Resort Diving

Updated August 6, 2022

This is the forty-third in a series of reviews of the best dive resort locations around the world.  In this post, the focus is San Diego, California, USA.

In addition to this series on dive resort locations, the best worldwide liveaboard dive locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards/Resorts on the menu at the top and choose a title from the list.

Have you ever been diving in San Diego before?  If so, I’d love to know about your experience.  What dive shop or liveaboard did you use?  Which dive spots are the best and what are the conditions there regarding the visibility, current, water temperature, sealife attractions, etc.?  Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.

Best Scuba Diving San Diego

Background

Situated just across the border from Mexico on the Pacific coastline, San Diego is known for its mild Mediterranean-like temperatures and arid climate.

This cosmopolitan city has a population of around 1.4 million citizens with 16% of Asian origin and more than 30% Hispanic and growing.

English is the national language, but with the large population of Spanish-speaking citizens and non-citizens, Spanish is widely spoken.

It has an interesting historical and cultural background and varied terrain of hills, mountains, and canyons with many areas left in a fairly wild state.

The thriving economy is based around defense, with military bases nearby, tourism, international trade, and research/manufacturing.

Undersea World

With its mild climate and year-round warm temperatures, San Diego is very inviting not only for its vast array of onshore delights but also for the fascinating offshore opportunities for divers of all levels.

Water temperatures are not extremely cold and there is a great variety of undersea terrain and diving environments from shallow protected coves, to canyons and deep shipwrecks.

San Diego-La Jolla has a 10-mile (16 km) long and 3 miles (4.8 km) wide underwater park extending to depths of 900 feet (270 meters).

La Jolla Cove has no fishing or boating and the benefit of two major reef-building drives in 1975 and 1979 when they dropped loads of quarry rocks in 70 feet (21 meters) of water creating a great habitat for wildlife and divers to enjoy.

Just out from La Jolla Cove is an eco-reserve where fishing and boating are not permitted.  Other attractions are the Scripps and La Jolla Canyons and the giant kelp off Point Loma.

Boat diving will take you to sites further off the La Jolla coast and down to the Coronado Islands for more diverse and intriguing environments and creatures.

This region has a great range of life that characterizes it from macro critters to colorful and unusual fish and invertebrates to larger fare including rays, sharks, and mammals.

The seascape includes a variety of plants and giant kelp, with sponges, gorgonians, and encrusting corals providing cover for macro life including crabs, spiny lobster, colorful starfish, salp chains, abalone, shrimps, urchins, gobies, scorpionfish, moray eels, and Garibaldi fish.  Other wildlife highlights are halibut, skates, sand bass, sheepsheads, barracuda, market squid schools, several species of stingray, flounder, sharks like soupfin, seven-gill, horn, leopard, angel, guitar, and blue (on occasion), with playful sea lions and harbor seals at many sights.

San Diego is where a lot of the technology of scuba diving was developed and today it offers state-of-the-art education, equipment, and dive services in the form of the many dive shops available.

There are sites suitable for absolute newbies and advanced technical divers to train out of the San Diego/La Jolla diving hub.

Seasons and Conditions

Diving is possible year-round with air temperature highs averaging 75°F in summer and 65°F in winter.

Water temperatures have a range of 59-72°F (15-22°C) on the surface and 50-56°F (10-13°C)  at depth. A 7mm wetsuit or a drysuit with hood and gloves is recommended for most of the year.

Surface chop is greater during winter, with the best visibility from July to January.

There is diving suitable for all levels.

For descriptions and reviews of the full range of gear suitable for cold water, please click here:

• Best Cold Water Scuba Diving Equipment

A Selection of the Best San Diego Dive Sites

La Jolla Shores: to 130 feet (40 meters) shore entry, the canyon begins at 45 feet (13 meters), hard corals, seagrass and kelp, many holes in the clay walls, lots of invertebrates, nudibranchs, pipefish, blennies, octopus, crabs,  jellyfish, salp chains, market squid, and bait balls, bat rays, angel, leopard and horn sharks in sandy flats on the canyon edge, all levels

La Jolla Cove: shore entry, rocky reefs starting at 10-20 feet (3-6 meters), part of the La Jolla Park Ecological Reserve, nutrient-rich water supporting kelp forests, kelp bass, sheepsheads, senoritas, sargo, opal eyes, Garibaldi fish, several species of schooling fish, various crabs, lobster, bat rays, seven gill and horn sharks, and harbor seals, all levels

Marine Room and Canyon: shore entry between La Jolla Cove and La Jolla Shores, the canyon starts at 25 feet (8 meters), with walls to 100 feet (30 meters), sand dollars in the sandy shallows, calico bass, Garibaldi fish, senoritas, blacksmiths, schools of bat rays, giant black sea bass, all levels

Wreck Alley – Several wrecks, all scuttled to create artificial reefs, and a fallen tower which have resulted in a rich habitat including white and strawberry anemones, moray eels, baitfish, lingcod, blacksmiths, and macro critters, require a boat to access

• Yukon: to 100 feet (30 meters), can reach at 75 feet (23 meters), 366 foot (112-meter) Canadian destroyer lying on the port side, entry/exit holes cut for safe access, gun turrets intact, surge and current possible, experienced level
• Ruby E: 85 feet (25 meters) maximum depth, can be reached at 60 feet (18 meters), 165-foot (49-meter) Coast Guard Cutter sunk in 1989, sitting upright, open bridge and wheelhouse, deep penetration more hazardous inside the deteriorating structure, lots of encrusting and invertebrate growth, strawberry anemones, nudibranchs, greenlings, blacksmiths, gobies, surfperch, scorpionfish, beginner to experienced level
• El Rey: 75 feet (22 meters) maximum depth, Kelco kelp cutter, smaller boat, sunk in 1987, degraded, lots of invertebrate life, all levels
• NOSC Tower (Naval Ocean Systems Tower): 35-65 feet (10-19 meters), built in 1959, knocked down by El Nino storm in 1988, originally 40 x 40 feet (12 x 12 meters), 100 feet (30 meters) tall, all levels

Point Loma: to 100 feet (30 meters), boat access, big boulders, walls, overhangs, kelp forests, along 6 miles (9.6 km) of coastline, can be divided into many dive sites, full exposure to ocean currents and colder water bring many nutrients, a wide range of life, colorful gorgonians, sponges and  tunicates, treefish, bass, kelpfish, Garibaldi fish, nudibranchs, lobster, moray eels, all levels

Coronado Islands: day trip boat diving, 15 miles (24 km) from San Diego, 6 miles (9.5 km) from the Mexican shoreline, 3 areas – North Island, Middle Group, and the South Island, most sites have open ocean currents, purple hydrocorals, kelp forests, rocky reefs, caverns, a new shipwreck, lobsters, huge moray eels, giant sea bass, rockfish, horned sharks, sea lions, elephant seals, harbor seals, due to currents, experienced level

San Diego Photos

With the interesting underwater terrain, giant kelp, macro life, wrecks, rays, a variety of sharks, colorful reef fish, sea lions, and harbor seals, and fascinating city life, scenic landscapes, and historical onshore targets, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:

• Best Underwater Cameras Compared and Reviewed

San Diego Hotels, Resorts, Transportation, and Dive Shops

Transportation

San Diego International Airport handles international and domestic flights from every direction.  A wide range of land transportation available includes car rental, taxis, town cars, limos, shuttles, trolleys, buses, waterfront shuttles, pedicabs, and trains for trips to other California cities and regions.

Dive Shops

There are at least 30 full-service dive shops in San Diego, the bulk in La Jolla or nearby. They offer a full range of services including equipment rental, dive courses, guiding, day trips, and cruises year-round.

Lodging

Hundreds of resorts, hotels, and hostels are available in San Diego from $25 to $767 per night.  The website linked below is a good source for the available options and can arrange the booking.  Their rates are the lowest and it is free to cancel or change dates.

• San Diego Hotels Resorts

San Diego Things to Do (aside from scuba diving)

The San Diego area is exceptionally rich in fun activities to check out.  Here is a short list of attractions, places to go, and things to do:  beaches, seaside activities, Belmont Amusement Park, San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, Old Town, various historic sites reflecting the Spanish and Mexican influence, Mission San Diego de Alcala, San Diego State Historic Park, site seeing tours and cruises, sport fishing, whale watching, aquariums, Sea World, USS Midway tours, rock climbing, hill climbing, and trekking, pro sports events, shopping, nightlife, and beer tasting.  This is actually a pretty pitiful list when compared with the huge range of possibilities.  Take a look at the video below for an audio-visual taste of the options.

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers a quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Feedback and Comments

I hope you found this post on San Diego scuba diving interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  I’d love to know of any experience you have diving there.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

Updated November 18, 2022

This is the fifty-ninth in a series of reviews of the best dive resort locations worldwide.  In this post, the focus is Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines.

In addition to this series on dive resort locations, the best worldwide liveaboard dive locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards/Resorts on the menu at the top and choose a title from the list.

Have you ever been diving in Puerto Princesa before?  If so, I’d love to know about your experience.  What dive shop or liveaboard did you use?  Which dive spots are the best and what are the conditions there regarding the visibility, current, water temperature, sealife attractions, etc.?  Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.

Best Puerto Princesa Scuba Diving

Background

Puerto Princesa is the capital of Palawan Province and is the westernmost city in the Philippines.  It is the least densely populated city in the country with a population of less than 260,000.

Palawan is situated between the South China Sea to the west and the Sulu Sea to the east, 306 miles (567 kilometers) from Manila.  It is a friendly city that has been acclaimed as “Clean and Green” with eco-tourism an important part of the economy.

The island has rich biodiversity and scenic wonders from tip to tip.  Beautiful beaches, endemic wildlife, and until recently, completely isolated human civilizations are claims to fame.

Puerto Princesa is known as the gateway to the UNESCO underground river system in Sabang and great diving at the Tubbataha Reefs and other beach and diving destinations moving northward along the island, like Port Barton, San Vicente, Taytay Bay, El Nido, and Coron at the far north end.

Palawan Map

Undersea World

The coral reef around Puerto Princesa pales when compared to its nearby neighbor, Tubbataha Reef.  I guess just about every place does.  The corals are not as pristine, rich, or diverse.  However, the sites are easily accessible without having to spend thousands of dollars on a liveaboard and there is some pretty interesting stuff to be seen.

There are walls and pinnacles, rocky reef areas interspersed with sand, grass, and coral heads with a good variety of soft and hard corals, sponges, tunicates, and other encrusting life. Chances are you will see some very unusual and intriguing macro critters like gobies, blennies, scorpionfish, lionfish, frogfish, nudibranchs, octopus, crabs, shrimp, squid, and many more, not to mention a lot of colorful reef fish including triggerfish, cardinalfish, butterflyfish, surgeonfish, yellowback fusiliers, snappers, sweetlips, angelfish and batfish.

Many sites have big sea fans and the ones just outside Puerto Princesa Bay often have significant exciting drift making for excellent feeding opportunities for schooling barracuda, jacks and tuna, manta rays, reef sharks, and even whale sharks.  In addition in the grassy areas, there is a decent chance you will see a dugong, something you won’t find on Tubbataha.  Turtles are prevalent in all areas.

For other posts about Philippines diving, please click on these:

• Scuba Diving Romblon Philippines
• Scuba Diving Camiguin Philippines Review
• Scuba Diving Siquijor Island Philippines Review
• Scuba Diving Dumaguete Philippines Review
• Best Diving Philippines Visayas Liveaboards
• Philippines Moalboal Scuba Diving Review
• Best Liveaboard Scuba Diving Philippines (Malapascua and the Visayas)
• Best Diving Bohol Philippines – Panglao Island Resorts
• Best Liveaboard Diving – Tubbataha Reefs National Park
• Best Coron Wrecks & Apo Reef Liveaboards
• Best Scuba Diving Philippines Subic Bay Wrecks 
• Best Scuba Diving Puerto Galera Philippines
• Best Scuba Diving Holidays Boracay Philippines
• Best Scuba Diving Philippines Sogod Bay
• Philippines Best Diving Mactan Island
• Best Philippines Diving Bacuit Bay El Nido
• Best Scuba Diving Reviews Anda Bohol
• Best Diving Philippines Anilao Batangas
• Best Scuba Diving Resorts Malapascua

Seasons and Conditions

It is possible to dive year-round in Puerto Princesa, however during the wet season visibility can be compromised.

The rainy season runs from June to December with the driest time from February to May.

It is always warm with average daily highs running from 31-33°C (87.8-91.4°F).

The water temperature stays in a range from 26-30°C (78.8-86°F).  Most people need no thicker than a 3 mm wetsuit when the water is at its coolest.

Visibility can reach lows in the rainy season of 5 meters (16 feet) to highs of 35 meters (115 feet).

At times current can be strong at some of the sites.

There is diving suitable for all levels and lots of snorkeling areas.

A number of dive shops operate in Puerto that provide a full range of dive courses, equipment rental, and guiding around Puerto Princesa Bay and Honda Bay.  Several of them can help you organize trips to more distant sites including Tubbataha during that season from March to June.

A Sampling of Puerto Princesa Dive Sites

White Beach and Red Cliff (two sites): inside Puerto Princesa Bay, slopes  and drop-offs starting at 7 meters (23 feet), easy conditions for training, a good coral site with lots of reef fish, turtles, and rays in the soft coral areas, the possibility of manta rays, whale and hammerhead sharks, Red Cliff has a muddy area good for muck diving for macro critters, all levels

Cuttlefish Shawl: 20 meters (68 feet), reef fish including angelfish, cuttlefish, barracuda, turtles, reef sharks, occasional dugongs, all levels

Lighthouse:  sandy area with interspersed corals starts at 12 meters (40 feet) and continues to 30 meters (100 feet), caverns, multicolored sea fans, sea pens, nudibranchs, frogfish, schooling reef fish, reef sharks and rays, strong current possible, experienced level

Mares Rock: 34 meters (115 feet) maximum depth, in the mouth of Puerto Princesa Bay, sloping reef, macro critters like crustaceans, octopus, nudibranchs, schooling jacks, and barracuda, tuna, turtles, strong current possible, experienced level

Crossing: 4-26 meters (12-85 feet), sand, grass, and corals, good macro life, nudibranchs, moray eels, scorpionfish, frogfish, triggerfish, a variety of reef tropicals, turtles, strong current possible, good drift dive, experienced level

Putol Na Ilog: reef top at 9 meters (30 feet), descends to 30 meters (100 feet), grassy top, possible dugongs feeding, coral on slopes, huge sea fans, macro life, schooling reef fish, blue triggerfish, jacks, rays, reef sharks, strong currents possible, experienced level

Pete’s Reef, Galo’s Wall, Tablehead (3 sites):  all south of Puerto Princesa Bay, Pete’s reef is a shoal cresting at  21 meters (70 feet), coral patches, big barrel sponges, rich reef life, eels, rays, big schools of barracuda and jacks, strong currents possible, experienced level

Honda Bay, to the north of Puerto Princesa Bay, also has a number of sites at Pandan Island, Arreceffi Island, Panglima Reef, Helen’s Garden, Henry’s Reef, and others all accessible within an hour by boat.

Puerto Princesa Photos

With the interesting underwater terrain, colorful anemones, sponges, corals, encrusting invertebrates, nudibranchs, crabs, octopus, squid, and other macro critters, schools of fish, turtles, sharks, and fascinating scenery and historical sites on land, as well, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:

• Best Underwater Cameras Compared and Reviewed

Puerto Princesa Transportation, Dive Shops, and Lodging

Transportation

Puerto Princesa International Airport has daily connecting flights from other cities in the Philippines including Manila, Cebu, and Iloilo.

Taxi and transfer service from the airport is available to take you to your hotel or anywhere around Puerto Princesa.

Tricycles (motorbikes with a sidecar) can transport you around the city and car rental is also available.

Dive Shops & Lodging

A number of dive shops operate in the Puerto Princesa area year-round that provide a full range of services including equipment rental, dive courses, guiding, and boat dive cruises.

There are at least 184 accommodations of every level available from $3 to $557 per night.  The website linked below is a good source for the available options and can arrange a booking.  Their rates are the lowest and it is free to cancel or change dates.

• Puerto Princessa Resorts

Things to Do in Puerto Princesa (aside from scuba diving)

Tourists to Puerto typically are interested in seaside activities and a number of other fascinating excursions to do some sightseeing and get some excitement, as well.  Here is a list of some of the options:  float trip into the underground river, visit the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center, ride a zip line or explore a cave at Ugong Rock, get out your camera for the hilltop views at Mitra’s Ranch, go for a Puerto Princesa city bay walk, tour the Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village, watch some fireflies at Iwahig, tour the Palawan Heritage Center Museum, retrace some history at Plaza Cuartel Park (WW-II penal colony for US prisoners of the Japanese), go for a dolphin-watching cruise, enjoy the sun and sea at the various beaches including Sabang . . . . . .   Check out the video below for a glimpse of life in Puerto Princesa and a few additional ideas.

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Feedback and Comments

I hope you found this post on Puerto Princesa scuba diving interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  I’d love to know of any experience you have diving there.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

This photo of Ushuaia Divers is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Updated August 6, 2022

This is the one hundred and eighty-ninth in a series of reviews of the best diving destinations around the world.  In this post, the focus is on Ushuaia, Argentina. In addition to this series on diving destinations, the best worldwide liveaboard diving locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards/Resorts on the menu at the top and choose a title from the list.

Have you ever been scuba diving in Ushuaia before?  If so, I’d love to know about your experience.  What dive shop or liveaboard did you use?  Which dive spots are the best and what are the conditions there regarding the visibility, current, water temperature, sealife attractions, etc.?  Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.

Scuba Diving in Argentina Ushuaia

Background

Often called the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia is the capital and largest city in Argentine Tierra del Fuego.

Situated with the Martial Mountains to the north and a bay in Beagle Channel to the south, Ushuaia means Deep Bay in the language spoken by the Yaghan (or Yamana) people who were there when westerners arrived in the 19^th century.

Established as a town in 1884, it has served as a missionary outpost, penal colony, camp for 1880s gold prospectors, and as an Argentine naval base.

With a population of around 60,000 today, the economy is driven by fishing, natural gas and oil, electronics, and eco-tourism.  It caters to cruise liners and attracts skiers, outdoorsmen, and water sports aficionados.  There are bars, restaurants, and casinos, and the most popular sports are ice hockey and football.

For further demographic, cultural, and historical information, please check Wikipedia-Ushuaia.

Undersea World

The scuba diving from Ushuaia is typically reached within an hour by boat or from shore using trucks for access.

The subsea terrain is a mixed one of rocks, slopes, walls, tunnels, and caverns with an array of sponges, tunicates, and other encrusting invertebrates to go with many plant varieties and massive kelp forests.  Crustaceans in the form of arrow crabs, King crabs, decorator crabs, small crayfish, and many others are the dominant attractions that will delight macro photographers.  There are also several octopus and nudibranch species, mussels, a variety of small fish, and sea lions frolicking in several locations.

Most sites are at less than 23 meters (75 feet), the visibility is pretty good, and there are a number of wrecks to explore.

Seasons and Conditions

Diving is possible all year in the Ushuaia/Beagle Channel area.

• Air temperature average daily highs range from 14°C (58°F) in January and February to 4°C (40°F) in July and August.
• The water temperature hits highs of 8-10°C (46-50°F) in summer and lows of 2-4°C (36-39°F) in winter.  Divers should plan on using a drysuit with a hood and gloves all year.
• Precipitation happens 14-17 days a month but it only totals 537 mm (21.14 inches) per year in Ushuaia, so it is not a major factor in Beagle Channel.  On the outer islands southwest winds can make surface conditions very rough and the precipitation there can be nearly triple that amount.
• Currents are often minimal inside in Beagle Channel but can be strong based on wind and weather.  Winds are generally stronger in summer increasing surface chop.
• Visibility is considered pretty good generally ranging from 7-20 meters (23-68 feet), with the worst during plankton blooms and increased winds in summer.

There are sites suitable for all levels of divers if squared away in drysuit use.  There is one primary dive shop in Ushuaia that has been in operation for years, Ushuaia Divers, that can arrange refresher training for drysuits and has the necessary equipment for rent.  They do shore diving based on travel by 4×4 truck and guided cruises on a 28-foot dive boat within Beagle Channel.

For information on cold water scuba gear, please check my post:

• Best Cold Water Scuba Diving Equipment

Argentina Liveaboards

No liveaboard yachts currently cruise Tierra del Fuego.  There are two excellent vessels doing scuba diving safaris to relatively nearby Antarctica.  Please check out my review and links to the boats below:

• Scuba Diving Antarctica & the Arctic Liveaboards  

MV Plancius, Antarctica Liveaboard Diving – Check the Price & Details

Ortelius, Antarctica Liveaboard Diving – Check the Price & Details

Selected Ushuaia Dive Sites

Estancia Tunel: 23 meters (75 feet), 30-minute boat ride to the east to an old farm, site has a small wall running off a pebble beach to 10 meters (33 feet), plateaus and then drops-off again to the maximum depth, highlights are a colorful kelp forest, macro critters in the nooks and crannies, and sea lions which are often there, suitable for all levels

Isla de Los Lobos: 23 meters (75 feet), one-hour boat ride to the popular seal colony next to Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, surrounded by a large kelp forest with frolicking juveniles mixing it up with the divers, suitable for all levels

Bahia Ensenada: shallow, shore entry from the roads of Tierra del Fuego National Park, lots of macro critters including octopus, good night dive, suitable for all levels

Puerto Cucharita: 35 meters (115 feet), a 20-minute boat ride from Bahia Ensenada, near the National Park, a stair-stepped wall covered in dense kelp growth, rich marine life, suitable for experienced levels

Islas Bridges: 18 meters (60 feet), 20 minutes away by boat, two small islands connected by an isthmus, a wall covered in kelp with many macro critters that are a big attraction on night dives, suitable for all levels

Isla Estorbo: 12 meters (40 feet), a short boat trip from Bahia Ensenada, sloping wall on the northeast side, lots of small fish, kelp, and octopus, good night dive, suitable for all levels

Mañana Wreck: 12 meters (40 feet) maximum depth, near the airport at the tip of the peninsula, wooden boat that went aground, cockpit, masts, and stern are visible, encrusted with tunicates, sponges, and kelp, small fish and crabs are in the nooks and crannies, suitable for all levels

Sarmiento Wreck: near Almanza on the eastern side of Beagle Channel, requires an early morning start, steel steamer that ran aground, much remains above the surface, shore access, penetration possible into many chambers, lots of kelp all around, suitable for all levels

Ushuaia Lodging, Transportation, and Dive Shops

Transportation

• Air – Ushuaia-Malvinas Argentinas International Airport (USH) located 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from Ushuaia city center has daily connections to Buenos Aires and Santiago.  A reasonably priced taxi service is available for the 10-minute ride to town.
• Cruise Ships often stop in Ushuaia.
• Bus service and driving are both options for getting in but involve long journeys from all departure points.
• City Buses are available for trips around town at very reasonable rates but do not travel to most of the popular tourist destinations.
• Tours to many of the main attractions can be booked through the Tourist Office on San Martin or through many of the hotels.
• Minivans to a number of popular sites can be arranged.  Ask for details at your hotel.
• Metered Taxis are considered trustworthy and high priced by local standards but reasonably priced by international standards.
• Cars and bicycles are both available to rent from several agencies.

For further details on transportation and tourist information, please check Wikivoyage-Ushuaia.

Lodging and Dive Shops

There is one reliable established dive shop in Ushuaia, Ushuaia Divers, that can arrange diving services, equipment rental, and guiding.  The dozen or more lodging options in Ushuaia range from $18 to $148 per night.  The website linked below has the details and can arrange the booking for accommodations.  You can easily find the location on the map provided on this site.  Their rates are guaranteed to be the lowest and it is free to cancel or change dates.

• Ushuaia Lodging

Things to do in Ushuaia (aside from scuba diving)

The “last city in the world” is surrounded by scenic beauty with numerous historic and cultural sights and activities to go along with outdoor attractions.  Here are a few to consider:

Parc Nacional Tierra del Fuego, Beagle Channel Cruises, Dog Sledding, Canoeing or Kayaking, Estancia Harburton, Cerro Caster Ski Resort, End of the World Lighthouse, Bus Tours, 4×4 Tours, Museo Maritimo, Isla Martillo, Craft Beer, Seafood, Lamb, & Local Cuisine, Laguna Esmeralda Trekking, Tren del Fin del Mundo, Glacier Martial, Lago Escondido, Lago Fagnano, Bahia Lapataia, Galeria Tematica Historia Fuegina, Paseo de Los Artesanos, Museo Mundo Yamana, Mastil de General Belgrano, Ushuaia Golf Club, Casinos.

This short video is a nice taste of what is on offer in Ushuaia/Tierra del Fuego.

Photography in Ushuaia, Argentina

With the interesting undersea terrain, giant kelp, plants, variety of crabs, fish, octopus, sea lions, scenic shoreline, and city sights, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:

• Best Underwater Cameras Compared and Reviewed
• Best Waterproof Cameras

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Feedback and Comments

I hope you found this post on scuba diving in Ushuaia, Argentina interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  I’d love to know of any experience you have.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

Updated September 9, 2022

This is the one hundred and thirtieth in a series of reviews of the best dive resort locations around the world.  In this post, the focus is on Cabo Pulmo, Mexico. In addition to this series on dive resort locations, the best worldwide liveaboard diving locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards/Resorts on the menu at the top and choose a title from the list.

Have you been diving in Cabo Pulmo before?  If so, I’d love to know about your experience.  What dive shop or liveaboard did you use?  Which dive spots are the best and what are the conditions there regarding the visibility, current, water temperature, sealife attractions, etc.?  Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.

Cabo Pulmo National Park Diving Review

Background

Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park is situated on the east coast of the southern tip of Baja California 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of Cabo San Lucas, the more famous tourist destination.  Established as a national park in 1995, it has also been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2005) and has the largest living coral reef on the Pacific side of North America.

Prior to becoming a protected national park, the seas were seriously overfished.  In the first decade of this millennium, surveyors determined that biomass increased by 400%.  You could say the park is a big win for environmentalists, Mexico, and the world.    Today there are massive schools of fish and spectacular megafauna.

With only 150 residents, a few restaurants, lodging options, campgrounds, and dive shops, it is a relaxed natural vacation and diving destination.

This article (Wikipedia – Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park) has more history and information regarding Cabo Pulmo.

Undersea World

The subsea topography is made up of massive rock ridges or fingers running parallel to the shoreline covered in a reef of hard and soft corals, gorgonians, sponges, and other invertebrates.  A sort of C-shaped indentation that is not quite a bay forms a protected area where current is minimal.  Outside of the C, the current is often present and can get strong.

More than 10 sites including two shipwrecks are nearby with some accessible from shore.

There are a fair number of macro critters making the rocky reef their home including lobster, shrimps, nudibranchs, moray eels, and octopus.

Massive schools of jacks, snapper, goatfish, porkfish, reef tropicals, and bait balls move through all levels and around outcrops.

From December through March humpback and grey whales, and Mobula rays are often spotted.  August to November is the season for whale sharks.

Other highlights are large masses of grouper, bull sharks, green, leatherback, and hawksbill turtles, the occasional manta ray, cow-nosed rays, eagle rays, stingrays, bullseye rays, sea lions, dolphins, and garden eels.

At times the volume of fish is miraculous and it’s no wonder it was such a popular fishing area prior to becoming a protected marine park.

For my reviews of the diving in several other great Baja destinations and the Socorro Islands, please check these popular articles:

• Socorro Islands Scuba Diving Liveaboards
• Scuba Diving the Sea of Cortez Midriff Islands Liveaboards
• Scuba Diving in Loreto Mexico
• Scuba Diving La Paz Mexico
• Scuba Diving Cabo San Lucas Mexico

Seasons and Conditions

Diving is good all year in Cabo Pulmo.

• Average daily air temperature highs reach 34°C (93°F) in August and dip to 25°C (77°F) in January.
• Water temperature can get to lows of 19°C (66°F) in January and potential highs of 29°C (84°F) in July meaning that a 5-7mm wetsuit with a hood and gloves may be needed when the water is at the coldest.
• The climate is very dry with a rainier season from August through October.
• Visibility runs from 6 to 30 meters (20 to 100 feet) with the plankton bloom in the winter moving it toward the bottom of the range.  Most of the year visibility is 15 meters (50 feet) or better.
• Inside the “C” currents are generally mild to nonexistent.  Outside there is often a current that can get strong.  In the winter increased winds can make surface conditions rough.

Cabo Pulmo has sites and conditions suitable for all levels of divers.  Several dive shops are in the park offering the full range of diving coursework, equipment rental, guiding, and boat cruises.  Dive shops in Cabo San Lucas and San Jose will also do day trips to Cabo Pulmo

Mexican Liveaboard Diving

There are a number of great premium service liveaboard yachts cruising the Cabo Pulmo area.  Here is my review on Baja California liveaboards and links to several of the liveaboard vessels diving around or near Cabo Pulmo:

• Socorro Island, Sea of Cortez & Guadalupe Island Shark Diving

Quino el Guardian – Check the Price

MV Valentina – Check the Price

Rocio Del Mar – Check the Price

 

Nautilus Gallant Lady – Check the Price

 

Selected Cabo Pulmo Dive Sites

El Bajo: 15 meters (50 feet), 800-meter (half a mile) long reef that is 20-30 meters (68-100 feet) wide, highlights are lots of reef tropicals, turtles, garden eels, moray eels, leopard groupers, schools of pufferfish (believe it or not), several species of schooling snappers, porkfish, and grunts, in winter are thousands of Mobula rays, stingrays, guitarfish, huge schools of jacks, and, humpback whales, and whale sharks come in the fall, suitable for all levels of diver

Los Morros: 15 meters (50 feet), just north of El Bajo, patches of reef with sandy bottom in between, garden eels, swarms of jacks, many groupers including the Goliath grouper, king angelfish, schools of snapper, bumphead parrotfish, green moray eels, goatfish, strong currents possible, suitable for experienced level divers

El Cantil: 6-15 meters (20-50 feet), many nooks and crannies, tunnels, canyons, and caverns, rich corals in the shallow areas, moray eels, nudibranchs, urchins, wrasses, parrotfish, snappers, grunts, goatfish, big groupers, jacks, amberjacks, and reef sharks, strong current is possible, suitable for all levels of diver

El Vencedor Wreck: 15 meters (50 feet), 27-meter (90-foot) tuna trawler sunk in 1978 after running into the reef, hull has collapsed, holds, rigging, nets, and other superstructure is on the sand bottom, schools of pufferfish, big moray eels, garden eels, sardine balls in the fall, resident schools of grunts and snapper, and bull sharks, current is possible, suitable for all levels of diver

La Esperanza: 21 meters (70 feet), less coral, rocky outcrops, highlights include amberjacks, bull jacks, tuna, dog snappers, lots of small reef fish, less current than the outer sites, suitable for experienced divers

Mario’s Reef: 30 meters (100 feet), corals not as rich at that depth, fish highlights include big grouper, dog snapper, bull and nurse sharks, strong current possible, suitable for experienced level divers

El Islote: 18 meters (60 feet), small rocky island, rich in hard corals and sea fans, has a wall to a bottom of boulders at 18 meters (60 feet), many nooks and crannies for lobster, crabs, sea spiders, scorpionfish, and other macro critters, balls of sardines followed by snapper, grouper, pompano, and other pelagics, and hawksbill turtles, suitable for experienced level divers

Sea Lion Colony (Frailes Rock): 3-18 meters (10-60 feet), rocky bottom moving out from shore, several dozen sea lions live here, juveniles follow and interact with divers, lots of fish including surgeonfish and reef tropicals, with eagle rays, mackerel, tuna, dorado, wahoo, big grouper, and Cabrilla sometimes sighted, suitable for all levels of diver

Things to Do in Cabo Pulmo (aside from scuba diving)

As a marine park with only 150 residents, Cabo Pulmo is a fairly low-key vacation spot.  There are only a few restaurants and stores but the outdoor activities are more than enough.  Snorkeling, kayaking, beachcombing, camping, mountain biking, and trekking are all favorites if diving isn’t enough for you.  Outside the marine park boundaries, the fishing is good, as well.  If you are looking for a night on the town you can head over to San Jose or Cabo San Lucas.

Cabo Pulmo Transportation, Hotels, & Diving Services

Transportation

• Air – Flight to Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) is the most convenient means of transit for most to Cabo Pulmo.  International flights use Terminal 1 and domestic, air taxis, and private charters use Terminal 2.  The airport is 30-45 minutes from Cabo San Lucas and around 10 minutes from San Jose.  Buses, airport shuttles, and taxis are available to take you to those locations.  If your housing destination is La Ribera, a relatively short distance from the marine park, a private transport service is available at the airport for the 30-minute trip.
• Rental Cars and Private Transportation Services are the most convenient ways to get you and your gear and baggage from Cabo San Lucas or San Jose to the Marine Park, both available in town or at the airport.

Hotels and Diving

In Cabo Pulmo accommodation consists of several campsites, some basic housing, and a few better quality rooms.  There are more than a hundred lodging options in San Jose from $34 and seven at last count in La Ribera starting at $55 per night.

Several dive shops in Cabo Pulmo are in operation offering a full range of services that include equipment rental, diving certification classes, dive guides, and boat tours.

Dive shops in San Jose and Cabo San Lucas also make land-based day trips to the Cabo Pulmo Marine Park.

The website linked below has the details and can arrange a booking for the lodging in San Jose and La Ribera.  You can easily find the location on the map provided on their site.  The rates are guaranteed to be the lowest and it is free to cancel or change dates.

• San Jose del Cabo Lodging
• La Ribera Lodging

Photography in Cabo Pulmo

With the colorful coral reefs, a variety of reef tropicals, macro critters, bull sharks, rays, pelagics, sea lions, whales, and scenic shoreside targets, as well, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:

• Best Underwater Cameras Compared and Reviewed
• Best Waterproof Cameras

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and give scuba divers quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Feedback and Comments

I hope you found this post on Cabo Pulmo scuba diving interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  I’d love to know of any experience you have.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

Updated August 7, 2022

This is the one hundred and fourteenth in a series of reviews of the best dive resort locations around the world.  In this post, the focus is on Hurghada, Egypt. In addition to this series on dive resort locations, the best worldwide liveaboard diving locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards/Resorts on the menu at the top and choose a title from the list.

Have you been diving in Hurghada before?  If so, I’d love to know about your experience.  What dive shop or liveaboard did you use?  Which dive spots are the best and what are the conditions there regarding the visibility, current, water temperature, sealife attractions, etc.?  Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.

Scuba Diving Hurghada Egypt

Background

Hurghada is a city of 262,000 located on the west coast of the Red Sea outside of the Gulf of Suez about a 7-hour drive from Cairo.  Founded in the early 20^th century as a simple village, it became a resort area in the 1980s.  With its dry sunny climate, beautiful seacoast, and proximity to Luxor and Nile valley sites, it has developed into the most visited tourist destination in the country.

Undersea World

There are plenty of intriguing local dive sites near Hurghada that are quite attractive and suitable, especially for beginner and less experienced divers.

The reefs just offshore and around Giftun Islands, where there is a marine park, have beautiful rich reefs with a nice variety of hard and soft corals, sponges, and other invertebrates with reef tropicals and macro life typical of Red Sea sites.  Highlights include morays, scorpionfish, octopus, schools of snapper, fusiliers, surgeonfish, jacks, and barracuda, Maori wrasse, turtles, reef sharks, and blue-spotted stingrays.  There is even a location where dolphin encounters are the norm and several wrecks are nearby as well.

Within day-trip range to the north are the Shadwin and Gubal Islands with the 5 Abu Nuhas wrecks.

Hurghada is considered a gateway for liveaboards further north and to the south as far as the southern Red Sea and Sudan.

Seasons and Conditions

Diving is a year-round activity in Hurghada. There are two high seasons for tourism, one in March-May and the other in September-November when it can be quite busy onshore and at the dive sites.  Offseason it will be a little less hectic.

• Air temperature varies significantly throughout the year with daily average highs of 36°C (97°F) in July and August which fall to 21°C (70°F) in January.
• Water temperature follows the air temperature fairly closely with highs in July-September of 28°C (82°F) and lows in February of 21°C (70°F).  The rest of the year it is somewhere between the two extremes.  A 7mm wetsuit with hood and gloves will suit many divers when the water is at its coolest.
• This is a desert area that is dry all year with no rain at all from May through September.
• Currents are often mild but can be strong on some sites for some exhilarating drift diving.
• Visibility is usually in the 21-30 meter (70-100 foot) range all year.  It is possible to find it as good as 60 meters (200 feet) on some sites.

There are sites suitable for all levels of diver. The 100 or more dive shops, many in hotels, offer a full range of diving coursework, equipment rental, guiding, and boat cruises.  Day trips can be arranged to more distant locations.

Hurghada Liveaboard Diving

There are a number of liveaboard yachts directly cruising the Hurghada area and to other top sites to the north and south in the Red Sea.  Here is my review of them and some links to top vessels:

• Best Red Sea Liveaboards – Reviewed and Compared

MY Excellence, Red Sea Liveaboard Diving – Check the Price

MS Royal Evolution, Red Sea Liveaboard Diving – Check the Price

MY Emperor Elite, Red Sea Liveaboard Diving – Check the Price

Selected Hurghada Dive Sites

Abu Nuhas Wrecks (Kimon M, Giannis D, Chrisoula K, Carnatic): 5 wrecks, 4 in recreational range at 5-32 meters (16-105 feet), 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Hurghada, strong currents and choppy surface are possible, different types of ships in good condition, rich marine life, dolphins are possible, suitable for all levels of diver (check out the video below)

Shaab El Erg Dolphin Reef: shallow reef site without any spectacular corals, good site for a check-out dive or to snorkel or dive with bottle-nose dolphins that are likely to be there

Carless Reef: northeast of Big Giftun Island, coral shoal topping at 15-18 meters (50-60 feet) with 2 large pinnacles projecting from them up to around 5 meters (16 feet), from the edge of the shoal the reef falls to 40 meters (130 feet) or more, rich reef with coral bommies, brain and acropora corals, big gorgonians and black coral trees, clouds of reef tropicals, moray eels, jacks, tuna, barracuda, and whitetip reef sharks, sailfish are possible along with a frequently appearing tiger shark, strong currents are possible, suitable for experienced divers

Small Giftun Island: smaller of 2 islands in Giftun National Park, several sites, it has a nice drift dive on a site with a wall, pinnacles, cracks, crevices, shelves, overhangs, caves, and a couple of plateaus, rich sections of fan corals, and a variety of hard and soft corals, nutrient-rich area attracts pelagics including tuna and trevallies, schools of fusiliers, barracuda, Napoleon wrasse, hawksbill turtles, lots of macro life in the nooks and crannies includes cuttlefish, squid, lobster,  sole, Spanish dancers, with the current suitable for experienced divers

Rosalie Moller: 50 meters (164 feet), off Gubal Island to the north, 110-meter (361-foot) coal ship bombed by German aircraft in 1940, the main deck is accessible at 32 meters (105 feet), lots of penetration possibilities, big schools of fish including cardinalfish, fusiliers, glassfish, and yellowtail barracuda, several grouper, and feeding trevallies and tuna, suitable for technical divers

Things to Do in Hurghada (aside from scuba diving)

Not only does Hurghada offer great seaside activities, but there are also wonderful cultural and historical aspects to enjoy, and a lot of fun classical vacation activities, as well.  Here are some special attractions in Hurghada:  Dolphins at Mahmya Island, Makadi Water World, Parasailing, Cruising the Resort Strip, Hurghada Aquarium, St. Anthony & St. Paul Monasteries, Sahara Park Jeep Expedition, a Camel Ride, Astronomical Night Tour, Bedouin Dinner Tour, Abdulmoneim Riadh Mosque, Church of St. Mary, Bedouin Barbecue, Stroll Maina Boulevard, 1001 Arabian Nights Show, Abu Tig Marina, Desert Safari to Hurghada Desert, Eastern Arabian Desert Stroll, Horseback Riding, and Shopping at Senzo Mall.

Hurghada has a relaxed view of alcohol and nightlife with a large number of clubs, bars, discos, and restaurants serving alcohol.  Practically every major hotel has a disco and there are more than a few beach bars.

This video gives you a glimpse of some of the attractions and life in Hurghada.

Hurghada Transportation, Hotels, and Diving Services

Transportation

• Air – Hurghada International Airport (HRG) handles direct flights from around Europe, the Middle East, and many locations outside of Europe, as well.  There are also flights that link frequently to Cairo, and daily to Alexandria, Luxor and Aswan, and Sharm el-Sheikh.
• Bus – Frequent buses run between Hurghada and Cairo, Alexandria, Quena and Luxor, and Aswan.  The pricing is reasonable and the journey takes from 4-10 hours depending on the proximity of the location.
• Long Distance Taxi (Servee) – These run from the Hurghada bus station on El Hegaz Street to all major cities in the country for a negotiated price.
• Micro Bus – These run along a fixed route at a fixed price and will stop on demand along the way.
• Taxis – Local taxis are numerous.  They charge a price for travel within a district.  The fee increases when you move to another district.  Drivers will play all sorts of games to get your money.  Agree on a price before departure and pay exactly the agreed-upon amount.
• Uber and Careem – These are ride-sharing services that are not allowed in some locations like right in front of the bus station.  You will have less hassle in payment than with standard taxis.

For more complete details on tourist information, please go here:  Wikivoyage – Hurghada

Hotels and Diving

Lodging options in Hurghada start at $6 and run to $450 per night.  There are more than 100 dive shops in operation, many in or associated with hotels.  On offer is a full range of services that include equipment rental, diving certification classes, dive guides, and boat tours.

The website linked below has the details and can arrange a booking for the lodging.  You can easily find the location on the map provided on this site.  Their rates are guaranteed to be the lowest and it is free to cancel or change dates.

• Hurghada Lodging

Photography in Hurghada

With the pristine coral reefs, a variety of fish, macro critters, wrecks, sharks, rays, and dolphins, and scenic shoreside targets, as well, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:

• Best Underwater Cameras Compared and Reviewed
• Best Waterproof Cameras

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and give scuba divers quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Feedback and Comments

I hope you found this post on Hurghada scuba diving interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  I’d love to know of any experience you have.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<