ZECO TRAVEL TALK

On our last day in the Marquesas Islands, we were treated to a real Polynesian experience. While having breakfast, the Clipper Odyssey entered Hatiheu Bay on the north side of Nuku Hiva. The nature show was grandiose: the little village of Hatiheu is located at the bottom of an amphitheater shaped basin. The jagged peaks surrounding us provided an impressive backdrop to the black-sand beach onto which the long Pacific rollers broke in the early morning light. On either side of the bay stood magnificent basalt dykes with lush tropical rain forest covering their flanks. A lone statue of the Virgin Mary stood on one of the high peaks, almost reaching to the clouds. Read more

The Clipper Odyssey has been navigating west from Easter Island for the past 48 hours and the passage has already been filled with enlightening lectures on the peopling of the Pacific as well as the natural history of the region.

We are scheduled to make our first landing tomorrow at the uninhabited atoll of Ducie. Not only is it the southernmost atoll in the world, it is the most easterly atoll of the Indo-Pacific. In addition, Ducie is the island where the vessel Acadia ran aground in 1881, the exact location of the wreck was unknown until it was discovered (by yours truly) in 1989. Read more

We entered the Danube Delta at 6 a.m. to take on the pilot in Romania’s Sulina Channel. Already we could see pelicans and coots rafting in the lakes just north of the channel which bisects this immense biosphere reserve. Our local boat, the Europolis, was waiting alongside in Crisan to take us deep into the reserve via narrow channels. The waterways were quiet and idyllic, overhung with willow trees and bordered by sweeping stands of phragmites, the reeds used to thatch the small houses on the nearby farms. Egrets and herons were particularly abundant and often allowed close approach for photos. Sitting or standing comfortably on the top deck we spotted squacco herons and the unusual pygmy cormorant. A soaring black stork, probably on its way down from Siberia, was a particular highlight! Read more

As I prepare to lead the 2010 Maldives trips, I am reminded of the distinct beauty of the place. The archipelago is comprised of twenty-two coral atolls including 1,200 separate isles and islets, only 200 of which are inhabited.

This spectacular island group in the Central Indian Ocean is an icon for scuba enthusiasts, a holy grail for snorkelers. For those who love warm tropical seas full of life, it is a breathtaking place. Even the planning and academic preparations are exciting. Read more

The Pribilof Islands are known for the dense fog that regularly envelops them throughout the summer months, and today was no exception. We couldn’t see the island of St. George from the ship, nor for most of our short Zodiac ride to shore. However, soon the rocky coastline materialized before us, and we arrived at a small and very atmospheric village, nestled amongst green hillsides accented with beautiful wildflowers.

The Pribilofs are the most important breeding site in the world for the northern fur seal, which was the target of commercial sealing operations for many years. We hiked out to a bluff from which we could look down across a fur seal rookery, and watch the social dynamics unfold below us. Read more

Zegrahm Director Kevin Clement recently returned from an extraordinary trip to Manado and the northern tip of Sulawesi Island. Thrilled with his experiences, he agreed to share some of the many trip highlights with our Zeco Travel Talk readers.

On the map, the sprawling island of Sulawesi, formerly known as Celebes, has a shape that resembles nothing so much as a giant squashed spider. The northernmost tip of the northern leg, a region known as Minahasa, is a place seldom visited by outsiders. Everywhere I went people were surprised and pleased to see a Westerner. The land rises from the coast into volcanic mountains, dotted with villages caught between the ancient and the modern. We visited several fascinating places outside of Manado: Read more

On Friday night our ship, Isabela II, crossed the Equator and headed north from Santa Cruz Island to Genovesa (Tower) Island. At sunrise we entered Darwin Bay, a partially eroded volcanic caldera with sheer cliffs surrounding all but the entrance. We went ashore for a two-hour hike along the coraline beach. As usual, we were greeted by sea lions, some more active than others. Frigatebirds (some in full display), Nazca boobies, herons, pelicans, and red-footed boobies nesting in their mangrove “condos” kept us entertained with their antics as we admired their individual features. Wading knee-deep in the lagoon we spotted diamond stingrays and many more sea lions, including one young pup who seemed particularly saddened by our departure. Read more

Receiving your advanced diving certification is a great step to take to make all your scuba diving endeavors fun and safe. With this increased level of training you will be able to dive almost everywhere, and you will feel much more comfortable and relaxed in the water. Now that Zegrahm Expeditions requires this level of training we wanted to give you a few quick tips on how to get your certification.

Most of you probably have scuba diving certification through PADI, NAUI, or another authorized scuba organization, because of this you can easily move up to an advanced diving certification.

All you need to do is find your nearest dive center (or resort) that offers advance diving certification. A quick search online with your town name and “scuba diving certification” should yield good results.

Each dive center has their own course methods, duration, and rates, but generally (and this is based on a local Seattle dive center) it costs around $200 and takes at least 3-5 days of required coursework and specialty dives to achieve advanced diving certification. Through PADI, the core dives that are required for an advanced certification are deep, below 60 feet and something we often do on our itineraries, and navigation, which helps you become comfortable with your compass. Three additional specialty dives are required however you can choose from several options that include night, wreck, naturalist, fresh water, etc. NAUI requires six dives, the three core dives are deep, navigation, and night, and like PADI you choose your other three from a list of specialty dives.

More details and references on obtaining your advanced diver certification are available at:
PADI – http://www.padi.com to obtain PADI Advanced Open Water (AOW) Diver certification.
NAUI – http://www.naui.org to obtain NAUI Advanced Scuba certification.

Another great option is the ability to complete the advanced scuba diving certification online with PADI (it costs $120 and you complete it at your own pace) or through other accredited internet classes. However, you will still need to go to a dive center or resort to do the required advanced dives (deep, night, dive, etc) with an instructor.

Another great advantage to getting this certification is you get back in the water and you will have completed the required two open-water dives needed 12 months prior to the departure of your voyage.

Happy diving.