A BREATHTAKING VACATION AWAITS
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photographer: George Whylie Videographer: Maxine Nolan Photos Courtesy of www.sportdiver.comHave you had enough of the winter blues? Are you ready to escape to the world of sunny skies and clear blue seas?
There are so many different destinations that hold the key to a vacation of a lifetime.
The TAKA is a luxurious live aboard boat that spoils you by granting your dive wishes off the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. They have been treating travelers for over 18 years to the most remote regions of Australia’s Northern Great Barrier Reef including the exceptional Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea. Experience the Marine Park and dive among some of the most fascinating marine life and colorful corals in the world. See the majestic grey reef, black tip reef, white tip reef, Wobbegong, Epaulette and large Oceanic Silver Tip sharks. If you plan your trip between June and August, you might have the unusual opportunity to swim amongst the commanding Minke Whales.
What could be better than chartering your own diving catamaran? It is your very own private charter and a week filled with scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing and adventure. The 65′ Cat Ppalu sets sail from glorious Nassau to the relaxing Exuma Islands. There is no keeping track of time. Each day you set your own schedules to the sounds of the soaring pelican in the cloudless sky. Imagine it is your own floating bed and breakfast. Take part in an open bar with all the beverages and food included in the package price. Dive remote walls, wrecks and even be adventurous and dive with sharks. The water is clear and pristine and draws you in for a refreshing dip or dive.
Head over to the Cayman Islands and celebrate the 1st anniversary of the sinking of the USS Kittiwake and see for yourself all the resident sea life that now call this sunken vessel their home. Take a peek at the horse-eye jack and the tiger grouper. The water is a comfortable 80 degrees with 100′ visibility. It has been called the #1 Best Destination Overall in the Atlantic and Caribbean in Scuba Diving’s 2012 Top 100 Reader’s Choice Awards.
Discover Dominica known as ‘Nature Island’. It’s a diver’s dream and a hiker’s paradise. Experience volcanic peaks, boiling waters, underwater champagne springs, sparkling waterfalls, rushing streams and rainforest canopies. Let the evening overtake you to the beat of the Calypso steel band. This tropical island is considered one of the top ten dive destinations in the world. See volcanic craters and capture the underwater world on film. You couldn’t ask for any more splendid beauty.
Santa Lucia is another dream destination sure to leave you in awe. There are 22 prime dive sites with walls, reefs, wrecks and swim-troughs. Breathtaking scenery captivates the imagination. Superman’s Flight was named after a scene in Superman II, which has the hero flying between Santa Lucia’s landmark mountains and down the cliff of Petit Piton. Drift diving dazzles. The Key Hole Pinnacle has been voted one of the ’10 Best Dive Sites’ by Caribbean Travel and Life. Tons of fish create a mysterious world of exploration. If this is meant to be a family vacation, plan to go zip-lining, sightseeing or even take an ATV tour.
For all you fashionistas of the sea, look out for the distinguished decorator or dresser crab as you enjoy your dive vacation of choice. These crabs are covered in tiny bristles that act like Velcro for any objects they see as appropriate. They camouflage themselves on any candidates on the seafloor that they come across. It could be bits of seaweed, coral polyps or even anemones. Interestingly enough, when it is time to molt, the decorator crab will remove its coverings from its former shell and place them on its new one. You might say it has ‘refined taste’.
Hopefully by now I have your curiosity at its peak and your interests at their highest level. Get ready to leave the cold weather behind and slip into a vacation paradise of your choice.
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