Belize is located in South America on the coast of the Caribbean Sea. It boasts some of the world's best preserved marine environments but is unspoilt by excessive tourism. Visibility can be poor except along the leeside of atolls where it can reach 30m. The Belize Barrier Reef offers a dramatic variety of marine life.
The Caymen Islands are located in the Caribbean Sea to the south of Cuba. Visibility in the waters around Grand Caymen average between 25m to 45m and this tropical paradise is revered by scuba diving enthusiasts. The island rises like a mountain plateau and Grand Cayman's shallow reefs provide maximum downtime, next to massive drop-offs in the surrounding 4000m abyss.
Cocos Island lies in the Pacific Ocean some 375 miles off the west coast of Costa Rica. The island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
If you're into close encounters with sharks, there is no better dive charter destination in the world than Cocos Island. Don't mistake Cocos Island diving with the theme park dives where tourists line up to feed sharks and then skip off to the disco for an evening's entertainment. This is the real thing, an extreme experience interacting with the ocean's greatest predator. All other shark diving destinations are measured against Cocos Island.
The best time to explore Cocos Island is from May to December when the weather is lousy and the sharks are searching for victims.
Fiji is an archipelago comprised of some 300 picture-perfect islands straddling the international dateline. The archipelago lies to the north of New Zealand, east of Vanuatu and west of French Polynesia. The islands are beautiful and Fiji is the soft coral capital of the world. Fiji offers an incredible scuba diving experience and home of the "Great White Wall", the "Yellow Tunnel" and other famous underwater marvels, scuba diving conditions and visibility are unrivalled all yearround. Because of its clear water and dazzling coral Fiji is a favorite location for professional underwater photographers.
The best time to go on your dive charter in Fiji is during the dry cool winter season from May to October. The underwater visibility is best and the air temperature ranges from 20°C to 26°C
Florida is located in the SE of the United States of America. The state offers the best opportunities for scuba diving on the North American continent. Dive shops abound along the entire Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Take a short boat ride off the nearest beach and you will be diving alongside dolphins, giant turtles, manatees, rays, sharks and numerous varieties of tropical fish. The Gulf coast generally has better visibility, the Atlantic Coast has a wealth of reefs and wrecks and the Florida Keys offer beautiful warm water and tropical fish.
The Galapagos Islands lie in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The archipelago consists of 13 major islands, 8 smaller islands and 40 islets. Some 97.5% of the land area was designated a national park in 1959. In 1778 UNESCO declared the archipelago a World Heritage Site. In 1986 the surrounding ocean was designated as a marine reserve and in 2001 UNESCO expanded the World Heritage Site to include the marine reserve.
The best time to go on a dive charter vacation in the Galapagos Isalands is from December to June when the warm Panama Current brings warmer weather and calmer seas. From June to December, cold currents from the cooler south lower the water temperature to 20°C.
Grand Turk is part of the Turks & Caicos Islands that lie along the southern tip of the Bahamas. Their co-ordinates are approximately 22°N and 72°W. Grand Turk itself stays sheltered from the heavy currents to be found in this part of the world and visibility while diving is excellent all year round. In the summer Grand Turk is a gathering place for gentle manta rays. Divers in Grand Turk can enjoy sponge covered walls and corals starting at 10m and plunging down over 2000m.
Hawaii, though one of the United States of America, is to be found in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Its approximate co-ordinated are 20°N and 156°W. Scuba diving in Hawaii is very popular. Divers can see giant sea turtles, massive stingrays, sharks and whales that all gather near Hawaii to live in its fertile volcanic environment. Hawaii is a busy with tourist destination and has many dive shops to choose from. Hawaii makes scuba diving both daring and fun.
Heron Island lies of the coast of Queensland, in NE Australia. It is a coral island rising above the famous Great Barrier Reef. With excellent scuba diving, just steps from the shore, you can strap on a snorkel and stay under 6m for hours on a scuba tank. Heron is a peaceful island without any industry or day trippers. This makes Heron Island perfect for scuba divers who want to laze around in a relaxed atmosphere while not diving.
Koh Tao Island lies off mainland Thailand in the Gulf of Thailand. Its rough co-ordinates being 10°N 100°E. Koh Tao Island is a friendly tourist resort island that especially caters for scuba divers. It is surrounded on all sides by bright colourful reefs that divers will enjoy. Koh Tao Island is also renowned for opportunities to encounter elusive Whalesharks and Grey Reef Sharks while diving.
The Red Sea lies between Asia and Africa and stretching more than 1,000 miles from the Sinai Peninsula to the Indian Ocean. The dive charter area boasts over a thousand species of fish, 200 species of coral and another thousand species of invertebrates. Despite its closeness to Europe and its popularity with divers around the world the reefs of the Red Sea are still mostly pristine thanks to strong commitment from local authorities and dive charter operators to protect the marine habitats.
For scuba divers, the Red Sea is an attractive dive destination throughout the year. Although the summer can be unpleasantly hot when you're not diving.
The Maldives lie in the Indian Ocean just north of the equator and to the south of India and Sri Lanka. They are a group of tiny atolls make an ideal dive charter destination with beautiful and breathtaking scenery that is only surpassed by the astonishing spectacle of colourful and diverse marine life.
For those serious about dive charters and who want to explore the world's most abundant and diverse under water habitats, the Maldives are right up there with the likes of Papua New Guinea and the Galapagos.
Truk Lagoon is part of Micronesia, a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, lying just north of the Equator. The archipelago lies to the north of Papua New Guinea and west of the Philippines.
Truk Lagoon was the Japanese Navy Base in the Pacific Ocean during the World War II. In February 1944 the Americans attacked and sank much of the Japanese fleet. Lying on the bottom of Truk Lagoon, the World War II wrecks are gradually disintegrating and nature is creating complex and extraordinary ecosystems that are uniquely fascinating and beautiful and a wonderful opportunity for a dive charter.
Vanuatu is located in the South Pacific Ocean to the east of Australia and west of Fiji. It lies between 10°S and 20°S. Vanuatu is treasured by scuba divers primarily for its astonishing variety of things to see while diving. In clear warm water and amid plentiful marine life scuba divers can experience caves, swim throughs, walls, lava towers, wrecks, coral mazes, grottoes and overhangs.
