Diving instructor and marine conservationist Nayantara Jain of Reef Watch India, tells Averil Nunes about the underwater worlds she wishes to explore some day
Isla del Coco, Costa Rica
Scalloped hammerheads, Galapagos, silky, tiger and whitetip reef sharks... Costa Rica is one of the few places in the world where you can swim freely with predators. December to May is a good time to visit (for calmer seas and better visibility), but some divers may prefer the rainy months from June to November, when the abundance of food attracts larger schools of hammerheads and whale sharks.
Palau, Micronesia
Image by www.fishfins.com
This is one of the only places in the world where you can swim with millions of sun-worshipping jellyfish, and not be stung. Mastigias papua, the golden jellyfish in Palau’s lakes evolved into sting-less creatures when they were cut off from the sea. The truth is they can still sting, just not hard enough to affect humans. Snorkelling is possible all year round; though you may prefer September to May, when it’s less likely to rain.
Sipadan Island, Malaysia
Image by Jared Kelly ( CC BY NC ND 2.0)
Located at the heart of the Indo-Pacific basin, this well-protected island is one of the richest marine habitats in existence. Its shoals of thousands of barracudas swimming in stunning hurricane-like formations, make it one of the world’s top five dive sites. It’s great to dive here at any time of the year, but for sunshine and greater visibility, April to October work best.
Raja Ampat, Indonesia
Image by Boris Ballek ( CC BY NC ND 2.0)
This is the absolute centre of the coral triangle, which has the greatest diversity and density of coral reefs at present. This area is like the mother of all reefs—every time there are extinction events in other places because of sea-level rises or other factors, Raja Ampat has been the source from which depleting reefs have been repopulated. October and November, when the seas are calmer, are ideal for diving.
Tonga, South Pacific
Darren Jew (www.whaleswim.com)
I’d really like to swim with whales and currently Tonga seems like the best place to get up close with these magnificent creatures. From July to late October, humpback whales migrate 8,000 km from the icy Antarctic to Tonga’s tropical waters to court, mate, birth and nurse their young in the same waters in which they were born 11 months earlier. If you’re visiting Tonga at this time of year, stay tuned for beautiful whale songs.
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