Sucks if you forget your mask....

The helicopter hovers about 7 feet over the reef.  You’re in full scuba gear, hanging on to the door strap for the “go” signal.  Adrenaline pumping, heart racing you look up to see the pilot’s fist raise in the air, the ultimate green flag in diving, and you let go, plummeting into the depths below.  The entry is exhilarating, then you look around you at the pristine reefs and riot of fish, and your adrenaline peaks again.  This is going to be a very memorable day.

Helicopter diving, or Heli-diving, is slowly but surely increasing in popularity.  For one thing, it makes getting to a dive site a snap.  At places like the Great Barrier Reef it replaces a 90-minute boat trip out to the reef with a quick 10-15 minute scenic flight. The view over the reef before the dive is incredible, giving you a bird’s eye glimpse of the coral maze below.  And, of course, there’s the accompanying adrenaline rush that few other activities could produce.  You’ll have to pay up for the experience; it is definitely not cheap.  But, this is one of those once in a lifetime experiences that takes the sport of scuba to a new extreme.

The number of dive operators offering this experience is increasing. You can explore the Great Barrier Reef, Phuket’s Anemone Reef and Phi Phi Islands, and a number of reefs and wrecks in Curacao, to name but a few.  If you are looking for a more rigorous experience, Global Rescue offers a PADI course in helo-casting or deplaning (hover exit) from a helicopter for both rescue swimmers and Search & Rescue Divers for the SCUBA industry.  No matter how you go about it, it’s sure to be the dive of a lifetime.

One of the lorries on the deck of the Zenobia Wreck

Wreck diving offers a unique twist to the sport – the opportunity to see manmade achievements superimposed on the underwater world.  Whether intentionally sunk or not, these structures provide a playground for ocean creatures and divers alike.  Below are some of our favorite wreck dives here at Scuba-dive.org.

The Thistlegorm, The Umbria, Mid-East Gulf Region –  Many novice divers visit Sharm-el-Sheikh in Egypt to enjoy some of the most colorful coral reefs in the world, but few are aware of the fascinating wreck diving that is also available here. The Thistlegorm, a British Merchant Navy ship that was sunk by German bombers in WWII, was bombed and sank here in 1941, forever destined to become a fascinating dive site rich in marine life. The 400ft long container ship filled with motorbikes, Bedford trucks and even Lee Enfield rifles sank when it was hit by a German bomb that blew a hole in the port side, igniting tank ammunition that was in the hold. The explosion ripped the roof of the ship backwards (rather like opening a tin of sardines) giving divers an inside display of the ships merchandise. This Red Sea dive site has got plenty to see both inside and out, with plenty of marine life around. Sightings of hammer-heads, jacks, trevallies and huge napoleon wrasses are reported here. The only drawback is the site’s busy nature, as it is not uncommon for 20 dive boats stationed above the wreck at a time. In neighboring Sudan, the Italian cargo ship Umbria was scuttled by its crew in 1940 at Wingate Reef after an attack by the British and hit the seabed along with its cargo of unexploded bombs, Fiat Lagunas and wine bottles. Both of these wrecks make up the most interesting dive sites to be found in the Gulf region.

The Blackjack, the SS President Coolidge, South Pacific – Some of the best kept secrets of World War Two lie immortalized beneath the Pacific Ocean. Off the shores of Papua New Guinea at Milne Bay lies the site of Blackjack, a former B17 Bomber aircraft and an intrepid former member of the US 5th Air Force. In 1943 the aircraft took off to attack the Japanese airstrip at Rabaul but crashed into the sea after hitting severe thunderstorms, leaving a relic which even today has remained almost intact. Papua New Guinea’s crystal clear waters and this mint condition aircraft wreck make it a topnotch spot to experience. At Vanuatu in the South Pacific, the SS President Coolidge offers several excellent dive sites of varying depths. Built originally as a luxury cruise liner, the vessel was being used to ferry reinforcements to nearby US bases during the second world war, before the explosion of two mines close to the island’s harbor heralded its final demise to the seabed.  This massive luxury liner, built in 1931 converted into a Second World War troop ship, is more than 600ft long.  Divers can explore it on both shallow and deep dives. To see the whole ship in its entire majestic splendor sitting at the bottom on the sea bed would require at least 10 dives. What you can expect to see other than the ship itself are heaps of military gear including howitzer cannons, a 10-wheel General Motors Corporation truck, jeeps, tracked vehicles, steering wheels and tires.

Fujikawa Maru, Truk, Micronesia – Yes, Micronesia is in the South Pacific, but Truk’s wreck diving so good it gets its own section.  Truk Lagoon, Micronesia is a definite must on any serious wreck divers list. It holds the remains of the almost an entire Japanese fleet including 60 shipwrecks and dozens of sunken air crafts destroyed in 1944. Of these many wrecks to choose from the 7,000 ton freighter Fujukawa Maru is notable as one of the best. This specific wreck stands upright in shallow water, making the 437ft wreck pretty accessible. The bridge area with sake bottles, the engine room and wings in the hold covered in soft coral and frequently circled by grey reef makes this an exciting wreck to dive.

The Zenobia, Mediterranean – Head for Larnaca Bay in Cyprus to see one of the world’s most interesting wrecks. The Zenobia, a Swedish built ferry, has been lying on the seabed here since it sank in 1980 on its maiden voyage to Syria, after the computerized pump system for the ballast developed faults. The fact that the vessel was carrying £200 million worth of cargo including over 100 articulated lorries makes this a truly fascinating undersea treasure trove.

Felipe Xicotencatl, Laguna Mandinga, Patzcuaro, Cozumel – It’s best known for drift diving on sheer vertical walls, but you can enjoy wrecks in Cozumel, too. Take the Felipe Xicotencatl, for example, better known as the C-53. It was originally built as a U.S. Navy minesweeper, measuring 184 feet long with a 33-foot beam. In 1962, she was sold to the Mexican Navy for a dollar, converted to a gun boat and renamed the Felipe Xicotencatl C-53. She patrolled the Mexican Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico until 1999, when she was decommissioned, donated to the Cozumel Marine Park and laid to rest in 82 feet of water off Chankanaab. The marine park has recently restricted access there, so you dive it at your own risk, but it’s generally believed to be safe and she remains one of Cozumel’s most popular dives. Hurricane Wilma spun the C-53 around and broke her in two, and her average depth of 65 feet makes her a perfect second dive. Also upping the ante for wreck divers are two naval patrol vessels intentionally sunk just outside the marine park: the 85-foot Laguna Mandinga and the 42-foot Patzcuaro. At less than 40 feet, divers and snorkelers alike can enjoy them.

SS Yongala, Gothenberg, HMAS Brisbane, GBR - The SS Yongala is a 350-foot-plus luxury passenger ship and freighter that sits smack dab on the world’s largest reef. She went down in a cyclone and sat undisturbed in 50 to 100 feet of water 50 miles off Townsville for almost 50 years, until it was discovered in 1958. Today, it’s arguably one of the GBR’s most popular dive spots, an artificial reef sitting in the midst of the world’s largest real one, clouded by yellowtail demoiselles and Maori wrasse, sea snakes, turtles, grouper and the occasional tiger shark. A protected historic wreck, the Gothenberg isn’t intact but offers shallow depths (maximum 60 feet) for beginning wreck divers.  Reef sharks are often seen in the area. Another popular Queensland wreck is the 440-foot U.S.-built, Australian guided missile destroyer HMAS Brisbane, which served in Vietnam and the first Gulf War, and now rests in 115 feet of water off the Gold Coast. Large holes have been strategically cut along the entire length of both sides of the ship to allow divers easy entry and exit. It is virtually impossible to get lost inside the ship or become entangled.  Green wrasse, octopi, turtles, scorpion fish and many other interesting sea creatures can be found here.

USS Oriskany, Florida – If the idea of exploring the largest artificial reef in the world inspires you, head to the Gulf of Mexico and dive the USS Oriskany at Pensacola, which was scuttled here in May 2006. A former US navy aircraft carrier, the ‘Mighty-O’ enjoyed a naval career that began in 1950, serving in the Korean War as well as Vietnam. Much can be seen at shallow depths here including the vessel’s gun platforms. But, for a more close encounter with the wreck, the Oriskany dive is a deep dive.

More Wrecks than You can Count, Bahamas – The Bahamas-assembled from more than 700 sandy spits of land sprinkled over an ocean area the size of Wyoming-forms the bottom leg of the Bermuda Triangle. It’s no wonder the islands offer some of the region’s best wreck diving. Off New Providence-home to Nassau and two-thirds of the Bahamas’ population-there are a handful of interesting wrecks tended by a rather sizeable population of reef sharks. Offerings here include the Willaurie, the “Bond” wrecks (movie props including the Tears of Allah from Never Say Never Again and Vulcan bomber from Thunderball), Caribe Breeze, Bahama Mama, Steel Forest (actually three wrecks-the Captain Fox, Fenwick Stirrup and the Manana) and Ray of Hope. The Hope is both a wreck and a big animal encounter-Stuart Cove’s does a very enthusiastic shark feed on it. Other greats include Bimini’s Sapona and Bimini Barge and Grand Bahama’s Theo’s Wreck and Sugar Wreck.

HMCS Yukon, John C. Butler, The Delphy, Chauncey II, Fuller, Woodbury III, S.P. Lee, Nicholas and the Young, California – The sinking of the 366-foot Canadian destroyer HMCS Yukon to create an artificial reef in 2000-the West Coast’s biggest-may have shined new light on the Golden State’s wreck offerings, but local divers have been enjoying dozens of submerged boats for decades. Not too far from the Yukon is the S-37, a 219-foot steel submarine that saw some action in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Her infamously cramped quarters and leaking engine made her despised by her crew. She was ultimately depth-charged by her foes and, as a final insult, used for aerial target practice in 1945, sinking in 30 feet of water off Imperial Beach. The 306-foot destroyer escort John C. Butler sits off San Clemente Island in 60 to 80 feet of water, another war veteran that fought in famed battles including those in Palau, Peleliu, Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Another interesting dive is the 100-foot El Rey, which harvested kelp off Southern California and logged more than 800,000 miles. Near Lompoc, in what is generally considered to be the worst peacetime disaster in U.S. Naval history, seven destroyers wrecked on the rocky reefs at Point Pedernales. The Delphy, Chauncey II, Fuller, Woodbury III, S.P. Lee, Nicholas and the Young are all 314-foot steel destroyers lying in depths above 40 feet with visibility ranging from nil to 50 feet.

St. Lucia boasts a cash crop of Arrow Crabs

I’m just back from a week-long dive trip to beautiful St. Lucia.  This island is in the Eastern Caribbean, part of the Lesser Antilles, lying between Martinique to the North and St. Vincent to the South.  It boasts beautiful topside vistas redolent of tropical day dreams and Corona commercials as well as healthy, prolific underwater scenes.  I’ve also never visited an island before with such nice people.  From the vendors to the hotel employees to the waiters, everyone was incredibly friendly and kind.

Topside temperatures vary between 70 degrees and 90 degrees, depending on the season. The rainy season, which I embraced whole-heartedly due to the lack of tourist crowds, is June to November.  Though last year the rainy season was actual marked by a serious drought, Mother Nature has returned to her regular routine, with generous but brief dousings almost every day this summer.  Unfortunately, this sometimes meant variable visibility and several places where the freshwater runoff turned the sea into a nauseating kaleidoscope.  The water temperatures range from 77 degrees in winter to 83 degrees plus in summer.  My computer registered 80 and more the entire trip.  I used a wetsuit, but it was more of a fashion statement than a necessity.

Most of the diving is done from the west and south-west sides of the island that face the Caribbean. The underwater topography runs the usual gamut, with volcanic pinnacles, sheer walls, shipwrecks and coral reefs to explore. Dive site depths range from 12ft to around 140ft.  Depending on who you ask, there are 40+ “official” locations to dive, though those in the Soufriere Marine Reserve (which starts close to Anse La Raye and extends south for about 12 miles to the town of Soufriere) are the most popular due to the healthy coral and abundant sea life.

Shark lovers beware – there really aren’t any here.  If you dive one of the sparse sites on the Atlantic side of the island, you might get a brief sighting of a reef shark or two, but the exciting experience will most likely be dampened by a raging case of sea sickness due to the rough waters.  Come to think of it, most  local folks had not-so-nice-things to say about the East side of the island and it’s exposure to the feral waters of the Atlantic: bears the brunt of oncoming storms, sea spray tends to drift along the coast which makes a rusty mess of anything metal, few “tried and true” dive sites, etc.  I wasn’t there long enough to prove the nay sayers wrong, but it sure looked beautiful if not at least a little dangerous as I drove along that coast’s cliffs.

As for sea life, St. Lucia has a cash crop of arrow crabs, coral banded shrimp and a rainbow of different eels at every dive site (including a lively snake eel on my second dive.)  Lobsters abound, and rays and turtles are also frequently seen.  I saw scorpion fish, sneaky frog fish and flying gurnards on the trip, as well as fantail pipefish, trumpet fish, cowfish, grouper, jack, snapper, puffers, spotted drum, and a heaven full of angel fish.  Sadly, everyone kept promising me octopus and sea horse sightings, but none came to fruition.  Underwater barracuda sightings were equally as sparse, but (disturbingly) showed up on a dinner menu one night.  Less mobile, but not less impressive, were the barrel sponges, crazy-huge vase-like growths that hosted a ton of critters along the reef.  In one we spotted a basket sponge hiding from the sun’s rays.

As I mentioned, the island itself is picturesque.  Enormous, green-clad mountains (the most famous are called the Pitons) rise at varying heights across the landscape.  Lots of shallow, calm bays stretch inland, making great harbors for sailing day trips or extended stays.  A note of caution: the main airport is FAR from most towns that a diver might be interested in, so an hour-plus transfer is common and may include windy roads with maniacal local drivers.  Also, food is expensive here.  Most items need to be imported, and most establishments are only too eager to tack on hefty service charges in addition to the mandatory taxes.  Were all my meals there great?  No. Were many of them really good?  Yes, especially the ones that involved locally caught fresh fish, prawns, bananas, etc.  St. Lucia restaurants are at their best when embracing what the island’s land and surrounding sea have to offer.

The beaches were beautiful and the hotel selection ranged from the most basic accommodations to the most extravagant (every room gets their own pool!)  I found diving in St. Lucia to be convenient, with lots of safe dive companies staffed with friendly local people willing to go out of their way to deliver a good diving experience.  Though it costs a few more dollars to stay and eat there, the cost of diving was on par with many other Caribbean islands.  It was an enjoyable week, one that I hope to repeat during the next “dry” season.

Larry, the Puerto Rico lobster

Puerto Rico may be the fourth largest island in the Caribbean, but it is certainly one of the greatest for scuba diving. Its unique location, between the semi-protected Caribbean Sea and the open Atlantic, means that divers get the best of two realms, with sheltered reefs, pelagics from the deep, sheer drop-offs and networks of caves and tunnels, all in clear, warm waters year round. Water temperatures are in the low 80s in winter; mid-80s in summer. Visibility averages 70 feet around the main island with 100 feet or more off some of the surrounding small islands.
Diving in Puerto Rico is mainly done off the East, South and West coasts of the island. To the east, visibility frequently approaches 100 ft. Off the coast sit two small islands ripe for diving – Culebra and Vieques. The establishment of the Culebra Marine Reserve Park ensures that its dive sites are protected. Though Vieques is known for the prior U.S. Naval bombing exercises, it actually offers very healthy reefs due to the lack of visitors there in the recent past. There are also several dive sites around a series of small uninhabited islands—Palomino, Palominitos, and Cayo Diablo, where white beaches lead to shallow, prolific reefs amongst calm waters. Along with stingrays, eels, angelfish and jacks, very often divers off the east coast see dolphins, turtles, manatees, and even sometimes passing whales.
Puerto Rico’s Wall runs parallel to the south coast, producing sites with shocking drop offs. La Parguera, on the island’s southwest edge, features at least two dozen spots for sighting stands of black coral and pelagics. Rincon is where land-based dive operators run trips westward to Desecheo Island, another area with more dive options than there are hours in the day. A trip to pristine Mona Island is a highlight of many divers who visit, but it lies 45 miles west of the island (a 6-hour boat ride) and so the visit needs to be planned in advance.

Some interesting dives in Puerto Rico include:

Las Cuevas – This fascinating spot located near Desecheo that looks like Dr. Seuss molded the sea floor. Arches and swim-throughs cover the landscape, producing psychedelic effects and plenty of exploration opportunities. This boat dive starts at about 35 feet, but goes no deeper than 65 feet, which insures divers will have plenty of bottom time to search for critters amongst the super healthy reefs.
Cayo Raton – This semicircular reef off of Culebra starts flat and then plunges down to 55 feet. The sometimes strong current makes for 100+ foot visibility on a good day of diving. Larger fish are attracted to the current, but the reef boasts a healthy collection of small creatures, too, prompting many divers to note that there seems to be an unusually large amount of fish to be seen at this site.
Fallen Rock – This advanced dive near La Parguera will take a bit of a boat ride to get to, but bring a book and some sun screen, and you’ll be glad you made the trip. Sometime over the millenea, an enormous piece of the wall broke off and tumbled down the slope, causing a v-shaped notch that now shelters an explosion of coral and sea life. The boulder that broke off now forms a pinnacle further down the slope that divers can explore in detail, with frequent seahorses, crabs and octopus sightings. This is a deep dive, with the top of the reef at 65 feet, and the bottom dropping past 100, but the unique topography makes for a dramatic dive. All the usual reef fish can be spotted here, as can pelagics like mackerels, jacks, barracuda and spotted eagle rays that patrol the blue.
The Wall – This wall dive near La Parguera (sometimes also called Efra’s Wall) boasts multitudes of colorful coral lining the wall and adjacent canyon. This is a great site to check out the plant life, with gorgonians, whip corals, large golden zoanthids, green finger sponges, black coral and rope pore sponges growing from what seems like every surface. This dive also offers queen triggerfish, spotted eagle rays, schools of goatfish and parrotfish, as well as a hefty dose lobster action.

Hawaiian green beauty...

Every diver has favorite things they like to see underwater.  For some its sharks, for others rays, but for many people turtles top the list of fun aquatic finds.  The Green Turtle (Chelonia Mydas) in particular has been a scuba favorite for years due to its good looks and reef-dweling nature. 

Despite their name, Green Turtles are actually a light color all over, with the shell ranging in color from olive green to black, depending on where the turtle lives.  Green turtles are migratory animals, traveling thousands of miles each year to nest.  In fact, they only nest on the very beach they were born, so in order to lay eggs, they must return to that same beach.

Green turtles are on the endangered species list and therefore protected in most countries around the world.  Besides humans, the tiger shark is a Green turtle’s main predator.  Adult green turtles can grow to 5 feet long and weigh over 500 pounds, so sharks tend to target younger specimens for snacks.

So if you are determined to dive with these beauties in the wild, where can you go for a guaranteed sighting?  The range of the sea turtle extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  Interestingly, green turtles react differently to scuba divers depending on their location.  On one side of Oahu turtles are curious and friendly, while on the opposite shore they jet the moment they see you, so two different dive sites around the same island can produce very different results.  When visiting green turtle waters, it’s important to get the input of the locals to find the best locations for healthy, long-lasting viewing.  But planning a trip to a locale with a concentration of these green jewels is the first step.

Atlantic

In the Caribbean, major nesting sites have been identified on Aves Island, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Tortuguero in Costa Rica. Within United States waters, minor nesting sites have been noted in the states of Georgia, North and South Carolina.  Florida attracts them in droves especially near Hutchinson Island, Indian River Lagoon, the Florida Keys, Florida Bay, Homosassa, Crystal River and Cedar Key.  In South America green turtles enjoy the waters off Surinam and French Guiana as well as around the island of Ascension.

Pacific & the Indian Ocean

In Mexico, green turtles are found in seagrass pastures in the Gulf of California.  They are found throughout the Hawaiian Islands, most notably in Oahu and Lanai and west in the waters of the French Frigate Shoals.  The Turtle Islands of the Philippines and the Meru Betiri National Reserve in East Java, Indonesia boast healthy populations.  Green turtles are scattered throughout the Great Barrier Reef, but exist in high concentrations around Raine Island.  The waters around Madagascar support Africa’s population of green turtles.  The Arabian Sea also attracts the turtles, especially in Ash Sharqiyah, Oman and Karachi, Pakistan.  In the same area, the waters surrounding Astola Island, a large nesting site, have plenty of green turtles to fill your bottom time.

Great Whites are truly apex predators. They are capable of sensing the blood of an injured animal from over a kilometer away. Their Ampullae of Lorenzini organ, which enables them to detect and stalk the electromagnetic field emitted by the movement of living animals, can detect movement that generates as little as half a billionth of a volt. Though Hollywood has spectacularly portrayed them as preferring humans for lunch, they actually live on a diet of fatty fish and animals such as rays, tuna, smaller sharks, dolphins, porpoises, whale carcasses, seals, sea lions, and occasionally sea birds. Diving with Great White Sharks is certain to be on anyone’s list of Most Extreme Scuba. So, where can aquanauts meet these beauties eye to eye?

• Farallon Islands, California, USA – The Farrallones are located 28 miles west of San Francisco. A protected National State Wildlife Refuge since 1969, the Farrallones are an important research spot for great whites. These islands are one of the few places in the world where great whites can be observed in predatory attacks upon seals, birds, and sea lions from dry land. But doesn’t getting in the water with them sound like such a better idea? Cage diving is offered from late-September through November. Divers are offered a tank/regulator or a hookah setup. Since random chumming of the water is illegal in the Refuge, operators often pull along seal “decoys” to attract the sharks. It is an amazing day trip from the city, with many of the operators leaving right from the tourist hub of Fisherman’s Warf.

• Isla de Guadalupe, Pacific Coast, Mexico – Guadalupe Island is a volcanic island about 145 miles offshore of Baja Mexico, 200 miles south of San Diego. Due to the remote location of the island, this trip is done via a live aboard operation over multiple days. The island has a dramatic sheer rock wall extending hundreds of feet up into the air, as well as hundreds of feet into the ocean. The islands’ large population of seals attracts the white sharks in large numbers. The rocky outcrops of the islands have dramatic drop-offs around the edges that reach down into cool, deep water, also attracting our toothy friends. Visibility at this site is fantastic, up to 100 feet or more. Also, the water temperature ranges from 67 to 70 F, making it much warmer than some other Great White watching spots.

• Dyer Island, False Bay, South Africa – South African Great White cage diving occurs mainly in False Bay and the Whale Coast. Dyer Island is a small, low, and rocky island located just offshore from Gansbaai in the Western Cape of South Africa. During winter, the warm Agulhas Current sweeps down from the Indian Ocean, meeting the cold Benguela Current, creating a temperate zone just off the South African coast – providing ideal conditions for the Great White Shark in particular. This island serves as a breeding ground for a wide variety of seabirds, while its neighbor, Geyser Rock, serves as a home for a large resident seal population. White Sharks are seen on a regular basis in the channel between the two islands (“Shark Alley”) where they feed on a variety of seals, seabirds, and penguins. As an added bonus, Great White sharks in these waters often display very unusual, but highly spectacular breaching when chasing their prey, which makes for some amazing topside photos.

• The Neptune Islands, South Australia – The Neptune Islands sit on a shelf south east of Port Lincoln off South Australia. Grey granite and coastal loam make up these picturesque islands, which support an array of wildlife, including many bird species, a large colony of fur seals, as well as a colony of endangered Australian sea lions. Known as the place where the hit movie “Jaws” was filmed, the waters around these islands are a natural feeding area for Great Whites. Most shark diving here is done via a live aboard vessel. Operators practice cage diving combined with surface bait to give divers an unforgettable experience, sometimes with more than one Great White in sight at a time. The water is very cold here, but the shark action is definitely hot.

• Lampedusa, Sicily, Italy –Have you swam off the coast of Sicily or found the offshore waters of Nice to be nice? Oh yes, there were Great White sharks there, and you didn’t even know it. Great White sightings are becoming more common in the Mediterranean, where a high concentration of nutrients attracts some of the whites’ favourite snacks: large pelagic fish, dolphins and turtles. There have been numerous sightings of the Whites along the Spanish, French, Italian and Croatian coasts, but by far the largest concentration of the sharks is in the channel between Sicily and Tunisia. As far as I can determine, no one does cage diving here because of the infrequent nature of the sightings. However, there are many dive companies that operate out of Lampedusa, Sicily, which puts you in waters with the highest density of Great White sightings in all of the Mediterranean. Divers have encountered large white sharks while diving in the open sea at Sicilian Channel sites such as Pantelleria, Malta, and southwest Marretimo. Though rare, these experiences are as amazing as you can get: no chumming, no decoys and no cage bars between you and the jaws of the Great White.

Dinner time!

With approximately 700 islands, over 2,500 cays, and 100,000 square miles of ocean, the Bahamas collectively comprise a massive scuba paradise.   Grand Bahama Island, long one of the hubs of Bahamian tourism, is currently being rediscovered by divers and developers alike. Commerce and tourism has always centered on Freeport, the second-largest city in the Bahamas. But in the past few years, West End, Grand Bahama, is getting significant attention as well. Still, Freeport remains the home of most of the dive activity, and a true jewel in the crown of Bahamian diving.

Diving Grand Bahama is a lesson in diversity, from outrageous walls to high-octane animal encounters, shallow- to medium-depth reefs, excellent wrecks and even freshwater caverns. There is also an array of specialty dive programs like shark feeding dives, dolphin dives, diving with rebreathers, and riding underwater scooters. While the walls bordering the island’s south coast are accessible to casual divers, depths can exceed recreational limits. Most diving is done on shallow- to medium-depth reefs, where several excellent wrecks are found. Winter water temps drop to the 70s, while summer temps peak in the high 80s. The seas are calm year-round, except during winter storms. Visibility averages 80 to 100 feet.  Some of the dive highlights around Grand Bahama Island include:

Cave Diving – The expansive Lucayan cavern system honeycombs Grand Bahama and offers several points of access at both inland and oceanic blue holes. Advanced divers can explore spectacular sites such as Ben’s Cavern, a sinkhole located in the Lucayan Caves National Park.  Here stalactites and stalagmites provide dramatic underwater scenery while migratory bats steal the show topside. Other caverns to explore include, Owl’s Hole and Mermaids Lair.

Shark diving/Shark feeding – In scuba diving circles, the Bahamas are pretty well known for their sharks.  Divers commonly see black tips, white tips, grey reef, and nurse sharks on dives.  The only way to pack more of them into a dive is to feed them, which is what several companies have started offering in the Bahamas.  Venture to a depth of 50 feet where instructors in protective chain mail lure dozens of sharks into close range with tasty tidbits.

Dolphin experiences – A company called UNEXSO offers “The Dolphin Experience,” the chance to scuba dive with one or more of its resident dolphins out in the open ocean.  The company houses 16 bottlenose dolphins maintained in an enclosure at Sanctuary Bay, 10 of which have been born in captivity.   If wild dolphins are more of your thing, White Sand Ridge north of West End, Grand Bahama won’t disappoint.  Here, bottlenose dolphins are commonly seen rooting around in the shallow sand bank, and a resident pod of spotted dolphins is frequently seen.

Theo’s Wreck – Purposefully sunk in 1982 to create an artificial reef, Theo’s Wreck is located just east of Xanadu Beach.  The wreck is about 230 feet long and rests on a flat sandy patch of the ocean floor on its port side, between the deep reef and the drop-off at a depth of about 101 feet. Over the past two decades the structure has become a haven for a mass of marine life. The wreck is intact and is covered in a blanket of yellow and orange cup corals and pink and red sponges, as well as colorful algae. The bow anchor chain in particular has splendid gorgonian sea fans. The shaded part of the hull is completely smothered in orange false gorgonians.  Sea life found here includes barracuda, parrotfish, angelfish, snappers and moray eels. At the nearby reef drop-off, divers are likely to find larger fish and turtles.

This is not a Great White, but he plays one on TV...

Another day, another shark feed.  In scuba diving circles, the Bahamas are pretty well known for their sharks.  Divers commonly see black tips, white tips, grey reef, and nurse sharks on dives.  The only way to pack more of them into a dive is to feed them, which is what several companies have started offering in the Bahamas.  While no shark feed is 100% safe, I chose one with an environmentally conscious reputation and an impeccable safety record.  Better to stack the deck in my favor from the start.

When the dive boat tied up to the mooring ball I was surprised to see how close we were to shore.  Specifically, how close we were to several large hotels.  If the guests only knew what lay in the nearby waves, they would spend their time in the pool.  

The shark feeder (we will call him Sir Fish Head in deference to the chain mail he wore) entered the water and plummeted to the bottom from the weight of his suit.  He walked along the sea floor towards us in slow motion, like a knight in shining armor walking on the moon.  I expected him to stop about thirty feet away from us, but he kept approaching us, closer and closer.  He finally stopped six feet from our diver line. 

Sir Fish Head pulled the first piece of fish out of the thermos and five sharks swooped in to grab it.  They swam so fast I did not see them approach.  They just appeared, grabbed the food, and disappeared, like aquatic magic.  The fish feeder continued to pull bits of fish out, sometimes dangling it on the end of his lance to feed the sharks, sometimes handing larger pieces directly to their waiting jaws.  The sharks began circling closer to us, their shyness replaced by their growing excitement over the fishy snack. 

The sharks were so numerous and so close that I would have come into contact with one had I shifted any body part too much.  The closeness of the sharks unnerved me, but also enthralled.  I could see the detail of their black marble eyes and the electrical sensors on their snouts that looked like enlarged pores.  One shark had a large hook in the side of its mouth, the result of a fisherman’s bait theft gone badly.  Their faces grinned with rows of large teeth, exuding menace even when the sharks’ mouths were closed.

When the food disappeared from the water the sharks disappeared from sight.  The divemaster ushered us back to the boat.  Sir Fish Head stayed behind to distract any remaining sharks in the area, keeping them away from us as we ascended.  I took many photos of the event with my underwater camera, though I had not paid too much attention to the viewfinder in favor of focusing on the real thing in front of me.  When I developed the pictures they were all of parts of sharks: a tail, a head, some fins.  The sharks had been so close that the lens had not captured a single one in its entirety.

Sexy Cephalopod

Few creatures are as exciting to spot underwater as an octopus.  They are smart and good at camouflage, so finding one is always a treat.  Plus, they are just beautiful animals to see, with lots of color, shape and size variations.  These creatures come in a wide range of options, some as little as an inch, some as large as 16 feet across.  The octopus inhabits many diverse regions of the oceans around the world, especially coral reefs, and can exist in water depths from tidal pools all the way down to over 200 feet.  For defense against predators, they hide, flee quickly, expel ink, or use color-changing camouflage. Scientists say that most of an octopus’ behavior is learned, not innate, a minor miracle since their lifespan is so darn short (5 years at the absolute most!)

There are about 300 recognized octopus species in the world, too many to cover in depth.  But, some are amazing, even by octopus standards, and are worth a mention:

Mimic Octopus – This octopus only lives for 9 months, but boy it accomplishes a lot during that time.  This crazy cephalopod takes on the appearance of other species to scare off predators and find food.  Imagine a creature burying all but its eyes and two arms below the sand, leaving in view a long thin object with white and black bands running across the elongated body that looks just like the local sea snake.  Now you’ve got the mental picture of why the Mimic Octopus is so unique.  It usually imitates venomous species, like a lionfish, sea snake, or a poisonous flatfish, though people have also described it looking like a stingray, a crab, and other types of less lethal sea life.  Divers can find this octopus off the Indo- Malay archipelago, especially around Sulawesi.  Don’t worry though, it isn’t poisonous to humans.

Caribbean Reef Octopus – The Caribbean Reef Octopus isn’t the best looking octopus out there, but if you have been scuba diving in the Caribbean and seen an octopus, chances are this is the most likely suspect.  It is common throughout the Western Atlantic, Bahamas, Caribbean and the coasts of northern South America. It is often found at night feeding on reefs and sea grass beds. They have a distinctive blue-green color with occasional mottled-brown markings. Because their blue-green skin is so reflective, they are easy to spot at night with dive lights. Like other octopus species, the Caribbean reef octopus is solitary animal and able to quickly change color using specialized cells in their skin known as chromatophores. They can weigh up to 1.5 kg, but have been known to wedge themselves into miniscule reef crevices and wreck holes.

Wonderpus Octopus – The Wonderpus Octopus has got to be the sexiest cephalopod out there, with a striking color pattern of white bars and spots over a brown-red background.  It’s characterized by a small mantle (the part of the body that contains the mouth and vital organs), which is about an inch to an inch-and-a-half long, and long arms that measure about five to seven times the length of the mantle. Its patterns of spots (on the body) and stripes (on the arms) are unique to each individual adult wonderpus, making identification of a specific creature possible.  Divers can find the wonderpus in shallow waters from Bali and Sulawesi north to the Philippines and east to Vanuatu, and will fare best looking for the creature when it is most active in the twilight hours of dusk and dawn.  This creature is a relative newcomer to the fish identification guides, with the first identification happening only in 1980.  Go ahead, say it:  won-der-pus.  Even its name is sexy.

Blue Ringed Octopus

Greater Blue-ringed Octopus

– No discussion about octopi could be complete without mentioning the little one we love to hate, the Blue-ringed Octopus.  Unlike its southern brethren, the Blue-lined and Southern Blue-ringed octopuses that are found only in Australian waters, the range of the Greater Blue-ringed Octopus spans the tropical western Pacific Ocean. Greater Blue-ringed Octopuses can weigh between 10 and 100 grams, though the average is 55 grams. The blue-ringed octopus is the size of a golf ball, but its venom is powerful enough to kill humans, and no known antidote exists. Remember the James Bond movie Octopussy?  Yes, it’s that one.

White-spotted Octopus – Humans have been watching the white-spotted octopus since 1826 when it was first spotted off the coast of Nice in the Mediterranean Sea.   It spends its adult life on the ocean bottom, and although divers usually see this octopus hanging out near-shore it sometimes it can be found much deeper.  This octopus has long arms, with the first arm pair being the longest and stoutest, and has shallow webbing among the arms. It also has a higher sucker count than most octopuses. This is a nocturnal creature, waiting until night to find its favorite snacks of clams and crabs.  The white-spotted octopus only lives for 1-2 years after which it goes out with a “bang” (literally) after a single breeding season. 

Giant Pacific Octopus – This is the big daddy of all octopi, the Giant Pacific Octopus.  As the name would suggest, it is the largest species of octopus in the oceans, averaging 16 feet across and weighing an average of 120 lbs.  It is also the longest lived, at 4-5 years.  Divers can spot this behemoth from southern California, northward along the coast of North America, across the Aleutian Islands, and southward to Japan, though they usually hang out quite deep, typically at around 215 ft.   But just because they are big doesn’t mean they are beautiful: Giant Pacific octopuses have huge, bulbous heads and are generally reddish-brown in color. Like the other members of the octopus family, though, they use special pigment cells in their skin to change colors and textures, and can blend in with even the most intricately patterned corals, plants, and rocks.

1. 1.  In order to use the thing, you have to be staying on Branson’s island in the Caribbean, Necker Island.  Also, you have to “rent” the underwater plane while there.  Total cost island+underwater plane: $325,000/week.
2. The cockpit is open, so you need to wear full scuba gear and follow all diving procedures like ear clearing, deco times, etc, making it more like a giant scuba scooter than a sub.

Cool gadget?  Yes.  Good for actually seeing sea life?  Probably not.  If you are flying along the bottom in this craft, most sea life will probably head in the opposite direction.  Even if they do stick around, you won’t be able to stop and take a good nosy look at them as you fly by.  End result?  Nifty to read about, but I’ll stick to good old fin-propulsion.