Multistop dive travel February-April 23?

[Andrea1]

Fly to Singapore for couple of days to recover then:
Fly to Manado, there are three areas and two are well known for macro.
Direct flight from Manado to Sorong to board the LoB to R4.
Back to Singapore and fly to Port Moresby in PNG.otel with the infinity pool...). In the suggested places, can we find also some bigger fish? I like macro, but if I make a trip this long and far, there should be one place with the chance to see some sharks or something alike.

 

[Andrea1]

This sounds interesting. Singapure would be nice as a stopover (the hotel with the infinity pool...). Is there the chance to see some bigger fish (sharks?) at one of the suggested places?

 

[Andrea1]

If you can only do late Winter/Spring, I would propose the following that you don't seem to have done before, based on it being a good time of the year (diving-wise) at these destinations:

I've done and like Centrals' idea of Manado plus Sorong for a Raja Ampat liveaboard. From Manado, you have choices, and if macro and muck diving appeals to you, then you can't do a lot better than Lembeh. Another add-on to this trip could be Ambon, altho it might be deemed too similar to Lembeh. But the reason to do it in addition to Lembeh is because sightings of Rhinopias are more frequent there than in Lembeh, and there is a google in 1 chance of seeing the Psychodelic Frogfish, which, as best as I know, has only been reported here. There are nonstop flights between all three.

Other ones I have done and recommend:

Bahamas trip combining Cat Island for Oceanic White Tips with a Tiger Beach liveaboard.

French Polynesia.....Rangiroa and Fakarava Atolls for sharks and lots of fish. Can also combine those two with any of the Society Islands (Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora are the most popular) for leisure and scenery. If money were no object, you could also add Hawaii to this trip (there is a nonstop flight between Papeete and Honolulu).

I am looking for a destination for the next time I can go on a longer vacation, and that's late winter (On the other hand, I started again to plan ahead like before corona for the seasons to come).

Bahamas combinations I am currently checking. Maybe Jupiter for Sharks (Tigers?), because Tigerbeach LOB seems a bit too much for me concerning the tigers, I would like to see one in a little more controlled environment, to start with them, and Jupiter seems to be like that. I did not understand the best month yet to do that - Febrary, March, April?? Mai? And I am not sure, how stable the conditions are, I will have only a couple of days I will be there, if bad weather occurs often, this is a problem. Cat Island for Oceanic Whitetips: sounds good, I thoght about Neal Watson from Bimini doing that, but I'm not sure they offering this thing now.

French Polynesia for us is extremly far and the flights accordingly expensive. If I find a affordable flight, I will go there, and plan everything else around the flight.

Hawaii seems to be insanely expensive concerning the hotels, 400 a night for Best Western seems a lot, but I did just have a short look. Maybe I'm wrong?

 

[Andrea1]

A bit more adventurous:
The Federated States of Micronesia.
Add Marshall Islands to extend the fun.

I had to look that up in Googlemaps. Advenurous indeed. Obviously still a lot to plan and to dream about.

 

[scubadada]

...I have been in Socorro November 2016, and i liked it a lot. I enjoy being on a LOB, not only for the convenience of short ways and no carries, but also for the physical comfort being on or in the water all the times (when I dive land based, after a while the change between sea the hole day and land in the evening becomes exhausting). I also like the longer oversea trips coming and going from the divesite, it's nice to sleep on a boat.
Back then, it was like a kind of peak of a personal dive history. I always thought, its kind of the same like Malpelo and Cocos, and having done Socorro, there's no "need" to do the others. Today this feels different somehow. So I will start again and do some research about them...thanks for reminding me about that.
May I ask, why you repeat Malpelo, and not Cocos or Socorro?

Hi @Andrea1

I went to Cocos in 2017, Galapapgos in 2018, Revillagigedos in 2019 and Malpelo in 2021. Malpelo was supposed to be in 2020, but was done in by Covid. People frequently ask me which is the best, and my answer is always, they are different and complimentary. Cocos had a good number of sharks, rays, and large schools of fish. We were not lucky and did not see the huge schools of Hammerheads they are famous for. The night dives with feeding White Tips were spectacular, I don't believe night dives were restarted after the Tiger Shark attacks. Galapagos easily had the most diversity of life and a great variety of different kinds of dive sites and conditions. The Revillagigedos had the greatest number of big animals with a lot of variety. Malpelo may not be number 1 in any category, but it was the most exciting and challenging. The best single word I can think of to descibe it is wild. Many sharks, mostly Galapagos Sharks for us, Whale Sharks, Eagle Rays, countless Speckled Morays, huge, huge schools of fish and a great collection of reef fish.

I'm considerably older than you and decided I needed to see Malpelo at least once more before I am too old and infirm. Maybe we'll have huge schools of Hammerhead and maybe I'll have a chance to see the famous Smalltooth Sand Tiger Shark at Bajo del Monstruo . Malpelo is the most remote of these 4 sites, no possiblity of evacuation. Only one boat allowed at Malpelo at a time, no more than six divers and guide off your RHIB. I only wish July 2023 was not so far away.

Maybe my reviews will give you a bit better flavor than my brief descriptions:

Trip Report - Cocos, March 27-April 5, 2017

Here is my Undercurrent narrative and a few photos: Reservations: I made my boat reservations through the Aggressor website. It worked perfectly and communication was excellent. My requests for a specific room and nitrox went smoothly. I got a very significant discount on the trip due to an...

scubaboard.com

Trip Report - Galapagos Aggressor III April 26-May 3, 2018

Here is my Undercurrent review of the trip with a few added details. A few photos also, some not so good, but you'll get the idea. I'm quite serious about diving, not so much about photography. Reservations: I made my reservations on the Galapagos Aggressor III directly through Aggressor, and...

scubaboard.com

Trip Report - Revillagigedos on the Nautilus Explorer, May 24-June 1, 2019

From May 24 through June 1, 2019, I traveled on the Nautilus Explorer to the Revillagigedos. RESERVATIONS: I made my reservations on the Explorer directly through the Nautilus website. It is very easy to check availability and to reserve your cabin. Flight reservations were made directly with...

scubaboard.com

Trip Report - The Magic of Malpelo, July 9-18, 2021 on the Ferox

From July 9 through July 18, 2021, I had the pleasure of diving in Malpelo. I dived on a half boat charter with Sten Johansson, aboard Colombia Dive Adventures’ Ferox. This was my first international trip since going to Bonaire in Oct-Nov 2019. Reservations As I was going on a half boat...

scubaboard.com

...Maybe Jupiter for Sharks (Tigers?), because Tigerbeach LOB seems a bit too much for me concerning the tigers, I would like to see one in a little more controlled environment, to start with them, and Jupiter seems to be like that. I did not understand the best month yet to do that - Febrary, March, April?? Mai? And I am not sure, how stable the conditions are, I will have only a couple of days I will be there, if bad weather occurs often, this is a problem...

I have a local home and a good number of reviews of SE Florida, Jupiter, West Palm, and Boynton Beach. You can find them in the Florida forum. Late fall, winter, and early spring have very unpredicable sea conditions and quite a few days are lost to diving. Though I have seen many, many sharks in the area, not sure I would generally recommend it for guaranteed shark sightings. I don't use the operations who bait/feed, so cannot comment on them.

I went on a liveaboard to Tiger Beach and Bimini last March and had a wonderful time. It was much more organized and controlled than I ever would have thought. The only baited/fed shark dives I have ever done, probably ever will do Trip Report - Tiger Beach and Bimini on the Dolphin Dream, March 11-19, 2022

Planning is half the fun, the diving is the better half. Best of luck in your trip planning and future diving

 

[Andrea1]

Hi @Andrea1

I went to Cocos in 2017, Galapapgos in 2018, Revillagigedos in 2019 and Malpelo in 2021. Malpelo was supposed to be in 2020, but was done in by Covid. People frequently ask me which is the best, and my answer is always, they are different and complimentary. Cocos had a good number of sharks, rays, and large schools of fish. We were not lucky and did not see the huge schools of Hammerheads they are famous for. The night dives with feeding White Tips were spectacular, I don't believe night dives were restarted after the Tiger Shark attacks. Galapagos easily had the most diversity of life and a great variety of different kinds of dive sites and conditions. The Revillagigedos had the greatest number of big animals with a lot of variety. Malpelo may not be number 1 in any category, but it was the most exciting and challenging. The best single word I can think of to descibe it is wild. Many sharks, mostly Galapagos Sharks for us, Whale Sharks, Eagle Rays, countless Speckled Morays, huge, huge schools of fish and a great collection of reef fish.

I'm considerably older than you and decided I needed to see Malpelo at least once more before I am too old and infirm. Maybe we'll have huge schools of Hammerhead and maybe I'll have a chance to see the famous Smalltooth Sand Tiger Shark at Bajo del Monstruo . Malpelo is the most remote of these 4 sites, no possiblity of evacuation. Only one boat allowed at Malpelo at a time, no more than six divers and guide off your RHIB. I only wish July 2023 was not so far away.

Maybe my reviews will give you a bit better flavor than my brief descriptions:

Trip Report - Cocos, March 27-April 5, 2017

Here is my Undercurrent narrative and a few photos: Reservations: I made my boat reservations through the Aggressor website. It worked perfectly and communication was excellent. My requests for a specific room and nitrox went smoothly. I got a very significant discount on the trip due to an...

scubaboard.com

Trip Report - Galapagos Aggressor III April 26-May 3, 2018

Here is my Undercurrent review of the trip with a few added details. A few photos also, some not so good, but you'll get the idea. I'm quite serious about diving, not so much about photography. Reservations: I made my reservations on the Galapagos Aggressor III directly through Aggressor, and...

scubaboard.com

Trip Report - Revillagigedos on the Nautilus Explorer, May 24-June 1, 2019

From May 24 through June 1, 2019, I traveled on the Nautilus Explorer to the Revillagigedos. RESERVATIONS: I made my reservations on the Explorer directly through the Nautilus website. It is very easy to check availability and to reserve your cabin. Flight reservations were made directly with...

scubaboard.com

Trip Report - The Magic of Malpelo, July 9-18, 2021 on the Ferox

From July 9 through July 18, 2021, I had the pleasure of diving in Malpelo. I dived on a half boat charter with Sten Johansson, aboard Colombia Dive Adventures’ Ferox. This was my first international trip since going to Bonaire in Oct-Nov 2019. Reservations As I was going on a half boat...

scubaboard.com

I have a local home and a good number of reviews of SE Florida, Jupiter, West Palm, and Boynton Beach. You can find them in the Florida forum. Late fall, winter, and early spring have very unpredicable sea conditions and quite a few days are lost to diving. Though I have seen many, many sharks in the area, not sure I would generally recommend it for guaranteed shark sightings. I don't use the operations who bait/feed, so cannot comment on them.

I went on a liveaboard to Tiger Beach and Bimini last March and had a wonderful time. It was much more organized and controlled than I ever would have thought. The only baited/fed shark dives I have ever done, probably ever will do Trip Report - Tiger Beach and Bimini on the Dolphin Dream, March 11-19, 2022

Planning is half the fun, the diving is the better half. Best of luck in your trip planning and future diving

Hi @scubadada.
thanks so much for the reports and the informations! I start to remember the countless possibilties all over the world. Quite some research and decisions in front of me.
I have been to Bimini some years ago, in Febrary, diving the Hammerheads with Neal Watson. This was truly impressive, this huge backfin, and so relaxed. I'm looking forward to read your reports.
Andrea

 

[Manuel Sam]

I think that Tiger Beach is pretty much year-round. I did it in mid-April with the Dolphin Dream liveaboard that departs from West Palm Beach in Florida. During these dives, there is more than just Tigers. There are always Caribbean Reef sharks, Lemon sharks, and Nurse sharks......sometimes Bulls and Great Hammers. Dolphin Dream sometimes offers combo trips that do both Tiger Beach and Bimini (which you have already done). April is a bit late for Great Hammers but one showed up anyway. We were there mostly to do the Spinner Dolphins. I believe that Aggressor also offers a Tiger Beach itinerary.

There were no direct flights to Cat Island from West Palm, so I flew to Nassau and then to Cat Island. Since your topic is "multistop dive travel", Nassau might be another potential stop for a few days of diving as well.

I believe that Cat Island for Oceanics is best from late March thru May. So both of these stops would work with your late winter/Spring time frame. I did Cat Island with Epic Diving but Neal Watson's website shows that they also offer it.

 

[Andrea1]

I think that Tiger Beach is pretty much year-round. I did it in mid-April with the Dolphin Dream liveaboard that departs from West Palm Beach in Florida. During these dives, there is more than just Tigers. There are always Caribbean Reef sharks, Lemon sharks, and Nurse sharks......sometimes Bulls and Great Hammers. Dolphin Dream sometimes offers combo trips that do both Tiger Beach and Bimini (which you have already done). April is a bit late for Great Hammers but one showed up anyway. We were there mostly to do the Spinner Dolphins. I believe that Aggressor also offers a Tiger Beach itinerary.

There were no direct flights to Cat Island from West Palm, so I flew to Nassau and then to Cat Island. Since your topic is "multistop dive travel", Nassau might be another potential stop for a few days of diving as well.

I believe that Cat Island for Oceanics is best from late March thru May. So both of these stops would work with your late winter/Spring time frame. I did Cat Island with Epic Diving but Neal Watson's website shows that they also offer it.

I never saw an Oceanic Whitetip - for how many days do this trips go? And what kind of shark one should preferably do first, Tiger or Oceanic? If its possible to answer this question...

 

[Manuel Sam]

When I did it with Epic Diving in 2014, I chartered the trip and did 7 days/6 nights with 5 days in the water. I don't know if they take individual bookings - it doesn't hurt to ask. I see that Neil Watson is offering an 9 day/8 night trip this year. And Big Fish Expeditions is offering 5 day/4 night trips with 3 days in the water. My guess is that Big Fish Expeditions charters the Epic boat, but I don't know that for a fact. Please note that this is all land-based. The preferred hotel to stay in is the Greenwood Hotel.

The order is not really important. When we did our trip, the order was determined based on what dates were available for both Dolphin Dream and Epic and trying to bridge the two.

I am surprised that you have never seen Oceanics in the Red Sea.

Again a bit off topic, but I have never been in the water with a Great White and don't plan to. But of all the sharks I have had in water encounters with, including Tigers, Bulls and Makos, Oceanics rank as the nastiest in my book.

 

[Andrea1]

More than 10 years ago, I had 4 trips to the Red Sea, 2 of them LOB. Even on the Brother Islands, no sharks. The only ones were Silky Sharks deep south, just in one spot, and some Hammerheads far away and deep down in Daedalus. I was in the wrong season I think. After my first time in the Bahamas, with the beautiful reef sharks on almost every dive, I never went in the Red Sea again.

I would like to see this big sharks, but I'm not sure, if I like the kind of interaction they provide, it's a difference, just to watch, or to have push them away. All in all, I saw quite a lot of different sharks - and I always felt comfortable - but never one, who was insisting on direct contact.