Great Barrier Reef - perhaps the most spectacular natural wonder of the
world. The world's largest coral reef system, surpassing in size the UK, and the variety of fauna inferior whole continents.
Total reef almost 3000, coral
islands - 71 varieties of coral - 350 species of mollusks - 4000, varieties of
fish - 1500, and their colors do not dream and the impressionists. Even
excluding travel, journey will not cheap ($ 50 per dive), but the money is
undoubtedly worthwhile.
This is quite a place
frequented by divers, to the diving industry was organized perfectly. A large
number of dive sites avoids crowding the water and feel like one on one with
the ocean. You can come here with any level of training. And if you want, you
can do even without scuba gear: the experience will be enough, even if the dive
in the mask with a tube.
When to go:
All year round, but are
considered high season in October, November and December.
Conditions for diving:
Water temperature - +25 ...
+30 ° C. Average visibility - 20-30 meters. Certification level - from OWD
PADI.
Catalina
Catalina Island, 35 miles from the California coast - Reserve "beautiful" life. With the
"mainland" come here for a romantic weekend, take a walk through the
narrow steep streets with colonial houses and play in the casino,
"Avalon", built by the family of manufacturers of chewing gum
Wrigley's.
And now - more and dive: the
island was known as one of the best dive sites in North America. Along the coastline there are 49 dive sites of
varying degrees of complexity. The most famous - Avalon Underwater Park - is located right next to the ballroom
"Casino" and is ideal for beginners.
The park is dominated by the
giant kelp that reach a hundred meters in length. Marine fauna are bright
orange Garibaldi, California horned shark (one of the smallest in the world - about
40 cm in length), moray eels, fathead lip with a square head and the ubiquitous
sea bears.
One of the most interesting,
but at the same time challenging dive sites located one mile from the western
part of the island. It's a lonely pinnacle Ship Rock, a distance resembles a
sail ship. Depth at the bottom of the cliff reaches 39 meters, but there are
shallow waters, where sank the 30-meter schooner XIX century Diosa del Mar. On
a clear calm day you can see it even without cumbersome dive equipment - from
the ordinary mask.
When to go:
From May to October.
Conditions for diving:
The water temperature in the
summer - +18 ... +20 ° C. Visibility - about 20 m Average depth - 15-20 m
Certification - OWD PADI.
Maldives
These islands are not
immediately find the map, but at the mention of their eyes will certainly arise
turquoise lagoons, palm trees, white sand beaches and other pictures,
accompanying the advertising slogan "a heavenly pleasure." All of the
above there is present, but the monotony of life on these tiny plots of land
and permanent route bungalow-restaurant-beach-bungalow can become bored by the
second day.
Maldives is a paradise - it is their underwater world, not by
accident the first tourists in the Islamic state 30 years ago are just divers.
The beauty of magic, and not have to complain about the monotony: flocks of
colorful tropical fish, giant stingrays, sea turtles, stars, moray eels at
least three colors, huge napoleon fish, barracudas.
And the symbol of the islands
- Maldivian clown triggerfish, images that will haunt you for all the souvenir
shops. The colors of the fish, in fact, posmeshnee clown: low white circle, a
red striped fins, tail, yellow, orange lips. Even in the Maldives there whitetip shark and hammerhead shark, if you're
lucky - even whale and tiger sharks.
Join the underwater beauty of
the Maldives is possible, even without wearing flippers: Rays love
to splash in the shallow water, a few meters from the seaside restaurant
tables. Many hotels have their own reefs, which can be reached on foot.
When to go:
From August to May, the best
season - from late January to April.
Conditions for diving:
Water temperature - +28 ...
+30 ° C all year round. Most dives occur in the vertical walls of the channels
in the reefs or atolls in strong currents. Visibility - from 5 to 30 meters
Certification PADI AOWD recommended, but not required.
Malta
Hardly the Mediterranean
syschetsya more attractive place for diving than Malta. The local underwater scenery is not as bright as in
the Red Sea, but Malta is renowned for its underwater landscape: walls,
caves, caves and canyons.
And most importantly, in the
surrounding waters of the Maltese islands sank many ships of all eras, from
wooden Phoenician galleys to submarines. Some of them are at a depth of 40 m
and due to its remoteness remain virtually intact, making Malta sheer paradise for technical diving.
Techno - divers love to dive
into English bomber jump manual pdf, shot down in World War II and located at a depth
of 42 meters, but with proper instruction can look at it and divers with a
certificate AOWD. There are also more sophisticated immersion - such as
submarine British Royal Navy HMS Stubborn, submerged at a depth of 53 meters on
the sandy bottom of the bay in St. Paul.
Not far from Valletta French
merchant ship sank with the dishes, wine and brandy. Judging from the date of
cargo, the crash occurred in the early XX century. Such ships in the area do
not count: Malta has long served as a base of Mediterranean pirates. No
wonder the dive centers in this country is not only on large islands of Malta and Gozo, Comino and even, the official population of
- 8 people.
When to go:
From early spring to late
autumn, the season - from June to September.
Conditions for diving:
In the summer the water
temperature - +21 ... +27 ° C. Visibility - 20 to 45 meters for virtually
absent. Certificate - from PADI OWD.
Palau
Palau - embodied dream tormented human civilization. This
republic, uniting two hundred small, small, and very tiny Pacific island (only
eight of them are inhabited), with full transparency of water lagoons.
Few places other than Palau, the ocean looks so blue, tropical forests - so green,
and the assurance of the absence of large corporations and stock exchanges
within a thousand miles seems stronger. But the main advantage of the
Micronesian state - yet his underwater world of Palau certified as "one of the seven underwater wonders
of the world" reputable diving association CEDAM International.
In these waters easily meet
leopard sharks, turtles, tropical fish incredible colors (there are over 700
species here), octopus, black coral trees, a variety of crab and very rare
marine life, for which the names of the Russian language yet, it seems not on.
The most famous dive site
called Palau Blue Hole and is a complex system of catacombs with a rich set of
flora and fauna, as well as multiple inputs and outputs: light pouring through
them really, depending on the angle and time of day makes water all possible
shades of blue.
When to go:
All year round, but the high
season - from January to May.
Conditions for diving:
Water temperature - about +20
° C. Average depth - 20-30 m Certification - from OWD PADI.
Sipadan
Sipadan Island - is the top of an extinct underwater volcano, which
rises out of the sea for almost a kilometer, but the whole island today's
activity is associated with diving. Sipadan - an island that is still contested
in Malaysia and Indonesia (according to modern maps, it refers to the first of
the countries), but really it belongs only to divers.
Sipadan can get around on foot
in half an hour, but around this lush island full swing underwater life that he
would be the envy and large islands and the local population of sea turtles -
one of the largest in the world. The most amazing place on the island -
Barracuda Point - a body of water where giant schools of barracuda, gathering
in flocks of thousands of pieces, twisted into a spiral, creating fantastic
patterns.
At the other end of the island
are going to the same flock karanksov. Swim inside the pack, you can watch this
endless bizarre dance, emitting a silvery radiance. Around the island inhabited
by reef sharks, who are not afraid of divers and allow himself to shoot at
close range. Divers of these small sharks also not afraid - and fun pictures.
When to go:
The season lasts all year, but
from May to November - Heavy rains and the water becomes less transparent.
Conditions for diving:
Water temperature - +29 ...
+30 ° C. Thermoclines possible to +27 ° C. The temperature is above +40 ° C
with high humidity. Certification level - from OWD PADI.
Tao
Choice of dive sites in
Thailand incredible: almost everywhere in the country, while on the islands or
on the coast, you can be sure of the existence of any nearby center with rental
boats and equipment, and almost all interesting dive.
To travel to the island
Similanovy expensive comfortable dive safari. Richelieu Rock - Mecca experienced divers who goes there to watch the rare
whale shark, for the uninitiated there because of the strong current is too
difficult. On small remote islands easily meet robinzonovidnyh Americans and
Englishmen: dive once arrived, they stayed there forever - and now sleep in
hammocks, laboring instructors.
But the most important in the
country of refuge divers - Tao rocky island with blue-blue lagoons, turned into
one big dive resort. Around - the underwater rocks and boulders covered with
corals, sea turtles, reef sharks, angelfish, parrotfish, and in March and April
in the coastal waters, there are more whale sharks. No diving time on Koh Tao
will also interested in: laid across the island several scenic walking trails.
With each rock wonderful open
views of the lagoon, and on the Banana Rock you can enjoy the ocean directly
from the cocktail bar with hammocks. But even easier to express the dignity of
Tao in numbers for the two dives here take only $ 40, and the guide books
mention 26 different dive sites. In fact, they are even more in any diving
center you will readily give out "trade secret" and prompt a few
more.
When to go:
Season - from February to
October, the best time - from February to March.
Conditions for diving:
Water temperature +26 ... +29
° C. Visibility - from 10 to 30 m Average depth - 15-20 m Certification - from
OWD.
South Red Sea
The most popular places for
diving in the Red Sea are the reefs of Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab and Hurghada.
But total occupation of these places makes tourists to explore new territory,
to move away from intrusive salesmen and bursts of diving jeeps and boats - to
the southern coast of the Red
Sea, from El Kezira to the
border with Sudan.
On the surface it is a desert
and hundreds of miles of virtually uninhabited coast. Underwater - coral
gardens, caves, canyons and most have not been frightened by divers marine
life. Among the rarest - turtles, squid, octopus, and an amazing mammal dugong.
Utkonosopodobnye these creatures with fish tail are relatives of manatees.
All of the local population -
the fishermen - are concentrated in the city of El Kezir village and Marsa Alam. Between these settlements
uninhabited since the pharaohs. Once in Marsa Alam, two years ago, completed
the construction of the airport, where the first mnogozvezdochnye hotel with a
dive center. But even more interesting - in diving camps organized by
enthusiasts: this whole city divers, in which there are bungalows, tents,
restaurants, dive school, the pressure chamber, equipment rental, photo studio.
All for diving - and nothing else.
When to go:
At any time, but best of all -
from November to March.
Conditions for diving:
Water temperature - about +29
° C in summer, +20 ... +22 ° C in winter. Can sometimes be a hindrance strong
winds, causing flow. Average visibility - 20 m Certification - from OWD PADI.
Yucatan
Dive into the water and under
the earth at the same time - a special diving exotic, and its main focus is the
Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. Here is the longest underwater cave system in the
world (registered 60 different cave systems of up to 68 km, but the dive
expedition still discovering new ones). Entrance to the cave is called cenote,
which translated from the Mayan language means "well".
The Indians called cenotes
"gateway to the world of the dead," and, considering them sacred
water, dumped there gifts to gods - from gold jewelry to the sacrificed
tribesmen. All that is any archaeological value, has long been lifted to the
surface, but that the cenotes have not lost their appeal.
Most of them are located near Cancun's
right in the jungle. On the surface of the cenotes do look like wells or small
pools. To get to some of them, we have to climb over the rocks along with all
the equipment, sometimes even jump into the water from three meters. Climbing
and jumping is why: fabulously beautiful scenery cave, underground dome with
air, giant underwater stalactites and stalagmites. And yet - the water, so
transparent, that sometimes it seems that soar in weightlessness. Only destroy
the illusion of bubbles from the cylinders.
When to go:
All year round, but the best
time - May to July. In August and September - the highest probability of
hurricanes.
Conditions for diving:
Water temperature - +25 ...
+27 ° C. Visibility - up to 85 m The required level of certification - from
AOWD PADI plus experience of night diving.
Barents Sea
Immersion in cold seas - an extreme
offshoot of diving. Not everyone get into the water with a temperature of +4 °
C, even in a dry suit - the only one who drives the curiosity and pride
pioneers. Someone has got to scuba flippers and to the Antarctic ice and the
North Pole. Less radical, in their own interest, and relatively cheap way to
test himself in the icy water - Barents
Sea.
Barents Unlike white - sea,
consider the southern edge of the Arctic Ocean, but the
water is a little warmer because of the Gulf Stream. Russian divers is base on the Kola Peninsula, to be exact - on a tiny peninsula in a remote German
border area, where up to Norway at hand. To get here, you must obtain permission
Border Service of the North-East district.
No comments:
Post a Comment