Top Dive Sites of the World (Anniversary Edition)

About this book

Fully revised and updated, this award-winning book vividly portrays the full spectrum of the diving experience. Its authors share the adrenaline rush of observing great white sharks in a feeding frenzy, the fascination of exploring a coral-encrusted wreck, the exhilaration of finding yourself enveloped by the 'wings' of a school of manta rays, and the enchantment of snorkelling over exquisitely coloured coral reefs.

Aimed at divers, photographers and all those lured by the hidden wonders of the seas, this magnificently illustrated book transverses the globe, focusing on 75 world-class dive sites in waters as diverse as the icy Northern Atlantic and the tropical seas of the Pacific. The locations range from remote unspoilt offshore reefs accessible from live-aboard cruisers, to well-frequented sites with popular resorts. The informative text describes the main features of each site, the quality and uniqueness of its marine life and notable attractions on land, as well as covering practicalities such as underwater visibility and site accessibility.

Contents

Map of the World 8 General Introduction 10 Caribbean Sea 12 Mexico (Yucatan Peninsula; Cozumel Island) 14 Cayman Islands (Stingray City; Bloody Bay Wall) 18 Cuba (Isle of Youth) 22 Bahamas (Dolphin Experience; White Sand Ridge; Shark Rodeo; Shark Wall & Arena) 26 Puerto Rico (Vieques and Culebra; Mona and Desecheo; South Coast) 30 Dutch Antilles (Klein Bonaire; Curacao Wreck) 34 Atlantic Ocean 38 Scotland (Scapa FLow) 40 Canary Islands (Tenerife; Gran Canaria; La Gomera; Las Palmas; Lanzarote) 44 Mediterranean Sea 48 Sardinia (Capo Testa-Capo Figari; Tavolara-Capo Ferrato; Capo Marargui-Capo Falcone) 50 Red Sea 56 Israel (Dolphin Reef) 58 Egypt (Ras Muhammad; Brothers Islands; Daedelus Reef; Thistlegorm Wreck; Rocky Islet) 62 Sudan (Umbria Wreck; Sha'b Rumi; Sanganeb) 70 Indian Ocean 76 South Africa (Sodwana Bay; Aliwal Shoal; Protea Banks) 78 Seychelles (L'llot; Whale Rocks; Brissare Rocks; Shark Bank; Ennerdale Wreck) 84 Maldives (Ari Atoll; Felidhu Atoll; Lhaviyani Atoll; Baa Atoll) 90 South & Western Australia (Dangerous Reef; Ningaloo Reef) 96 Indo-Pacific 102 Thailand (Koh Similan NP; Koh Surin NP; Phuket Day Trips) 104 Malaysia (Pulau Sipadan Marine Reserve) 110 Philippines (Tubbataha Reefs; Jessie Beazley Reef) 114 Indonesia (Pulau Siladen; Sachiko's Reef; Manado Tua 1; Raymond's Reef; Mandolin Reef; Fukui) 118 Pacific Ocean 122 Papua New Guinea (Milne Bay; Northern Islands; Eastern Fields) 124 Micronesia (Palau Archipelago; Truk Lagoon; Yap Island) 132 Melanesia (Fiji Islands; Solomon Islands) 140 Great Barrier Reef & Coral Sea (Cod Hole; Yongala Wreck; Pixie Pinnacle; Diamong Reef; Lihou Reef) 146 New Zealand (Poor Knights Islands) 152 Galapagos, Cocos & Malpelo Islands (Golden Triangle) 156 California (Catalina Island) 160 Index (including scientific names) 166 Acknowledgements 168

Customer Reviews

Biography

Consultant Jack Jackson is an advanced BS-AC diver who ran a sport diving operation and a diving boat in the Sudanese Red Sea for 12 years. He has written numerous articles and books on diving, including titles on Malaysia & Singapore, Philippines, Aruba, Bonaire & Curacao for New Holland's Globetrotter Dive Guide series. Top Dives Sites of the World features contributions from leading dive writers including Jack Jackson, Lawson Wood, Guy Buckles, Nick Hanna, Paul Naylor, Wade Doak, Fred Dembny, Jurgen Warnecke and Friedrich Naglschmid. Over 300 worldclass images were selected from the work of prize-winning photographers such as Lawson Wood, Mark Strickland, Jack Jackson, Patrick Wagner, Geoff Spiby, Peter Pinnock, Linda Pitkin, Danja Kohler, Kelvin Aitken, Rebecca Saunders and others, including the files of international photographic agencies.