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Best Scuba Diving Key Largo Florida

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USCG Duane Wreck – Key Largo (Photo Courtesy of TripAdvisor)

Updated November 16, 2022

This is the one hundred and thirty-second in a series of reviews of the best dive resort locations worldwide.  In this post, the focus is on Key Largo, Florida. 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 Key Largo 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 Key Largo Florida

Background

Situated between Everglades National Park on the mainland to the northwest and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park to the east, Key Largo is the northernmost and largest Florida Key at 33 miles (53 kilometers) in length.  Connected to the mainland by US Highway 1 and Card Sound Bridge in the north, it is about an hour’s drive from Miami (depending on traffic).  The three unincorporated municipalities of North Key Largo, Key Largo, and Tavernier at the south end, have a population of 14,000.

With a limestone foundation resulting from fossilized remnants of a coral reef, this flat island has a warm tropical savanna climate.  It has an average of 8 hours a day of sunshine throughout the year which has helped make tourism the major economic driver.

Undersea World

The dive sites are on the east side of the island and under the protective umbrella of the John Pennekamp State Park and a National Marine Sanctuary.

There are extensive coral reefs with an undersea topography of spur and groove formations, ledges, walls, and several scuttled wrecks serving as artificial reefs, along with some much older historic remains.

Hard and soft corals with a lot of gorgonians, sea fans, and sponges highlight the encrusting life which is only getting better with time and the increased attitude of environmental protectionism.

Marine life attractions include huge Goliath groupers, big schools of barracuda and jacks, dolphins, turtles, nurse, and Caribbean reef sharks and an occasional hammerhead, resident southern stingrays, and seasonal eagle rays coming in the late spring through fall.

In the nooks and crannies, you can often spot flamingo tongue cowries, nudibranchs, moray eels, lobster, crabs, and other attractive macro critters.

Sites are rich in reef tropicals like snappers, grunts, spadefish, Queen and French angelfish, pufferfish, yellowtails, porkfish, sergeant majors, parrotfish, and many others.

Close to shore and in the State Park attractive reefs can be in depths as shallow as 20 feet (6 meters) suitable for snorkeling and extreme beginners.  There are also sites as deep as 130 feet (40 meters) that provide a challenge for more advanced divers.

Seasons and Conditions

Diving is good year-round in Key Largo.

Average daily air temperature highs hit 90°F (32°C) in August and 75°F (24°C) in the coolest month, January.

In the summer, water temperatures are in the range of 84-87°F (29-30.5°C), and in winter 70-75°F (21-24°C).  Some divers will need a 3-5 mm wetsuit when the water is at its coolest.

The Gulf Stream provides south to north current, usually not strong, making for comfortable drift diving on some of the sites.

From June to September it rains more and hurricanes are a consideration.

Visibility ranges from 40-100 feet (12-30 meters) with the best from August to October.

There are conditions suitable for all levels of diver with a number of shallow sites.

More than 30 dive shops operate on Key Largo offering a complete range of training, equipment rental, guiding, and boat tours.

Liveaboard Diving

None of the major liveaboard yachts travel to Key Largo.  However, there are quite a few that cruise the nearby Bahamas and other Caribbean dive sites.

Bahamas Master - Bahamas Liveaboard Dive Boat

Bahamas Master, Bahamas Liveaboard Diving – Check the Price

Avalon I - Cuba Liveaboard Diving

MV Avalon I, Jardines de la Reina, Cuba Liveaboard Diving – Check the Price

Cayman Aggressor IV - Cayman Islands Liveaboard Scuba Diving

Cayman Aggressor IV, Cayman Islands Liveaboard Diving – Check the Price

For reviews of diving in eastern Florida, the Bahamas, and other Caribbean locations, please check out these posts:

Florida Keys Dive Sites Map

Selected Key Largo Dive Sites

The Elbow: 10-35 feet (3-10 meters), spur and groove formation (like fingers of coral perpendicular to shore with valleys in between), rich marine life with schools of grunts and snappers, angelfish, and remnants of the City of Washington wreck, suitable for all levels of diver

French Reef: 25-100 feet (8-30 meters), many little caves, canyons, ledges, swim-throughs, and overhangs providing habitat for morays, glassy sweepers, big groupers, snappers, yellowtails, grunts, porkfish, damselfish, and individual permits and snook, shallow areas have big elkhorn coral, with brain and star coral from 30-40 feet (9-12 meters), suitable for all levels of diver depending on the depth

Molasses Reef: 15-50 feet (5-15 meters), spur and groove formation with attractive reef tropicals and macro critters along with the more spectacular nurse and Caribbean reef sharks, southern stingrays, eagle rays, barracuda, pelagics, and turtles, suitable for all levels of diver

Christ of the Deep Statue: 10-25 feet (3-8 meters), 9-foot (3-meter) bronze duplicate of the Christ of the Abyss statue set in 50 feet (15 meters) of water off Genoa, Italy, donated by Egdi Cressi, the Italian diving equipment manufacturer, near the statue are coral formations with snappers, grunts, Bermuda chub, and barracuda frequenting the area, suitable for snorkelers and all levels of diver

Benwood Wreck: 25-50 feet (8-15 meters), English cargo ship sunk by accident in 1942, broken stern is in 25 feet (8 meters) and the more intact bow is in 45 feet (14 meters), well encrusted, lots of nooks and crannies for moray eels, lobster, shrimp, crabs, and other macro critters, lots of reef tropicals, suitable for all levels of diver

Spiegel Grove Wreck: 60-130 feet (18-40 meters), 510-foot (155-meter) ship scuttled in 2002, originally laying to rest on her starboard side, Hurricane Dennis set her upright in 2005, prepared for penetration, a variety of swim-throughs are possible, twin propellers and anti-aircraft guns are in place, barracuda, jacks, silversides, and a lot of other marine life can be spotted there, suitable for experienced level and technical divers (check the second video below for the Spiegel Grove)

The Bibb and Duane Wrecks: 60-130 feet (18-40 meters), two 327-foot (100-meter) US Coast Guard cutters scuttled to become artificial reefs in 1987, the Duane rests upright in 120 feet (37 meters), and the Bibb on her starboard side in 130 feet (40 meters), both encrusted in corals and sponges, interesting penetration is possible, rich marine life includes turtles, moray eels, schools of grunts, snapper, and barracuda, Goliath groupers, pelagics, and game fish, bull sharks have been spotted nearby, suitable for experienced level and technical divers (check the video above for the Duane)

Things to Do in Key Largo (aside from scuba diving)

When not diving or snorkeling in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, there are many cultural and entertainment options to go along with other fascinating outdoor activities.  Here are some of them:  nearby Everglades National Park for kayaking, an airboat tour, or a park expedition, dolphin watching at Dolphin Cove, Kona Kai Resort, Gallery, and Botanical Park, Key Largo Art Gallery, Our Place in Paradise Art Gallery, Harry Harris Park and Beach, Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center, fishing charters, restaurants featuring fish, conch, seafood, and desserts like key lime pie, and Key Largo chocolates, Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park, nightlife, music, souvenir shopping, water skiing, parasailing.

Here is a video to give you a glimpse.

Key Largo Transportation, Hotels, & Diving Services

Transportation

  • The airport in Miami is the nearest and most convenient long-distance option.  Shuttle and taxi service from the airport are expensive for the one-hour plus drive.  Keys Shuttle is available at the airport and can take you anywhere in the Keys.
  • A car rental would be simplest and provide the most convenient transportation to Key Largo upon arrival at the airport.  Take the Florida Turnpike south to US Route 1 which runs directly into and through Key Largo.  Once there, the highway continues to be the primary route connecting destinations on the island.
  • Taxi service is available in Key Largo.
  • If the above options don’t interest you, check with your hotel for suggestions.

For fuller details on transportation and tourist matters, go to Wikitravel – Key Largo.

Hotels and Diving

In Key Largo, there are more than two dozen lodging options from $84 to $312 per night.  Several dozen dive shops in operation offer 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 their site.  The rates are guaranteed to be the lowest and it is free to cancel or change dates.

Photography in Key Largo

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

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 Key Largo 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<<

Best Scuba Diving in Tasmania

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Weedy Sea Dragon - Tasmania
Weedy Sea Dragon – Tasmania

Updated on August 10, 2022

This is the one hundred and fifth in a series of reviews of the best dive resort locations around the world.  In this post, the focus is on Tasmania. 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 ever been diving in Tasmania 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 Tasmania

Tasmania MapBackground

The fascinating island state of Tasmania consists of the main island (the world’s 26th largest) and 334 smaller islands located 240 kilometers (150 miles) south of Victoria on mainland Australia.

The population of 526,700 lives mostly in the southeast near Hobart, the capital, and on the north coast.

42% of the Tasmanian landscape is protected and consists of diverse vegetation including grassland, eucalyptus forests, temperate rain forests, alpine heathlands, and cool temperate rain forests.

It is famous for its unique wildlife like the extinct thylacine, Tasmanian devils, wombats, kangaroos, and other marsupials.

Researchers believe indigenous people lived there about 42,000 years ago.  When Europeans arrived in the 17th century, it is estimated that there were from 3,000 to 7,000 aboriginal inhabitants.  There is a colorful history with war, bad treatment, and imported disease that made life difficult, but today there are over 23,000 in Tasmania identifying as indigenous.  The bulk of the rest of the citizens is of British or European ancestry with English spoken as the first language by 88%.

The foundation of the economy is mining, agriculture forestry, and tourism.

Tasmanians love sports, especially Australian Rules Football and Cricket.

For more demographic and historical information about Tasmania, please go here:  Tasmania – Wikipedia

Undersea World

The temperate waters around the islands of Tasmania harbor a plethora of flora and fauna in shallow and deep water on a variety of undersea topography.

In some areas, warming has depleted the kelp beds, but there are still many plants to be found.

There are caverns, caves, walls, pinnacles, and several shipwrecks like the historic SS Nord, a cargo ship sunk in an accident in 1915.

It is possible to dive with dolphins and seals in shallow water and migrating whales are also a possibility.

Encrusting life of yellow zoanthids, corals, and sponges can be quite dense with sea whips in some locations, as well.

This habitat is home to massive schools of pink butterfly perch, long nose board fish, draughtboard sharks, bastard trumpeters, and banded stingrays, along with weedy sea dragons, spotted handfish, cowfish, wrasse, abalone, and southern rock lobster.

Seasons and Conditions

Diving is possible year-round in Tasmania.  The winters are mild and rainy and the summers are cool.  Rainfall is frequent throughout the year with less in the summer.

  • Air temperatures vary some around the country.  There are highs in the low 70s F (21°C) in summer and low 50s (2°C) in winter.
  • Water temperature averages 50 to 60°F (10 to 15.5°C) from winter to summer.  A 7mm wetsuit or drysuit with hood and gloves is appropriate.
  • Currents can run from quite mild to strong depending on the site, season, and tides.  Surge is also a consideration in some areas.
  • Visibility is best during the winter months with a year-round range from 30 to 100 feet (9-30 meters).
  • There are sites suitable for all levels of diver with a depth range of 10 to 140 feet (3 to 40 meters).  Dive shops are located near dive sites around the country that can offer a range of diving coursework, equipment rental, guiding, and boat cruises.

For information about cold water gear, please check out my review:

Australia Liveaboard Diving

There are no major liveaboard yachts cruising Tasmania but there are some going to other areas in Australia including the Great Barrier Reef, Rowley Shoals, Neptune Island, and Ningaloo Reef.  Here are my reviews on Australian diving and some of the liveaboard yachts diving Australian sites:

Scubapro I - Great Barrier Reef Liveaboard Diving

MV Scubapro I, Great Barrier Reef Liveaboard – Check the Price

MV Odyssey - Rowley Shoals Liveaboard Diving

MV Odyssey, Rowley Shoals Liveaboard Diving – Check the Price

Princess II - Neptune Island Shark Cage Diving

Princess II, Neptune Island Shark Cage Diving Liveaboard – Check the Price

Shore Thing - Ningaloo Reef Liveaboard

Shore Thing, Ningaloo Reef Liveaboard – Check the Price

Selected Tasmania Dive Sites

Fortesque Bay Kelp Forest: 70 feet (21 meters) maximum depth, located in Tasman National Park, shore entry, kelp, draughtboard sharks, giant rays, seals, all levels, and snorkeling

Waterfall Bay Caves and Canyons: 70 feet (21 meters) maximum depth, south of Eaglehawk Neck, near Devil’s Kitchen, includes Cathedral Cave, Dog Leg Cave, and Horseshoe Cave, many narrow passages and tunnels, big schools of fish near the entrances, walls encrusted with a variety of invertebrates, experienced level

Paterson’s Arches (in Waterfall Bay): 70 feet (21 meters) maximum depth, swim-throughs, and walls with rich encrusting life, weedy sea dragons, all levels

SS Nord Wreck: 140 feet (42 meters) maximum depth, near Cape Pillar, 289-foot (87-meter) cargo vessel sunk after hitting a pinnacle in 1915, all crew survived, mostly intact, rudder still moves, brass fittings and Chinese crockery still there, rich encrustations and marine life, variety of fish, experienced level

Munro Bight Kelp Forest: 60 feet (18 meters) maximum depth, extensive kelp beds damaged some by warming, rich marine life including schools of bastard trumpeters, banded stingrays, draughtboard sharks, all levels

Diamond Island Kelp Forests:  20 feet (6 meters) average depth, near Bicheno, shore entry, kelp forest, typically good visibility, lots of abalone, all levels

Governors Island Marine Reserve: 16-130 feet (5-40 meters), near Bicheno, more than 15 dive sites, lots of sponges, soft coral, and seagrasses, striped trumpeters, octopus, dolphins, and the occasional whale, popular dive sites include Mount Everest, Magic garden, and Trap Reef

Maria Island: near Orford, a number of sites including the Troy D., a 183-foot (55-meter) Hopper Barge, scuttled in 2007 to become an artificial reef, rich in marine life, huge schools of fish

Rocky Cape National Park: off the northwest coast, rich undersea environment with huge barrel sponges, giant clams, yellow and white sea pens, pufferfish

Bruny Island: a ferry trip from Kettering to South Bruny National Park, many deep caverns, blue penguins, and right whales are possibilities

Tasmania Things to Do (aside from scuba diving)

Tasmania not only has many natural sites but historic and cultural attractions, as well.  Here is a list of some of the most prominent to consider:  MONA (Museum of Old and New Art), Hobart’s waterfront, Mt. Wellington, Huon Valley, Hastings Caves and Thermal Springs, a Tasmanian Devil, Mt. Field National Park, Richmond, Port Arthur, Doo Town, Maria Island, Wineglass Bay, Binalong Bay and the Bay of Fires, Cataract Gorge, Grindelwald, Tamar Valley Wine Region, Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm, The Big Penguin, The Nut, Tarkine Forest, Cradle Mountain, Strahan, Wilderness Railway, Gordon River.

These two videos give you the flavor of the capital city and the scenic countryside with some intriguing spots to visit and a nice overview of options for a visitor.

Tasmania Transportation, Hotels, and Diving Services

Transportation

  • Air – Airports in Hobart, Launceston, Burnie, Devonport, King Island, and Flinders Island all handle traffic from the mainland and intra-island flights on Tasmania.
  • Ferry – The only service available is two Spirit of Tasmania ferries that go between Station Pier in Port Melbourne and Devonport.
  • Buses – There are several long-distance lines, but service is infrequent.  Metro bus services are available in several cities.
  • Cars are probably the most convenient means of transport in Tasmania.  They are available for rent from a number of major rental chains.  It is possible to take a car on the ferry from Melbourne, but not a rental car.
  • Bicycle touring is also popular.

For more complete details of tourist information, please go here:  Tasmania – Wikivoyage

Hotels and Diving

There are hundreds of hotel and lodging options of all levels in Tasmania starting at around $14 per night.  At last count, there are more than a dozen dive shops located mostly in the north or southeast.  A number of them are situated in or affiliated with hotels and offer a range of services including equipment rental, diving certification classes, dive guides, and boat tours.

The website linked below has the details and can arrange the booking.  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.

Tasmania Photos

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

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 Tasmania 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<<

Best Scuba Diving San Clemente Island California

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Giant Kelp - San Clemente Island
Giant Kelp – San Clemente Island

Updated August 11, 2022

This is the one hundred and seventy-seventh in a series of reviews of the best diving destinations around the world.  In this post, the focus is on San Clemente Island, California.  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 been diving at San Clemente Island 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 San Clemente Island

Background

The most southerly of California’s Channel Islands, San Clemente Island is 21 miles (34 kilometers) long and 4 miles (6 kilometers) wide.  Volcanic in origin, it is situated 41 miles (75 kilometers) west of the mainland and 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Catalina Island.

Archeological remains indicate human inhabitation 10,000 years ago.  Since that time in the age when westerners first viewed the island in the 16th century, which native groups actually lived there is unclear. Today it is owned, operated, and administered by the US Navy with only 300 civilian and military personnel on the island.

The plant life consists of low-lying shrubs and flowers with few animals and birds.  There are 4,000 feral goats, reduced from 11,000 in 1972, and DDT that have had a major impact on the few endemic and native species.  Bald eagles and peregrine falcons have come back to a degree with one breeding pair for each species there today.

For more details on the history, topography, and ecology go to Wikipedia-San Clemente Island.

Channel Islands Map

Undersea World

About a six-hour boat ride from the mainland, San Clemente has variety in its undersea terrain and rich marine life that makes the journey well worth it.

Due to generally calmer conditions on the surface, less current, and better visibility, more diving takes place on the leeward north side of the island, not to say there isn’t excellent diving and a lot to see on the windward side.

There are sunlit shallows, steep walls, canyons, archways, caverns, and big rocky outcrops with kelp forests, short palm-frond kelp, red and brown algae, orange and yellow sponges, and a variety of colorful gorgonians, and hydrocorals that provide excellent habitat for other marine life.

With the warm California countercurrent coming north from Baja California, there are many creatures common in more tropical sites like moray eels and spiny lobsters.

Other highlights include Spanish shawl nudibranchs, octopuses, sea stars, blacksmiths, calico and giant black bass, kelpfish, sheepsheads, sardines, bat rays, tope, and leopard sharks, harbor seals, California sea lions, and pods of dolphins.

In addition, there are a number of wrecks both shallow and deep like the USS John C. Butler, a destroyer escort,  reachable at 80 feet (24 meters) in the northwest harbor, and the USS Burns, a Fletcher Class Destroyer, at 270 feet (82 meters).

Seasons and Conditions

  • Diving is possible all year on San Clemente Island.  Conditions are considered best in the summer and fall.
  • The islands have a Mediterranean climate characterized by cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers with average air temperature highs of 64-75°F (18-24°C).  The warmest months are August and September and the coolest is February.
  • The water temperature annual range is 52-76°F (11-24.5°C) on the surface.  The warmest time is from July through October and the coolest is from February through June.  A 5mm wetsuit will be adequate for some divers when the water is at its warmest.  At its coolest, a 7mm wetsuit or drysuit with hood and gloves is advised.
  • Currents are variable and can be strong at times on some sites.  Surge and swell can also be significant.
  • Visibility is usually 40-60 feet (12-18 meters) in winter and spring and 60-90 feet (18-27 meters) in summer and fall.  Visibility on the windward side tends to be less than on the leeward side.
  • There are sites suitable for all levels of diver from beginner to advanced levels.  Several dive operations are in operation in the Los Angeles area and San Diego that conduct several-day diving tours to go exclusively to San Clemente Island or combine it with other of the Channel Islands.  Some dive shops on Catalina Island also offer trips to San Clemente.

Liveaboard Diving

One great liveaboard yacht based in San Diego that does periodic charters to San Clemente Island as well as great white shark cage diving to Guadalupe Island is the MV Horizon.

MV Horizon - Guadalupe Island Shark Cage Diving

MV Horizon – Check the Price & Details

For my reviews and information about cold water gear please click on the following post:

Other California Dive Sites

There is great diving at some other nearby California areas.  Here are my reviews:

Selected San Clemente Island Sites

Northeast Side Sites

  • Northwest Harbor:  20-50 feet (6-15 meters), rocky terrain, lots of kelp, eelgrass, and macro critters, highlights include calico and kelp bass, rockfish, and sheepshead, suitable for all levels
  • USS John C Butler: 75-100 feet (23-30 meters), 306-foot (93-meter) US Navy Destroyer Escort commissioned in 1943, retired in 1957 and used for target practice, scuttled in 1971, has continued in naval exercises on the bottom, the stern is in place and largely deconstructed, the bow was towed to another area, the remains lie on a sandy bottom, interesting to explore what is left, suitable for experienced levels
  • Little Flower: 20-80 feet (6-24 meters), rocky area with sand channels in a protected cove sloping to 40 feet (12 meters) with kelp, eelgrass, and colorful sea fans, look for macro critters like moray eels and lobsters in the nooks and crannies, with schooling blacksmith darts, big calico bass, bat rays, sea lions, and possibly leopard and tope sharks, from 40 feet (12 meters) there is a wall descending to 80 feet (24 meters) and a sandy bottom, suitable for all levels
  • Fish Hook:  10-120 feet (3-37 meters), small cove shaped like a fish hook, thus the name, rocky shallow section with macro critters in the cracks and crevices, similar marine life to that of Little Flower with anemones, colorful sponges, gorgonians, and hydrocorals, possibility of leopard sharks, at 40 feet (12 meters) a wall starts near the fish hook area that descends past the maximum depth, suitable for all levels depending on the depth

Southwest Side Sites

  • Pyramid Cove:  20-100 feet (6-30 meters), large area that can be divided into several dives, rocky terrain with areas of sand separation and dense kelp, highlights are macro critters like big sea stars, spiny lobsters, moray eels, and many other invertebrates, other attractions are rockfish, kelp bass, sheepshead, bat rays, and sea lions, suitable for all levels
  • China Point:  30-60 feet (9-18 meters), a terrain of rocks, ledges, and crevices with sand channels, dense kelp, lots of macro critters and invertebrates, highlights are sheepshead, rockfish, kelp bass, and big calico bass with the possibility of halibut disguised in the sand, suitable for all levels
  • Seal Cove: 80 feet (24 meters) maximum depth, cove with a kelp forest and seal and sea lion rookery, plan for lots of playful juveniles, suitable for all levels
  • The Caverns:  30-50 feet (9-15 meters), terrain of rocks and walls with a small shallow cavern system that has a few big chambers, colorful gorgonians, and encrusting invertebrate life, kelp, and the common fish like moray eels, rockfish, sheepshead, calico bass, and perhaps a bat ray, suitable for all levels
  • Nine Fathoms: 50-100 feet (15-30 meters), one mile offshore, a pinnacle with surrounding rocks, walls, ledges, and crevices, purple hydrocoral and some kelp, rich invertebrate marine life along with kelp bass, rockfish, sheepshead, lobster and moray eels, currents can be strong, suitable for experienced levels

Things to Do in San Diego (aside from the scuba diving trip to San Clemente Island)

There is no landing on San Clemente Island, so as the primary embarkation point and land base, it is worth considering what you can do in San Diego.  First of all, there is great diving there.  Why not combine the two locations into a week or two of diving?  My review of San Diego scuba diving is one place to start.  You can check out the dive site descriptions, reviews, and videos there.  Otherwise, the sights and activities for your free time in San Diego are bountiful, to say the least.  Here is a shortlist to consider:

beaches, seaside activities, site-seeing tours and cruises, whale watching, aquariums, sport fishing, trekking and hill-climbing, rock climbing, pro sports events, nightlife, shopping, beer tasting, Balboa Park, Belmont Amusement Park, Old Town, San Diego Zoo, various historical sites reflecting the Spanish and Mexican influence, Mission San Diego de Alcala, San Diego State Historic Park, Sea World, USS Midway tours.

This video is a nice introduction to what awaits.

San Clemente Island Transportation, Hotels, and Diving Services

Transportation

The closest mainland access point to San Clemente Island is San Diego which is served by San Diego International Airport.  The secondary mainland location that has services to San Clemente Island is the Los Angeles metro area served by Los Angeles International Airport.  Both connect to a large range of domestic and international airports.

There are many transportation options in both places, including taxis, town cars, limos, shuttles, buses, car rental, and trains connecting to other regions.

Hotels and Diving

More than a thousand lodging options in the two main access areas of San Diego and Los Angeles start at $13 per night.

Both cities have many dive centers offering equipment sales, rental, and a range of scuba diving courses.  There are only a few that conduct boat tours and liveaboards to San Clemente Island.  The schedule is irregular and often requires a charter.  The dive shops are your best choice to find out the most current options.

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.

Photography in San Clemente Island

With the interesting underwater terrain, encrusting reef life, a variety of fish, macro critters, seals, sea lions, dolphins, and interesting shoreside targets, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:

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 scuba diving in San Clemente Island 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<<

Best Koh Tao Thailand Diving

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Blue Spotted Stingray Koh Tao Thailand
Blue Spotted Stingray – Koh Tao, Thailand

Updated November 21, 2022

Are you looking for your dream dive vacation? This is the seventh in a series of reviews of the best dive resort locations around the world.  In this post, the focus will be on Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand.

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 Koh Tao 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.

Koh Tao Thailand Diving

Koh Tao or Turtle Island is in the Gulf of Thailand southwest of Bangkok and just north of Koh Phangan and Koh Samui.  Long known as a favorite of backpackers and travelers, there are more PADI diving students trained there than any place outside of Australia. People go not only for diving and snorkeling but perhaps even more so for the beach and resort atmosphere, as well.

The diving is pretty good, but not quite at the elite level of the Andaman Sea diving in the Similan and Surin Islands.  The coral reef is rich and diverse and whale, leopard, reef, and bull sharks, turtles, lots of schooling fish, pelagics, and barracuda can be found there.

A lot of the diving in the many bays is suitable for students and beginners, but there are some more challenging dives, too.

Koh Tao Diving Sites

Chumphon Pinnacle: Koh Tao’s most famous site, granite pinnacle starting at 12 meters at the peak to a maximum depth of 35 meters, anemone-covered rocks at the base, batfish, big grouper, yellowtail barracuda, big schools of jacks, leopard sharks on the sandy bottom or reef edge, lionfish fusiliers, rabbitfish, bannerfish, cobia, queenfish, rainbow runners and whale sharks, can be some current, depth and current make it an advanced dive

Ao Leuk (translated Deep Bay) – actually paradoxically is a shallow bay with a sandy bottom, maximum depth of 20 meters, variety of hard corals, lots of reef fish, schools of juvenile yellowtail barracuda, goatfish, gobies, stingrays, and turtles, suitable for beginners

Hin Wong Pinnacle – in Hin Wong Bay,12-30 meters, tabletop formation, lots of purple soft corals and sea fans, whip and black corals, swarming damselfish, Christmas tree worms (tubeworms), white-eyed moray eels, big groupers, snappers, sweetlips, boxfish, queenfish, barracuda, schools of fusiliers and other small reef fish, turtles, open water to advanced level

Koh Nang Yuan – small islet connected by a thin strip of sand to Koh Tao, several relaxed easy sites for scuba or snorkeling, lots of reef fish

Nang Yuan Pinnacle – on the east coast of Koh Tao, peaks reach 2 meters in depth, nooks, crannies, boulders, swim-throughs, crevices, Moorish idols, oriental sweetlips, angelfish, octopus, cuttlefish

Green Rock – big rocky boulder formation northwest of Koh Nang Yuan from 5 to 28 meters, small caverns, swim-throughs, overhangs, lots of nudibranchs, trevallies, stingrays, morays, angelfish, groupers, batfish, sea snakes, titan and yellow margin triggerfish (can be aggressive when nesting), beginner to advanced level

Twins – south of Koh Nang Yuan, 2 rock reef patches from 6-18 meters, rich marine life, lots of anemones and clownfish, blue-spotted stingrays, angelfish, gobies, grouper, beginner level

Shark Island – shaped like a shark, boulders on the east side, lots of reef fish, the rare orange-spined unicornfish, on the south side a soft coral garden at 14 meters with occasional leopard shark and turtle sightings, on the east side hard coral shallows with large schools of small reef fish, crocodile long-toms, snapper, angelfish, bannerfish, stingrays, blacktip reef sharks, occasional strong currents, without the current, good for beginners

Southwest Pinnacle – 13 km southwest of Koh Tao, similar to Chumphon Pinnacle, 6-28 meters, limestone boulder mount covered in pink and gold anemones with spine cheek anemonefish, black corals, sea fans, leopard sharks, blue-spotted stingrays, hexagon, coral, and marbled groupers, large cobia, bull and whale sharks, schools of reef fish and juvenile yellowtail barracuda and squid, in the open, no protection from waves

White Rock – midway between Mae Haad Pier and Koh Nang Yuan, 2 large boulders with a few meters between them, patches of coral and smaller rocks, 6-22 meters, wrasse, butterflyfish, angelfish, white-eyed morays, blue-spotted stingrays, a resident green turtle

Mango Bay – sheltered bay, rich corals, sandy bottom good for training, 6-18 meters, various wrasses, batfish, triggerfish, and parrotfish

Red Rock Drop-off – split rocky pinnacle west of Koh Nangyuan, 5-20 meters, shrimp, moray eels, boulders, swim-throughs, turtles, pipefish, triggerfish, Jenkin’s whip ray, advanced level

MY Trident – scuttled in 2010 to create a reef, south of Shark Island, 36 meters, moderate current, advanced dive, good for nitrox, lots of fish and crustaceans

HTMS Sattakut – troop carrier scuttled in 2011 to create a reef, near Hin Pee Wee on the east coast of Koh Tao, 16-30 meters, bigger ship with anti-aircraft guns on bow and stern, intermediate level, big snappers, barracuda, pufferfish, triggerfish, and crustaceans

Sail Rock – 30-meter tall granite pinnacle, halfway between Koh Tao and Koh Phangan, with no other rocks nearby, provides a focus for all fish in the area including whale sharks, big schools of trevallies, king mackerel, queenfish, grouper, and whale sharks, smaller rocks around it provide habitat for reef sharks, has a “chimney” formation with an entry at 20 meters and exits at 15 and 10 meters with many macro critters within, like boxer shrimps and moray eels

The water temperature ranges from 27-30°C throughout the year.  The best time to dive is from May to August. November to January is the rainy season with wind and rain peaking in November. December and then again in July and August, it is very busy with tourists and the accompanying price hikes.  March through June and then again in September tourist traffic is down and it’s a bit more peaceful and cheaper.

Visibility ranges from 5 to 25 meters. When there are rain and wind it moves toward the bottom end of the range.

Dozens of dive shops operate in Koh Tao and Koh Samui.  There will be different styles and competencies, so you would be well advised to look around a bit before selecting one to provide services, particularly dive courses.

Reef Summary

  • Depth: 5-40 meters
  • Visibility: 5-25 meters
  • Currents: from non-existent to strong
  • Surface conditions: smooth to choppy
  • Water temperature: 27-30°C
  • Experience level: beginner to advanced

Koh Samui Scuba Diving

Koh Samui is particularly known for its wonderful resorts, nightlife, and excellent beaches.  Most of the diving around it isn’t too outstanding, though.  A lot of the time the visibility on the sites nearest the island is very poor.  The dive operators there make a lot of trips up to Koh Tao to take advantage of the diving there, in spite of the fact that it can take an hour or more by speedboat to reach some of the sites.  There are a few more or less local sites that rise above the rest.

Koh Samui Diving Sites

Koh Yippon – sheltered site north of Angthong Marine Park to the west, 18-meter maximum depth, barrel sponges, soft corals and anemones in the shallows, blue-spotted stingrays, big snappers, yellow-tailed barracuda, and schools of reef fish like fusiliers as depth increases, suitable for divers and snorkelers

Koh Wao (Dragon Island) – looks like a sleeping dragon, boulders in a shallow bay with rich reef life, calm water, hard corals, anemones, sand bottom at 20 meters at the base big rocks with stingrays, snappers, fusiliers, barracuda, and trevallies, appropriate for all levels

Koh Tao Dive Site Map Thailand Scuba Diving

Koh Tao Dive Site Map

Koh Samui Thailand Map
Koh Samui Thailand Map

Koh Tao Photos

With the macro life, beautiful, diverse coral reef, megafauna, and lots of fish, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of diving cameras, click here:

Koh Tao and Koh Samui Accommodation

Koh Tao and Koh Samui have many hotels and resorts from the lowest price backpacker hostel to the most luxurious full-service resorts.

This website is a good source for the available options and can arrange a booking:

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 Koh Tao 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<<

Best Scuba Diving in Martinique

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Martinique Barrel Sponges
Martinique Barrel Sponges

Updated August 12, 2022

This is the twentieth in a series of reviews of the best scuba diving destinations around the world.  In this post, the focus is on Martinique.

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 Martinique?  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 in Martinique

Background

Located 450 kilometers (281 miles) northeast of South America, Martinique is part of the French Antilles, where the local languages are French and Antillean Creole, and English is widely spoken.

It is one of the Windward Islands, along with Santa Lucia, Dominica, and Barbados which have a coastline on both the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.  The mountainous island is volcanic in origin with black sand beaches in some locations and white sand in others.

The population of 385,000 focuses on rum, bananas, and petroleum as the major exports, and tourism to drive the economy.

Paul Gauguin, The French impressionist, lived there for a portion of his world tour, painting colorful landscapes and islanders, and helping to popularize the beautiful natural scene.  Today there is a museum documenting his art and life in Martinique.

For more demographic, geographical, and cultural information on Martinique, click here:  Martinique (Wikipedia)

Undersea World

Martinique has world-class diving on a very beautiful coral reef with a distinctive look.  It has a rich display of hard and soft coral and gorgonians, but what stands out is the quantity and size of the tube and barrel sponges which provide the backdrop for the macro life of small crustaceans, lobsters, shrimps, urchins, and a multitude of reef fish like sergeant majors, gobies, angelfish, moray eels, frogfish, scorpionfish,  and parrotfish.

Wide-angle attractions include three species of turtle, leatherback, green and hawksbill, snappers, trevallies, barracuda, stingrays, eagle rays, dolphins, blue, nurse, and hammerhead sharks, and blue marlins, not to mention numerous shipwrecks.

Seasons and Conditions

The best time to dive is from December to May.  July to October is the rainy season with the dry season from December to April.

Martinique is blessed with a warm tropical climate year-round with a matching warm water temperature range of 26-28°C (79-82°F).

Visibility is generally quite good at 10-39 meters (35-130 feet) with the low end coming during rains.

Current is mild to non-existent most of the time but can be strong, on occasion, at some sites.

Diving is available for all levels, with deeper and wreck dives suitable for more advanced divers.

The dive shops are mostly affiliated with CMAS, but PADI and/or SDI are represented in most.  They are capable of providing full services and training.  A few of the dives are accessible from shore with most requiring a boat.

Liveaboard Diving

Martinique is not an area renowned for liveaboard diving, but there are many cruises in other areas around the Caribbean.  Click here for details and pricing for a Caribbean Liveaboard:

For reviews of diving in eastern Florida and other Caribbean locations, please check out these posts:

Caribbean Islands Map

Caribbean Islands Map

Martinique Dive Sites Map
Martinique Dive Sites Map

Selected Popular Martinique Dive Sites

There are at least the 21 dive sites indicated on the map on the west side where there is more natural protection from the forces of the open sea and a rich developed coral reef.  There are also a number of wrecks with several in the St. Pierre area.  It is also possible to dive on the eastern Atlantic side where there are more abrupt slopes with sandy plateaus and not as much coral development, but still with interesting rays, turtles, and pelagics.

Pearl Rock (1): to 165 feet (49 meters) maximum depth, rock with drop-offs, strong currents, parrotfish, triggerfish, fusiliers, trevally, barracuda, experienced level

Babodi Canyons (5): to 200 feet (60 meters), rocks, drop-offs, sand plateaus, lava flows, leaf coral, stingrays, beginner and experienced level

Le Roraima (9): to 180 feet (54 meters), 150 x 15 meter (500 x 50 foot) wreck broken into three pieces, experienced level

Nahoon (12): to 115 feet (34 meters), 3 mast steamer launched in 1911, resurrected twice, and scuttled for an artificial reef in 1993, corals, gorgonians, sponges, angelfish, trevallies, king mackerel, barracuda, experienced level

Diamond Rock (16): to 200 feet (60 meters), rock and drop off, huge 100-foot (30-meter) swim through a hole at 42 feet (13 meters), arches, caves, old anchors, sponges, coral, schools of fish, turtles, barracuda, beginner, and experienced level

The Grand Kaye of Sainte-Luce (19): to 115 feet (34 meters), rock and drop off, gorgonians, rock lobsters, parrotfish, butterflyfish, moray eels, squid, beginner and experienced level

Three Valleys (20): to 115 feet (34 meters), coral canyons with sand in between, lettuce coral, gorgonians, rock lobster, parrotfish, butterflyfish, moray eels, squid, snapper, queen conch, peacock flounder,  electric rays, schools of fish including blue creole wrasse, yellowhead jawfish, stingrays, turtles, king mackerel, barracuda, beginner to experienced level

Martinique Transportation, Lodging, and Dive Shops

Transportation

The Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport provides service to 15 different airlines from the US, Canada, France, and other countries in the Caribbean.

There are also boats and ferry services from several nearby islands.

Lodging and Diving

In Martinique, there are dozens of hotels and resorts.  Pricing runs from around $50/night on up.  As for diving, at least a dozen dive shops are in operation, most of which are located in the southern half of the island.

This website is a good source for the available housing options and can arrange a booking:

Martinique Things To Do (aside from scuba diving)

There are a great many interesting activities and events in Martinique to round out a vacation there: Mt. Pelee crater trip, Habitation Ceron biological reserve, Caravelle Peninsula hiking, Rum at Rhum J.M. refinery, island hopping by boat to various shallow shoals, other beaches, water sports, and the local restaurant and night scene.

Martinique Photo Opportunities

With the macro life, beautiful, diverse coral reef, and lots of fish, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of diving cameras, click here:

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 Martinique 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<<