Unique Caribbean adventure vacation idea: Helicopter SCUBA diving in Curacao (with video)

There’s always been an element of adventure and excitement for SCUBA divers. Now, one enterprising dive operator on the Caribbean Island of Curacao wants to add yet ANOTHER element of Caribbean vacation excitement for divers by offering “helidives” or dives via helicopter.

Niels Jorissen, owner of Dive Charter Curacao, has been taking adventurous divers to their dive site via his helicopter since November of last year.

“One of my local divers told me about a helicopter that kept coming close to the water and that got me thinking. I called the owner/pilot for that company and asked him if we could dive from his helicopter. He said ‘no problem’ and a week later we were all geared up and in the water.”...[Link]

All-inclusive SCUBA resort packages: Low prices to Jamaica, Turks & Caicos

Looking for a SCUBA vacation to the Caribbean? Beaches Resorts in the Caribbean have just announce new LOW pricing for all-inclusive SCUBA vacations to four resorts.

The specials, which start as low as $678 for 7 nights, are available for travel through October 31, 2009.

According to Maduro Dive Fanta-Seas, a leading SCUBA travel provider, the just-announced ALL-INCLUSIVE SCUBA specials are at four Beaches properties in the Caribbean. Discounts up to 65% off regular package prices and a 6th night free makes these specials an extraordinary opportunity. For those who wish to travel with children, a singular price of $630 for ages 2 to 16 applies for each resort...[Link]

SCUBA pioneer Dr. Sylvia Earle to receive Bonaire lifetime achievement award

Dr. Sylvia Earle, known as the Ambassador to the world’s oceans, will add another accolade to her impressive array of honors when Bonaire’s first “Lifetime Achievement Award” is bestowed upon her. The award will be made during Celebrate Our Planet Week this summer, August 15-22, 2009, as a highlight week of the Bonaire Dive Into Summer festivities.

At a gala evening event at the Governor’s Residence on Wednesday, August 19, 2009, Dr. Earle will be honored and thanked for her lifetime of dedication to education and conservation of the world’s natural resources. The island’s “Lifetime Achievement Award” is granted to “acknowledge exceptional efforts throughout one’s lifetime to preserve and protect nature, both above and below the water’s surface.”

Also while on Bonaire, Dr. Earle will lead a series of themed dives and activities and will participate in several on-island events designed to highlight Bonaire’s continued leadership in sustainable tourism....[Link]

Handicapped divers plan 25th annual trip to Bonaire

Bonaire, an island off Venezuela, is well-known as a diving destination, and its fans include the Handicapped Scuba Association, based in California, which is organizing its 25th annual trip there.

The Aug. 8-15 trip to the island's Divi Flamingo Beach Resort costs $1,240 for seven days, including accommodations and six days of boat diving, based on double occupancy. The trip is open to certified dive buddies as well...[Link]

Explorer's paradise in deep blue sea

Out of the dusty, blue gloom, about 45 feet below the ocean's surface emerges a pedestal that once held a large telescope. Now, a gigantic radar dish that resembles a giant spider web appears in view. And you still haven't descended to the actual deck of the USS Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg.

The Keys' newest and largest artificial reef began welcoming fish and scuba divers last weekend following its May 27 sinking about 6 ½ miles south of Key West.

At 523 feet long and 10 stories high, the retired military ship is impossible to explore fully in one trip. But a group of scuba divers from several media outlets got a partial view of the bow and amidships during a one-tank dive last Friday with the crew of Dive Key West.

A day before the shipwreck was opened for public diving, media divers were sent down in teams of three, each escorted by a divemaster or instructor, with no one allowed to dive below 70 feet or to penetrate the interior. The ship rests perfectly upright in the sand, the bow at 140 feet deep and the stern at 150 feet.

With 60 feet of visibility, there was plenty to see on the outside of the ship -- especially the radar dishes, which dislodged from their pedestals during the sinking and had to be secured with cables...[MiamiHerald]

Beneath the Big Blue

What would induce a man to leave his home in Canada to move to a country that is hot all year around?

For Dr. Brian Chapell, now acting president of the University of the Cayman Islands one inducement was scuba diving.

Dr. Chapell was recently in Bermuda to speak at a public forum at the Bermuda College. He has lived in the Cayman Islands since 2003.

The Royal Gazette took the opportunity to ask the avid scuba diver for some advice about scuba diving in the Cayman Islands.

Q: When did you start scuba diving and where?

A: I learned to dive in Waterloo, Ontario (Canada) and got certified in Tobermory, Ontario. Tobermory is a very popular dive destination in the Great Lakes due to the large number of shipwrecks...[TheRoyalGazette]

Bonaire: Diver's paradise

All is still. Where the sky meets the land, it has turned to indigo. A few crimson clouds are scraped against the horizon.

We are standing at the edge of Lake Gotomeer on the north side of Bonaire, a Caribbean island 50 miles north of the Venezuelan coast. The silence suddenly is broken as a flock of yellow and green parakeets screech overhead. They are known locally as prikichi, probably meant to emulate their raucous squawking.

From the lake comes a gentle muttering sound, like an intimate conversation among friends. "Chogogo, chogogo," they seem to say. In the sky there is the soft whoosh of great pink wings being flared for landing as long red legs reach for the surface of the lake. A pair of Caribbean flamingos splashes down alongside a group of four others.

Bonaire plays host to about 15,000 flamingos, providing quiet nesting areas and salt pans full of their favorite foods: brine shrimp, insect larvae and small mollusks. It also is home to turkey-size Caracara, yellow-shouldered parrots and melodious Troupials. But it is not birds that attract most visitors here.

On the leeward side of the island that includes Klein Bonaire, an offshore island, 86 dive sites are legendary throughout the Caribbean...[TheOlympian]

Dominica Announces 16th Annual Dive Fest

The longest running Dive Festival in the Caribbean kicks off on July 10 for an action-packed ten days of activities focused on scuba diving and other associated watersports. Primary festival organizer, the Dominica Watersports Association, encourages visitors to dive down and discover the beautiful landscapes and colorful marine life found in the waters surrounding the island.

"Dive Fest was established to showcase the renowned marine environment of Dominica to visitors and residents alike, and is now one of the island´s signature events," comments Colin Piper, Director of Tourism at Discover Dominica Authority. "Visitors are invited to join in and experience the best the island has to offer, with endless adventures both above and below the surface. If you need a reason to visit Dominica, Dive Fest is it."

Would-be divers and snorkelers as young as eight can participate in pool or ocean-based introductory sessions to learn the basics, with some trial sessions offered completely free of charge. Intermediate and expert scuba divers will find a schedule that includes underwater treasure hunts, photography competitions and the chance to borrow and test out new equipment such as an underwater camera by Sealife...[LosAngelesChronicle]

Belize Vacations—A Haven for Diving

Belize vacations offer explorations of one of the seven underwater wonders of the world, and trips there are not complete without a snorkeling or diving experience. Within Belize, the island of Ambergris Caye ranks as the nation’s premier diving destination. The Belize Barrier Reef, the largest living coral reef in the western hemisphere, protects the island’s coastline and provides a veritable underwater paradise.

Ambergris Caye has diving for all experience levels. One of the most popular spots is Hol Chan Marine Reserve, a Belize Audubon managed reserve. Here the ocean floor ranges from five to 35 feet, so both divers and snorkelers have the opportunity to swim in thriving underwater gardens and tunnels abundant with a wide range of beautiful tropical fish and exquisite coral formations.

World class diving venues abound in clear turquoise waters—all within a ten to twenty minute boat ride from the piers of Ambergris Caye, including Mexico Rocks, Tackle Box, Tres Cocos and Cypress Tunnel. Divers will usually see many interesting underwater landscapes with a mix of deep wall drops and caverns, coral and sponge formations as well as colorful marine life on each dive.

A special attraction for the experienced diver is the renowned Great Blue Hole. An immense circular limestone sinkhole more than 300 feet across and 400 feet deep, the Great Blue Hole’s array of bizarre stalactites and limestone formations seems to become more intricate and intense the deeper one dives. One of the world’s most astounding sites, the Great Blue Hole provides an unforgettable underwater experience...[TheOpenPress]

The Caribbean's new "it" destination

Every now and then a new "it" destination comes around. For the past 10 years, I have been keeping my mouth shut, making several purely selfish trips before the word got out. Selfish? You bet. Worth it? Every last penny! So, what's the secret? The Dominican Republic.

What you notice first about the Dominican Republic is its size. This is not another tiny Caribbean island with a beach and a straw market. Instead, it's a big country with incredibly varied scenery that includes the tallest mountains in the region, stretches of white sand that run unbroken for miles, and one of the Caribbean's most cosmopolitan cities: Santo Domingo.

There are six main areas of the Dominican Republic, and each offers some wonderful hotels and resorts to explore...[Examiner]

Deep Recession Dive Bailout Package

The prices have been cut on the 4-dive package to what basically equates to MADNESS!! Normally, a 4-dive package costs $170 plus $20 for gear, if needed. Book now and you will pay only $150 plus $15 for gear. If you only have one day available to dive, no need to worry. You can still grab some of savings as well. Go to StMaartenDivers.com and book your seat for only $90 per person, including equipment, on either day. In continuing our crusade to offer a TARD (Totally Awesome & Relaxing Dive) program to all our fellow divers beached by the sinking global economy, we are throwing a 1 - 2 punch!

We have all seen the ongoing trend of diving stock markets and 401(k)’s so we are offering our own stimulus package called the WUTNICDAM4 (While Underwater There is Nothing I Can Do About my 401K) which is cheap diving AND a 15% discount on all the goodies sold at the Scuba Fun boutique. Don’t forget St. Maarten is a duty free port so there is also tax relief Now who can top that?...[1888PressRelease]

Explore A Modern-Day Shipwreck In Nevis

On August 1, 1970, the ferry boat Christena foundered and sank off the Caribbean island of St. Kitts, victim to two open hatches and a passenger roster which packed the ship to nearly twice its official capacity. Nothing can erase the memory of the 233 Nevisians killed in the accident, but SCUBA divers will soon get the opportunity to explore the site of the Christena...[Jaunted.com]

Book Review - Scuba Caribbean

If you're planning to go diving in the Caribbean, this guide can help you explore new destinations. The book, by Mary Peachin, has a section on Mexico's Caribbean coastline, and chapters on more than two dozen islands, including Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, the Cayman Islands and Bermuda. There is also a section on Central and South American destinations with Caribbean coastlines...[BaltimoreSun.com]

Diving into Bonaire (Part Two)

While most Bonaire visitors will spend the bulk of their time playing in the water around the islands, there are plenty of activities to enjoy on dry land, as well, including hiking and biking. Dry land is not just a figure of speech on Bonaire. The island lies outside the hurricane belt and the climate is arid. As a result, cacti flourish here. Cactus plants are so plentiful, the inhabitants use them to create fences.

Washington Slagbaai National Park, on the northern end of Bonaire, is a good place to view cacti and the other flora and fauna of the island. Iguanas and a wide variety of tropical birds like to hang out here.


“You even have a chance of spotting the Lora here,” says George Thode, the park’s chief ranger for more than 26 years. “This bird is a little bigger than a parakeet and is an endangered species. That’s why the Lora is protected on Bonaire. Loras live off the fruits and seeds from the trees and cacti in the park.”


Speaking of tropical birds, Bonaire also is well known for its large population of flamingos. These can be seen in low-lying areas of the national park, especially at Goto Lake...[Examiner.com]

Diving into Bonaire (Part One)

Tranquil.

It’s a word that’s used often to describe Bonaire. Though a favorite among divers, the island remains less crowded with tourists than many of its Caribbean neighbors.

“It all has to do with the long-standing commitment to developing the island in a sustainable way,” explains Bonaire’s Director of Tourism Ronella Croes. “This has formed the basis for Bonaire’s tourism development… It is due to this commitment and vision that Bonaire has developed through the years and become a top diving destination.”

Divers are attracted to Bonaire by its beautiful coral reefs and dazzling array of tropical fish. Both the coral and fish are protected here, thanks to far-sighted island administrators who have taken a series of pro-environment steps over the past half century. In 1961, the island enacted legislation to safeguard the eggs and nests of sea turtles. Ten years later, spearfishing from the reefs – once a common practice – was banned. In 1975, breaking coral or even taking it from the water was outlawed.

The crowning achievement, Croes says, was the creation of the Bonaire Marine Park 30 years ago to maintain “such a beautiful nature under water.”

The Marine Park encircles the entire island from the water’s edge to a depth of 60 meters (about 200 feet). Tangs, parrot fish, and damselfish are among the many colorful fish found in these waters...[Examiner.com]

New guide to Caribbean dive vacations

If you're planning a spring break or summer trip to go diving in the Caribbean, a new guide called "Scuba Caribbean" could help you explore new destinations.

The book, by Mary Peachin, has a section on Mexico's Caribbean coastline, including Quintana Roo, Cozumel, Cancun, Rivera Maya and Cenotes of the Yucatan, as well as chapters on more than two dozen islands, including Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, the Cayman Islands, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Martinique, Montserrat, St. Lucia, Grenada, Barbados, Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, St. Martin, the Bahamas and Bermuda. The book also includes a section on Central and South American destinations with Caribbean coastlines—Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and Venezuela's Los Roques Archipelago.

"Scuba Caribbean" notes that "the region's diving is as diverse as the islands themselves. Below the sea, an underwater photographer's wonderland of colorful reefs and marine diversity awaits." Terrain ranges from "steep, bottomless walls" to "cliff overhangs, caverns and swim-throughs." Some areas offer visibility greater than 100 feet, but Peachin writes that low-visibility areas, often rich in plankton, may offer their own attractions, attracting whale sharks and manta rays. Other underwater attractions: shipwrecks, diving with trained dolphins and watching migrations of whales and other sea creatures....[ContaCostaTimes]

Island of Cozumel real mecca for scuba drift diving

Isla de Cozumel — the island of Cozumel — nestles off the eastern coast of Mexico, separated from Playa del Carmen and Cancun by a channel teeming with reefs, cruise ships and scuba divers.

Some of the top reefs in the Western hemisphere and air and water temperatures warm even in the middle of winter attract divers eager to sample the pleasures of the ocean.

The diving off the western shore of Cozumel is referred to as drift diving — divers descend in a group and simply catch the current. One hardly has to swim at all, moving one’s fins only to stay off the bottom and stay close to the group.

The bottom offers a colorful variety of coral reefs, sand and walls, the latter a near-cliff where the bottom drops away from the 50 to 100 feet of the areas fairly close to shore to untold depths.

Most of the diving is done on the west side of the island; the waves and currents on the east side are too harsh, and the locals use that area mostly for fishing.

Most mornings start off with several cruise ships maneuvering into dock spaces to disgorge a human cargo, most of the passengers intent on shopping for local souvenirs and tequila, hitting the bars and restaurants or squeezing in some golf or another shore excursion.

Some hit the beaches, some snorkel and a hardy few book dive trips...[TheFortMorganTimes]

Scuba Diving Pioneers Honoured

Two well known Caymanian dive pioneers: Stuart Freeman, owner of Eden Rock; and Ollen Miller, owner of Sundivers were honoured for their achievements and outstanding contributions to the sport of scuba diving.

They were honoured at the annual International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony held at Pedro Castle St James on Thursday, 29 January.

The Department of Tourism (DoT) explained that every year, in addition to the international inductees, the Ministry of Tourism honours Caymanians and pays tribute to the invaluable role they have played in the process which has transformed Cayman into the premier dive destination that it is today. All awards were presented by the Minister of Tourism, Environment, Investment & Commerce, Hon Charles Clifford.

“Both individuals have been trailblazers in Cayman’s dive industry,” Mr Clifford in a statement before the event. “I congratulate them for having passion and foresight and for dedicating their lives to the sport of scuba diving.”

DoT stated that Mr Freeman has dedicated 40 years to the sea and to the watersports industry. From the onset of his adulthood through to present day, Mr Freeman has stayed true to his calling and continuously helps to protect and develop Cayman’s diving industry. ..[CaymanNetNews]

Dive industry honours two

Two well known Caymanian dive pioneers – Stuart Freeman, owner of Eden Rock, and Ollen Miller, owner of Sundivers, will be honoured for their achievements and outstanding contributions to the sport of scuba diving this tonight at Pedro St. James.

This is when the industry gathers together for the annual International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony.

A press release noted that every year, in addition to the international inductees, the Ministry of Tourism honours Caymanians and pays tribute to the invaluable role they have played in the process which has transformed Cayman into the premier dive destination that it is today. All awards will be presented by the Minister of Tourism, Charles.

“Both individuals have been trailblazers in Cayman’s dive industry,” said the Minister. “I congratulate them for having passion and foresight and for dedicating their lives to the sport of scuba diving.”

Stuart Freeman has dedicated 40 years to the sea and to the watersports industry. From the onset of his adulthood through to the present day, Mr. Freeman has stayed true to his calling and continuously helps to protect and develop Cayman’s diving industry...[CayCompass.com]

Boeing jet passing through was to become reef

The shell of a Boeing 737 aircraft is to arrive in Courtenay by barge early Saturday en route to its destination on the sea floor off Cape Lazo.

The 20-tonne aircraft is to be sunk about a mile offshore to create an artificial reef, according to Bill Coltart, projects co-ordinator for the Comox Valley Dive Association.

The dive association is organizing the project in co-operation with the Artificial Reef Society of B.C.

The aircraft was to be loaded onto a barge at the Coast Guard Hovercraft Station on Sea Island in Vancouver on Friday morning and towed across the strait in time for the high tide Saturday morning. It will then be towed up the Courtenay Estuary to the Courtenay marina at the foot of 20th Street.

It will be brought ashore and stored in a nearby parking lot until early summer, when it is to be sunk, said Coltart...[ComoxValleyRecord.com]

Dominica hosts Dive Travel TV crew

The Discover Dominica Tourism Authority welcomed the opportunity recently to host a television crew from Dive Travel TV. The crew was on island from January filming for an upcoming episode that will focus on Dominica's dive product along with additional top side activities.

Dive Travel TV is a regional NBC-TV affiliate television series which airs in northeast Pennsylvania and West Central New Jersey and reaches over six million viewers.

The show not only focuses on scuba diving, but promotes other attractions showing the public what there is to do, where to stay and how to find great cuisine in the country.

The crew consisted of 4 members; Producer Dennis Willis, Host Eleanore Willis and the two new scuba divers receiving their certification Kristina DelCane and Alison Schoenherr.

Producer Dennis Willis selected Dominica for the show's next episode on hearing that Tourism Minister Ian Douglas got his diver certification here and learning that Dominica is recognised as a top dive destination.

The crew will produce a 30-minute TV travel segment on Dominica with the premise of the show on two newly certified divers and their experiences on their first dive vacation...[DominicaNewsOnline]

Dive into the Bahamas

The name for the Bahamas comes from “baja mar”, the Spanish for “shallow sea”, most appropriate as many of the islands are surrounded by seductive turquoise water made luminous by the sunlight reflecting up from the shallow sandy bottom.

However, its 700 islands and sandy cays offer plenty of adventurous playgrounds for divers, whether just starting out or more experienced, to explore.

The most popular destinations are New Providence, with its capital city Nassau, and Grand Bahama, both providing some of the best and most varied diving of all. The Tongue of the Ocean is a dark blue shape on the map that licks round the western side of New Providence so that it’s surrounded by deep blue water.

This gives it excellent diving because the fish of the ocean come up the steep reef walls to visit divers in the shallows. At the southern end of the island sits Stuart Cove’s Dive South Ocean dive centre. Stuart and Michelle Cove are the glamorous couple that supply underwater facilities to filmmakers...[TimesOnline]