With over 7,000 islands, it’s no surprise that quite a few areas in the Philippines have spectacular diving. Among them is Dauin and the surrounding area. Atmosphere Resorts sits right in the middle of the action.
The post An Atmosphere of Adventure in the Philippines appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.
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At the beginning of every year, Scuba Diving magazine sends a survey to our print and digital subscribers to find out where they love to scuba dive — among many other questions. The Top 100 Gold list is the compilation of reader votes for the best dive sites, dive operators, liveaboards, big-animal encounters and more, regardless of location. We are proud to present the list that you — our readers — brought to life!
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#1 Palancar Deep, Cozumel, Mexico
#2 Bloody Bay Wall, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands
#3 Molokini Crater Back Wall, Maui, Hawaii
#4 Blue Corner, Palau
#5 Half Moon Caye, Lighthouse Reef, Belize
#6 Big Tunnels, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
#7 Mary’s Place, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras
#8 Amphitheater, Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos
#9 Cane Bay Wall, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
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#10 Cathedrals, Lanai, Hawaii
#11 Devil’s Grotto, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
#12 Something Special, Bonaire
#13 Cenote Dos Ojos, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
#14 Eagle Ray Pass, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
#15 Darwin’s Arch, Galapagos
#16 Cod Hole, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
#17 Great White Wall, Fiji
#18 Farnsworth Bank, Catalina Island, California
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#19 Spiegel Grove, Key Largo, Florida
#20 Kittiwake, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
#21 Fujikawa Maru, Truk Lagoon, Micronesia
#22 El Aguila, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras
#23 Oriskany, Pensacola, Florida
#24 Corsair, Oahu, Hawaii
#25 U-352, Morehead City, North Carolina
#26 Thistlegorm, Red Sea, Egypt
#27 Liberty, Bali, Indonesia
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#28 CoCo View Wall, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras
#29 Alice in Wonderland, Bonaire
#30 Buddy’s Reef, Bonaire
#31 Blue Heron Bridge, Riviera Beach, Florida
#32 Avalon Underwater Park, Catalina Island, California
#33 La Jolla Cove, San Diego, California
#34 Mala Wharf, Maui, Hawaii
#35 Sharks Cove, Oahu, Hawaii
#36 Lighthouse Point Reef, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
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#37 Great Blue Hole, Belize
#38 Devil’s Throat, Cozumel, Mexico
#39 Christ of the Abyss, Key Largo, Florida
#40 1,000 Steps, Bonaire
#41 Jellyfish Lake, Palau
#42 Cenote Chac Mool, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
#43 Bonne Terre Mine, Missouri
#44 Pelagic Magic, Kona, Hawaii
#45 Washing Machine, Exuma, Bahamas
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#46 Manta Ray Night Dive, Kona, Hawaii
#47 Davis Reef, Key Largo, Florida
#48 Bari Reef, Bonaire
#49 Bailey’s Key, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras
#50 Sunset House Resort Reef, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
#51 Frederiksted Pier, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
#52 Shark Ray Alley, Ambergris Caye, Belize
#53 Fluorescent Night Dive, Koh Tao, Thailand
#54 Coral Spawning Dives, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
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#55 Whale Sharks, Isla Mujeres, Mexico
#56 Manatees, Crystal River, Florida
#57 Sand Tiger Sharks, North Carolina
#58 Caribbean Reef Sharks, Shark Arena, New Providence, Bahamas
#59 Spinner Dolphins and Humpback Whales, Maui, Hawaii
#60 California Sea Lions, Santa Cruz Island, California
#61 Hammerhead Sharks, Galapagos
#62 Frogfish, Bari Reef, Bonaire
#63 Whitetip Reef and Blacktip Reef Sharks, Beqa, Fiji
#64 Pacific Manta Rays, Ulong Channel, Palau
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#65 Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
#66 Ka’anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii
#67 Tulum, Mexico
#68 Grace Bay Beach, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
#69 Hanauma Bay, Oahu, Hawaii
#70 The Baths, Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
#71 West Bay Beach, Roatan, Bay Islands
#72 Destin, Florida
#73 Anse Chastanet, St. Lucia
Aggressor Fleet & Dancer Fleet
#74 Galapagos Aggressor III
#75 Aqua Cat, Bahamas
#76 Cayman Aggressor IV
#77 Arenui, Indonesia
#78 Belize Aggressor III
#79 Spoilsport, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
#80 Odyssey Adventures/Truk Odyssey, Micronesia
#81 Turks and Caicos Aggressor II
#82 Maldives Aggressor
David Benz
#83 Buddy Dive Bonaire
#84 Reef Divers, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, Cayman Islands
#85 [Jack’s Diving Locker], Kona, Hawaii
#86 Stuart Cove’s, New Providence, Bahamas
#87 Ocean Divers, Key Largo, Florida
#88 Sunset House, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
#89 Sam’s Tours Palau
#90 Amigos Del Mar, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
#91 Scuba Club Cozumel, Mexico
Sunset House
#92 Sunset House, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
#93 Anthony’s Key Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras
#94 Scuba Club Cozumel, Mexico
#95 CoCo View Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras
#96 Little Cayman Beach Resort, Cayman Islands
#97 Turneffe Island Resort, Belize
#98 Deep Blue Resort, Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras
#99 Beqa Lagoon Resort, Fiji
#100 Buddy Dive Resort Bonaire
100 Best Scuba Diving Sites, Operators, Destinations and More Read More »
Dive Oahu
Ewa Pinnacles
Location: Southern O’ahu, Hawaii
Depth: 50-80 ft
Visibility: 100’
Who it’s For: Intermediate and Advanced Divers
What Makes it Special:
This spectacular site is located just off O’ahu’s southern coast, and boasts beautiful lava formations and incredible overhangs. Hard and soft corals blanket the volcanic rock, providing ample shelter for cleaning stations and small reef fish. Divers can spot whitetip reef sharks, puffers, eels, octopi and schools of fish beneath the protrusions. Sea turtles and manta rays occasionally glide by the site’s lava tubes.
With its great visibility—100 feet or more in all directions—Ewa Pinnacles delivers incredible sights. Being a deep reef site, bottom time usually run around 25 minutes.
Dive Oahu offers premier diving charters right from Waikiki. To book a dive to Ewa Pinnacles, visit diveoahu.com/divenew.
Dive Alongside Volcanic Rock at Ewa Pinnacles in Oahu Read More »
Jackie Haeger
Harlequin Shrimp
Location: Makahuena Point, Kauai, Hawaii
Depth: 60-90 ft
Visibility: 15-30’
Who it’s For: Intermediate Divers
What Makes it Special:
If kicking past volcanic rock and massive lava formations make you smile, Brennecke’s Ledges is your next destination dive site. A huge lava shelf gives this site its name, running parallel to Kauai’s southeastern shore for several miles until it finally drops off a 90-foot wall. The ledge is peppered with pink and white cauliflower coral—homes for several hermit crabs and other small crustaceans. Pincushion sea stars and Triton’s trumpet shells also stud the shelf.
Matthew Haeger
Divers at Brennecke’s Ledge.
The real fun begins when you drop down the wall. Black coral trees wave from the rock face. The shelf’s many overhangs are spackled with vibrant orange cup coral (be sure to bring a flashlight!). Numerous species of nudibranchs, and even the rare orange-banded cowry, nibble on the corals and polyps. Other residents include reef crabs, lobsters, banded angelfish, bluestripe snapper and snoozing reef sharks.
Visit the Brennecke’s Ledges with Seasport Divers, who charters two custom-built, Coast Guard-certified dive boats to this site and others near Kauai.
Visit www.seasportdivers.com to book your dive today.
Dive Brennecke’s Ledges in Kauai Read More »
Dive Maui
First Cathedral dive site.
Location: Southeast of Hulopoe Bay, Lanai, Hawaii
Depth: 25-60 ft
Visibility: 80-100’
Who it’s for: Beginner to Intermediate Divers
What makes it special:
First Cathedral features a huge, two-story tall underwater cavern – or lava tube – consisting of tunnels, ridges and passageways. A portion of the roof collapsed, leaving a large hole in the top. On a sunny day, rays of light enter the opening and create a spotlight affect inside the cavern on the fallen lava rock that’s appropriately called, the Altar. Rays of light also enter through tiny holes in the back of the cavern, creating a stained glass effect reminiscent of windows in a cathedral.
Dive Maui
Bandit Angelfish
The site can be entered through an archway and tunnel leading into the cavern. Depths are 50’ at the bottom of the archway and 25’ at the top. Exiting is done through a small opening at the back of the cavern, called the shotgun or torpedo tube, but you have to time it just right to exit with the surge.
Turtles, sharks, lobsters and an array of fish, including the endemic Bandit Angel Fish are seen inside the cavern and along the wall in front.
To book a dive on First Cathedral, visit www.goscubadivemaui.com.
Lanai’s Most Popular Site: First Cathedral Read More »