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Courtesy of Bill Acker at Manta Ray Bay Resort

Turneffe Flats Resort - Dive Report

DIVE REPORT - 10 to 15 August, 2014

Air Temperatures – Mid 80’s

Water Temperature – 84F

Weather for the week was kind to the divers, offering about 10 knots of northeasterly breeze and surface conditions with gentle swells of no more than four feet.  Skies were mostly sunny with some passing clouds and showers.  Both Divemaster Denroy and Dive Instructor Anne-Marie guided for the week, with Carlton (AKA Capt) handling our 36-foot dive boat Miss Turneffe, designed for medium-sized groups of 5 to 10 divers. 

Black Pearl, as well as North and South Creekozene, were the chosen dive sites of the day all delivering a clear 80 feet of visibility.  Some of the eye-catching sightings included a tiny Pipefish which lay on the sand and waved its tail and body mimicking a piece of seaweed waving gently in the surge.  A Yellow Stingray was spotted hiding in the sand with only its eyes and pumping gills visible.  A Giant Barrel Sponge filled with Neon Gobies anxious to nibble on extended hands, brought the expression “a barrel full of gobies”, to mind.  Two tiny juvenile Peacock Flounders were barely visible through their movement as they were perfectly camouflaged on the sand bottom.  An inch-long juvenile Nassau Grouper flexed its predatory muscles from its hiding place in the hole of a small tube sponge, stalking unwary minute shrimp nearby.  A large frond of soft coral growing in a sand bed turned out to be cover for a host of transparent Gorgonian Shrimp that only became visible as they darted from branch to branch.  A healthy-sized Black Grouper swam by in its full display of black and white batik-like pattern.  The white jagged lines of this interesting design radiated away from its eyes, creating a startlingly beautiful effect.

For the second day, we visited the Terrace, Mandy’s Dandy, and Chasbow’s Corner, all with 70 feet of visibility.  There were numerous quantities of small, brilliantly coloured purple and orange-yellow Fairy Basslets everywhere, in addition to their less spectacular Black Cap Basslets cousins.  Magnifying glasses offered close up views of Arrow Blennies, Wire Coral Shrimp, and Neck Crabs covered with reddish-brown sponge for a disguise.  A Hawksbill Turtle, and a Spotted Eagle Ray, both made an appearance.  Blue Bogas shot down the wall in a tight school, followed by enterprising Bar Jacks.  A squadron of three Mackrel swam by at a steady pace in mid-water, as schools of blue Creole Wrasse streamed through coral heads on the top of the wall. 

The best weather conditions were available for our weekly visit to the Blue Hole on Tuesday, so we headed out early to be the first ones to arrive.  Both a deep and shallower version of this dive was covered as we had varying dive experience abilities with our group.  Divers who went to the full 130 feet, had a full view of the Caribbean Reef Sharks when three showed up.  Visibility was 60 feet both shallow and deep.  Divers doing the shallower plan did a maximum depth of 70 feet, and found they could just make out one of the giant stalactites that hung out at the top of the overhang below them.   They too saw the sharks down in the deep.  Four large resident Midnight Parrots cruised the top of the ledge at 40 feet munching on algae growth both from the bottom and what grew on dead coral.  They were quite comfortable allowing divers to venture close, and a view of their moss-covered mouths revealed a likeness to large mustaches.  At this close proximity, one could see the detail of the serrated edge on their large, formidable beaks.   Our second dive at Half Moon Caye Wall gave divers 70 feet of visibility, and a fair amount of sightings.  A Caribbean Reef Shark swam back and forth along the wall just below divers for half of the dive.  Nassau Groupers were spotted facing off in a scuffle on the side of the wall, and a Great Barracuda shot down to them as if to find out what the row was about.  A Green Turtle tootled around on the top of the wall for several minutes, going up to the surface for air, and returning again for more foraging.  A small school of Rainbow Runners raced past, followed by shimmering, darting Mackrel Scad.  Ballyhoos swam just below the surface above divers, as two Permit dived down from a shallow position to skirt the top of the reef wall.  A Spotted Eagle Ray swung by, as two Great Barracudas chased each other with a burst of incredible speed.   When divers pulled off over to the sand bed next to the wall, there seemed to be large Southern Sting Rays everywhere, whether sitting partially hidden in the sand, or digging around for hidden treats.  After an extended lunch time break at the beautiful and tranquil isle of Half Moon Caye, we chose the Aquarium as our third dive location, and had 60 feet of visibility there.  This dive site is encrusted with knots of life.  Here, sponges, as well as hard and soft corals all hang tightly packed off of older coral growth everywhere.  Divers get an eyeful of colours and textures on this beautiful wall that has promontories thick with Deep Water Gorgonian Sea Fan growth.  A number of hefty Black Groupers cruised the area, both off the wall, and between stands of Gorgonians.  Three Caribbean Reef Sharks were seen in various sizes.  The first was about three feet long, followed by a tiny one that couldn’t have been longer than 18 inches.  The last was a bit bigger at four feet, but was still smaller than those seen previously that day at Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye Wall.

The Elbow was the choice for Wednesday’s dives, and Myrtle’s Turtle right next door was visited for the second dive.  There was a northbound current that divers swam against for the first dive.  Visibility was excellent at 80 feet for each dive, and the water seemed particularly clear, showing off the intricate detail of the spectacular spur and groove formations along the wall’s edge at both of these sites.  An unusual sight of at least a thirty-strong school of Mackerel swam by on two occasions.  A unit of ten large Permit swam over the reef swimming past the divers and along with the current.  A huge gathering of Dog Snappers were spotted just at the visibility line, far off of the wall.  A Hawksbill Turtle fed contentedly on a large Loggerhead Sponge on the bottom.  Smaller schools of Rainbow Runners, Cubera Snappers, and Atlantic Spade Fish also showed up.  Divers got a bonus at the end of the Elbow dive, when Bottlenose Dophins decided to join them with their squeaks and clicks, darting up and down in the water column.  What a great treat for the day!  The Night Dive offered a full spectrum of reef dweller sightings.  Lots of Caribbean Spiny Lobsters were quite active crawling over the reef heads.  Beaded Sea Cucumbers were out, as well as a Sea Hare, and Lettuce Leaf Slug.  Even Octopus and Squid were seen.  Large flotillas of Sargassum Seaweed started drifting in, and juvenile fish were seen hiding below its canopy near the surface, exposed by the beam of divers’ lights. 

Choices of Elkin’s Bay, Molly’s Folly, and Tunnels & Barrels to the northwest were made for Thursdays dive sites, all offering 70 feet of great visibility.  Three Spotted Eagle Rays swam together up the wall and passed by at close range surprising divers, who were focusing on small subjects with their cameras.  Divers took closer looks at Pederson Shrimp, Squat Anemone Shrimp, and the easy-to-find Coral Banded Shrimp with its long white antenna giving away its hiding place in tight crevices.  In addition, a not-often-seen Cryptic Teardrop Crab was spotted in a tube sponge. 

For the last day of diving, divers decided to only do two of the three dives offered due to departure flight times the following day.  Pine Ridge with its big bay-shaped sand bed nestled between coral walls, and Amberhead with a dizzying collection of sponges offered great views with 70 feet of visibility.  A Spotted Eagle Ray, and a Hawksbill Turtle showed up for a farewell viewing before divers had to surface for the last safety stop.                   

Dewi Nusantara Liveaboard - Luxury Diving in Indonesia

 We are pleased to be offering the Dewi Nusantara charters in Indonesia, Raja Ampat, Komodo and other prime destinations. Contact us for space and discounted pricing on this fabulous vessel.

The Euphoria live aboard has just opened a charter to Raja Ampat, Indonesia 08-19 January 2015. Book this great ship with us and get a discounted fare!

Seven in Heaven - Book a 4 Night Dive Vacation and Stay for 7 Nights - Save $800

Get to the Pool..!

We have a great package at Blackbird Caye Resort offering a 7 night stay for the price of a 4 night stay. As the resort says "7 in heaven." You will get  air conditioned ocean front cabana accommodations, all meals daily, airport transfers, and boat dives. This package in the standard cabana is normally $2270 per person but now is $1470 per person double diver occupancy. Save $800. You must book by 31 July 2014 for travel weeks during August from the 9th to 31st of August, 2014. Contact us for availability today.

Grab your gear and let's head to the dock!

2017 Arenui Raja Ampat - 11 Day / 10 Night

Sorong to Sorong Cruise $5,900 USD Per Person

Join our group on the Arenui for an end of the year celebration in Indonesia, cruising the waters of Raja Ampat. This is truly a bucket list destination. The charter embarks and disembarks in Sorong. Dates for this charter are December 12-22, 2017. When you enquire about our charter, ask for our agent's discount.

Additional Fees: Fuel Surcharge $100; Port Fee $150; Marine Park Fee $120.

Standard Inclusions: Full board accommodation in deluxe cabin; shore activities/excursions according to the program; soft drinks, water, tea, American/Balinese coffee; five meals per day, up to 4 dives/day; tanks, weights and weight belts; airport transfer; government taxes; 1/2 hour welcome massage.

Standard Exclusions: administration/port clearance fee; National Parks fee; fuel surcharge; international and domestic air; hotels and meals before and after the cruise; alcoholic drinks, espresso, cappuccino; dive equipment rental; nitrox; massages and spa treatments; travel insurance; onboard purchases; private tours; laundry; on-board telecommunications; crew gratuities.

Raja Ampat is the world's epicenter of marine biodiversity. In addition to varied corals, critters and pelagics, this destination offers vibrant and colorful underwater scenes plus also majestic landscapes, making it a perfect destination for keen photographers. The only problem with diving here, in Raja Ampat, is that you'll be so spoiled by the near-perfect conditions that you may never want to leave or dive anywhere else again.

Spread across 1,500 virtually untouched islands, the waters of the Raja Ampat region are home to the most colorful, pristine and photogenic soft coral reefs, as well as a wide range of creatures from walking sharks to mantas to pygmies. Raja Ampat can boast over 1,300 reef fish, 13 marine mammals, 5 species of endangered sea turtles, 600 hard corals and 75 % of all known coral species. 

PAPUAN DIVE SITES

West of Sorong, Batanta Island will give you the chance to experience the amazing diversity of diving in Indonesia. Along the south coast are 2 incredible muck dives, where divers enjoy close encounters with all sorts of intriguing critters. At Black Beauty and Happy Ending look for tiger shrimps, ghost pipefish, mimic octopus and many nudibranchs. During the night bobbit worms, white V octopus and frogfish can be found hiding in the black sand.

In the south of Raja Ampat, we dive various sites around the large island of Misool. Dive at Nudi Rock, Whale Rock, Batu Kecil, Fiabecet Corner and Kalig Ridge. Wobbegong sharks hide under colourful coral shelves and the elusive Epaulette "walking" shark comes out at night. Marvel at the overhangs and bommies of Wedding Cake. At Wayili Rock, witness large schools of batfish, trevallies and barracuda. Explore Boo Rock and Boo Point, for large Napoleon Wrasse and Green Turtles. Try out your photo skills at Boo 'windows' as dive-buddies swim through the opening in the submerged rock past a reef draped in soft corals and brimming with fish.

South-east Misool is famous for the profusion of colourful soft corals and sea fans beautifully draped all over the reefs. If you're not one already, then diving in Misool will undoubtedly make you a huge fan of sea fans. Jump in at Neptune Fan Sea for a great drift dive, rushing along a gulley past giant and exquisitely-coloured gorgonian seafans.

East of Misool, we visit the Wagmab area. Drop in at Edi's Cave for something a little different, as we pop up half way through the dive to take a breath inside the cave! At the Wagmab Corner dive site, look for wobbegong sharks resting under ledges or on top of cup corals.

Back in central Raja Ampat, just north of Batanta (in the Gam area, south of Waigeo island), expect huge schools of fusiliers, snappers, surgeons, batfish and barracuda. Wobbegong, black tip and white tip sharks cruise the reefs here and look out for the elusive blue ring octopus creeping around the hard corals.

In south-west Gam, we dive at Arborek Jetty for pipefish, cuttlefish and octopus. The fish life in this area is plentiful. The newly discovered Pontohi pygmy seahorse can be found on the coral heads and see the giant clam nestled among the pulsing soft corals. At night listen for the toad fish croaking from under the rocks.

Also nearby, Manta Sandy is well-known for much bigger visitors, as it is one of the most consistent spots for finding congregating mantas. It's easy to spend a whole dive observing these majestic animals as they somersault through the water while being cleaned. If you're lucky, you'll be able to witness the unforgettable sight of a "manta train" - where a dozen or more mantas glide around and follow each other head-to-tail.

Heading to the northern Raja Ampat area, we visit a pearl farm in Aljui Bay (north-west side of Weigeo), to explore underneath the main jetty for wobbegong sharks, stonefish, hundreds of schooling scads, ghost pipefish, juvenile batfish and more. Nearby, the night dive is probably the best of the whole cruise, with a chance to see velvet fish, ghost pipefish, waspfish, coconut octopus, helmut flying gunnards and even the walking shark.

West of Waigeo, the rocks and seamounts in the Kawe area are truly singular as they actually sit on the equator. Kawe is one of the few places in the world where you can travel between the northern and southern hemispheres while diving! Yet, this is not the only reason to be excited about this dive. A combination of currents and feeding stations in this area combine to draw in a profuse amount of fish life, as well as huge mantas.

Cruising even further to the north, we visit the Wayag area. This isolated, uninhabited area sprinkled with verdant limestone islands, bordered by slivers of white sandy beaches and palm trees, represents what people usually have in mind when they think of paradise. The only thing to rival the landscape here is the diving. It is truly spectacular, with extensive and untouched hard coral reefs. As the majority of Wayag's islands have yet to be explored, it is very likely that many more dive sites will be found in this still remote area.

Returning to central Raja Ampat, we head to Dampier Strait, where nutrient-rich ocean currents create an incredible underwater environment. Everything which makes for a wonderful dive can be found here. Explore the dives sites of Cape Kri, Blue Magic, Chicken Reef, Otdima Reef, Kerupiar Island and Mioskon. Ironically, sardines are about the only reef fish not found at the site of Sardine Reef, but you won't even notice as fusiliers, surgeonfish, trevallies, rainbow runners, sweetlips and bannerfish practically block out the sky, as they swarm over a reef decorated with sea fans, soft corals and huge orange elephant ear sponges encrusted with pastel colonies of tunicates. One of the more unique thrills of this site is being able to hear "fish thunder" - the loud booming sound made when a large number of fish move rapidly through open water.

Book a 7 night last minute trip to the Caymans and Cayman Brac Reef Resort for travel May 1-10 or May 31-June 6, 2014 and get this amazon deal:

• 7 Nights Accommodations
• Breakfast and Dinner
• 6 Days of 2-tank dives
• Airport Ground Transfers
• And 5 FREE Afternoon Dives worth $175   

Tucked away on the northernmost tip of the island of Viti Levu, you will find Volivoli Beach Resort - one of Fiji's best kept secrets for scuba diving. This wonderfully elated beach resort is located in a trey unspoiled and spectacular corner of Fiji. With a perfect blend of white sand beaches, a large swimming pool, coral reefs, an exciting range of water sports, a sunny climate year-round, and friendly Fijian hospitality and culture, a holiday in Fiji doesn't get much better than this…!

We have a great package at Voli Voli Beach Resort in Fiji that INCLUDES round trip air fare from LAX-NAN. Now you can stay for 5 nights and pay for only 3 nights. The package includes accommodations in an air-conditioned studio vale, topical breakfast daily, and all non-motorized beach activities like kayaks, beach volleyball and snorkeling. The package also includes a $75 per bure food and beverage credit. You can add a meal plan for $62 per person per day. Stay 5 / Pay 3 Package is $1,629 per person double occupancy.

• Add a meal plan for $62 per person per day
• Add a 4-tank dive package for $324 per person

Palau is that destination in Micronesia of which dreams are made. Here are a few of the amazing dive sites you can experience around this island paradise.

Blue Corner

Blue Corner is very possibly the highest-rated and best-known dive site on Earth. It is home to large permanent schools of barracuda, large numbers of fairly harmless grey, white-tip, and black-tip reef sharks, and sea turtles.

The dive site can best be described as a large flat triangle similar to the top of a large office building. Coral is not especially dense on this triangle; rather, its high density of animal life is supported by the plankton-rich water carried over it by strong currents. The omnipresent plankton reduces visibility to approximately 20m/60 feet which is typical in Palau, but roughly 1/3 lower than comparable but plankton-poor sites elsewhere in nearby Micronesia. The edges of the Blue Corner are dramatic vertical drops from this 50'-deep plateau to dramatic, un-SCUBAable depths. Typically, divers will drift along the outer edges, making brief forays onto the plateau. Photographers typically arm themselves with a "reef hook," so that their hands are left free while they take photographs in the strong current. Safety stops are typically done "on the fly"-- that is, while drifting out into blue, open water and maintaining neutral buoyancy without benefit of an anchor rope or ladder. This is popular as a "last dive of the vacation" and pinnacle of the tour for dive guides leading tourists, since its unparalleled level of sensory overload "spoils the customer" for less spectacular sites.

Chandelier Cave

Chandelier Cave is remarkably different from Palau's other dives, in that it is 1) a well-developed cave system, 2) almost coral-free, and 3) less than 5 minutes' boat ride from the nearest SCUBA companies' docks. Near the cave entrance on the shallow, flat, sheltered harbor floor, divers may be able to spot rare, shy Mandarin fish. The first and second caverns are as wide and tall as a small concert hall, but almost entirely under water and drably colored. Moving further back, however, there is a far smaller group of hotel room-sized chambers that are largely above water. The walls in these rearmost chambers are bright orange and white with numerous fragile crystal growths resembling sugar frosting on donuts. Divers are regularly permitted to enter these chambers, remove their SCUBA gear, and walk and crawl about as long as the divers are respectful of the cave's fragility.

Divers should not attempt to enter this area without an experienced guide and two light sources per diver.

Because Chandelier Cave is shallow, near many docks, and not reliant on sunlight to provide enjoyment to divers, this is an extremely popular spot for SCUBA divers who wish to make a third dive on a single day. Because it's in a very sheltered, shallow bay, it is also popular as a dive site when weather conditions make other sites un-divable.

Siaes Tunnel

Siaes Tunnel (pronounced like the English word "sighs") is a natural formation in a submerged coral wall drop-off. It is comparable in many respects to the Blue Hole in Guam (not to be confused with Palau's "Blue Hole"), although Siaes Tunnel differs in having far more abundant coral. The tunnel starts at a fairly shallow point and dives down steeply to a moderately deep exit point, and is wide enough to accommodate several divers swimming shoulder-to-shoulder. The tunnel was discovered by divers fairly recently (roughly a decade ago).

Turtle Cove

Turtle Cove is a vertical, virtually bottomless wall and one of the most popular standard dives in Palau. There is a boat mooring at the beginning, close to the wall. This, coupled with the exceedingly shallow, sandy flat area between the nearby rock island and the cliff make for a perfect lunch/rest/snorkelling area between dives. The dive itself is typically conducted as a multilevel dive, with the first portion at 60'/18m where the larger life (sharks, rays, large turtles) are, and gradually coming up shallower until the safety stop which is done while drifting along near the top edge of the underwater cliff. The shallow areas are filled with their own collection of smaller but equally dazzling life: smaller turtles (one yard / 1m long), abundant reef fish, gorgonian sea fans and so on. The current is seldom strong, so photographers can pause and do macro-lens photography without unusual effort.

Ulong Channel

Ulong Channel (pronounced like "ooh-long", much like Asian "oolong tea") is an ideal drift dive. Typically, dive boats wait until a strong outgoing tide, then deposit the divers in a 30~40'-deep bowl-like sandy area surrounded by a shallow, dense coral reef. The divers then ride the strong outgoing rip-tide along a 10~15-foot-wide sandy channel through the reef, travelling in excess of 10mph without swimming. Along this 40 minute joyride, one typically sees handfuls of smallish turtles, cabbage corals, and harmless young foot-long reef sharks. The depth is limited by the shallow, sand bottom of the riptide channel until one reaches the end of the ride, where one must quickly grab at a boat mooring rope along a cliff-like edge. This mooring rope is sometimes visited by large numbers of relatively harmless grey reef sharks, so what might otherwise have been a relatively boring safety stop at the end of a dive becomes an exciting opportunity with minimal effort. Except for the possibility of drifting into deep water at the end of the dive, this is an idyllic introduction to drift-diving and one of the best dives in Palau.

Text about the Palau dive sites courtesy of Wikipedia. Dive site map courtesy of Palau Visitor Authority. Other information courtesy of Palau Dive Adventures.