DIVE AND AFRICA DISCOVERY NEWSLETTER
~ WINTER ESCAPES TO PLAN NOW!
Winter has taken hold in the northern hemisphere!
Time to plan to get the heck outta here into sun and warmth!!
We have some fun ideas for you to get planning and put a smile on your face!
TAHITI!
Grouper Spawn in Fakarava for July of 2025!!
We are holding 2 rooms in South Fakarava and 2 rooms in north Fakarava!
This is a must do in the life of divers ?
In French Polynesia, thousands of camouflage groupers, also known as marbled groupers, spawn in the Fakarava atoll every year between June and July.
The spawning takes place in the Fakarava South Pass
(Tetamanu Pass), a 35-mile-long rectangle of coral in a narrow channel at the south end of Fakarava Atoll.
We are holding 2 rooms in South Fakarava July 5-11 2024 for 6nts, with 4 days of diving with the Groupers. These trips sell out way in advance.
Book now if you are interested in this amazing photography experience!
We can also offer diving in Rangiroa to experience the best of diving in the Tuamotu’s in French Polynesia!
USD 4740.00 per person based on twin share
* based on current rate of exchange subject to change.
Fakarava Groupers’ Spawning, July 5-11 2025, $4,740- 5 nights at Pension Raimiti in South Fakarava
HUMPBACK WHALE SNORKEL TOUR IN TAHITI – AUGUST 19- 24 2024
5nts ~4 whale swim days
I have a secret! A lot less people, and you don’t have to go far once in Tahiti.
Each year, schools of humpback whales come to the warm waters of The Islands of Tahiti from July to November, to reproduce and nurture their young in complete security.
We will be in search of humpback whales that are calm and relaxed before we can enter the water. Share the wonder and awe of being eyeball to eyeball with these magnificent sentient
beings! Hear the song of the males as they try to win the respect of the females to reproduce.
The baby calves become very curious of the humans in the water and will come by to take a look at you!
We can add on scuba diving in the Tuamotus to Rangiroa and or Fakarava which offers the best diving in French Polynesia.
Or for non-divers, add on to Moorea or Bora Bora for more Tahitian adventures!
This books up and sells out so fast!
USD Cost 2390.00 per person Twin Share
* based on current rate of exchange, subject to change.
MOBULA & ORCA season is coming soon in Baja Mexico!
This is super fun, free diving with a tornado of Mobulas by the thousands! It’s also the Orcas favorite snack!
Mobula & Megafauna Expedition, 7 Days Baja California Sur, Mexico.
We have the possibility of encountering Giant schools of Mobulas, super pods of dolphins, Blue whales, bryde’s whales, fin whales, the elusive Orcas, large female whale sharks, sealions and many other pelagic animals.
COST: $3,700 per person
June 10-16 2 spots left
June 17-23 2024 2 spots left
BLACK WATER DIVING
Has become a thing now! Have you tried it?
If you are a keen u/w photographer you don’t want to miss this!
Even if you are not, you will enjoy a new world you did not know existed!
What is Blackwater Diving?
Blackwater diving can be broadly described as dropping in the water and looking for planktonic / larval forms of marine creatures.
Beyond that there are a few methods you can use depending on what depth of water you are prepared to hang over:
‘Bonfire’ diving is where you put some lights on the sand to attract plankton.
‘Blackwater drift’ is where you attach lights to a hang line and drift through deep water.
All going well you will not see the bottom.
‘Black ops’ this is the most difficult style where we drift without any strong lights in deep ocean water.
There are many places around the world offering this unique diving.
Anilao in Philippines, Lembeh Strait in Indonesia
are currently offering some of the wildest creatures in larval form!
Images below from Marie Tartar!
GALAPAGOS Naturalist Cruise ~ 5 star, a new small boutique boat experience
&Beyond has really done it this time. A small luxury boat with 2 unique 7nt itineraries, east and west.
You are able to book back to back cruises to see the very best of all the islands!
Maximum of 12 guests on a very spacious luxury yacht!
Tread lightly, sleep deeply
Our yacht features four cabins and two suites, meticulously appointed to offer unparalleled comfort. Revel in first-class luxury, where elegant spaces and attentive service redefine expedition yacht sailing standards.
SPECIAL GREAT SALE:
Komodo in warm water! Can you leave soon?
This May – June 2024, The Seven Seas Liveaboard.
Book your adventure now and enjoy an exclusive 20% discount
on all trips in May and June 2024.
Prices start from $2,400 per person for a 7-Days Komodo Trip, including Tax, park fees, and diving!
For longer 10nt trips, 4000.00 per person.
** Komodo in warm water is out of this world!
Imagine Horseshoe Bay, clear and Warm!!
Diving Portugal Dive the Azores, and Madeira
Yes there is diving in Portugal, now is the time to plan a trip there! Great diving, beautiful wine and Port, good pricing. What more can you ask for? Something entirely unique and different! High season for diving and sightseeing is from June to October!
Portugal offers many advantages and unique experiences for divers. We have a wonderful operator who will look after you 100%! It’s time to try something different! Check out these options, we can also offer custom diving and length of a trip for you there! Azores and Madeira islands offer rich underwater environments and unforgettable topside experiences!
~GROUP TRIPS~ 2024:
Mobula & Megafauna Expedition, 7 Days
escorted by Fer Nieto
Baja California Sur, Mexico ~ Land based adventure for 6nts/ 7 days out of LaVentana in the Sea of Cortez!
We have the possibility of encountering Giant schools of Mobulas, super pods of dolphins, Blue whales, bryde’s whales, fin whales the elusive Orcas, large female whale sharks, sealions and many other pelagic animals.
COST: $3,700 per person
June 10-16, 2 spots left
June 17-23 2024 2 spots left
2025:
Papua New Guinea: 10nts ~ Milne Bay aboard Oceania Liveaboard, February 6-16 2025 Group Trip
** For birding enthusiasts, we can add on a Bird of Paradise trip out of Mnt Hagen for you!
North Spitsbergen Explorer – aboard m/v Plancius June 3-10 2025 Group Trip
2026:
Zakouma National Park with Cindi LaRaia, March 10-18, 2026 Group Trip – Africa Discovery
Kalimantan (11 Days/10 Nights), Damai 2 Liveaboard Scuba Diving, May 25-June 4 2026 Group Trip
SHARKS!!!
Mozambique Africa, operating in Ponta do Ouro, specializes in shark diving adventures.
Unbaited shark diving up close and personal.
○ For advanced divers only (no students).
○ Small groups or individuals (max 8 per launch).
Pinnacles is rated one of the top shark diving sites in the world.
The dive site is set in a marine reserve and is one of the very few places
where divers can see so many different species of shark in a single, unbaited dive.
This wonder of the ocean never disappoints and is never the same.
This is shark diving at its very best!
The best time to dive with sharks is from mid-October to mid-May.
SHARKS
Main Species seen:
Tiger Sharks, Bull Sharks, Hammerhead Sharks, Silvertip Sharks, Blacktip Sharks, Grey Reef Sharks, Leopard Sharks, Whitetip Reef Sharks
Other sightings:
Marlin, Sailfish, Manta Ray, Eagle Ray, Devil Ray,Pelagic game fish
Take a slow approach and meander your way with our partner in Italy,,,
Scheduled departures (7-8days trips), short breaks (3-4days tours) or proposals that can be tailor-made for individual travelers, groups or solo travelers.
The philosophy is to travel in small groups to live an authentic experience, to enter local communities, to establish a relationship with locals, to try first-hand peculiar experiences,
to create positive feeling and be sustainable and responsible, to optimize visiting and travel times and choose unexpected cozy accommodation for the overnights.
A different way of traveling to better capture moments of ordinary everyday life of a land that has always fascinated travelers. Remote area made accessible for you, with a different story-telling, made with passion and love.
We take you to Italy, where life still flows slowly.
Thank you from the team of Dive & Africa Discovery Travel!
Cindi LaRaia
Cindi with Sperm Whales, photo by Marie Tartar
email us for information