May 2007

Destinations

||||| |---|---|---|---| | Australia Bahamas Baja, Mexico Bay Islands Belize Bermuda Bonaire| British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Costa Rica Cozumel Cancun & Riviera Maya Curaçao Dominica| Eastern Caribbean Fiji Florida Keys Galapagos Hawaii Indonesia Micronesia| North Carolina Papua New Guinea Puerto Rico Tahiti, French Polynesia Tobago Turks & Caicos U.S. Virgin Islands|

British Virgin Islands

|| |---| | | | Photo by Steve Simonsen| Why go? The British Virgin Islands dapple the Caribbean's northern border, less than two miles northeast of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It's a popular destination for sailing, scuba and solitude. Only a handful of the islands are inhabited, with most of the diving resorts clustered around the large islands of Tortola and Virgin Gorda.

How to dive it Seen from above, the BVIs loosely encircle the Sir Francis Drake Channel, creating a calm, protected body of water. Underwater you'll find lush coral gardens on the sloping reefs that surround the islands, seamounts that rise from the seafloor, and an underwater armada of wrecks. The majority of established dive sites can be found across the Sir Francis Drake Channel, around the largely unpopulated islands that separate the channel from the open Caribbean: Peter, Norman, Cooper, Salt, Ginger and Dead Chest. Divers staying on Virgin Gorda have easy access to sites surrounding the nearby Dog Islands, which are marked by intriguing underwater topography. Dive operators in this popular sailing destination pioneered rendezvous diving, where a dive boat picks you up directly from your charter vessel. Contact local dive operators before your trip to find out how to arrange rendezvous dives.

Don't Miss The Baths. The Baths is a unique scattering of colossal granite boulders on a beach at the southern end of Virgin Gorda. The big smooth-sided rocks form quiet grottoes and pools, perfect for snorkeling or lazing away the day.

Good To Know

Weather: Temps range from 80 to 90 degrees in summer; 75 to 85 in winter.

Average Water Temp: Mid-70s in winter; mid-80s in summer.

Average Visibility: 60 to 100 feet.

Travel Savvy: A passport is required. There are no nonstop flights to the airport (EIS) on Beef Island, a cay that is linked to Tortola by the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. All flights connect through various Caribbean hubs, including San Juan (SJU). If you're traveling to Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Peter Island or Jost van Dyke, make sure that transportation is available if you have a late arrival on Tortola. Departure tax is $20.

Destination Links: www.britishvirginislands.com, www.bvitourism.com.

Best Dives

Chikuzen. What To Expect: Surrounded by miles of sand in open water off Virgin Gorda, this encrusted refrigeration vessel is the only game in town for marine life here-- sharks come in droves.

Wreck Alley. What To Expect: This triple-wreck site off Cooper Island consists of the Marie L, a cargo boat sunk in the early '90s, the Pat, a tugboat sunk a few years later, and the Beata, sunk in 2001. Expect barracuda, moray eels and reef sharks.

Joe's Cave. What To Expect: An underwater cavern off West Dog Island where divers can swim with grouper and schools of glassy sweepers.

RMS Rhone. What To Expect: This heavily encrusted wreck off Salt Island has a clearly visible propeller and cannon; you'll need at least two dives to see all of it.

Carval Rock. What To Expect: A large rock facing the open ocean off Ginger Island, this site is visited by large pelagics.

The Chimney. What To Expect: Off Virgin Gorda, this wide-arched tunnel is covered with iridescent sponges.

Santa Monica Rock. What To Expect: A series of pinnacles off Norman Island that are a magnet for reef sharks, turtles and eagle rays.

Cayman Islands

|| |---| | | | Photo by Stephen Frink| | | | | | Photo by Stephen Frink| Why go? Whether you like shallow reefs or deep walls, vibrant nightlife or napping in a hammock, you'll find what you're looking for in the Cayman Islands. Each island offers its own distinct vibe: Grand Cayman boasts a well-established tourism infrastructure that is perfect for families; Cayman Brac offers a rugged interior that appeals to the adventurer; and Little Cayman is a place to get away from it all.

How to dive it The majority of diving visitors stay on Grand Cayman, which features a huge diversity of sites, including plunging walls, dramatically chiseled reefs, and world-famous Stingray City. The most popular area to dive is found off Seven Mile Beach. Grand Cayman's East End offers less visited sites on the northeast and southeast corners. These sites offer dramatic coral formations and a greater chance to encounter rays, sharks and dolphins. The North Shore wall is lined with pinnacles topped by rare black corals.

Relaxed Cayman Brac has the most varied topography and offers what is arguably the islands' top wreck dive, the MV Capt. Keith Tibbetts. Brac's southern wall is known for spur-and-groove corals and offers sheer drop-offs with a variety of vertical swim-throughs, tunnels and grottoes. The North Shore's sloping wall features a variety of marine life sheltered by strawberry, vase and big barrel sponges.

Little Cayman's claim to fame is Bloody Bay Wall, which starts in water as shallow as 18 feet and drops off so steeply that you'll feel like you're free-falling.

Don't Miss Grand Cayman Nightlife. As family-friendly dive destinations go, Grand Cayman is one of the world's best. There's plenty to keep the kids entertained: a turtle farm, gorgeous beaches, submersible rides. But once the kids are asleep, the action heats up, especially along Grand Cayman's fabled Seven Mile Beach, where there are endless places to drink, eat and dance. Any decent pub crawl should include Coconut Joe's, an anything-goes joint that draws divers, divemasters and beach bums, and the Lone Star, for a little taste of Texas in the Caribbean.

Good To Know

|| |---| | | | Photo by Alexander Mustard| Weather: Temperatures range from 75 to 85 degrees, with highs reaching the low 90s in summer. Rain picks up in the summer months; cooling trade winds occur in winter.

Average Water Temp: Between 77 and 83 degrees.

Average Visibility: About 100 feet year-round, though it can reach 200 feet in summer and fall to 75 feet in winter.

Travel Savvy: A passport is required. Nonstop flights to Grand Cayman (GCM) originate in many U.S. gateways, with connections to Cayman Brac (CYB) and Little Cayman (LYB). Inter-island flights run daily. Departure tax is usually included in the airline ticket price.

Destination Links: www.caymanislands.ky, www.divecayman.ky.

Best Dives

Trinity Caves. What To Expect: Vaulting coral formations and swim-throughs filled with tropicals, eagle rays and turtles off Grand Cayman's northern West Bay.

Snapper Hole. What To Expect: An intricate maze of fish-filled tunnels off Grand Cayman's East End. Look for silversides, tarpon and, of course, snapper. Oro Verde. What To Expect: This one-time drug-smuggling boat, scuttled off Grand Cayman's western shore, offers plenty of structure, tons of fish and lots of photo ops.

Hole in the Wall. What To Expect: Deep sand grooves cascade over this Grand Cayman steep wall at 65 feet and then tumble into a vertical free fall.

Marilyn's Cut. What To Expect: This Little Cayman site, midway on Bloody Bay Wall, is bisected by a deep cut and is adorned with massive sponges.

Mixing Bowl. What To Expect: Little Cayman's famed drop-off slopes to a sand flat with a mini-wall riddled with sand chutes, chimneys and tunnels.

Anchor Wall. What To Expect: This Cayman Brac wall starts at about 70 feet. Look for an encrusted anchor wedged between a coral chimney and a mini-wall.

MV Capt. Keith Tibbetts. What To Expect: A 330-foot-long Russian warship in 35 to 90 feet of water off Cayman Brac.

Costa Rica

|| |---| | | | Photo by Brandon Cole| Why go? Costa Rica has become a top dive destination--and with whale sharks, hammerheads, white-tip sharks and giant Pacific manta rays off its Pacific Coast, it's easy to understand why. While live-aboard trips to Cocos Island and the massive schools of hammerheads are for dedicated divers only, land-based diving in the Gulf of Papagayo and along the Osa Peninsula offers underwater and topside adventures you'll never forget.

How to dive it For land-based divers, the best bet is the Pacific Coast, where sightings of huge bull sharks and manta rays are almost commonplace. There are two options here--the beach resorts on the Gulf of Papagayo in the north and the rustic jungle lodges of the Osa Peninsula in the south. But for many, there's nothing like a weeklong live-aboard trip to Cocos Island. Located 375 miles off the Pacific Coast, Cocos is one of the last wild places left on earth. Dive cruises here start with a 36-hour crossing in rough seas, but the payoff is swimming with giant manta rays and schooling hammerhead sharks.

Don't Miss Arenal Volcano. For a red-hot light show that happens with stunning regularity, you can't beat Arenal Volcano, perhaps Costa Rica's most iconic attraction.

Good To Know

Weather: Summer highs in the mid-80s to low 90s in summer; mid-70s in winter.

Average Water Temp: High 70s to low 80s in summer; low 70s in winter.

Average Visibility: 30 to 60 feet with occasional peaks of 80 feet.

Travel Savvy: A valid passport is required. Nonstop flights to San Jose (SJO) originate in a number of U.S. gateways. Departure tax is $26. Live-aboards berthed in San Jose visit Cocos Island, 375 miles off the Pacific Coast.

Destination Links: www.visitcostarica.com, www.infocostarica.com.

Best Dives

Virador. What To Expect: In the Gulf of Papagayo, a single rock pinnacle spiraling up from 90 feet is obscured by a haze of grunts, jacks, surgeonfish and parrotfish.

Big Scare. What To Expect: Deflate your BC before rolling into the water at this site in the Bat Islands, then kick for the bottom as fast as you can to beat the ripping current. Anchor yourself to a rock and wait for the parade of bull sharks.

The Point. What To Expect: Bundle up and be prepared for the cold, nutrient-rich waters of the Catalina Islands that slam in from the ocean, bringing manta rays, eagle rays and the occasional tiger shark.

El Bajo del Diablo. What To Expect: Off the Osa Peninsula's Cano Island, this towering rock pinnacle is covered with rocky mazes, peaks and valleys that let you sneak up on grouper, snapper and plenty of white-tip sharks.

Dirty Rock. What To Expect: This deep-water pinnacle off Cocos Island tops out at 65 feet and is known for its schooling hammerhead sharks and a prolific list of marine life, including eagle and manta rays, white-tip sharks, sea turtles, silky sharks and enormous schools of jacks.

Alcyone. What To Expect: Huge schools of hammerheads and other big-money marine life on a Cocos seamount that reaches to within 80 feet of the surface.

Cozumel

|| |---| | | | Photo by Stephen Frink| Why go? Dive Cozumel once and you'll dive it for life. Effortless drift diving on world-class reefs is just that addictive. Add bargain prices, easy access from the U.S. and a unique blend of topside fun that includes great restaurants, noisy honky-tonks and authentic Sunday night fiestas in the town square, and you have just a few of the reasons legions of divers return year after year after year.

How to dive it Nestled in the protected lee of Cozumel's west coast, the island's dive sites are found on the reefs lining the 3,000-foot-deep Yucatan Channel, which separates the island from the mainland. The sites include low-profile patch reefs sprouting from the sandy nearshore, coral ridges at mid-depths, and precipitous walls and skyscraper-high pinnacles at the edge of the drop-offs beginning at greater depths. Most of the operators on Cozumel, whether the dive is on a shallow coral garden or on a deep wall, follow a "live boat" protocol: Divers are led by a divemaster, the dive boat follows the group's bubble trail and then picks everyone up as they surface.

Don't Miss San Miguel's Town Square. On any day of the week, San Miguel's shaded main square is a great place to sit under a tree, people-watch and listen to locals play music. The best time to be here is on Sunday night.

Good To Know

Weather: Mid-80s in summer and mid-70s in winter.

Average Water Temp: Summer temps are in the mid-80s; winter temps in the 70s.

Average Visibility: Consistently great vis is the norm, near 100 feet on deeper sites, less on shallow reefs.

Travel Savvy: A passport is required. Nonstop flights to Cancun (CUN) originate in many U.S. gateways. There are some nonstop flights to Cozumel (CZM). If you fly into Cancun and are traveling on to Cozumel, take a shuttle to Playa del Carmen, and then catch a ferry to Cozumel. Departure tax is usually included in the airline ticket price.

Destination Links: www.islacozumel.com.mx, www.cozumelonline.com, www.cozumel.net.

Best Dives

Santa Rosa Wall. What To Expect: This reef has a lot of drama: You'll drift alongside spectacular sheer cliffs where the current has carved out caves, grottoes and tunnels. The sponges here are huge.

Palancar Horseshoe. What To Expect: This site is renowned for the columns of corals that rise from the seafloor. A maze of tunnels and swim-throughs leads to arches and grottoes. Expect schools of blue and brown chromis and bar jacks.

Punta Sur. What To Expect: The first trip through Devil's Throat, the central funnel through this popular reef, is a rite of passage for all Cozumel divers. Look for schools of black durgon and jacks.

Maracaibo Deep. What To Expect: If you're staying near San Miguel, you'll need to find an operator with a fast boat to make this trip. Most divers come here hoping to find sharks, but it's not a guaranteed encounter. Watch your depth--the wall's lip is at 90 feet.

Cancun & Riviera Maya

Why go? Off the stretch of whitewashed sand along Cancun and the Riviera Maya (starting south of Cancun and extending down the coast to Punta Allen) is some awesome diving. The shallow, nearshore reefs of Cancun, Isla Mujeres and Playa Del Carmen are great for beginners, but you can also explore the world-famous cenotes, freshwater springs that flow beneath the limestone bedrock of the Yucatan jungle. Farther south and offshore, the Chinchorro Banks atoll is a pristine aquatic wilderness.

How to dive it Diving here ranges from snorkel-simple reefs to the freshwater labyrinth of underwater caves beneath the surface of the Yucatan mainland. Along the northern curve of the peninsula, near Cancun and Isla Mujeres, currents outside the sheltered bays are strong, but the vis is better. You'll find puppy-sized French and queen angelfish, prickly burrfish, colorful reefs and overhangs, and bull, black-tip and lemon sharks. Off the southern shores of the Riviera Maya coast are less-explored reefs with dramatic pillar coral, delicate anemones, current-twisted barrel sponges and stair-stepping deep reefs.

Don't Miss Chichen Itza. The Yucatan offers several choices for incredibly intact Mayan ruins that are open to tourists, but the most famous, undoubtedly, is Chichen Itza. The ruins, built around 500 AD and abandoned around 1500, cover a six-square-mile area, and the grounds include a ball field, inside passageways and ornate sculptures. A testament to the Mayans' architectural genius, on March 21 and Sept. 22 each year at approximately 4 p.m., the sun casts a shadow that covers the entire Kukulcan pyramid except for a winding band of light that resembles a snake slithering down the north staircase.

Try to visit in the morning or afternoon to avoid midday heat and plan around the crowds. You can reach this site--about 125 miles west of Cancun--by car, tour bus or even fly into the small airport. There are accommodations near the ruins and a light and sound show in the evenings.

Good To Know

Weather: Mid-80s in summer and mid-70s in winter.

Average Water Temp: Summer temps are in the mid-80s; winter temps in the 70s.

Average Visibility: Consistently great vis is the norm, near 100 feet on deeper sites, less on shallow reefs, and more than 100 feet in the cenotes.

Travel Savvy: A passport is required. Nonstop flights to Cancun (CUN) originate in many U.S. gateways. Shuttle service is available from the airport to many destinations in Riviera Maya, including Tulum and Akumal. Departure tax is usually included in the airline ticket price.

Destination Links: www.travelyucatan.com, www.mayanriviera.com.

Best Dives

Grampin Reef. What To Expect: A series of ledges off Cancun that create seven-foot gullies--a great hideaway for snappers, grunts and porkfish and an occasional angelfish pair; toward the deep it's possible to see dolphins, sharks, rays and turtles.

Chac Mool. What To Expect: Two cenotes south of Playa del Carmen with beautiful views of the jungle.

The Arch. What To Expect: A Playa del Carmen drift dive atop a healthy reef with barrel sponges twisted by the northerly current, orange elephant ears and soft corals at 80- to 100-foot depths that leads to a stunning 20-foot-tall arch.

Sharkey's Place. What To Expect: An enormous coral archway bulges upward at 80 feet off Playa del Carmen. The 20-foot-tall overhang is layered in colorful gorgonians and tunicates.

Dos Ojos. What To Expect: An unforgettable dive in the clear waters of the vast cavern system of Dos Ojos (Two Eyes), located about 15 minutes south of Akumal in the heart of the Yucatan cenote region. During the 45-minute dive, you'll explore both cenotes and their huge natural formations.

Car Wash. What To Expect: Also known as Aktun Ha, the Car Wash cenote near Tulum got its name from locals who used to wash their cars there. Easy entry and brilliantly decorated.

Curaçao

|| |---| | | | Photo by Ethan Gordon| Why go? This Dutch island's capital, Willemstad, looks as if a miniature Amsterdam fell from the sky and plopped down smack dab in the Southern Caribbean. Divers head offshore for outstanding wreck diving on the Superior Producer and the psychedelic reefscape of the Mushroom Forest.

How to dive it Almost the entire length of Curaçao's 40-mile western shore is diveable, from North Point to East Point. The reefs from Willemstad southward have been designated a marine park, including about 1,500 acres of underwater terrain. A typical Curaçao reef profile includes a shallow reef terrace down to about 30 feet, bordered by a wall that slopes at about a 45-degree angle off into the abyss. The bonus? You can set your own schedule. Rent a vehicle and hit the road--the island's shore dive sites are marked with numbered white stones, similar to Bonaire's yellow ones. Or opt for a dive package through your resort and let the boat crew do the work for you. Pristine Klein Curaçao is an hour's boat ride south of the main island.

Don't Miss Historic Willemstad. Take a guided tour around the western part of old Willemstad, Otrabanda, one of the most historic areas in the Caribbean. The city's Dutch-influenced buildings date from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Good To Know

Weather: Summer temps average 85 degrees and drop to the mid-70s in winter.

Average Water Temp: Low to mid-80s in summer; mid- to high 70s in winter.

Average Visibility: Ranges from 50 to 100 feet.

Travel Savvy: A passport is required. Nonstop flights to Curaçao (CUR) originate in a number of U.S. gateways. There is a $22 departure tax.

Destination Links: www.curacao-tourism.com.

Best Dives

Superior Producer. What To Expect: Curaçao's biggest and best wreck sank just outside Willemstad's bustling harbor in 50 to 110 feet of water. The wreck sports a furry coat of orange cup corals and a variety of encrusting sponges. Look for barracuda and silversides.

Mushroom Forest. What To Expect: Mushroom Forest is a healthy reef in 40 to 60 feet of water off Curaçao's northwest shore. It's packed with mountainous star coral.

The Cave. What To Expect: A school of sweepers make their home in this giant submerged chamber carved out of the ironshore. Cave certification is not required for this shallow site.

Klein Curaçao. What To Expect: Snappers, turtles and the whole gamut of tropicals can be seen here, where the wall is undercut with grottoes in deeper water.

Dominica

|| |---| | | | Photo by Clay Wiseman| | | | | | Photo by Clay Wiseman| Why go? A sumptuous volcanic island blessed with pristine wilderness both above water and below, Dominica is terrifically underexplored. A significant chunk of its rain forest interior and coastal waters enjoy national park status, ensuring that the island will retain its natural beauty long after you hang up your fins.

How to dive it Much of the diving on Dominica takes place off the island's southwestern corner between Roseau and Scott's Head, the lip of the volcano. This is terrific diving, on sites with varied underwater topography, from the bubbling volcanic vents at Champagne to the walls near Soufriere to pinnacles at Danglebens. But don't miss the diving off the island's central west and northwest coasts. The central coast offers lots of opportunities to find small and unusual critters like seahorses and batfish. The northwest's bottomography is similar to the southwest's, but there's also an interesting pier dive at the Cabrits Cruise Ship Pier. Whale-watching tours have become very popular on the island, and most operators have gotten quite good at finding humpbacks and other species.

Don't Miss Dominica Dive Fest. This annual summer event (July 6-17, 2007; check www.avirtualdominica.com/divefest.cfm for more information) was designed to get locals and nondiving visitors excited about making the plunge into diving. Events include free Discover Scuba lessons, a beach barbecue, kayak races, a fish fest and much more.

Good To Know

Weather: Temperatures vary between 70 and 90 degrees.

Average Water Temp: Water temps average between 79 and 82 degrees.

Average Visibility: Visibility is usually 60 feet, but sometimes can reach 100 feet.

Travel Savvy: A passport is required. International flights connect to Dominica (DOM) through many Caribbean hubs, including San Juan (SJU). There is a EC$55 departure tax (about US$20).

Destination Links: www.dominica.dm, www.dominicamarinereserves.com.

Best Dives

|| |---| | | | Photo by Stephen Frink| Scott's Head Pinnacle. What To Expect: Off the island's southwest side, you'll swim through a small tunnel packed with blackbar soldierfish to get to the outside wall of this dramatic pinnacle. Here, the reef drops off into the deep, covered in corals and big sea fans.

Swiss Cheese. What To Expect: Part of the Scott's Head Pinnacle complex, this site is named because the reef is laced with holes, openings and nooks where schooling fish like blackbar soldierfish like to shelter.

Champagne. What To Expect: After you dive the nearby reef off the southwestern tip of the island, you'll offgas in the shallows, where volcanic activity forces hot water and air to bubble from the rocks. Local operators often dive this site at night; expect to see big crabs and lobsters.

Dangleben's Pinnacles. What To Expect: Five separate pinnacles off the southwest rise from a base shelf at 60 feet on the north edge of the Soufriere crater, with each pinnacle patrolled by schools of jacks and blackbar soldierfish and bursting with invertebrate life like black corals.

Castaways Reef. What To Expect: You can extend your bottom time at this mid-island site, staying as shallow as 18 feet--max depth is only 80 feet. Southern stingrays can often be found resting or feeding.

Toucari Caves. What To Expect: Shallow caverns off the northwest dripping with black corals and golden sea spray interlace the reef at this beautiful site off Dominica's north coast.

Pole To Pole. What To Expect: All manner of marine life that is odd and rare--batfish, flying gurnards, bumblebee shrimp--can be found underneath the Cabrits Cruise Ship Pier and in the sand flats at this northwestern site.

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