Belize's Great Blue Hole is it Really Worth Scuba Diving
By Gaz Cooper
This is a question that is repeatedly asked on the many dive message boards across the internet and the answers it receives is sometimes misleading depending on the experience of the diver whom answers.
This article is written to provide an unbiased factual information source based on the reaction of hundreds of divers that I have had the opportunity to speak to after diving the Blue Hole.
Since I was a dive operator in Belize for many years and love the country, there will be some readers that say, of course I will promote the Blue Hole in a positive manner but the real truth is I personally think for 90% of divers it's a great experience a great dive and a great addition to diving Belize.
The Great Blue Hole of Belize is 1000ft across and 460ft deep and forms an almost perfect circle. It has been a favorite fishing ground for Belizean fishermen for hundreds of years and in 1970 it was introduced to the public by Jacque Cousteau whom on his boat the Calypso charted the Blue Hole for the first time and highlighted its wonders in a TV documentary.
The Belize Blue Hole is unique in many ways, one being that it is the only Blue Hole in the world that can be seen with the naked eye from outer space.
It is a fact that thousands of years ago the Blue Hole was a cave that was above sea level, the reason we know this is because Stalagtites and stalamites cannot form underwater, and can only grow with the constant drip drip that can be seen happening to the stalagtites in many above ground caves systems today.
When you consider that it takes more than 100 years for a Stalagtite to grow just one inch, its a spectacular sight to see a 40ft stalagtite that has taken literally thousands of years to reach that size.
The Stalagtites can be found in the Blue Hole starting at 100ft, hanging suspended from the ceiling some more than 40ft long.
The Blue Hole and the surrounding area has been designated a World Heritage site due to is uniqueness and is another one of Belize's many protected areas. (did you know that almost one third of the country of Belize is designated as protected reserves)
Many people don't realize it but there are only 2 diveable spots in the Blue Hole, The north side which is the more popular side for the larger boats, due to fairly easy access to that side, and then their is the south side which generally only the smaller boats can access due to wind direction and the fact that it has to be dove from within the circumference of the hole itself.
Each has only about 300ft or so of Stalagtites hanging down after that is just a flat wall of basically nothing. On the North dive-site you only have Stalagtites (those that hang down) with nothing but the abyss below you, on the South side it has both Stalagtites and Stalagmites which can be found at around 145ft where there is a small ledge that has some Stalagmites, this is the side you are more likely to encounter the resident Shark population.
In many message board posts you will read that some divers see lots of sharks while other divers see none and there is a simple explanation for this.
I dove the Blue Hole for more than 12 years and while today the Blue Hole has a large population of Caribbean Reef Sharks it will depend on how you dive the Blue hole and whom you dive it with whether you will see the resident sharks or not.
Many years ago before this large population became a near daily occurrence, we did on occasion see sharks in the Blue Hole but always on the South side, and almost NEVER when we dove the North side which was 99% of the time, because as mentioned the size of the boat we were using only allowed us to dive the south side when winds were favorable..
So why do some divers see sharks and other do not ? heres the scoop
Nearly all the boats that dive the Blue Hole from San Pedro see the sharks on many occasions, and the reason for this is that they get to the Blue Hole FIRST before the Aggressors and other large boats, resorts etc that are located in the area. (make a mental note here that normally its the very experienced divers that usually book the liveaboards and stay at the remote Atoll resorts because that is where the best diving in Belize can usually be found)
Being the first to dive the Blue Hole affords them better visibility since the first group to dive the Blue Hole gets the best vis, the reason for this is, as you descend it causes the silt to dislodge as the bubbles rise and releases the silt causing visibility to become reduced. (these days due to the large number of boats and divers visibility is nearly always quite bad compared to the other fantastic dives at Lighthouse Reef)
When you consider that San Pedro sends many boats a day to the Blue Hole you can understand why those that dive it later in the morning under the pretext (Lets wait till the san pedro boats leave so its less busy) dive a site that has had probably 50 divers through it already before they get the chance to dive it.
This puts them at a distinct disadvantage as to the quality of the dive especially in the area of visibility since 40-50 divers and there bubbles will reduce visibility by up to 50% in some cases, in addition there are the Sharks.
The Sharks will sometimes follow you throughout the dive but are mainly utilized at the end of the dive since you have an extended safety stop of 10 minutes or so and while waiting out that time on the sandy ledge located at 15ft you are buzzed and entertained by up to 30 Caribbean Reef Sharks.(Not Guaranteed)
The sharks are induced to come to the surface by baiting the water with sardines this will bring them to the surface from the depths of the Blue Hole and give the diver the opportunity to view these magnificent creatures during the safety stop.
The liveaboards do not bait the water nor the local resorts and if this is not done the likelyhood of seeing any sharks is reduced by 90% so you can clearly see that most divers that dive the Blue Hole from a liveabord or an Atoll resort will have a far inferior dive due to these reasons.
Baiting is now not allowed however some operators still do it to try and get the sharks up from the depths
In addition it is normally the very experienced divers that are usually the ones that are on the liveaboards because this normally affords them the best diving opportunities in Belize and that is absolutely correct with the EXCEPTION of the Blue Hole dive based on how they are currently running that dive.
Over the years a repeated question is posted on the various diver message boards Is the Blue Hole Worth diving ? and you will see the same answers time and time again from don't bother its a waste of time to its a great dive well worth it and everything in between.
Why is there such a vast difference in peoples opinions, my answer is that most regulars on message boards, that is those that post at least once a week etc are normally very active divers and have lots of experience and have had the opportunity to dive multiple places around the world and give there advice freely to others.
This however can do an injustice to a fairly new diver that happens upon a message board and asks the question is the Blue Hole worth diving ??
Most of the answers I have seen on message boards are negative when asking this question, mainly I believe because its a very experienced diver that maybe has 1000's of dives under his belt and when he dove the Blue Hole it was probably from a liveaboard after a bunch of other divers had dove it and because of his worldly experience he was less than impressed with the Blue Hole, so he makes his experience heard to this fairly new diver that has only dove cozumel since certification and has 20 dives under his belt, he of course thinks this expert diver knows exactly what he is talking about so decided NOT to dive the Blue Hole because of what he has been told.
When this fairly new diver gets to Belize and is asked do you want to dive the Blue Hole I receive the answer OHH no I have heard its not that good i then I ask who told you that, and I receive an answer of I read it on a message board, or my friend came to Belize and he told me, so I ask did he dive the Blue Hole while he was here then ?? and I receive an answer Oh no but he had heard it was not worth it either so did not dive it when he was in Belize. I hear this time after time after time.
I then explain the Blue Hole trip and hopefully I had some guests inhouse that have just come back and then I don't have to say a thing they will sell them a trip for me but if I do not have divers inhouse then I will tell them about the trip and encourage them to go and I usually add that if they don't think it was worth it I will refund there money, needless to say to this date I have never refunded anyones money normally they are extremely appreciative that I talked them into it and let them make there own mind up and I am happy to break the cycle of the OH No I heard it was not worth it mode.
Why do I do this if I made more money keeping them inhouse? the reason is that I am the first to say that Belize has many different areas to dive and each unique in what it has to offer, based on what a specific diver is looking for in a vacation (that's another Belize article to follow soon) I want the visiting diver to go back with a positive impression of diving Belize and anything I can do to increase there enjoyment of diving Belize then I will do that. The Blue Hole is a unique dive that if dove correctly can be an excellent addition to any divers logbook it will be less impressive to those divers with thousands of dives under there belt but the other 95% of divers will really enjoy the dive and view it as a positive DIFFERENT enjoyable dive.
So next time you see a question posted on a message board asking about the Blue Hole be sensitive to the experince of the diver asking when you answer it. Divers whom have been lucky enough to travel all over the world with thousands of dives under there belt will find it less of a thrill however the average diver will enjoy diving the Lighthouse Reef and The Great Blue Hole of Belize the possibility of sharks the eerie feeling and sheer difference,it will be a memorable diving experience for them, give them the chance to make there own judgments.
Dive Safe
Gaz Cooper
This article may be reposted and published but this box must remain with the article
Gaz Cooper
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gaz_Cooper
http://EzineArticles.com/?Belizes-Great-Blue-Hole-is-it-Really-Worth-Scuba-Diving&id=2070596
Scuba Diving in Langkawi
Scuba Diving in LangkawiBy Dinesh Patairya
Experienced scuba divers in Malaysia seldom fail to visit Langkawi. The blissful island has an asset which makes any visit for diving worth of it. Just 19 nautical miles off Langkawi Island is Pulau Payar Marine Park, a fantastic place to enjoy activities like diving and snorkeling. It is the simplicity of the island which makes it special. Both for the experienced and the amateur!
The Marine Park
Pulau Payar is a tiny elongated island located midway between Langkawi and Penang. Designated by the Malaysian government as a marine park since 1985, it is the only Marine Park on the west coast of Malaysia. The park shelters species which are not found elsewhere on western coast. The boat ride from Langkawi to Pulau Payar takes one to two hours depending on weather. Even the sea journey would give something productive.
Regular Diving Trips
Tour operators in Langkawi organize regular diving trips for Pulau Payar. Once you book a trip to Langkawi, the operators will themselves approach you on the ferry to check out if you are interested in scuba diving. For the amateur, who have never dived before, they provide one to one guide. With the help of these experienced guides, you could extract the best out of your trip.
Diving in Deeper Water
The guides could take you to deeper waters where you would see a richer variety of large fish. Jacks, titan triggers, morays, blue-ringed angelfish, lionfish, and porcupine fish are some of the residents of this serene landscape interspersed with barrel sponge, and multi-colored coral. You will get to see schools of large fish including barracudas, cod and snappers which are invisible in the shallow waters of the. After spending a couples of hours in the deep water, you could get back to Pulau Payar for relaxing or enjoying some beach games. Normally two dives are scheduled in a day.
Underwater Scene
One is really amazed by the lush underwater scene while scuba diving in Langkawi and take back home some happy memories of rabbitfish snacking on bubbles. You never know when a long barracuda would sneak up to unsuspecting divers. The water near jetty is always populated with thick concentration of fish. You would mostly see the bannerfish and redtail butterflyfish. Most divers dive off the giant platform where the catamarans dock. However, there are several other places on the island where you could dive.
Stress-free Diving
Diving in Langkawi is free of stress. Dives here are not of the struggle-against-the-current variety. This makes it quite favorable among the amateur divers. For the divers who wish to take things easy, conditions are good.
Dinesh Patairya has been writing on tourism for several online and offline publications for years. This article on Langkawi vacations is part of his Malaysia vacations assignment with YourAsianVacations.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dinesh_Patairya
http://EzineArticles.com/?Scuba-Diving-in-Langkawi&id=2067719
Where to Find Spectacular Scuba Diving Spots in Hawaii
Where to Find Spectacular Scuba Diving Spots in HawaiiBy Gary Allalouf
As you'd probably guess, Hawaii has some spectacular spots for scuba diving enthusiasts to spend a day exploring the depths of life under the surface of the ocean. On the other hand, it could be a little overwhelming to find the best spots considering every direction you go there is ocean lapping up on the shorelines. If you love to scuba dive or have ever wanted to try it, here are some fantastic places to do just that. It doesn't matter if you're a beginner who has never ventured beneath the sea or a scuba diver well versed in the art, there are scuba diving opportunities for everyone in Hawaii.
Scuba Diving in Oahu
One of the most popular islands found amidst the scattered islands of Hawaii is Oahu. This is a wonderful island to visit for beginners and experts alike, because of the diverse scuba diving locations found here. If you're going to dive in Oahu you absolutely should head to the Pearl Harbor wall. There are over 40 diving sites in this one area that you can pick from. Here, you'll be diving in to part of history; exploring the depths that hold plane and ship wreckage. At the same time, it's an amazing biological playground that is rarely seen. You'll likely see hammerhead sharks and green sea turtles just to name a couple. It's pretty easy to hop from one island to the next, though, if you find you'd like to try another area. Most of the islands are very easy to travel back and forth between.
Scuba Diving in Molokai
Although not one of most popular diving areas, Molokai holds some fascinating diving spots. This isn't really an area for beginners though. If you have some experience diving or an advanced diver then may be just what you're looking for.
For advanced divers, you may want to head to Fish Rain or The Cove. In Fish Rain you'll typically drift dive because there are very strong currents here. You'll likely see an array of life forms including hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, and maybe even an endangered monk seal, as well as a multitude of fish varieties. At The Cover you'll encounter beautiful butterfly fish, long nose hawkfish, and sometimes sharks and manta rays. Don't wander out of the protected cove, though, if you don't want to enter the strong currents.
If you're not quite an expert but have some diving experience, then a Molokai scuba diving location to visit is the Fish Bowl. Divers see reef sharks and fish, eagle fish and octopus here. If you're lucky you may run into a hammerhead shark.
Scuba Diving in Maui
If you're a total newbie to scuba diving, there's no worry. You can find groups and companies that you can train and dive with to explore the amazing underwater world of Maui's shores. Tropical Divers Maui has free pool lessons each day and you don't have to be licensed to enjoy the thrill of a scuba diving trip. With over ten years of experience, you're in good hands and have nothing to worry about. Once you get your feet wet you can try out Molokini Crater. The inside of Reef's End is a beginner-friendly diving place with beautiful scenery that you're sure to remember for the rest of your life.
If you're an advanced scuba diver you can check out Hidden Pinnacle which is found on the Southwest side of Maui. There are strong currents and can only be accessed when there are good conditions. However, if you make it out here you can see pyramid butterfly fish, octo coral and amazing lava formations.
Gary writes for Hawaii Homes where you can find Hawaii real estate for sale in the all the major islands. Review real estate in Oahu along with other great listings.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Allalouf
http://EzineArticles.com/?Where-to-Find-Spectacular-Scuba-Diving-Spots-in-Hawaii&id=2049035
Finding the Perfect Caribbean Island
By : Justin Burch
As there are more than 7,000 islands dispersed throughout the Caribbean Sea, it can be difficult to determine which islands to visit on a Caribbean getaway. When many islands seem to offer similar amenities and activities, it is important to find out what types of travelers are best served by each destination. While there are some Caribbean islands such as Aruba that are popular with all types of travelers, smaller, less populated islands might fill more unique travel niches. As you begin planning your Caribbean vacation, determine what type of traveler you are and search out the activities and amenities that will help you make the most of your island experience.
Caribbean Islands for Families
Aruba – Known throughout the Caribbean for its friendly atmosphere, Aruba is also home to numerous activities that allow families to explore everything from the island s unique landscape and colonial history to the wonders of the Caribbean Sea.
St. Kitts – This inviting island has a wealth of sightseeing opportunities for adults and children alike. In addition to family friendly beaches and water sports, families can experience the historic railway, colonial forts and sprawling plantations.
Caribbean Islands for Couples
Grand Cayman – Grand Cayman represents the best of both worlds for couples. Luxurious resorts, shops and restaurants share the island with pristine, uncrowded beaches and remarkable sightseeing opportunities. Couples can also easily visit Grand Cayman s sparsely populated sister islands, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, for some extra time away from the world.
St. Thomas – Though there are many sights to see in St. Thomas, many couples are drawn to the island for its world class shopping. Known as one of the best duty free shopping destinations in the Caribbean, couples will find great prices on everything from designer clothing and jewelry to artwork and high end electronics. Like Grand Cayman, St. Thomas makes it easy to visit smaller sister islands to find the perfect mix of seclusion and excitement. St. Thomas is also one of the best destinations in the Caribbean for a quick romantic getaway as passports are not required to visit the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Caribbean Islands for Singles
Curacao – Curacao has earned a great reputation for friendliness and safety. As a result, the island regularly tops lists as the best Caribbean destination for solo travelers. Curacao also boasts an ideal combination of vibrant local culture – highlighted by many exciting dining and nightlife opportunities – and adventurous activities.
Grand Cayman – Like Curacao, Grand Cayman is commonly recognized as a safe, fun destination for singles of all ages. Single travelers will also find the island easy to get around, while exciting resort destinations and social beaches help every traveler make the most of their Caribbean vacations.
Caribbean Islands for Adventure Seekers
Aruba – Known as the windsurfing capital of the world, Aruba is often the first choice in the Caribbean for water sport enthusiasts and thrill seekers. Offshore, the ideal water and wind conditions create the perfect environment for numerous sports. Best of all, whether you want to sail, scuba dive or windsurf, the conditions in Aruba allow participants of all skill levels to enjoy the water. The island itself is known for its diverse landscape that includes giant sand dunes, ecologically diverse parks and rocky coastlines.
Curacao – Annually rated one of the best dive destinations in the world, Curacao should be the first stop for scuba and snorkel enthusiasts. The warm waters surrounding the island are home to some of the world s most vibrant coral reefs, supporting countless species of tropical fish and colorful sea creatures.
As mentioned, there are a number of popular islands in the Caribbean that may be right for many kinds of travelers. When it comes to popular islands like Aruba and Curacao, no traveler will be disappointed. Yet, if you have unique travel goals for the Caribbean and take some time to learn about what different islands have to offer, you will be able to find the perfect destination for you and your family.
Author Resource:- Justin Birch writes about http://www.paradisebymarriott.com/home.htm travel in the Caribbean for Marriott Resorts.
Article From Ezine Magic
Taka's liveaboard dive trip from hell
It was a trip they will always remember, if only for the wrong reasons.
Guests on board Cairns-based dive vessel Taka were taken for a wild ride last month, with their skipper knocked unconscious, the cook arrested after being hog-tied by the crew and the vessel running aground on the Reef.
Some of the guests describe it as the dive trip from hell, while the operator and industry bosses say it was simply an unfortunate series of events.
For Cairns-based tour desk manager Lucy Elliot and her Perth-based commercial diver partner Shane Ashwell, the "bad vibes" started with being served one rasher of bacon at breakfast in the wake of a difficult night.
But it was after a day of diving, with the vessel working its way towards Osprey Reef - a famed destination the guests never quite reached - that the first real drama unfolded.
The skipper was found knocked out in the wheel house.
Crew then subdued the cook, a 42-year-old Cairns man, and restrained him with cable ties as the vessel headed back to shore.
The alleged offender was arrested and later charged with assault causing bodily harm, possession of a knife and creating a public nuisance.
"He was left out on the dive deck for about five hours while we steamed to Cooktown," Mr Ashwell said.
Taka and Deep Sea Divers Den marketing manager John Brown acknowledged there had been initial problems with Mr Grant's culinary efforts, but praised the crew's actions in difficult circumstances.
"The staff handled an extremely difficult situation in an exemplary manner," he said.
"I apologise on behalf of the company as to what occurred in regard to the (alleged) violence, it is something we simply could not have anticipated."
The next morning, the vessel was back at sea with a new skipper.
But just when the remaining crew and 26 guests thought things would settle down, the boat ran on to the reef and became caught in a squall.
Five hours later, the vessel was free and again returned to port, where the grounding was reported to authorities.
Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators executive director Col McKenzie said the operators were the oldest diving business in Cairns and had an excellent record.
"But if you had to score it, you couldn't score it as a positive trip," he said. "Often when things go wrong they multiply, as has happened here."
Despite it all, guest feedback forms show most rated the trip as good.
The cook was scheduled to front Cooktown Court yesterday but failed to appear. It is understood a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
by Roger Dickson