Jack'sDivingLocker
Contributor
I did some diving over on Christmas Island back in October to train a local boat owner to become a Divemaster and start a live-aboard dive/fishing charter to Fanning Island and the Phoenix Islands chain, a part of Kiribati but so sparsely populated and remote that no one currently runs there. The captain's name is Chuck Corbett, an American ex-pat, and he has a nice 60-foot sailboat that's being prepped for weeklong liveaboard operations. The website is here, but it's still very preliminary and basic. They're targeting starting trips this year, but that all depends on government permits, which are currently in the process of being obtained.
As for diving on Christmas itself, it's simply spectacular. The majority of my diving was on the commercial jetty north of London, but even in such a high-traffic and high-pollution area, there was a staggering amount of life. Octopus left right and center, lionfish, clouds of juvenile reef fish, thousands of trevally, whitemargin morays, and pretty much every species of rare or seldom-seen fish in Hawaii swimming around in plentiful abundance.
Down off of Cook Island, a protected avian sanctuary south of London, the coral is so thick and healthy that you can't see bare rock anywhere. And the colors of the reef system are so vivid they almost seem unnatural. It's unlike anything I've ever seen before, and since Fanning Island and the Phoenix Islands are so much more remote, that should give you some idea of just how spectacular the diving is down there.
The flight down is no big deal, but landing is an adventure because the Christmas Island runway is cracked with grass sprouting up all over the place. And it's a culture shock to be sure, there are no paved roads, no sewage systems, and much of the island's 8000 inhabitants live in poverty. The most difficult thing for me to get used to is that everyone throws their garbage in the ocean, because there's nowhere else to put it! But that hasn't affected the ecosystem yet (though it will as more people move there), as evidenced by the countless fisherman who row out a few hundred yards offshore, drop lines into the water, and pull up 20-to-40 pound ahi every day. What's even cooler is going out to talk to the fisherman and being able to purchase a whole ahi from them for $15 AUS and a six-pack of beer!
One thing to keep in mind is that the majority of the locals DO NOT speak english. Everyone that you will be dealing with through the tour/dive op will speak english and the customs people at the airport speak english, but few others do. Another thing to consider is that Christmas Island is not safe for solitary female travelers, an unfortunate consequence of the culture, which is quite different from our own. Going out at night in a group is fine, but then again there's nothing to do on the island other than fish and dive, so you wouldn't really be going out at night anyway. Your tour operator will provide all the guidance you need for exploring on your own. It's a peaceful place, but very much second-world. Don't be expecting five-star resorts catering to yor every whim, visitng Christmas Island is all about the adventure of living far removed from civilization. It's hardy living, but it's definitely worth the trip.
Hope that helps!
Steve @ Jack's Diving Locker
As for diving on Christmas itself, it's simply spectacular. The majority of my diving was on the commercial jetty north of London, but even in such a high-traffic and high-pollution area, there was a staggering amount of life. Octopus left right and center, lionfish, clouds of juvenile reef fish, thousands of trevally, whitemargin morays, and pretty much every species of rare or seldom-seen fish in Hawaii swimming around in plentiful abundance.
Down off of Cook Island, a protected avian sanctuary south of London, the coral is so thick and healthy that you can't see bare rock anywhere. And the colors of the reef system are so vivid they almost seem unnatural. It's unlike anything I've ever seen before, and since Fanning Island and the Phoenix Islands are so much more remote, that should give you some idea of just how spectacular the diving is down there.
The flight down is no big deal, but landing is an adventure because the Christmas Island runway is cracked with grass sprouting up all over the place. And it's a culture shock to be sure, there are no paved roads, no sewage systems, and much of the island's 8000 inhabitants live in poverty. The most difficult thing for me to get used to is that everyone throws their garbage in the ocean, because there's nowhere else to put it! But that hasn't affected the ecosystem yet (though it will as more people move there), as evidenced by the countless fisherman who row out a few hundred yards offshore, drop lines into the water, and pull up 20-to-40 pound ahi every day. What's even cooler is going out to talk to the fisherman and being able to purchase a whole ahi from them for $15 AUS and a six-pack of beer!
One thing to keep in mind is that the majority of the locals DO NOT speak english. Everyone that you will be dealing with through the tour/dive op will speak english and the customs people at the airport speak english, but few others do. Another thing to consider is that Christmas Island is not safe for solitary female travelers, an unfortunate consequence of the culture, which is quite different from our own. Going out at night in a group is fine, but then again there's nothing to do on the island other than fish and dive, so you wouldn't really be going out at night anyway. Your tour operator will provide all the guidance you need for exploring on your own. It's a peaceful place, but very much second-world. Don't be expecting five-star resorts catering to yor every whim, visitng Christmas Island is all about the adventure of living far removed from civilization. It's hardy living, but it's definitely worth the trip.
Hope that helps!
Steve @ Jack's Diving Locker
