You are browsing the archive for monsoon.
Climate in the Philippines
December 18, 2010 in Climate Philippines
Climate: The Philippines has a tropical marine climate dominated by a rainy season and a dry season. The summer monsoon brings heavy rains to most of the country from May to October, and the winter monsoon brings cooler and drier air from December to February. Manila and most of the lowland areas are hot and dusty from March to May, when temperatures can rise to around 99°F (37°C). Average sea-level temperatures rarely drop below 80°F (27°C). Monsoons are possible between July and October.
Manila has hot, humid weather all year round, although it is a little cooler between November and February. The hottest month is May, when the temperature averages 83ºF (28ºC). The rainy season is between June and October, although some precipitation is possible all through the year.
Diving in Indonesia
December 12, 2010 in Diving Indonesia, Our Liveaboards
DIVING IN INDONESIA
Map of Indonesia
Indonesia, A country with countless far flung islands, Indonesia has developed resorts in tandem with the establishment of regular air connections and in many of these diving and snorkeling are given priority. Indonesia’s spectacular underwater world includes some of the best diving on earth. It is the superb reefs and magnificent aquatic life which attract the international diving community to Indonesia’s crystal seas. Liveaboards have also made their debut and offer visitors the chance to dive really remote areas.
Bali
Bali has lots of great diving in spite of its relatively unknown status. In September, the mythical Mola Mola, or sunfish as they are called, are regular visitors to the southeast coast of Bali at both Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan. Currents here can be erratic, so diving is only for the more experienced divers. Tulamben Bay is famous for the wreck of the Liberty. Reef fish swarm the wreck like wasps and black coral growth is lush. This World War II wreck sits in 98ft of water off a black sand beach and is not to be missed. The bay off Mimpi Resort is home to schools of jacks while the wall at the end of the bay plummets from the surface to 164ft and is covered with soft corals, gorgonian fans and giant barrel sponges. The water in the bay is mostly calm and is suitable for both beginning and experienced divers. Menjangen Island is located on the northwestern end of Bali and is part of the Bali Barat National Park. Here coral walls drop dramatically to 98-197ft. The walls are broken by caves, crevasses and splits and are covered with huge gorgonian fans and barrel sponges. Bali is also the gateway to liveaboards for Alor, Moyo and Komodo for your Dragons on Komodo.
Manado
Bunaken, Manado Tua, Nain, Siladen and Montehjage all became part of a marine park in the early eighties. Bunaken is now famous for its steep, world-class, pristine walls covered with soft corals and sponges and for it’s excellent diversity of fish life. Large schools of barracudas, moray eels, Napoleon wrasses, fairy basslets and sea snakes are common sights in the area. The marine park boasts more than 40 charted wrecks, including a WW II steel-hulled merchant ship. The marine park caters to all levels of dive experience. With light currents and walls starting at just 3ft below the surface, divers can choose dives to match their comfort level. For the more experienced diver, several varieties of sharks, including hammerheads await at deeper depths…..
Kungkunan Bay – Lembeh Strait is a favorite haunt of photographers. Because the site is located near a narrow channel, visibility is restricted and tidal currents must be monitored carefully. However, the bay is a must visit for great pictures of ghost pipefish, pygmy sea horses and Mandarin fish.
Kakaban
The Blue light Cave of Kakaban is unforgettable. The entry on the reef flat, at approximately 3ft, is literally a hole in the ground. The tunnel opens into a vast cave system, about the size of a small cathedral. It’s white walls are covered with microscopic life and interesting shapes. The 393ft long passage exits through a crack at 144ft and again through a cave at 210ft. The lake at Kakaban is an exceptional marine environment. A prehistoric uplifting trapped a lake of seawater in which the marine life has adapted into a totally unique ecosystem. The lake is populated by at least four species of stingless jellyfish, with three species of Halimeda green algae covering the lake bottom. Here mangrove roots coexist with tunicates, sponges, tube worms, bivalves, crustaceans, anemones, sea cucumbers, sea snakes and at least five species of gobies. Barracuda, blue-fin tuna and hammerhead sharks are frequent visitors to Kakaban’s Barracuda Point.
Derawan
Derawan offers divers some of the best diving in all of Indonesia. With 9 dive sites around Derawan, record numbers of big green turtles, white tip, leopard and nurse sharks, cuttlefish, Spanish mackerel, jacks, batfish and ornamental reef fish in varied terrain including caves, walls and reef slopes. A completely new species of coral is also found here named appropriately Acropora Derawanensis. Derawan’s 656ft jetty is home to dumpling squids, crocodile fish, finger-sized purple crayfish, squat lobsters, decorator crabs, sea horses and various species of worms, tunicates and Dwarf scorpionfish.
Sanghie Talaud Islands
If underwater volcanoes, mountains and remote islands fire your imagination, head for the Sanghie Talaud islands north of Manado. Nutrient rich upwellings in the deep waters surrounding these island support tons of jacks, tuna and enormous amounts of reef life. At Mahahetang an underwater volcano sends silent bubbles among large black rays, lobsters and patrolling wahoos. Since most of these islands are exposed to currents and heavy swell, the trip is recommended for more experienced divers.
Banda Islands
In the mids of the Banda Sea, rising from a depth of over 4,000 meters are the Banda Islands, one of Indonesia’s top destinations for divers. The variety and number of fish are both excellent; the chances of seeing several big animals are always good. The reefs are pristine, with no signs of bombing damage. Both experts and beginners will enjoy diving here as there is a choice of a shallow lagoon between Banda Neira and Gunung Api, or the vertical walls of Hatta Island.
The thousands of Indonesian islands are spread out over mainly an equatorial tropical climate, but the diving season is as complex as everything else about this diverse amalgam of a country. Avoid the wet monsoon season, generally December through mid-March. The dry monsoon of southeast winds curtails the diving in Flores during July and August. The Moluccas, however, have their wet monsoons the reverse of everyone else, in July and August, and diving should be avoided then. Depending on your specific destination, April-May and September are the best all-round months to dive Indonesia.
Climate in Indonesia
December 12, 2010 in Climate Indonesia
CLIMATE INDONESIA
Climate Indonesia: Indonesia is hot and humid all year round, but cooler inland than along the coastal regions. The monsoon from December to March brings the heavy rains. The dry season, from April to October, is the best time to visit as some activities and road travel can be difficult during the rainy season.
Indonesia experiences hot, humid weather throughout the year, especially along the coastal areas. The inland highlands are somewhat cooler. The climate of Indonesia is dominated by heavy monsoon rains, which occur between December and March, often causing damage and making local travel difficult. The best time to travel to Indonesia is therefore during the dry season, between April and October.
Weather in the Maldives
December 10, 2010 in Climate Maldives, Weather Maldives
WEATHER INFO FOR THE MALDIVES
Weather Maldives: The tropical climate of the Maldives keep things hot and humid throughout the year, but sea breezes offer some slight relief at the coastal resorts. The islands experience to wet monsoon seasons, the main one between April and October. The best time to holiday in the Maldives is between December and April.
Similan Islands
December 1, 2010 in Similan Islands Thailand
Similan Islands
Map of Thailand, Burma and Layang layang
The Similan Islands have much to offer the visiting diver and snorkeler. There is a vast range of exhilarating sites of many different kinds, providing something for everyone, regardless of their qualification levels or experience.
Extending from Burma down past the west coast of Thailand to beyond the Malaysian border, the Andaman Sea forms part of the Indian Ocean. Many of the 155 islands in the Andaman Sea are uninhabited.
The weather on either side of the Kra Isthmus and diving conditions in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand are dominated by two opposing monsoons.
Similan Islands extends from Myanmar down past the west coast of Thailand to beyond the Malaysian border, the Andaman Sea forms part of the Indian Ocean. Many of the 155 islands in the Andaman Sea are uninhabited (apart from communities of Chao Ley – ‘sea gypsies’), and are crowned by lush primary vegetation tumbling down to a shoreline punctuated by idyllic sandy beaches.
Most of the diving Similan islands is mostly organized from the popular holiday island destination of Phuket, with a wide variety of operators offering recreational and technical training, day trips, and liveaboard options, or from the little town north from Phuket, Khao Lak. The best time for diving is between October and May.
In general the Andaman Sea has more extensive coral reefs but similar visibility to the Gulf of Thailand, with most of the reefs around the offshore islands occurring on the east sides of the islands, due to the influence of the southwest monsoon; the west coasts tend to have rocky slopes descending to 10-30m in depth.
Towards the northern end of the Thai coastline, a series of granitic outcrops lie in deep, clear water with reefs descending to 25-30m and beyond in depth. Diving Similan Islands and Surin Islands, whose breathtaking underwater scenery and great diversity of marine life have gained them a considerable reputation in the diving community.
Given their proximity to Phuket, it is not surprising that these two island groups are among the country’s most popular destinations for liveaboard trips.
Diving Similan Islands Thailand
Further to the north in Myanmar is the Mergui Archipelago, recently opened to foreigners, offering real wilderness diving over unusual underwater terrain, with the added attraction of shark encounters.
The coastline of Phuket itself offers little for the experienced diver, although there are dive sites that can be (and are) used for training and are also a good option if bad weather prevents boats getting to the better sites.
These offshore sites are mostly to the south, and can be reached by relatively short boat rides of between one and two hours. They are all well worth the journey, but two in particular (Shark Point and Anemone Reef) stand out as being special in terms of the abundance of marine life.
Further south, the coastline at Krabi offers shallow fringing reefs around impressive limestone formations (ranging in size from underwater pillars to whole islands). Some of the best snorkeling sites in the country are to be found here.
Offshore, the Phi Phi islands, with their palm-fringed beaches, have been growing in popularity as a dive base for the last two decades. This is not surprising as the local waters experience great visibility complemented with a rich variety of corals and marine life; shallow fringing and patch reefs are an added attraction for snorkelers.
The most southerly established dive sites in the country are to the south of Koh Lanta. They feature pristine corals and spectacular fringing reefs in potentially excellent visibility. Here are some of the finest dive sites in the country, such as Hin Mouang, which features the deepest drop-off in Thailand, with depths in excess of 70m, and Hin Daeng, one of the few remaining dive sites where both manta rays and whale sharks are regularly encountered. Another dive destination in the Andaman Sea that is still in its infancy is Mu Koh Tarutao Marine National Park (just north of the Malaysian border), where dugongs have been seen.
Social Links