News
Dive Paradise Cozumel takes giant stride with Cozumel Ocean Research
Dive operator Dive Paradise Cozumel has announced its collaboration with the local nonprofit Cozumel Ocean Research (COR), focused on enhancing the organization’s efforts to gather valuable scientific data on Cozumel’s legendary marine environment. Dive Paradise is dedicating the month of October to Cozumel Ocean Research, and to the knowledge gained via these programs which will be used by COR to design effective conservation and educational campaigns for Cozumel.
“Dive Paradise has long been a staunch supporter of efforts to better understand and safeguard the marine environment,” says Michael Penwarden, CEO of Dive Paradise, Inc. “We are proud to dedicate resources to support COR’s admirable work. Furthermore, we are excited that this opportunity provides our customers with a unique way to participate as volunteer ‘citizen scientists’, giving them a memorable chance to connect even more deeply with Cozumel’s underwater ecosystem.”
Throughout all four of Dive Paradise’s locations, a percentage of all diving bookings made during the month will be donated to COR; for those who wish to make a donation directly online, the DONATE button on Dive Paradise’s website will be linked to COR’s donor’s page for seamless transactions. In addition, COR branded merchandise such as t-shirts will be available for purchase in Dive Paradise’s retail shop for the remainder of the year.
“On behalf of Ernesto Hevia del Puerto and myself, thank you to Dive Paradise for your generosity, it means a lot to us to have this support and what we can accomplish with it is immense.” said Liang Chen, COR Co-Founder.
To further advance the synergy between Dive Paradise and Cozumel Ocean Research beyond October, boat dives will be complimentary on a space available basis for local COR volunteers, also known as “citizen scientists”, and for COR personnel who are diving to monitor turtles and eagle rays.
With a focus on enhancing their dive experience, Dive Paradise will also encourage customers to become COR volunteers and to embrace “citizen science” whereby they will learn how to monitor and submit reports about their own dives. In addition, Dive Paradise staff will have the opportunity to participate in training workshops conducted by COR regarding “best practices” for environmentally responsible diving and snorkeling.
“We are so grateful and excited! This is a big move on behalf of Dive Paradise to take action for change. This generous support will help us move towards our goal of strengthening various strategic goals: protection for spotted eagle rays, spotted eagle ray monitoring, promotion of good practices on the reef and the impact of tourism on the coral reef projects which we run in collaboration with National Government Institutions and International Marine Laboratories.” said Liang Chen, COR Co-Founder.
For reservations and more information about Dive Paradise, call 1-855-798-533, email reservations@diveparadise.com, or visit www.diveparadise.com. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
Day three of my trip to Somabay and we were spending the day on the Lady Christina and diving on the wreck of the Salem Express.
Diving wrecks for me is always one of mixed emotions. The excitement of diving a wreck is more than often tempered by the thought of loss of life when she sank. The Salem Express was a passenger ship and a roll-on/roll-off ferry travelling from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Safaga, Egypt. Most passengers were of poor class travelling home from their holidays while around 150 people were returning home from their pilgrimage to Mecca.
The ship struck a reef and sank within 20 minutes. Passengers were trapped below deck and the ship was filled with fear and panic.
The wreck area is strewn with personal belongings from the crew and passengers such as a transistor radio and a flat iron for clothes. A diver at sometime has put them in a prominent place to be seen.
Tragically only one life boat was launched while the others went down with the ship. More than 600 men, women and children lost their lives here.
It’s a stark reminder that the sea can be unforgiving and so when we dive on such wrecks we should do so with humble regard.
Returning to the surface, shoals of fish are gathered under our boat and seem to be welcoming us back into the light.
Back at the Breakers I sat in the dining area with a beer and a very good meal while my thoughts still remained with the day’s dive on the Salem Express.
Check in for part 3 tomorrow for Jeff’s last day of diving with Somabay on the off-shore reefs looking for turtles.
Book your next Red Sea dive adventure with SOMABAY! For more information, visit www.somabay.com.
Stay at the Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge when you visit! For more information, visit www.thebreakers-somabay.com.
Find out more about ORCA Dive Clubs at SOMABAY at www.orca-diveclubs.com/en/soma-bay-en.
For a week at the end of February I was invited to sample the diving with Orca Dive Club based at the Breakers Diving and Surfing Lodge by courtesy of SOMABAY.
Somabay covers an entire peninsula and is home to several resorts as well as residential compounds. Somabay caters for scuba diving as well as many other sports, including windsurfing, golf, sailing, go-carting, horse riding and many other activities.
All the activities are of a world-class standard and any or all of these can be booked directly from The Breakers.
I took Easyjet from Bristol (UK) to Hurghada. Easyjet are not by any means my favourite airline but the flight was cheap and direct (except for the surprise extra £48 I was charged at the gate for my carry-on bag).
I was met at Hurghada airport by a driver and car and taken to the Breakers 28 miles (45Kilomaters) south along the coast. Once at the hotel I was too late for an evening meal and so a basic meal was delivered to my room. That and a beer from the fridge and I was fast asleep.
Early the next morning after breakfast I arrived for my rep meeting at the Orca Dive Center for 8.00am. I was immediately made to feel welcome, and after brief introductions I got some dive gear from the store, had a chat with my dive guide Mohamed and got ready to try the house reef situated at the end of a very long wooded pier where all diving gear and divers are taken out by buggies.
Once at the end of the pier, a helping hand from staff makes sure your gear is set and then it’s a short walk to the very end where you can either climb down a ladder of simply jump in the water next to the reef. The house reef extends both north and south giving a very easy and safe dive with plenty to see. At this time of the year the water temperature was a constant 22 degrees Centigrade and there was little or no current, so there were no issues in swimming back to the pier.
Quite a few divers were in dry or semi-dry suits, but being from the UK and used to the cold I found a 3mm wetsuit with a 3mm neoprene vest quite comfortable. Even after 50 years of diving I still find that first dive of a trip slightly nerving until I am actually underwater and then all becomes relaxed and I ease into auto diving mode. There was plenty to see with many of the Red Sea favourites along the way.
After the dive and a buggy ride back to the hotel for a very good buffet lunch I was back in the water, once again on the house reef for an afternoon dive.
Check in for part 2 tomorrow when Jeff gets on a day boat and dives a few of the off-shore reefs.
Book your next Red Sea dive adventure with SOMABAY! For more information, visit www.somabay.com.
Stay at the Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge when you visit! For more information, visit www.thebreakers-somabay.com.
Find out more about ORCA Dive Clubs at SOMABAY at www.orca-diveclubs.com/en/soma-bay-en.
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