The knowledge: diving with sharks
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I turn 30 on the 28th December, and I'm looking to go scuba diving somewhere hot. I'm an experienced diver and my dream is to dive with whale sharks or manta rays. My boyfriend is not interested in diving though, so we'd need somewhere with other things to occupy him.
Also having to travel over New Year means it will be really expensive and crowded. Should I just give up on being away on my birthday and travel in January instead?
Anna Hall
Go to the Galapagos, diving with manta rays, whale sharks, Galapagos sharks, hammerhead sharks, sea lions, turtles etc etc see http://vodpod.com/watch/44334-diving-galapagos. There's loads for your boyfriend to do on the islands also, though why he couldn't be interested in diving to see all that's there is beyond me.
Jack
Last year I went to Belize in Central America and as I was on a budget, stayed on a small backpacker island called Caye Caulker. There is plenty of opportunity for snorkelling and scuba diving in the breathtaking (and not just in an underwater way) coral reefs. We saw and "played" with sting rays and nurse sharks, but there is plenty more to be seen and done for the more adventurous! The Blue Hole for example offers incredible documentary style diving - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_hole
Caye Caulker was great as a base on a budget, but I suspect some of the neighbouring islands may have more luxurious accommodation.
Also, the islands are close enough to the mainland to allow you to take a day trip (or overnight) to some of the Mayan ruins in Belize, or even to go as far as the most famous and impressive at Tikal in Guatemala http://www.tikalpark.com/ - you can take a return flight from Belize City to Flores for around 200 USD (small plane). There is an impressive early morning tour that allows you to see the sun rise over the rainforest from the top of one of the ruins: also excellent guides explain the wildlife and history of the ruins. Going without a guide to Tikal is forbidden I think due to banditry in the forest!
The other advantage for you in Belize may be the language - as it is English speaking. Guatemala is Spanish speaking of course, but you will have no trouble finding accommodation or finding English speakers as its a well trodden tourist trail.
Now I want to go again! Enjoy your birthday!
Sarah Davoren
Go to the Galapagos Islands on a dive boat for a few days, with a day at the end to explore the Isla Baltra.
The best dive site is Gordon's rock where you can dive with schools of hammerhead sharks.
Dermot
My girlfriend and I just did a live aboard dive trip around Ko Similan, Koh Bon, Ko Tachai and the famous Richelieu Rock in the Andaman Sea, Thailand.
These sites are renowned for a diversity in sealife and you have a chance of seeing Whale Sharks and Manta Rays on a trip such in this part of the world!
There was also a recent whale shark sighting off Ko Phi Phi.
I'm thinking that Anna's boyfriend should try something new like diving or sit on his ass and get brown drinking cheap beer with a book or whatever - maybe book the trip for Feb around Valentines as it may be a bit cheaper and the chances of seeing the Whale Shark may be better than December so I'm told! Something to look forward to after after the January blues too!
Mike
I would recommend a trip to the Maldives. A live aboard is preferable, you'll have a better chance of seeing mantas or whale sharks or both, but if your boyfriend is coming along, then one of the islands would do just as well. He could busy himself with relaxing on the beach, snorkelling (you can still see lots of cool stuff) and kite surfing. I went in January a few years ago and saw manta rays on at least half the dives, including one dive where we hung out with about 20 of them. We also saw plenty of turtles, sharks and other rays throughout the week. I'm still waiting to see the elusive whale shark.
Ruth, Manchester
I highly recommend the bay islands, Roatan and Utila, in Honduras. They're cheap, fun and very cheerful. The diving is fabulous as it's still pristine and there aren't that many people around. Stay at Cocolobo in Roatan – it's a fab place. You can do a shark dive with Caribbean Reef Sharks and attempt to dive with a Whale Shark, if you can find it. The mainland is exciting with lots of jungle trekking, Mayan ruins and generally lovely towns and people. La Cieba on the coast is a very short ferry ride from the islands and from there you can explore the interior of Honduras. Highly recommended. Check the weather though but it should be fine.
Samia Al-Duij
If you want both a shark and manta ray experience in the South Pacific, I recommend two islands in the Tuamoto Islands of beautiful Tahiti (a world's best kept secret). They are a one hour flight from Papaette and about as far from anywhere else on the planet as you can possible get. Rangiroa lies 12kms from Tikehau. Tikehau has amazing manta ray diving experience over an old pearl farm sand bank. It has a wonderful reef entrance to dive. Rangiroa also has more fish than anywhere in the south pacific. The Tahitian people are lovely and friendly and very laid back. Bora Bora also has wonderful reef shark diving. So try somewhere far afield for a unique experience.
Mark Anderson
Diving with sharks is possible just of Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
There are multiple companies doing this dive with large Bull sharks.
No cage included.
Around Playa there are many options like Mayan ruins, underground cave
systems, ziplines and cenotes and the many hundreds of Maya villages
inland form the Riviera Maya.
You can also go up to Holbox (north tip of Quintana Roo) and snorkel
with Whale sharks. Do be advised it's a long day if you are coming
from CanCun or Playa del Carmen. The best plan would be to spend one
or two nights in this fantastic little island and do other activities
like walking on the beach helping to search and protect turtle nests
with the local conservation officials, or bird watching around the
many sections of costal Mangrove lagoons. Or you could go fishing out
at sea with the local fishermen.
Saludos
Riaz
Mozambique for the manta rays, they are there all year round and from
my experience are even more amazing to dive with than sharks. Whale
sharks you can normally only snorkel with and you will probably only
see them for a few minutes before they swim away or dive down too deep
for you to follow. Smaller sharks tend to come and have a quick look
at you then dart away whereas mantas will 'fly' around you for several
minutes, especially if you go to a natural cleaning station where they
congregate (there is one off the coast at Tofo). It's really a
magical experience. Just try not to exhale when they are above you,
as they don't like the bubbles tickling their bellies!
There is not a huge amount to do in Tofo other than dive but you will
only need to be there for a few days and the rest of the time you can
go elsewhere along the coast, or spend time in Maputo, which is one of
the nicer African capital cities. If you get the chance, Mozambique
island to the north is truly stunning, with grand, crumbling colonial
architecture, Dutch fort and stylish accommodation.
I don't think it'd be a problem to be in Mozambique over New Year, you
will probably just have a few more holidaying South Africans in your
camp site or hotel.
Fay Ballard
You can dive with the rare and graceful Thresher sharks near Malapascua island in the Philippines. It’s the only place in the world you can be almost sure to see them and the other diving is great.
Theres nothing else to do on the island though, so your boyfiend will have to either dive or read a book while enjoying some of the worlds cheapest beer.
Food and drink is very, very cheap, as is accomodation and the diving.
Daniel
I turn 30 on the 28th December, and I'm looking to go scuba diving somewhere hot. I'm an experienced diver and my dream is to dive with whale sharks or manta rays. My boyfriend is not interested in diving though, so we'd need somewhere with other things to occupy him.
Also having to travel over New Year means it will be really expensive and crowded. Should I just give up on being away on my birthday and travel in January instead?
Anna Hall
Go to the Galapagos, diving with manta rays, whale sharks, Galapagos sharks, hammerhead sharks, sea lions, turtles etc etc see http://vodpod.com/watch/44334-diving-galapagos. There's loads for your boyfriend to do on the islands also, though why he couldn't be interested in diving to see all that's there is beyond me.
Jack
Last year I went to Belize in Central America and as I was on a budget, stayed on a small backpacker island called Caye Caulker. There is plenty of opportunity for snorkelling and scuba diving in the breathtaking (and not just in an underwater way) coral reefs. We saw and "played" with sting rays and nurse sharks, but there is plenty more to be seen and done for the more adventurous! The Blue Hole for example offers incredible documentary style diving - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_hole
Caye Caulker was great as a base on a budget, but I suspect some of the neighbouring islands may have more luxurious accommodation.
Also, the islands are close enough to the mainland to allow you to take a day trip (or overnight) to some of the Mayan ruins in Belize, or even to go as far as the most famous and impressive at Tikal in Guatemala http://www.tikalpark.com/ - you can take a return flight from Belize City to Flores for around 200 USD (small plane). There is an impressive early morning tour that allows you to see the sun rise over the rainforest from the top of one of the ruins: also excellent guides explain the wildlife and history of the ruins. Going without a guide to Tikal is forbidden I think due to banditry in the forest!
The other advantage for you in Belize may be the language - as it is English speaking. Guatemala is Spanish speaking of course, but you will have no trouble finding accommodation or finding English speakers as its a well trodden tourist trail.
Now I want to go again! Enjoy your birthday!
Sarah Davoren
Go to the Galapagos Islands on a dive boat for a few days, with a day at the end to explore the Isla Baltra.
The best dive site is Gordon's rock where you can dive with schools of hammerhead sharks.
Dermot
My girlfriend and I just did a live aboard dive trip around Ko Similan, Koh Bon, Ko Tachai and the famous Richelieu Rock in the Andaman Sea, Thailand.
These sites are renowned for a diversity in sealife and you have a chance of seeing Whale Sharks and Manta Rays on a trip such in this part of the world!
There was also a recent whale shark sighting off Ko Phi Phi.
I'm thinking that Anna's boyfriend should try something new like diving or sit on his ass and get brown drinking cheap beer with a book or whatever - maybe book the trip for Feb around Valentines as it may be a bit cheaper and the chances of seeing the Whale Shark may be better than December so I'm told! Something to look forward to after after the January blues too!
Mike
I would recommend a trip to the Maldives. A live aboard is preferable, you'll have a better chance of seeing mantas or whale sharks or both, but if your boyfriend is coming along, then one of the islands would do just as well. He could busy himself with relaxing on the beach, snorkelling (you can still see lots of cool stuff) and kite surfing. I went in January a few years ago and saw manta rays on at least half the dives, including one dive where we hung out with about 20 of them. We also saw plenty of turtles, sharks and other rays throughout the week. I'm still waiting to see the elusive whale shark.
Ruth, Manchester
I highly recommend the bay islands, Roatan and Utila, in Honduras. They're cheap, fun and very cheerful. The diving is fabulous as it's still pristine and there aren't that many people around. Stay at Cocolobo in Roatan – it's a fab place. You can do a shark dive with Caribbean Reef Sharks and attempt to dive with a Whale Shark, if you can find it. The mainland is exciting with lots of jungle trekking, Mayan ruins and generally lovely towns and people. La Cieba on the coast is a very short ferry ride from the islands and from there you can explore the interior of Honduras. Highly recommended. Check the weather though but it should be fine.
Samia Al-Duij
If you want both a shark and manta ray experience in the South Pacific, I recommend two islands in the Tuamoto Islands of beautiful Tahiti (a world's best kept secret). They are a one hour flight from Papaette and about as far from anywhere else on the planet as you can possible get. Rangiroa lies 12kms from Tikehau. Tikehau has amazing manta ray diving experience over an old pearl farm sand bank. It has a wonderful reef entrance to dive. Rangiroa also has more fish than anywhere in the south pacific. The Tahitian people are lovely and friendly and very laid back. Bora Bora also has wonderful reef shark diving. So try somewhere far afield for a unique experience.
Mark Anderson
Diving with sharks is possible just of Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
There are multiple companies doing this dive with large Bull sharks.
No cage included.
Around Playa there are many options like Mayan ruins, underground cave
systems, ziplines and cenotes and the many hundreds of Maya villages
inland form the Riviera Maya.
You can also go up to Holbox (north tip of Quintana Roo) and snorkel
with Whale sharks. Do be advised it's a long day if you are coming
from CanCun or Playa del Carmen. The best plan would be to spend one
or two nights in this fantastic little island and do other activities
like walking on the beach helping to search and protect turtle nests
with the local conservation officials, or bird watching around the
many sections of costal Mangrove lagoons. Or you could go fishing out
at sea with the local fishermen.
Saludos
Riaz
Mozambique for the manta rays, they are there all year round and from
my experience are even more amazing to dive with than sharks. Whale
sharks you can normally only snorkel with and you will probably only
see them for a few minutes before they swim away or dive down too deep
for you to follow. Smaller sharks tend to come and have a quick look
at you then dart away whereas mantas will 'fly' around you for several
minutes, especially if you go to a natural cleaning station where they
congregate (there is one off the coast at Tofo). It's really a
magical experience. Just try not to exhale when they are above you,
as they don't like the bubbles tickling their bellies!
There is not a huge amount to do in Tofo other than dive but you will
only need to be there for a few days and the rest of the time you can
go elsewhere along the coast, or spend time in Maputo, which is one of
the nicer African capital cities. If you get the chance, Mozambique
island to the north is truly stunning, with grand, crumbling colonial
architecture, Dutch fort and stylish accommodation.
I don't think it'd be a problem to be in Mozambique over New Year, you
will probably just have a few more holidaying South Africans in your
camp site or hotel.
Fay Ballard
You can dive with the rare and graceful Thresher sharks near Malapascua island in the Philippines. It’s the only place in the world you can be almost sure to see them and the other diving is great.
Theres nothing else to do on the island though, so your boyfiend will have to either dive or read a book while enjoying some of the worlds cheapest beer.
Food and drink is very, very cheap, as is accomodation and the diving.
Daniel