Cod Hole has time and time again been cited as one of the top internationally renowned dive sites of the world. The dive site is located on the north end of the reef in Queensland, Australia near the ribbon reef number 10. Esteemed Australian shark and underwater experts Ron and Valerie Taylor put this place on the map twenty years ago and ever since, the potato cods have been regularly fed by tourist scuba divers.

Cod Hole is in Ribbon Reefs, which is a coral reef network of ten large reefs stretching almost 100 km near the border of Australia´s continental shelf. The reefs are full of lush coral gardens, multiple bommies and pinnacles and a vast mixture of different aquatic wildlife. Large pelagic fish often patrol the soft coral formations, walls and flats.

Divers at Cod Hole are at arms length from fat, friendly Potato Cod and Maori Wrasse who have grown plump with contempt after twenty years of generous feeding from open-handed divers. Cod hole is perfect for Kodak moments so definitely bring your underwater camera and have a wide-angle lens; the fish are massive, weighing up to 150kg! Other marine life includes anemones, whitetip reef sharks, giant blue lip clams, butterfly fish and feather starfish. If the wrasse and cod aren’t big enough for you, check

Feed me

out the reef during the Aussie winter. Dwarf Minke Whale are found around this part of the reef during the months of June and July. They are known to investigate snorkelers and hover about scuba divers, sometimes for hours.

The cods have brought fame to Cod Hole, however the never ending flow of tourist are starting to take their toll on the plump fish. Skin problems such as canker sores and other skin diseases are symptoms that local cod and wrasse share. The medical problems could be due to the poor food types they are fed combined with excessive handling by divers. Injuries noted to potato cod and other big fish at the Cod Hole are due to conflicts that arise between fish during feeding frenzies. In fact, the average number of cod sightings is decreasing annually. Operators are well aware of this and Divemasters tend to be the ones who feed the fish.

The area is fairly remote but easily accessed and companies carry out dive trips from the St. Douglass and Cairns ports. Here are a few dive operators for anyone interested in feeding the underwater giants:

Divethereef- 1 800 101 319

Divingcairns- 07 4041 7536

PhotoCredit:

Map- divethereef

Cod Feeding Frenzy- Towtown Mafia

Cod- Richard Ling

Article by Michael Dawson from Diving Discoveries

This island was declared a patrimony to humanity in 1986 by UNESCO, effectively protecting the waters that surround the island as well as Garajonay, the island’s national park found in the interior. This is the only island in the archipelago that has no modern volcanic activity; there are no volcanoes, craters or lava fields here. Instead, green valleys, mountains and forests give the island a wonderful green landscape.

An airport was built on the island no too long ago and the maritime services were also recently updated; you can travel to and from Tenerife, El Hierro and La Palma. The island has become a central travel hub, allowing divers to hop between islands.

The world renowned waters of La Gomera are teaming with all types of marine fauna and it is very common to end up amidst huge shoals of pelagic fish such as barracuda, seriola rivoliana as well as various types of tuna.

There are currently 22 dive sites on the island and all of them are worth checking out. The dive site, “La Baja Del Secreto” (The secret descent in Spanish) is ideal for night dives. The dive site is accessed via boat and is right in front of Charco del Conde. What makes the dive site unforgettable is the presence of an underwater rock formation which rests on top of a black sand bed about 12 metres beneath water. Much of the rock formation has eroded but the local inhabitants do not seem to mind. Here you will find octopi, sponges, sea anemone and spider crabs scurrying about the structure. Swim inwards and you’ll come across a rock covered field where redhead cichlid, bream and roncador frequent.

Here´s the contact information for the dive centres located on the island:

Fisch & Co + 34 922 805 688

J. Tecina Dive Resort +34 922 895 902

Gomera Divers +34 696 219 398

Photo taken by santi martin

Article by Michael Dawson from Diving Discoveries

Often times when people think of Spain bull fighting, tasty paella, tinto de verano and lots of sun and beaches comes to mind but the Iberian Peninsula also offers a plethora of diving locations that are worth checking out.

Take Lloret de mar for instance. This Mediterranean coastal town located in the north eastern part of Span in coastal Catalonia which is known for being one of the most popular holiday resorts in Costa Brava. It´s also a prime location for Scuba divers since the city is consistently awarded the EU Blue Flag status due to the cleanliness of the beach.

Water, symbol of life, is the essence of Lloret since the entire villa is practically a marina. Crystal waters surround the golden sand beaches and culture, history, gardens, fine shopping and a vibrant nightlife turned this sleepy little fishing town into a unforgettable tourist hotspot, especially those geared for outdoor activities.

The grand splendour of nature courses throughout the entire villa turning it into an idyll location for outdoor lovers full of beautiful trails, long sandy beaches, gorgeous natural bays and small coves such as Cala d´en Trons, Sa Caleta, Cala Banyes, Cala dels Frares…

Many of these locations provide for great dive spots. Cala Canyelles for instance is a natural bay in Lloret that remains practically virgin, unspoiled by men´s hand. Cold, crystal clear waters attract lots of wildlife and guarantee long visibility beneath water. A diversity of wildlife exists here thanks to the massive, sprawling underwater meadows of Neptune Grass. These fields are a great indicator for high biodiversity and pre-coral reefs are common and easy to find; fish like groupers, moray eels, congers, scorpion fish, and other large sport fish frequent this spot. Tuna fish, barracudas and plenty of cetaceans are commonly seen throughout the area.

This bay is situated between the coastal villages of Lloret de Mar and Tossa de Mar. Travel plans can be arranged by contacting any of the following dive centers. A few dive centres exist here and offer various services such as daily guided boat excursions, PADI, ACUC, FECDAS courses, rental of Scuba equipment, diving insurance, etc. You can easily get to Lloret de Mar by flying into Barcelona and taking a bus or train into the city.

Photos made by David Domingo

Lloret de Mar is the largest and liveliest resort in the area. It offers unforgettable sights and historical monuments as well as pristine beaches that offer Scuba divers wonderful diving opportunities. There are five beaches located in this villa, all of which share a palm shaded promenade on the boarder. Lastly, if divers prefer to have fun in the water other than Scuba diving they could always check out Water World, the largest water park on the Costa Brava which is found in Lloret de Mar.

Dive Centres in Lloret de Mar

Sa Caleta Diving Centre: + 34 972 370 819

International Lloret Diving Centre: + 34 972 34 61 69

Canyelles: + 34 626 14 23 71

Article by Michael Dawson from Diving Discoveries

Multiple shades of vivid blues surround the island “El Hierro,” which means iron in Spanish, attracting all sorts of aquatic life and scuba lovers. Hierro Island forms part of the Canary Archipelago off the North West coast of Africa and is a hidden diving wonder waiting to be discovered. It is the least populated island and more than half of the island is a protected wildlife reserve. Politics have focused on sustainable development which ensures that the flourishing surroundings waters withstand the presence of man. El Hierro is a small stick of dynamite, offering incredible cliffs as high as 1200 meters and a warped lava molded countryside with stark contrasts of green valleys.

This unique island was once known as the end of the World, or at least in Roman times, being that it exists on the most western perimeter of the island chain. Expect to find a little bit of everything in Hierro except for nice long sandy beaches. Like the rest of the chain, Isla Hierro exists as the result of volcanic activity. The Canary Islands formed about 65 million years ago when a large mantle plume became active, allowing for the islands to form overtime. This is not hard to deduce since the island is full of vast lava fields, fertile valleys, wind-warped thousand year old trees, rocky cliffs and thought to be extinguished reptiles.

You have to go the extra mile in order to enjoy this Scuba diver´s haven. The waters at Hierro island are fairly warm throughout the year. In order to visit el Hierro, you can fly to Tenerife or Gran Canaria, switch flights at the airport or take a 15 minute bust to the ferry station of Los Cristianos from Tenerife-S airport and take the ship to La Estaca port in the Northern part of el Hierro. Plentiful hostels and lodging exist on the island and the multitude of dive centers provide ample Scuba diving equipment for rent. Here´s a short lost of the available dive centers with contact information:

• El Hierro S.L. Phone: +34 922 557 023
• El Meridiano Phone: +34 922 557 076
• Arrecifal Phone: +34 922 557 171
• El Submarino Phone: +34 922 557 075
• Fan Diving Phone: +34 922 557 085
• El Tamboril Phone: +34 922 557 184
• Buceo La Restinga Phone: +34 922 557 167
• Taxidivers Phone: +34 922 557 142

The inhospitable rocky island terrain has kept the number of inhabitants to a mere ten thousand but this should be considered a benefit if anything since the island is in a pristine state; the waters and forests on Hierro have been maintained in tip top condition, so much so that UNESCO designated it a Biosphere Reserve, ensuring the protection and safe enjoyment of the island’s natural resources.

El Hierro might not sound that impressive since it is essentially a rock of an island that has a small population but the well preserved natural resources transform Hierro Island into a diver’s dream. Don’t let the small population fool you; the island is home to twelve different dive centers so you won’t have any trouble finding any place to dive.

The small island is still fairly underdeveloped so don´t expect throngs of tourists here. Enjoy it while you can is all I can say because the rest of the islands already present themselves as major tourist destinations. El Hierro is the youngest volcanic island in the chain so the rock formations are very well preserved and are pulsating with life. Underwater rock formations are known to attract all sorts of marine life. The island is located smack dab in the middle of the Gulf current which constantly blows from north to south, transporting plentiful amounts of underwater life. The winds are both a blessing and a curse since the water is usually freezing cold, but Hierro Island is the furthest west and has the warmest waters in the Canaries.

The island makes up for the lack of sandy beaches by offering incredible underwater scenery. The coast is riddled with steep cliffs, reefs and pillow lava, providing perfect homes for trumpet fish, spiny globefish, black coral, sea bream as well as many other types of sea life. The continental shelf is practically nonexistent near the island which allows for fish to thrive in the surrounding great depths.

Most of these beautiful sites are located in the marine reserve Mar de las Calmas, which translates into calm seas, since its waters are constantly calm, offering great visibility to scuba divers and snorkelers. Commercial fishing is not permitted in these protected waters so large specimens of grouper and jacks are commonly spotted near the island. What many people don´t know about the reserve is that a WWII sunken submarine sank near by, but it rests at such deep depths that we cannot enjoy it.

The island has an intriguing past and a bright future ahead of it. Hierro Island could become completely energy self-sufficient by using the constant steady Trade wind breeze to harvest wind energy. It’s great to see the nation turn to alternative energies but the idea of a huge wind farm surrounding the island makes it less appealing for me, as I diver anyways (the wind farms could destroy ecosystems, cause large amounts of turbidity, affect marine wildlife, close dive sites, etc.)

The Canary Islands is also known as the Happy Islands and this come as no surprise should you grace the rocky coasts of el Hierro. She offers an array of diving activities in a unique environment making the island a perfect destination for an unforgettable scuba diving holiday.

This article was contributed by one of our friends , Michael Dawson from Diving Discoveries . Several photos have been used from collection of Philippe Guillaume

Saipan is the second largest in Archipelago of Mariana Islands located in the Pacific Ocean and also is the capital of Northern Mariana Islands. Being located within tropical climatic zone Islands of Saipan  have very mild climate with constant temperature +27, +29 ° C . Average  temperature of the sea is +25 ° C. This destination is perfect for diving all year round.

You’ll not be mistaken to call Saipan “pearl” of Mariana Islands .  Sandy beaches and offshore reef form a large lagoon which is located in the western part of the island. The eastern side of Saipan is rocky, with lots of mysterious caves and picturesque places.

The visitors of the island can not only swim and sunbathe on the beach, but also arrange interesting tours with survey uninhabited parts of the island, caves and natural attractions. The most beautiful place located in Saipan called Grotto, which is a natural cave with underground lakes and tunnels to the open sea. Many master divers have an opinion that underwater part of Grotto is the second best in the world with its beauty.

Saipan presents particular interest for divers because of rich underwater world, coral arrays at a short distance from the shore, underwater caves, sunken Japanese ships and fighters. In other words ” everything“  which every scuba diver is eager to see.

Dive Sites of Saipan

Eagle-Ray City

Eagle-Ray city is one of the most unique places for diving in Saipan. At a depth of 10m on a sandy soil there is a stone formation. Under favorable conditions, you can meet more than 40 rays, floating around it. Divers dive around a stone pyramid, and cling to the rocks. They watch as stingrays swim just a few centimeters above them. Photographers have a great chance to make unique images there.

Dimple

Dimple is underwater rock in the western part of Saipan. When you enter the water you can see a large crowd of red snapper and sank to its base, and meet hundreds of different representatives of marine life: moray eels, stingrays, turtles, etc. Taking along a feed for fish, you will get a lot of impressions from their feeding. Thousands of small fish, like colorful butterflies begin to swarm around you. The depth of the site varies from 12 to 32 m, making it accessible to divers of all levels.

Ice Cream

Underwater rock called Ice Cream, is located in the western part of Saipan. This haven dozen small moray eels, anemones and clown-fish. This is a shallow dive. The base rock is at a depth of 15m, while its upper part is about 6m. Slopes swim at the top of the rock when there are currents. The name is given to the rock for its form, similar to the portion of ice cream.

Lao Lao Bay

This bay is one of the most popular dive sites. It is located on one of the largest reefs in Saipan. This place is recommended for beginner divers. Fauna is represented by numerous bright tropical fish. If during the dive you are careful to look around, you’ll see octopus and fish-stone.

Naftan

One of the best dives on the wall in the Mariana Islands with fantastic visibility and marine life is located in the southern part of the island. The upper edge of the wall is at a depth of 15 m, and the base at 50 m. At the top there are some beautiful coral formations, which is home to many fish. Swim along the wall and rou’ll be enchanted with colored paints underwater kingdom. At the base of the cliff you can see the fish, napoleon and octopus. This site is accessible to divers of all levels, but it is preferable for the more experienced.

Chinsen

Chinsen is a large Japanese freighter that sank more than 50 years ago. It is lying in shallow waters in the lagoon. It is home to many thousands of fish and corals. Flocks of red snapper patrol vessel. Reef sharks are not rare guests here as well. The history of the wreck is very interesting, so you should probably ask your guide to tell it.

Banzai Cliff

Banzai Cliff is a beautiful wall, located in the northern part of the island. The summer period is the most favorable time for diving in this place. While diving you will find sharks, rays, dolphins, turtles, floating among the spectacular coral and anemones. This place is preferable for advanced divers, due to strong currents and a decent depth.

Mariana islands offer world-class scuba diving. Mariana islands are washed with the warm waters and full of coral reefs, caves, strange rocks and sunken ships. Saipan has more than 18 unique dive sites. During the first dive at 5:00 am you can usually find turtles, sharks, manta rays and tuna in Grotto. Other diving sites are not less interesting: at Wing Beach you can see a large settlement octopus, site B-29 is the place flooded with Japanese seaplane bombers, and Black Coral is a site with stunningly beautiful colony of black coral.

Like all extreme activities, scuba diving also has its difficulties and dangers. So, I think that before diving into the deep mysterious waters, you should learn what dangers you may run into and how you can avoid and overcome them.

It is worth stressing, that scuba diving today has become much safer than it was a dozen years ago. Both the diving equipments and conditions have greatly improved, making your dive much more enjoyable and secure. However you still may come across dangers while diving. I want to point out some of them.

Let me firstly speak about the dangers that are connected with the marine world. Some people think that sharks are the main danger of all scuba divers. However, this point of view is not right. Shark attacks on scuba divers are extremely rare. If the divers dive in the safe areas no shark attacks will take place.

While diving, avoid touching walls and coral reefs. You may get poisoned by unknown water-plants and animals. In case you get scratched or stung by some fish or animal, stop diving and ascend to the surface, even in case of a slight pain. Turn to the doctor’s help to prevent further problems.

If you are a starter, take an experienced buddy with you for the first several times. They are already familiar with the aggressive animals and poisonous plants and will protect you from such dangers.

Most part of the accidents while diving is connected with the diver and the changes that occur in his organism. Barotrauma is perhaps the most common injury the divers have. Barotrauma is the injury caused to the tissues (that have air spaces between them) because of the pressure changes. So what exactly happens to a diver?

Now look. You have probably climbed up a mountain, haven’t you? You have perhaps felt that while climbing up the hill it becomes more and more difficult to breathe, because the air is denser up there. Or why do the astronauts wear their special equipments? Because there is absolutely no pressure in space and people can’t breathe at all.

Now the same is with the underwater. As the water is denser than the air, the deeper you go into it, the more pressure you experience. This very thing causes barotrauma. Barotrauma under the water may lead to crucial consequences. Your ears, lungs, chest cavity, stomach and other organs that contain air may be affected by barotrauma.

Before descending, the most experienced divers pop and clear their ears, thus equalizing the inside and outside pressures of the middle ear.

The speed of descending and ascending should be taken into serious consideration. If you descend and ascend too fast, your lungs may get over-expanded, which will lead to serious health problems, disabilities, even to death. Because of a fluid build-up in the lungs, you may suffer from pneumonia. Consider these things, before diving into the water.

Decompression sickness is also a common thing among divers. This is again connected with the descending and ascending speed. If you descend and ascend too quickly, bubbles will be formed in your blood, which will lead you to decompression sickness. The middle-aged divers come across this problem this problem more often than the young ones. The young organisms easily adapt to these changes.

Have you ever heard about “Martini’s Law” in scuba diving? The law says that every 50 feet dived in the water is equal to a bottle of Martini on an empty stomach. This, of course, means that deep diving can be very dangerous. Imagine how intoxicated a 200-250 feet dived human may become.

This type of injury is called nitrogen narcosis. The most dangerous thing in nitrogen narcosis is that you often do not feel that you are being intoxicated. You feel very well: not a single sign of weakness. Everything happens within a second, and the diver becomes incapable of doing anything.

Fortunately, nitrogen narcosis is not as common as barotrauma or decompression sickness, as not many divers decide on such a deep dive.

There are also many other dangers you may come across in course of your dive. Before starting to scuba dive, I advise you to learn as much about the underwater life as you can. Your knowledge will help you greatly find solutions in difficult situations.

As you see, the dangers of scuba diving are mostly controllable. As I have already mentioned, it has never been safer to scuba dive than it is today. The only thing you should do is to be a responsible diver, by staying healthy, wearing a safe equipment and reacting quickly in unpredictable situations.

All these underwater dangers demand prudence, caution and watchfulness, but as for me, no dangers are worth giving up scuba diving.

The sea waters, washing Norway are stretched on many thousand kilometers, and the Gulf Stream’s warm current constantly keeps them unfrozen. In the warm water of the northern seas a diver can find a variety of flora and fauna, as well as sea-crafts, fuselage planes and other objects wreck diving is based on.

Norway may become a magnificent starting point for interesting adventures under the water. Places for diving include northern islands Lofoten and archipelago Spitsbergen, with rather deep coastal lines. At these coasts depth can reach more than 100 meters. In autumn, especially during the herring spawning time, whales come to this area.

The visibility depends on the depth and on the season. It fluctuates from 10 to 30 meters. Water temperature reaches +15, +16 at most, depending on the season.

Thanks to Gulf Stream, the underwater life in fjords and islets is very rich.  Here you’ll see big herds of pollacks and cods. At the bottom, you’ll witness sea lines and catfish. Crabs hide in the thickets of seaweed, lobsters are hidden in the stone taluses. Bed combs densely lie on the sandy bottoms. After diving in these areas you may have royal dinner from sea gifts. After all, underwater hunting in Norway is not forbidden.

The underwater reeves, and sometimes even severe weather, became the reason of some ship-wrecks. 30 years ago in the sea, at the western coast of Norway, a gold treasure has been found. The Dutch vessel, with cargo of gold coins onboard, was wrecked at coast of Norway almost 300 years ago. Till now, diver-amateurs search for vessels of the Spanish armada, which have disappeared at coasts of Norway in 1588.

Dramatic shipwrecks also occurred during the Norway occupation of WWII. The combination of fascinating dives to the shipwrecks and dramatic military history, leaves strong and unforgettable impression.

Both Gjulen and Stavang in the west of Norway, with a considerable quantity of cast-away courts at the bottom of the sea, together with the fine nature, and Saltstraumen in Northern Norway, with the most powerful in the world whirlpool, can become a magnificent starting point for fascinating holiday under the water.

Diving in the strongest whirlpool in the world can seem too much extreme and a dangerous occupation for some people, but when the activity is made in controllable conditions, under the direction of skilled guides and according to the table of inflows and outflows, Saltstraumen can appear quiet and silent.

Saltstraumen is considered to be a paradise for divers all over the world. The combination of a current, effective stony formations and sea animals, creates great conditions for fascinating pastime. The people, who are eager to have a bunch of adventures, can visit the pure waters of Saltstraumen, admire the incredible flora and fauna and “dance” with a striped catfish, which is the most terrible and dear inhabitant of Saltstraumen waters.

In addition to the variety of fish here, it is also possible to find some remains of the shipwrecks. On board of one of these crafts, 3000 tones of copper still exist. However, the craft is still inaccessible to humans.

For diving in Norway, it is necessary to observe the strict rules, established by the legislation of the country. Diving in the areas of military bases, fishing zones and habitats are forbidden.

The divers should expose a Norwegian three-colored flag over water, which will mean presence of divers under the water, so that the passing boats could be guided.

There is an interdiction on illegal crab and fish hunting. In case of illegal hunt, the police will confiscate the hunt and the equipment. Instead of hunting illegally, you can get permission and hunt legally in limited quantities.

Using underwater weapon is strictly forbidden.

Watch but never touch! This is the strict rule of diving in Norway.

While plunging on the sunk objects, it is strictly forbidden to lift any parts from the surface or harm any object. Remember that all the underwater objects are historical value and are under state protection. So while diving in the Norway waters remember, “Watch but do not touch!”

In case of detecting an unrevealed underwater object, it is necessary to inform the nearest police station or the diving center about the find.

Not all divers are allowed to dive in Norway. The diver should necessarily be certificated to be allowed to dive. Take this into consideration before getting ready for your Norway dive.

If you have already had some interesting dives in the tropical waters, you now probably need some new adventures. Believe me, all your diving wishes can be realized in the underwater world of Norway.

Now I am here to introduce Europe’s top scuba diving destinations to you.

Let us start from the Zenobia, Cyprus. It is an ancient wreck of a huge ferry. The ferry was built to operate in the eastern Mediterranean. It sank while sailing from Sweden to Syria. The Zenobia sank within two days taking the 104 lorries it had on its board. The wreck starts at about 15 meters and descends to 42 meters. The Zenobia dive can be considered the best shipwreck dive in the world, thanks to its depths. The visibility there is good all year round, almost 20 meters in spring and summer seasons. However, in order to examine the shipwreck thoroughly, you need several dives. It is practically impossible to admire the whole ferry in course of one dive. The ferry weights 10 000 tones with a length of 178 meters.

Now let us move to Malta to dive at Cirkewwa. Cirkewwa is a wonderful place to go diving. The area is filled with colors and adventure. During your dive you’ll admire the variety of Malta’s underwater flora and fauna. Cirkewwa is an excellent diving site, that habitats jellyfish and cuttlefish, dolphins and sharks, barracuda and morays. When in Cirkewwa, it is a must to dive the Cirkewwa Arch that stands in the depth of 18 meters. It has actually been a cave. Throughout the time the cave has collapsed and, thus, an arch was created. Now this arch is famous among the divers as the Cirkewwa Arch. Summer is the best season for diving the arch, as the visibility reaches to 35 meters at that time.

The next scuba diving destination in Europe I want to speak about is the Chios Islands in Greece. The underwater world of Chios Islands is like a fairy tale: small undersea caves, rocks, with neat paths between them, vertical walls, colorful reefs and small shipwrecks. During your dive in the Chios Islands you’ll witness colorful funny wrasses, shoals of salpae, tunnies, and of course, perches and combers, that greet the divers with great happiness. I’d advise you to dive in the Chios Islands from April to June and from September to October. The visibility is perfect there in these months. Besides, there are numerous diving trips the nearby diving centers organize in these seasons.

When speaking about Europe’s best diving sites, one can’t ignore the Isle of Man: The Booroo. The marine life is so rich here, that you may easily get lost between the colorful reefs and walls. We do not promise historical shipwrecks or other interesting sunk objects here. We promise a colorful and amazing dive. During your dive you’ll see brightly colored fish and sea-plants. However, one should be an experienced and flexible diver not to harm the rich reefs and walls. Because of such abundant nature, it is nearly impossible to find the bottom.

Secca della Colombara, Italy is the next destination I am going to tell you about. Secca della Colombara is one of the best diving spots in the Mediterranean. It is a habitat for numerous species of fish, colorful sea-plants, richly inhabited walls and coral reefs and a shipwreck. The 75m ship has sunk recently, in 2005, while carrying slabs of marble. Within one dive you may admire white breams and crayfish, barracudas and dentex. The visibility in Secca della Colombara is rather changeable. July and August are the best diving seasons. The water is heavenly blue in these months. Most divers claim that they like Secca della Colombara because of the color of its waters.

If you’d like to admire hundreds of fish species, we advise you to consider Fanore, Ireland. Fanore is a quite calm diving destination. Fanore doesn’t stand out for its world-famous wrecks or huge walls and reefs. It’s a quiet and silent diving destination, which is rich in underwater flora and fauna. We do not promise you dives, full of adventures and extreme. Instead, we promise crystal clear Atlantic water with tiny reefs, splendid caverns and unique fish species. The best diving season here is from March till October.

After enjoying yourself fully in Ireland’s waters, you can continue your diving vacation at Eddystone Reef, England. The reef reaches to 60 meters in height. Hundreds of animal and fish species can be found on the Eddystone Reef, let alone the incredible colorful plants. You may also examine some shipwrecks in these waters. The visibility here reaches its height in summer seasons.

Here are the diving sites in Europe I wanted to tell you about. All the above mentioned diving destinations have their peculiarities and are worth visiting. Your dive in the underwater world of Europe may become the best diving adventure you’d ever have.

With 110,861 square kilometers, Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean. It is located in the northern Caribbean, to the south of the Bahamas, east of Mexico, west of the Haiti and north of the Jamaica.

Cuba’s nature is incredible. The island is decorated with unique plants and trees. No other place in the world is gifted with such splendid nature.

The main island of Cuba, with set of coral reeves and tiny islets, possesses unbelievable flora and fauna. These islets, surrounded with coral thickets, represent huge interest for fans of scuba diving due to excellent conditions. There are no strong sea currents here. The quiet and warm water is so transparent, that it is possible to see everything on the distance of 30 meters. Great visibility and favorable weather are your constant companions in almost all the diving areas.

As the island shelf is rather close to the surface, and the climate of Cuba is almost tropical, the water temperature is 75,2-83,3 degrees by Farenheit (24-28,5 degrees on Celsius) all year round. The waters, surrounding the island, are ideal for any type of scuba diving – researches of reeves, day and night dives on depth of 130 foots (40 metres) in coral gardens, where you can find a set of attractive places: caves, vertical walls, tunnels, underwater slopes, narrow channels, remains of the ships, etc.

Contrasting colors cause invariable delight, abounding with coral formations, which are a habitat of 500 kinds of fishes, 200 kinds of sea sponges, a big variety of molluscs and Crustacea, jellyfishes and seaweed.

Scuba diving in Cuba will be one of your best deeds in life. Cuba offers you a wide variety of diving destinations with amazing underwater views.

The Gardens of the Queen with 33 diving destinations: The chain of the islands at the southern coast of the province of Sego de Avila is surrounded with sea currents and a rich coral reef – home for numerous claw-shaped ones. This is the only place in the western part of the Caribbean sea, where turtles still come to postpone eggs. Flower and brain-shaped corals can be observed much in this place. They involve a considerable quantity of bright coral fish, such as fiber-fish, soldier-fish with black strips, grumblers, shafts. In deeper waters it is possible to find turtles, sharks, blue marlins, tunas and sword-fish.

Kayo Koko with 20 diving sites: Kayo Koko is often named a huge natural aquarium or a natural paradise. Many visitors claim, that it is difficult to find other place in the Caribbean Sea where they can see so many beautiful species of fish. While diving in Kayo Koko you’ll come across red fish-parrots, grumblers and amber fish, royal and other kinds of angel-fishes, anemones and prickly lobsters.

Maria La Gorda with 39 diving places: The remote enclave, located in the western part of the island, on the peninsula of Guanaakabibes, is world-famous reserve of biosphere. This district is known for its legends about pirates, the truthfulness of which proves to be true anchors, old guns and other treasures lying at the bottom of the sea.

Santa Lucia with 35 diving destinations: Santa Lucia is one of the best and longest beaches on Cuba. It is located at the northern coast of the province of Kamaguej, where numerous coral formations closely approach the coast. The territory intended for scuba diving, lasts from cape Maternillos to Kajo Sabinal, and includes remains of old shipwrecks. You need some 5,6 minutes to reach the nearest coral belt. It contains crests in the height of 33 foots divided by lower sandy sites.

Trinidad with 21 diving places: Trinidad beaches are the best ones at the southern coast of Cuba. The underwater world in this area is gorgeous: colonies of corals, sandy crests to 16 foots in height, tunnels and a sandy bottom. Here, it is possible to find congestions of the Black coral, a big variety of sea sponges, branchy and plumose jellyfishes, simple fanlike and tropical fishes.

Varadero with 32 diving destinations: Varadero is the best-known resort in Cuba. It is stretched along the northern coast of the Peninsula de Icacos, in the northern part of the province of Matanzas. The diving territory lasts from the Matanzas bay to the western edge of the archipelago of the Gardens of the Queen. The territory is rich in coral formations and wide variety of fishes. The two most popular places on this resort are the Blue Chasm; an underwater cave of 230 foots in diameter, located among reeves of the Cadiz bay and the sea park, which occupies a territory of 2 square miles and exhibits a motor boat, a frigate with guns, a transport plane and several shipwrecks.

Havana with 72 diving sites: Havana is the capital of Cuba, a beautiful coastal city. There are four international centers of scuba diving in Havana, occupying territory in 62 miles at length and almost in 2 miles at width. It is possible to find remains of the shipwrecks here. Some of these sunk ships have been declared to be a part of the national historical heritage.

Ale of Koloni with 56 diving destinations: This destination is known for its bewitching legends about the buried treasure. The waters are rich in unique fish and sea-plant species. Ale of Koloni is a great diving spot not only for professional divers but for beginners as well. You shouldn’t dive too deep in the waters of Ale of Koloni to admire “the buried treasure”. The shallow places are not less entertaining and gorgeous.

There are numerous scuba diving classes held at almost all Cuba diving spots. With the help of experienced and watchful divers you’ll learn the tricks of scuba diving in a rather short period of time. Later on, you’ll be given a certificate of diver, which means that you will be able to dive at any of the above mentioned places.

As you see, there is a great deal of hidden sights in Cuba’s waters. Each of you is gifted with a chance to dive in the wealthy waters of the island and admire the treasures of this huge natural aquarium.

The entry may be useful not only for those who are afraid of diving but also for those who want to help such people.

No matter what other people say, and no matter what kind of professionals may surround you while diving, it takes good courage for someone to do something he is really afraid of. That means that first of all you have to find courage in yourself to make the step. In order to have the desire to dive, you should first of all understand the joy of scuba diving. If you realize that you really want to dive to enjoy yourself fully and not just join your friends in their dive, you’ll more easily find courage in yourself. As you know, a strong internal wish can overcome any phobia.

If you feel that you really have that internal wish of diving, start looking for a good instructor. The role of the instructor is very important in learning to dive. The instructor should be caring and understanding. Tell your instructor everything about your fears so that he knows how to treat you.

Always avoid proud and conceited instructors. They will never be able to help you. So, before starting, get sure that the instructor believes in you and is aware of your fears.

Many male students prefer female teachers and vice versa. Some people say that this helps students become more purposeful. However, that doesn’t at all mean that you should overstrain yourself. Never be ashamed to ask the instructor to go slower or to stop, so that you can have some rest.

If you see that other students are more apt, you may take private lessons not to get depressed from their presence. The instructor will give lessons to you individually according to your capabilities. A good instructor will always let you bring out your abilities and potential. You yourself should decide how much and how fast to dive.

If you feel uncomfortable to learn diving with an instructor, you may turn to your friend who is a diver. No one will understand you better than a friend of yours. Besides, you will never be ashamed of your failures and momentous weaknesses. He will willingly share all the diving secrets and tricks with you. So if you have a friend who is a diver, don’t look around for some other instructor.

If you have already learned diving, that doesn’t mean that you may start diving in the open waters straight away. I am sorry to remind you that you can’t be compared with the starter who has no fears of diving. Besides learning to dive, you should also learn to control your fears. Dive in shallow areas for the first three or four times. Your buddy is still of great importance for you. Stay close to him while diving.

Elaborate gestures with your buddy to stay in constant contact with each other. After two or three dives, you’ll start enjoying the whole thing. The moment you start getting pleasure from diving, all your fears will disappear.

Now, please, imagine another case. You are a great diver, and the underwater life means everything to you. However, your spouse or friend, with whom you’d really like to scuba dive, is extremely afraid of the whole diving process. What can you do in this case?

In my opinion, you can do a great deal. A lot depends on you in this case. Always treat him/her with understanding and never stress on him/her.

If you are not the one to give diving lessons, then do not interfere with the process. Try to stay away from your friend, while he’s taking diving lessons. Just constantly ask him how he is doing. In case of a slight success applaud him, encourage him, ignoring all kinds of failures. Do not constantly remind him that he can do it. It’ll be a great pressure on him. If you see that your friend is not fond of the whole thing, ask him to quit the lessons. That’ll deprive him of the sense of duty in front of you. Most fearful students reach success after they feel free from the sense of duty.

If you notice that your friend becomes engaged in scuba diving process, offer him to take extra lessons with you. This way, you’ll help him get used to his diver-buddy.

After your friend gets certified, do not get relieved. Realize that now he needs you more than ever. While diving, do not show him how attentive you are towards him. Let him feel equal to you and responsible for himself. However, don’t forget to show him that he’ll get your help and support whenever he needs. If you manage to do all this, you’ll greatly help your friend in overcoming his fears and becoming a good scuba diver.

Scuba diving is something really worth trying. Then why let any phobia deprive you of the opportunity to admire the underwater wonders?