News
Dive Worldwide Launches January Sale
Book a holiday with Dive Worldwide during January and take advantage of a 10% saving on accommodation and diving and snorkelling packages to some of the finest dive destinations on earth. Featured destinations include the Philippines, Maldives, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa, Tobago and the Bahamas. The 10% saving can be combined with the special deals as featured on the Dive Worldwide website.
Among the tempting offers available are:
The Philippines
Enjoy a liveaboard adventure to the Tubbataha Reef National Park to explore the finest biodiversity of marine life in the Philippines. Guests can expect to see species including immature manta rays, sharks and turtles – while the famous dive sites of Seafan Alley, Delsan Wreck and the Washing Machine provide thrilling drift explorations. Stay aboard either the S/Y Philippine Siren or the Atlantis Azores, both luxurious vessels that are ideal for group expeditions.
Price: From £3,220pp (saving up to £275pp) based on 2 sharing, including 6 nights’ full board liveaboard accommodation, 1 night B&B accommodation, return flights from the UK, transfers, complimentary nitrox, equipment rental, tanks and weights.
Maldives
Southern Atolls Rays and Sharks
Explore the relatively untouched diving sites of Meemu, Thaa and Laamu Atoll aboard the M/Y Sheena liveaboard. Exceptional drift diving and superb visibility across the area means divers and photographers alike can experience a number of fascinating diving adventures. Underwater highlights will include thrilling channel dives, unspoilt corals and encounters with manta rays, abundant reef fish and whale sharks – while back on shore there is also an opportunity to relax at the luxurious Medhufushi Island Resort.
Price: From £3,055pp (saving up to £195pp) based on 2 sharing, including 7 nights’ full board liveaboard accommodation, 3 nights’ half board at the Medhufushi Island Resort, return flights from the UK, tanks, weights and nitrox, and transfers by seaplane.
Indonesia
Wakatobi Dive Resort and Pelagian Liveaboard
The reefs off the tropical island of Onemobaa in the remote Wakatobi archipelago are considered to be some of the most pristine in the world, and are an underwater topography of spectacular marine life. Encompassing white sand beaches with stunning corals, snorkelers and divers alike will have plenty to discover – including encounters with a wealth of whales, dolphins and green turtles. Finish the adventure with a luxurious stay at the award winning Wakatobi Dive Resort.
Price: From £5,535pp (saving up to £460pp) based on 2 sharing, including 7 nights’ full board liveaboard accommodation, 4 nights’ full board accommodation at the Wakatobi Dive Resort, 1 night accommodation in Bali, return flights from the UK, transfers and Wakatobi charter flights, up to 4 dives per day and tanks and weights.
Mexico
Isla Guadalupe – Great White Shark Heaven
The crystal clear waters that surround the volcanic island of Isla Guadalupe are famous for shark diving, and provide the ultimate destination for observing these magnificent predators. Spend a week exploring the waters teeming with sharks, including the renowned great white. Offering multiple dives per day, guests can observe the sharks from surface cages, or those that are brave enough can experience sharks up close in a submersible cage, allowing for fantastic photographic opportunities.
Price: From £3,885pp (saving up to £280pp) based on 2 sharing, including 2 nights’ B&B accommodation in San Diego, 5 nights’ full board liveaboard accommodation, return flights from the UK, 3 full days cage diving and transfers.
South Africa
Kruger Safari and Mozambique Diving Two-Centre Holiday
Explore the iconic Kruger National Park on an African safari and discover the magnificent underwater marine life of south-east Mozambique during this itinerary of discovery. Beginning with a stay at the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve, guests enjoy two game drives each day, encountering elephants, cheetahs and lions. The rest of the holiday focuses on the vast array of marine life that can be found below the surface of Mozambique. Highlights include encounters with large pelagic species, including whales, manta rays and leopard sharks, while the pristine white beaches provide an ideal spot for secluded relaxation.
Price: From £3,565pp (saving up to £200pp) based on 2 sharing, including 3 nights’ full board safari accommodation, 7 nights’ B&B accommodation, return flights from the UK, 2 days of game drives, 10 dive pack, tanks, weights and nitrox and transfers.
Tobago
North and South – Discover Tobago
Suitable for divers of all abilities, Tobago provides both the perfect destination for learning how to dive and is full of exciting diving sites for the more experienced diver. Staying at two separate dedicated diving resorts, guests can experience thrilling drifts, marvel at colourful reefs and snorkel at the nearby site of Goats Island. Aside from diving, there are opportunities to visit the local cocoa plantation and explore the island’s lush tropical rainforests.
Price: From £2,205pp (saving up to £160pp) based on 2 sharing, including 14 nights’ B&B accommodation, return flights from the UK, 20 dive pack, tanks, weights and transfers.
Bahamas
The crystal clear waters surrounding Nassau and Cat Island provide an ideal opportunity to experience shark encounters and enjoy countless underwater photographic opportunities. Divers can enjoy exotic wall dives, delve into famous shipwrecks and encounter large pelagics – including the inquisitive oceanic white-tip shark. Relax in between dives with a stay at the delightful family run Greenwood Beach Resort.
Price: From £4,035pp (saving up to £340pp) based on 2 sharing, including 9 nights’ B&B accommodation, return flights from the UK, all transfers, 6 days diving and tanks and weights.
Full terms and conditions can be found at www.diveworldwide.com/offers/exclusive-january-sale.
For further information visit diveworldwide.com or call 01962 302087).
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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