Best Summer Diving For Photography - Caribbean And Central America

[Kate Rister]

Okay guys,

I have already photographed whale sharks and cenotes. Besides that, where would be a good destination to get some great photography? I can travel May 8-14 and August 7-13. I am looking for TWO destinations. Would really love something unique to shoot, but if not then just a healthy reef and fish life. I do enjoy sharks.

I do not want to do a liveaboard.

I have thought about Grand Bahama for the sharks/dolphins/wrecks, Nassau, Turks, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, Bonaire (but since I'm traveling alone I don't think I would enjoy shore diving), Cozumel...

Suggestions?

 

[pepperbelly]

Belize and Roatan?

 

[Stoo]

I tailor my destination choice around best photo ops. For what it's worth, I have returned to the outer cayes of Belize for 5 consecutive years. In between, we went to Roatan and felt it sucked comparatively. Check out Huracan Diving. Home

A close second is Little Cayman... Hard to beat Bloody Bay for walls.

Of course the big advantage of Bonaire in the summer is zero chance of hurricanes.

 

[Kate Rister]

We are actually heading to Roatan next week, we have friends there so we go often.

Stoo, is there outer cayes in Belize that don't cost an arm and a leg? I have been to Ambergris Caye twice and was actually disappointed in comparison to Roatan and Cozumel. I would like to go to the outer cayes, but everywhere I have found is outrageously expensive.

I have seriously considered Little Cayman.

The only reason I am interested in Freeport/Nassau is the shark diving. But I'm not sure the shark diving is any good in May? I may just save that for February next year so I can see tigers and hammerheads all at once.

 

[diversteve]

The issue with Turks (Provo) is the long boat rides out to the best stuff at French Cay or West Caicos. Some of the shops also dive NW Point but IMO it was nowhere near as good.It's real sharky out there - I'd almost guarantee you'll see sharks every single dive at French Cay - we did. Plus rays, cuda, lots of macro around the coral heads/nurseries - huge lionfish down the wall (they don't cull them there) etc. Everything mostly ignores you also - which I like.

So two dives plus shuttle/boat ride costs you around $125 or more and returns around 2:30PM - add a 3rd dive and it's 4:30. They'll provide lunch since both are uninhabited.No shore diving off Provo - not that you'd really have time.

It's really best done via liveaboard.

For photography go to Little Cayman. All boat diving and Bloody Bay Wall. Coral Anchors

I don't personally know the Belize atolls but when we checked into it once the cheaper ones seemed to be Turneffe Flats (not TIR) or Thatch Caye. Too rich - and isolated - for us though.

 

[Stoo]

Stoo, is there outer cayes in Belize that don't cost an arm and a leg? I have been to Ambergris Caye twice and was actually disappointed in comparison to Roatan and Cozumel. I would like to go to the outer cayes, but everywhere I have found is outrageously expensive.

I was in AC about 30 years, before there was much development... Loved the town, was bored with the diving. Huracan is pretty reasonably priced, but it certainly isn't for everyone. I have a couple of reviews on here, but let me summarize with this: I have been diving pretty much everywhere in the Caribbean over the past 35 years. I used to be a DM in Freeport and then Grand Cayman. I have done perhaps 10 liveaboards. I am heading to Huracan tomorrow for the forth consecutive year. The only place I have repeated (for 3 years) was Turneffe Island Resort (Same general area, but much more expensive.)

Again, it's not for everyone. This is almost "expedition" diving and you would be well advised to know what you are doing since help is a long, long way away.

Most of the images in this gallery are from the outer cayes... Images from Warmer Latitudes - wetspot

I agree about T&C... I have been there several times over the years, three of four times were on Liveaboards. The first time, I spent half of my time driving, hiking and boating trying to get to the places where the liveaboards hang out.

 

[ReefHouseResort]

We have a lot of under water photographers that love to bring come down once a year and shoot here. Great dives, small groups, a divemaster that sees all the tiny things, and easy to stop and get the shot to boot.

 

[PatW]

If you want to see sharks and other big fish like Goliath groupers, it is hard to beat Jupiter, FL. The best place I have seen for sharks is the wall at South Caicos in the Turks and Caicos, but I don't think that there is a dive operator there now.

Roatan and Utila are both good for macro stuff. On one dive in Utila, I saw 7 different sea horses. But the fishing pressure there is pretty high. One rarely sees large fish. There are very few grouper, large snapper or sharks. The best coral I have seen has been in Utila.

Key Largo has very good fish populations and decent coral. The visibility is a bit limited because of the fine marl bottom.

The British Virgin Islands have problems with heavy fishing pressures so the fish populations are pretty limited.

Cozumel has pretty decent fish, good visibility and nice reefs at the south end. As you go farther north, the reefs decline rapidly probably because of the nutrient run off from the resorts.

Little Cayman and Cayman Brac have decent fish populations and pretty good corals. They also have a large population of turtles. Also, there are pretty good populations of Nassau groupers here. I very rarely see them anywhere else.

For a macro dive, the Blue Heron Bridge is the best place I have been. I have seen frog fish, sea robins, flying gugnards and batfish there. It is a shallow dive and has be timed right at high tide.