News
Regaldive welcomes Mexico to dive portfolio
UK based diving holiday specialist Regaldive has expanded its dive portfolio with the introduction of Mexico. With warm tropical waters and a wealth of world class diving on offer including the legendary inland Cenotes, Regaldive’s latest addition will no doubt be at the top of ‘must dive’ lists in 2014.
With a choice of two Mexican resorts to choose from, Cozumel and Playa del Carmen, this new destination offers the ideal medium-haul option for those looking to combine white sand beaches with plentiful reefs. Both resorts sit on the Yucatan Peninsula, located on the edge of the world’s second largest barrier reef, which stretches south for over 1,000 km’s. Fed by the nutrient rich currents, the reef is a teeming city of corals, sea fans, whips and sponges and is home to over 500 different species of fish.
Experienced divers staying on Cozumel, Mexico’s largest island, can explore the famous Planacar Reef, named by Jacques Cousteau as one of the best scuba diving spots in the world. The area also benefits from exhilarating drift dives and dramatic wall dives for those looking to take advantage of the nutrient rich currents surrounding the island.
For less experienced divers, Playa del Carmen offers a wealth of easy and relaxed dive sites. Divers can explore low walls with overhangs, mini caves and swim-throughs, while enhancing their skills. They can also admire reef tops peppered with hard corals, colourful sponges and sea plumes, as well as schooling snappers, angelfish, lobsters and electric rays.
Both resorts offer access to the world famous Cenotes. The chance to explore this incredible submerged limestone cave and cavern system is the reason so many divers head to this part of Mexico – and these are once in a lifetime dives that live up to their hype. The Cenotes are known as the jewel in the crown of Yucatan diving and allow divers to float in gin clear, fresh water amongst stunning formations of stalagmites and stalactites, bathed in shafts of light filtering through the jungle canopy above. Used as a source of fresh water by the ancient Maya, these distinctive geological formations offer some of the most exciting and unique diving to be found anywhere in the world.
Seven nights’ at the Allegro Cozumel Resort in Cozumel cost from £1,085 per person. Located on San Francisco Beach, the hotel is located just minutes away from Palancar Reef and the best dive sites of the Cozumel National Marine Park – considered one of the top five dive destinations in the world. The all-inclusive resort benefits from four restaurants, five bars, four swimming pools, three floodlit tennis courts, a multi-purpose sports court, fitness centre, Jacuzzi and sauna. The price includes flights, transfers and seven nights’ all inclusive accommodation.
For those tempted by Playa del Carmen, seven nights’ at the all-inclusive Allegro Playacar Resort cost from £1,085 per person. Located on the white-sand beach and surrounded by lush tropical gardens, the resort benefits from three swimming pools, two floodlit tennis courts, a basketball court, free non-motorised water sports and a full programme of day and evening entertainment. The lively resort offers the ideal base to discover the wide variety of nightlife and leisure options in Playa del Carmen. The price includes flights, transfers and seven nights’ all inclusive accommodation.
For divers looking for the ultimate in luxury, Regaldive’s new Royal Hideaway Playacar adult only resort offers a highly personalised and attentive service. Located on the white-sand beach at Playa del Carmen, the resort is within walking distance of the popular 5th Avenue, the area’s premier destination for shopping, dining and nightlife. The resort itself benefits from six specialty restaurants, three bars, 24 hour room service, two floodlit tennis courts, six swimming pools, a fitness centre, spa and nightly entertainment. Costing from £1,750, the package includes flights, transfers and seven nights’ all inclusive accommodation.
A six dive, dive pack in all of the above resorts costs from £184 per person, to include guide, air, tanks and weights.
For further information or to book, visit www.regaldive.co.uk or call +44 (0)1353 659 999.
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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