39 to 54 mtr.
more info about Francesca di Rimini including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Japan East China SeaAwesome site... visibility on a bad day 30ft, 60ft on a good day. Depth ranges 20-60ft evenly, old junk yard dump site, good coral wildlife
more info about Junkyard including maps, reviews, and ratings...
United Kingdom North SeaIs this is the ultimate UK shore dive?
Drive to the end of Eyemouth caravan park, kit up, and go down the steps. You enter in a sheltered gully but can get some surge.
The gully is a dive in itself but usually you turn right along a wall with plumose anemones, dead mans fingers. Of you're lucky you might see wolf eels, if you're unlucky you'll still see more marine life than anywhere else in the UK!
If you are energetic and the sea is calm you can swim all the way around the headland and get out in the next bay but plan it, don't just decide on speck. Many experienced divers have got into trouble when the sea blows up. If you use the gully you can get in and out in any conditions.
more info about Weasel Loch, Eyemoth including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Spain Mediterranean SeaL’Estarti can be overcrowded, cattle boat diving at peak times so avoid holidays and weekends in high season. Dutch, Belgian, German, and French divers have already discovered L’Estarti and flock from their inland cities at holidays and weekends.
The marine reserve takes 280 divers per hour at peak periods with the various dive operations having allotted slots on specified sites and times – a bit like a landing slot at Heathrow. However, the system works. The multitudinous Gorgonia are not kicked to bits as you might expect, though they are more profuse and pristine at greater depths.
see also
website more info about Medas Islands, L’Estarti on the Costa Brava including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Israel Red SeaNot actually caves (well a small one) but what aussies call a 'bommy'
There are a couple of coral outcrops 200 yards offshore with masses of marine life. Hard and soft corals, stonefish, shoals of Anthias.
Some say Stingray City Cayman is the World's best 10 foot dive. They haven't dived here! This site has won more photo contests for more underwater photographers than any site in the Red Sea. It is the u/w photographers ideal studio. Shallow (so you can stay down a long time) easy access and everything typical of the Red Sea (color, life etc.)
Keep it a secret!
more info about The Caves including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Italy Tyrrhenian SeaWe dived with Diving Nettuno
website and stayed on their campsite. The view from our window was stupendous! It's a small site and, like many in Italy, has its own beach. There's nothing regimented, no marked pitches, and the owner (Mauro) zips around on his scooter like a demented Marx brother! At peak holiday times it gets crowded but you all squeeze in. Everyone's friendly.
more info here
website more info about Amalfi Coast including maps, reviews, and ratings...
United States AtlanticThe Odonga is a 275' freighter that sunk in 1918.
Typically of harbor wrecks she was blown up as a hazard to shipping but there is still loads of recognizable wreckage including plenty of hull
Loads of marine life in and around the wreck
more info about Wreck of the Ondonga, Long Island Sound including maps, reviews, and ratings...
United Kingdom Irish SeaDon't be put off by all the local industrial plants. This bay is a corker and pretty sheltered in most blows.
I dived this with a club squidgey boat. I can't remember the name of the wreck but it was the easiest wreck I've ever found and only 3M at the top. Next to a buioy I think.
Second dive was a drift over a flat seabed. Everyone else though it was crap but if you looked close it was gopping with macro life
more info about Pembroke Dock, Milford Haven including maps, reviews, and ratings...
United Kingdom Sea of the HebridesThis was my first 50M dive!
I remember sliding down a fantastic wall, getting narked at 50M and ascending pulling at all the sea pens, which quickly retracted!
On the surface the seals look at you like 'what are you doing' as they sit undisturbed on various rocks. If you're lucky they'll follow you underwater too.
Fantastic stuff
more info about The Sound Of Mull including maps, reviews, and ratings...
United KingdomSwanage pier is the ideal night dive. Even though the pier itself closes at dusk it remains easily accessible from the beach in front of the adjacent yacht club. The marine life on the night shift differs considerably from that found during the day. Even barren ground, such as the sand flats, plays host to flatfish, baby cuttle, and squid.
Tompot BlennyAt night the wall where the hardboats moor is accessible with out the danger of a prop behind the ear, it comes alive with prawns squat lobsters, and tompot blennies.
On one night dive last year I was attracted by the frenetic swinging beam of my buddy’s torch and, upon investigating, discovered the object of his attentions was the largest conger eel I have ever seen! It was inhabiting a discarded drainage pipe that, on a dive earlier that day, I was poking my arm into!
more info here
website more info about Swanage Pier night diving including maps, reviews, and ratings...