Gimme five... reef and wildlife holidays
by Nick Hanna
In the waters around Pulau Sipadan, off Sabah's north-east
coast, green and hawksbill turtles mate on the reef, which
teems with Indo- Pacific corals and fish (jacks, sweetlips,
Bumphead parrotfish - best dive season May to October).
After three days, transfer for two nights at the Borneo
Rainforest Lodge, Danum Valley, home to 300 species of
birds, animals and reptiles. |
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enjoyed your scubadiving course, trust them to outfit
you with the best dive gear for your type of diving.
When you select your dive centre start by establishing the
credentials of it. Generally, the more status the dive
centre has, the more it has been audited for quality and
customer service. If possible, choose a PADI 5 Star Career
Development Centre. Failing that, try a PADI 5 Star
Instructor Development Centre and so on down the retail
status list. Other training agencies have similar ratings.
Word of mouth is another very strong indicator as most
people tell others about a bad experience.
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After a night at the Turtle Islands Marine Park
snorkelling and watching turtles lay eggs, visit the
Sepilok orang-utan sanctuary.
Nine-night Reef and Rainforest tour from pounds
1,646 with Kuoni (01306 7477006), including flights,
transfers, most meals and two boat dives per day
plus unlimited shore diving on Sipadan.
Most of Thailand's top spots are in the Andaman Sea
north-west of Phuket, particularly around the nine
Similan Islands,
Surin Islands and Richelieu Rock, where granite
boulders are riddled with tunnels and swim-throughs,
steep drop-offs with swirling schools of surgeonfish
and fusiliers. Sail between sites for seven nights
aboard the restored schooner SY Seriph, with
stop-offs to swim in sheltered bays; then head for
three days in the Kao Sok National Park, Thailand's
largest nature reserve, staying in tree houses and
floating bamboo huts. Night-safari in search of
tigers, clouded leopards, elephants and tapirs.
Nine-night combined
MY Seraph and Kao Sok tour from
pounds 1,050 through Oonasdivers (01323 648924),
including all meals on board, three dives per day,
transfers, and full-board and tour guides in the
jungle. |
Flights to
Phuket around pounds 550 through Trailfinders (020
79383939).
Madagascar
Kick off in the Perinet forest reserve and Mantady national
park, seeking one of the seven species of lemurs found here,
as well as chameleons and some of Madagascar's 257 other
reptile species.
Fly on to the renowned Ampijoroa forest reserve to spot more
lemur, ground boas and rare fish eagles.
Move on to the eroded limestone formations of the Ankarana
special reserve, with bat caves and sunken forests of rare
lemurs, then to the montane primary rainforests of the
Montagne d'Ambre. Chill for three nights on Nosy Iranja
island, diving and snorkelling among boxfish, surgeonfish,
triggerfish, yellowfin tuna, barracuda, eagle and manta
rays.
Eighteen-day Five Wildlife Forests and Coral Island tour
from pounds 2,496pp full board with Reef and Rainforest
Tours (01803 866965), including guided tours, internal
flights and transfers.
Flights bookable from about pounds 725.
South Africa World Heritage site Sodwana Bay - the world's
southernmost coral reef presents challenging diving among
1,200 species, including morays, paperfish, mantas,
barracuda, lionfish, turtles and whalesharks.
After two days transfer to a riverside camp in the Hluhhluwe/
Umfolozi game reserve, for safari walks and 4x4 game drives.
On to Umkomaas for two days' diving on the Aliwal Shoal - an
offshore reef supporting hard and soft corals, frogfish,
turtles, spotted eagle rays, mantas and dolphins, and a
breeding ground for "raggies" (ragged tooth sharks) between
July and November.
Ten-day Dolphin, Turtle, Rhino tour costs pounds 1,489pp B&B
with Regaldive (0870 2201 777), including flights and
diving.
Central America
The Great Maya Barrier Reef - world's biggest after
Australia's - offers dramatic diving on the Caribbean coast
of Mexico: turtles are frequently spotted April to
September. It is best accessed from resorts south of Cancun
such as the five-star Sole Resort near Tulum. Here you can
dive in the cenotes - natural wells which have formed
caverns and tunnels linked by underground rivers.
Nearby Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve comprises offshore reefs
and lagoons, wetlands, savanna and rainforest - spot jaguar,
puma, howler monkeys and around 350 bird species.
Seven days at the Sole Resort from pounds 1,352pp full board
with Exsus Travel (020 7292 505), including flights and
diving.
Pearl diving in Bahrain:
For 5,000 years Bahrain supplied most of the world's pearls,
until the development of cultured pearls in the 1930s led to
a decline in the industry.
However, they still have 400 square miles of pearl beds, and
the lack of harvesting has led to problems of overcrowded
oysters. The Aquatique dive centre has come up with the
brilliant solution of letting sport divers harvest the
pearls which is proving a huge success with UK enthusiasts.
One week around pounds 1,000pp B&B including flights, oneday
Padi Pearl Diver course and three days' underwater
pearlhunting, through Diversions Dive Tours (07044 750242).
Speedboat to the Similans: The best diving in Thailand's
Andaman Sea is around the Similan and Surin islands, to the
north of Phuket. Until now, they have only been accessible
on dive cruises lasting several days. But a new dive resort
has opened at Khao Lak, 70km north of Phuket, which operates
a custom-built, twin-engined speedboat capable of 30 knots
that can reach the Similan dive sites on day trips. The Sub
Aqua Dive Centre charges pounds 275 for five days' diving.
One week at the Khao Lak Resort costs from pounds 809pp room
only, including flights and transfers, through Hayes and
Jarvis (0870 90 37 737).
...this has
changed in recent days, now have a look
here
The wrecks of British Columbia: The 440ft freighter Cape
Breton recently became the world's largest artificial reef
when she was scuttled off Nanaimo, Vancouver Island. The
1940s "victory ship" now lies in 30 metres of water
alongside five other wrecks in the vicinity, which have been
sunk deliberately for divers. One week costs from pounds
1,233pp B&B including flights, car hire and 11 dives. Book
through Harlequin Holidays (01708 850 330; www.harlequin-
holidays.co.uk).
Ten weeks underwater in the Bahamas: Greenforce has been
sending volunteers on marine research expeditions to Borneo
and Fiji since 1997. Its latest destination is the Bahamas,
where it's helping survey the world's third largest barrier
reef offshore from Andros Island. They're currently
recruiting for the next 10-week expedition, which runs from
mid-April to late June. Total trip pounds 2,550pp, including
full training (BSAC Sport Diver course), accommodation, all
meals, transport, insurance and use of dive gear, through
Greenforce (0870 7702646; www.greenforce.org).
Flights not included.
British Sub-Aqua Club on St Thomas: A new, full-service BSAC
dive centre is now open on St Thomas, in the US Virgin
Islands. Blue Island Divers is one of just a handful of dive
centres in the Caribbean offering the full range of BSAC
courses right up to instructor level. Within easy reach of
the dive base there are plenty of lively coral reefs and at
least a dozen decent wrecks; pounds 260 for 10 dives; one
week at the Emerald Beach Hotel from pounds 849pp B&B,
including flights, through Hayes and Jarvis (as before).
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All
rights Reserved.
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Tony Howell is the owner/manager of New Zealand Sea
Adventures, Wellington's only PADI Career Development
Centre. Tony's qualifications include: PADI Course Director,
PADI Specialty Instructor Trainer in over 25 specialtys, TDI
Instructor Trainer (IT), First Aid & CPR IT, Coastguard
Tutor/Examiner and Service Technician IT. Tony has helped
hundreds of people to choose the best scuba diving gear to
give them the most enjoyable and safe diving experience.
http://www.scubadiving.co.nz |
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