The Great Barrier Reef

Editor: Esmeralda Davila The Great Barrier Reef is world renowned for its amazing scuba diving locations. Bommies, coral reefs and an abundance of marine life stretch for the entire 2,300km length of the reef. If you are a certified diver or a snorkeller, the Great Barrier Reef has some of the best ocean life in the world. If you have never dived before, the Great Barrier Reef offers some great places to learn to dive. There are a wide range of dive sites along the Great Barrier Reef, there are calm, protected, shallow spots around the islands, perfect for first-timers, there are gentle reef sites, rich in fish life and corals and the deeper sites on the outer reefs for those with some experience. All sites are best reached by boat ranging from luxury cruisers to spectacular sail boats. For those visitors who have never put their head under the water, but want to see if they can enjoy snorkelling or diving, there are excellent one-day, first-time dive trips. Australias Great Barrier Reef offers a range of diving experiences for both the beginner and the experienced diving expert. Diving expeditions depart daily from all the major cities and towns along the coast and from most island resorts. No matter where you stay on the reef, you are always within a 20 - 60 minute boat ride of an excellent diving spot. The late, great Jacques Cousteau famously named the Heron Bommie off Heron Island as one of his top ten favourite diving sites in the world. The Wreck of the Yongala Queensland, Australia The Yongala sank back in 1911 with the loss of all lives and was lying on the sea bed for almost half a century before being discovered. The Yongala is now home to diverse marine life and is listed as the number one dive on the whole of the Great Barrier Reef. The Yongala measures 109m from bow to stern and is protected under the Historic Shipwrecks Act. A dive here will bring you face to face with tiger sharks, sea turtles, bull sharks and graceful manta rays though make a point of not entering the wreck itself as this is very Douglas Adams, the author of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy wrote an amusing anecdote about his experience diving at Hayman Island on the reef. The Great Barrier Reef offers all manner of accommodation for singles, couples and families. The keen diver will be able to fine a suitable location to stay regardless of budget. The Great Barrier Reef, Australia is one of the natural wonders of the world and a superb place to indulge in the best scuba diving

in the world. Queensland is unique amongst the Australian states in that it has a number of genuine coastal capitals. This sense of individuality has made cities like Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton, Mackay, Bundaberg and Maryborough independent centres which do not rely on Brisbane. It has also ensured that rural Queenslanders dont see Brisbane in the same way that people in New South Wales, for ex-

ample, regard Sydney. Cairns is a modern, sophisticated city, and is an ideal base to explore the wider Tropical North Queensland region with front door access to World Heritage listed Reef, Rainforest and Outback. The city itself is where much of the accommodation is situated close to international standard restaurants, boutique shopping, modern art galleries and evening entertainment. All the attributes of a world class modern city are to be found in Cairns: International air access, rail systems, high-standard accommodation facilities, an art gallery, botanic gardens, university, a casino and a convention centre. Read more about Cairns. Rockhampton is situated on the Fitzroy River, and lies 40 kilometres inland from the beautiful Capricorn Coast beaches. The City is surrounded by the Berserker Ranges and Mount Archer, posing an impressive backdrop for the vibrant City centre, coast and the outback beyond. Read more about Rockhampton. Located on the north-eastern coast of Australia, Townsville is the unofficial capital of North Queensland and one of the fastest growing regions in Australia. Situated on Ross Creek and overlooked by the 290m-high Castle Hill, Townsville is a thriving metropolis. Read more about Townsville. Townsville is also encircled by other interesting towns and places to see, such as Charters Towers and Ayr.

Top 5 Scuba Destiations

much forbidden, in fact one diver was recently arrested and prosecuted for doing so. The Wreck of the Thistlegorm Egyptian Red Sea To coin a phrase the Thistlegorm is an emotional wreck; she was hit in a German bombing run on the 6th October 1941 and has slept on the sea floor for over 70 years. Her cargo of trucks, motorbikes and railway stock litters the sea bed and when visiting her you are not only visiting a time capsule, you are also attending a war grave. Thistlegorm lies in the Straits of Gubal in the north Egyptian sea, and was visited by Cousteau in 1955; she has

been attracting attention and controversy ever since. There are many mysteries that surround this wreck and plenty of things left to discover. Her bow lies only 15m below the surface with her propellers down at a depth of 27m; she is over 400ft in length and will take much more than one dive to discover completely, inside and out. Great Blue Hole Belize

From above the Great Blue Hole looks like a giant pupil set within a coral eye socket, peering up from the ocean depths. It is part of the beautiful Lighthouse Reef system and is around 60 miles out from Belize. The hole is almost a perfect circle around 300ft in diameter, the depth inside is 412ft and it opens onto underwater corridors and caves. The water moves very little in the hole and visibility is excellent. The top of the hole around the roof is filled with colourful life, but as you dive deeper the small fish fade away leaving only the several species of shark that call this home. To dive here you need to have experience of deep water dives and show proof of

go. During the first phase of your PADI Open Water Diver scuba certification, you develop an understanding of the basic principles of scuba diving. You learn things like how pressure affects your body, how to choose the best scuba gear and what to consider when planning dives. You briefly review what you have studied in the five knowledge sections with your instructor and take a short quiz to be sure youre getting it. At the end of the course, youll take a longer quiz that makes sure you have all the key concepts and ideas down. You and your instructor will review anything that you dont quite get until its clear. Select the knowledge development option you prefer: Start right now and learn to scuba dive online with PADI eLearning at your own pace anytime, anywhere (great for busy schedules) Attend a scheduled scuba diving class at your local PADI dive shop (great for meeting new friends and dive buddies) Take advantage of home study using PADI multimedia materials (manual, video, CDRom) purchased through your local PADI dive shop or resort. 2. Confined Water Dives Scuba Skills

How to become scuba certified 1. Knowledge Development: Learn the lin- Training

your certification. Barracuda Point Sipadan Island, Malaysia This dive could find you surrounded by schools of glittering bannerfish, redtooth tigerfish, tuna and not forgetting the grey reef sharks that patrol the area. This is a wall dive which takes you to a plateau where the barracudas get together. Be sure not to venture too far north as the currents can catch you off guard and sweep you away. Manta Ray Night Dive Kailua Kona, Hawaii An area of underwater light is provided for you to watch the graceful swooping of the rays that come here to feast on the plankton that the

lights have summoned. This dive offers an incredible unforgettable experience. If you have never experienced a night dive this definitely offers the best possible introduction. Rutger is a passionate scuba diver and instructor. After traveling the world and the seven seas he started Book Your Dive a review based booking platform for scuba divers. He loves to travel and write about scuba diving.

Things to Pack!

This is what its all about diving. You develop basic scuba skills by scuba diving in a pool or body of water with pool-like conditions. Here youll learn everything from setting up your scuba gear to how to easily get water out of your scuba mask without surfacing. Youll also practice some emergency skills, like sharing air or replacing your scuba mask. Plus, you may play some games, make new friends and have a great time. There are five confined water dives, with each building upon the previous. Over the course of these five dives, you attain the skills you need to dive in open water. 3. Open Water DivesLocally or on Vacation After your confined water dives, you and the new friends youve made continue learning during four open water dives with your PADI Instructor at a dive site. This is where you fully experience the underwater adventure at the beginner level, of course. You may make these dives near your home or at a more exotic destination while on a scuba vacation.

1. Delta Airlines Delta has emerged as the airline that offers the most international flights out of the United States, and has its main hub in Atlanta. 2. United Airlines 3. Southwest Airlines 4. American Airlines 5. US Airways 6. Air Canada Canadas flagship carrier serves both domestic and international routes, and is one of the five founding members of Star Alliance along with

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United Airlines. 7. AirTran Airways This low cost US airline launches airfare deal after deal. 8. Skywest Airlines 9. JetBlue JetBlue is known as a low cost airline with a high level of customer service. With its main hub in New York, JetBlue serves the United States and much of the Caribbean. 10. ExpressJet

You need to bring the equipment appropriate for where youre diving, except your tank and weights. You normally rent those at your destination. If you dont yet own your own gear, most dive shops and resorts have rental stock (but confirm this prior to your trip). Make sure to also pack a recent certification card , logbook, sunscreen, passport (for international travel) or photo identification, seasickness medications and bathing suit. Carry prescription drugs (with a copy of the prescription), contact lens cleaners and the like with you in case of a baggage delay. For some destinations a voltage adapter may be useful. Download the Scuba Diving Vacation Checklist (PDF) to make sure you pack the appropriate gear. Airline Excess Baggage Fees and Restrictions An extra piece of baggage will cost extra regardless of what it weighs. Remember, you can equally distribute the weight of your gear among your bags to stay within limits, then redistribute everything once at your destination. Weight allowances and costs vary depending upon carrier and destination. A dive knife or cutting tool must be in your checked baggage and not in any baggage you take into the cabin. Some regions prohibit dive knives either entirely or over a certain size - and many countries prohibit spear fishing equipment. Although you wouldnt typically carry a scuba tank when traveling by air, if you do for some reason, it must be depressurized with the valve removed. For latest, most accurate information, go to your airline website. Special Permits In most places you dont need a permit but where you do they are usually easy to obtain and the local PADI Dive Shop or Resort can help get the permit for you. One or two places, particularly in the Middle East, dont allow you to get a permit on short notice. If youre not sure about permit requirements, check with your dive travel specialist.