News
Oonasdivers add Fiji to the destinations they offer
UK tour operator Oonasdivers are launching a brand new destination to coincide with their 30th anniversary. Fiji has been added to the many fantastic worldwide dive locations that the Oonas crew already offer.
Four stunning Fijian resorts have been hand-picked, so there’s plenty of choice and fantastic scenery above and below the water. There’s also a Photo Workshop planned for May 2016 led by Alex Tattersall (so plenty of time to save for this dive holiday of a lifetime!).
In the heart of the South Pacific, Fiji, with 333 tropical islands, is just waiting to be explored. Famous for its soft coral diving, white sand beaches and a pristine natural environment, Fiji is also a world leader in eco-tourism.
Viti Levu is the largest island in Fiji. Rakiraki (Voli Voli Beach Resort) towards the north of the island is fast becoming recognised for its world-class reefs, brining you beautiful pinnacles, stunning drop-offs and an abundance of marine life, with many new dive sites still being discovered.
Travel south towards Pacific Harbour (Waidroka Resort) for a chance of bull and tiger shark encounters at the world famous Sharks Reef, as well as the soft corals and pinnacles of Beqa Lagoon, one of Fiji’s most famous dive destination.
The Great Astrolable Barrier reef, the worlds 4th longest Barrier Reef, runs along the South side of Kadavu Island (Matava Resort) and up to the North Astrolabe Reef. Consisting of 75 miles of pristine hard and soft corals, it creates extensive sheltered coral lagoons where you can drift over coral gardens filled with countless colourful reef fish, starfish and critters. The many channels leading from the extremely deep water into shallow lagoons is also the ideal breeding ground for marlin, sharks, tuna, giant trevally, mahi-mahi (dolphin-fish) and snapper.
Manta Reef is one of best places to dive and see oceanic and resident manta rays. Primarily a feeding area, some mantas do hover over the reef for a clean within a few feet of divers. Even without these magnificent creatures, the reef itself is outstanding in its quality and diversity of fish life.
Taveuni makes a lasting impression underwater too. The well chosen Paradise Taveuni Resort will grant you easy access to the world famous Somosomo Strait, and wonderfully diverse dive sites such as Eel Reef, Rainbow Reef and the Great White Wall, an amazing drop-off covered in white soft coral.
Somosomo Strait is known as the “Soft Coral Capital of the World”. The horseshoe-shaped Vuna Lagoon, near the southern end of the island, is favoured among divers for the opportunity to see larger pelagic and schooling fish species on the exposed southern side of the reef, whereas the sheltered western parts provide pristine soft and hard coral gardens. Migrating humpback whales may be spotted passing the island in July.
International flights to Fiji operate daily from major UK airports. For more information, email info@oonasdivers.com or visit www.oonasdivers.com.
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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