Sunset Diving
While anchored inside the Rangiroa atoll aboard our 130 foot sailing yacht Vaimiti my dad took me and my brother snorkeling at a nearby island just inside of the Tiputa Pass through which all the boats went in and out. While we were in the water Max one of our crew members spoke with a dive master aboard a dive boat moored next to us. The dive master suggested calling them at 1:30 by which time he would have returned from his dive. Max told us the news when we boarded the tender after our snorkel. At 1:30 instead of calling we went ashore and visited Paradive the dive center.
My brother and I spoke with Olivier who described some dives that we could do. Our mom gave us permission to participate in all three dives that he suggested. We were thrilled to be making our first recreational dive that evening at sunset. Felix and I rushed back to the boat to tell our dad the news. We gathered out equipment and left the boat in time to meet Olivier at 4:00. He gave a brief description of the dive and how it worked before we jumped into grey Paradive zodiac.
He said it was special because of the way the light entered the water and we were likely to see the rare spectacle of surgeon fish reproduction. He fitted us up in BCDs and we made our way out the pass. A New Caledonian man would join us on the dive. He was nice man and who spoke a little English. As we entered the open ocean and rolled over monstrous waves Olivier placed our BCDs between our legs and we rinsed out our masks.
Then once we were 50 meters offshore the boat stopped we strapped the BCDs and tanks on and plummeted into the water. He told us that there was some current and it would be best for us to hold onto him. I grabbed his BCD and we sunk to the bottom. Right away we could see the large Blacktip sharks in the distance and the abundant reef life swimming in and out of the coral. We could feel the surface swell pushing and pulling us along the bottom. We swam very slowly with the current along the drop off. We saw two sea turtles three white tip sharks that came pretty close and a huge school of Barracuda.
As we got closer and closer to the pass the current gradually picked up and in ten minutes we were holding onto the coral for dear life! The current was ripping past our faces and we had to let go of our coral holds sometimes.
He told at the beginning of the dive that we would have to be patient in order to see the surgeonfish reproduction. And oh boy did we have to be patient. We waited for 15 minutes! I know it doesn’t sound like much but when the current of the water is pushing against you at 20 knots it feels like a lifetime. Finally after fifteen long minutes the show started.
It was like fireworks! The surgeonfish made sudden bursts above the rest of the school and let their eggs go into the water. Bigger fish circled overhead to catch the eggs as they released them. It must sound kind of sad but the fish knew it was going to happen so they released hundreds of thousands of eggs and most of them will live. After they did it numerous times and it seemed like they were going to stop we let go of the coral and drifted onwards through the pass hugging the coast. We were in It was very shallow now and we started to surface. When we did the boat was right there waiting for us.
We had gone all the way through the pass so we were really close to the dive center. When we got back it was dark and we could see Felipe our captain and Miranda my 7 year old sister waiting in the tender for us. We disembarked from the zodiac and jumped onto the tender after an amazing first dive.
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Swati Saxena is an eminent travel writer she have authored websites like :
Spend Holidays In Nicaragua
If you are looking for a place to spend a holiday away from home Nicaragua might have exactly what you are looking for. You can enjoy the scenery of Nicaragua as you celebrate in one of the many occasions that are throughout the year in Nicaragua.
Holidays are a great time to visit another area of the world. When you vacation during a holiday you are able to celebrate with locals. You can get to know the customs of the area. It is a fun way to get involved with another country.
You can start the year of right by going to a New Years Eve celebration. It is on December 31st and you can have a great time with the locals. You will be able to bring in the New Year in style.
You can stay around through January 1st so you can celebrate New Years Day as well. It is sure to be a lot of fun. You can become a part of the culture when you have fun during the New Years celebrations that are available all around.
April is the month you need to go to Nicaragua if you want to take part in one of the holy holidays. The first Thursday of April is Holy Thursday. This is a very special religious observance.
The following Friday is Good Friday. If you want to celebrate this holiday in another country Nicaragua is a good place to go for affordable fun.
July has a good number of holidays. Liberation Day is celebrated on July 19th. This is a very special day to the people of Nicaragua. On this day the army won a hard fought battle against the Somoze dictatorship. This is a very important day and you can find some fun celebrations when you visit at this time.
On the 25th of July you can enjoy Fiesta de Santiago. This is celebrated in Boaco Somoto and Managua. If you are not in one of those cities but still want to take part in a Fiesta you will still have a chance. The following day has Fiesta de Santa Ana. It is celebrated in Nandaime Niquinohomo Moyogalpa and Ometepe. You can try to catch a Fiesta in one of the cities.
In September you can attend a celebration of the Battle of San Jacinto. It is the 14th of September and it is a national holiday. This holiday memorializes the battle of San Jacinto. The battle was in 1856 and this is a very meaningful holiday in Nicaragua.
Independence Day is the following day on the 15th. Central America declared its independence in 1821 on the 15th of September and this holiday is quite a celebration. You can easily find a celebration to take part in.
If you want a holiday that will last for a month you can go to Mes del Rosario in October. It is celebrated every Saturday in October although it is only celebrated in Granada. If you are in the area you can take part in the fun on a weekly basis.
If you are in Masaya you can go to Festividades de San Jeronimo. It is celebrated on every Sunday of the month and is a great deal of fun.
Then of course are the December holidays. There is Immaculate Conception which is celebrated on December 8th. Christmas is on the 25th and if you like the idea of spending Christmas on the beach this is the perfect trip for you.
You can easily plan your trip to Nicaragua around one of the many holidays that are celebrated throughout the year. You can have a great time and make the most out of your trip.
About the writer: Alex Bezborodko is the owner of the www.SunnyComfort.com website featuring international properties direct from the developers where you can find more information about our current Nicaragua Real Estate Projects.
Rising Fuel Costs To Blame For Popularity Of The Staycation
Rising fuel costs are forcing more American families to choose a staycation over the typical vacation. As Memorial Day the unofficial start of summer nears fuel costs are on the rise again. It wasn’t too long ago that the very thought of the summer season sent chills through consumers’ spines as worries about rising gasoline prices at the pump ruined vacation plans. This year families have an alternative to the typical vacation we refer to it as a staycation. A staycation is when you take time off work but you stay home with your family friends kids dog neighbors etc.
“American consumers have enjoyed a long stretch of very stable gasoline prices prior to the start of May” said Geoff Sundstrom a spokesman for motorist group AAA. It’s no wonder. The average retail price for regular gasoline has dropped 40 from a year ago and supplies are “comfortable” at about 6 million barrels above the fiveyear average said James Williams an economist at WTRG Economics.
“The ability of OPEC to cut production quotas aggressively coupled with increased Middle East political turmoil in oilproducing countries such as Iran Iraq and even Saudi Arabia could result in price spikes at the pump” said Mark T. Williams a risk management expert and finance professor at Boston University. “Historically fuel prices have tended to rise during the summer” with consumption generally increasing since people usually drive more in better weather when they take vacations said Sean Comey a spokesman for Chevron CVX newsmsgs.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts a summer retail average price of 2.21 per gallon for regular gasoline while AAA predicts prices will average less than 2.50 per gallon for the summer. Sam Subramanian the editor of AlphaProfit Sector Investors’ newsletter pointed out that prices have already climbed significantly this year. They’re up more than 40 from the end of last year and up nearly 11 in May alone according to OPIS data.
The soaring price of fuel is causing some Americans to consider changing their typical vacation plans to the newly termed staycation instead. “This summer high gasoline prices appear to be dampening Americans’ intent to travel” said Robert Sinclair Jr. a spokesman for the AAA in New York. “Americans are used to tough economic times and challenging environments in which to travel. They’ve become everincreasingly resilient” Hoyt said. “Americans will continue to travel; they’re just going to change the way they travel.
A staycation is a great alternative to the typical vacation. It allows you to spend quality time with your family while getting some much needed rest and relaxation. Says Cindy Hughes owner of Travel At A Discount. The fact that you can now enjoy time off with family and friends while not putting a big hole in your bank account is an added bonus and will leave you guilt free when you return to work.
About the writer: Would you like to learn more details about discount travel? CHughes has 20 years in the travel industry. She is willing to share all the insider tips and tricks to find the lowest cost on your vacation plans. Please check out her website for all her travel advice and tips. http://www.travelatadiscount.com