Yoga class at the Treehouse

Yoga is becoming more mainstream every year as the ancient Indian skill is being adapted to the needs of us westerners. One of Yoga’s main teachings is breath control – which makes it a very logical step that divers find a great deal of benefits. Increasing your physical fitness is one way to get more out of every breath, but even fit divers can find themselves breathing too fast or too shallow from the stress of diving and that’s where Yoga comes in. Like scuba, yoga places emphasis on proper breathing. Deep, slow yogic breathing teaches us how to calm the mind and breathe more efficiently. Yoga also
strengthens and stretches muscles that are important in diving, looking at the total package, Yoga helps to increase your quality time
under water being super relaxed when enjoying the marine life on your next dive. If you have never tried Yoga before – this is your chance.

Atmosphere Resort on the south-eastern tip of Negros in the Philippines has embraced yoga and diving. The resort is located in a beautiful tropical garden, directly on the beach opposite Apo Island. It offers guests a magnificent view of the sea and access to some of the Philippines’ best dive sites close by and around Apo Island.

Atmosphere’s beautiful Infinity Pool

There are around 30 dive sites on the Dauin coast, all 2-15 minutes from the resort’s dive shop. Highlights are the dive sites around Apo Island with intact coral formations and varied diving in shallow coral gardens and beautifully vegetated walls. Interesting underwater landscapes with sea fans, soft corals and feather stars offer a home for many colourful nudibranchs, moray eels, frog fish, seahorses, clown fish and sea snakes. About 450 different species of hard and soft coral have been found here. Atmosphere travels to Apo almost daily.

In addition to the regular diving schedule, yoga classes are offered

The car wreck an awesome critter dive!

twice daily on the spectacular treetop platform.
However, it does not have to be an addition to your holiday, but the goal of your stay.   This year, the spa manager and yoga teacher Rae has organized a yoga retreat for 6-13 September 2015. Guests can chose a 3 or a 6 day retreat and enjoy yoga & meditation classes, presentations, a complete vegetarian heath menu and many other things. Combine the retreat with a of week diving and have the perfect holiday! Great for  for families and diver and non-diver couples. Contact us for more details!

Our ideas for best family holidays!

It was often difficult for divers with kids to find the right holiday where everybody can have some fun. By now there are a number of liveboard vessels around the world who accept children on some of there cruises which are specifically scheduled as family trips. The Aggressor fleet for example offers some family trips in the Caribbean, closer to our part of the world there are family liveaboard cruises in the Philippines and Indonesia available, for example with

Dive instructor on the Pindito with a child during an intro dive

the Pindito.  Babies, toddlers, teenagers all are welcome on board Pindito and some other liveaboards for designated family excisions!

 Many dive resorts are offering rooms or bungalows for families which are very suitable.

We think there are some considerations to be taken into account when you plan a dive holiday with the whole family.

A resort stay is the most common way to do this. Most resorts offer children’s’ rates (some more some less attractive), but this does not mean that they are naturally suitable for a family holidays. We just like to give you some pointers to select a great diving holiday for the family.

Important questions to ask:

Pack the bags!

• Does the resort have a nice beach for kids to play and swim?
• Do they offer a nanny service for a reasonable price?
• Are the dive sites close by so you can be back in the resort after a dive or two without spending most of the day in the dive boat away from the non divers?
• Apart from diving, what other activities can you engage in which are fun for the entire family?
• Depending what age your kids are, you may get them into a bubble maker or similar early dive/snorkel program. Check if this is available
• Does the resort offer kids sizes snorkel/dive gear?
   

Volivoli Resort in Fiji has a beach how kids love it!

We have done these checks and found some resorts that fit the bill. They tick the boxes and are quite affordable particularly in the Philippines, in Fiji and in Indonesia. Please check these resort out for your family holiday and ask us for their family rates:

In Fiji
Volivoli Resort 
We have a family special for you for the beautiful Volivoli Resort: Stay 7 pay 5 at 2011 rates for families!  (must be booked latest by 31st March 2012) Please email us for details! 

Here some more resorts that fit the bill:

Indonesia's beautiful reefs

In the Philippines:
Pura Vida Beach Resort
Alona Vida Beach Resort

In Indonesia:
Tasik Ria Resort
Siladen Resort & Spa

Also fantastic, but on a higher budget are: Gangga Island Resort & Spa  and Wakatobi Dive Resort.

Liveaboard Familiy cruises

The Pindito offers Wake Boarding as a fun activity for small and grown up guests!

In case you really want something very special, why not consider a liveboard dive cruise on the Pindito. Once a year they offer a family cruise of a lifetime! The crew has plenty ideas to make this trip exciting for grand and small guests. They offer a lot of activities around the water and on land for kids. Visit the Komodo dragons in the National Park, collect shells on the beach, spend an afternoon wakeboarding or a visit of an old fishing village. Introductory dives are possible as well. On this cruise kids under 10 years travel for free! 10-15 year olds pay 50% of trip price.

Pindito - a beautiful Indonesian liveaboard

Family liveaboard trips 2012:
30 Jul – 10 Aug 2012 Dive Komodo!  Pindito Family diving cruise
3-10 August 2012 (7 nights) Philippines diving  Philippine Siren Family trip

Family Liveaboard trips 2013:
28 Jul – 4 Aug 2013 (7 nights) dive Komodo with Indo Siren Family dive  trip
29 Jul – 9 Aug 2013 (11 nights) Dive Komodo with the Pindito Family dive trip

Divers with young kids often face a challenge if they want to take the family on a great holiday and experience excellent diving.

There are no age restrictions, babies, toddler or teenage children, these family excursions are for everyone. Children under 10 years are Free of Charge and children up 15 years old pay half price!

Siren’s family diving trips are dedicated to families with kids and every aspect of what makes a family holiday relaxing and fun is taken care of. This trip is designed to allow both parents and their children to dive together (dependant on age and qualifications), to try scuba diving if not qualified yet and to enjoy many other activities.

Some of the activities on offer during family excursions are sea-kayaking, water skiing, treasure hunts, visits to stunning beaches and much more.  Food is included in the excursion and there is nothing to worry about, as children will get healthy but favourite and familiar food on board. Soft drinks & juices are included in the price as well. There is an extensive movie selection on board of kids favourites’ such as Disney movies and these can be viewed in the saloon on the large plasma screen whilst munching some pop corn or on each cabin’s personal computer!

•  7 nights excursion*
•  Price per adult (16 years +) 1850 Euro (approx. AUD 2499)
• 10-15 year olds half price (per full paying adult)
• Children under 10 years are Free of Charge !!!

*Inclusions: 7 night excursion, airport transfers (domestic airport and boat/return, accommodation for family of 3-4 in a double & twin beeded share ensuite cabin, all delicious meals and snacks, coffee, tea,  fruit juice, soft drinks and beer, fresh fruit ( special dietary requirements catered for), on diving days up to 3-4 dives for certified divers with all essential dive equipment provided.

 FREE PADI Discover Scuba Dive* for all non-diving guests
3 day PADI Scuba Diver* course ONLY 75 Euro per person

Onboard PADI instructors will be available to conduct scuba diving courses for those guests who never dived but would like to try! Take this fantastic opportunity to encourage the rest of your family members to enjoy your diving hobby as well! For 8 & 9 year old kids the Bubblemaker program will be offered if weather conditions and other circumstances allow.

*  Participants for any diving course or activity must be aged 10 or above

 Please contact us now for bookings of these special 7-night trips:

• 3-10 August 2012 (Visayas, Philippines from Cebu to Dauin)
• 28 July-4 August 2013 (Komodo, Indonesia from/to Birma)

 More about the boats on our website: Philippine Siren  and Indo Siren. 
Note: The Philippine Siren excursion is almost sold out, only a few berths left. Contact as soon!

Special Features of Family Diving Trips:

• Nannies to look after children.
• Baby cot if required*.
• Children’s size snorkeling equipment*.
• Specially catered children’s menu.
• Fancy dress pirate night with prize for best dressed (make the crew walk the plank).
• Fun but educational talks on the marine environment.

 *Limited numbers. Cot should be ordered at time of booking. It is advised parents purchase their child(rens) snorkel equipment prior to the trip to ensure a perfect fit.

Contact us!!
info@diversiondivetravel.com.au

www.diversiondivetravel.com.au
Phone     + 61 ( 7 ) 40 390 200
Freecall  1800 607 913 (within Australia)

It sounds a bit like a fairytale, but this one is true:

Susan Sobtzick from Berlin, a former client of Diversion Dive Travel, now lives in Townsville, where she has finished her PhD about Minke Whales. Here in Australia many people call her “Susan, the Minke Girl”.   

It was the dream of Susan’s dad, to dive on the Great Barrier Reef. In 2000 the whole family wanted to travel together and Susan was the one who started to organise the trip. She found or website on the Internet and contacted us. We recommended her and excursions with the Undersea Explorer because we love their approach to combine tourism with research. At the time we did not know, that Susan had an interested in marine biology and that this trip would be very important for her future career.

In 2004 Dirk and I did our first Minke Whale trip with the Undersea Explorer (UE) and Susan was on board! She then worked at her thesis. Susan was always the first one in and last one out of the water. With her video camera, she spend hours in the water, when everybody else on board warmed up already with cup of tea, she was still in there. She did all this work to document the exact size of Minke Whales for her theses.

In 2006 when Dirk and I did our second Minke Whale trip, she was on board again. This time we met her together with her supervisor and team leader of the Minke Whale Research Project, Dr Alastair Birtles, who supported her in the water and together they worked till ‘late night at the Computer enter to enter and sort the data, which they collected during the day.
Seeing Susan in action, I got the idea to capture the story of her career and do an interview with her, which she agreed to.

C (Claudia): When you booked your first trip on Undersea Explorer with us, we did not know, that you where tossing the idea to specialise your studies in marine biology. Was that planned all along or did you get the idea during the excursion?

S (Susan): At the time I was still undecided between microbiology and marine biology. I studied at the university of Rostock/Germany because they offered marine biology as a major field of study. However I enjoyed both micro and marine biology and was undecided. I thought to do a trip with the UE is a good idea, as I can see in “real life”, how marine biologists work.

C: Susan, do you remember the research themes of the first trips you and your family did with UE, in 2000?

S: Yes, the first trip was an Osprey Reef Shark Research excursion. The second one was, “Cephalopod research”, with Mark Norman on board. It was very exciting, as he discovered a new species of octopus on this trip!

C: What fascinated you so much, that you decided to study marine biology at the end?

S: I was never in contact with marine biologist before and suddenly I saw all those exciting things happening while I was there, which I only knew from TV.
The researchers where very charismatic people, these 2 excursions with the UE showed me that marine biology is not only about counting herring and measuring nutrient gradients in the Baltic Sea, but really exciting stuff!

C: How did you go on from there?

S: I finished my basic studies and took a year time out to go to Australia. I travelled and worked for a few companies, amongst the Undersea Explorer. They offered me a job as videographer to film the Minke Whales. I enjoyed this job big time! In the following years I went regularly back for the season and worked on UE. In 2004/5 I worked on my thesis, which had the title:’ Underwater Videogrammetry and its Application to Estimate Body Lengths of Dwarf Minke Whales in Great Barrier Reef Waters’

C: Have you been interested in whales before you had seen them, or did this interest awaken during your trips as videographer?

S:I never wanted to major in marine mammals, I wanted to follow my fathers’ interests, which are sharks and rays. However, when I saw my first whale under water, it blew me away! It was love at first sight.

C: How did you get to stay in the project?

 S: I was very keen to continue to work in the project, so I applied for a scholarship and got it. I now live in Townsville and work at my PhD, which is about ‘Dwarf Minke Whale Biology and Implications for Tourism Management.” My supervisors are Dr Alastair Birtles and Prof Helene Marsh. It is amazing, what started as a holiday gave me undreamed-of possibilities changed my live completely!

C: Thank you very much, Susan! We are happy to be part of your story. We wish you and the Minke Whales a good future!

We just checked into our room. It’s 4 pm (2nd April ’11) and we rush back out again to the beach. Finally we have arrived. We dip our feet in the balmy turquoise waters surrounding Heron Island. Before we can get our bearings, 5 tiny little creatures hobble through the sand towards me. Their little flippers plough the ground like freestyle swimmers. Seagulls, turns and shearwaters watch the race with interest. Only minutes ago these green turtle hatchlings picked through the soft shell of their egg casings, dug through layers of sand to the surface, and now follow an ancient instinct to reach the sea. Looking at their tiny shapes one must wonder where they get the energy from for such a strenuous task. As soon as the turtles reach the water for the first time in their life they dive beneath the light surf and swim into the great ocean.
 
What an amazing event to start our visit. We continue our stroll along the beach watching the sky change between black storm clouds and blue sky as the sun slowly sets in the east. Our shadows grow longer. Only two, three meters from the shore in shallow waters another migration is happening. Cowtail stingrays, blue spotted stingrays and giant shovel-nose rays travel in large groups and sift the sands for shells and mollusks. Observing the water closer we now see a magnificent triangle cutting the surface.  A resident lemon shark is patrolling the beach. Together with blacktip sharks and leopard sharks they come close to the beach this time of year to get their share of he turtle hatching season. Dinner time for them! We are only 60 minutes on the island, haven’t even unpacked our masks and snorkel and already have seen more rare marine creatures then on some dives.
 
Heron Bommie, just outside the harbour is one of the islands signature dives. The consistent currents around the 5-10 m coral heads attract thousands of fish from small to very big. Diving here is never boring.  We saw schools of jacks, circling rainbow runners, a large green turtle and countless colourful reef fish. There is hardly a dive without turtles on Heron Island.  At Coral Grotto we were greeted by a Manta Ray gently “flying” past. The coral life is varied and healthy. Some dive sites still recover from storm damage sustained 5 years ago when cyclone Larry left its mark. Still, the marine life is thriving! The channel between Heron Island and Wistari reef compresses the tides into constant currents which provide plenty of nutrients to all marine life around. The deeper parts of the channel are hunting grounds for the big stuff: sharks, rays, barracudas can be watched here.
The dive boats easily cater for up to 20-24 divers each. All dives are guided, experienced divers and snorkelers are well catered for. Together with the Coral Sea and the Ribbon Reefs, Heron Island is a must see experience for any diver visiting Australia.

On the island thousands of seabirds can’t be overheard. Their distinct calls tell of their daily life on the island. Protecting chicks, nesting places, relationships… all is accompanied by their decisive songs and screeches. The turns, rails, mutton birds and seagulls create a soothing background score of Heron Island. The birds for sure use certain aspects of the resort to their advantage.
 
Heron Island Eco Resort is located right in midst this display of nature. It features various grades of comfortable accommodation, an excellent restaurant, the Aqusoul spa, an activity center and a big marine center. In the restaurant 90% of only seafood served is sustainably caught according to the sustainable seafood guide by AMCS (Australian Marine Conservation Society).
Families, honeymooners as well as nature lovers and hardcore divers all find their favourite niche on Heron Island. Center stage is the unparalleled nature experience.
 
Guided bird walks or reef walks on the outgoing tides are a must for all visitors. Scuba divers can choose from three scheduled boat dives daily. Up to 30 dive sites are within 10 minutes reach of the jetty. Or just grab a mask and snorkel and discover the beautiful inhabitants of the tropical coral reefs. Snorkeling off Heron Island is so easy and really outstanding, it is one of the unique places where snorkeling is as good as diving.
 
One definite highlight for all visitors is to just watch the sharks and rays patrolling the shallow waters of the sea from your room, the pool or the jetty.
 
Would we go back? In an instant! Not only for the diving, but also for the great resort, the friendly staff and the topside nature experience which make Heron Island a unique gem on the Great Barrier Reef.
 
Heron Island Dive Festival 5-11 September
Heron Island is celebrating its status as one of Australia’s top dive destinations with the launch of the Dive Festival. A perfect time to visit and explore the fantastic diving available:

+ photo shoot out as part of the ODEX underwater festival
+ prizes to a total value of $ 100.000 to be won.
+ Presentation by diving legends
+ great food, service and diving.

 3 night package from AUD 908/person (triple share)
5 night package from AUD 1464/person (triple share)
7 night package from AUD 1979/person (triple share)

Includes: Turtle Room triple share, 2 Dives Daily (per diver booked), 3 meals daily, return launch transfers from Gladstone, tanks and weights.
Check our Heron website for details

This trip is dedicated to families who up until now may have been put off joining such a trip. The trip will allow both parents and their children to dive together (dependant on age and qualifications), to try scuba diving if not qualified and to enjoy many other activities. We have kayaks, water skiing, wakeboarding, treasure hunts, visits to stunning beaches and much much more. On board the yacht children will be able to eat healthy but favourite and familiar food such as burgers, fish fingers and more. Soft drinks are included in the price. We have many films that kids love such as Disney films and these can be viewed on each cabins personal computer or in the saloon on the large plasma screen whilst enjoying pop corn.

The dates are:
3rd August to 13th August 2011 – South Visayas on the Philippine Siren.

Price per adult (16years and over) 2,400 Euro (~ AUD 3,499.00)
price per child (up to 15 years) 1,200 Euro  (~ AUD 1,74900)
(when accompanied by full paying adult).
Please note: Children are only charged if they require a bed for themselves. If they are at an age where they do not need a bed there is no charge.

Special features of the family trip include:
Nannies to look after children.
Baby cot if required*.
Children’s size snorkeling equipment*.
Specially catered children’s menu.
Fancy dress pirate night with prize for best dressed (make the crew walk the plank).
Fun but educational talks on the marine environment.

* = Limited numbers. Cot should be ordered at time of booking. It is advised parents purchase their child(rens) snorkel equipment prior to the trip to ensure a perfect fit.

PS: If liveabords are not your family’s thing – the Philippines have a wide range of great dive resorts which are perfect for an fun, affordable family dive vacation, with excellent diving. Please ask our consultants for details