Looking for some destination advices

[PaulBen]

Hello divers !

I'm Paul, a french diver new to this forum !

I would like to ask you some questions about a trip I plan to do, and I think it's the right place to post, maybe not?

Anyway, here is my question :

I plan to go on holidays in February 2017, 18th-29th And I'm trying to find a great place to dive, with the hope to see some beautiful animals like Sharks maybe ?

I already found some countries, like Mexico, Playa del Carmen near Cozumel, but also the Phillipines, Costa Rica, Belize, Turks and Caicos Islands.... But can't find the right information about shark season etc.. Do you guys have any advice about where to dive in this period of the year ?

By the way, I'm advanced open water diver with Nitrox/Depth specialities If I forgot any information just tell me and forgive my poor english still trying to improve it

 

[KathyV]

Hi Paul, your English is excellent!

The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos are usually good destinations for seeing sharks in the Caribbean. I would normally recommend a liveaboard dive boat in the Turks and Caicos as a great trip to see beautiful reefs, large animals, and sharks - but at that time of year the T&C liveaboard boats work off the Silver Banks doing whale watching excursions.

Cuba is often mentioned as a great place for seeing sharks but I have never been there.

It has been some time since we have been in Cozumel and although we have often seen sharks in the past in the Bahamas we haven't been to either of these spots in recent years, so others can advise you about those locations.

We have visited the Cayman Islands several times in recent years and we always see a few
sharks (nurse and reef sharks) but not many. But there are many beautiful and healthy walls and reefs and lots of sea life including stingrays, turtles, morays, tarpon, and groupers.

Keep in mind that the waters in these areas (Bahamas, Cuba, T&Cs, Caymans) will be rather cold at that time of year, around 75 F or 24 C. If you want warmer waters you should head to the Southern Caribbean but you may be less likely to see sharks.

Have fun wherever you go!

 

[PaulBen]

Thanks you for your answer !

For the liveboard I can't, because I'm going there with my parents (I'm 19) so I need somewhere where I can stay in a Hotel like that they can chill while I'm chilling underwater

To choose, I would rather have cold water but larger animals, I can make sacrifice you know
Cuba? Some friends told me that there we few animals there maybe they were wrong?

Beside the Caribbean, is there any other destination which could fit to my trip and expectation? Like the Philipines maybe ? I knew the Red Sea was beautiful to dive in, but the conditions there are really bad nowadays (terrorism...), so bad !


EDIT : Just looked some hotels in Turks and Caicos Island, and it's so much expensive We can put like 8500€ for 3 (for flight+hotel)...

 

[KathyV]

Most of those places are quite expensive, Bahamas, Caymans, and the T&Cs. You will usually find that flights are cheaper and more frequent to the highly popular places but that living and eating and diving costs are higher.

Cozumel may be your cheapest option but you have to enjoy drift diving. You will see a lot of large animals and beautiful reefs in Cozumel, including some sharks, but it is not known as a major shark destination. Belize is another popular destination but again it is not considered a top spot to see sharks and it isn't cheap.

Roatan in Honduras is an inexpensive place to dive but the flights are expensive and it may not be a great spot for your non-diving family members. Also, it is not a sharky place.

I have never been to Cuba and I have heard mixed reviews - some love it but others don't. I have never been to Costa Rica either but I think it is expensive.

I don't know anything about the Philippines, I am sad to say. We loved the Red Sea but would probably not go there again during these troubled times.

If you don't mind cold water, the Baja Peninsula and the Sea of Cortez on the west coast of Mexico are great places to dive with sea lions and you will see sharks - but that's not a cheap destination either.

If you go to the island of Kona in Hawaii you can do a night dive with manta rays which is spectacular, but again the water is cold and it is a pricey location.

Curacao in the southern Caribbean is a nice spot for both divers and non-divers, lovely diving including shore dives and warm water, but not many sharks.

I think that Cozumel may be your best Caribbean option but I am sure others will have suggestions.

On a different subject, many Americans feel strongly supportive of the people of France and sympathy because of all the adversities you have experienced recently. Not only terror attacks but floods and now the attack in Nice, our thoughts and prayers are with you.

 

[muzzon]

I was in Philippines earlier this year. I went whale-shark diving on Cebu Island. Malapascua Island (just north of Cebu) is probably the best place in the world for thresher sharks. There's tons of other great dive spots in the country for all types of dives. The country is beautiful, it's maybe the nicest place I've ever been and the people are great.

It can be VERY cheap, but if you are going with your parents there's lots of nice hotels and resorts as well. Particularly in Boracay and LapuLapu.

 

[lbussell]

The Philippines interest me. I'll have a couple of weeks to go diving in the South Pacific next March. I have been looking at both the Philippines as well as Indonesia. Any opinions here? Thanks.

 

[pasley]

South Pacific, Papua New Guinea I went to New Britain Island, Kimbe Bay Walindi Plantation last June. Water was great with excellent diving. We saw no other boats than those from Walindi Plantation. SCUBA was great. Water warm even in early winter. Solomon Islands and Fiji offer great diving but in late June and early July was cool at 80F or so, but pleasant. Solomon Islands offers World War II planes and ships to dive on.

 

[HerrSchnuggels]

Hi there, your english is very good. I would recommend Padang Bai Bali and the Gilis. From Padang Bai you can do almost everything. Shark diving, Manta diving, wreck diving... If you have a little more time go to South Lombok. The currents are stronger there and the fish get bigger ;-) Enjoy

 

[Dan]

The Philippines interest me. I'll have a couple of weeks to go diving in the South Pacific next March. I have been looking at both the Philippines as well as Indonesia. Any opinions here? Thanks.

For Indonesia, besides Bali, as explained by HerrSchnuggels, also review Komodo in May-July or Raja Ampat (RA) in November- March. However, both places are better for liveaboard trip.

In RA, other than reef, white tip, black tip sharks, you will also see Wobeggong & walking sharks. The latter only come out at night, walking on corals, looking for food.