Showing posts with label Snorkeling Place. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Snorkeling Place. Show all posts

Egypt

12:03 PM Unknown

Red Sea Snorkeling . . . the Ultimate Family Sport
The entire family can participate at the same time in this exciting sport, regardless of age. In fact, snorkeling is one of the easiest and most popular ways for you to enjoy the brilliant underwater world in the Red Sea with your family!

Snorkeling in the Red Sea
Snorkeling and free diving in the Red Sea a way-of-life in Egypt, and most guides have been exploring the sea's depths since they were small children. As a result, they know where to go to give you a truly memorable snorkeling adventure. We believe a snorkeling trip should be more than just gazing underwater through a piece of plastic. That's why snorkeling trips are included on every day on our boat a knowledgeable crew that helps you to better understand the reef environment. Moreover, snorkeling is a great introduction to the underwater world. The use of a snorkel enables you to witness the spectacle of a shallow coral reef for extended periods of time without the burden of lifting your head from the surface in order to breathe.
In crystal clear indigo blue water, white sand, vibrant living coral reefs, tropical fish, sometimes even dolphins and turtles - what more could you ask from on a snorkeling trip? Or how about someone who can make sure that you understand what you're seeing, and can lead you to the best snorkeling spots? Our guides especially enjoy snorkeling with children. Their enthusiasm and sense of wonder are contagious and sometimes make the guide's trip even more enjoyable for them than they are for you.
Snorkeling Prices

Full day snorkeling: 30 Euros per person / per day

Snorkeling Packages Include:
Unlimited snorkeling at off-shore reefs *accessible by boat only
Mask, snorkel & fins
Buffet lunch *bottled water & soft drinks included
Round trip transfers from your hotel *within 10 kilometers of Hurghada
Snorkeling Packages Exclude:
Red Sea environmental tax 5 Euros per person
National park fees - Giftun Island 5 Euros per person *if applicable
10% local sales tax
Children Policy: Children up to 10 years old are entitled to a 50% discount. Children 10 years old or are charged normal rates. All children must be accompanied and supervised by their parents.

Note: We offer daily snorkeling excursions from our boat. We only need to know one day in advance if you would like to join us so we can make arrangements and organize transportation for the morning. This gives you flexibility to decide which days you would like to snorkel and take a break in between if you like.


Basic Snorkel Gear
Mask
This is the most important piece of equipment you'll own. Comfort and style are important, and with a snug, watertight seal, your mask should not leak.

Snorkel
A good snorkel has a soft mouthpiece and lets you breath normally. Look for a contoured fit to reduce drag. A purge valve will allow you to clear water easily. Some snorkels have a second valve or splash guard which keeps water from waves breaking around you from entering the snorkel.

Fins
The right fins are also important. A comfortable fit along with a design matched to your physical size and level of physical fitness, will ensure hours of effortless cruising. You'll need to decide between full-foot or strap fins with boots.
Additional Equipment
Snorkel Vest
A snorkeling vest offers floatation and, in some cases, extra warmth and sunburn protection. We believe vests should be mandatory equipment, especially for children.
Mesh Bag
Provides a convenient way to tote and store your equipment. The mesh makes it even easier to flush your gear with fresh water when you've finished snorkeling for the day.
Accessories & Training
Exposure Suit
Some types of exposure suits are a great way to hide exposed skin from the hot sun and provide additional warmth in cooler water temperatures. These suits are available for adults and children and are easy to wear.
Sunscreen Lotion
Be sure your sunscreen is waterproof and at least 20 SPF is essential; we recommend 30 SPF or higher especially in the summer months. And don't forget to reapply it several times a day.
Fish Identification Card
It always helps to know what type of fish and marine life you're looking at. A waterproof fish identification card can provide information in the water. After your snorkel, check out a fish identification book and learn more about the creatures you saw in the water.
Underwater Camera
If you want great souvenirs of your snorkeling adventure, take along a waterproof camera. But remember to let the fish come to you don't chase them.
Kids & Snorkeling
Snorkeling for Kids
Snorkeling is a great way to get kids and parents involved in the same activity. Any child who can put a mask on his/her face can enjoy the underwater world. Of course, swimming ability comes into play as well. But a child in water wings or a Jelly Belly, with a mask on his face, can still 'snorkel' beside a parent in shallow water and get a taste for what's down there.
Snorkeling has an added benefit as well. We've found with children that having a mask on not only makes them feel like 'one of the big kids', but it's easier, and more fun, to put their face in the water too. What the kids don't know is that when they put their face down in the water, their feet come up to the surface and swimming becomes much easier.
Well-fitting snorkeling equipment is essential if you want your kids to enjoy the activity. While an adult may understand that a leaking mask is likely because of the quality of equipment, kids can't make the distinction. To them, a leaking mask is just 'yucky' and increases the chances of turning them off snorkeling for good. The same theory holds true for snorkeling vests. No matter how well a child swims, everyone (child and parents alike) will feel more secure if the child is wearing a vest. And if that vest fits well and is comfortable and easy to use, your child won't even fight the concept
When to Start
That depends on the child, but at the very least, the child should be comfortable in the water and interested in wearing a mask. Don t worry about using the snorkel and fins at the beginning. Start with just the mask in the bathtub then progress from there at a child's pace.
For additional information, tips and helpful information about snorkeling visit our Snorkeling Frequently Asked Questions and Improve Your Snorkeling Techniques pages.
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Long Island, Bahamas

11:46 AM Unknown

Long Island is an eighty-mile (nearly 130km) long island in the Bahamas that is split by the Tropic of Cancer. The island is only about four miles (6km) wide, but a road spans most of the length. Long Island is about 165 miles or 265 kilometres southeast of Nassau. Some of the main settlements are Clarence Town, Deadman's Cay, Simms, Salt Pond(Home of The Annual Long Island Regatta), Stella Maris and Scrub Hill. Long Island is one of the Districts of the Bahamas and is known as the most scenic island in the Bahamas.

The island originally was called by the Arawak name "Yuma". It was rechristened "Fernandina" by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage in 1492. Archaeological evidence shows that the Lucayan Taíno tribe settled on Long Island, as they did throughout the Bahamian chain of islands. After the demise of the Lucayans, who were carried as slaves to Hispaniola and Cuba, there was no large settlement until the arrival of the Loyalists.
The Loyalists were people mainly from New England and New Jersey who fled the American Revolution. Numerous Loyalist families settled on Long Island, some setting up cotton plantations and other raising cattle and sheep. The plantations flourished for only a few years and, by the time of the abolition of slavery in 1834, most of them had collapsed and been abandoned. There are many ruins from this era today, the majority of which are overgrown by bush. There are also remains of some of the houses built after slavery, which are usually small and built of stone. Originally they had thatched roofs; today, most are shingled. The descendants of these families continue to be widespread on the island. The population of Long Island is roughly 4,000 inhabitants.

Part of the economy is based on tourism and farming, but fishing dominates the economy. The inhabitants grow peas, corn, bananas, and pineapples, and they raise small livestock such as pigs, chickens, goats, and sheep. Some cattle are raised for export. Tourists enjoy sailing, fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling and relaxing on fine beaches and exploring its distinctive landscapes, which consist of rugged hills and crashing waves along the Atlantic east coast, with more tranquil waters on the west coast.

Cape Santa Maria Beach is listed in the top most beautiful beaches in the world and Dean's Blue Hole is the world's deepest Blue Hole dropping to a depth of about 660 feet.

Scuba diving
Scuba diving is swimming underwater, or taking part in another activity, while using a scuba set.By carrying a source of breathing gas (usually compressed air),the scuba diver is able to stay underwater longer than with the simple breath-holding techniques used in snorkeling and free-diving, and is not hindered by air lines to a remote air source. The scuba diver typically swims underwater by using fins attached to the feet. However, some divers also move around with the assistance of a DPV (diver propulsion vehicle), commonly called a "scooter", or by using surface-tethered devices called sleds pulled by a boat.

For the history of diving, see timeline of underwater technology.

Etymology
The term SCUBA arose during World War II and originally referred to United States combat frogmen's oxygen rebreathers, developed by Dr. Christian Lambertsen for underwater warfare.Today, scuba typically refers to the in-line open-circuit equipment, developed by Emile Gagnan and Jacques-Yves Cousteau, in which compressed gas (usually air) is inhaled from a tank and then exhaled into the water. However, rebreathers (both semi-closed circuit and closed circuit) are also self-contained systems (as opposed to surface-supplied systems) and are therefore classified as scuba.

Although SCUBA is an acronym for "self-contained underwater breathing apparatus", usage is mainly as a normal word "scuba", it has become acceptable to refer to scuba as "scuba equipment" or "scuba apparatus" — an example of the linguistic RAS syndrome.

Types of diving
Scuba diving is still evolving, but general classifications have grown to describe various diving activities. These classifications include:

Commercial diving
Military diving
Naval diving
Police diving
Professional diving
Recreational diving
Rescue and recovery diving
Scientific diving
Technical diving
Cave diving
Cavern diving
Deep diving
Ice diving
Wreck diving

Physiological issues

Breathing underwater
Water normally contains dissolved oxygen from which fish and other aquatic animals extract all their required oxygen as the water flows past their gills. Humans lack gills and do not otherwise have the capacity to breathe underwater unaided by external devices.

Early diving experimenters quickly discovered it is not enough simply to supply air in order to breathe comfortably underwater. As one descends, in addition to the normal atmospheric pressure, water exerts increasing pressure on the chest and lungs — approximately 1 bar or 14.7 psi for every 33 feet or 10 meters of depth — so the pressure of the inhaled breath must almost exactly counter the surrounding or ambient pressure in order to inflate the lungs.

By always providing the breathing gas at ambient pressure, modern demand valve regulators ensure the diver can inhale and exhale naturally and virtually effortlessly, regardless of depth.

Because the diver's nose and eyes are covered by a diving mask; the diver cannot breathe in through the nose, except when wearing a full face diving mask. However, inhaling from a regulator's mouthpiece becomes second nature very quickly.

Open-circuit
The most commonly used scuba set today is the "single-hose" open circuit 2-stage diving regulator, coupled to a single pressurized gas cylinder, with the first stage on the cylinder and the second stage at the mouthpiece.This arrangement differs from Emile Gagnan's and Jacques Cousteau's original 1942 "twin-hose" design, known as the Aqua-lung, in which the cylinder's pressure was reduced to ambient pressure in one or two or three stages which were all on the cylinder. The "single-hose" system has significant advantages over the original system.

In the "single-hose" two-stage design, the first stage regulator reduces the cylinder pressure of about 200 bar (3000 psi) to an intermediate level of about 10 bar (145 psi) The second stage demand valve regulator, connected via a low pressure hose to the first stage, delivers the breathing gas at the correct ambient pressure to the diver's mouth and lungs. The diver's exhaled gases are exhausted directly to the environment as waste. The first stage typically has at least one outlet delivering breathing gas at unreduced tank pressure. This is connected to the diver's pressure gauge or computer, in order to show how much breathing gas remains.

Rebreather
Main article: Rebreathers
Less common, but becoming increasingly available, are closed and semi-closed rebreathers.Open-circuit sets vent off all exhaled gases, but rebreathers reprocess each exhaled breath for re-use by removing the carbon dioxide buildup and replacing the oxygen used by the diver. Rebreathers release few or no gas bubbles into the water, and use much less oxygen per hour because exhaled oxygen is recovered; this has advantages for research, military, photography, and other applications. Modern rebreathers are more complex and more expensive than sport open-circuit scuba, and need special training and maintenance to safely use.

Gas mixtures
For some diving, gas mixtures other than normal atmospheric air (21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen, 1% other) can be used, so long as the diver is properly trained in their use. The most commonly used mixture is Enriched Air Nitrox, which is air with extra oxygen, often with 32% or 36% oxygen, and thus less nitrogen, reducing the likelihood of decompression sickness.

Several other common gas mixtures are in use, and all need specialized training. Oxygen with helium and a reduced percentage of nitrogen is known as trimix, for example.

In cases of technical dives more than one cylinder may be carried, containing a different gas mixture for a distinct phase of the dive, typically designated as Travel, Bottom, and Decompression. These different gas mixtures may be used to extend bottom time, reduce inert gas narcotic effects, and reduce decompression times.


Injuries due to changes in air pressure
For a full list, see Diving hazards and precautions
Divers must avoid injuries caused by changes in air pressure. The weight of the water column above the diver causes an increase in air pressure in any compressible material (wetsuit, lungs, sinus) in proportion to depth, in the same way that atmospheric air causes a pressure of 14.7 pounds-force per square inch (101.3 kPa) at sea level. Pressure injuries are called barotrauma and can be quite painful, in severe cases causing a ruptured eardrum or damage to the sinuses. To avoid them, the diver equalizes the pressure in all air spaces with the surrounding water pressure when changing depth. The middle ear and sinus are equalized using one or more of several techniques, which is referred to as clearing the ears.

The mask is equalized by periodically exhaling through the nose.

If a drysuit is worn, it too must be equalized by inflation and deflation, similar to a buoyancy compensator.


Effects of breathing high pressure gas

Decompression sickness
The diver must avoid the formation of gas bubbles in the body, called decompression sickness or 'the bends', by releasing the water pressure on the body slowly at the end of the dive and allowing gases trapped in the bloodstream to gradually break solution and leave the body, called "off-gassing." This is done by making safety stops or decompression stops and ascending slowly using dive computers or decompression tables for guidance. Decompression sickness must be treated promptly, typically in a recompression chamber. Administering enriched-oxygen breathing gas or pure oxygen to a decompression sickness stricken diver on the surface is a good form of first aid for decompression sickness, although fatality or permanent disability may still occur.


Nitrogen narcosis
Nitrogen narcosis or inert gas narcosis is a reversible alteration in consciousness producing a state similar to alcohol intoxication in divers who breathe high pressure gas at depth.The mechanism is similar to that of nitrous oxide, or "laughing gas," administered as anesthesia. Being "narced" can impair judgment and make diving very dangerous. Narcosis starts to affect the diver at 66 feet (20 m), or 3 atmospheres of pressure. At 66 feet (20 m), Narcosis manifests itself as slight giddiness. The effects increase drastically with the increase in depth. Jacques Cousteau famously described it as the "rapture of the deep". Nitrogen narcosis occurs quickly and the symptoms typically disappear during the ascent, so that divers often fail to realize they were ever affected. It affects individual divers at varying depths and conditions, and can even vary from dive to dive under identical conditions. However, diving with trimix or heliox prevents narcosis from occurring.


Oxygen toxicity
Oxygen toxicity occurs when oxygen in the body exceeds a safe "partial pressure" (PPO2).[2] In extreme cases it affects the central nervous system and causes a seizure, which can result in the diver spitting out his regulator and drowning. Oxygen toxicity is preventable provided one never exceeds the established maximum depth of a given breathing gas. For deep dives, (generally past 130 feet / 39 meters) "hypoxic blends" containing a lower percentage of oxygen than atmospheric air are used. For more information, see Oxygen toxicity.

Refraction and underwater vision
Water has a higher refractive index than air; it's similar to that of the cornea of the eye. Light entering the cornea from water is hardly refracted at all, leaving only the eye's crystalline lens to focus light. This leads to very severe hypermetropia. People with severe myopia, therefore, can see better underwater without a mask than normal-sighted people.

Diving masks and diving helmets and fullface masks solve this problem by creating an air space in front of the diver's eyes.The refraction error created by the water is mostly corrected as the light travels from water to air through a flat lens, except that objects appear approximately 34% bigger and 25% closer in salt water than they actually are. Therefore total field-of-view is significantly reduced and eye-hand coordination must be adjusted.

(This affects underwater photography: a camera seeing through a flat window in its casing is affected the same as its user's eye seeing through a flat mask window, and so its user must focus for the apparent distance to target, not for the real distance.)

Divers who need corrective lenses to see clearly outside the water would normally need the same prescription while wearing a mask. Generic and custom corrective lenses are available for some two-window masks. Custom lenses can be bonded onto masks that have a single front window.

A "double-dome mask" has curved windows in an attempt to cure these faults, but this causes a refraction problem of its own.

On rare occasions, commando frogmen use special contact lenses instead, to see underwater without the large glass surface of a diving mask, which can reflect light and give away the frogman's position.

As a diver changes depth, he must periodically exhale through his nose to equalize the internal pressure of the mask with that of the surrounding water. Swimming goggles which only cover the eyes do not allow for equalization and thus are not suitable for diving.

Controlling buoyancy underwater
To dive safely, divers need to be able to control their rate of descent and ascent in the water.Ignoring other forces such as water currents and swimming, the diver's overall buoyancy determines whether he ascends or descends. Equipment such as the diving weighting systems, diving suits ( Wet, Dry & Semi-dry suits are used depending on the water temperature) and buoyancy compensators can be used to adjust the overall buoyancy.When divers want to remain at constant depth, they try to achieve neutral buoyancy. This minimizes gas consumption caused by swimming to maintain depth.

The downward force on the diver is the weight of the diver and his equipment minus the weight of the same volume of the liquid that he is immersed in; if the result is negative, that force is upwards. Diving weighting systems can be used to reduce the diver's weight and cause an ascent in an emergency. Diving suits, mostly being made of compressible materials, shrink as the diver descends, and expand as the diver ascends, creating unwanted buoyancy changes. The diver can inject air into some diving suits to counteract this effect and squeeze. Buoyancy compensators allow easy and fine adjustments in the diver's overall volume and therefore buoyancy. For open circuit divers, changes in the diver's lung volume can be used to adjust buoyancy.
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Apo Island - Philippines

7:11 PM Unknown

Apo Island is a small volcanic island, 7km off the southeastern tip of Negros Island in the Philippines. It is under the jurisdiction of the municipality of Dauin, Negros Oriental. The marine habitat around the island is a marine reserve; protected by the National Integrated Protected Area Act (N.I.P.A.) and comes under the jurisdiction of the Protected Area Management Board (P.A.M.B.).

The island is home to nearly 800 people, mainly fisher folks. Since 2002 Apo has become a popular dive site and snorkeling destination with tourists. There are two resorts on Apo Island, both of which have their own dive centers. Apo Island Beach Resort is the smaller and more exclusive, Liberty's Lodge is larger.

Apo Island is one of the world's best known community-organized marine sanctuaries, and as such it has been well documented, by the global science community. The project was started in 1982. It is home to over 650 documented species of fish and estimated to have over 400 species of corals.

Visitors and tourists pay a fee to enter Apo Island and to snorkel or dive in the marine sanctuary there, these fees are used to keep the sanctuary clean and in good condition.

In 2003 Chicago's Shedd Aquarium opened a Wild Reef exhibit based on Apo Island's surrounding reef and marine sanctuary.

The island is 20 kilometres from Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental and can be reached by a 30-minute boat ride from the fishing/market village of Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental.Apo Island, a small and pristine island that offers fantastic snorkelling and some of the best diving in the Philippines. This Island has some lovely and scenic view with a magnificent and good assorment of dive sites.

Stunning and outstanding hard and soft corals are all around and enormous table corals, stag horns, brain corals and fire corals can be seen. You will also encounter lovely beaches and a tranquil, relaxing atmosphere, as no automobiles are allowed on the island.

The waters around Apo Island are calm due to the unique coral formations that also attract an array of marine life, making this an ideal diving location.
Big drop-offs and spectacular walls are in the southern, northern and eastern side of the island. Unique, exotic and enchanting marine life species can be experienced when the currents are strong because a variety of large pelagic species are attracted all around the island.

Stunning Marine life will be encountered such as large pelagics, including tuna, big-eyed jacks, humphead wrasses, hammerheads, and mantas.

This island is considered to be part of the jurisdiction of the town of Dauin, Negros Oriental. Its pride is its fantastic rock formations scattered over the terrain, a protected marine reserve, magnificent white sands and a relatively virgin endowment of natural marine resources.

It listed six-hundred-and-fifty documented fish species and four-hundred types of marine corals.

Apo Island is one of the top ten dive sites in the country and around the world. You can opt for a one-day adventure or stay nights at nearby hotels and beach resorts, some of which are the Liberty’s Lodge or Apo Island Beach Resort.

Life in this island is said to have its own pace. Perhaps this is where time has stood still -- in the primitive and wild beauty that it is most well-known for.

You can snorkel, scuba or deep sea dive in as much as 15 pre-identified points around the island. Other activities include island boat rides, treks and bike rides.

This island is sure to fascinate every diver’s and vacationists’ imagination – from the unique aquatic habitat and its dwellers, the rustic view of an old lighthouse, the image of a sunset tinting the sky with pink to the magical feel of white sand on your toes while having a cool drink on a night of the full moon.

Explore the Apo Island today and experienced its white sand beaches, clear aquamarine waters, its lush coral reefs and diverse marine life, and surely you will treasure this.



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Bunaken Snorkeling - Sulawesi Indonesia

6:34 PM Unknown

Bunaken is part of the Bunaken National Marine Park, which has some of the highest levels of marine biodiversity in the world.[citation needed] Scuba diving attracts many visitors to the island. Bunaken is located at the north of the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. It belongs administratively to the municipality of Manado.

The Bunaken National Marine Park was formally established in 1991 and is among the first of Indonesia's growing system of marine parks. The park covers a total surface area of 890.65 km², 97% of which is overlain by sparkling clear, warm tropical water. The remaining 3% of the park is terrestrial, including the five islands of Bunaken, Manado Tua, Mantehage, Nain and Siladen. Although each of these islands has a special character, it is the aquatic ecosystem that attracts most naturalists.

The waters of Bunaken National Marine Park are extremely deep (1566 m in Manado Bay), clear (up to 35-40 m visibility), refreshing in temperature (27 to 29 °C) Pick any of group of interest - corals, fish, echinoderms or sponges - and the number of families, genera or species is bound to be astonishingly high. For example, 7 of the 8 species of giant clams that occur in the world, occur in Bunaken. The park has around 70 genera of corals; compare this to a mere 10 in Hawaii. Although the exact number of fish species is unknown, it may be slightly higher than in the Philippines, where 2,500 species, or nearly 70% of all fish species known to the Indo-western Pacific, are found.Oceanic currents may explain, in part, why Bunaken National Marine Park is such a treasure trove of biodiversity. Northeasternly currents generally sweep through the park but abundant counter currents and gyros related to lunar cycles are believed to be a trap for free swimming larvae. This is particularly true on the south side of the crescent-shaped Bunaken Island, lying in the heart of the park. A snorkler or diver in the vicinity of Lekuan or Fukui may spot over 33 species of butterfly fish and numerous types of groupers, damsels, wrasses and gobies. The gobies, smallish fish with bulging eyes and modified fins that allow them to attach to hard surfaces, are the most diverse but least known group of fish in the park.

Biologists believe that the abundance of hard corals is crucial in maintaining the high levels of diversity in the park. Hard corals are the architects of the reefs, without them, numerous marine organisms would be homeless and hungry. Many species of fish are closely associated with particular types of corals (folious, branching, massives, etc.) for shelter and egg-laying. Others, like the enormous Bumphead Parrotfish, Balbometopon muricatum, are "coralivores" and depend on hard corals for their sustenance. Bony mouth parts fused into an impressive "beak" allow these gregarious fish to crunch corals like roasted peanuts.

Some 20,000 people live on the natural resources of Bunaken National Marine Park. Although there are inevitable conflicts between resource protection and use by people, the Indonesian government is taking a fairly unusual and pragmatic approach to park management. The idea is to promote wise resource use while preventing overexploitation. Local communities, government officials, dive resort operators, local nature groups, tourists and scientists have played an active role in developing exclusive zones for diving, wood collection, fishing and other forms of utilization. Bunaken Marine Park has become an important example of how Sulawesi, and the rest of Indonesia, can work to protect its natural resources.

Snorkeling Areas
What else can be the best areas for Snorkeling other than the reefs!
And Bunaken Island is Surrounded by reefs that are more or less easily accessible from the beaches.
At Bunaken Cha Cha we have our own "House Reef" just meters away, in front of our private 60 meter wide beach, we also provide a snorkeling pontoon, a pontoon that floats atop of the reef so that should you get a little tired you can have a rest on it without having to come back to the beach, a good place to get a close up view of dolphins passing by, and then........time for a bit more snorkeling.

Cha Cha "House Reef" is home to 100s of different hard and soft corals and 100s of different types of reef fish not to mention all the other marine creatures such as nudibranchs, shrimps, crabs, sea cucumbers etc.
Looking for bigger fish? move slightly away from the Reef Top and you come to "The Wall", a virtual drop off and here you have the opportunity to see barracudas, tunas, eagle rays, turtles, schooling spanish mackerel , white and black tip reef sharks and of course there are also some surprises
from time to time such as Dugongs.

Need a change of Snorkeling Scenery?
Why not join one of our dive boats for a 4 hour morning snorkeling trip, here you will have the opportunity of viewing the islands around the park, maybe even dolphin watching while we transfer you to two different snorkeling spots, many times giving you the possibility of experiencing snorkeling at other islands within the Park.

You want flexibility?
You can charter one of our Snorkeling boats for 4 hours with a capacity of 6 guests, our snorkeling boat allows you the flexibility to try even more snorkeling points and not have to share a boat with divers.

Don't worry about the Equipment
Bunaken Cha Cha has all the equipment required for snorkeling, thus should you not bring your own you can easily hire it from us.
Masks, snorkel, booties, fins, wet-suits and even life vests or buoyancy aids.

Snorkeling tips
*SNORKEL & MASK

Choose a snorkel that fits easily in to your mouth, and a mask that fits snugly.
Test this by putting it to your face without using the strap and breathe in through the nose. If it fits properly it will not fall off, even when you lean forward.

*FINS

Choose a pair of booties & fins that fit your feet comfortably.


*T-SHIRTS/RASH GUARD/WET-SUIT

Wear a t-shirt/rash guard or wet-suit to protect yourself from the sun and a waterproof sunscreen on exposed areas of your skin such as the neck and the back of your knees.

Ask a member of staff for our "Snorkeling at Cha Cha Guidelines", indispensable information related to sites, how to enter and exit the water without damaging the fragile corals and more tips and tricks to help you enjoy and be more comfortable.

We require all snorkelers to wear booties and use fins, booties will make walking to the snorkeling point more comfortable and fins will help you swim should there be any currents.

And finally, do not walk or step on the corals, they are not stones they are alive and take seconds to damage but many many years to recover.
Be a conscientious Snorkeler.
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Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling

5:10 PM Unknown

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system,composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi).The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in northeast Australia.

The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms.This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps.The Great Barrier Reef supports a wide diversity of life, and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981CNN has labelled it one of the seven natural wonders of the world.The Queensland National Trust has named it a state icon of Queensland.

A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which helps to limit the impact of human use, such as overfishing and tourism. Other environmental pressures to the reef and its ecosystem include water quality from runoff, climate change accompanied by mass coral bleaching, and cyclic outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish.
Physiography
The Great Barrier Reef is a distinct physiographic province of the larger East Australian Cordillera division. It encompasses the smaller Murray Islands physiographic section.[

Geology and geography
Australia has moved northwards at a rate of 7 cm (2.8 in) per year, starting during the Cainozoic.Eastern Australia experienced a period of tectonic uplift, leading to the drainage divide in Queensland moving 400 km (250 mi) inland. Also during this time, Queensland experienced volcanic eruptions leading to central and shield volcanoes and basalt flows.Some of these granitic outcrops have become high islands.After the Coral Sea Basin was formed, coral reefs began to grow in the Basin, but until about 25 million years ago, northern Queensland was still in temperate waters south of the tropics - too cool to support coral growth.[14] The history of the development of the Great Barrier Reef is complex; after Queensland drifted into tropical waters, the history is largely influenced by how reefs fluctuate (grow and recede) as the sea level changes.They can increase in diameter from 1 to 3 centimetres (0.39 to 1.2 in) per year, and grow vertically anywhere from 1 to 25 centimetres (0.4–12 in) per year; however, they are limited to growing above a depth of 150 metres (490 ft) due to their need for sunlight, and cannot grow above sea level.The land that formed the substrate of the current Great Barrier Reef was a coastal plain formed from the eroded sediments of the Great Dividing Range with some larger hills (some of which were themselves remnants of older reefs or volcanoes.When Queensland moved into tropical waters 24 million years ago, some coral grew,but a sedimentation regime quickly developed with erosion of the Great Dividing Range; creating river deltas, oozes and turbidites, which would have been unsuitable conditions for coral growth. 10 million years ago, the sea level significantly lowered, which further enabled the sedimentation. The substrate of the GBR may have needed to build up from the sediment until the edge of the substrate was too far away for suspended sediments to have an inhibiting effect on coral growth. In addition, approximately 400,000 years ago there was a particularly warm interglacial period with higher sea levels and a 4 degree Celsius change in water temperature.

The Reef Research Centre, a Cooperative Research Centre, has found coral 'skeleton' deposits that date back half a million years.The GBRMPA considers the earliest evidence to suggest complete reef structures to have been 600,000 years ago.

According to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the current, living reef structure is believed to have begun growing on the older platform about 20,000 years ago.The Australian Institute of Marine Science agrees, which places the beginning of the growth of the current reef at the time of the Last Glacial Maximum. At around that time, the sea level was 120 metres (390 ft) lower than it is today.

From 20,000 years ago until 6,000 years ago, the sea level rose steadily. As it rose, the corals could then grow higher on the hills of the coastal plain. By around 13,000 years ago the sea level was 60 metres (200 ft) lower than the present day, and corals began to grow around the hills of the coastal plain, which were, by then, continental islands. As the sea level rose further still, most of the continental islands were submerged. The corals could then overgrow the hills, to form the present cays and reefs. Sea level on the Great Barrier Reef has not risen significantly in the last 6,000 years.The CRC Reef Research Centre estimates the age of the present, living reef structure at 6,000 to 8,000 years old.

The remains of an ancient barrier reef similar to the Great Barrier Reef can be found in The Kimberley, a northern region of Western Australia.

The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area has been divided into 70 bioregions, of which 30 are reef bioregions,and 40 are non-reef bioregions.In the northern part of the Great Barrier Reef, ribbon reefs and deltaic reefs have formed; these structures are not found in the rest of the Great Barrier Reef system.There are no atolls in the system,and reefs attached to the mainland are rare.

Fringing reefs are distributed widely, but are most common towards the southern part of the Great Barrier Reef, attached to high islands, for example, the Whitsunday Islands. Lagoonal reefs are also found in the southern Great Barrier Reef, but there are some of these found further north, off the coast of Princess Charlotte Bay. Cresentic reefs are the most common shape of reef in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef system, for example the reefs surrounding Lizard Island. Cresentic reefs are also found in the far north of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, and in the Swain Reefs (20-22 degrees South). Planar reefs are found in the northern and southern parts of the Great Barrier Reef, near Cape York, Princess Charlotte Bay, and Cairns. Most of the islands on the reef are found on planar reefs.

Ecology
The Great Barrier Reef supports a diversity of life, including many vulnerable or endangered species, some of which may be endemic to the reef system.

Thirty species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises have been recorded in the Great Barrier Reef, including the dwarf minke whale, Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, and the humpback whale. Large populations of dugongs live there.

Six species of sea turtles come to the reef to breed – the green sea turtle, leatherback sea turtle, hawksbill turtle, loggerhead sea turtle, flatback turtle, and the olive ridley. The green sea turtles on the Great Barrier Reef have two genetically distinct populations, one in the northern part of the reef and the other in the southern part.Fifteen species of seagrass in beds attract the dugongs and turtles, and provide a habitat for fish.The most common genera of seagrasses are Halophila and Halodule.

Salt water crocodiles live in mangrove and saltmarshes on the coast near the reef.[Nesting has not been reported, and the salt water crocodile population in the GBRWHA is wide-ranging and with a low population density.Around 125 species of shark, stingray, skates or chimera live on the reef.Close to 5,000 species of mollusc have been recorded on the reef, including the giant clam and various nudibranchs and cone snails.Forty-nine species of pipefish and nine species of seahorse have been recorded.At least seven species of frog can be found on the islands.

215 species of birds (including 22 species of seabirds and 32 species of shorebirds) are attracted to the reef or nest or roost on the islands,including the white-bellied sea eagle and roseate tern.Most nesting sites are on islands in the northern and southern regions of the Great Barrier Reef, with 1.4-1.7 million birds using the sites to breed.The islands of the Great Barrier Reef also support 2,195 known plant species; three of these are endemic. The northern islands have 300-350 plant species which tend to be woody, whereas the southern islands have 200 which tend to be herbaceous; the Whitsunday region is the most diverse, supporting 1,141 species. The plant species are spread by birds.

Seventeen species of sea snake live on the Great Barrier Reef. They take three or four years to reach sexual maturity and are long-lived but with low fertility. They are usually benthic, but the species that live on the soft sediment differ from those that live on the reefs themselves. They live in warm waters up to 50 metres (164 ft) deep and are more common in the southern than in the northern part of the reef. None of the sea snakes found in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area are endemic to the reef, nor are any of them endangered.

More than 1,500 species of fish live on the reef, including the clownfish, red bass, red-throat emperor, and several species of snapper and coral trout.Forty-nine species are known to mass spawn, with eighty-four other species found on the reef spawning elsewhere in their range.

There are at least 330 species of ascidians found on the reef system, ranging in size from 1 mm-10 cm in diameter. Between 300-500 species of bryozoans are found on the reef system.

Four hundred species of corals, both hard corals and soft corals are found on the reef.The majority of these spawn gametes, breeding in mass spawning events that are controlled by the rising sea temperatures of spring and summer, the lunar cycle, and the diurnal cycle. Reefs in the inner Great Barrier Reef spawn during the week after the full moon in October, but the outer reefs spawn in November and December.The common soft corals on the Great Barrier Reef belong to 36 genera.Five hundred species of marine algae or seaweed live on the reef,including thirteen species of the genus Halimeda, which deposit calcareous mounds up to 100 metres (110 yd) wide, creating mini-ecosystems on their surface which have been compared to rainforest cover.

Environmental threats
The most significent threat to the Great Barrier Reef is climate change.Mass coral bleaching events due to rising ocean temperatures occurred in of the summers of 1998, 2002 and 2006,and coral bleaching will likely become an annual occurrence.Climate change has implications for other forms of life on the Great Barrier Reef as well - some fish's preferred temperature range lead them to seek new areas to live, thus causing chick mortality in seabirds that prey on the fish. Climate change will also affect the population and available habitat of sea turtles.
Another key threat faced by the Great Barrier Reef is pollution and declining water quality. The rivers of north eastern Australia provide significant pollution of the Reef during tropical flood events with over 90% of this pollution being sourced from farms.Farm run-off is polluted as a result of overgrazing and excessive fertiliser and pesticide use. Due to the range of human uses made of the water catchment area adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef, water quality has declined owing to the sediment and chemical runoff from farming, and to loss of coastal wetlands which are a natural filter.It is thought that the mechanism behind poor water quality affecting the reefs is due to increased light and oxygen competition from algae.

The crown-of-thorns starfish is a coral reef predator which preys on coral polyps. Large outbreaks of these starfish can devastate reefs. In 2000, an outbreak contributed to a loss of 66% of live coral cover on sampled reefs in a study by the CRC Reefs Research Centre.Outbreaks are believed to occur in natural cycles, exacerbated by poor water quality and overfishing of the starfish's predators.

The unsustainable overfishing of keystone species, such as the Giant Triton, can cause disruption to food chains vital to life on the reef. Fishing also impacts the reef through increased pollution from boats, by-catch of unwanted species (such as dolphins and turtles) and reef habitat destruction from trawling, anchors and nets.[60] As of the middle of 2004, approximately one-third of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is protected from species removal of any kind, including fishing, without written permission.

Other threats to the Great Barrier Reef include shipping accidents, oil spills, and tropical cyclones.

Human use
The Great Barrier Reef has long been known to and utilised by the Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Aboriginal Australians have been living in the area from at least 40,000 years ago,and Torres Strait Islanders since about 10,000 years ago.For these 70 or so clan groups, the reef is also an important part of their culture and spirituality.

The reef first became known to Europeans when the HM Bark Endeavour, captained by explorer James Cook, ran aground there on June 11, 1770, sustaining considerable damage. It was finally saved after lightening the ship as much as possible and re-floating it during an incoming tide.One of the most famous wrecks was that of the HMS Pandora, which sank on August 29, 1791, killing 35. The Queensland Museum has been leading archaeological digs to the Pandora since 1983.However, as there were no atolls on the reef system, it was largely unstudied in the 19th century. During this time, some of the islands on the Great Barrier Reef were mined for deposits of guano, and lighthouses were built as beacons through the system,as in Raine Island, the earliest example.The Great Barrier Reef Committee was set up in 1922 which carried out much of the early research on the reef.

Management

After the Royal Commissions' findings, in 1975 the Government of Australia created the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and defined what activities were prohibited on the Great Barrier Reef.The park is managed, in partnership with the Government of Queensland, through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to ensure that it is widely understood and used in a sustainable manner. A combination of zoning, management plans, permits, education and incentives (such as eco-tourism certification) are used in the effort to conserve the Great Barrier Reef.

In July 2004, a new zoning plan was brought into effect for the entire Marine Park, and has been widely acclaimed as a new global benchmark for the conservation of marine ecosystems.The rezoning was based on the application of systematic conservation planning techniques, using the MARXAN software.While protection across the Marine Park was improved, the highly protected zones increased from 4.5% to over 33.3%.At the time, it was the largest marine protected area in the world, although as of 2006, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument is the largest.

In 2006, a review was undertaken of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975. Some recommendations of the review are that there should be no further zoning plan changes until 2013, and that every five years, a peer-reviewed Outlook Report should be published, examining the health of the Great Barrier Reef, the management of the reef, and environmental pressures.

Tourism
Due to its vast biodiversity, warm clear waters and its accessibility from the floating guest facilities called 'live aboards', the reef is a very popular destination for tourists, especially scuba divers. Many cities along the Queensland coast offer daily boat trips to the reef. Several continental and coral cay islands have been turned into resorts, including the pristine resort island of Lady Elliot Island.

As the largest commercial activity in the region, it was estimated in 2003 that tourism in the Great Barrier Reef generates over AU$4 billion annually.(A 2005 estimate puts the figure at AU$5.1 billion.Approximately two million people visit the Great Barrier Reef each year.Although most of these visits are managed in partnership with the marine tourism industry, there are some very popular areas near shore (such as Green Island) that have suffered damage due to overfishing and land based run off.

A variety of boat tours and cruises are offered, from single day trips, to longer voyages. Boat sizes range from dinghies to superyachts.Glass-bottomed boats and underwater observatories are also popular, as are helicopter flights. By far, the most popular tourist activities on the Great Barrier Reef are snorkelling and diving, for which pontoons are often used, and the area is often enclosed by nets. The outer part of the Great Barrier Reef is favoured for such activities, due to water quality.

Management of tourism in the Great Barrier Reef is geared towards making tourism ecologically sustainable. A daily fee is levied that goes towards research of the Great Barrier Reef.This fee ends up being 20% of the GBRMPA's income.Plans of management are also in place for the popular tourist destinations of Cairns and the Whitsunday Islands, which account for 85% of the tourism in the region.Policies on cruise ships, bareboat charters, and anchorages limit the traffic on the Great Barrier Reef.

Fishing
The fishing industry in the Great Barrier Reef, controlled by the Queensland Government, is worth AU$1 billion annually.It employs approximately 2000 people, and fishing in the Great Barrier Reef is pursued commercially, for recreation, and as a traditional means for feeding one's family.Wonky holes in the reef provide particularly productive fishing areas.

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Caribbean Snorkeling

4:41 PM Unknown

Beautiful coral and colourful schools of fish, snorkelers find the Caribbean a natural choice.
Here is just a sample of some of the finest snorkeling spots in the Caribbean.

On the Caribbean Coast of Mexico, the Chankanaab National Park off Cozumel offers some clear and uncrowded waters, hundreds of colorful fish and spectacular reefs.

Two underwater parks outside Cancun - El Garrafon on Isla Mujeres and the reserve off the beach at Club Med both present great opportunities to see angelfish and sergeant majors as well as the splendid elkhorn and fan coral.

Bonaire's Marine Park provides excellent snorkeling. Swarms of fish looking to be handfed at Leonora's Reef and beautiful coral gardens and all sorts of marine creatures at Forest Reef and Ebo's Reef are highlights of the Park.
Snorkeling is also extremely popular in the Cayman Islands. Many aficionados believe that Little Cayman provides the very best snorkeling. Bloody Bay Point is particularly pleasing with shallows inhabited by exotic fish. Its tunnels and caves are visible to snorkelers. Wind Sock Reef has lovely specimens of sea fans, pillar coral and gorgonains. You may also see trumpetfish, filefish and barracuda here.

Curacao's Underwater Park is an excellent place to snorkel. Aided by trails and signs that identify marine species. Characterized by great visibility and coral reefs loaded with staghorn and gorgonians, teeming with snappers and wrassers. The occasional turtle can also be seen. You must go by boat to reach the park trail. Closer to shore there are excellent corals close to the surface in Knip Bay and Coral Cliff.

Off the western tip of Tobago, Buccoo Reef, attracts snorkelers to the vast area of coral heads just a few feet below the surface. You will see parrotfish, grunts, grouper and angelfish swimming among the forests of seafan, staghorn coral and white brain coral.

Providenciales, in the Turks and Caicos Islands, also has some wonderful snorkeling areas. Off Grace Bay is the Princess Alexandra National Park which has a trail. Although sometimes busy in season, those slightly more adventurous should walk west along Grace Bay to Smith's Reef where you can often swim with a turtle or two.

A snorkeler's paradise is Buck Island Reef National Monument in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Trail markers identify more than 300 species of marine life. Some of the best-preserved elkhorn and staghorn coral can be found at Fish Bowl Reef off St. John.
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