The Beauty Underwater of Caribbean

The warm tropical of a Caribbean scuba diving vacation with salt clear waters, year round warm weather and beautiful white sandy shores of the Caribbean a perfect vacation destination any time of the year for scuba diving. There are over 30 destinations for you to choose from and every one of them has wonderful year round scuba diving available. One of the lesser known Caribbean scuba diving vacation destination is a beautiful island called Antigua. With gorgeous hot, white sandy beaches plus plenty of historical attractions, make this destination very memorable.



The main difference between all the choices is if you want to experience the vacation with lots of other tourists or do you prefer to skip out on the tourist attractions and go for more of the local resident feel. Most of the scuba diving here in Antigua, other then the southern shores, is not deep; but with the stunning coral reefs, most divers do not mind the shallow waters. A once spectacular Caribbean scuba diving vacation destination is the island of Montserrat.

Sadly in 1996 an inactive volcano that is situated on the island became active again and devastated many scuba diving locations along with the main town including homes, hotels and attractions. It is not fully understood how much damage occurred to the coral reef and in fact local residents claim the volcano has not affected the diving nearly as much as is rumored and besides when will you ever get an opportunity to witness an active volcano from a safe distance like you can in Montserrat. Another incredible Caribbean scuba diving vacation is the British Virgin Islands.

Made up of a group of smaller islands, these islands are very popular tourist destinations. Scuba divers can take advantage of amazing caves, sinkholes, canyons and ledges. Probably the most visited dive sites in the British Virgin Islands is the Painted Walls where you will experience all the wondrous colors of the rainbow while you dive. If Wreck Diving is your preference then the R.M.S. Rhone is available to you as well. Nevis, due to a lack of tourist promotion is a largely unknown Caribbean scuba diving vacation spot, with plenty of fascinating scuba dive sites stretched along the east of Nevis to the west end of St. Kitts. I suggest St. Kitts Marriott & The Royal Beach Casino Hotel for rest.



You really must plan to travel around the entire island to appreciate the complete assortment of sites accessible. Obviously there are dozens of other islands to discover during a Caribbean scuba diving vacation, so enjoy trying to decide on the destination for you. There are plenty of both inshore and offshore diving with an astonishing natural coral reef that is home to numerous species of corals and some amazing sea life such as sea turns maybe even some sleeping turtles.

Diving with Kindness Giant - Whale Shark

The whale shark is a slow moving filter feeding shark, the largest living fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of 41.50 ft and a weight of more than 21.5 tonnes, but unconfirmed claims report considerably larger whale sharks. This distinctively-marked fish is the only member of its genus Rhincodon and its family, which belongs to the subclass Elasmobranchii in the class Chondrichthyes. The shark is found in tropical and warm oceans, lives in the open sea with a lifespan of about 70 years.


Photo: whale-shark.org

The species originated about 60 million years ago. Although whale sharks have very large mouths, they feed mainly, though not exclusively, on plankton, microscopic plants and animals, although the BBC program Planet Earth filmed a whale shark feeding on a school of small fish. The whale shark is a filter feeder one of only three known filter feeding shark species. It feeds on macro-algae, plankton, krill, Christmas Island red crab larvae, and small nektonic life such as small squid or vertebrates. The many rows of teeth play no role in feeding; in fact, they are reduced in size in the whale shark. Instead, the shark sucks in a mouthful of water, closes its mouth and expels the water through its gills.

During the slight delay between closing the mouth and opening the gill flaps, plankton is trapped against the dermal denticles which line its gill plates and pharynx. This fine sieve-like apparatus, which is a unique modification of the gill rakers, prevents the passage of anything but fluid out through the gills, trapping anything above 2 to 3 millimeters in diameter. Material caught in the filter between the gill bars is swallowed.

Whale sharks have been observed "coughing" and it is presumed that this is a method of clearing a build up of food particles in the gill rakers. Whale sharks migrate to feed and possibly to breed. The best dives in the world for swimming with whale sharks have been visited by Dive The World and you could go there too. While some people are intimidated by its size, the whale shark is actually a gentle giant keen to avoid confrontations and generally trusting of humans.


Photo:cancuncd.com

Considered the biggest fish in the world, the whale shark is a cold blooded cartilaginous fish like any other shark. It breathes through gills. Its tail is vertical and moves from one side to another when it swims, unlike other warm-blood animals which have parallel tails and breathe through lungs like the whale, dolphin and dugong. Whale sharks can weigh over 9 tons and grow up to 12 metres in length, although there are questionable, unconfirmed sightings of specimens up to 18 metres in length.

They can generally be found in the entire Indian Ocean in depths of up to 130 metres. The whale shark is easily recognised by its immense size and a 2-tone pattern of light spots and lines on a dark brown dorsal surface. Unlike that of most other sharks its enormous mouth is terminal in position and can be opened wide to filter large amounts of water for small fish, squid, crustaceans, and other plankton organisms.

Sources: dive-the-world.com, wikipedia.org

Pulau Sipadan - The jewel in the crown of diving in Malaysia

In the borderland between Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines there are three world-class dive destinations located within sight of each other. Sipadan is a tiny oceanic island less than an hour from the mainland where rich currents bring food which brings fish, which brings bigger fish, which brings more and more fish, sharks and turtles.


Photo: dailyscubadiving.com

The dive sites are peppered around the island and none is more than a short speedboat ride away from the nearby dive resorts. Kapalai with a resort built on stilts in the middle of the sea, and Mabul - an enchanting island where every coconut tree has its own number. The geographic position of Sipadan puts it in the centre of the richest marine habitat in the world, the hearth of the Indo-Pacific basin. More than 3000 species of fish and hundreds of coral species have been classified in this richest of ecosystems.

Sipadan is well known for its unusually large numbers of green and hawksbill turtles which gather there to mate and nest and it is not unusual for a diver to see more then 20 turtles on each dive. Another unique feature to dives visiting Sipadan in the turtle tomb, an underwater limestone cave with a labyrinth of tunnels and chambers that contain many skeletal remains of turtles that became disoriented and then drowned. For environmental reasons this tiny island has now closed its resorts. This means the best way to dive here is by staying in on one of the resorts on the nearby islands of Mabul or Kapalai.

The maximum depth at Barracuda Point is something you just don't need to explore, but for experienced divers it's worth dropping to 40m to see which big animals might be there. Reef sharks explore out in the blue and, occasionally, hammerheads are seen. Meanwhile back on the wall, the fans, corals and sponges are equally spectacular. The real appeal is actually further up at shallow depths. Here divers encounter huge schools of jacks, as turtle flit around; and as the point approaches you see the reason diving at Barracuda Point.


Photo: guardian.co.uk

You can dive here all year round. Overall, the best conditions at Sipadan Island exist from April to December, especially July and August. January to March can see some unsettled weather and a decrease in visibility but the resorts still see plenty of guests at this time as the diving can still be fine.

Sources: divetheworldmalaysia.com, malaysiadiving.com

Home to the best diving and snorkeling in Thailand

The Similan Islands National Park is known for long white coral sand beaches, crystal blue waters, warm tropical nights and cooling breezes coming off the Andaman Sea. Nine Unihabited islands with some of the best scenery in Thailand. The Similan Islands are very easy to visit. Located only 50 Kilometers from Khao Lak - The Similan Islands may be visited for one day, overnight or on tours. It's now open (on November 1 each year) with a time to visit.



There are no resorts or stores on the Similans - only a couple of ranger stations and a few bungalows available for rent. The Similan Islands are home to a huge variety of marine life and incredible opportunities to see rare and endangered species. The Similan Islands are scattered with uninhabited white sandy beaches, the waters glow aqua marine blues and emerald greens, the corals are covered with many types of small marine life. The Similans offer you some of the best scuba diving in the world.

Often referred to as one of the best dive spots in the world - you will probably agree after visiting. While the underwater world may attract some people, there are also many varieties of birds and animals on the Similan islands. And of course, the long beaches! With wonderful underwater scenery and rather shallow sea level, the horseshoe-shaped island, partly encircling a small bay in the west, is suitable for skin diving to look at coral reefs and colorful fishes. In the north, large stones of different shapes and sizes are noticeable from a distance. Similan island is the largest island amoung the Similan Islands.

All reputable dive shops are affiliated with PADI or other international dive bodies, and most hold courses in multiple languages. All over Thailand, you can expect modern amenities, international standard boats and professional facilities.



For group or family travelers, all good live aboard operations will take non-divers along at a substantially reduced fee. Friends and family can relax, swim, sunbathe, snorkel and still enjoy the food, trip, scenery and experience of sailing in some of the world’s most beautiful waters.

Sources: similan-diving-safaris.com, similans.net, tourismthailand.org