The Arch at Darwin
Over the week of our trip (May 1994) we dove North Seymour, Marchena, Gordon Rocks, and of course the northernmost islands, Darwin and Wolf. The diving, especially at the latter two sites, was everything that we had been led to believe - spectacular underwater scenery (also above water), prolific sea life, and action everywhere, including all kinds of pelagics and school fish, sea lions and fur seals, dolphins, turtles galore and last but not least hammerheads in every direction.
We dove with the Galapagos Aggressor. The nine crew members were the most helpful and friendly of any we've experienced on any live-aboard (which is now our experience in general of Aggressor liveaboards). The 90 foot dive boat we were on was well appointed, with plenty of room above and below decks for the 12 paying passengers. A large work area and E-6 processing were available for the underwater photographer. Each twin stateroom had its own shower and toilet and plenty of stowage space. The upper two cabins are the best, if you are not prone to seasickness. This is comfort plus-plus-plus - and the food was also great.
When we dove with the Galapagos Aggressor, charters were 1 to 2 weeks and our regret was not booking for two weeks. A single week is just not long enough. These days the Aggressor fleet operate two boats out of the Galapagos. One does the Northern and the other the Southern islands. Doing both trips back-to-back is a good idea if your pocket can afford it.
Mobilla ray at Dirty Rock, Cocos
We dove aboard the Okeanos Aggressor, a large 120 foot dive boat that accommodates about 20 divers (the undersea hunter and sea hunter take smaller groups). As typical with Aggressor boats the food was great and the crew looked after us well. Each cabin has its own toilet and shower, but compared to those aboard the Galapagos Aggressor (see above) we found the cabins to be a little more cramped. Standard trips are 10 days with 3 spent traveling to and from the island and the rest dedicated to diving. Aboard the Okeanos Aggressor diving is done from 2 tenders. Upon arriving at the check out dive at Isla Manuelita we dove down to the bottom, 30 ' below, where we were surrounded by white tips. Two minutes later a large hammerhead swept by. From that dive on the action intensified.
Strong currents are present at many of the sites, particularly those with the most action such as Dirty Rock. With all the action out the blue it was not hard to get swept away from the site and out into the blue yonder. Other notable sites for action were Dos Amigos, Shark Fin Rock and Submerged Rock.
We visited Cocos in early January - in the dry season - but it was wet with waterfalls streaming down the side of the island in every direction. The hammerheads were there, but typically off in the distance and it was difficult to get close. Schooling hammerheads are at their peak at Cocos in the wet season (June-August) which might be a better time to visit if getting close to hammerheads is an important goal. I think we'll be back then.
Looking from within Riko-Riko cave towards the Serpent
Located off the New Zealands north east coast the Poor Knights Islands offer deep water arches, pinnacles, caves, clear water, and schools of mao mao that color the sea iridescent blue.
The Poor Knights is most well known for its many arches and caverns. These exist both above and below water. Northern Arch extends about 80 feet above water and 100-120 feet below water. One submerged cave has an opening at 60-100 feet and extends, with a number of branches, about one-half mile inland. The cave has a separate small side-opening at about 30 feet approximately a quarter mile south of the main opening. Another very large submerged cave transects an entire Island with large entrances visible from both ends. Eagle rays are frequent within the cave. This truely amazing dive is located at the Pinnacles, a group of small rocky islets about a mile south-west of the Poor Knights. Other caves open below water into submerged caverns of breathable air.
Riko-Riko cave offers a very unusual anchorage for a night dive. This is best as a liveaboard trip, but can be reached for a day trip from New Zealand's Northland coast. Temperate waters.
For more information on diving at the Poor Knights Marine Reserve follow this link and more information about other dive sites in New Zealand can be found here and below at the next listing on Fisherman's rock.
This rock (actually at least two pinnacles) rises from a depth of about a mile beneath Cook straight with near sheer walls to 30 feet beneath the surface. The site lies half way between the North and South Islands of New Zealand with perhaps the best point of access being Titahi Bay or Paremata. From there it is a long trip directly past Mana island for about 10 miles in a direction towards the Brothers on the coast of the South Island. Being in the middle of Cook Straight, the currents are exceptionally strong and the site can only be dived at slack water. It is home to BIG fish and spiny rock lobster typically weighing in excess of 10 pounds. On one dive, I descended to the top of the rock (30') to wait for my buddy. On feeling a tug of my fin I looked back, but there was no buddy, only an 80 pound grouper with a grin on its face.
At the end of one of the two pinnacles there is a 3-10 foot wide crack that descends from the top at 30 feet to a depth of120 feet where it drops off down the side of the pinnacle. Spiny lobster line the interior for the picking and its a matter of picking only biggest for the limit. Due to the inaccessability of the site and strong currents it is rarely visited. The drop offs here are spectacular. If visited the site provides a truely exhilarating experience, much more so than any drop offs at tropical sites. A cold water site accessable only with local knowledge.
We dove with Bottom Time II which at the time of our trip (May 93) operated out of Fort Lauderdale. Our trip promised to be limited to a group of 16 divers, but, on boarding it was apparent that the owner had increased the charter by six others not in our group. Although advertized as 4-5 dives a day, it also became apparent after the first day's diving that this meant one drift dive along the wall (not all that interesting anyhow), with diving thereafter limited to puttering around the anchored boat in 20-foot shallows. After a diver-led revolt, we were allowed two drift dives per day with all other dives limited to the bottom around our anchorage (which remained much the same for several days) - not even worth getting wet for.
The skipper and the crew were almost totally unresponsive to the interests and requirements of the divers. After the first drift dive on the third day, two divers (nor in our group) were left behind in the open ocean (remember the Cay Sal Banks are half way between Cuba and Key west). The oversight was noticed by a member of our group after we had left the dive area and anchored for lunch in another location. After exhaustive searching, the pair were found by another boat several hours later, tired but alive. Although everyone on the boat was to some extent responsible for this near-tragic event, most of the blame lay squarely with the skipper and crew for their lack of organization and communication. Despite this the two divers were considered guilty and treated as pariahs. After the captain was confronted about this event he brushed it off as something that happens and pointed out that the pair should have stayed more closely with the group. This crew did not receive a tip from us. My bottom line about Bottom Time II is that it was a poorly run operation with very little consideration given to the interests, needs and safety of the paying customer. Whether things may have improved since that terrible trip we have no idea.
Walkers Cay is located about 40 miles north of Grand Bahama Island and about 100 miles to the northwest of Fort Lauderdale. The principal reason to visit Walkers is for the shark diving. What makes the shark diving at Walkers so good is their innovative use of the "chumsicle" - a rubbish bin size slab of frozen fish waste hung on hooks. Although we have rated Walkers with only 3 stars for general diving, the shark diving is definitely worth 5 stars.
See our trip report for more in depth information about the Resort and diving at Walkers Cay.
The Maldives are located a few hundred miles South West of Sri Lanka and about 300 miles off the South West tip of India. The string of atolls are a few hours flight from Singapore so represent a good place for a possible stop over between Europe and Southeast Asia or Australia and New Zealand.
The muslim nation of the Maldives is comprized of a series of about 1200 very low lying coral atolls with the Capital, Male. Kathy and I visited the Maldives in 1989 where we experienced our best ever tropical diving (i.e. compared to the Great barrier, Bahamas, Cozumel etc). Many big creatures, grey reef and tiger sharks, whale sharks and mantas depending on the plankton. There are a variety of Island resorts and some live aboards.
We stayed for a week at Club Med - Faru, located on a small atoll approximately 30 minutes from Male where all international flights arrive and depart the island republic. By Club Med standards this a small resort (although we have nothing to compared it with since this was our first and only club med stay todate - it was a fully paid paid prize vacation). The food was great, the night life fun, there was sailing and wind surfing between diving, and of course the diving was fantastic.
Kathy and I actually prefer the diving along the New South Wales coastline (Foster-Tuncurry, South west Rocks, Byron bay) over that of the Great Barrier Reef. Some of our favorite sites include Fish Rock off South West Rocks. This site features a swim through cave with one opening on the seaward side of the rock at about 100 feet and the other on the landward side at about 30 feet. Watch where you put your hands and feet - the cave is lined with Wobbegongs.
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