KikiRiki Pics » diving

Adorable Seashells

adminane — Thu, 31 May 2012 08:18:11 +0000

A seashell or sea shell, also known simply as a shell, is a hard, protective outer layer created by an animal that lives in the sea. The shell is part of the body of the animal. Empty seashells are often found washed up on beaches by beachcombers. The shells are empty because the animal has died and the soft parts have been eaten by another animal or have rotted out. The term seashell usually refers to the exoskeleton of an invertebrate (an animal without a backbone). Most shells that are found on beaches are the shells of marine mollusks, partly because many of these shells endure better than other seashells. Apart from mollusk shells, other shells that can be found on beaches are those of barnacles, horseshoe crabs and brachiopods. Marine annelid worms in the family Serpulidae create shells made of calcareous tubes cemented onto other surfaces. The shells of sea urchins are called tests, and the moulted shells of crabs and lobsters are called exuviae. While most seashells are external, some cephalopods have internal shells.

Boat on Crystal Clear Water

adminane — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:27:20 +0000

When the boat is on the crystal clear water it creates an interesting effect, it seems that it is floating in the air.

Cancun, paradise on earth 05

adminane — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 08:03:54 +0000

Cancun’s main ‘hotel zone’ is spread out along a 20km stretch of beach, flanked by a peaceful inland lagoon. The resort has shopping malls and plenty of places to eat and drink, as well as several good nightclubs. An intoxicating mix of the old and the new, the rustic and the sophisticated, and American standards combined with Spanish influence. Lying on the Eastern Coast of the Yucatan Peninsula is Cancun, Mexico’s premier holiday resort, a bustling and chic resort with modern, American-style hotels of a high standard, a multitude of restaurants, soft sandy beaches, and plenty of sports both on land and water. Resorts along the Mayan Riviera have a more relaxed feel while south of Cancun lies the resort of Playa del Carmen with its laid back atmosphere, excellent white sand beach and great variety of restaurants and bars. Nightlife is low key compared to Cancun. The area has many historical sites including Tulum and Chichen Itza, 130 miles from Cancun, one of the most important archaeological sites and capital of the Mayan civilization. Merida is a Spanish colonial city and the cultural capital of the Yucatan region. The main reason for visiting Cancun is to relax on the beautiful white sand beach or go diving to see the coral life. Isla Mujeres, a 25-minute boat ride from Cancun, has good snorkelling and beaches and great diving sites including Los Manchones, La Bandera, Cuevones and the Sleeping Shark Caves. A visit to the island of Cozumel is also well worth a visit.

If you want a lesson in how to get things right, first time, take your Mexico holiday in Cancun. Giving the Caribbean a run for its money, Cancun holidays offer paradise, without the price tag. A generation ago, this sublime spot was a forlorn place – a spur of sand overlooking a muddy lagoon at the edge of the rainforest. Now it’s a billion dollar plus tourism industry, leading the way in showing Central America how to raise its stakes and attract wealthy Americans, fun-loving Europeans and sleek cruise liners, with their all-important holiday dollars. Not to mention the fact that Cancun weddings are becoming increasingly popular.
Make no mistake, when the Mexican tourist authority wanted to create a tourist resort to rival Florida they left nothing to chance – ensuring that Mexico holidays were every bit as good as the best of the Caribbean. Twenty years later, this lonely spur, shaped like a number seven, arching out from the mainland at the old market town of Cancun, is transformed.

Cancun holidays enjoy the saltwater and freshwater activities. The lagoon is clean and fresh, the sand is sieved and sparkly, and the spur of land is now one swift and straight avenue of designer malls, watersports clubs, dolphin shows and sherbert-coloured hotel complexes, each more eye-catching than the last.
There’s not a lot of subtlety here – the international hotel brands jostle each other for attention, creating powder pink castles of ostentatious luxury – replete with complex pool systems, swim-up bars, private stretches of beach (don’t worry, there’s plenty to go round) and all manner of pampering opportunities.

If the Hotel Zone (the name they give to this spur of land) looks daunting in its seemingly never-ending length, don’t worry, it’s all conveniently broken down into sections, each section having enough late night bars, shopping villages, cinemas and waterparks to keep you from wandering too far. But do. Wander all the way into Cancun’s old town (past the largest Mexican flag we’ve ever seen) and explore the taverns, markets and (cheaper) shops of the real Cancun.
And don’t forget to delve deep into the rain forest for three hours to gasp in amazement at the Chichen Itza complex, the Mayan city only rediscovered a century ago, when an explorer spotted the pinnacle of the Pyramid of Kukulcan poking out from the undergrowth which had reclaimed this once mighty city and seat of Mayan power.
A dazzling white vision, rising from the blue waters of the Caribbean Sea, Cancun is every bit as good as the travel brochures proclaim – and the main reason Mexico holidays – and Cancun holidays in particular have become so popular so quickly. And, with its mix of world-class resort hotels, fine beaches, excellent facilities, and fascinating cultural history, it’s not hard to see why this resort easily gives Florida a run for its money.

Mauritius, paradise on earth 04

adminane — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:12:54 +0000

Mauritius is a relatively small volcanic island located in the Indian Ocean that has garnered itself a great reputation for being one of the best holiday destinations around. It is a place of practically endless soft and sandy beaches with wonderfully waters in various nuances of blue and incredible wildlife. When you throw in a rather curious and interesting mix of cultures, you have yourself a tropical paradise like those you read or dream about.

You may not think of this looking at the place now but the island has only been inhabited since the end of the16th century when it was settled by the Dutch. Unfortunately this change in its political status lead to widespread environmental destruction since the Dutch cut down large areas of forest in order to plant sugarcane. Fast forward a couple of hundred years, some changes of ownership and add in some African and Indian peoples to the mix and you now have modern day Mauritius.

Modern Mauritius still features the huge sugarcane plantations which caused the initial problems but now the island’s ecosystem has reached a different balance, one which implies a rather large number of birds – such as the rare pink pigeons or the echo parakeet – and over a third of its nine hundred plant species being endemic such as the giant banyans and the red-flowering flamboyants.

Once you reach the island get ready to experience a wide variety of activities, sights and sounds. Besides the aforementioned sun, sea and sand that the island offers it also features a great mountain range so whether you’re interested in deep sea fishing, sun bathing or mountain biking the place has it for you, has that and more.

Do you happen to fancy horse racing? Not a problem in Mauritius, the local horse racing club has been founded in 1812 and horse racing is the most popular sport on the island. Experiencing the eclectic horse races in Mauritius is something that should be done at least once by all visitors to the island not only those who are into the races.

Despite the adverse effect that colonization has had on the above water ecosystem the island’s marine life has made it relatively unscathed and it has many things to offer such as dolphins, turtles, corals, sharks and several species of whale.

Mauritius is a wonderful place to visit, as long as you are ok with glorious beaches and the heat of the tropical sun will have no problems finding something to do while you’re there.

Maldives, paradise on earth 03

adminane — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 08:56:57 +0000

The Maldives, officially Republic of Maldives, also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India’s Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and Chagos Archipelago. It stands in the Laccadive Sea, about seven hundred kilometers (435 mi) south-west of Sri Lanka and (250 mi) south-west of India. During the colonial era, the Dutch referred to the country as “Maldivische Eilanden” in their documentation, while “Maldive Islands” is the anglicised version of the local name used by the British, which later came to be written “Maldives”.
This chain of islands is an archipelago located among the Lakshadweep-Maldives-Chagos Group, which are the tops of a vast undersea mountain range in the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. The atolls of the Maldives encompass a territory spread over roughly 90,000 square kilometres, making it one of the most dispersed countries in the world in geographic terms. It features 1,192 islands, of which two hundred are inhabited. The Republic of Maldives’s capital and largest city is Malé, with a population of 103,693 (2006). It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll, in the Kaafu Atoll. It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King’s Island where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties were enthroned.
The Maldives are the smallest Asian country in both population and land area. With an average ground level of 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) above sea level, it is the lowest country on the planet. It is also the country with the lowest highest point in the world, at 2.3 metres (7 ft 7 in); the Maldives sinking is a great concern for the Maldivian people.

Climate
The Indian Ocean has a great effect on the climate of the country by acting as a heat buffer, absorbing, storing, and slowly releasing the tropical heat. The temperature of Maldives ranges between 24 °C (75 °F) and 33 °C (91 °F) throughout the year. Although the humidity is relatively high, the constant cool sea breezes keep the air moving and the heat mitigated.
The weather in the Maldives is affected by the large landmass of South Asia to the north. The presence of this landmass causes differential heating of land and water. These factors set off a rush of moisture-rich air from the Indian Ocean over South Asia, resulting in the southwest monsoon. Two seasons dominate Maldives’ weather: the dry season associated with the winter northeastern monsoon and the rainy season which brings strong winds and storms. The shift from the moist southwest monsoon to the dry northeast monsoon occurs during April and May. During this period, the northeast winds contribute to the formation of the northeast monsoon, which reaches Maldives in the beginning of June and lasts until the end of August. However, the weather patterns of Maldives do not always conform to the monsoon patterns of South Asia. The annual rainfall averages 2,540 millimetres in the north and 3,810 millimetres in the south.

Turism
The Maldives was largely terra incognita for tourists until the early 1970s. Strewn across the equator in the Indian Ocean, the Maldives archipelago possesses a truly unique geography as a small island country. Nature has fragmented the archipelago into 1,190 tiny islands that occupy a mere one per cent of its 90,000 km2 territory. Only 185 islands are home to its 300,000 population, while the other islands are used entirely for economic purposes of which tourism and agriculture are the most dominant. Tourism accounts for 28% of GDP and more than 60% of the Maldives’ foreign exchange receipts. Over 90% of government tax revenue comes from import duties and tourism-related taxes. The development of tourism has fostered the overall growth of the country’s economy. It has created direct and indirect employment and income generation opportunities in other related industries. The first tourist resorts were opened in 1972 with Bandos island resort and Kurumba Village.

According to the Ministry of Tourism website, the emergence of tourism in 1972 transformed the economy of the Maldives, moving rapidly from the dependence on the fisheries sector to the tourism sector. In just three and a half decades, the industry has become the main source of income and livelihood of the people of the Maldives. Tourism is also the country’s biggest foreign currency earner and the single largest contributor to the GDP. Today, there are 89 resorts in the Maldives with a bed capacity of over 17,000, providing facilities for tourists whose annual arrival figure exceeds 600,000.
The number of resorts has increased from 2 to 92 between 1972 and 2007. As of 2007, over 8,380,000 tourists had visited Maldives.
Most visitors arrive at Malé International Airport, on Hulhulé Island, adjacent to the capital Malé. The airport is served by an array of flights to India, Sri Lanka, Doha, Dubai and major airports in South-East Asia, as well as an increasing number of charters from Europe. Many flights stop in Colombo (Sri Lanka) enroute.
Gan Airport, on the southern atoll of Addu, also serves an international flight to Milan several times a week.

Diving in the Maldives. The Maldives has become one of the world’s premier scuba diving destinations, because of the abundance of amazing white sand beaches, coral reefs, clear warm waters, many scuba diving sites and rich marine life.
Most holiday resorts in the Maldives have a scuba diving facility and there are a number of liveaboard operators offering scuba diving cruise holidays that take guests to many dive sites all over the Maldives. Many scuba divers are keen to dive in the Maldives because of the presence of whale sharks, manta rays, eagle rays, reef sharks, hammerhead sharks and moray eels, as well as many smaller fish and coral species.
In the 2004 tsunami, the Maldives were severely damaged and much of the coral was bleached. Thankfully, the coral reefs have made an excellent recovery and have almost returned to their pre-tsunami condition.

Hawaii, paradise on earth 02

adminane — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 14:01:27 +0000

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states (August 21, 1959), and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. Hawaii’s natural beauty, warm tropical climate, inviting waters and waves, and active volcanoes make it a popular destination for tourists, surfers, biologists, and volcanologists alike. Due to its mid-Pacific location, Hawaii has many North American and Asian influences along with its own vibrant native culture. Hawaii has over a million permanent residents along with many visitors and U.S. military personnel. Its capital is Honolulu on the island of Oʻahu.

Because the islands are so far from other land habitats, life before human activity is said to have arrived by the “3 W’s”: wind (carried through the air), waves (brought by ocean currents), and wings (birds, insects, and whatever they brought with them). This isolation, and the wide range of environments (extreme altitude, tropical climate) produced a vast array of endemic flora and fauna. Hawaii has more endangered species and has lost a higher percentage of its endemic species than any other U.S. state.

Location, topography, and geology Hawaii is the southernmost state of the United States; it would be the westernmost, if not for Alaska. It is one of only two states (Alaska is the other) that are outside the contiguous United States, and do not share a border with another U.S. state.

Hawaii is the only state of the United States that:

- Is separated from the mainland by water, yet is not a territory

- Is completely surrounded by water

- Continues to grow in area because of active extrusive lava flows, most notably from Kilauea (Kīlauea).

- Is entirely in the tropics.

Except for Easter Island, Hawaii is farther away from land than any other landmass on Earth. Hawaii’s tallest mountain, Mauna Kea stands over 13,000 feet (4,000 m) and is taller than Mount Everest if followed to its base at the floor of the Pacific Ocean.
All of the Hawaiian Islands were formed by volcanoes arising from the sea floor from a magma source described in geological theory as a hotspot. The theory maintains that as the tectonic plate beneath much of the Pacific Ocean moves in a northwesterly direction, the hot spot remains stationary, slowly creating new volcanoes. This explains why only volcanoes on the southern half of the Big Island, and the Loihi Seamount deep below the waters off its southern coast, are presently active, with Loihi being the newest volcano to form. The last volcanic eruption outside the Big Island happened at Haleakala (Haleakalā) on Maui in the late 18th century (though recent research suggests that Haleakala’s most recent eruptive activity could be hundreds of years older). The volcanic activity and subsequent erosion created impressive geological features. The Big Island is notable as the world’s fifth highest island.

Gili Islands Lombok – Great Party, Great Underwater and Great Beaches

adminane — Mon, 30 May 2011 16:05:48 +0000

The Gili Islands
Near Pemenang a road leads to Bangsal, the embarkation point for the three Gili Islands, which are just off the coast. The public bemo don’t go all the way to the small town, but stop on a side road. There is a money changer and a cidomo is also available.
All three islands have white sand beaches, clear water for snorking and cheap accomodation in bungalows. Most hotels can be found on Gili Meno. You can rent a boat for a trip along all islands. Especially in the main season – June until the beginning of September – this is a good thing, because the available accomodation fills up rather quick. The beach is the only place to sleep then.

The three Gili Islands are a small-scale backpacker mecca and Lombok’s most popular tourist destination. The islands are very relaxed and laid-back, with countless little beachside cafes playing reggae and serving up banana pancakes, and no cars or motorbikes to disturb the peace. The flip side of the coin is that as they exist solely to cater for travellers, they’re also rather anonymous (you might as well be at anywhere) and, aside from snorkeling and diving, there’s little if anything to do. Note that there are no ATMs on the islands, so bring plenty of cash with you. From west to east, the islands are:
Gili Trawangan, by far the most developed with plenty of backpacker options and one swanky resort
Gili Meno, the smallest and quietest, low-key with some simple places to stay
Gili Air, closest to the mainland and with the largest local population
Strictly speaking, the name “Gili Islands” is rather redundant as gili simply means “small island” in Sasak, but the name has stuck and is universally used and understood in Lombok.

Gili Air: Most Crowded
Gili Air is closest bo Bangsal and is the most densely populated island of the three. Most people live in the south, were the most bungalows are as well. The beach runs around the entire island. The best places for sunbathing and snorking are along both sides of thee shop with diving gear with the name Boronang. The shop rents gears and organises excursions to Pak Nasutions favorite diving spot, 45 minutes to the north by boat. There is a hot source about 10 meters under the sea level which produces fresh water.

The water around Gili Air is crystal clear, but there is not much to see for snorklers. The coral has been blown away with dynamite and there is not much fish as well; sometimes there are dangerous jelly-fish which force visitors out of the sea. The best place for snorkling is the edge of the cliff which surrounds the island; the coral descends to about 14 to 20 meters.

Gili Meno: Blue Coral
Gili Meno, the central island, is home to only a few hundred residents. The most quiet and least exploited island of the three, makes Gili Meno also the most attractive. Drinking water is brought in from Lombok. The sources of the island only bring in salt water which is hardly good enough to bath in. Just inland is a big salt lake, which is separated by small dykes for salt mining, which takes place in the dry season (May until October). The dry times are sometimes marked by cholera on the island. The rest of the year there are malaria musquitos; don’t forget tablets and a musquito net.
The hotels and bungalows are located along the southeastern coast. They offer a nice view over Gili Air and Gunung Rinjani in the east. The best place for snorkling is the northeastern coast, near the Blue Coral Bungalow, which has it’s name from the blue-colored corals just offshore. The reef offers a big variety of coral spiecies and small, colorfull fish.

Gili Trawangan: Snorkling Paradise
Gili Trawangan, most offshore, is with 3,5 sq.km. the biggest of the three Gili’s. Many of the residents are, like the other people of the Gili’s, descendants of Buginese migrants from South-Sulawesi. They have interchanged with the local Sasak-population and speak the Sasak language as well.

On the climax of the tourist season, the months July and August, many of the daily flood of tourists which leave from Bangsal find a place to sleap on the beach. All losmen are located along the eastern coast. The young, mainly European tourists which come to the Gili’s, spend their days on the beack, sunbathing. Snorkling and playing frisbee are the favorite sports. On many places you can rent goggles and other diving gear. The reefs off the eastern coast of Trawangan are reasonable, but beware of the strong currents futher off the beach, they can be dangerous. A walk around the island takes about four hours.

You can find good equipped diving centers on the Gili’s. Most centers also take care of the beginners, but also can provide you with the heavy things, like diving in the strong currents off the west coast of Trawangan, where divers can see huge shells (tridacna), as well as sharks, mantha’s, and blue tailed rays.

How to Get There:
In the Gili Islands, there is no shortage of small local boats willing to transport you, from island to island and back to the mainland. None of boats has any kind of safety equipment and the waters around the Gili’s can be choppy. Regardless, they are a handy form of transport and make exploring the islands easy.

There are regular shuttle services from Bangsal on the main island of Lombok, stopping at all islands. The trip takes about 15 minutes to Air, 30 min to Meno and 45 min to Trawangan. Around Rp30-40,000 one-way, or Rp70,000 if including land transfer from Senggigi. Avoid traveling to Bangsal as captains will wait until the boat is full of passengers before setting off. Book a trip with Parama instead, which will travel to and from the islands no matter how many people they have.
Alternatively, the Gilis can be visited on a day trip from Senggigi, in which case you’ll get your own little boat and crew to take you around. The trip across take 1-2 hours each way and is quite scenic, if a little bumpy when the waves are high. Available from any travel agent, figure on Rp400,000 for a tour for two.

Note that the sea is calmest in the morning and all transport stops running in the afternoon, well before dark.

Get Around
In a rare display of foresight, all forms of motorized transport are banned from the islands: your only choice is horse-drawn carts, known as cidomo, which are used even to shuttle around diving gear. However, as the islands are only a few km in diameter, it’s entirely possible to just walk instead.

Sea and Do
There are no sights as such on the islands themselves, but the excellent snorkeling and diving all around is a major draw. Sea turtles are also common, especially around Turtle Point just north of Gili Meno. You can rent masks and fins off the beach, or contact any of the numerous dive shops to arrange snorkeling or diving at choice spots nearby.

Gili Trawangan is the largest of Lombok’s Gili Islands and is the only one to rise significantly above sea level. It is 3km long and 2km wide with a population of about 1000. Of the Gilis, Trawangan has the most tourist facilities; the pub Tîr na Nôg claims that Trawangan is the smallest island in the world with an Irish pub. The most crowded part of Trawangan lies on the eastern side.
Generally, Gili Trawangan can be reached by public boat from Bangsal Harbor (located in the northwest coast of Lombok) for a cost of less than IDR 10,000, taking about 40 to 50 minutes. If you wish to arrive in more comfort the dive centre Blue Marlin Dive www.bluemarlindive.com offers speedboat transfers and pick ups from the airport. They will pick you up at the airport in air-conditioned comfort and drive you to Teluk Nara Bay where the speedboat will be waiting for you. The price varies on the number of people. This speedboat journey is 10 minutes to Trawangan.

A typical room (two-bed room with air-conditioner) costs from as little as IDR 80,000 to as much as IDR 700,000 per night, the majority being around IDR 200,000. For those who want to travel cheaply, there are lots of bungalows rented for around IDR 50,000 only, and there are as many cheap eateries and bars around the island as are posh and expensive ones. Top accommodation includes Kelapa Luxury Villas, Villa Ombak and Villa Almarik.

Trawangan has more of a “party” atmosphere, than Gili Meno and Gili Air, with all-night parties that rotate amongst a group of venues each night. The largest of the parties takes place on a monday night at Blue Marlin and a wednesday night at Tir Na Nog. While during the day, the popular activities for visitors are scuba diving (PADI certified), snorkeling (mainly along the northeastern coastline), kayaking and surfing. There are also stalls that offer horseback riding as a pastime activity. As small as the island, you can circle the island with a bicycle within only 45 minutes. Path along the way is very sandy which makes it more difficult to pedal your bicycle.

On Gili Trawangan (as well as the other two Gilis), there are no motorized vehicles. The main means of transportation are bicycles (rented by locals to tourists) and cidomo (a small horsedrawn carriage). For traveling to and from each of the Gilis, locals usually use motorized boats and speedboats.

Some of the first inhabitants of Gili Trawangan were from Sulawesi who are fishermen and farmers. Previously Gili Trawangan was covered in forest and deer lived on the island.

source: here