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eScubaMagazine.com is a free magazine in PDF format. Where you can find anything that interests you as a diver.
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March 2011 eScubaMagazine.com 1
eScubaMagazine.com
march 2011 · issue 1
Wendy Hoevenaars 2 Introducing Underwater photographer
Philippines Diving: Boracay 3 Calypso Diving Resort
Underwater Museum - Cancun 9 Aquaworld
Going Pro – What’s it all about? 13 Andy Phillips
Komodo – “Lalunia” Diving Base 20 Nomad Diver
Muck, wall or reef? 27 Robert Burgers
Diving in Aqaba 34 Seastar Watersports
Liveaboard Diving 38 Woldwide Dive & Sail
http://www.eScubaMagazine.com
eScubaMagazine@gmail.com
Disclaimer: The content of the articles (text and images) are property of their owners. eScubaMagazine.com not responsible for the content, files, information, advertising, opinions, concepts and images of the published articles.
March 2011 eScubaMagazine.com 2
Hi, my name is Wendy Hoevenaars. I live in the
Netherlands. My passion has become part of my
job. In my daily life I‟m happy to work on my two
biggest hobbies: photography and diving. Luckily, I
can often combine the two. Nature and wildlife
offer me great inspiration. I am an active outdoors
person and this is reflected in my work as a nature
photographer. Both above and under water I spent
much time observing and photographing. I
regularly follow courses and workshops in nature
and marine biology. There is so much beauty to
discover!
Every month I am going to share one picture with you.
The picture can be taken in the warm waters of our
globe. Yet I also like to dive into the cold waters of the
North Sea, „Grevelingenmeer‟ or freshwater lakes in
the neighbourhood. Because you never know who or
what is under the water, every dive is worth the effort,
with or without a camera in my hand.
I started with underwater
photography in 2001. Then I
made pictures with an analog
camera, the Motor Marine II
from Sea & Sea. Nowadays I
shoot with a Canon 50D in an
aluminium under water housing
from UK-Germany. By the picture
of the month I will tell you
exactly which settings I used for
making that picture. Hope you
enjoy my column.
Till next month.
The picture of this month is the pygmee
seahorse, which is taken in Lembeh
Street, Indonesia. The bottom in Lembeh
is covered with only black sand, diving
there is called muck diving.
We were going to make a wreck dive on
one of the wrecks in Lembeh street. But I
took my macro lens with me.
Underwater I recognised the fans in
which the guide found before these very
little fellows. When I was at the back of
the wreck my eye felt on a fan again,
and YES, I found a pygmee seahorse
myself. And this one was pregnant also!
I took this photo with the 100mm macro
lens and diopter +4. The settings were
1/100 sec and F29. I used ISO 250.
Wendy
www.fotowendy.nl
Wendy Hoevenaars
Introducing Underwater photographer
March 2011 eScubaMagazine.com 3
Calypso Diving Resort is located at the center of the
world-famous White Beach on Boracay Island in the
heart of the Philippines archipelago. Boracay is
famous for both its natural beauty and the
incredible lifestyle. This little island really does have
it all: relaxation, cuisine, night life, nature,
shopping, activities to suit all tastes, and much
more!
Perfectly situated, Calypso Resort has stunning
turquoise ocean and sunset views, with 7 rooms and 2
suites right by the soft white sand beach. Additionally,
there are 20 rooms at Pinjalo Resort, set in tranquil
tropical gardens for a private atmosphere, which is
just a 2 minute walk from Calypso and the beach.
Each of the resorts has a swimming pool, and all the
rooms are beautifully styled, bright and spacious,
each with its own balcony. All of our guests can enjoy
the Lounge with pool-side bar and restaurant, beach
beds right by the ocean, and diving for those wanting
to explore underwater.
Calypso Diving is Boracay's only National
Geographic and PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Center.
Our dive facility includes an on-site training
pool overlooking the beach, well-maintained
equipment available in a wide variety of
sizes, and an enriched air membrane
compressor with alpha analyzing station for
easy and accurate analysis of nitrox. We offer
PADI courses from novice to dive
professional. Our experienced and friendly
staff will help you find the right course or course
combination from a wide range of options.
One of Asia's most modern and well equipped dive
resorts, Calypso offers five-star service in a friendly
and spacious environment. The dive sites on Boracay
can be reached by a short boat ride and dives are
guided in small groups for your maximum enjoyment.
With 30 dive sites surrounding Boracay and
neighboring islands there is definitely something for
every diver: walls, wrecks, healthy corals, macro
marine life, strange critters and even sharks.
Underwater fun and relaxation awaits you! So join us
at Calypso Diving Resort on this wonderful tropical
island.
Info:
Airport: 4km
Air temperature: 25 – 35 C
Water temperature: 24 – 30 C
Visibility: 15 – 30+ meters
Nitrox: Yes
Philippines Diving: Boracay
Calypso Diving Resort
March 2011 eScubaMagazine.com 4
March 2011 eScubaMagazine.com 5
Boracay Go Diving
Dive in Boracay to experience the incredible
biodiversity and warm blue waters of the Philippines.
And it doesn‟t stop there: this little island has much
more to offer in addition to great dive sites. The
lifestyle on Boracay is many different things to different
people with so many options: a myriad of active
pursuits, many ways to relax, a huge choice of
cuisine, exciting nightlife, friendly locals, and stunning
scenery!
The diving itself offers just as much variety. You can
wreck dive, hang out on walls literally covered with
soft and hard corals, deep drift dive with sharks, or get
up close with our weird and wonderful macro critters.
We offer convenient one-tank dive trips for those
wanting to spend only part of the day diving, but we
also offer daytrips and safaris to sites further afield. At
Calypso, the dives are guided in small groups by
experienced and knowledgeable PADI Professionals
for your maximum enjoyment.
The Calypso Diving Resort team is looking forward to
warmly welcoming you and making your trip extra
special.
March 2011 eScubaMagazine.com 6
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Boracay Learn to Dive
Learning to dive in Boracay is exciting, fun and
convenient. The water is warm and clear with fabulous
marine life to meet on your dives.
The Calypso Diving Resort is a PADI 5-Star IDC and
National Geographic Dive Center - the only one on
Boracay – and operates to the highest professional
standards. We teach every level of PADI course from
discovery dives to instructor training. The dedicated
dive team is very enthusiastic, and your experienced
instructor will be with you every step of the way. The
facilities at the spacious beach-front center are world-
class, with a purpose-built training pool, air-
conditioned classrooms and restaurant.
The reefs are only a 10 minute boat ride from the
Calypso Diving Resort. You will be excited by the
bright marine life and bio diversity. You‟ll be diving with
butterflyfish, snappers, frogfish, lionfish, rays, morays
and much more! Take the plunge and open up the
door to a thrilling new underwater world.
Calypso Diving Resort and Pinjalo Resort
Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan 5608, Philippines
diving@calypso-boracay.com
http://calypso-boracay.com/diving/
March 2011 eScubaMagazine.com 9
This unique project began in 2008 when three
people got together in a bid to help the natural
habitat of the surrounding waters of Cancun and
Isla Mujeres. Over the years hurricanes and human
kind have caused damage to the great reefs in the
area, so it was time to step in and help these
beautiful gardens replenish and flourish once more.
The museum can be seen through scuba diving or
Snorkeling with Aquaworld Cancun
(www.aquaworld.com.mx)
Dr. Jaime Gonzalez Cano is the director of the
National Park Costa Occidental Isla Mujeres, Punta
Cancun and Punta Nizuc. He searched the internet
for ideas and came across the work of Jason
DeCaires Taylor, a British underwater artist. The first
seed of an underwater sculpture project for Cancun
was planted. The next step was to contact Roberto
Diaz, president of the Nautical Association - as a
ceramic artist and sculptor he loved the idea.
Jason left his life in London and dedicated 2 long
years in the creation of 403 life sized concrete
sculptures. The sculptures are made from neutral clay
and positioned on the ocean beds in order to
promote marine life and the growth of coral reef.
The first three figures to be submerged were the
'Dream Collector', Man on Fire and 'Garden of Hope' -
each of which depicts it's own message. The Dream
Collector for example collected messages of hope
from all around the world and placed them in bottles
that he found in the ocean - now he stands to guard
them and project that hope.
Underwater Museum
Cancun
March 2011 eScubaMagazine.com 10
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Dream Collector
In October 2010, 400 sculptures were submerged
creating the 'Silent Evolution'. These are made from
blocks of 10 figures and these life sized models were
moulded around real people, from local children, a
mother to be and a British news reporter.
The most fantastic thing about this part of the
museum so far is the return of the Angel Fish. This
species of fish had previously left the area for some
unknown reason - well little by little they are now back,
104 at the last count!
Silent Evolution
In February 2011, 12 more sculptures will be added to
Punta Nizuc. This room will include a volkswagon with
special seats designed for lobsters to set up their
home.
Aquaworld Cancun
info@aquaworld.com.mx
www.aquaworld.com.mx
March 2011 eScubaMagazine.com 13
Pick up any diving magazine, or surf the internet for
dive related websites, and images of the tropics
and exotic destinations, combined with interactions
of aquatic life often stimulates the dream of
working full time as a scuba diving dive
professional. There‟s few professions in the world
where you can spend a Monday morning
commuting to work on a boat, enjoying beautiful
weather, and clients who admire and appreciate
you for the job you do, but is becoming a scuba
diving professional everything that we imagine it to
be? For those of us that do decide to „GoPro‟ and
become either a PADI Divemaster or Instructor, and
ditch a stable career, or embark on a life changing
journey, how do you achieve the goal and what
can you expect to encounter working encounter in
the dive industry?
In this article, I aim to overview the benefits of working
in the scuba diving industry as a PADI professional,
and also some of the downsides, and discuss the
path to becoming a PADI Divemaster and Instructor,
and the career opportunities, both short and long
term for PADI professionals. Whilst it would be
impossible to cover every possible work scenario and
environment, remember PADI dive centres and resorts
operate in over 180 countries, this article does
provide a generalised overview to help guide you in
the decision making process.
For most divers they‟ll never forget their first breath
underwater, whether in a local swimming pool, or at a
tropical beach, as part of their initial
confined water training. Even those divers,
who have initial anxiety issues breathing
underwater, always remember the
experience, and whilst for the majority of
scuba participants the entry level
certification opens a whole new world and
environment, for others it creates the
dream and goal of becoming a scuba
diving professional.
Scuba Diving is a sport that builds self
esteem in individuals, improves physical
fitness, whilst educating individuals to the
physics and physiology of scuba diving,
and creates an environmental awareness
and respect and shows individuals how to
make a positive contribution to both
terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Unlike
many other sports, scuba diving is non-
contact, 3 dimensional, and multi sensory,
and the competition is with each
individual to better themselves as a diver,
not over others. Whilst many divers enjoy
the silence and serenity of the underwater
world, on the topside scuba diving is also
a very social activity and fosters
camaraderie amongst participants and
leads to lifelong friendships.
Going Pro
What’s it all about?
March 2011 eScubaMagazine.com 14
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As a scuba diving professional you get to make a
positive difference to other people‟s lives and to the
environment. Whether an individual seeks scuba
instruction to learn about the environment, as a self
fulfillment goal, to explore our underwater heritage, or
to challenge themselves, you become a facilitator
and help them connect the motor skills and
intellectual knowledge they‟ll need to dive safely and
have fun, enjoyable experiences.
The PADI system of diver education has some of the
most comprehensive educational products and a
system that takes the burden of teaching form the
Instructor and allow them to work more on
individualised instruction, as most students are free to
learn at their own time and pace with the
independent study manuals, DVD‟s, e-learning and
now e-book versions. This allows for you as the
Instructor to focus on individual needs, remediation
and delivering the course in a fun and effective
manner, which is what, makes PADI programs so
popular with student divers. These materials can be
used anywhere in the world to teach a standardised
course though you as the Instructor will need to adapt
each course to the local environment and culture,
which is an area you will be taught during the PADI
Instructor Development Course (PADI IDC).
PADI Instructor‟s can choose to work part or full time in
tropical resorts, or local dive centers, on a vocational
basis when taking sabbaticals from their full time
employment, or in conjunction with other seasonal
work such as in winter sports, or outdoor Summer work.
Many of the candidates we train as Instructors also
have their own full time jobs and work on the
weekends either as freelance Instructors, or more
commonly through a local PADI dive centre. In the
resort environment many Instructors enjoy teaching on
tropical islands in calm, clear, warm waters, on
beautiful coral reefs with an abundance of fish and
other aquatic life. It‟s this dream lifestyle that
motivates many individuals to switch careers and
„GoPro‟.
March 2011 eScubaMagazine.com 17
So that brings us to the question, how exactly do you
qualify as a PADI Instructor or a Divemaster?
Well from the date of being certified a diver can
progress through the PADI system of diver education,
from the Open Water course to the Advanced Open
Water course, then to the Rescue course with CPR/1st
aid certification (EFR course), before enrolling in the
Divemaster program. These courses can be done
back to back and upon completing all components
of the PADI Divemaster course and reaching a
minimum of 60 logged dives; a diver can be certified
as a PADI Divemaster. There are different methods of
completing the Divemaster course; it can be done
through a local dive center, on a part time basis,
either interning on classes or via practical simulated
training components. Many candidates choose to
take time out and intern on a program over several
weeks in the tropics, and get real world hands on
exposure whilst training. This is the favoured option at
our resort destination on Utila in Honduras, and
Thailand and the Red sea are also popular choices
for internship Divemaster courses due to the great
diving and affordable and quality lifestyle they offer.
What can PADI Divemasters do?
Work at local dive centers, on live-aboard
dive boats, yachts and at exotic resort
locations.
Assist PADI Instructors with students, and at
Utila Dive Centre we have classes starting on
a daily basis with plenty of opportunity for you
to gain experience
Lead PADI Scuba Divers on guided dive tours,
and we have several boat trips per day, with
full service, taking you to the best dive sites in
comfort
Teach and certify PADI Skin Divers
Teach PADI Discover Snorkelling programs
Conduct PADI Scuba Review programs for
certified divers
Lead certified divers on Discover Local Diving
experiences
Teach Emergency First Response programs
after successful completion of an Emergency
First Response Instructor course.
The next step after the PADI Divemaster course is to
enrol in either the PADI Assistant Instructor course, or
the complete PADI Instructor Development Course,
however a diver needs to have been certified for at
least 6 months prior to enrolling in the PADI AI/IDC
programs.
To have the best chances of employment within the
dive industry, and to make a reasonable pay, then
the Instructor rating is a logical progression after the
Divemaster course, as most Divemasters work in
exchange for experience, dives or a minimal pay to
offset expenses.
The PADI Instructor Development course is normally
preferred to the Assistant Instructor course for
professionals who want to work full time as Instructors
in resort areas, on live aboards and enjoy teaching,
whereas the Assistant Instructor course is more of a
comfortable midway step for Divemasters who will
continue to work part time, assist Instructors or aren‟t
sure about teaching scuba. The Assistant Instructor
course is a minimum of 3 days and the full PADI IDC a
minimum of 7 days though this can be shortened if
the e-learning option is taken prior to the courses.
After the PADI IDC has been completed candidates
site a 2 day examination to earn their Instructor status.
As a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor you can
conduct introductory programs such as Discover
Snorkelling and Discover Scuba Diving, and
certification courses from the PADI Open Water Diver,
PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, PADI Rescue Diver
and the PADI Divemaster course. It is also possible to
teach specialty classes such as „Enriched Air/Nitrox‟,
Digital Photography, Deep, Wreck or Fish ID upon
taking a specialty Instructor class or with sufficient
experience.
March 2011 eScubaMagazine.com 18
PADI Instructors seem to have the dream job, they get
to work in exotic locations, they dive for a living, they
interact with nature, and their clients and students look
up to them almost like Superheroes, plus they get
paid for all this! It can‟t all be good, otherwise why
wouldn‟t every diver become an Instructor? Well
teaching in itself requires a special set of skills, though
these can be developed in individuals, teaching
requires patience, adaptability, open mindedness
and basic business principles in customer service and
marketing. The job of a PADI Divemaster or Instructor
has long hours, requires the employee to wear and
juggle multiple hats in a day‟s work, and in resorts
being a seasonal based profession; there may be
significant periods without days off. Also in many
countries there is a lack of employment protection
laws for foreign workers, and unscrupulous employers
may take advantage of foreign workers and have
them working without official paperwork or permits,
with little recourse should they want to file claims.
However if you talk to an Instructor at the end of a
bad days work, the majority would not swap it for
anything else in the world. Whilst the job may not
have the highest pay scales and most Instructors do
not work solely for money, the pay can be enough to
allow good savings after a season, and to finance a
flight to the next exotic destination, purchase new
equipment and reinvest in additional training, or
simply to bank. However if wealth could be
measured in the people met, cultures discovered,
places traveled to, aquatic interactions, and in
rewards from the job, then PADI Instructors would
probably be the wealthiest professionals on the
planet, and with a life they could look back on with
the biggest of smiles. One of the toughest decisions I
always found when I was traveling as an Instructor
working seasons, and many of my colleagues would
agree with me, would be where next??? Too many
choices, too many beautiful places to discover.
From my experience working in the resort
environments in the Caribbean, Asia and the Red
Sea, most Instructors work for a period of a few years
teaching recreational classes then advance into
more senior positions. Over the years I have had
many friends who I have trained and work with. Who
now hold prominent positions in the scuba diving
industry, from working as PADI Regional Managers, to
Captains of Live Aboard boats or Cruise Directors, to
working as Videographers for the Super Rich, working
on Super Yachts or Cruise ships, to being Course
Directors themselves and working in Instructor
Development, others own their own dive centres and
resorts, and some specialise in technical diving and
exploration.
I personally specialised in training and technical
diving, and spend part of my year training dive
professionals as PADI Divemasters and Instructors, and
part of the year exploring and technical diving. When
I think back to the career path I had originally chosen,
in commercial insurance, and where I could be now,
I never for one day regret my choice, where it has
taken me, the people I have met, and the memories
I have, from both under and above the water.
March 2011 eScubaMagazine.com 19
About the author
Andy Phillips has been working full time in the dive
industry since 1996 and has traveled and worked
throughout the world as a dive professional in South
East Asia, South Africa, Australia, South America,
Central America, the Caribbean and the Red Sea.
He is a PADI Course Director, DSAT Trimix Instructor
Trainer, DAN Instructor Trainer and IANTD Instructor
Trainer. He has been awarded the PADI Platinum
status as Course Director for the last 5 consecutive
years, and has spoken at the DEMA dive convention
on several occasions, and recently graduated with a
Master‟s of Science degree in E-commerce. Andy is
the Director of professional training for the Utila Dive
Centre, a PADI Career Development Centre in the Bay
Islands of Honduras in the Western Caribbean.
Utila is one of the smallest and least developed of the
Bay Islands of Honduras and of the other islands in the
Caribbean and has avoided most of the commercial
upscale development seen elsewhere in the region.
The island has a relaxed atmosphere, great diving
affordable quality living, year round Whale shark
sightings and is predominantly English speaking. The
island is famous on the traveler and backpacker
circuit for PADI certification courses and has a
prestigious reputation for professional level training at
the Divemaster and Instructor levels.
Andy Phillips
Utila Dive Centre/Mango-Inn
Utila, Bay Islands 34.201 – Honduras
Phone: 00 504 24253326
info@utiladivecenter.com
www.utiladivecenter.com
March 2011 eScubaMagazine.com 20
Komodo – the land discovered by western people
over 100 years ago, firstly for scientists than for
tourists - the biggest warans in the world, with their
natural habitat looking like the African savannah
having its start in the azure sea, primeval Bugi‟s (sea
gypsies) trials, fishermen‟s villages and fishermen‟s
rivals – huge eagles.
Komodo is a region at the world‟s end burnt by the
sun and lashed by monsoons – severe and wild.
Travelers from non lizard world seek impressions
meeting the main hunter of this archipelago –
bloodthirsty Komodo dragon. It‟s one bite kills a huge
water buffalo. Tourists find here subtle colors during
sunrises and amazing views during sunsets. Apart from
the view they can find here beautiful beaches, not
covered by umbrellas, where the sand is red and the
sea throws big shells on the shore.
There are people who look for things which can‟t be
seen immediately from wooden deck of a schooner
or small local ship, for things that are worth to get to
know with before the voyage. Those people know well
what are they looking for – underwater Komodo – rare
and very special. Just under the surface of the water,
which surrounds islands of archipelago, you find one
of the most beautiful, diverse and amazing eco
systems in the world. It seems like it wouldn‟t be a one
reservoir but few various bodies of water connected
into one. This reach is Komodo with its flora and
fauna, with its diversification and variation in all places
where we usually dive. Many of them are constantly
being discovered. Everything is bigger and in larger
number there in Komodo.
Komodo
“Lalunia” Diving Base
March 2011 eScubaMagazine.com 21
This is the place where I‟ve found my second home
and where I spend the most of the year. This came to
such point because of series of circumstances which
caused that I know those islands as good as streets in
Cracow (Poland) and they will stay in my mind even if
I leave them forever.
Of course I am not able to know all kinds of fishes,
distinguish each species of gruppers, angelfish,
butterfly fish, to know all kinds of shrimps and gill
naked snails. Very important to me is the feeling of
total freedom and the beauty surrounding us on reefs,
as well as those unique underwater meetings which
stay in our memory forever and which take place on
Komodo very often.
When I meet something big, something bigger than
me or some macro creatures, the fact it exists on the
same world as we do and it might be endangered,
makes my heart grow and release the need of their
protection. It happens especially with all those
animals that I meet regularly. They often wait in the
same places. Seahorses, little crabs on anemones,
spiny lobsters in their caves, even mantas – huge and
free – seem to be familiar but such sentence may
sound like pride.
There are such dives I will remember forever as well as
dives I can repeat over and over again and I will
never become bored.
My favorite place is Castle Rock (northern Komodo) –
underwater mountain covered by corals, attracting
fish and sharks from the boundless sea.
March 2011 eScubaMagazine.com 22
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They come here for feeding, organizing for us
spectacular show of nature‟s vitality. Sharks, atlantic
horses or tunas seem to ignore the strong stream.
Their bodies look like they are not being moved but
still they have to speed up in thick water to reach their
victim. They swim into shoals of smaller fish which start
the escape in panic running a-cross us – divers. For
the moment you can‟t see anything, you are in the
fish cloud covering the sun until hunters drive them far
away from us. After a minute break the show starts
once again.
I can keep observing mantas for many hours. I know
that for many divers such experience is metaphysical.
Many of them reach the surface with tears in eyes. It is
amazing advantage that there are so many places
on Komodo where mantas gather regularly,
sometimes even in very numerous groups. Many of
such places are shallow so we can amazingly extend
our dives. No one wants to reach the surface when he
is eye in eye with manta. They watch us and remain
inflexible, majestic, ignore the stream. We can‟t do
the same and that‟s why sooner or later we lose with
them. Mantas may make circles above our heads
feeling no fear, playing together, racing and running
away out from our sight. After few minutes there
come another ones, including my favorite one - Zorro
– black manta, real devil. There is no sense in racing
mantas, if they want our close company then it is only
their decision.
During the diving in Komodo we have to make sad
choices - to watch big fishes and admire their show or
to focus on the reef in search of small discovery. We
often may wish to see something specific, here during
this certain diving. After watching mantas we can visit
places with seahorses for a change. It is better to
know where do they live but we can also search for
new destinations and the things we find there may
surprise us. Seahorses, small tails rolled up on
gorgonians springs, make us laugh as well as dolphins
– they have pleasant muzzles. They seem to be stoic,
patiently waiting for the camera‟s flash.
The southern part of Komodo National Park surprises
us with completely different diving character. In less
transparent, greenish water, diving becomes more
mysterious and romantic apart from the fact that at
first it may seem to be less vital than our previous
ones. It is only an illusion because here we will find
spectacular show sliced in pieces, we have to swim
closer and then admire simultaneously big and small
world.
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My favorite water apples cover quite wide part of the
reef, feeding by constant water filtering. It is worth to
make a stop and watch how precisely their
„tentacles” catch plankton and hide inside corals.
The most characteristic landscape of southern
Komodo is Cannibal Rock, best place for the night
dive. It is an underwater mountain covered by black
or green, long corals – cryiods. Among them
amazingly vide resources of many underwater
species – crabs, shrimps, gill naked snails or small
frogfishes. Moreover, there are always nice surprises.
Divers used to say that the dive is successful when you
find something new for you, something you‟ve never
seen for real before. Komodo rarely disappoints divers
in this respect.
Currants which Komodo is famous for are the
guaranty of the adventure for divers. Sometimes I feel
like it isn‟t dangerous at all but sometimes it seems to
be scary. You can know a lot about currents but one
thing is sure you can‟t say you know them. The surprise
may always happen. Apart from moon phases, many
factors have an impact on it. A stream should be our
ally to make the diving easier and to give us all the
best from it. Thanks to the stream soft corals on
Tatawa Besar spread their dwarf rolls to show us their
magnifies. In the stream you can feel water trembling
and also that something stunning will happen. In the
stream fish hunt. In the stream the diving becomes
more dynamic. We connect with the nature, with sea,
we swim in its natural speed but when we stop to
admire something we fully feel its strength and
magnificence.
During the whole year islands in Komodo National Park
constantly change. In the rainy season dry savannah,
from the sea side, becomes green and it looks more
like Ireland than foreign land on the second half of
the world. Then islands get dry. The monsoon comes
from south-west, straight from Australia. The
landscape as well as the light changes. Only
underwater views remain constantly beautiful but
never the same.
Aleksandra Liana
ola.liana@gmail.com
magdalenadiver@gmail.com www.nomad-diver.com
March 2011 eScubaMagazine.com 27
For many divers a tough decision to make. Where
are we going on our next holiday? What do we want
to dive, what do we want to see?
“Muck” diving is becoming more and more popular
these days and of course everybody knows the
“Capital of Muck”, the Lembeh Strait in Sulawesi,
Indonesia. What most of them don‟t know is that just
around the corner there is an even more interesting
dive area where you can dive all you want, every
day. The Manado area offers all three possibilities at
once.
For “muck” diving you will stay close to the Sulawesi
coast where you find the same black lava sand as
you see in the Lembeh Strait with all the “critters” you
can imagine, Pigmy Seahorses, nudibranches, many
different shrimps and crabs and of course the
occasional Frog fish. An ideal environment for macro
photographers. During most of the dives you will find
a nice coral garden or a small “wall” in the second
part.
The boat trips to the dive sites are relatively short,
between 10 and 50 minutes. Another highlight on the
Manado coast is a beautiful shipwreck, although this
dive is, because of the depth, only for the more
experienced divers.
From the Manado coast it is only 50 minutes by boat
to Bunaken Island and Siladen Island. Around
Bunaken Island you find great walls and “drop-offs”
that start at 3 meter depth and go down until more
than 300 meter. These walls are completely covered
with life; huge sponges and beautiful hard and soft
corals where thousands of fish accompany you on
your dive. Also larger fish like Napoleon Wrasse,
Humphead Parrotfish and Reef Sharks are quite
common to see on these walls. On a few dive sites at
Bunaken Island you can find the largest Turtles you
have ever seen, some of them even longer than 1.7
meter! The dive sites around Siladen Island also offer
some great walls but also beautiful coral reefs with
large schools of fish. Around both islands there is
normally a mild current, so all the dives are “drift
dives” and the boat is always stand-by to pick you up
after surfacing at the end of the dive.
Muck, wall or reef?
by Robert Burgers
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Where to go?
We recommend you to plan your holiday at Celebes
Divers Manado. Celebes Divers consists of two resorts
and a diving in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Celebes Divers is a PADI dive resort and offers the
complete PADI program and of course exquisite
diving in Bunaken Marine Park and along the Sulawesi
coast. NITROX is for free.
Mapia Resort:
Mapia resort is the “main” resort where also the offices
and diving center are situated.
The resort is located at Kalasey Beach, 30 car minutes
from Manado Airport. Mapia Resort has 11 traditional
built cottages in a beautiful tropical garden with a
fresh water swimming pool. From Mapia Resort you
can dive along the Sulawesi coast but they even
organize trips to Bunaken Island and Siladen Island a
few times per week. It is also possible to make some
great land-excursions from Mapia Resort. The trips that
are offered are a tour through the Minahasa province
with a visit to a volcano and the Tomahon Market, a
trekking trip to the Tangkoko Rainforest and even a trip
to the south of Sulawesi that takes 3-5 days.
Onong Resort:
Onong Resort is located on Siladen Island and is a
typical beach resort. The resort has 7 traditional built
cottages.
In Onong Resort you can experience the “Robinson
Crusoe” feeling. Siladen Island is a relatively small
island and Onong Resort fits in perfectly. From Onong
Resort it is only 15-20 minutes by boat to the dive sites
around Bunaken island and even shorter to the dive
sites around Siladen Island.
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Interesting to know
Guests have the possibility to change between Mapia
Resort and Onong Resort during their stay without
surcharge (subject to availability)
Both resorts offer Standard and Superior cottages
which recently have been renovated and wireless
internet is available. The restaurants in the resorts offer
an exquisite Indonesian/International cuisine. All
cottages in both resorts have hot and cold running
FRESH water, 24/7 electrical power, ceiling ventilator,
mini bar, and air conditioning.
The facts
Rental equipment: 10 complete sets
Tanks: 150, aluminium, 12 liter (80 cuf)
Connection: INT (bring your own adapter when you
have a DIN regulator
Compressor: 3 Bauer and 1 Coltri Nitrox Membrane
Boats: 3x 14 meter and 1x 10 meter
Dive Groups: Maximal 4-5 persons per guide
Courses: All PADI courses from Open Water to Assistant
Instructor
Dive difficulty: Beginner to experienced
Dive depths: 12 – 40 meter
Current: Form no current to strong current
Diving without guide: On request, experienced divers
only
Photography: All levels from Macro to Wide angle
Visibility: Always over 15 meter, often 30 meter or
more
Water temperature: 28 – 30 degrees Celsius all year
FAQ‟s
Q.: What suit do I need to wear?
A.: For protection against the cold you don‟t need to
wear a suit at all. We recommend a 3mm long suit to
protect your body against stings. Some of the soft
corals have nasty venom that can irritate your skin if
you make accidental contact.
Q.: What is the best time to come?
A.: Manado is situated 150 km north of the equator.
Therefore the climate is almost the same all year
around with a bit more rain in December – March.
The temperatures are between 28 and 35 degrees is
the “dry” season and 26 – 32 in the “wet” season.
Q.: What is the difference between Standard Cottage
and Superior Cottage?
A.: Basically the Superior cottages are larger than the
Standard cottages and the interior is a bit more
luxurious. In Onong Resort all the Superior cottages are
situated sea-side. In Mapia Resort a few Superior are
situated sea-side and some are situated pool-side.
Both categories have air-conditioning and ventilator.
Q.: How to get a visa?
A.: for most nationalities it is possible to buy a Visa-on-
arrival. For more info please visit
http://www.indo.com/tplan/visa.html
March 2011 eScubaMagazine.com 33
Q.: What taxes do I have to pay extra?
A.: All prices presented by Celebes Divers are
included Government Taxes. For diving every person
have to pay the Bunaken National Park entrance fee
(around 15 Euro per year)
Q.: How to get there?
A.: When you want to organize your holiday yourself
you can book your stay and diving on
http://www.celebesdivers.com , the best way to fly to
Manado is with Silk Air.
When you want to book trough a travel agency you
can find Celebes Divers with SolPlan Buceo
Q.: I am a vegetarian. What about the food?
A.: The Indonesia Cuisine offers a large choice of
different dishes and lots of them are fish and
vegetables. The cooks in both Mapia Resort and
Onong Resort can provide alternatives if needed. For
people who are on a special diet or are allergic to
certain ingredients they make sure the food is safe for
them to eat.
Text and photos by Robert Burgers
www.robographer.com
March 2011 eScubaMagazine.com 34
Seastar Watersports is Aqaba‟s oldest established
PADI 5 Star IDC centre and is Jordan‟s only TDI Full
trimix facility. Based at “Club Murjan”, we provide
excellent shore diving opportunities and also boat
diving with our 19m purpose built dive boat. All
PADI courses up to instructor level and full TDI
courses up to Advanced Trimix are available as well
as guided recreational and technical dives.
We have full rental equipment on hand for both
recreational and technical divers as well as rental
equipment for snorkeling. Nitrox is readily available
and we do all custom blends of trimix for technical
diving.
We provide free hotel transfers for divers on a daily
basis from all hotel in Aqaba.
Our Dive Centre (Club Murjan) has all the facilities on
offer. Full change rooms, toilets, large swimming
pool, class rooms, wireless internet and restaurant.
We have a beautiful house reef (Cazar Reef) only
50m from our front gate which is rich in corals, marine
life and often has turtles seen. It is perfect for novice
divers and experienced divers
alike. Snorkelers and non divers
are also welcome at Club Murjan.
Aqaba lies at the northern End of
the Gulf of Aqaba and has
approximately 24 dives sites.
These include rich coral reefs,
wrecks, walls and canyons.
REEFS
Aqaba‟s reefs are in the Aqaba Marine Park and have
some of the richest in the Red Sea. Visibilty is rarely
less than 30m and water temperature ranges from 22
degress in winter, to 28 degrees in summer. The reef s
have large Gorgonia fan corals, hard and soft corals
from shallow depths to deep depths. The marine life
abounds with endemic fish, turtles and provide great
photo opportunities.
Diving in Aqaba
with Seastar Watersports!
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WRECKS
Aqaba has several excellent wreck dives. The “Cedar
Pride” lies approximately 130m off the shore at the
“Japanese Gardens” dive site at a maximum depth
of 26m. She is covered in soft corals, fish and has
easy swim throughs. A superb wreck dive in her own
right. Fantastic for training, photography and any
type of wreck diving.
The famous “Tank” (an M-41) lies in 5m of water at
“Olivers Canyon” dive site. The tank was put there for
divers and snorkelers to enjoy. Covered in soft corals,
she is home to many lion fish and grey moray eels.
Also makes for a perfect safety stop!
The “Al Shorouk” wreck lies off the Canyon as well in
70m of water. A great technical dive using trimix.
Access to the wreck is by dive boat and has a
mooring attached to her stern.
The “Taiyong” wreck lies off the “Japanese Gardens” in
deeper water at a maximum depth of 57m. Scuttled
as not serviceable, now a great technical dive. Her A
Frame is covered in soft corals of all colours and her
hull also covered in black corals. An excellent dive.
AQABA
Aqaba is Jordan‟s only seaside city and is serviced by
many nice hotels, restaurants and bars.
Accommodation ranges from 35 USD a night up to
150 USD. Some hotels have private beaches.
Visas on entry to most nationalities are free of charge
in Aqaba on arrival. This is due to the “Aqaba Special
Economic Zone” (ASEZA) making Aqaba a duty free
zone to all travelers. Alcohol and licenced premises
are readily available as Jordan is a very relaxed
muslim country.
The currency of Jordan is the Jordanian Dinar. A very
stable currency and readily available. Other
currencies such as the US dolaar and euro are redily
accepted. Exchanges and banks are easily
accessed.
FLIGHTS
Jordan is serviced by most international airlines in
Europe and also has charter flights from the UK and
Belgium.
Jet Air Fly fly into Aqaba direct from Brussels three
times a week.
www.jetairfly.com
Easyjet are now commencing flights direct from
Gatwick airport in London to Amman three times a
week.
www.easyjet.com
March 2011 eScubaMagazine.com 37
ACTIVITIES IN JORDAN
Jordan is home to the famous “Rose Red City” of
Petra. Now listed as one of the modern 7 wonders of
the world, it truly is an awesome spectacle. A city
carved in rock by the famous Nabateans and
features the famous “Treasury“ building. A site not to
be missed.
Wadi Rum, the beautiful desert wilderness made
famous by Lawrence of Arabia in World One one, is
also a site not to be missed. A jeep safari is a great
way to see the magic desert landscape while being
guided by the loal Bedouin. Camel rides are also
possible and camping in the desert.
So come and enjoy diving in Aqaba with us and the
highlights Jordan has to offer!
Seastar Watersports has its own travel office “Above
and Below Adventures” who can organize all your
accommodation, airport transfers, rental cars and
trips to Petra or Wadi Rum.
Seastar Watersport
www.aqabadivingseastar.com
March 2011 eScubaMagazine.com 38
Worldwide Dive & Sail & the Siren Fleet offer luxury
liveaboard diving in Thailand, Indonesia,
Philippines, Maldives and India, with more than 15
different itineraries to choose from. Our friendly,
experienced local crew and guides have been
selected from the best and our cruise managers
host you throughout and give in-depth knowledge
into diving within Southeast Asia and beyond. The
reservation and office team completes the family
that remains personal and hands-on.
Woldwide Dive &Sail
Liveaboard Diving
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Our cruises offer diving to the prime locations within
South East Asia at the best time of year – taking you to
remote areas, often unexplored, and away from the
crowds. Trips run for 6, 7, 10, 12 or 14 nights
dependent on destination.
A cruise with the Siren Fleet is not to be missed. Read
what one of our guests has said about us...
“We booked the Mandarin Siren for a private charter
to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary with our
kids and one friend. We were 5 in the boat for a 5
days trip in North Raja Ampat. We all fly from
Barcelona, Spain on Jan.1st, 2011. WWDS arranged
all domestic flights, hotels and transfers and all of it
went very smoothly. We had a wonderful experience
in the boat. The Mandarin Siren is beautiful and
comfortable. Every detail has been considered and
by the way: the expresso machine was a perfect
"plus"!!!!. The entire crew was genuinely nice and
helpful. André, the cook, is a magician; he made
every meal a real treat. Mike, Nita, Ari and the
Captain worked very hard to make this trip a happy,
enjoyable, hassle-free and relaxing experience.”
Carolina Armand, January 2010.
Each yacht features a/c cabins with ensuite facilities
and added touches for a little extra luxury such as
personal computers, bathrobes and hairdryers. We
focus on the details to ensure you cruise in style and
relax during your time onboard.
There is an expansive dive deck with personal storage
and individual set up stations, with our crew on hand
to carry your equipment and assist you in every way.
Nitrox and Equipment are offered free of charge and
you may also take a PADI speciality course with our
onboard instructor.
Meals are served outside buffet style with a choice of
International and Asian cuisine from our top class
chefs, choose from a selection of wines or cocktails
from our stocked bar. Local brand beer is free of
charge.
A massage service is available, as are additional
activities including kayaking and waterskiing. To
ensure you get the most out of your trip, we also offer
land excursions within the Komodo National Park to
visit the world famous dragons and in other
destinations upon request for bird watching and to
visit local markets.
Worldwide Dive & Sail
www.worldwidediveandsail.com
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