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Photo Gallery: South Australia
The next feature in our new Gallery series where we let the photos tell the story… This week, Nick and Caroline showcase South Australia.
When we travelled to South Australia we had one thing on our mind, to photograph Great White Sharks for our book World’s Best Wildlife Dive Sites. We had also been commissioned to write an article about our travels and so wanted to pack in as much as possible in our all too short stay. We knew that is was possible to photograph leafy seadragons in the area, so we arranged that, before heading to Kangaroo Island (where we also found seadragons. There is so much to see and do in this area, with great wine on offer too! We were lucky enough to meet, and spend a morning with, Rodney Fox (along with his wife Kay), to chat about their amazing life that has revolved around the Great White Shark for the past 60 years! Our shark diving was done with Rodney’s son Andrew, who has taken over the business and runs expeditions to the Neptune Islands year-round.
Alas we went in our summer, and therefore their winter, and did not get the best of the diving conditions. But we got most of the stuff we wanted, and our short trip just made us want to return someday to try it all again.
Image 1: A New Zealand Fur Seal plays with us for the final part of our dive. We had gone looking for Leafy Seadragons, but come away with an amazing experience of 3 of these seals turning and twisting around us a great speed.
Image 2: A Great White Shark cruises near (but not near enough) our submerged cage. The Rodney Fox Expedition is the only one that offers a cage down to the sea floor where you can get more natural shots of these magnificent sharks, but alas the weather and visibility was against us. Still quite an incredible experience though!
Image 3: Our other main marine life target was the Leafy Seadragon and we saw these diving at Rapid Bay Jetty near Adelaide and whilst diving Kangaroo Island. They are delicate creatures, closely related to the seahorse, and have superb camouflage. You really need to move slowly and keep your eyes peeled to see them. This image shows how they blend in with the seaweed. We made sure we did not stress out these creatures and only took a handful of shots of each one we encountered, as there is some worry that divers are disturbing them and causing a drop in their population figures.
Image 4: As the underwater conditions were less than perfect, we also took some topside shots. The Great White Sharks are not fed on these trips (this is against the marine park rules) but tuna heads are used to tempt them closer to the cages. This shark took a lunge to see if it could grab the fish head in time. In the evenings, we sat down with Andrew Fox, who used our images to identify individual sharks, which much of the time he can do on sight.
Image 5: Under Rapid Bay Jetty there is a host of other fish and marine life to explore, if you ever find that you have had your fill of the seadragons. At the end of the pier, a dive they call the Aquarium, is well worth a visit, with nudibranchs, schooling fish and huge sponges, there is enough to keep you entertained for several more dives.
Image 6: The chum designed to attract the sharks also attracts plenty of other fish, who seem unconcerned by the huge predators that cruised past. With the cage moving around in the swell, it was tough underwater photography conditions. We will just have to go back!
Image 7: Little Penguins come out at night at some coastal locations in South Australia and you can do night tours to see them as they head back to their roosts at dusk. This is a great post dive experience, and there is so much wildlife to see on land, including koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, wombats……
Image 8: We also visited an Australian Sea Lion colony on Kangaroo Island. These charismatic animals may go out feeding for days on end, and then will return for a well-deserved snooze. Whilst you are required to keep to strict paths so as not to disturb the colony, sometimes you will get some really close encounters.
South Australia has so much to offer both above and below the waves. We flew into Adelaide and then hired a car so that we could tour the vineyards and get to the dive sites and onto Kangaroo Island. We did a short flight to hop from Adelaide to Port Lincoln in order to catch our expedition boat to the Neptune Islands, where we spent four days out at sea trying to photograph the Great White Sharks. What would we change – only the weather, so next time we will try again in Spring or Autumn.
Take a look at these links to find out more about Diving South Australia:
For more from Nick and Caroline, visit www.frogfishphotography.com
3rd AUGUST 2024 – 1 or 2 WEEK PROGRAMMES
Daily water programme with Snorkelling & Scuba Diving.
Beginners or qualified, something for all.
Leave the kids with the Splash Team for days of Excitement, Fun & Adventure!
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
There are various options for accommodation with options for 2, 3, 4 or 5 guests.
Eco Huts provide accommodation for families of up to 4. The best option to enhance the adventure and closest to camping with basic facilities. For August we will provide central air cooling for all the Eco Huts.
Deluxe Chalets are only suitable for 2 guests. Fully air conditioned rooms with private bathroom and other facilities.
Boutique Rooms are available for families of up to 5.
Individual bespoke rooms fully air conditioned with private bathroom and other facilities.
Eco Huts: £675 per adult / £425 per child / Under 8 FREE of charge
Deluxe Chalet: £830 per adult / £505 per child / Under 8 FREE of charge
Boutique Room: £925 per adult / £550 per child / Under 8 FREE of charge
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
This is a truly unique opportunity to have a Family Desert Adventure totally away from it all! You will be based at the remote Roots Red Sea on the coast of the Egyptian Eastern Desert, 140km south of Hurghada city.
Red Sea Splash main focus is Snorkelling & Scuba Diving but that’s not all, we provide a rounded week of activities in support.
Pool& Field Games – Arts & Crafts
Marine Biology Workshops
Cultural Activities – Orienteering Adventures
Roots Red Sea have established strong links with the local communities of Hamerwain & El Quseir affording our guests to have a true taste of the local culture, SPLASH CAMP embraces this opportunity and bring in the local children to join in the fun with our adventure seekers.
During the day, families are welcome to take part in all activities together or the kids can be left with the SPLASH CAMP team while the parents enjoy the facilities or go diving themselves!
At the end of the day, its family time while the SPLASH CAMP team take a break. For those with the energy, there are family evening activities planned a few evenings.
Open Air Movie Night – Desert Star Gazing Walk & Talk
El Quseir Evening City Tour
The second week is very special, we head off on the Big Blue for a liveaboard safari around Fury Shoals.
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
U-8 Splash Club
Sadly we can’t offer Scuba Diving to the Splash Club but we can have lots of fun Snorkelling & Free Diving!
Splash Club includes:
Certified Snorkel Course – Marine ID Games – Intro to Free Diving
Arts & Craft Sessions – Adventure trails – Cultural Playtime – Pool Games
U-12 Explorer Club
In addition to an exciting snorkelling and Free Diving Programme in the Splash Club we can take you under the water on SCUBA to a whole new world of fun and wonder. If you are under 10 your first breath under water will be as a Bubblemaker and continue with daily Seal Team Missions. From 10 we will complete a Discover Scuba Diving experience in the amazing Red Sea. Alternatively we offer a full junior certification programme to become an international qualified Scuba Diver.
U-16 Adventurer Club
For qualified Scuba Divers regardless of age it’s the Adventurer Club and exploration of the local reefs and marine life. There will be 2 dives every day with the Open Ocean marine field station team who will introduce you to Red Sea marine life and workshops on marine research. Alternatively there are opportunities to continue your scuba diving certifications with our instructional team.
Parents are welcome to join the club activities and join the courses.
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
Big Blue might seem like the new kid on the block, but the team behind the highly acclaimed liveaboard is far from that. They have been running Red Sea safaris since the late 1980’s and were in fact part of the early pioneers who ventured out to the unknown on vessels that in today’s world, really shouldn’t have left the harbour! It’s that experience and the years of operating the award-winning Roots Red Sea resort which truly set Big Blue apart from the crowd!
Large lounge area, spacious sun deck and terrace deck.
Airy restaurant with five tables with up to six chairs per table, serving a varied and delicious menu with special dietary requirements catered for.
The spacious cabins have side by side beds and a large walk in wet bathroom.
Ample dive deck for divers & snorkelers.
Safety is everyone’s priority, whether you are relaxing on board, swimming, snorkelling or diving.
On board Big Blue is fitted with smoke alarms, emergency lighting and a fire alarm system. The lower corridor has a full-size door fire exit at the bow and open stairs to the stern. There are evacuation plans in each room along with life jackets, glass breaker tool and a fire extinguisher.
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
Red Sea Splash at Fury Shoals is a very rare opportunity to get involved with marine biology expedition for children and adults. Open Ocean biologists are on board to provide fascinating and entertaining facts about the marine life you will see. The team will provide workshops on marine life identification and survey methods both of which, should you wish, you will have the chance to put into practice during your safari.
The week is open to snorkelers, scuba divers and non divers too!
Fury shoals is perfect for first time mariners as it offers plenty of protection from the weather.
We board at Port Ghaleb on Saturday evening and prepare to set sail early on Sunday morning.
Heading south, our first day will be diving the reefs of Abu Dabbab before sailing overnight to reach our ultimate destination the Fury Shoals.
Here we will spend four days swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving amazing reefs. This includes guaranteed DOLPHIN encounters at Sataya Reef! After the last dive we haul anchor and head back to Abu Dabbab for our final two dives before disembarking our boat BIG BLUE.
Camp Extension Cost*
Adult £650 per adult
Under 16 £350 per child
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
FURTHER INFORMATION – INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM
TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
If you’re passionate about the underwater world, listen up! We’ve got an incredible opportunity for you to experience the vibrant reefs and majestic marine life of Nusa Penida, Bali, Indonesia.
info@purediveresort.com / +62 811 3999852 / www.purediveresort.com
Pure Dive Resort isn’t just another dive centre; it’s a team of experts dedicated to providing world-class scuba diving and freediving adventures around Nusa Penida, Lembongan, Ceningan, and even Bali.
info@purediveresort.com / +62 811 3999852 / www.purediveresort.com
Whether you’re a seasoned diver or completely new to the sport, Pure Dive Resort has something for you:
For certified Divers: Discover stunning dive sites, encounter manta rays, seasonal mola-mola (sunfish), and a dazzling array of marine life.
For beginners: Embark on your scuba journey with beginner programs like Try Scuba and Basic Diver, Open Water and Advanced certifications.
Freedivers: Explore the depths on a single breath with guided freediving experiences and courses.
Exclusive Scubaverse Offer: Save on Your Next Adventure
As a valued Scubaverse follower, you get an exclusive 10% discount on any Dive & Stay or Learn & Stay package booked at Pure Dive Resort for 2024. Dive into the crystal-clear waters, explore breath-taking reefs, and create unforgettable memories in this diver’s paradise.
Visit https://www.purediveresort.com/package-offers/ to explore amazing packages and claim your discount with the code: SCUBAVERSE10
info@purediveresort.com / +62 811 3999852 / www.purediveresort.com
Ready to make a splash?
See you in Nusa Penida!
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