Scuba Diving in Skye, Scotland – SS Chadwick, Neist Point, Isle of Skye

Dive Site: SS Chadwick

Location: Neist Point, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Description: 1,463 ton British iron collier

Length: 77 metres (253 feet)

Depth: 20 metres (65 feet)

Visibility: 8 metres (25 feet)

The SS Chadwick was built by Swan Hunter of Newcastle in 1882. On July 5th 1892, en route to St Petersburg from the River Clyde and carrying a cargo of coal, she hit rocks near Neist Point due to fog. The bow was grounded and water came in through the forward holes. A passing mail steamer rescued the crew of 19 but there was no hope for the Chadwick. Before a tug could reach the vessel to pull it from the rocks, the boat sank to where she lies today.

Today the wreck lies in a number of sections at the bottom of a cliff. The top of the wreckage is in 15 metres, spread out to a depth of 25 metres. There are large sections still recognisable as a ship, but a lot of the wreckage is strewn across the seabed. The wreckage lies on a bearing of 330° away from the cliff. Slack is a must for this dive as strong currents rip across the wreck. There are not much remains of the wreck except for a plate of metal about 1 metre square. However, the reef around the wreck is very picturesque. Here dogfish, the corals and anemones on the rocks can be seen.

Minke whales are a common site at the surface here and we did see them before we entered the water. They can’t have been far from us during the dive, but we didn’t see any whilst underwater despite keeping a keen eye out for them.

Scuba Diving in Cairns, Great Barrier Reef, Australia – Tracey’s Bommie, Flynn reef

Dive Site: Tracey’s Bommie
Location: Flynn Reef, Cairns (16°43’S 146°16‘)
Description: Reef
Depth: 6 – 30 metres (20 – 100 feet)

Visibility: 15 – 25 metres (50 – 80 feet)

This dive site offers something for everyone and is suitable for beginner – intermediate divers. The shallows are excellent for snorkellers with plenty of small and colourful fish such as clownfish making their home amongst the corals. Maori wrasse are also frequent and delightful visitors. The site drops off around the back of the bommie into deeper water – a common area for sighting cruising reef sharks and eagle rays. The variety of this site makes it very popular with photographers.

Scuba diving in Malta, Europe – Ahrax Reef, Marfa Ridge

Dive Site: Ahrax Reef

Location: Ahrax Point, Marfa Ridge

Description: Reef

Depth: 11 metres (36 feet)

Visibility: 30 metres (100 feet)

Getting to this dive site requires a bit of a walk over some spiky rocks, which is a little difficult. The entrance point is at a narrow inlet by a number of caves on the surface. The seascape is lovely with green sea grass swirling in the swells. The topography is also picturesque. There are cardinal fish, corals, seaurchins, red sea stars, barracudas, shoals of chromis and sponges to see on the dive.

Scuba diving in Papua New Guinea – Japanese Mitsubishi Bi-Plane wreck, Rabaul

Dive Site: Japanese Mitsubishi Bi-Plane (Sea Plane)

Location: Rabaul, Papua New Guinea

Description: Mitsubishi F1M Bi-Plane

Depth: 29 metres (95 feet)

Visibility: 20 metres + (65 feet)

Rating: ****

The Mitsubishi F1M Bi-Plane is a Japanese reconnaissance sea plane; also know as “Pete“, which was the allied code name for the aircraft. This wreck is at a depth of 29 metres on a gently sloping black sand seabed, located near the northern shores of Rabaul. After passing the current coral heads the plane comes into view. It sits upright on the seafloor, very intact with both sets of wings, its fuselage and tail fins still in place although much of the covering is now gone from the tail wing sections. The prop is also still there but partially buried in the sand. There is a myriad of marine life. Sponges and soft corals have taken hold on the wings and tail section and sway in the current. Small picasso triggerfish and cleaner shrimps hide under the edges of the fuselage. There is a small reef formation with some lovely acropora, a multitude of small marine life with several blue spotted rays cruising over the sand.

Scuba diving in Tanzania – Kokota, Pemba

Dive Site: Kokota

Location: Kokota, Pemba, Tanzania

Description: Reef / night dive

Depth: 15 metres (50 feet)

Visibility: 10 metres (30 feet)

Kokota Reef is an ideal spot for an out and back night dive, swimming away from the boat and back to it. It is a gently sloping shallow reef with a sandy floor covered with coral outcrops. The reef at night is very different to Pemba’s reefs during the day with most of the fish hiding away in the coral, being replaced by active sea urchins crawling along the sand, hermit crabs and shrimps out feeding and a lot of feather stars on display. There are also coral parrotfish and pufferfish to be seen here.

Scuba diving in Tanzania – Three Sisters, Panza Point, Pemba

Dive Site: Three Sisters

Location: Panza Point, Pemba, Tanzania

Description: Reef / wall

Depth: 31 metres (102 feet)

Visibility: 25 – 30 metres (65 – 100 feet)

Rating: ****

The Three Sisters is so called because it is made up of three large pinnacles of rock coming up steeply from the sea floor at around 300m to 1.5m from the surface. Marine life consists of triggerfish sleeping in small holes in the reef, leaf fish, coral crabs, lots of lizardfish, a whole group of moray eels in holes in the reef complete with cleaner shrimps, a lot of clams and pristine coral.

Dive Site: Red Buoy Location: Mikindani Bay, Mtwa…

Dive Site: Red Buoy

Location: Mikindani Bay, Mtwara, Tanzania

Description: Seamount

Depth: 12 – 50 metres (40 – 165 feet)

Visibility: 20 metres (65 feet)

Great circlular wall dive that goes on for ever. Abounds in surgeons and red toothed triggerfish. Pristine corals and an amazing assortment of small reef fish.

Dive Site: Red Buoy

Location: Mikindani Bay, Mtwara, Tanzania

Description: Seamount

Depth: 12 – 50 metres (40 – 165 feet)

Visibility: 20 metres (65 feet)

Great circlular wall dive that goes on for ever. Abounds in surgeons and red toothed triggerfish. Pristine corals and an amazing assortment of small reef fish.

Dive Site: Red Buoy

Location: Mikindani Bay, Mtwara, Tanzania

Description: Seamount

Depth: 12 – 50 metres (40 – 165 feet)

Visibility: 20 metres (65 feet)

Great circlular wall dive that goes on for ever. Abounds in surgeons and red toothed triggerfish. Pristine corals and an amazing assortment of small reef fish.

Dive Site: Red Buoy

Location: Mikindani Bay, Mtwara, Tanzania

Description: Seamount

Depth: 12 – 50 metres (40 – 165 feet)

Visibility: 20 metres (65 feet)

Great circlular wall dive that goes on for ever. Abounds in surgeons and red toothed triggerfish. Pristine corals and an amazing assortment of small reef fish.