1 month on August 2009

[sharkly]

Hi,
I am an experienced diver and I dove lot of places:

• Galapagos
• Philippines
• Maldives
• Red sea (all!!)
• Saudi Arabia
• Sudan
• Sipadan
• Polynesia
• PNG
• Palau, Yap, Phonpei
• South Africa

now I am trying to find a place where I could meet sharks and big pelagics but also a beautiful reef.... I have seen incredible places and now I hope to find new heaven that could surprise me another time...
Could you help me?

thanks

 

[cowdog77]

Sharkly, While you're waiting for a response from someone more world traveled than I am....could you include a short statement on each place you've already dived with a comparison to the others?

 

[Travelnsj]

I have dove many of the same places you have.....Do Rangiroa and Fakarava! best Pelagic action I have done....but hard corals only and no small stuff. I have a trip reported posted in January 07....great diving!

 

[harmony]

Have you been to New Caledonia? We have great diving and very few tourists. There are dives where we can guarantee lots of turtles, wrecks, sharks, mantas etc. We also have small critters. If you would like a few photos (non professional), you can visit our blog :

Diving in New Caledonia

 

[Luko]

Hmmh... I would say Fiji is probably not that far away from your expectations, coral is amazing and you would be very unlucky on a dive without any sharks. Manta rays are not scarce either and as already said you can't beat Fiji for coral.

In your list I can also notice you haven't mentioned anywhere in Indonesia. Go Bali at once! Manta rays, sharks, Mola Mola and a profusion of corals.
There are lots of other places in Indo too like Komodo, Raja Ampat, Banda/Spice islands although on these latter places, I can't witness by myself but just report what I've heard.

As for myself, looking for places like you do (I also dived a good part of the places your list mentions and others too) : If I had the opportunity and money for, I would rush to the Solomon islands.