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| Information of Best Diving |
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-Reference No: Info Diving
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MALTA AND GOZO  
Malta’s rocky coast has a playground of tunnels, reef wrecks and caves to explore. Most of the best sites are accessible from the shore. Well known diving sites such as Inland Sea and the nearby Blue Hole and Azure Window are located in the region near Gozo. Inland Sea is a peaceful, deep cave diving site featuring crystal clear blue water, and is home to larger fish, especially tuna, who live along the reef walls. Divers travel through the swim through and rock formations and exit the Inland Sea through a 20 metre limestone sinkhole (the Blue Hole), which opens out into a vast rock pool, then walk back across the limestone surface. At the other side of the Inland Sea is Azure Window, a slim bright blue arch opening onto the open sea. The sloping sides of the caves walls make for striking photos. The seabed is strewn with large limestone boulders of various ages which fall periodically from the Azure Window (so be careful) and it is interesting to compare the stages of their marine life colonization. Divers and snorkelers can expect to encounter a range of marine life, including sea stars, eels, sponges and octopi, however the rock formations are the sites main attraction. At Marfa Point in Valetta Harbour you’ll find the wreck of the HMS Maori, still in relatively good condition and a 40m drop off. The best time to dive in Malta is between April and October. RED SEA - EL GOUNA El Gouna is the closest town to some of the best of Egypt’s northern diving and snorkeling sites including the Abu Nuhas wrecks and the WW2 wreck of the Thistlegorm. There is a huge variety of smaller marine life here and a good chance of seeing Bottle Nosed Dolphins and turtles. El Gouna is quite crowded in the peak season between September and November, but the area is still warm in May and June and it’s a lot quieter.   CANARIES ISLANDS The Canaries have volcanic underwater caves, caverns and tunnels, home to octopi, sponges and anemones. Stingrays and eagle rays are abundant at Los Chuchos and Stingray Village as are tuna and barracuda. There is also a chance of seeing Bottle Nosed Dolphins, Loggerhead Turtles, Cuttlefish, Puffer Fish and seahorses. Lanzarote has several interesting dive sites because of it’s thick blanket of black lava and the shipwreck yard at Los Erizos has eight wrecks and is good for intermediate to advanced divers. The ocean floor around the islands is sandy but there are several steep volcanic rock walls and solidified lave flows have created an interesting and varied environment. There is also a popular night dive spot in the area where there is an abundance of green phosphorescence. The water here is mild so you can dive all year round.   TURKISH RIVIERA Encircled by the Mediterranean, the Aegean and the Black Sea, this area has several interesting wrecks, caves and a wealth of archaeological finds. The wrecks of the Paris and the Kiris Koy are especially popular and are home to a range of sea creatures including the endangered Mediterranean Monk Seal. The best times to dive here is between April and November.  
CYPRUS - PROTARUS The Zenobia is a relatively young wreck which sunk on her maiden voyage whilst carrying tonnes of lorries and trailers. She sank on the 7th of June 1980 after a computer problem flooded her ballast tanks. No salvage work was able to be undertaken so the one hundred or so huge lorries, cars and industrial machinery she was carrying are now part of the wreck site. Amberjacks, Tuna, rays and barracuda have since moved in and colonized the wreck. The Citti Di Alesandria is a good wreck dive for beginners. The hull of the ship has broken into sections and the engine lies away from the hull. Grouper, monk fish and octopus have all moved in. The propeller and anchor are easily spotted on nearby on the ocean floor. You may also uncover pottery and other historic artifacts on the seabed, however you're not allowed to remove anything. Some of the most popular diving cites in Cyprus are located in nearby Paphos and Ayia Napa, but the most intact and rewarding areas are around the islands northwest peninsular. Water off the Cyprus's north eastern coast is shallow and quite warm (between about 16 and 28 degrees.).  
GREECE - HALKIDIKI Dive sites along the coast of Halkidiki have only recently been opened up by the Greek government so they’re in excellent condition. Common sights in the region are sponge walls, Moray Eels, Sea Stars, Lobster and Octopi. There are also several local shipwrecks to explore including the Mytilini a 36m long wine carrier now standing upright in 22m of water. The best times to dive in Greece are between April and October.  
AUSTRALIA The S.S. Yongala is an amazing wreck, home to an incredible variety of aquatic life. Surface conditions can be rough and the current is often strong, but the marine life is teeming, with over 1,500 species of fish alone living off these waters. In the 96 years that have passed since this ship sank during a cyclone, the wreck has evolved into an artificial reef which is exploding with life. Turtles, sea snakes, barracudas, wrasses, rays and oddities such as the Guitar Fish (or Shovelnose Shark), halfway between a ray and a shark, are rife here, as well as a plethora of molluscs and sponges. Bull sharks and Tiger sharks are also known to frequently cruise the sands around the wreck The S.S Yongala is not only the largest and best preserved wreck (not purposefully sunk during warfare) in Australia, but also reputed as one of the top dive sites in the world. There are limited dive trips available to this protected and monitored area of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, so plan ahead. The Yongala is roughly a three hour boat trip from Townsville, where you can find the wreck's museum. Due to its protected status it is illegal to penetrate the wreck, and those who decide to ignore this will risk a prison sentence- bubbles produced by divers contribute to the erosion of the wreck. The protection also means crowd control, a benefit for the marine life as well as other divers. Keep an eye out for VW, the huge Queensland groper who lives on the wreck; she's three meters long and literally the size of a VW beetle!  
MALDIVES The Maldives is famed for its rare underwater beauty. The profusion of psychedelic colours and the abundance and variety of life underwater have fascinated divers and snorkellers since Maldives was discovered as a diving destination. The highest level of visibility that one could expect- sometimes exceeding 50 metres - and warm temperatures throughout the year makes diving in the Maldives a delight you would want to experience over and over again. The Maldives has some of the best dive sites in the world and many visit the Maldives repeatedly for the sole purpose of diving. All resorts in the Maldives have professional dive schools with multi-lingual instructors and conduct courses for beginners as well as the advanced. Many of the resorts have excellent house reefs. Just a short swim from the beach and snorkellers too can experience the same pleasures from the surface.  
MAURITIUS Mauritius covers an area of 1,865 sq. km. (720 sq. mi.), about the size of Rhode Island, and is located about 500 miles east of Madagascar, in the Indian Ocean.
Rugged mountains cover more than 75% of the country. The vegetation is diverse and rich comprising tropical and subtropical species, from mango and palms to hardwoods. Half the country is still covered with primary forests.
The peak summer season and best time to dive is October to April. The remainder of the year is good but the visibility and temperature drop somewhat. But if you visit in summer, make sure to check the weather as this is the time when tropical storms are the most active in this part of the world. Cyclones can last for over a week!!!
The sea is calmer and warmer on the west coast throughout the year. The east coast is blown over by the Trade Winds which makes it colder and rougher. The east coast however, has some of the best dive sites in Mauritius.
Sites include cliffs, caverns, reefs, pinnacles and wrecks. Many species of marine life inhabit Mauritius' waters, including sharks, barracuda, tuna, red-snapper, rays, eels, bass, whales, dolphins, turtles, over a hundred species of coral, octopus, crabs, squid, lobsters, gorgonias, lionfish, angelfish, parrotfish, grouper, seargent-major fish, ancient ship wrecks, cliff faces, caverns, coral reefs and much more.  
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