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Celebrate the sun with these great SCUBA getaways
The sun is shining and our friends at UK Tour Operator Scuba Travel have some sunny specials to make your weekend glow…
Hurricane May Super Specials from £795
Fly direct to Marsa Alam and explore the delights of the Southern Red Sea on board the favourite liveaboard Hurricane. Fresh back in the water after an extended dry dock, she is in tip top shape. Guests this week, including Scuba Travel’s Ops Manager Martin, had a fantastic time with incredible diving – the quest for sharks was a roaring success with hammerheads, oceanic white tips, silky sharks, reef sharks, dolphin and turtles all spotted. For more details check out Martin’s blog here: www.scubatravel.com/blog/trip-reports/shark-quest-hurricane-april-2018.
Package includes 7 nights full board, direct flights from Gatwick to Marsa Alam, fully guided diving, all fees, 12lt tanks and free Nitrox, plus day use and lunch at a hotel on your last day,
Scuba Travel’s fantastic May Offers are here: www.scubatravel.com/holidays/liveaboards/egypt/hurricane/hurricane.html#offers
Solmar V – 19th May – £1100 from only £2095 (Excluding Flights)
Set sail for the incredible Socorro Islands this May and June for only £2095 on the luxury steel hulled Solmar V, renowned for her unmatched service and comfort. WIth her interior fitted out in brass, rich mahogany and carpets, she really is a gracious and beautiful boat.
Dive the wild and remote Socorro Islands in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. These islands have been compared to the Galapagos and Cocos for the big animal encounters they provide, sightings could include the friendly giant mantas, humpback whales, playful dolphin and over seven species of sharks including hammerheads.
This super special price includes one night in a Cabo hotel, 8 nights full board (including local beer and wine), fully guided diving and return transfer to Cabo.
Emperor Atoll, Maldives – 13th May – only £895 excluding flights – Pelagic Magic Itinerary
What a fabulous price to access the full range of Maldivian dive sites from a charming traditional liveaboard!
With a special focus on the the whalesharks of Ari Atoll this itinerary gives you the opportunity to get face to face with these gorgeous beasts. There are plenty of chances to fill your log book with shark and manta sightings and between your pelagic encounters the reef dives will not disappoint.
This deal is boat only, 7 nights full board including drinking water, average of 17 fully guided dives, 12 ltr tanks and free nitrox.
Emperor Serenity, Maldives – May dates only £1395 excluding flights – Best of the Maldives Itinerary
Get all the thrills of big fish in the Maldives on board the exceptional Emperor Serenity – a contemporary, spacious liveaboard where fine accommodation and service is standard. This is always a popular itinerary with year round departures that delivers what it says on the tin – the Best of the Maldives! Dive the classic sites that made the Maldives so famous. Focusing on the hottest sites around Male and Ari atolls, encounter manta, sharks, eagle rays and so much more on this classic Maldives itinerary.
Package is BOAT ONLY and includes 7 days full board and up to 17 fully guided dives (including 1 night dive).
Bali – Scuba Seraya, 19th May- only £1595
Escape to this boutique dive resort on the incredible island of Bali. Scuba Seraya sits next to world class dive sites and the diving here is perfect for anyone who loves opulent reef diving, plus you can explore the Liberty wreck. There is plenty to do in your down time with a freshwater pool, private beach and beachside massage service, as well as the opportunity to discover the culture and natural beauty of the island if you wish to explore it further.
Standard package includes return flights, transfer to resort, 7 nights full board (excl. drinks) 10 morning boat dives, plus unimited unguided shore diving in the afternoon.
Belize Aggressor – September 2018, 7 nights £2195
Dive the incredible and varied wall dives that characterise Belize and come face to face with pelagics and unprecedented macro diving on the second largest barrier reef in the world. Experience the mystical Blue Hole with its beautiful vertical stalactite formations.
This fabulous liveaboard has been refitted to meet the high standards of modern divers. She features a roomy salon and dining area, sun deck complete with lounge and deck chairs, and a shaded wet bar and grill. The menu is varied and plentiful with a variety of American feasts, barbecues and local cuisine.
This fantastic price is BOAT ONLY from Belize City, including 7 nights full board with soft drinks and local alcohol, fully guided diving and 12ltr tanks and weights.
Caribbean Explorer 2 – 22nd September, save £400 only £2095
Discover the remote sites surrounding the picturesque Caribbean islands around St Kitts and Saba on board the Caribbean Explorer 2. This comfortable liveaboard accomodates 18 divers in ensuite staterooms. She boasts a large sun deck and an expansive dive deck, with two in water ladders for easy access to the water.
Saba island is a true hidden gem for divers. The itinerary is full of surprises with vibrant coral gardens and a dormant underwater volcano which is a magnet for marine life. Sharks and turtles cruise the reef walls, whilst there’s great macro life and schooling fish.
Package includes 7 nights full board, 12 ltr tanks and weights and fully guided diving with up to 5 dives a day.
To find out more about Scuba Travel and the dive holidays they offer call 0800 0728221, email dive@scubatravel.com or visit www.scubatravel.com.
The remote island of Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia is among the few places in the world that remains free of Covid-19 thanks to its ocean border and a strict travel ban that has kept its residents safe.
Nonetheless, Yap has been affected, too. As one of the world’s premier, award-winning destinations for divers, this paradisiacal location in the western Pacific Ocean has had no outside visitors to its rich shores and reef for nearly a year. But while there may be no virus, the island hasn’t been cut off from the economic impact experienced around the globe.
Manta Ray Bay Resort and Yap Divers by A. Tareg
That didn’t stop Bill Acker, CEO and founder of the Manta Ray Bay Resort and Yap Divers, from doing something, though.
Last March, soon after the island went into lockdown, Bill began to realize the effect of the virus on daily life beyond the island. “Yes, we are closed, have no divers, had to send our employees home and prepare for difficult times,” he said. “But we’re lucky in that we have, for the most part, avoided the human suffering and death this pandemic has caused.”
Thinking about the problems faced by his family business, they paled when he compared them to those endured by the healthcare workers who have been fighting selflessly around the clock for months on end for the well-being and lives of others.
“One evening, while checking the news online, I saw pictures of frontline workers who were tending to desperately ill and dying people when families and friends could not be with their loved ones. It was heartbreaking,” he added.
The next day, a meeting was held with the resort’s staff and Bill invited suggestions for ways they could do something to honor healthcare workers. The result was the idea to award twenty divers who are working on the frontline to save other’s lives during this pandemic while risking their own, with a free week at the resort.
Manta ray, Manta birostris, gliding over a cleaning station in M’il Channel, Yap, Micronesia by David Fleetham
Divers around the world who had been guests at Manta Ray Bay in the past were invited to submit the names of candidates for the award by December 31, 2020. “We received nominations for 126 individuals from as far away as Germany, the U.S., Australia and Canada,” he said. “It was not easy choosing the winners but our committee of staff members took on the job and selected the 20 finalists.”
“While trying to choose the people to reward for their hard work during this Covid-19 crisis,” Bill added, “by reading the nominations we saw that every one of the nominees was doing things above and beyond the call of duty. Sadly, we don’t have the finances to offer over 100 free weeks in Yap, but we do want to recognize the contributions all of them are making to our world. So, we are offering the rest of the nominees a free week of diving in Yap which includes room, hotel tax, airport transfers, breakfast, diving and Wi-Fi. The only requirement is that they travel with at least three other people and stay in two rooms or more.”
“We do not yet know when Yap will open its borders,” said Bill, “but when it does, we will welcome these important guests to Yap to relax and dive with the manta rays and the other beautiful denizens of the ocean surrounding our island home. They are the true heroes of this devastating, historic time and we look forward to honoring them with a well-deserved dive vacation.”
Watch out for our exclusive trip report from a healthcare worker from the UK who is one of the 20 to have been awarded this amazing dive trip!
For more information on Manta Ray Bay and Yap Divers visit their website by clicking here.
It’s finally here! Time to start building the greatest dive locker the world has ever seen! Part I: Demolition! #dreamdivelocker
This is the first of a series of videos showing the evolution of building out my dream dive locker. My dream dive locker needs to be dive gear drying and storage, dry storage, workshop, office, editing suite, You Tube studio and classroom. That’s a lot of functions for a small space!
The first step is planning out the space and demolishing the laminate flooring. Then I taped up the walls to get a feel for the space. We have a lot of work to do!
But finally we will have a purpose built space to house all of our dive equipment! Subscribe to our channel to follow our progress!
Thanks for watching, Team!
James
Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/DiversReady
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This is the perfect start to your 2021 diving season… and at an incredible lead-in price of just £885 per person.
Jump on board the latest addition to the Emperor fleet and enjoy diving the famous sites of the Red Sea with this fantastic special offer. This itinerary takes in the wonderful South & St Johns from 26 February – 05 March 2021.
Subject to availability – limited flight seats at this price so don't delay!
Call Diverse Travel on 01473 852002 or email info@diversetravel.co.uk to book your spot!
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