News
Head to the Bahamas and take advantage of a great fly free offer from Dive Worldwide
Discover unspoilt reefs in the Bahamas, enjoy topside at a relaxed pace and take advantage of this great Fly Free offer to the Out Islands offer from Dive Worldwide, which is available between now and 31 October 2016.
Anyone booking a flight-inclusive holiday before 30 June 2016 with a minimum stay of four nights at one of three participating resorts receives ONE FREE return internal flight ticket from Nassau. Alternatively stay for seven-nights or longer and receive TWO FREE flight tickets.
Each of the 700 islands in this tropical paradise exhibits its own character, the product of a rich history and a culture unique to the individual islands and their people. Formed mainly of flat coral and protected by the world’s third largest barrier reef, the archipelago has something for everyone.
The free flights offer is available when staying at any of the following three resorts featured by Dive Worldwide:
The largest Bahamian island, Andros, is home to 140 miles of barrier reef and lies next to the ‘Tongue of the Ocean’, a 2,000 metre deep oceanic trench. Small Hope Bay Lodge an all-inclusive family-run resort with a well-equipped dive centre and a friendly informal atmosphere, is built around a central coral and Andros pine lodge. Guests relax into the low impact lifestyle that comes with no dress code. A 10-minute drive from Andros Town airport, the 21 cottage-style rooms are located directly on the beach.
Stella Maris Resort, Long Island
Hardly touched by tourism, Long Island is quiet and unspoiled, with endless beaches and great diving, a one hour flight south of Nassau. Located off the beaten track, Stella Maris is an elegant resort offering panoramic ocean view rooms and villas in a relaxed Out Island atmosphere. Diving here is renowned as one of the best locations in the Bahamas. The on-site PADI affiliated water sports centre operates daily boat dives to both the calmer Caribbean Sea and the more rugged, unexplored Atlantic coast, where the marine life is larger and the topography more dramatic.
Riding Rock Resort, San Salvador
Located on San Salvador in the south east of the archipelago, this purpose built, friendly resort, with a beautiful white sandy beach on the doorstep and excellent facilities, has been welcoming divers and water sports enthusiasts since the 1960s. Located in the marina complex, the dive centre is SSI and PADI affiliated. The 50 plus dive sites are teeming with marine life from nudibranch, crabs and shrimps to barracudas, stingrays and many shark species including the scalloped hammerhead. There are swim-throughs and caverns to explore, and with visibility at an average of 40 metres, underwater photographers will be in their element.
Sample Price: from £1,895 (saving approx £200pp on free flight offer) based on 2 sharing, including return flights from the UK, domestic flights, 1 night B&B in Nassau, 7 nights’ full board at Riding Rock Resort, 16 dives (tanks & weights) and all transfers.
Offer details
Valid for travel from 01 July 2015 to 31 October 2016.
Book 4 to 6 nights for x1 ‘Fly Free’ ticket.
Book 7 nights+ for x2 ‘Fly Free’ tickets.
Limit of two ‘Fly Free’ offers per booked room. Maximum, of 2 rooms.
Offer valid for participating Out Islands resorts only.
‘Fly Free’ flights are roundtrip from Nassau only. Holiday package must include international flights.
All passengers must be booked on same flights and itinerary.
Book by 30 June 2016.
For more information or to book, contact Dive Worldwide by visiting diveworldwide.com or call 01962 302087.
Blogs
TRAVEL BLOG: Jeff Goodman Dives SOMABAY, Part 3
Today we are diving one of the outer reefs from an inflatable. As we reach the bottom, a reef octopus eases its way into the cover of a small crack in the coral while displaying it’s incredible ability to change colour. They are arguably one of the most charismatic of reef dwellers and it is always exciting for me to simply hover and watch. I would have spent longer and waited for it to come and investigate me, but as dive time is limited we wanted to move on and find a turtle.
The waters around Somabay are well protected and hold a rich variety of marine life. The reef edges are thriving colonies of coral and shoaling fish, while nearer the sea bed plenty of wildlife is still to be found.
Then we located the turtles. They are very used to divers and so show little concern when slowly approached. In fact occasionally one will come over to see what you are doing. There is always huge excitement when diving with a turtle. The shear thrill of sharing a moment with another species.
What a fantastic way to finish a wonderful few days diving and I would like to thank SOMABAY, ORCA DIVING and THE BREAKERS for making my stay such a good one.
I had a great time, with diving everyday either on the house reef or on one of the offshore reefs by inflatable or larger day boat. Orca diving provided high quality equipment and facilities while the staff were all very friendly and welcoming. The Breakers was right on the coast with nice rooms, good food and once again friendly staff making the whole trip a real pleasure.
Soma Bay covers an entire peninsula and is home to several resorts as well as residential compounds.
As well as scuba diving, Somabay caters for many other sports and activities, and so is perfect for families as well as individuals and/or groups. And of course there is always time to lay peacefully on the beach under the Egyptian sun.
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.
Blogs
TRAVEL BLOG: Jeff Goodman Dives SOMABAY, Part 2
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.
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