Resort Diving

Updated November 17, 2022

This is the one hundred and thirteenth in a series of reviews of the best dive resort locations worldwide.  In this post, the focus is on Aqaba, Jordan. 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 Aqaba 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 Aqaba Jordan

Background

The only coastal city in the Kingdom of Jordan, Aqaba, has a coastline of 26 kilometers (16 miles) and a population of 150,000.  Historically from ancient times a part of Eilat, it is now bordered by Eilat, Israel to the west, and Saudi Arabia to the southeast.

With scuba diving, the seaside scene, and proximity to the magnificent Wadi Rum landscapes and modern wonder of the world Petra, Aqaba is a major part of Jordanian tourism.

It is also within the Aqaba Special Economic Zone, the center of international trade for the country.

Undersea World

The 25-kilometer (16-mile) coastline on the Gulf of Aqaba has a fringing reef that benefits from enriched up-welling waters from the deep.

Most of the sites can be reached from a shore entry without a long swim to the marine-rich areas.  However, dive shops sponsoring deep or technical dives have boats available for safety and convenience.

In all, there are around 25 dive sites, most in the protected Aqaba Marine Park.

The spectacular marine life that has made the Red Sea famous such as a large volume of manta rays, big sharks, and cetaceans is not what you will find diving off of Aqaba, but there is a very rich and improving coral reef of soft and hard corals, sponges, gorgonians, a variety of reef tropicals and macro critters, and a few of the more spectacular attractions like barracuda, stingrays, eagle rays, and sea turtles that are common, with the occasional dolphin, and whale sharks during plankton blooms.

Reef tropicals and macro critters include scorpionfish, stonefish, lionfish, frogfish, crocodile fish, nudibranchs, crustaceans, octopus, moray eels, sea snakes, parrotfish, butterflyfish, angelfish, pufferfish, triggerfish, fusiliers, and surgeonfish, among many others.

There are several intriguing wrecks to explore, as well.

Most of the dive sites are in the south beach area where the bulk of dive shops are located.  If your dive center is situated right in town, the maximum ride to the dive site is only 15 minutes.

Seasons and Conditions

Diving is possible all year in Aqaba. There are two high seasons for tourism, one in April-June and the other in September-October.  It’s all relative, though, as it is never so busy as to be a bother or inconvenience for diving.

• Air temperature varies significantly throughout the year with daily average highs of 40°C (104°F) in July and August which fall to 21°C (70°F) in January.
• Water temperature follows the air temperature with highs in summer of 29°C (84°F) and lows in winter of 19°C (66°F).  A 7mm wetsuit or a drysuit with a hood and gloves will suit many divers when the water is at its coolest.
• This a desert area that is dry all year but bone dry from June through September.
• Currents are generally mild but can become a little stronger at times on some sites.
• Visibility is usually excellent in the 40-meter (130-foot) range.  During the plankton bloom in March and April or when the wind kicks up, it may decrease to the 15-21 meter (50-70 foot) range.

There are sites suitable for all levels of diver. The 20 or more dive shops, many in the south beach area, and some in hotels offer a full range of diving coursework, equipment rental, guiding, and boat cruises.  However, a lot of the diving is done from shore without a boat being needed.

Liveaboard Diving

There is no liveaboard yacht directly cruising the Aqaba area.  However, there are many doing dive safaris in the Red Sea.  Here is my review of them and some links to 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 Aqaba Dive Sites

4) King Abdullah Reef: 24-40 meters (80-130 feet), boat or shore access, named for the deceased King who was a big promoter of scuba diving, from shore there is a long swim, dense corals, and sponge growth, big schools of pennant fish, bluespotted stingrays and hawksbill turtles are attractions, suitable for experienced divers at this depth

6) Rainbow Reef: 6-18 meters (20-60 feet), sandy swim down the slope to the reef starting at 6 meters (20 feet), attractive macro critters including Spanish dancers, crinoids, lobster, moray eels, and lionfish, great for night dives, suitable for all levels of diver  

7) Cedar Pride Wreck: 10-27 meters (35-90 feet), shore or boat access, 74-meter (243-foot) Lebanese cargo ship that suffered fire damage in 1982 and was scuttled in 1985 to become an artificial reef, resting 200 meters (656 feet) from shore on her port side across two reef patches, the starboard side can be reached at 10 meters (35 feet), largely intact and richly encrusted with hard and soft corals, the crow’s nest stands out with its rich corals and fish, macro life includes urchins, Spanish dancers, shrimps, and crabs, lots of schooling fish, and the occasional barracuda, suitable for all levels of diver depending on depth and penetration

9) Japanese Gardens: 30 meters (100 feet) maximum depth, shore entry, a gully with an eelgrass bed at 5 meters (16 feet), on descent are snowflake moray eels, schools of reef tropicals like damselfish, anthias, and sergeant majors, lettuce, table, and black coral, and gorgonians as you descend further, cornetfish, Napoleon wrasses, angelfish, grouper, hawksbill turtles, and eagle rays are all possibilities, suitable for all levels of diver

10) Gorgone I: 18 meters (60 feet) maximum depth, shore or boat access, a sloping reef with 3 coral pinnacles and a huge gorgonian at 16 meters (53 feet), dense corals including a large cabbage coral, shrimps, moray eels, Arabian angelfish, and butterflyfish, suitable for all levels of diver

12) The Seven Sisters: 18 meters (60 feet) maximum depth, shore access, pinnacles, fire corals, rich marine life with blennies, damselfish, butterflyfish, and barracuda, suitable for all levels of diver

15) Yellowstone Reef: 15-50 meters (50-164 feet), shore or boat entry, named for the US national park for one large yellow pinnacle visible from the surface, one section is a flat colorful reef with macro life including nudibranchs and red sponges, another option is to go left (south) from the oil-drum markers to 18 meters (60 feet) to a reef that begins there, suitable for experienced and technical level divers

16) Blue Coral: 10-25 meters (35-82 feet) or deeper, boat or shore entry, named for the abundance of blue-colored Acropora coral there, a number of pinnacles and 3 coral shelves, sandy bottom with a seagrass bed, suitable for all levels of diver

19) Paradise: 18-24 meters (60-80 feet), boat access, several small coral pinnacles, seagrass beds at 18 meters (60 feet), with turtles and stingrays, down the slope the corals get richer, a short wall at 25 meters (82 feet) and a small cave below that, moderate current possible, suitable for experienced level divers

C-130 Hercules Plane Wreck: 12-17 meters (40-56 feet), boat or shore entry, large aircraft scuttled to become an artificial reef in 2017 in the marine park, interesting penetration possible, resting close to the famous shallow water military tank, suitable for all levels of diver

Things to Do in Aqaba (aside from scuba diving)

Aqaba is not a lively tourist town like its nearby neighbor, Eilat, Israel.  The restaurants and cafes are excellent places to participate in the local culture and enjoy the great Jordanian style of food.  Being a port city, seafood is an attraction.  Some notable eateries to check out include the Arab Moon Restaurant, Syrian Palace Restaurant, The Royal Yacht Club, Casalingo, Red Sea Grill, and Alerzal Restaurant.  Check out Zara Spa or Hannam for a massage or body cleansing experience.  For a list of more classically tourist sites, you can consider these: Aqaba Castle, Ayla, 4^th Century Roman Church, Aqaba Flagpole, Sheik Zayad Mosque, Marine Science Center Aquarium, Mount Umal Nasaylah, Mamluk Castle, Palm Beach, Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba Archaeological Museum, Sherif al-Hussein bin Ali Mosque, Berenice Beach Club, Aqaba Bird Observatory.

This video gives you a quick glimpse of some of what Aqaba has to offer.

Aqaba Transportation, Hotels, and Diving Services

Transportation

• Air – King Hussein International Airport 9.6 kilometers (5.6 miles) north of Aqaba handles two flights daily between Amman and Aqaba on Royal Jordanian Airlines.  Less frequent and sometimes seasonal flights from London, Berlin, Cologne, Athens, Sofia, and Istanbul have direct flight service.  The nearby Ramon International Airport in Eilat has many flights from a variety of locations that may be more convenient.  For details on making an entrance to Aqaba from Eilat, please check this:  Aqaba – Wikitravel.
• Ferries – Regular service linking Aqaba to Nuweiba, Taba, and Sharm el-sheik, Egypt is available.
• Bus – Frequent buses from Amman take the highway to the terminal in Aqaba near the mosque.  It takes around 4 hours to cover the distance.  There are many destinations along the highway, as well.  Pricing is reasonable.  Within Aqaba, a minibus system links residential areas to downtown.
• Taxis – From Eilat a sort of Taxi Mafia controls service.  For tips on how to handle it, go here:  Aqaba – Wikitravel.  Taxi service around Aqaba is readily available.  Be careful when negotiating the price.  If a hotel books for you, the price may double to accommodate the hotel’s kickback.  In talking to the driver, make sure it is clear that you are talking about the price for the trip and not the person.

For more complete details on tourist information, please go here:  Aqaba – Wikitravel

Hotels and Diving

Lodging options in Aqaba start at $13 and run to around $250 per night.  There are more than 20 dive shops in operation, many in the south beach area, and some located 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.

• Aqaba Lodging

Photography in Aqaba

With the pristine coral reefs, a variety of fish, macro critters, stingrays, 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 Aqaba 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 September 30, 2022

This is the twenty-eighth in a series of reviews of the best dive resort locations around the world.  In this post, the focus is on Orchid Island, Taiwan.

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 on Orchid 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.

Best Orchid Island Taiwan Diving

Background

Of volcanic origin, Orchid Island, known as Lanyu in Chinese, is situated 65 kilometers (41 miles) east of the southern tip of Taiwan and is 45 square km (28 square miles) in area.

In modern times it was administered by the Japanese as an ethnic reserve for the Yami people (otherwise known as Tao and other names), an aboriginal group.  When the Japanese lost control in 1945, this status was maintained until 1967, when it was lifted by the ROC government.

The population today of just over 5,000 consists of 4,200 Yami and 800 Han (Chinese).  The Yami cultural traditions are still strongly in evidence including fishing and farming as primary livelihoods.

A source of contention and concern for the locals is the nuclear waste storage facility built on Lanyu by the central ROC government that placed 100,000 barrels of the stuff derived from Taiwan’s 3 nuclear power plants there.  It does not appear to pose any safety concerns today, however.

There are 8 mountains above 400 meters (1,300 feet) and a beautiful rocky shoreline with a 60 km (38-mile) road on the circumference of the island providing access.

One important note of cultural sensitivity: When visiting Yami villages, immodest dress and tiny bikinis on women is considered rude.

Undersea World

In its relative isolation, this volcanic island is, in the eyes of many, the top scuba diving and snorkeling site in Taiwan.

There are shallow fringing reefs with intricate rock formations, caverns, crevices, walls, and swim-throughs, and an outstanding large Korean freighter shipwreck to explore.  Green turtles nest on the shores and the reef is home to 4 species of sea snake and the occasional humpback whale passing through.  The coral reef is pristine and rich with a lot of hard corals, sea whips, and sea fans, to go along with sponges, soft corals, tunicates, crinoids, and other attached invertebrates.

Other highlights include trumpet fish, fusiliers, clown triggerfish, cuttlefish, moray eels, lionfish, puffers, nudibranchs, lobster, shrimp, anemones, blue-spotted stingrays, grouper, dogtooth tuna, schooling jacks and barracuda, hawksbill turtles, and infrequently whale sharks.

Seasons and Conditions

It rains every month, all year, but that doesn’t need to interfere with the diving.  Summer temperatures are warm, with highs of 27-28°C (80-82°F).  In winter (December-February) it is cooler with highs of 20-21°C (68-70°F).

Spring and summer water temperatures run 26-28°C (79-82°F).  In winter it goes to as low as 22°C (71°F) so that most divers will want a 5 mm wetsuit with a hood at that time.

Visibility is normally excellent at 30-40 meters (100-130 feet).

There are times and locations when there is significant current and surface conditions can be rough.  A rule of thumb is that the west side is best in summer and the north and east are best in winter.

For reviews of two other top Taiwan diving locations, check out these popular articles:

• Great Scuba Diving Destinations Green Island Taiwan
• Scuba Diving Kenting Taiwan

Selected Scuba Dive Sites – Orchid Island Taiwan

*Note: During the flying fish fishing season, from roughly March through May, diving may not be allowed on offshore sites.  This fishing is part of a very strong cultural tradition for the Yami.  Here is an article with videos describing it:  Taiwan: Flying Fish Season on Orchid Island

Korean Shipwreck: to 40 meters (130 feet), can reach at 22 meters (73 feet), 200-meter (650 foot) Korean freighter resting in Badai Bay (Padai on the map), capsized by a typhoon in 1983, in 3 pieces, swim-throughs, hard and soft corals, sea fans, crinoids, large jacks, dogtooth tuna, lionfish, pufferfish, blue-spotted stingrays, strong current possible, November to March is the best time to dive the wreck, experienced level (see video below)

Blue Hole: at 13-16 meters (43-53 feet), outside Kaiyuan fishing harbor, 10 meters (35 feet) long tunnel, opens to a beautiful reef, soft and hard corals, large tabletop corals, barrel sponges, and sea fans, 2-meter (6 foot) moray eel, cuttlefish, cowries, tritons, beginner to experienced level

Jyakmey Monomanok: to 20 meters (67 feet), lots of anemones and clownfish, popular snorkeling site, beginner level

Jyakmey Monomanok Outer Reefs: 3 to 21 meters (70 feet), 200 meters (650 feet) beyond Jyakmey Monomanok, two reef sections with a channel between them, sea goldies, popular snorkeling site, beginner level

Lover’s Cave: to 30 meters (100 feet), east side site, vertical walls on a canyon, strong current, experienced level

Twin Lions Sea Cave: 13 meters (43 feet) at the entrance, a cavern with holes in the top provide a skylight with a narrow swim through, top snorkeling site, experienced level

Airport Outer Reef: 20 meters (68 feet), reef breaks the surface, rich marine life and pelagics, traditional fishing ground for the Yami, strong current, experienced level

Yayo Drop-off: (Yeyou on the map), 22-100 meters (73-325 feet), drop-off that starts about 100 meters (325 feet) from the beach in front of the village, strong current, experienced level

Jimavonot Outer Reef: northside site, 16 meters (54 feet), 15-meter (50 foot) tunnel swim through, beginner level

Little Mushroom at Longmen Harbor: (in comparison to the Big Mushroom by Green Island) 13 meters (43 feet), out of a sandy bottom an 8 meter (25 foot) tall coral bommie, rich with fish life, strong current possible, beginner to experienced level

*If you have dived Orchid Island, I would greatly appreciate it if you could give me descriptions of the dives you did in the comments section. Thanks.

Orchid Island Services

Transportation

International flights to Taiwan mostly land at Taoyuan International Airport, a one-hour bus ride from Taipei where you can take a domestic flight from Songshan Airport to Taitung. From there Daily Air has passenger turboprop aircraft that provide 20-minute flights to Orchid Island.  These tickets need to be booked in advance.

Ferries are also available from Taitung town or Fugang Harbour to the north of the city, which takes 2.5 hours.  From October to March these are only available twice a week. This is often a choppy ride.

A few flights from Asian countries land at Kaohsiung International Airport, where you can organize transportation to Kenting, where ferries are also available for a 2.5-hour trip to Orchid Island available only from March to October.

Once on the island, there is an infrequent bus service.  Many rent bicycles and scooters to get around.

Diving

At last count there are around a dozen dive shops operating on Orchid Island for instruction, guiding, and rentals.

Housing

None of the major booking agencies handle the guesthouses on Orchid Island.  You could quite likely just show up and find one.  They are unlikely to be fully booked up.  If you speak Chinese or can get a translator to help you, these websites can help arrange booking a guesthouse or homestay: Lan Se Da Men or Lan Yu Min Su, or UU Lanyu.  They have phone or chat apps to contact.  A warning: Prices are likely to be high for relatively spartan accommodations.

If your plan involves staying the night in Taitung, this website is a good source for the available housing options and can arrange a booking:

• Taitung Hotels

Orchid Island Things to Do (aside from scuba diving)

Orchid Island is not a bustling tourist destination, but rather is a good place to lay back and enjoy nature, in addition to scuba diving.  Exploring the island by hiking, bicycle or scooter is an option.  Heaven Lake is a good place for a hike.  Twin Lions Rock is a nice spot for stargazing.  There are 2 steep roads leading up to the weather station where there are excellent views.  As time goes on there are more and more bars and restaurants especially catering to tourists, but the local cuisine is unique and interesting, not to mention tasty.  Visiting Yami villages and meeting the people there and around the island is a cross-cultural experience even for Chinese tourists.  Naturally, there is also boating and other seaside activities to enjoy.

Orchid Island Photo Opportunities

With the macro life, beautiful, diverse reef life, lots of fish, the Blue Hole, Korean wreck, and scenic shore-side environment, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of diving cameras, click here:  Best Underwater Cameras Compared and Reviewed

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 Orchid Island 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 April 30, 2022

This is the sixty-second in a series of reviews of the best dive resort locations around the world.  In this post, the focus is Camiguin, 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 Camiguin 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.

Camiguin Island Diving

Background

Located 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) off the coast of Mindanao, Camiguin is the second smallest Philippine Province with an area of 238 square kilometers (92 square miles) and a population of 89,000.

First settled by the Spanish in 1598, Camiguin has put up with additional foreign intrusion by the Americans and Japanese.  There are a number of heritage sites around the island worth visiting.

The island is volcanic in origin with major eruptions of Mount Hibok Hibok from 1948 to 1951 that killed over 3,000 and caused massed outward migration of half the population at that time.

There is also a sunken cemetery now off the northern coast that resulted from the volcanic activity of Mount Vulcan in 1871.  Today the volcanoes are at rest and covered in greenery with remnants of their activity in place for exploration in the form of waterfalls, hot springs, and fascinating underwater terrain.

Fishing and farming are the major economic drivers with lanzones the most important crop followed by copra, abaca, rice, and mangoes.

The infrastructure has improved with regular ferries from Mindanao and flights daily from Cebu that are making tourism easier.

Cebuano is the primary language, but most can speak English.

Undersea World

Without mass tourism and up until fairly recently some relatively large logistical inconvenience in getting there, Camiguin has been a bit of a secret to the scuba diving world.

There is a pretty good diversity of life with a rich coral reef, lots of unusual macro or muck diving critters, a big volume and variety of fish, large and small, and some spectacular pelagics, as well.

Remote diving locations in the Philippines have the reputation of being pretty beat up by destructive fishing practices.  Fortunately, a number of marine protected areas are in place and the population is becoming increasingly aware of the economic value of rich coral reefs.

With volcanic origins and fairly recent eruptions, the seascape has an interesting variety of features from black sandy slopes, to coral gardens, a sand bar island, volcanic boulders and lava flows, to walls, pinnacles, and caverns.  In addition, there is a small wreck, a sunken cemetery, and a giant clam nursery.

The reef has a good variety of hard and soft corals, colorful sponges, hydroids, and other encrusting invertebrates, as well.  World-class macro critters include pygmy seahorses, flamboyant cuttlefish, a variety of scorpionfish and stonefish, mandarin fish, wonderpus, ghost pipefish, flatworms, nudibranchs, giant frogfish, various shrimp, crinoids, sea cucumbers, cowries, and many others.  Other reef wildlife on hand is sweetlips, snapper, trumpetfish, porcupine puffers, banded sea kraits, regal angelfish, rabbitfish, filefish, batfish, triggerfish, surgeonfish, unicornfish, schooling jacks and barracuda, green and hawksbill turtles, black and whitetip reef sharks, and blue-spotted stingrays. Mackerel, eagle, marble and manta rays, and whale sharks are also known to come around.

Occasional strong currents provide a highway for incoming nutrients and for divers to ride during exciting drift dives.

Liveaboard Diving

None of the major liveaboard yachts make cruises to Camiguin.  However there a quite a few that cruise sites around Dumaguete, Apo Island, Cebu, Balicasag Island, Southern Leyte, and almost all the best locations around the country.  Please click here for details:

• Philippines Liveaboard Diving

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

• Scuba Diving Romblon Philippines
• Scuba Diving Siquijor Island Philippines Review
• Scuba Diving Dumaguete Philippines Review
• Puerto Princesa Scuba Diving 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

Diving conditions in Camiguin are good year-round.

Air temperatures range from 20-32°C (68-90°F) with average daily highs from 29-32°C (84-90°F).

The water temperature stays in a range of 26-30°C (80-86°F).  Most divers will not need more than a 3 mm wetsuit.  It rains a fair bit all year, but it doesn’t often interfere with the diving.

Camiguin lies south of the main typhoon belt.  From June through January it rains an average of 16-18 days a month.  From February to May that figure drops to 10-13 days per month.

Visibility is also good staying in a range from 10-25 meters (35-81 feet).

Currents are often mild but can be strong on occasion in certain locations.

Most of the dive sites are suitable for all levels of divers with a standard depth range of 5-30 meters (16-100 feet).

There are a number of dive shops providing equipment rental, guiding, boat tours, and coursework through divemaster and Nitrox certifications.

A sampling of Camiguin Island Dive Sites

Gipsy Rover: 30 meters (100 feet) maximum depth, small sailboat wreck in the sand at 16 meters (52 feet), seagrass, many macro critters, scorpionfish, ghost pipefish, ribbon eels, lionfish, frogfish, leaf fish, garden eels, clams, moray eels, schools of fusiliers, batfish, all levels

Tango Bay: 30 meters (100 feet) maximum depth, steep slope, many macro critters, frogfish, leaf fish, ghost pipefish, various crustaceans, garden eels, anemones and clownfish, parrotfish, little current in the bay, all levels

White Island: 30 meters (100 feet) maximum depth, sloping sandy bottom, black coral garden, butterflyfish, Moorish idols, mantis shrimp, scorpionfish, frogfish, cowries, ribbon eels, morays, hawksbill turtles, strong current possible, experienced level

Tupsan Pinnacle: 24 meters (80 feet) maximum depth, big, steep sloping pinnacle, lionfish, blue-spotted stingrays, morays, grouper, scorpionfish, cowries, strong current, experience level

Mantigue Island: 5-40 meters (16-130 feet), sandy shallows dropping off, short walls and small caverns, protected area, pristine coral reef, lots of fish, unicornfish, parrotfish, small barracuda, rabbitfish, batfish, sweetlips, big schools of jacks, mackerel, blacktip reef sharks, occasional eagle and marble rays, turtles, all levels

Catarman: 24 meters (maximum depth), sloping reef, rich soft and hard corals, pufferfish, garden eels, frogfish, scorpionfish, stonefish, barracuda, turtles, occasional manta rays, and whale sharks, all levels

Catabac: 30 meters (100 feet) maximum depth, rich corals, rocky slope and canyons, lots of reef tropicals, garden eels, pipefish, Moorish idols, sweetlips, batfish, occasional pelagics including big mouth mackerel, turtles, all levels

Sunken Cemetery: 30 meters (100 meters) maximum depth, a marine sanctuary, the eruption of Mt. Vulcan in 1871 caused the sinking of this cemetery, white cross set above the surface, rich encrustations, soft corals, cuttlefish, blue-spotted stingrays, frogfish, triggerfish, ribbon eels, morays, turtles, all levels

Old Volcano: 30 meters (100 feet) maximum depth, steep decline, rich hard and soft corals, lots of reef tropicals, volcanic lava flows and boulders, overhangs, pinnacles, giant clams, oysters, ghost pipefish, nudibranchs, scorpionfish, snappers, jacks, sweetlips, all levels

Tangub Hot Springs: 30 meters (100 feet) maximum depth, hot spring underwater at around 15 meters (50 feet), dark sandy slopes and rocky terraces, nice soft corals, nudibranchs, shrimp, orangutan crabs, lionfish, batfish, surgeonfish, schools of fusiliers, green turtles, all levels

Camiguin Island Photos

With the interesting coral gardens and walls, colorful anemones, sponges, corals, and encrusting invertebrates, nudibranchs, crabs, cuttlefish, seahorses, and other macro critters, reef fish, schools of jacks and barracuda, turtles, rays, 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

Camiguin Island Hotels Transportation, Dive Shops, and Lodging

Transportation

Philippines Airlines and Cebu Pacific both have daily direct flights to Mambajao on the north coast of Camiguin from Cebu.

Previously there was a ferry service from Jagna in Bohol, which appears to have been discontinued.

There is a ferry service from Macabalan Port in Cagayan de Oro City to Benoni Port in Camiguin that takes 90 minutes to two hours.

Once on Camiguin typical Filipino transport is available:  motorcycle (habal-habal), motorela (10 person trike), multi-cab, jeepney, van.  These can be arranged by the ride or commissioned for longer periods or trips.

Dive Shops & Lodging

There are a number of dive shops, several of which are affiliated with resorts, that operate on Camiguin.  Most are situated on the coastline.  They are in operation year-round and offer a full range of services including equipment rental, dive courses, guiding, and boat dive cruises.

There are at least 27 accommodations of every level available around the island from $11 to $67 per night.  The website linked below is a good source for the available options and can arrange a booking.  You can easily find the locations on the map provided on this site and identify those with dive shops.  Their rates are the lowest and it is free to cancel or change dates.

• Camiguin Island Resorts

Camiguin Island Attractions (aside from scuba diving)

Tourist services are not highly developed, so you won’t find a bunch of western restaurants, bars, and nightclubs.  Most of the tourist activities aside from those related to the beach and seaside activities relate to the beautiful scenery in the forests of this volcanic island.  There are also some historic buildings and churches, as well.  White and Matinique Islands are worth a visit.  There are numerous hot and cold water springs, lakes, and waterfalls to explore. Hiking through the forest up Mount Vulcan and Mount Hibok Hibok should prove exhilarating.  The sunken cemetery and giant clam nursery are additional sub-sea sights.  The major cultural event of the year is probably the Lanzones Festival in October.  Check out the video below for a glimpse of a few of these and have a look at the island.

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 Camiguin 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 July 13, 2022

This is the eighty-fifth in a series of reviews of the best dive resort locations around the world.  In this post, the focus is on New Caledonia. 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 New Caledonia 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 New Caledonia

Background

New Caledonia, a special collectivity of France, is situated south of Vanuatu and 1,210 kilometers (750 miles) east of Australia.  The area of 18,576 square kilometers (7,172 square miles) is made up of the main island, Grand Terre, the Loyalty Islands to the east, and a number of small lightly populated islands.

First settled in the Lapita Period, which began in 1,600 BC by people who were navigators and farmers, the first western contact came when Captain Cook got there in his second voyage in 1774.  The French and the British settled there in the early 1800s and it became a French Possession in 1853.  For decades after 1864, it was used as a penal colony.  In 1956 New Caledonia became a French Overseas Territory with French citizenship for the people.  Independence has been an option in elections, the latest of which was in 2018, with the people opting against it.

A central mountain range dissects the island with the east coast lushly vegetated and the west coast having plains and savannahs suitable for farming.  The flora and fauna are exceptionally diverse.  Minerals, nickel foremost, and tourism are the main economic drivers.

The rich history has left New Caledonia with an interesting mix of peoples which can be categorized into five groups:  the Kanaks (indigenous people), descendants of prisoners and settlers from North Africa and Europe, other French people, Polynesian immigrants, descendants of earlier settlers from Asia (Vietnamese, Indonesian, and others).  In this interesting mix, over 97% of adults speak French.  In addition, there are 28 Kanak languages and remnant usage of other languages from outside.  For a more detailed introduction to New Caledonia, click here:  New Caledonia – Wiki 

Undersea World

New Caledonia has the second-largest double barrier reef in the world at 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) in length that encloses the world’s largest lagoon of over 40,000 square kilometers (25,000 square miles) in surface area.  It is the home to 20,000 marine and plant species including 400 coral species.  Since 2008 much of the lagoon area has been part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  A large portion of the lagoon is also a marine protected area as part of the country’s Natural Park of the Coral Sea.  The lagoon itself doesn’t exceed 30 meters (100 feet) in depth, but just beyond the slope descends to greater than 100 meters (350 feet).

Humpback whales from the Antarctic come in the summer months to mate and birth in the lagoons.  Other mammals that frequent the area include dolphins and dugongs.  Beyond the lagoons, in passes, the attractions are many with schooling pelagics, manta and eagle rays, whitetip, blacktip and grey reef sharks, leopard sharks, and even the occasional sightings of whale, hammerhead, tiger, and lemon sharks.  Turtles are prevalent around the smaller islands and even the Nautilus usually seen in very deep water can be found.  Beautiful reef fish and macro critters abound including nudibranchs, scorpionfish, leaf fish, frogfish, mandarin fish, giant clams, lionfish, crinoids, anemones, sea goldies, chromis, peacock flounders, hawkfish, sweetlips, Maori wrasse, schools of fusiliers, yellow snappers and jacks, big grouper, butterflyfish, angelfish, trumpetfish, and surgeonfish, as a start.  There are even a few wrecks, including the Dieppoise and Toho V, to explore.

Seasons and Conditions

Diving is good all year in New Caledonia.

Air temperature daily averages are at annual highs from January through March at 26°C (79°F).  Annual daily averages hit lows of 20°C (68°F) in July and August.

The water temperature range is 27-30°C (81-86°F) from October through April and 22-26°C (71-78°F) from May through September.  At the coolest, some divers may want to use a 5-7 mm wetsuit.

Mantas and sharks are most prevalent from March through September.

The rainiest time of year is from January through June when 10-12 days per month have some rain.  Also, cyclones are a possibility from November to March.

Visibility is usually pretty good at 10-30 meters (35-100 feet).

Current is pretty mild in the lagoons but can get strong due to tidal flow in the passes.

There are many interesting dive sites all around the main island and at most of the smaller islands.

Noumea and several other points around New Caledonia have dive shops providing a full range of diver training, equipment rental, guiding, and boat cruises.

Liveaboard Diving

There is not a liveaboard that directly cruises the New Caledonia dive sites, but there are boats that go to the Solomon Islands, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea.  Here are my reviews and links to those liveaboards:

• Best Scuba Diving Trips, Solomon Islands Liveaboards
• Best Fiji Resorts and Liveaboard Diving
• Best Scuba Diving Vacations – Papua New Guinea Liveaboards

Bilikiki, Solomon Islands Liveaboard – Check the Price

Fiji Aggressor, Fiji Liveaboard – Check the Price

MV Febrina, Papua New Guinea Liveaboard – Check the Price

Selected New Caledonia Dive Sites

La Dieppoise, across the lagoon from Noumea: 26 meters (85 feet), 44-meter (143-foot) French frigate scuttled in 1988 to become an artificial reef, penetration of the pilothouse possible, dining tables and chairs visible, nudibranchs, jacks and barracuda, little current, experienced level

Toho V, across the lagoon from Noumea near Le Dieppoise: 26 meters (85 feet), 45-meter (146-foot) Japanese longliner, scuttled in 1993 to become an artificial reef, groupers and jacks, little current, experienced level

Boulari Pass, across from Noumea outside the Dieppoise and Toho 5: 30 meters (100 feet) maximum depth, stingrays, sharks, manta rays, humpback whales from July through November, strong drift possible, experienced level

Passe de Dumbea, near Noumea: 25-50 meters (83-165 feet), north and south side dives possible, rich plant life, gorgonians, black coral, steep canyons, caverns, hundreds of migrating grouper, whitetip, blacktip, and grey reef sharks, leopard and hammerhead sharks possible, lots of fish, experienced level

Le Sournois: near Noumea: 21 meters (70 feet), two sections, one with a wall and the other a coral bommie, reef tropicals, stingrays, barracuda, reef sharks, little current, all levels

Le Banc de Sable, Southern Province: 50 meters (165 feet) maximum depth, wall with gorgonians and rich corals, whitetip and grey reef sharks, strong current possible, experienced level

Kasmira Reef, Southern Province: 18 meters (60 feet), garden eels, turtles, reef and leopard sharks, little current, all levels

Grotte de la Troisieme, Southern Province: 7 meters (22 feet), shore entry, cave site with stalagmites, stalactites, usually great visibility, but can be poor, experienced level

Fonti Reef, Northern Province: 22 meters (73 feet), nice caves with big gorgonians, little current, all levels

La Point aux Cachalots (Sperm Whale Point), near Hienghene: 30 meters (100 feet) maximum depth, arch, caves, and canyons, nice hard and soft corals, gorgonians, tube sponges, conger, and moray eels, scorpionfish, no current, good visibility, great for photos, all levels

Cathedrale, near Hienghene: 50 meters (165 feet) maximum depth, wall with nice sea fans, large crevice and  20-meter (68-foot) tunnel, mild to moderate current, experienced level

New Caledonia Photos

With the interesting undersea terrain, walls, lagoons, beautiful hard corals and sea fans, a variety of fish, sharks, rays, whales, turtles, and wrecks, scenic beaches, forest and mountains, and historical and cultural sites as well, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:

• Best Underwater Cameras Compared and Reviewed

New Caledonia Hotels, Resorts, Transportation, and Dive Shops

Transportation

Air – Noumea-La Tontouta Airport, northwest of the city is the international airport.  Air France has connections to Tokyo, Osaka, and Seoul and Aircalin to Tokyo and Osaka.  Air New Zealand and Qantas connect to New Zealand, Australia, Southeast Asia, and various Pacific nations.  Noumea-Magenta Airport, close to the city center, serves all domestic flights which include the Loyalty Islands and Isle of Pines in the south and Elep Islands in the north, as well as some of the smaller islands off the east and west coasts.

Boat – A number of cruise liners use Noumea as a port of call.  There are also ferries and water taxi charters going to the Isle of Pines and Loyalty Islands.

Ground – A regional bus service in the south is in operation that also does transit from the international airport to downtown Noumea.  Noumea also has a city bus service.  That city also has a taxi service which requires booking by phone rather than flagging one down.  Car rental is a popular option.

Lodging and Dive Shops

There are dive shops spread around the main island with a number of them in Noumea.  Several are associated with resorts.  They offer full services including equipment rental, dive courses, guiding, and boat dive cruises.  There are dozens of lodging options starting at $75 per night.

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.

• New Caledonia Hotels

Things to Do New Caledonia (aside from scuba diving)

The beautiful natural setting and tourist facilities and activities to enjoy it are well developed in New Caledonia.  Here are just a few of the places to visit on your trip:  Parc Provincial de la Rivière Bleue, Kanak Monument, Place des Cocotiers, Fort Téremba, Le Parc des Grandes Fougères, Ouvéa Memorial, The Heart of Voh, Anse Vata, Pont de Mouli, Le Marché, Fayaoué Beach, Chapelle Notre Dame de Lourdes, Le Faré du Palm Beach, , Grotte de la Reine Hortense, Brooding Hen & Sphinx, Baie des Citrons, Aquarium des Lagons, Aquarium Naturelle, Le Saut du Guerrier, Yedjele Beach, Les 3 Brasseurs, Musée de la Ville de Noumea, Art Cafe, Statue of St Maurice, L’Annexe, Luengoni Beach

This video gives  a nice introduction and a feel for life as a tourist in New Caledonia:

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 New Caledonia 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 in New Caledonia.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:   >>comments<<

Updated September 16, 2022

This is the one hundred and twenty-eighth in a series of reviews of the best dive resort locations around the world.  In this post, the focus is on Cabo San Lucas, 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 San Lucas 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 Cabo San Lucas Mexico

Background

Situated on the southern tip of Baja California is the resort town of Cabo San Lucas.

Already recognized for its surfing, sport fishing, and beaches, in 1974 the Mexican government started taking measures to improve the infrastructure in order to develop Cabo as a tourist area.  With the improved roads and air travel came foreign investors like Van Halen to help fuel the growth.

Today it has a population of over 80,000 and with neighboring San Jose, the combined total is over 300,000.  It is in the top 5 of Mexico’s tourist destinations.

Often accused of having more concern for making money than maintaining the unique marine life and fragile desert ecology, there is increasing public and government effort to preserve the delicate environment, especially through better waste disposal management, expansion planning, and legislation.  The scuba diving community is all too happy to see this.

For more historical and demographic information, please check Wikipedia – Cabo San Lucas.

Undersea World

A protected area since 1973, Cabo San Lucas is an underwater national park where fishing and collection is prohibited.

What can be considered local diving occurs within the bay, in a corridor outside the bay, and on undersea pinnacles known as Gordo Banks.  The sites within the protected bay are on rocky reefs with little current and calm surface conditions.  Outside the bay and in the corridor there are steep walls.  Pushing further out to Gordo Banks the underwater shoal has dramatic terrain with strong currents and significant surface chop possible.

Within the bay, many sites can be accessed from shore while outside a speedboat is necessary.

The highlights for most divers are the spectacular creatures that appear from December through March during the season of the plankton bloom.  This includes shoals of hammerheads at Gordo Banks, humpback and grey whales, massive numbers of Mobula rays, and sea lions which are in evidence near Land’s End year-round but are more active in this season.  From the deep, seasonal migration of banded guitarfish, bullseye rays, and octopus also occurs.

Other attractions include seahorses, scorpionfish, stonefish, slipper and spiny lobster, goatfish, Moorish idols, rabbitfish, schools of five-lined snappers, surgeonfish, jacks, and barracuda, pufferfish, triggerfish, angelfish, parrotfish, moray eels, cornetfish, garden eels, groupers, turtles, swordfish, wahoo, eagle rays, manta rays, whitetip reef sharks, bull sharks, blue sharks, mako sharks, silky sharks, and whale sharks.

Thinking about that batch of marine life, how can you resist coming for a look?

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

• 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 Pulmo Mexico

Seasons and Conditions

Diving is good all year in Cabo.

• 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 (°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 pretty dry with a rainier season from August through October.
• Visibility runs from 9 to 18 meters (30 to 60 feet) with the plankton bloom in the winter moving it toward the bottom of the range.
• There are times and locations where the current can be strong and surface conditions rough outside the bay.  In September and October, the seas are typically flat.

Cabo does have sites and conditions suitable for all levels of diver.  Many dive shops are in the area offering the full range of diving coursework, equipment rental, guiding, and boat cruises.

Mexican Liveaboard Diving

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

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

Quino el Guardian – Check the Price & Details

Rocio Del Mar – Check the Price & Details

Nautilus Gallant Lady – Check the Price & Details

Nautilus Explorer – Check the Price & Details

 

Selected Cabo San Lucas Dive Sites

North Wall: 7-30 meters (20-100 feet), sand in the shallows develops into a rocky slope and a steep wall beginning at 27 meters (90 feet), Cortez garden eels in the sand, rich macro life with spiny and slipper lobsters, scorpionfish, stonefish, hermit crabs, sea cucumbers, moray, zebra, and jewel eels, seahorses, and blennies, big schools of fish, boxfish, pufferfish, eagle rays, and sharks, good for night dives, suitable for all levels of diver

Middle Wall: 24-40 meters (80-130 feet), a steep drop-off from 24 meters (80 feet) to the depths, section with lots of sea fans, green moray eels, lobster, huge groupers, humongous schools of Mobula rays, pelagics like tuna, sharks, and possible whale sharks, suitable for experienced level divers

Pelican Rock: 18 meters (60 feet), sandy slopes around a pinnacle, lots of reef tropicals, lobster, boxfish, pufferfish, goatfish, frogfish, scorpionfish, schools of snappers, moray eels, octopus, blennies, seahorses, nudibranchs, possible schools of jacks, Mobula rays, Cortez rays, electric rays, and whitetip reef sharks, if you go deeper (27 meters/90 feet) one of the sand falls is just above a canyon, suitable for all levels of diver

Neptune’s Finger: 5-30 meters (16-100 feet), finger-like pinnacle topping at 5 meters (16 feet), good mix of hard and soft corals, sponges, and sea fans, sandy area, and a vertical wall to the depths, highlights include, turtles, manta rays, shoals of Mobula rays, tuna, Mola Mola, amberjacks, big-eye jacks, barracuda, yellowtails, guitarfish, and flounders, suitable for all levels of diver

Land’s End: 7-21 meters (20-70 feet), at the junction of the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean, sandy bottom with garden eels and guitarfish, turtles, sea bass, parrotfish, school of baitfish and pelagics coming to feed on them, groups of Mobula rays around the rock point, sea lions that always hang out in the area, remains of the Nürnberg wreck uncovered in Hurricane Odie in 2014 at 12 meters (40 feet), suitable for all levels of diver

Blow Hole: 12-30 meters (40-100 feet), Corridor site, a small blowhole is onshore, rock wall covered in sea fans, possible nurse sharks, big grouper, guitarfish, eagle rays, and bat rays, suitable for experienced level divers

Santa Maia Cove: 12-21 meters (40-70 feet), Corridor site, rocky walls with sea fans and reef tropicals, possible turtles, bat rays, and sea bass, suitable for experienced level divers

Chileno Bay: 12-24 meters (40-80 feet), Corridor site, small valleys between reef fingers, corals, sponges, and sea fans, a rich variety of reef tropicals and macro life including starfish and urchins, manta rays, sea bass, turtles, and nurse sharks, suitable for all levels of diver

Gordo Banks: 34-40 meters (110-130 feet), 13 kilometers (8 miles) offshore, seamount with a possibility of schooling hammerheads, whale sharks, huge mantas, massive shoals of Mobula rays, bull sharks, silky sharks, mako sharks, pelagics including sailfish, marlin, tuna and wahoo, schools of jacks and snapper, strong current possible, visibility is compromised during plankton blooms, suitable for experienced level divers

Things to Do in Cabo San Lucas (aside from scuba diving)

What a great tourist destination with something for everyone!  Culture, the outdoors, history, sports, nightlife – take your pick.  Here are some activities and sights to consider: Whale Watching, Playa del Amor, Playa del Divorcio, Playa del Chileno,  Museo de Historia Naturel, Sunsets, Jetskiing, Parasailing, Kayaking and Stand Up Paddleboarding, Local Food, Dancing at El Squid Roe, Day Trip to San Jose del Cabo, Cabo Wabo Cantina (owned by Sammy Hagar), Sailing Cruise, Fishing Charter, Outback Camel Safari, Shopping on Luxury Avenue, Nightlife, Seals at the Marina, Walking Tour of Cabo San Lucas, Mount Solmar, Parroquia de San Lucas, Hot Springs, Golf, Off-Road Tours, and Todos Santos (village).

This video provides a nice glimpse.

Cabo San Lucas Transportation, Hotels, & Diving Services

Transportation

• Air – Flight to Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) is the most convenient way for most to get to Cabo.  International flights use Terminal 1 and domestic, air taxis, and private charters use Terminal 2.  The airport is 30-45 minutes from town.  Buses, airport shuttles, and taxis are available for this service.
• Land – Mexico Highway 1 runs all the way from Tijuana to Cabo.
• A Regional Bus service is available to connect to San Jose and La Paz.
• Taxis are available in town.
• Rental Cars – Many agencies are in operation.
• Cruise Ships anchor offshore and require a 10-15 minute boat ride into Cabo.

For further details on transportation and other tourist tips, please go to Wikitravel – Cabo San Lucas.

Hotels and Diving

There are several hundred lodging options in Cabo San Lucas starting at $15 per night.  Several dozen dive shops in the area offer a full range of services that include equipment rental, diving certification classes, dive guides, and boat tours.  Many are within or associated with lodging.

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.

• Cabo San Lucas Lodging

Photography in Cabo San Lucas

With the colorful coral reefs, a variety of reef tropicals, macro critters, 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 San Lucas scuba diving exciting 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<<