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Sardine Run 2014 – The Holiday Diary

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It’s Sunday morning, day one. The alarm clock shows 6.00 am and its beeping makes it very clear that it’s time to get up. It’s still dark outside, the coffee fragrance is in the air leading us to the breakfast lounge of the Umkomaas lodge; a few muffins satisfy the stomach and get us ready to go. The equipment is all set-up, the wetsuits are on and the boat is loaded. It’s not often to see people getting up before dawn with a smile on the face, but when your early wakening anticipates two dives packed of sharks, then the perspective totally changes. The launch with our speedboat is still the same: hold on tight, put your feet in the straps and the jumping and slalom between the waves kicks the day off. The first dive is a baited dive, but not before having attracted a few dozen blacktip sharks around the boat. We kit-up and with a rollback we are in what looks more like a shark soup then a place in the Indian ocean. The washing machine drum full of smelly fish hangs at an eight meter depth and we’re looking all around at the blacktips getting crazy…

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Scuba Diving in Cocos

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“Pura Vida” (pure life) is a popular catchphrase and lifestyle choice for many Costa Ricans; symbolising their passion for an eco-friendly and “pure” way of life in synergetic connection with the country’s vast expanses of rainforest and natural beauty. The allure of this natural (in some cases wild) destination attracts travellers seeking adventure, and for divers, this takes the form of the isolated world heritage site: Cocos Island. About Cocos Island Cocos is a serious adventurer’s destination! A rugged, jungle covered, uninhabited island (except for a permanent ranger station), and supposed treasure trove for 17th century pirates and now a nationally protected haven for elusive hammerhead sharks, skulking tiger sharks, countless white-tips, majestic whales and dolphins, and other large pelagic fish. Location Located almost 500 kilometres South West of the Costa Rican coast, Cocos island covers almost 24 square kilometres and is comprised of the main island and the largest islet: ‘Manuelita’. Arriving and moving around Reaching Costa Rica does not present a problem for most international carriers, yet of the country’s two International airports, the largest (and most convenient) is located on the outskirts of the capital of San Jose (with a departure tax of US$26). It is considerably…

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Fit for a Nature Documentary: Amazing Migrations You Can Personally Experience

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With our vast access to nature-themed channels, documentary specials and a plethora of self-made online videos, the incredible feats that animals are capable of can often seem mundane. So let’s put it in perspective! With regular exercise and a well balanced diet, a rookie marathon runner could take 16 weeks to get in tip-top shape for a race. It’s an impressive accomplishment for many of us humans. However, the ocean’s marathons would put to shame the 26 miles (42 kilometres) that our races’ entail and they don’t even practice! More so, the motivation for marine life is certainly not about staying in shape. Instead, animals put their bodies to the ultimate test for the reward of obtaining essential food sources or arriving at safe havens where they can procreate. In addition, many of these crucial migrations occur in large masses thereby attracting many other species to the commotion. As if it were the ocean Olympics, predators, prey and the opportunists of the sea gather at these monumental events. These aquatic athletes utilize their unique attributes to win life or death battles but will make the ultimate sacrifice for someone else (often for their own young). As an ocean lover, the…

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Sardine Run Holiday

Sardine Run

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The Sardine Run is the legendary South African sardine migration that occurs once a year, between June and July, along the wild coast. This is one of those experiences that every scuba diver should do at least once in a lifetime.