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Recent Pool and Open Water Dives 2005

Thanks you to all our customers in 2005 and we would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and we look forward to seeing you in 2006.

2005 - The Challenge

Our aim for 2005 was to offer a lot more club diving. We have already organised dive holidays to the Red Sea for May and Sept and will add more trips as required.

This year we dramatically increased our pool bookingsas we have been running far more courses and many of our students and club members have taken advantage of the opportunity to practise or refresh their skills in the pool.

In 2006 we have 4 trips to the Red Sea planned including Nuweiba in March, El Gouna in May, Sharm el Sheikh in July and El Quesir in September. We will also be organising several long weekends to Gozo, Malta and Spain.

If you have any suggestions for trips please email or call on 02085406874 and we will try and arrange it.

We look forward to meeting you.

Best wishes

Roger and Jane

Marsa Alam September 2005

Marsa Shagra, the house reef of the Kahramana Resort, was the perfect introduction to our week of diving. A generous entry area gives way to the reef which leads either north or south. Both directions are equally stunning.

We were taken out to the south side on a small rib (zodiac) and rolled off for a drift dive back into the bay. The coral gardens were so immense that we felt small in comparison. These huge banks of coral turned into a steeper wall before snaking into shore.. The corals were healthier than we have seen for awhile with large table corals and gorgonian fans. Picasso triggerfish were everywhere with their slash of colour across the face and they watched us as we passed. A large butterfly fish hung back cautiously.

Since diving in French Polynesia I have become addicted to seeing juvenile sharks on subsequent trips. On this dive I was not to be disappointed. I spotted a young black tip reef shark in the distance and fortunately it circled and came towards us. It was about 1.5 metres long and we watched it as it slunk through the coral on the 'prowl'. When we got nearer it darted away in fear disturbing a resting turtle.

Seeing a shark always adds a new dimension to a dive for me. They are mesmerising in their graceful movements as they patrol the reef with effortless sangfroid. A big fish to be admired and protected everywhere.

Jane

Poor Knight Islands January 2005

What better way to start 2005 than underwater in New Zealand's Poor Knights Marine Reserve. We were up bright and early on January 1st 2005 having gone to bed by 10pm the night before while the rest of the world partied!! At the marina in Tutukaka, north of Auckland, we met up with our crew for the day from Dive Tutukaka and on board we journeyed out to the Poor Knight Islands.

The weather was sunny but windy so a sheltered spot was chosen to anchor. The water was a beautiful deep blue and looked very inviting. After a thorough dive site briefing, Roger and I jumped in and as we descended we noticed vast areas of tall kelp that swayed gracefully in the gentle surge. The dive site was called Blue Maomao Arch and had a pretty swim through taking us into the arch. Some of the first creatures we noticed were the nudibranchs which were vivid colours, reds and blues. Black angelfish came up to our masks defiantly as they were protecting their eggs and wished us to 'move along, thank you very much'. Larger fish, Snapper and a large John Dory idly swam around us. We found the swim through and glided up to the arch which was indeed full of Blue Maomao in a huge shoal along with Spotted Demoiselles. We went back the way we came and out into the swaying kelp in search of buried treasure. In the briefing we were told by the boat captain that beneath the kelp on the sandy bottom we might see some bigger fish!

Swimming through the kelp our searching paid off. Two Carpet Sharks lay close together resting on the bottom. As they are nocturnal they gave us a wary eye, too tired and lazy to move. We admired their mottled appearance for awhile and left them to their well earned rest.

Close by a large long-tailed Stingray was also taking a break on the sand, the ray let us look at him for awhile as we slowly came closer until he raised his tail in warning and we left him in peace.

The second dive was at a site called the Magic Wall. This was a good opportunity to go slowly and see all the different corals and tiny fish that inhabited them. The colours were bright greens and yellows with large patches of anemones like a baby giants first attempt at painting and tiny blennies guarding there homes. Moray eels were draped over boulders and gaped as we swam by.

It was wonderful to dive in an environment so full of life, where 'marine reserve' status has allowed the fish to gather in plentiful numbers. The reef was healthy and it showed. As we did our safety stop on the last dive we watched two stingrays at least a metre wide gracefully glide past us. What an exhilarating way to begin the year.

- Roger and I dived with Dive Tutukaka. It was like going full circle for me, as six years ago I completed my first course, Discover Scuba Diving, with them at the Poor Knights. My instructor now manages the business.

Thanks to our boat captain, Jury Greenwood, and Divemaster Mark Elliott, for all their efforts.

**Do you eat fish? If so do you know where it comes from? As many commercial species are on the brink of population collapse due to over fishing, choose only fish that have come from a sustainable source.**

Updated :10/01/2006

Archives - 2004

LINKS :

http://scubadivinglondon.blogspot.com

http://wimbledondiver.tblog

http://divewimbledon.blogeasy.com

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