Diving in Aqaba, Jordan

I posted this text originally in 2012, so it is an older post. This was the very first blog post I ever wrote! While it is a few years old, the facts still remain the same, and I suppose recent events in the Middle East make Jordan perhaps an even more exotic dive destination than it was a few years ago. I have altered the text slightly for this re-post. So here goes:

I visited Jordan with my family last November. What an incredibly beautiful country, what friendly people! Jordan was really worth the visit. Great diving too, clear warm waters and colourful reefs right at the northern end of the Red Sea.



There's a sunken tank near the Seven Sisters site.

Common Octopus

The common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) is -well- common, and widespread. It is not considered a threatened species. There are quite a lot of them, but most of the time they are difficult to spot because they prefer to hide and are able to camouflage themselves so very well. It is a very impressive sight when you do see them.

The common octopus is an impressive sight. This one was spotted near Aqaba, Jordan. In water only about two meters deep. In the Red Sea.

Feather Star

Feather stars are stunningly pretty, and are definitely one of the most gorgeous species of starfish there are. I spotted a marvelous feather star, diving at Shark Point, near the Phi Phi Islands in Thailand back in November.

Feather stars (like all starfish) are beautifully symmetrical in shape -round- and usually grow to about 30cm, or one foot in diameter. A feather star looks pretty much like a round circle of feathers, with its many delicate, feathery arms that sprout out from the central disk in the middle, that is the creature's body. Underneath their body they have some grasping legs, kind of like fingers that the feather star uses to attach itself on corals and rocks. These “fingers” are called called cirri.

I spotted this beautiful feather star while diving at Shark Point, near the Phi Phi Islands in Thailand.

Drift Diving - a Rollercoaster Ride Underwater

Speed. It has to be one of the most typical ways adrenaline junkies get their thrills, and really get their juices pumping. It could be motor racing on a track, flying a plane, or driving a speed boat, or it could be base jumping or hang gliding. What speed is not usually associated with, is scuba diving.

Scuba diving is a slow-paced, relaxing activity where you have plenty of time to take in the underwater scenery and enjoy the weightlessness of your body as you calmly glide along, mentally listening to whatever music it is that Buddha would listen to on his quieter moments. And that's good. That's how it's supposed to be. But theres' also another way to dive...

Leech (Hirudo medicinalis)

Last summer, on a family trip to the lakeside, I spotted a leech near the waterline where we were snorkeling. I was startled and disgusted. The last thing I'd want was a leech hanging on my skin, sucking blood. That was the end of

Panic underwater!

This post is a bit more personal, I'm writing about a panic situation that I myself experienced. As all divers propably know, panic underwater is one of the most dangerous problems a diver is likely to come across.

Diving in Tenerife 2012

I have to admit that the beauty of the underwater world around the island of Tenerife came as a bit of a surprise to me. The volcanic rock bottom of the Atlantic ocean around the island is in itself a sight worth seeing. There are some exellent dive sites just off the beaches of the popular Playa de las Americas, only a short boat-trip away. It is possible to see masses of different species of fish and other marine life, from octopusses and tortoises to dolphins and even whales.

My dive-trip to Aqaba, Jordan 2012

I visited Jordan with my family last November. What a beautiful country, what friendly people! Jordan was really worth the visit. Great diving too, warm clear waters and colourful reefs right at the northern end of the Red Sea.