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PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE BIG BLUE
Check out www.camerasunderwater.co.uk. Of course if diving is not your thing then snorkelling is an outstanding way of observing the world beneath the waves. Snorkelling is cheap and the flexible housings from ewa-marine will provide protection for most digital and film stills camera down to a depth of 10m.
EGYPT The Red Sea is one of the most spectacular areas for diving, snorkelling and underwater photography. For us in the United Kingdom and Europe the huge advantage is that this world-renowned diving area is only a five-hour flight away. It is suitable for the absolute beginner with diving and underwater photography courses readily available as part of your holiday package. The Red Sea coastline is several thousand kilometres in length. Extensive reef formations and islands form a rich coral covered tapestry only to be found in this region. Outstanding underwater visibility provides a unique opportunity to photograph over 400 varieties of coral and at least 1,500 species of fish, with Sharks, Turtles and Rays that make the Red Sea their home. Four species of marine turtle inhabit the waters; the Hawksbill, the Green Leatherback and Loggerhead. With luck you may see the very rare Dugong also known as the “Sea Cow”, all of which are a globally threatened species.
The Red Sea Sustainable Tourism Initiative (RSSTI) was set up in 1999 to assist in maintaining the environment. This has resulted in environmentally sound practices being carried out by the tourist industry and businesses operating in the Red Sea area. Not surprisingly, therefore, the Red Sea is considered by many to offer the very best diving available in the marine world. The Red Sea attracts divers, photographers, marine scientists, and leisure seekers from all over the world, hoping to experience and explore the incalculable wonders of the colourful, and astounding marine life together with the Red Sea’s lavish coral reefs. In places, the exceptional living reef stretches way out to sea, forming a elaborate system of caves, lagoons, gardens, and plateaus. Some of these coral summits plunge dramatically to great depths, several thousands of feet to the ocean floor. A further attraction is the large number of wrecks providing remarkable opportunities for incredible photographs.
The Red Sea area does have its dangers however, as it has its troubles which you will have to stay away from. When I was in Taba in March there was no indication of any problems although the security was very tight. The Egyptian Tourist Police are very conscious of protecting their tourism and ensuring the safety of visitors. The area of Sinai is an incredible source of photographic inspiration as well as the underwater opportunities with desert, mountains and the Bedouin population. There is minimal danger from marine animals in the Red Sea, and with a little common sense, even these dangers can be eliminated. Some of the marine animals are dangerous to touch, others dangerous to eat, and some are dangerous to come face to face with. There are fire corals and stinging hydroids, which can be extremely painful if accidentally touched as well. Snorkelling is a popular way to view the edge of the reef, especially for those with limited confidence in their swimming ability. Sharks, Manta Rays, Turtles and Eels will take pieces of bread from your hand, and brilliantly coloured schools of fish team all around in bewildering colour. However, most divers will tell you that there is nothing to beat the thrill of experiencing the depth of the reef and the abounding marine life to be found in the Red Sea. The lure of the reef is such that many novice divers become totally "hooked" and cannot imagine why they have never joined in the fun before. Furthermore, when asked to compare their local diving conditions with those in the Red Sea, they find it a "paradise" with clear visibility, little wave action, and warm temperatures all year long.
Earlier this year we met with dive experts at Taba , they have invested in new dive schools at Taba and Sharm el Sheikh and have teamed up with world class under water photographer Stuart Philpott whose images we have used in this article www.seastories.co.uk Stuart is not only an accomplished photo journalist but also a qualified dive instructor. He is operating the underwater photography courses at the Sharm el Sheikh dive school.
Diving and underwater photographic holidays to the Red Sea are available through our new partner program. Longwood Holidays www.longwoodholidays.co.uk offer a range of holidays, the dive and photography courses are in association with Red Sea Waterworld www.redseawaterworld.com Dive centres are based at Taba and Sharm El Sheikh . Longwood Releases Specialist 2005-2006 Brochures Longwood Holidays, the UK’s leading specialist Tour Operator to the Red Sea has launched 2005-2006 Egypt & Jordan and Red Sea Diving brochures, offering the great value holidays, dive packages and comprehensive range of hotels the company is renowned for, as well as a number of exciting new features. New for the 2005-2006 season are single traveller weeks, perfect for divers travelling alone. Designed to bring like-minded individuals together, these packages offer affordable single packages. Single traveller diving courses and packages are only open to other Longwood single travellers, and the hotels included (in Sharm el Sheikh and Dahab) have been selected for their friendly, sociable atmosphere. “There’s a greater demand for single packages amongst divers than in most other areas of the travel industry,” commented Daniel Lion, Longwood Holidays Dive Product Manager “These are not just single people keen to meet others with similar interests, but also regular divers whose partners or families don’t share their passion. This programme we’ve set up is fairly unique and meets the specific requirements of this area of the market.”
The new single traveller weeks are available as either of 2 options; for learners, the ‘Learn to Dive’ package, including PADI Open Water course; and for qualified divers a 5-day diving package with boat or shore diving options. Longwood has consolidated its popular liveaboard programme in 2005 with exclusive UK representation of the illustrious VIP ONE. The luxury motor yacht offers exceptional first-class service on its tour of the Northern Red Sea’s most exciting locations. With fully air-conditioned interior comprising large double cabins with private en-suite and shower, saloon, dining room, bar and outside deck for sunbathing or barbecuing, the VIP ONE offers a high level of comfort to complement an exhaustive itinerary.
Following last year’s successful introduction, the exclusive Diamond Diving Service is also back for the 2005-2006 season, and with features such as free nitrox, hostess service and limited places, is bound to be popular with regular divers. The philosophy behind Longwood’s diving brochures has always been the point of difference between the specialist operator’s service and that of other operators. Designed as a travel guide to diving in the Red Sea rather than as a promotional publication alone, the brochure offers practical advice, destination information and detailed reviews of all dive courses, sites and carefully selected dive centres & schools. The brochure also features a number of attractive offers and incentives designed to save divers money when pre-booking courses and packages. Accompanying the Red Sea Diving brochure is Longwood’s Egypt & Jordan brochure, providing information on hotels, flights and holidays to divers and non-divers alike. New for this year are a number of new hotels in Taba and Sharm el Sheikh, adding to the operator’s already comprehensive coverage of these two resorts. In response to agent demand, Longwood is also offering its biggest ever flight programme this year, with departures from Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, and new for this year, Birmingham.
Prices are from £299 per person per week, staying Half Board at the 3* Sea Star Hotel including flights and transfers. Order a brochure online www.longwoodholidays.co.uk
With Mexico being one of the most biologically diverse countries on our planet it is not to be unexpected that the marine life is as varied and spectacular as the wild life on land. Mexico is home to world’s second largest coral reef with at least 250 different species of fish. As with Egypt conservation is an important issue and Pronatura is Mexico’s oldest and largest marine conservation organisation. One of Pronatura’s important projects was to provide an artificial reef program in conjunction with Sea Watch. In the Sea of Cortes two 150-foot boats were sunk to provide additional habitats for Sea Life. Cancun is a popular dive resort but is also a vulnerable area, due to its vast systems of underwater caverns (cenotes) in Mayan. Some are available for diving providing some spectacular opportunities for close up photography and contact with the abundance of aquatic life in this region.
If you are a diver then chances are the Great Maya Reef may very well be the focus of your trip. This ancient reef was directly responsible for settlements that rose along its shores. Trade routes were established that helped fuel the Mayan's economy. When the Spaniards arrived the reef became the Seagate for the Conquistadors and sanctuary for pirates and buccaneers. From colonial times to this day, it is responsible for thousands of shipwrecks that now lay scattered along its coral tentacles. The Great Maya Reef is not one single barrier reef but a chain of shallow patch reefs, drop offs and coral gardens. It is also home to a weave of coast-hugging sandbanks, fringing reefs, islets and coral atolls. The whole myriad stretches from the tip of Yucatan 600 miles southward to the Bay of Honduras. There are more than 500 species of fish and 4 species of sea turtles to be found in the reef. There are 72 dive sites between Punta Maroma and Tulum providing divers with numerous reef formations, giant coral buttresses deep walls and shallow plateaus. Diving Cozumel and the Maya Riviera will produce several different dive experiences. WHERE TO DIVE
Cenotes are fresh water pools connecting to submerged caverns and other cenotes. The standard formation is a round hole in the ground. The cenote at Chichen Itza is a perfect example of the round sink hole formation. This cenote is probably the most well known and most visited as it is located at the Chichen Itza ruin site and easily accessible - but you can't dive here. Often referred to as lagoons and ponds they are common all over the peninsula being most common in the Mayan Riviera. Of value to the early inhabitants these ponds were a source of fresh water and their connection to the source was of a mystical nature. If you fly over the peninsula you will observe that wherever you see a cenote you will see the outline of ancient villages long gone.
CENOTE DIVING There are a number of reasons that make cenote diving attractive to the diver. Diving conditions are not affected by weather.
There are two distinct forms of cenote diving: Cave Diving Cavern Diving To cavern dive a diver must either be a certified cavern diver or be accompanied by a certified cavern diver. Most accessible cenotes open to the public are equipped with a permanent line to serve as a reference on a tour. All necessary equipment for open-water diving is needed as well as two battery lights and a line reel. Cavern diving courses involve two days instruction and four dives. A full cave diving course is taught over a week with a minimum of 14 cave dives. Specialized training agencies include: NACD National Association of Cave Divers
There is an excellent book on the Yucatan's cenotes called: "Cenotes of the Riviera Maya" by Steve Gerrard [publisher unknown]. Not all Maya Riviera dive operators are qualified cave diving guides or instructors. Be sure to check before you go diving. CENOTES OPEN TO PUBLIC Cenote List courtesy of PlayaInfo. Chac Mool (Claw of the Jaguar) Ponderosa (El Eden)
Chikin Ha (Points of Direction) Location: Just past Chikin Ha Cenote. Cristalino Azul
Taj Mahal Dos Ojos (Hidden Worlds) Temple of Doom (Calavera/Skull)
Gran (Sac Aktun/White Water) Car Wash (Aktun Ha/Water Cave) Cristal (Naharon) Escondido (Mayan Blue)
ANTIGUA Situated in the Caribbean Antigua is a wildlife photographer’s paradise. As well as being one the regions most popular holiday regions it is home to a wide variety of Bird and Marine life. This island is the destination to combine both underwater and bird photography. Antigua is home to Egrets, Pelicans and spectacular Hummingbirds, the excellent diving conditions here offer wall drops, caves and coral canyons populated with Turtles, Barracuda, Sharks and hundreds of beautiful reef fish. The Hawksbill Turtle is the most common in Antigua easily identified by its narrow pointed beak and beautiful mottled brown and orange shell. Swimming with Turtles like Dolphins is an experience that will last a lifetime. WHERE TO GET ADVICE ON DIVING. PADI - 0117 300 7234 BSAC – 0151 350 6200 TDI – 01579 371 197
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