SCUBA News 297
(ISSN 1476-8011)
April 2025

For the best diving in the Med, go to Ustica The entire island of Ustica, off Sicily, has been a marine reserve since 1986. And it shows in the excellent diving. LEARN MORE...

South Africa, where oceans meet South Africa really does have it all, from the warm reefs in the Indian ocean, to the squid and sardine runs of the south Atlantic. READ MORE...

Cayman Islands: Walls, reefs & wrecks With dramatic walls, sharks, stingrays, turtles, wrecks and colourful reefs, the Cayman islands are well worth the trip SEE WHERE...

6 Great Liveaboard Experiences and Deals

Liveaboard diving to some of the best diving destinations in the world, specially selected for us by Divebooker.com, the liveaboard specialists. Some with up to 50% off, some offering unique experiences.

1. Aliikai, Komodo, Indonesia. SAVE 10%. Komodo diving season is open. From April to October, divers can enjoy the best conditions - calm seas, clear skies, great visibility, and the chance to encounter majestic manta rays, and, of course, masses of sharks. Komodo truly is one of the best diving areas in the world. The Aliikai has just 7 cabins - more information.

   

   GET DEAL

2. Unlimited Shark Diving in the Bahamas with Shear Water. This steel liveaboard is the only one in the region offering unlimited diving - thanks to high-capacity tanks, a full Nitrox supply, and a dive-anytime approach. She is also the fastest liveaboard to Tiger Beach and Bimini, giving you more time where it matters most: underwater with sharks. The experience is made even more special with Jim Abernethy, renowned marine conservationist, photographer, and advocate for cage-free shark diving.

   

   READ MORE

3. Explore the Maldives on the Ariyal, 50% off!. We've fabulous discounts for this luxury Maldives liveaboard with freshwater jacuzzi and activities including paddleboards, wakeboards, water skis and various inflatables.

   

   Save 50%

4. Bikini Atoll, Pacific Master. Excluding private charters, just one liveaboard visits the wreck diver's paradise of Bikini Atoll. Visiting between now and September, with only one liveaboard places soon get booked up.



Book Now, Pay Later

5. Infiniti, Philippines, SAVE 30%. Explore the vibrant Visayas, the diverse Bohol and the renowned Tubbataha Reef - see the Malapascua thresher Sharks

   

   Save Now

6. Freedom III, Egypt, SAVE 15%: Prices from just £459. For those wanting a shorter trip, offers mini safaris from Sharm el-Sheikh visiting the Straits of Tiran, Ras Mohammed and the Dunraven.

   

   Save Now

See more liveaboard deals to some of the best diving in the world - Philippines, Thailand, Australia, Cocos Islands...

Diving Easter Island

Easter Island - pristine diving in stunningly clear waters.

Easter Island is a territory of Chile but is almost 4000 kilometers (2485 miles) from the mainland, in the southeast Pacific. You perhaps wouldn't make the trip just for the diving, but once there it is a must.

Sealife

All the waters surrounding Easter Island are a marine protected area. This covers 740,000 square kilometers (286,000 square miles) of ocean - one of the largest in the world. It protects a greater percentage of indigenous species of fish, molluscs and sponges than the waters around the Galapagos Islands. This is because ocean currents form a natural barrier to this isolated island, facilitating the evolution of many distinct species.

The seas are also the location of spawning grounds for many pelagic species like sharks, tuna and swordfish. You won't find the quantities of reef fish you might elsewhere in the pacific but the coral is extensive and much of the sealife unique.

When to go

You can dive all year round, but it can get rough between June and September. The average water temperature in summer (from December to March) is 23 ^oC. This is the best time to go. In the winter months the water is colder - down to or below 20 ^oC. Take a full 7 mm wetsuit, hood & gloves in the colder months. If you plan to hire a wetsuit, take a rash guard top for underneath. It really does make a difference to how warm you feel.

Language and currency

The local name for Easter Island is Rapa Nui. The native language is also called Rapa Nui, or Pascuan, although Spanish is more widely spoken. They use the Chilean peso; US dollars and Euros may also be accepted in places. The two banks, Banco Estado and Banco Santander, change currencies and accept Mastercard and Visa.

Insurance & Medical

Take out comprehensive insurance before you travel. The nearest decompression chamber is on Chile, 4000 km away.

Reader's comment on Easter Island

"Easter Island may offer an opportunity for a diving get away for everyone. As one of the most remote places on Earth the marine ecosystem has been better preserved than elsewhere in the world and will give you the chance for some quiet, solitary diving experiences.

Some of the most popular diving spots around the island include Hanga Roa Bay and its population of turtles, Moto Nui and the Moai dive site. Due to the temperatures a thicker wetsuit will be required, but a huge visibility of up to 200 feet more than makes up for that."

Robert Lovell

For more information see the Easter Island diving section on our web site.

Read more

Diving news from around the World

Divers willing to pay extra to dive protected sites 85% of scuba divers are willing to pay a user fee if its purpose is explicitly stated. Fees have been shown to increase marine park's revenue by 60%, supporting local efforts to improve reef health.

Family dive trips: Where to go and why Revealed: the best destinations for family dive trips, offering world-class diving and activities for every family member

Five divers fined for harassing turtle after video goes viral Five scuba divers and a Malaysian dive operator have been fined for tormenting a turtle in Sabah. Another clip showed a diver holding onto a moving whale shark.

Fish use sharks as shields to ambush prey Some fish sneak up on their prey by hiding behind sharks

Hidden in plain sight: why Seagrass Meadows matter more than you think While they might not seem as photogenic as a coral wall or as captivating as a sunlit kelp forest, seagrass beds are essential for supporting marine life, protecting coastlines, and even fighting climate change. Where to dive them?

Deep-dive dinners are the norm for tuna and swordfish These big fish get most of their food from the ocean's "twilight zone," a deep, dark region the commercial fishing industry is eyeing with interest.

Fishing for cephalopod DNA allows for efficient marine surveying New DNA probes allow for efficient surveying of the hidden lives of squids and octopuses in the deep sea.

Marine radar can accurately monitor vessel speeds to protect whales Radar technology can detect vessel speed violations with 95% confidence - an effective tool to monitor and enforce speed limits for smaller vessels to better protect whale populations.

Are thicker wetsuits limiting your lung capacity? Wetsuits that are at least 7mm thick delay hypothermia and allow divers to dive in cooler waters. But, they also affect lung volume.

Where are the 12 best dives in Europe? Divers have voted - discover where to go this summer.

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Photo credits: Tim Nicholson, Jill Studholme, Tatiana Ivkovich, Rob Atherton/DepositPhotos, divebooker.com.

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CONTACTING THE EDITOR
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SCUBA News
The Cliff

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SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011)

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