All posts by Emily Vasquez

If you are a SCUBA enthusiast on your Honeymoon or a Summer getaway, make the most of your dive with an unforgettable adventure for you and your sweetheart. Jump right in the water is warm. Here are 5 unforgettable romantic and beautiful destinations for SCUBA diving. 

Venice, Italy Waterways

The waterways of Venice, Italy, are not only known for crooning gondoliers but their extensive underwater ruins. You can chart a boat to The Gulf of Venice has bright blue water. Since the Roman Empire ruled this area of the world for some time, you will easily spot some of the oldest parts of civilization. Afterward, consider dining at Venice’s most romantically acclaimed restaurant, Hostaria Costello. Visit Venice on February 18 for the Venice Masquerade Ball. There you will follow the footsteps of Giacomo Cassanova. End your night at one of the hotels on the Grand Canal. These hotels usually include hidden gardens. There are numerous romantic boarding options in and around the city. 

Cozumel, Mexico

A bit more affordable than Venice, Cozumel offers a variety of seaside resorts, blue waters, impeccable cuisine, and mariachi bands. Sol de mi Tierra (Sun of my Earth) is a well-known long-time family mariachi band in Cozumel that plays publically for tourists and residents alike. Cozumel is intimate and intriguing due to the thrilling dives you can take. San Gervasio includes the sensual sanctuary of the fertility goddess Ixchel. The northern end of the island holds Ancient Mayan Ruins. Who knows what you will discover there.

St. Thomas, Virgin Islands

St. Thomas has beautiful blue waters, open-air cottages, and butterfly fields. You can chart your dive with your sweetheart on a sailboat. The open-air huts come complete with private jacuzzis. The butterfly fields offer a unique touch to your romantic getaway. 

St. Croix, Virgin Islands

St. Croix holds couple’s cottages and breathtaking dives. It has two of the best dive sites in the Virgin Islands; Cane Bay Wall and Frederiksted Pier. The Cane Bay Wall teems with marine life and coral reef walls. The wall drops 2,000 feet and holds dolphin families. What is more loving and inspiring than dolphin pods? Frederiksted Pier is known for world-class macro-life diving. Octopuses, squids, seahorses, and fish swim around the pier. The romantic aspect of Frederiksted Pier is the sunset strolls you and your love can take around the walkway. 

Maldives 

What’s more romantic than visiting popular honeymoon destinations; Being stranded with your lover over the ocean. The Maldives offer rustic-chic villas over the sea. The white sand, clear turquoise water, and open view of the endless sea offer a getaway like no other. The multiple resorts offer couples massages. Couples can experience the tranquility of the sea while being pampered. The most colorful and vivid reefs divers can explore in the Maldives are the Banana Reef, Rainbow Reef, and Maya Thila. The Maldives holds the heart Islands that form the shape of a heart from an aerial view. Soneva Jani is a remote resort connected by winding white bridges that connect restaurants and amenities to the villas. Experience romance in complete abandon. 

Take a moment with your partner to plan out a dream getaway complete with a breathtaking dive, or don’t. Surprise them with the trip of their dreams, and keep By the Shore SCUBA Instruction in mind for diving classes. Our company also can help you come up with a plan for your romantic adventure.

Sources- Top 10 best resorts in the Maldives for couples – the Luxury Travel Expert

These Romantic Dive Spots Are Great For A Couple’s Getaway (thetravel.com)

St. Croix Blog, Dive the World Famous Cane Bay Wall | GoToStCroix.com

St. Croix Blog, Frederiksted Pier | GoToStCroix.com

The 12 Most Romantic Hotels in the Maldives | Oyster.com

St. Thomas Honeymoon – Everything You Need To Know (honeymoongoals.com)

Ancient Roman road and dock discovered in Venice lagoon | Italy | The Guardian

Visit Cozumel Mexico on a Honeymoon or Romantic Getaway (tripsavvy.com)

Best romantic hotels in Venice | Telegraph Travel

Venice most romantic restaurants — Veneto Secrets

Venice Masquerade ball : a world of magic ! (vivovenetia.com)

When people think about their diving bucket list, the Great Barrier Reef, Cancun, and the Bahamas usually come to mind. While these tropical paradises are a dream come true, the curious diver may find an unlikely fantasy come-to-life diving in Greenland. 

Many people believe that Greenland is green, but this body of land is mostly ice. The misnomer came about when exiled Icelandic Viking Eric the Red wanted to attract settlers to Greenland, starting a tiny nation of his own. Greenland is a tundra. [Tundras are frozen barren lands with minimal vegetation like an ice desert.] Despite its rocky, empty appearance, a whole ecosystem exists here near the Arctic Circle. 

Here are the reasons we think diving in Greenland should be on your bucket list.

Narwhals

Beautiful, gentle, mysterious, and frequently referred to as unicorns of the sea, narwhals are worlds (or oceans) apart from any other cetaceans [cetaceans-carnivorous aquatic mammals including dolphins, toothed whales, and baleen whales]. Unlike their chirping talkative cousins, the Beluga whales, narwhals are low-frequency animals, only speaking in deep bizarre buzzing sounds. Recently scientists have been able to pick up these guttural clicks that the narwhals use to communicate with one another. Like other whales, narwhals dive deep (about a mile) into the icy black waters to find fish. Human interaction with narwhals is limited because they are afraid of people with good reason. The local Inuit are estimated to kill 400 narwhals a year out of the 1000 narwhals killed worldwide. Conservation efforts are in effect, but narwhals do not do well in captivity. Unlike belugas, dolphins, and orcas, narwhals are terrified of human beings. Many attempts to keep them in captivity arose during the 60s and 70s, but the longest living narwhal made it to a mere four months. The Vancouver Aquarium lost its longest-living narwhals four months after their arrival. This tragedy brought to attention the ethics of marine life in captivity. No narwhals have been in captivity since then. Recently when scientists tagged narwhals in the wild, narwhals’ heart rates dropped to dangerous levels as they tried to outrun humans. This experiment made them determine that any sort of human interaction was harmful to these elusive creatures. If you want to see a narwhal up close, your best bet is diving into the icy waters yourself. Just remember not to get too close, which can cause them duress. 

Icebergs and Biome

Icebergs in Greenland are a specialty and said to be the Arctic Explorers’ dream. The best icebergs are near Tasiilaq, Greenland, where you can find the coral reef, on-land diving lagoons, caverns, huts in the fjords, and the bluest icebergs. Think of diving in Tasiilaq like submerging yourself into a giant sea of blue arctic snow cones without the berry flavor. Don’t be deceived by the icy blue. There is a vivid world of kelp, amphipods, comb jellies, seals, humpback whales, and more Arctic creatures in the Biome of Tasiilaq. The time of year doesn’t affect the iceberg count as much. You can still find icebergs floating around even in the summer months. The icebergs do capsize in the Summer, offering a captivating sight. Save up and book in advance. Only a handful of charters will take people on the tour of nature’s frozen wonders. This option is relatively inexpensive compared to charting a boat to the North Pole [starting at $35,00]. A flight to Greenland from SeaTac Washington begins at $720. You need to pay for a hotel [starting at $208 per night] and chart a boat starting around $400 a day]. 

Help Greenland’s Tourist Based Economy

Aside from fishing, Greenland’s source of income relies on its tourist-based economy and the Danish government. By booking a stay, kayak expedition, dive, or tour in Greenland, you support their unique economy and lessen the need for Greenland’s mining industry. The mining industry is said to be progressing the side effects of climate change. Touring Greenland opens up trade for their nation and allows them to sustainably fish, lessen narwhal hunts, and open them up to external revenue. Awareness is the first step toward reducing our carbon footprint.

If you are interested in visiting Greenland, save up, and look for travel packages. Most people book stays in Canada and Nova Scotia before traveling to Greenland. Check out visitgreenland.com for diving info and updates. Talk with a local PADI SCUBA school such as By the Shore SCUBA Instruction to see if you can book a group charter. Usually, groups get better deals when charting dives. If you want to travel the road less taken or you want to save on a trip to the Arctic Circle, Greenland is for you. 

Chartered Tours | Guide to Greenland

Chartered Tours | Guide to Greenland (visitgreenland.com)

Diving in Greenland | PADI

Best time for Diving in Greenland 2022 – Best Season – Rove. me

Island Divers

Blake Butler: Tragic history of Vancouver Aquarium’s narwhals is worth revisiting | Vancouver Sun

Meta population modeling of narwhals in East Canada and West Greenland – 2017 | bioRxiv

There are places where brave divers dare to dive. Secret swimming holes and springs throughout the Western Hemisphere have drawn attention on the internet and are part of the integral gems that make up the natural world. Here are some secret swimming holes you might want to explore.

Aztec Falls

Located in California’s San Bernardino National Forest, this secret swimming hole is a beautiful paradise. Divers will find this particular hole exciting because of the blue cliffs. The water appears blue in the reflection of the sunlight, and you can see the drop off into a deep hole. When the sun shines at a certain angle, it looks like a long narrow arrowhead from above. 

Tobermory Caves 

   While these caves in Canada are shallower than most secret swimming holes, they offer wreckage sights and blue waters. You can enter by diving into the Grotto of Bruce Peninsula national park. This experience will put one in mind of The Little Mermaid as you dive through caverns and deep blue waters. 

Devil’s Den

Panama City in Florida is home to one of the oldest prehistoric dive holes. The Devil’s Den is owned and operated by a small diving company. You can’t enter the hole unless you are SCUBA certified or a snorkeler, which makes this hole a rare experience. The swimming hole is located underground in a prehistoric sinkhole hardened over thousands of years. Minerals and spring waters give these waters a beautiful blue crystalline appearance.

Jardin del Eden Cenote 

Jardin del Eden (which translates from Spanish to English into the Garden of Eden) is a large swimming hole in the middle of the Jungles of Quintana Roo, Mexico. You will want an experienced tour guide or SCUBA diver to take you to this swimming hole since the area is surrounded by wildlife. The swimming hole itself does not have a lot of creatures, but the caverns are an experience to behold for cave divers. 

The Great Blue Hole of Belize

Unlike most swimming holes, this secret swimming hole lies in the open ocean off the coast of Ambergris Caye in Belize. Dive in and explore vast coral reefs with fish. You will need to chart a boat out to this location which isn’t hard to do. Thousands of visitors chart dives to the Great Blue Hole of Belize. The visitors are spread throughout the year, making this location relatively high profile. 

Cenote Ik Kil, Mexico

 Explore the swimming hole that holds small catfish and vines. Cenote Ik Kil or the Sacred Blue Hole is home to a deep swimming hole full of ruins to explore. Immerse yourself in the sacred place of the Ancient Mayans. Archaeologists believe human sacrifices occurred in the Sacred Blue Hole. Critics believe that people tripped and became trapped in the sinkhole. Curious divers can decide for themselves in this ancient ruin.

The Blue Hole 

In Santa Rosa, New Mexico lies the beautiful scenic Blue Hole. Trees and rocks surround this picture-perfect diving hole. Choose to swim or dive into the caverns below. The water reflects a blue hue and offers beautiful night dives. The swimming hole has lights and buoys so divers can safely explore.

 Swimming holes offer divers a chance to practice diving before entering the open ocean. The deep swimming holes offer mystery, discoveries, and a contained environment for curious divers. If you are interested in charting a swimming hole dive, contact By The Shore SCUBA Instruction. We can offer advice and training for cave dives. 

Sources

These Are The 10 Best Swimming Holes In The World (junkee.com)

The Cenotes Of Mexico: Ancient Mayan Sacrificial Sites – WorldAtlas

What You Need to Know About Diving Belize’s Great Blue Hole – Sandy Point Resorts

12 top-secret swimming holes (usatoday.com)

Devil’s Den Spring – Scuba Diving Florida, Snorkeling, Scuba Diving Certification (devilsden.com)

   SCUBA diving as a recreational activity has increased in the last 10-15 years. There has also been an increase in SCUBA diving accidents within the early 2010s. This number lowered during the pandemic from 2020 to 2022. With an increase in activity, SCUBA deaths have recently increased this start of Spring. SCUBA diving deaths are relatively low compared to the number of divers around the United States. Divers Alert Network notes 80-100 divers die a year in North America. The last statistic on SCUBA deaths in 2015 was 1.8 deaths for every million. While SCUBA-related deaths are low, increasing awareness in the SCUBA community places divers on alert. Every diver can lower their risks with preventative measures. 

Proper Gear Maintenance and Usage

     Purchase high-quality gear that is fitted specifically for you. Here are areas where you cannot afford to overlook proper gear usage.

• Your SCUBA mask needs to seal out moisture before you ever enter the water. Purchase and test the mask before attending an open ocean dive. The seal must be fully closed. If your mask leaks the slightest amount of water, have a seasoned dive instructor see if you need to work on your seal or a different SCUBA mask. 
• Make sure your fins fit correctly. Otherwise, you will lose them and struggle to swim towards the boat. 
• Buoyancy control devices (BCD) regulate your ability to sink and float. This piece of equipment can affect your tanks, wetsuit, and mask. You want your BCD to fit closely, but not so tightly that it’ll squish your body when it inflates. Test your BCD with a PADI instructor in a swimming pool before you attend a dive. You do not want to float too close to the surface. You need to stay well below boats that may pass by. 
• Ensure all tubes, hoses, straps, and gauges are secured tightly against your body. It is easy for loose items to catch between rocks or boat propellers. 

Proper Practices 

• Never dive without a buddy. Diving alone puts you at risk. You need someone who can assist you in a medical emergency and warn you of nearby dangers. 
• Practice and always recertify CPR/First Aid. You will need to learn CPR and first aid before you dive. Your dive buddy should also have updated CPR/First Aid training. Practice CPR and first aid regularly to prepare for the worst. 
• Avoid boating accidents by staying alert underwater and checking BCDs beforehand. Dive Training recommends someone is aboard your boat in case you find yourself diving in the open ocean. Be aware of the shipping lanes, vessels, and other large machinery. 
• Avoid areas with riptides or currents if possible. 
• Use caution when entering caves or confined spaces.
• Private boats should only have experienced divers on board. 
• Avoid touching or approaching venomous or predatory animals. 
• Check all of your equipment before setting sail for a dive.
• Equalize your ears and mask. Your instructor or another PADI-certified diver can assist you.

Health and Safety

There are regular health practices that divers should take to prevent life-threatening complications. Divers need to cope with the pressure deepwater dives place on your body. Here are some health and safety tips to lessen bodily strain. 

• Keep your physical fitness in shape. Regularly swim, practice breathing, and participate in cardio for peak health. Weight training is optimal so you can gain familiarity with your body under different levels of pressure.
• If you have sinus congestion or migraines, postpone your dive. 
• If you feel ill after a dive, visit a local emergency room or urgent care to rule out any life-threatening complications.
•  Use a dive computer to stay within a dive table and avoid decompression sickness.
• Familydoctor.org advises to hold off flying 12 hours after diving and 24 hours if your dive has decompression stops.

Your health and safety are a priority. If you or a fellow diver are ever in an emergency, call the Divers Alert Network emergency line. Their website has a list of emergency phone numbers for different locations worldwide. Checking in with a fellow PADI instructor for more safety concerns is recommended before your first dive. Diving is at one’s own risk. Tread the water with caution.

By The Shore SCUBA Instruction LLC. is a SCUBA school located in North Carolina. We acknowledge that the information provided is no guarantee of safety. SCUBA diving is an at-risk activity and requires proper PADI instruction and other safety training. We accept no responsibility for death, injury, or damaged equipment. By The Shore SCUBA Instruction LLC. is not medically trained. You should consult your doctor for all safety suggestions. Our information comes from sources online that claim SCUBA knowledge and experience. 

These sources are listed below.

Divers Alert Network (dan.org)

familydoctor.org

Encanto grandfather killed in a diving accident in Hawaii (10news.com)

Scuba diving fatalities – Wikipedia