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Archive for the ‘Africa’ Category
Off the east coast of the African nation of Tanzania lies what is easily one of the most remote and culturally fascinating places to dive on the planet, Zanzibar. The Zanzibar Archipelago, consisting of many small islands and two large ones, Unguja and Pemba, offers good visibility (60 – 200 feet) and a year-round average water temperature of 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The best times for diving are October through to December and February through to late March.
The islands offer wall dives, night dives, and drift dives, most of which are reached by boat. The varied sea life includes hunters like sharks, barracuda, kingfish, tuna and wahoo as well as tropical reef dwellers such as turtles, wrasse, angelfish, lionfish, scorpion fish, nudibranches, leaf fish, stingrays, sea cucumbers, snake eels, trumpet fish, moray eels, and groupers. If you are lucky, you can also see manta rays, dolphins and humpback whales which occasionally visit the islands’ waters.
The most famous Zanzibar dive site is in Mnemba Atoll Marine Park where park fees are used to help the local community. Levan Banks, a diving spot on the north coast near the Pemba Channel, is a very popular dive with advanced divers. The strong currents and deep waters of the channel offer some spectacular diving ogling the barracudas, sailfish, sting rays and the occasional shark. Perhaps the most interesting dive sites, however, are yet to be found. Several dive operators in the islands offer unique trips to dive unchartered territory, reefs and underwater rock formations that have not yet made it to any dive map or list of “must see” spots. The unknown is out there, just waiting for you to find it.
Once you get waterlogged, the topside offerings don’t disappoint either. Stone Town, the capital and cultural heart of the islands and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a dizzying combination of winding alleys, bustling bazaars (a.k.a. casbah), mosques, and majestic Arab houses, none of which has changed much over the past 200 years. In addition to tourism, Zanzibar makes its living from growing spices like cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon, which frequently produce an intoxicating incense that blankets the islands.
Its pristine waters and amazing coral are an incredible opportunity for divers looking for something different, while its winding alleyways and relaxing aromas tempt the diver to return to shore. Zanzibar is high up on my “must dive” list.
Has anyone dove the waters of Zanzibar? If so, I’d love to hear about it…
Postscript:
I couldn’t figure out a way to include this tidbit into the article, but I just had to share it. Freddie Mercury of the band Queen was born in Zanzibar. Isn’t that random?
Yes, there is actually an octopus in there, sleeping (in the center...keep looking...)
There is just something…misplaceable about dive gear. When you buy various scuba gadgets you never think, now this I’m going to lose quick. But invariably it happens, that moment when you think crap, where did I put that? I personally have found that unless something is taped, glued or stapled to my immediate person, I will most likely part with said object (sometimes even faster than it took me to buy it in the first place.) There is either a peaceful heaven where all my lost gear resides or a greedy guy on e-bay profiting on my absentmindedness. In any case the following is “the lost items I miss the most” list, an electronic representation of pet posters stapled to every tree in the neighborhood. If you see any of these items, please tell them I miss them.
Lost: Epoque 0.56x Wide Angle Lens Cap
Last Seen: L’Ilot, Seychelles, floating around in the cruddy water in the boat hull
I was so excited to see the whalesharks that I flung the cap in the direction of my backpack and dove into the water with the beasts. Looks like I might have left a souvenir for the fishies. The lens has lived in a (clean) sock ever since.
Lost: One beloved, size 10, rubber soled booty
Last Seen: My garage
These hard bottomed beauties were well known for keeping the warmth in and urchin spines out. Perhaps I didn’t show this favorite footwear my true feelings and drove it to hide in the back of the cupboard with the WD-40 and the azalea fertilizer. I am still hoping this one comes back to me.
Lost: Reefmaster Dive Computer
Last Seen: South Shore, Kauai
A great example of a toy that took longer to order than it took to lose. To this day my dive (which started two years ago) is still being recorded in 10 feet of water off the beach near Sheraton Caverns. Note: when the packaging says “Ensure thorough fastening of device” they aren’t kidding.
Lost: My reputation as fish scout
Last Seen: Pedernales Wreck, Aruba
I am known for spotting things underwater, especially camouflaged critters. But on this trip my spouse found not one, but two octopi before I was barely even in the water. I will never hear the end of this one.
It is the beginning of whale shark season in the Seychelles, the sugar-sand string of islands in the Indian Ocean off the eastern coast of Africa. For the next few months, travelers and researchers alike will watch the gentle giants as they make their way through the waters of the idyllic island nation. A few years ago I had the opportunity to swim with these beauties in the Seychelles. The creatures amazed me, as did the profoundly odd way in which some humans reacted to them. Therefore, I propose the following things NOT to do when you see a whale shark:
Do not make like a plankton – I once heard a fellow diver complaining that he was afraid of being eaten by an enormous whale shark. I’m not sure if he would have fit in the shark’s mouth, but I do know the shark would not have wanted him in there. Whale sharks are filter feeders, passing large volumes of water through their gills and straining out the tastiest that float about. If you are not a planktonic tasty, then remove sacrificial shark feedings from your list of “to do’s” when meeting a whale shark.
Do not break out your saddle – There is something about the ocean that turns some divers into fondlers. Though on land they seem to be able to keep their hands to themselves, once submerged they inexplicably want to touch everything. A whale shark is not a pony. It does not want to be grabbed and ridden. Even more importantly, touching all manner of sea life is usually detrimental to the item being fondled, as it frequently messes up their external chemistry and introduces disease. If you must touch something, go find the dog that belongs to the scuba shop and give it a good scratch. (Then wash your hands…Scruffy absolutely has fleas.)
Do not announce you have seen better ones in an aquarium – There are places in the world where you can see whale sharks in captivity, for example in the Osaka Aquarium and the Georgia Aquarium. I myself have dove with the whale sharks in the Georgia Aquarium and enjoyed the experience immensely. But nothing can compare to seeing them in the wild, where their appearance during your dive is never guaranteed and their behavior is not dictated by the tank walls. (cue the Born Free movie theme here…)
Do not deploy your fishing gear – Unbelievable as it sounds, there are some people, especially in Asia, who see a whale shark and think…lunch. I have read that the shark has the consistency and taste of tofu. So, why not eat tofu, and leave the poor fishie alone? The tofu has got to be easier to catch than the shark anyway.
The folks at scubaherald got me thinking about the scuba fringe, the diving opportunities that take you from being a recreational diver to a complete scuba diving freak. While I admit my first thought is “That sounds cool! Let’s go now!” there is a small voice speaking from my sub-conscious that says “Are you a fool?” Whatever your perspective, you have to admit these pursuits take diving to a whole new level.
Heli-diving
“I’m in a perfectly working helicopter, but I am going to exchange my comfy seat for a long, unpleasant plunge into cold ocean waters. Oh, and I’m taking my scuba gear with me.” Dive operators in several places, including the Great Barrier Reef and Curacao, are offering this expedient pre-dive experience, redolent of Navy Seal and flying fish jokes. In exchange for some serious cash, you get several hours of training and enough adrenaline to fuel Manhattan’s electricity needs. For a year.
Cageless, baited Tiger Shark diving
It’s tough to stand out as a dive operator in South Africa, as once-in-a-lifetime diving opportunities can be found all along the coast. One particularly creative shop has found the answer. Go to the Tiger Shark ‘hood, chum the water, remove the cage, and pray that everyone on the dive boat returns with the appropriate number of arms and legs (attached). What I want to know is: how do the Great Whites know that the dinner bell is not for them?
Record-setting deep dives
Go past 120 feet, and you’ve left recreational diving depths. Add a few hundred feet more, and you’ll find zero light and few fish. Go a few hundred feet more, and you might just find a diver with a death wish trying to set a new depth record. The deepest sea dive to date is 330 meters set by Pascale Bernabe in 2005, but depth-aholics are constantly trying to beat the latest achievement. The record and not the dive itself seems to be what turns these extreme divers on: it took Bernabe ten minutes to descend to that depth and nine long, boring hours to come back up because of all of the decompression requirements.
Ice diving
In the middle of the Antarctic winter you need to bore a hole through six feet of ice before you can even access the water. That alone dissuades most people. The remaining determined individuals then need to contend with their Sahara-sized dry suit, a slush filled, disorienting entry and volumes of safety rope, as the hole is the only way in and out of the ocean (no, chipping away ice cubes with your dive knife will not work). But, once the trivial inconveniences are dispensed, diving the water under the ice is a thrilling opportunity, with over three hundred feet of visibility and a host of unique sea creatures to see (can you say orka?) It’s an extreme dive adventure not for the faint of heart, nerve, body temperature, or wallet.
"And our friends are all aboard..."
This post will appear periodically, letting folks know the latest news of what divers are seeing under the waves across the globe. I look forward to hearing from you as you encounter the weird, the wonderful, and the downright odd. I will kick this recurring post off with a selection of interesting tidbits from aquariums from around the world.
Georgia Aquarium, USA
A giant squid has come to the Georgia Aquarium! OK, so it’s dead. And, it’s constant formaldehyde bath has reduced it to the consistency and appearance of firm tofu. Oh, and prior handling broke many of the tentacles, giving it the nickname “shorty.” So, turn around and watch the beluga exhibit behind it instead. That one really is fantastic.
Melbourne Aquarium, Australia
Penguin sex. King and Gentoo penguins getting it on. Need I say more?
Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise
Not just an aquarium, but an entire sea paradise. Located at the tip of Yokohama Bay, this unique destination combines an aquarium with a sea-themed amusement park. Just like diving from a boat, you can get seasick on the rides then go see the aquatic wonders.
Two Oceans Aquarium, South Africa
The United Nations declared last year the International Year of the Frog. Don’t tell me you missed it! Now people can get that frog feeling all the time with an enormous permanent exhibit dedicated to our amphibious ancestors. The website lists one of the compelling reasons to visit the exhibit as “Frogs with personalities!” How could you say no?
New England Aquarium, USA
I guarantee that no where else in the world can you find the collection of sea creatures as specific and specialized as this aquarium’s Gulf of Maine exhibit. Highlights include blue and white lobsters, which turn into American flags when you drop them into a stock pot.
Oceanographic Museum & Aquarium, Monaco
In 1910, Prince Albert I cleaned out his garage and put all of his old nautical stuff in this building, including excellent examples of why fish should not be subject to the rigors of taxidermy. Forgo the entry fee and instead spend your time out front looking at what I believe is the most interesting thing related to the museum: a submarine used extensively by Jacques Cousteau. And, best of all, the thing is bright yellow. (I kid you not.) “In the town, where I was born…”
When I meet a fellow diver there is always that spark of shared enthusiasm. We trade stories about our most recent dive, the best dive trip we ever took, and the coolest thing we’ve seen underwater. The conversation builds until we are almost interrupting each other as we gush about everything scuba. Just as much as I love the sport itself, I love the interaction with other divers who are passionate about it, whether they dive once a year or one hundred times a year.
And so, I’ve created this blog as a place to share my enthusiasm with others, and invite others to do the same. You are critical to the process. Comments and questions are always welcome and posts (or suggestions for posts) can be sent to me at kb@scuba-dive.org. Consider this spark ignited.
So, where are you diving today?