Nestled in the centre of the Philippine archipelago, the island of Malapascua is the Philippines’ new unspoiled, not-yet-hot spot for beach lovers and scuba divers. Every day, when most vacationers are still asleep, a small group of divers from around the world don their wetsuits and masks. As the sun rises over the horizon, the divers descend into the deep. Nearly 25m below the surface, on the Monad Shoal, the waters are quiet. But after a few minutes of waiting, dark shadows begin drifting into sight. These are thresher sharks. [Read more...]
Swimming With Philippine Sharks — Divers’ New Conquest
World’s 5 Best Diving Sites
Here are the best places to discover the magic of thin puddles on the surface of our huge, spinning rock:
Barracuda Point, Sipadan Island, Malaysia. Barracuda Point can be an intimidating experience. Fish stream along like traffic here, as if the streets of New Delhi have descended underwater. During these chaotic scenes, you may find yourself in the center of a giant barracuda tornado, while hammerhead sharks and flapping rays nonchalantly cruise past. It’s home to the weird and wonderful too; look out for the strange-looking bum head parrot fish and eerie batfish.
Yongala, Queensland, Australia. Considered the best wreck dive on the planet, the century-old SS Yongala shipwreck is an impressive 110 meters in size and sank after a tropical cyclone in 1911 with 124 passengers onboard. However, the main attraction has to be the winter sightings of graceful minke whales and up to 16-meter-long (and 30-50 ton) singing humpback whales.
SS Thistlegorm, Red Sea, Egypt. This is the most popular wreck dive in the world, and for good reason. The SS Thistlegorm was a 128-meter-long British transport ship, which was attacked and sunk in 1941 on its way from Glasgow to Alexandria. Dive groups now swim around and inside the silty wreck with flashlights to peer at its rusted machine guns, a railway freight car, torpedoes and more. You may even spot a few crocodile fish hiding in the sand by the wreck.
Blue Corner Wall, Palau, Micronesia. This spot is what screensavers are made of; and in reality a swim here does actually feel like you’re in a computer game. Reef sharks will hover above you as schools of bigeye jacks work their way through the strong current. Below you’ll find a sizable colony of soft coral and gorgonian sea whips growing in a canyon — there’s a good chance you’ll see spotted eagle rays, huge tuna, snapper, wrasse and bass and even hawks bill and green turtles too.
Richelieu Rock, near the Surin Islands, Thailand. There is nothing quite as exhilarating as swimming next to a whale shark. Sightings in this spot are so regular the locals have called it a “whale magnet.” Even if you don’t see a whale shark you’ll still spot myriad pelagic schools of giant trevallies and dogtooth tuna.
Source: CNN Go
Image: Aqua Views
