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IndonesiaSupported by scientific facts, Raja Ampat is the richest reefs system in the world. After two scientific surveys were conducted Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy in 2001 and 2002 respectively, coral expert John Vernon, Raja Ampat declared that Raja Ampat had a higher density of species than anywhere else in the world. The world’s top ichthyologist Dr. Gerry Allen broke his own record twice in Raja Ampat for number of species recorded on a single dive. Before diving in the Raja Ampat area his record was 204 different species recorded in Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea. In 2001, he documented 283 species of coral fish at Cape Kri. Then, during the 2002 near the island of Kofiau, he set a new personal record by documenting 284 species during one dive. This is the coral reefs final frontier. I have been there 4 times and I am going back in 2005 – this time with the a very special guest and a very special boat – the MV Pelagian; undoubtedly one of the best live-aboard in the world
more info about Raja Ampat including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Australia Coral SeaOsprey has plenty of diversity, hence a great name for our liveaboard, the "Diversity". Osprey has a dive site called "North Horn". Quite a number of shark species can be found at this site including white tip, black tip, and silver tip. A number of really large groupers were also present at this site, they were the Queensland grouper or Cod as they are called and they were in the 400lb. range and as we were at a shark feed they literally took some of the food away from the sharks. Also at this site it is reported that there is some nice size tree type of soft coral. Water temp was 82F, with about 80 ft. of viz.
more info about North Horn at Osprey Reef including maps, reviews, and ratings...
PhilippinesOffers an extremely wide range of diving for a single destination. 2nd ww wrecks from the Japanese fleet. Thermal lake where the first 15 meters is semi sweet water at 29 C, from 15 to 25 meters the temp is 39 C & below that it goes back to being 29 C. Wide range of corals hard & soft with a lot of macro life. It has a friendly safe diving atmosphere.
more info about divecal including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Denmark Baltic SeaAlong Langeland’s coast, we find one of history’s busiest shipping lanes and an impressive ship graveyard.
The naturalist and macro photographer will find many exciting visual and ecological discoveriesbelow and above the sea, from the subtle hues of the Danish white nights and landscapes to the magnificent underwater stone reefs.
Divecenter Langeland is situated in an old picturesque farm house from 1777 on the Danish island of Langeland in Southern Denmark.
There is immediate access to this plethora of wrecks from various eras including many well preserved WWII wrecks as well as subsea Stone Age and viking settlements.
This is the wreck of Dr. Eichelbaum - a german WW2 armoured trawler, sunk in the Great Belt in 26meters, and just 15 min from the beach. On this wreck some sportsdivers found a lot of interesting artifacts. For example these:
These are the code wheels from the top-secret German code machine Enigma
To supplement the wreck diving we usually go reef diving as dive number two
This is from a German Motortorpedoboat. This one is a shallow dive - only 12meters. How about that for accessibility?
Common plaice - this one had confidence in his camouflage. Could have ended him up on my frying pan if I hadn't had my hands full of camera.
The Great Belt - the most important shipping lane between the Baltic and the Atlantic. This narrow strait is littered with exciting wrecks and reefs, just a few mins away with the RIB.
Theis the wreck of "Tromp" - blown up by a mine. Now it is covered by a a fur of sealillies.
The water is real close - walking distance from the dive centre. In this bay there are both remains from viking and stone age settlements
These flint scrapers from early stone age may have been produced 13,000 years ago. Want to find one yourself?
These tunicates are photographed right there too
A goby watching his territory - night dives are really easy. Though in mid summer the sunset is really late.
The chalets of the Dive centre have direct view over a protected nature reserve and the sunset! A perfect place for a good barbeque.
The reefs in the currents are teeming with life.
You don't need a boat to get to the reefs. Here they end on the beach. Grab your camera and hop in.
This is the wreck of Island - another German warship and WW2 casualty. At 25 meters you get ample bottom time.
"Stentrans" is a big wreck - and a fairly modern one. It lies on its port side in 24meters of water. This is the crane boom in front of the first cargo hold. We are looking aft, so the silhouet to the left of the diver is the starboard rail and behind the diver is the brigde with "up" pointing right
This is my curiosity shot: A seaspider - about 1½ cms, or ½ inch long - I had only seen them in textbooks, when this one came dancing past me when I was photographing the plaice above. This is in 2 meters of water.
And that is what I like about this place. I always see something new.
And so will you.
Peter Symes - 2004
more info about Island of Langeland including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Myanmar (Burma) Andaman SeaBlack Rock,
An outcrop dropping like stairs to over 70m (220 feet).
It's a wall dive site and deep dives are part of the menu !
Whale sharks are there, as they are in Thai waters, Manta rays, Grey reef sharks, Leopard sharks, Eagle rays, and sometimes Bowmouth guitarfish.
Wall down to 220 feet
Live-aboard boat from Phuket or Ranong
Variable from 10-50 metres
Variable, often strong. Over 3 knots for the spring equinox tides (march)
Good and colorful, some ghostpipefish.
Fantastic, very exciting; sharks, rays, "A Must" saee dive site
Great diving. Shark's everything possible
more info about Black Rock including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Myanmar (Burma) Andaman SeaThis site goes by many names
3 Stooges (Three Islets) or Shark Cave or In Through the outdoor.
Distance from Phuket: 170 NM
Distance from Victoria Point: 53 NM
3 Stooges consists of one small island and two large rocks, all of which rise above the surface. Each could be considered a separate site; there is no way to see them all on a single dive, or even a full day of diving.
All three are perfectly suited for multilevel profiles, with thriving marine life from the bottom to the surface.
Underwater, the combination of unusual topography and a tremendous variety of creatures makes this one of the best dive sites in the Mergui Archipelago.
Nearly every square meter is riddled with crevices that provide shelter and holdfasts for an enormous volume of fish and invertebrate life. Aside from the marine life, another outstanding feature is a large canyon on the north end of the main island where you can encounter up to a dozen semi-resident grey reef sharks.
Past the canyon on the right you will find an opening to a tunnel that runs completely through the island and exits on the east side at about 15m. Be sure not to disturb the several huge tawny nurse sharks that sometimes rest within the crevices as you pass through.
more info about Three Stooges including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Belize Caribbean SeaThe Blue Hole is a feature attraction of diving in Belize. It is part of the Lighthouse Reef System and lies approximately 60 miles off the mainland out of Belize City. It is one of the most astounding dive sites to be found anywhere on earth,
It is an almost perfectly circular hole approximately one quarter of a mile (.4 km) across. Inside this hole the water is 480 feet (145 m) deep and it is the depth of water which gives the deep blue color.
The array of bizarre stalactites and limestone formations seem to become more intricate and intense the deeper you dive.
The temperature in the Blue Hole at 130ft is about 76F with hardly any change throughout the year at that depth.
For all the practical purposes the over 400-foot depth makes the Blue Hole a bottomless pit. The walls are sheer from the surface until a depth of approximately 110 feet where you will begin to encounter stalactite formations which actually angle back, allowing you to dive underneath monstrous overhangs. Hovering amongst the stalactites, you can't help but feel humbled by the knowledge that the massive formation before you once stood high and dry above the surface of the sea eons ago. The feeling is enhanced by the dizzying effect of nitrogen breathed at depths. The water is motionless and the visibility often approaches 200 feet as you break a very noticeable thermocline.
more info about Blue Hole, Belize including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Antarctica Antarctic (Southern Ocean) Any expedition to the Antarctic is expensive. Dive equipment is more
expensive. There isn't any 'Club Med Antarctica' where you could stay.
There is always the possibility that your vacation excursion could get you
socked in to Antarctica for six months or more. Why would you want to dive in
waters where hyperthermia or getting trapped under ice is such a high risk? Big
and unsusual critters, that’s why!
An Antarctica voyage should be a carefully planned and coordinated adventure,
precisely scheduled to take advantage of the short 'austral summer'
season to visit the frozen continent. Amos Nachoum organizes a 20 nights voyage
that is a dream come true for photographers needing the extra time to capture
the elusive 'one great shot'.
Surrounded by the Southern Ocean, defined as the water between latitudes of
40-64 degrees south, uninterrupted wind circulates vigorously developing into
the notorious 'roaring forties' and 'furious fifties' .This
interaction between wind and sea currents creates a region of intense turbulence
and as a consequence, the Southern Ocean is richly productive ecologically. An
abundance of plankton supports the world's largest concentration of marine
wildlife. Millions of sea birds, penguins, seals and whales appear in glorious
abundance with the coming of the Southern Hemisphere's spring season. Most forms
of Antarctic life clings to the edges of the continent, where beaches and cliffs
offer snow free nesting grounds for birds and pupping locations for seals. It is
our intent on this voyage, to see and photograph most, if not all of the
available species
See website
more info about Antarctic Expedition diving including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Venezuela Caribbean Sea
Pinnacle (or Guasa) the 'not for
sissies' dive. Lots of surge and current and struggling down a rope to the
top of the pinnacle. It was very poor—but we still managed to see everything
you can think of up close: huge, varied species of parrot fish, more octopus,
drums, eels, scorpion fish, interesting corals, and more reef fish that you
could imagine. With the current, we could only imagine what lay out of our line
of vision!
Los Gatos brought us huge nurse sharks, morays, fighting (with each
other!) scorpion fish and the biggest scrawled filefish any of us had ever seen.
Green Paradise (and it was). 1st and Los Cuchos ('Eagle
Rays' and there were!) (2nd) Good vis and all the Eagle Rays you could
count—not to mention a few bull sharks swimming back and forth below. Huge
green morays (some of the biggest we’ve seen since Cozumel 10 years ago!) were
on every dive many times more than one sighting and also out free swimming!
Mini Wall, New Wall, Ledges Turtles, African Pompano, queen angels
everywhere, soap fish, huge southern rays. Wicked, flying current at Ledges but
big nurse sharks hidden everywhere in the ledges, big porcupine fish, and
biggest cowfish we have ever seen. Beautiful forests of corals and so many
schools we called it the 'Fish Freeway'.
El Avion and La Cocina . Visibility dubbed La Cocina the
'Where Were You?' dive. Almost all of us rolled off and never saw our
own buddy until the end of the dive. We buddied up with whomever we could find
and all made the dive. Again, "clouds" of every size wrasse and other
fish. The last dive was called the "Sergeant Major dive"-they were
everywhere.
more info about Reefs including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Papua New Guinea South China Sea It doesn’t get any better than this! The diving left us speechless. From
the untouched beauty of the bommies to the tiny, weird creatures in the muck, to
the B-17 Blackjack bomber, everything was superlative. We saw everything from a
Harlequin Ghost Pipefish to a Hammerhead. Be careful of the Panda Anemonefish–they
are quite aggressive and they bite hard!
There is even a Nautilus dive where a cage is sent down with bait and several
Nautilus are brought up for the divers to see and hold. The crew then takes the
animals back down to 200’ where they are released unharmed.
- The Ranch
--So called because of its resident pygmy seahorses, at about
20 m.
- Silver & Black
--A fun dive site, where a flutemouth hovered over
me to hide as it stalked prey. The main attraction is a sandy plain with
hundreds of garden eels, bobbing and weaving in the current. Schools of
triggerfish and other reef fish. At night, we saw two ocellated epaullette
sharks, an enormous grouper, blue spotted rays, and even a dime sized octopus
free swimming in the blue.
- Jason's Reef
--Two bommies where Rhinopeus have frequently been
spotted.
- Bunama Beach
--A muck dive site, filled with fantastic creatures! A
pair of harlequin ghost pipefish, numerous porcelain crabs, eels, seahorses,
lots of shrimpfish flitting through the seagrass, double ended pipefish, red
tailed pipefish, a variety of outrageously colored gobies, and much more. At
night, we watched a color show put on by a cuttlefish, a swarming ball of
catfish feeding, a shy little cowfish, and ghost spider crabs. Fantastic!
- Ayers Rock
--Again looking for Rhinopeus, again failed. A great
consolation was a mature blue ribbon eel as well as the black, juvenile
version.
- Observation Point
--Billed by the divemaster as a great muck diving
site, it was a bit disappointing. Nobody could find much of anything.
- Wreck of the B-17 "Blackjack"--
Lying at 48.5 meters. It is
almost perfectly intact, with very little encrustation to mar the beautiful
lines of this enormous airplane. Such is the condition of this plane that the
twin cannons in the tail turret still move in their mounts, and the belt of
bullets is still clearly visible. Reach into the cockpit, and you'll find that
the pilot's yoke still moves. The nose of the plane is caved in from the
impact, and the propeller tips are bent back, but it still looks like the
plane is ready to fly
- Kearst Reef
--A blue water dive, this was a bit disappointing. We did
three dives, and only managed to spot one very shy gray reef shark, a small
school of barracuda, and the occasional moray.
- Deacon's Reef and Dinah's Beach
--Two dive sites close to each other.
The boat tied up at Dinah's Beach with two tenders running divers over to
Deacon's. I'd seen Deacon's in various books I'd read before coming, and I was
shocked to see the difference between the present day Deacon's and the
pictures I'd seen. It seemed like 50% of the fantastic profusion of red whips,
sea fans, and other coral formations had died off, leaving scars of dead coral
pieces lying about. This seemed to be diving heaven! Frogfish, eels, mantis
shrip, octopus, ocellated epaulette sharks, cuttlefish...simply everything was
here! And the best part about Deacon's/Dinah's is the shallowness, which meant
some marathon 100+ minute dives. All told, I was underwater nearly 7 hours
that day!
Basilisk Point -- Basilisk was the worst sites of the trip, a wall dive
where some mantas occasionally pass by.
more info about Paradise Sport including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Virgin Islands (British) Caribbean Sea The reef diving in the Francis Drake Channel area is very extensive. The dive
at the Indians is not to be missed as well as Rainbow Reef and Painted
Walls . Each sight has its own character, and as is my custom, I prefer the
dive crew to pick the sights based on weather conditions and experience.
Visibility at all sights were never less than 60 feet with some sights having
80+ feet viz. Water temps were in the high 70's but my hooded vest was worn
under my 5 mm wetsuit for all dives since we were averaging about an hour per
dive.
Overall I would have to say the reefs that we visited were very healthy, with
no sign of abuse, overfishing, or bleaching. The National Park fees assessed to
dive certain areas were modest and were apparently well spent on multiple secure
moorings at each sight. Although there was an apparent lack of the 'big
stuff' like sharks and rays, we were blessed with several sightings of
smaller, but equally interesting critters.
We happened to locate two sailfin blennies in separate unattached pieces of
coral and when placed in close proximity, the show they put on for us lasted
almost 15 minutes. With sails out fully, they took turns posturing and chasing
each other in and out of the holes they called home. We finally had to separate
them as we laughed through our regs and their behavior. We also sighted several
male Jawfish (complete with a mouthful of eggs). A black spotted nudibranch was
also spotted and duly photographed and captured on video.
RMS Rhone This wreck is probably one of the most famous wrecks in the
Caribbean and has SO MUCH life on it. She sank in 1867 when she was pounded onto
a sharp rock during a hurricane. Almost everyone on board died.
The wreck of the Beata which is a tug boat sunk intentionally, where
you'll probably see sting rays as they feed on the garden eels living in the
sand.
more info about Tortola including maps, reviews, and ratings...
United States Pacific
San Benedicto is a very rugged
island that looks like a volcano rising right out of the ocean. The last
eruption was in 1952 and you can easily see where the eruption took place, on
the lower side of the southeast corner of the island.
Shark Caves is located on the East side of the island. A dive briefing
was given prior to our arrival at which time we were informed that gloves,
lights and knives are strictly prohibited while diving any of the islands.
Target lights and focus lights attached to any camera gear are exempt. The
recommended water exit procedure is to climb the ladder with your fins on to
avoid any injury with the potential bouncing, surge and currents that may exist.
This was not difficult with the wide, well spaced steps on the ladder and was
indeed a very good recommendation. Once the anchor was dropped and the RIB’s
were in the water, everyone suited up and jumped in for the first checkout dive.
The dive was to approximately 70 feet. Visibility was poor at only 30 feet, but
I was able to get up close with at least a dozen white tip sharks resting in
their caves. I also spotted a Shovelnose Guitarfish, a very Stingray-ish looking
variety of the shark family.
There were hundreds of Moorish Idol's and even with the reduced visibility,
it was a great dive and the water temperature was a pleasing 76 degrees, 10
degrees warmer than the water in Cabo. Once all of the divers were back on
board, the Solmar V moved to a protected bay with calm water on the south side
of the island and dropped anchor for the evening. It seemed that in a matter of
only minutes, a few Silky sharks showed up and began patrolling the boat a few
feet under the surface. After dinner, we were treated to a shark feeding show
off the side of the boat where tuna parts were hung off the side.
more info about San Benedicto, Baja including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Canada Nova Scotia has some awesome wreck
diving, gin clear but cold water and a tremendous value for your diving dollar
given the exchange rate. If you are thinking about a family holiday, a club
expedition or simply some awesome diving then check out our website:
website
and website
Related link: Dive
Nova Scotia - Canada
more info about Nova Scotia including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Seychelles Indian OceanAnyone thinking of scuba diving in the Seychelles then be aware that as a holiday destination it is paradise but for coral diving it is an unmitigated disaster. All the coral is dead due to a sea temperature rise caused by El Nino in the late nineties. I mean ALL the coral. Some regeneration is starting but in percentage terms we are talking single figures of regeneration. The fish populations are less effected and you can find pockets of massive fish populations in spots like; Anse Soleil - unfortunately no dive boats go here but you can drive there and snorkel, and also at Port Launay, which is part of the Marine Park.
They marine life is colorful and varied:- Hawksbill turtles, green turtles, parrot fish, puffer fish, nudibranchia, octopus, moray eel, snake eel, manta ray, grouper, snapper, bigeye, angelfish, butterfly fish, clownfish, trumpetfish, porcupinefish, scorpionfish, lionfish (poisonous) plus whale shark, white tip reef sharks and dolphins. The wrecks are interesting; twin barges and Ennerdale - whilst the granite rocks make an impressive underwater backdrop.
When going to the Seychelles I recommend that you take your own dive gear (BCD, Octopus, dive computer, torches) because the dive centres are working on long replacement cycles (two years or so!).
Be choosy about your dive centre. I visited the five in the Beau Vallon Bay area and some are very small outfits. I cast no aspersions on any of them. The one I selected was Island Ventures (www.dive-seychelles.com) my decision being based on the maturity of the email responses to my pre-holiday enquiries.
Visibility in August varies between 4 to 15m depending on the sea state which is subject to the trade winds. Any white horses on the waves and assume visibility will be below 5m. Most dives are around 12 to 18m with a few going to 30m. Oh! there is a small decompression chamber at Victoria Hospital.
more info about Mahe island including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Tanzania Indian OceanMafia Island and its reefs are renown as an excellent, World-class diving destination. Mafia has some of the richest reefs in the World, with an unparalleled variety of hard and soft corals and diversity of tropical fish. The Island lies close to the Rufiji Delta, just a short aircraft flight from Dar es Salaam, the Selous Game Reserve or Zanzibar. The island was a regular stop for two thousand years for Arab and Persian dhows plying the coastal waters from the Gulf to Madagascar and Mozambique. Chole Bay, Mafia's protected deep-water anchorage and the original harbour, is studded with islands, sandbanks and beaches. The clear, protected waters offer wonderful snorkelling, sailing and swimming. Outside the Bay unbroken reef runs the length of the island, from Tutia in the south to Ras Mkumbi at the northern tip.
Mafia Island is set in a Marine Park situated about 130 km south of Dar es-Salaam and about 25 km from the mainland. It is part of an archipelago formed of a number of very large islands and small uninhabited coral atolls . Due to its position alongside the barrier, the island is the meeting place of large oceanic fish and the the vast variety of fish common to the Indian Ocean coral reefs. There are over 400 species of fish in the park. The Park is a paradise for both expert scuba divers as well as those wishing to snorkel or sail in the native local boats from island to island.
more info about Mafia Island including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Tanzania Indian OceanPemba Island is located 40km north of Zanzibar and is about 70km long. The island is surrounded by beautiful beaches, islands, and pristine offshore coral reefs. The drop off into the Pemba channel is 600 meters deep, and it offers scores of world class diving sites where mantas, hammerhead sharks, groupers and dolphin abound. The island is famous for it's clove production and this is the mainstay of Pemba's economy. Tourism is still in its infancy but several areas are now being developed to take advantage of the amazing world class dive sites of the Pemba Channel.
If you are short of time and have to select the best sites then an itinerary which includes Manta Point, Mesali Island and the Emerald Reef at Panza Point should satisfy even the most experienced and demanding diver. Pemba is best suited to the experienced diver due to strong currents and great depths. There are some sites suited to the less experienced diver but conditions should always be checked first. Drift dives are the most common due to the currents and it is advisable to carry a surface marker buoy.
To get to Pemba there are flights from Zanzibar and Dar Es Salaam and a ferry service two days weekly between Zanzibar'sStone Town and Pemba.
more info about Pemba Island including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Maldives Indian OceanBroken Rock lies in the southernmost corner of the Ari Atoll, on the eastern side. The closest islands are Dhangethi to the north and Dhigurah to the south. The thila, which seems to have been cleft asunder by a blow from a giant axe, is some 70 metres (230 feet) in length, and rises to a depth of some 13 metres (43 feet) beneath the surface. The remarkable aspect of this coral base is the enormous canyon that runs diagonally across the centre, from southeast to northwest. With a depth of 22 metres (72 feet), this cleft was the source of the name, Broken Rock. On the eastern side is a jutting formation with a remarkable shape, and another small plateau, at a depth of 17 metres.
Apart from the considerable depth of the reef top, diving in this site is fairly easy. There are several decisive factors in any decision regarding the techniques to be used on this dive: the currents, which can be very strong at times, but also the level of experience of the participating divers. With weak currents, one can dive directly on to the top of the reef. The most elegant technique, which is also the simplest in the presence of powerful currents, is to dive at some distance from the reef, in the open ocean, and then to swim in the reef with the current. It is also possible to moor the boat on the reef itself, if it becomes necessary to enter and emerge from the water by means of a line.
The dive site has a great many soft corals and by a teeming and varied abundance of fish.
There is always the possibility of running into a gray reef shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) or two, or a school of barracuda (Sphyraena sp.). A mixed group of batfish (Platax teira) and blue fusiliers (Caesio lunaris) are usually guests at Broken Rock, as are the many sea turtles (Eretmochelys inbricata). The jutting crags on the northeastern side are populated by a great many tiny animals.
more info about Broken Rock 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...
Maldives Indian OceanThe wreck of the
Maldives Victory lies on the western side of the airport-island, Hulule, precisely near the first quarter of the southern side of the landing strip. The wreck lies parallel to the reef on the sandy sea bed at a depth of 35 metres (115 feet), upright and with the bowsprit pointing north.
In the early morning hours of Friday, 13 February 1981, this 35,000-ton freighter ran at full speed onto the southern tip of the airport island. Since it had not been built with watertight bulkheads, the ship sank in the space of about an hour even though the hole was fairly small. The sailors and the few passengers aboard managed to make their way to the landing strip, only about thirty metres (a hundred feet) away; all were rescued, and none were even injured. The freighter was only ten years old, and hailed from Singapore; the holds were full of merchandise, chiefly for the tourist facilities.
Even just a few hours after the Maldive Victory sank, a great number of fish had begun to establish residence in and about the ship. For more than a decade now, the superstructures have been patrolled by a large school of batfish (Platax teira), while a number of barracuda (Sphyraena sp.) hover above the deck; those who swim around the wreck are provided with an escort of humphead wrasses (Cheilinus undulatus). Large schools of fusiliers (Caesio sp.) dart through the water, as a foreshadowing of the fact that in the pipes, passageways, nooks and crannies of this ship, one will encounter all of the animal species that can normally be found on reefs, and in grottoes and underwater caverns. During a number of dives, one will encounter a large sea turtle sleeping at the tip of the bowsprit of the Maldive Victory.
more info about The Victory Wreck including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Maldives Indian Ocean Alifu Atoll is comprised of three geographical atolls –
- Ari Atoll :
one of the largest atolls in the Maldives, measuring 80
kilometres in length and 30 in width
- Rasdhoo :
Atoll also boasts some exceptionally exciting dive sites
such as the hammerhead point
- Thoddoo :
Atoll.
If you visit a resort in Ari, you will be surprised to learn that this is one
of the most highly developed tourist areas in the Maldives. However, they are
all protected dive sites and famous for sighting of whale sharks.
more info about North & South Ari Atoll (Alifu Atoll) including maps, reviews, and ratings...