News
8 Epic Wall Diving Destinations
There is nothing quite like hovering at the edge of a wall when you dive, watching the ocean disappear below you. This exhilarating type of diving offers the chance to explore striking landscapes and immerse yourself alongside walls teeming with life. There are some great places you can go wall diving around the world. Here is our pick of the best:
1. Hawaii
Hawaii is known for night diving with mantas and dramatic underwater landscapes with a generous helping of lava tubes, caverns and craters. The Molokini Crater off Maui is a popular choice for wall dives, with the outer crater plunging to depths over 100 meters. Molokini Back Wall is a great dive for manta and shark encounters. Dive there from December to May and you might hear passing humpback whales. The Au Au Crater at Kona is a steep wall dive where you can spot oceanic whitetips and hammerhead sharks.
2. Egypt’s Red Sea
Egypt’s Elphinstone Reef offers some of the best Red Sea wall diving and is a premier Southern Red Sea dive destination. The almost-vertical walls drop from just below the surface to a plateau at 80 meters, before disappearing into the inky depths. The reef itself is washed with strong currents, making for fun drift dives past vibrant corals. Home to a variety of reef sharks, you can also dive with oceanic whitetips and hammerheads there.
3. Indonesia
The Marine National Park at Bunaken is a conservation success story, offering a staggering diversity of life and some of Indonesia’s best wall dives. You can see 5 sea turtle species, dugong, spinner dolphins, pilot whales and more. This special Indonesia scuba diving destination is even on a migratory path for sperm whales.
Bunaken wall diving is exceptional, with numerous wall dives to choose from and plenty of big pelagic action. Celah Celah is a favourite with photographers, thanks to the wall cracks packed with soft corals, critters and fish. There are brightly-coloured nudibranchs and pygmy seahorses to find, plus passing dogtooth tuna and sea snakes.
4. Palau
Showcasing the best of Micronesia’s varied diving, Palau has it all. Blue Corner, a natural corner in the ocean, has a wall that drops to over 330 meters with a plateau at 12 to 20 meters. This strong current dive demands the use of reef hooks and will reward you with an abundance of marine life, vibrant corals and huge schools of fish. Turtles, eagle rays and sharks are regularly seen there.
5. Fiji
The Somosomo Strait is not to be missed when wall diving Fiji. The vertical walls are covered in soft corals, with large bushes of white, brown, pink and orange corals that come to life in the swift currents. Purple Wall is aptly named and covered in purple soft corals and sea fans. The Great White Wall looks like a giant wall of snow, thanks to being absolutely covered in white soft corals. Both dives are accessible by Somosomo Strait liveaboard diving.
6. Cayman Islands
Known for its wall diving, the Cayman Islands don’t disappoint with sites such as the Bloody Bay Wall and Grand Cayman’s North Wall. The Bloody Bay Wall drops to over 914 meters and is one of the most sought-after, and colourful, Cayman Islands dives. The wall is covered in life, ranging from corals and sea fans to a variety of sponges and abundant critters. Be sure to look away from the wall to spot eagle rays, turtles and Nassau groupers.
The more remote Grand Cayman’s North Wall has a number of dive sites to explore, where you can find sea turtles, hammerhead sharks and plenty of life on the wall itself. The east of the wall has caverns and swim-throughs, whilst the famous Stingray City dive site is in the north.
7. Honduras
The Cayman Trench off the coast of Roatan has dramatic walls and reefs. Famous for whale sharks, dolphins and rare black corals, it is well worth adding to your liveaboard diving wish list. The West End Wall is a series of canyons and channels ideal for divers and snorkelers alike, where you can swim amongst large schools of jacks, barracuda and tarpon. Utila offers sheer walls on the north side, whilst Guanaja, the most remote of the Bay Islands, has wall dives and volcanic landscapes.
8. Belize
Head to Turneffe Atoll in Belize and you can enjoy the rich biodiversity of this reef, plus big wall dives and mangrove islands. The walls are covered in corals and host turtles, moray eels and rays. Lighthouse Reef is popular for wall diving, especially at Half Moon Caye. You can see Caribbean reef sharks and plenty of macro life, whilst enjoying easy-going currents.
This article was written by divers and writers at LiveAboard.com
Gear News
Introducing the TR-80, IR-50 and CS-30 Regulators from DYNAMICNORD
Whether you are a beginner or a professional diver – with the three new main regulators from DYNAMICNORD, everyone will find their favourite regulator. They all look super stylish.
Excellent performance with the TR-80
Quality and performance are the be-all and end-all for regulators. It is not for nothing that the TR stands for Tec Reg. The innovative design of the TR-80 guarantees absolute reliability – even in ice-cold waters.
Perfect breathing effort at 0.8 J/l / certified for diving in waters below 10 degrees / structural design made of solid brass for best cold protection / membrane-compensated design with dry seal of the first stage / reduced exhalation effort thanks to optimized exhalation membrane and bubble deflector / adjustable Venturi (dive/predive) and adjustment knob for individual inhalation comfort / innovative design of the front cover prevents free-flow in strong currents or when diving with scooters / design made of sandblasted brass, matt chrome finish / 2 HP and 4 LP outlets / mouthpiece made of high-quality, anti-allergic silicone for maximum comfort.
Amazing underwater adventures with the IR-50
The IR-50 is the top regulator for advanced and experienced divers. Natural breathing is the essence of this regulator.
Ideal breathing effort at 0.8 J/l /certified for diving in waters below 10 degrees / compensated membrane / adjustable venturi (dive/predive) and adjustment knob for individual inhalation comfort/ outlet valve and deflector for minimum exhalation effort and reduction of bubbles on the face / design made of sandblasted brass, matt chrome finish / 2 HP and 4 NP outlets / mouthpiece made of high-quality, anti-allergic silicone for maximum comfort.
The Workhorse – our CS-30
For diving centres and diving beginners – the workhorse stands for strong construction, reliability and robustness. Perfect for your training.
Optimal breathing effort at 0.8 J/l /recommended for diving in waters above 10 degrees / non-compensated piston / adjustable venturi (dive/predive) / outlet valve and deflector for minimum exhalation effort and reduction of bubbles on the face / design made of sandblasted brass, matt chrome finish / 1 HP and 3 NP outlets / mouthpiece made of high-quality, anti-allergic silicone for maximum comfort.
Octopus OP-30
The OP-30 is the ideal addition to all DYNAMICNORD regulators. It is identical in construction to the CS-30.
The TR-80, IR-50, CS-30 (DIN & INT) regulators and the Octopus OP-30 are available from DYNAMICNORD dealers and in the online store.
DYNAMICNORD – Your Outdoor Companion.
Marine Life & Conservation
Paul Watson Released as Denmark Blocks Japan’s Extradition Bid
Renowned anti-whaling activist Paul Watson has been released from custody in Greenland after spending five months in detention. Denmark’s Justice Ministry rejected Japan’s request for his extradition, citing insufficient guarantees that his time already served in custody would be credited against any potential sentence.
The 74-year-old Canadian-American was arrested on July 21 in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, when his ship docked to refuel. His arrest was based on a 2012 Japanese warrant related to a 2010 encounter in Antarctic waters. Japan alleged Watson obstructed operations and caused damage to a whaling research ship during efforts to disrupt illegal whaling. Watson has consistently denied these claims, maintaining his commitment to marine conservation.
Denmark, which oversees extradition matters for Greenland, concluded that while the legal conditions for extradition were met, the lack of assurances from Japan regarding time-served credit made extradition untenable.
In a video shared by his foundation, Watson expressed gratitude and relief, saying, “After five months, it’s good to be out… and good to know they’re not sending me to Japan.” He added that the most difficult part of his time in custody was being separated from his two young sons.
Watson is a pioneering figure in marine conservation, known for founding the Captain Paul Watson Foundation in 2022 after decades of activism with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. His bold efforts to defend marine life have earned him widespread support, including from celebrities and conservationists. His work has also been featured in the acclaimed reality TV series Whale Wars.
Watson’s lawyer, Jonas Christoffersen, praised the decision, stating, “We are happy and relieved that Paul Watson is now free.” He added that Watson is eager to reunite with his family and continue his vital work.
The arrest occurred while Watson’s vessel, the M/Y John Paul DeJoria, was en route to the North Pacific with a team of 26 volunteers to intercept a Japanese whaling ship. His foundation described the arrest as politically motivated and emphasized that Watson’s actions were focused on ending illegal whaling practices.
Japan resumed commercial whaling in 2019 after leaving the International Whaling Commission, asserting that whale meat is a cultural tradition. Conservationists, however, continue to challenge these practices, highlighting their impact on marine ecosystems.
Despite the challenges, Watson remains steadfast in his mission to protect marine life and bring attention to whaling practices. His dedication to ocean conservation has made him a globally respected advocate for the environment.
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