While pretty much everyone will find loads to love about the stunning Riviera Maya in Mexico, there are certain groups who may find that this is their perfect vacation destination. For some of us out there, Riviera Maya is not just a place to holiday but a place to experience a little slice of Paradise, albeit for a short period of time. As your perfect vacation destination, this is a place that will leave you with lasting memories and will leave you feeling as though you have just enjoyed your own little piece of heaven on earth!

So, who is Riviera Maya particularly suited to? Below are just three of the types of people that are certain to love this destination...

The romantics: Riviera Maya is a wonderfully romantic destination and is the perfect place for that special, intimate holiday with someone really special. Whether you are looking to visit to get married or enjoy a honeymoon, or whether you simply want to enjoy a romantic break with your partner, Riviera Maya will not fail to impress, with its stunning scenery, glorious weather, balmy days and tropical nights.

The beach lovers: There are many people who want nothing more than to be able to kick back on a lovely beach with crystal clear waters lapping the shore and sunshine beating down on them. In Riviera Maya, you can have all this and more besides. You will find some pristine sands on which to relax the day away, luscious azure waters that bring that tropical breeze your way, and golden sunshine coupled with gorgeous blue skies that enable you to bask in the sunshine whilst soaking up your idyllic surroundings

The adventurous: Riviera Maya is a wonderful place to visit if you enjoy a taste of adventure, as there is so much to do here. Whether your idea of adventure is exciting outdoor sports and recreation, hiking and climbing, trekking through lush tropical greenery or horseback riding along the coastline, you will never be short of exhilarating activities when you visit this tropical paradise. 

What an amazing bit of luck, I didn't think you would likely spot a Great White shark off the coast of Florida Key Largo of all places. I have seen a big shark on a pathetic little booze cruise and estimated it was a Nurse shark from memory - but that is nothing compared to this mother of a fish. Posted in 2013 it goes to show that even amazing encounters can escape you. The video could use some time elapsed since start play links being placed as the video is quite long.

Good footage and hope that people share more like this with us. 

Here is the video to enjoy..

Take a look at the area (the bottom left corner of the Caribbean)

Thanks to google for the area map

Cruises are experiencing a travel renaissance in 2015, and nowhere more so than the Caribbean, the most popular cruise route in the world. Taking a Caribbean cruise allows you to voyage around some of the most idyllic islands in the world, sampling the often endemic local cultures, cuisines and traditions of each destination before setting off for the next vivid experience. So what stops should you add to your wish list of Caribbean ports when negotiating your cruise deals?

Guadalupe for natural beauty

This French-influenced archipelago comprises two main islands joined by a tiny spit of land, and is guaranteed to tantalise the intrepid. Get back to nature with a kayak through the lush mangrove swamp of its national park. Hike to the top of La Soufriere Volcano for a challenging trek that will prove especially rewarding if you bring a camera, or take in the sea views from the Pointe des Chateaux.

St Lucia for relaxation

We get a lot of people who are keen on an island in particular and they ask us to send them prices regularly - many think we are a massive dive chain.

What we wanted to tell you about was for each country there is a preffered suppliers list that I can send enquiries to all in one - so a specials list for Honduras for example. When you get a special please let us know. We will obviously need your cooperation for you to get on this priority list.

As the enquiries are from our site readers and they want a quality dive shop - then you will have to make sure your listing with us is up to date and that you are listed in our directory.

You must check your emails. We don't want to send our readers to a dead end ! 

This should not be much work - especially if you delegate it to one of your divemasters. You can upload a photo or blog about this weeks students who passed their open water exam. Or there may have been a particularly exciting sighting that you want to tell us and the community about. Its just keeping the community updated and it makes your dive shop look good.

Aqua Marine Silver provides hand made jewllery in silver for the marine lover. Check out sea horses dolphins to less obvious octopus items for example on their website.
http://aquamarinesilver.co.uk

Hurricane Gonzalo

One island hit bad is St Maarten reports Sonja Van der Drift "This is where St Maarten shines, unity and a community that steps in to help others." she says reporting that the island spirit is alive and well. One life was lost.

Image thanks to Sailing Anarchy

Hurricanes DO hit around the Caribbean at this time of year and they tend to go away over the northern hemispheres winter months until the next season. It isn't the end of Hurricane Gonzalo and its heading towards the UK after hitting bermuda and already started in Hawai.

Here are some images of the damage - https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=hurricane+gonzalo+2014+st+martin&espv=2&biw=1440&bih=732&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=KftFVNvHH4yw7AaGqYAQ&ved=0CD4QsAQ

Caribbean – In a word!

The Caribbean offers some of the best scuba diving on the planet. And more so for the absolute beginner or newly certified (licensed).
The reasons for this are numerous.

Dive Culture:

If like me you learned to dive in the Caribbean then dived say in the Red Sea, you will notice the rush and hustle of diving in the red sea.  The caribbean runs on time for diving don’t get me wrong but its not the culture that is so busy that means you need to ‘rush to wait’ due to the sheer numbers of divers.

Easy Boat Rides:

Pick your island to take advantage of this one but on the whole the dive sites are not far away. Especially easy are the dive sites of Utila and Roatan or Bonaire with many dives from the shore.

Dive Resorts:

The Caribbean has Scuba Diver Resorts especially designed for ease and well that diver feeling. Here you will learn a lot and meet other divers. Visit Caribbean Diving Resorts to start your search.

Will fill out some detail and post the links to the products used here.

And here are the first results after a couple of tanks in Carlisle Bay I quickly edited the best of the footage together including some slightly pixelated zoom shots.
The GoPro can handle a bit of that but it isnt going to be a MACRO shooter at all.
I also notice that its very inconsistent, this could be due to my use and non use of the light.

When it comes to navigating the Caribbean and exploring everything that the numerous islands have to offer, very few people may actually consider taking in the sights by car – but why not? Getting behind the wheel can be a liberating experience, allowing drivers to see everything at their own pace while really getting into the heart of the action. Traversing the Caribbean Islands by car can also enable tourists to feel a little more at home, giving them the freedom to choose where they go and when. Sound inviting? Then dive right in…

Image thanks to Devils Bridge Antigua

So much to see

With so much to see and do it’s essential for would-be road trippers to have an itinerary before setting off, or else they risk missing some of the most breathtaking sights. The Caribbean comprises more than 7,000 islands, each with their own amazing quirks: unsure where to start? We’ll try and keep it brief…

What do the oceans mean to me ? I find this hard to answer in a single image – so maybe I should choose one that simply makes me feel very much alive or happy. I thought about the best encounter ever which was pilot whales, but after thinking further I simply love the fishes which is why I scuba dive. I should try and find some closer meaning for the word oceans perhaps as this is a slightly separate thing. I do think of old fashioned ships the kind you find on old spice bottle. I don’t have much personal experience of Oceans at the very thickest meatiest part maybe none ! flying over them for hours gives me an idea of their magnitude and maybe this size is quite key in that it is a global influencer in all things.

Here is the wall - http://padlet.com/wall/exploringouroceans1

http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2013/09/olaus_magnus_carta_marina_sea_monsters_on_a_gorgeous_renaissance_map.html

Wow a 3d page ! - http://www.southampton.ac.uk/oes_timeline/#vars!date=1852-09-12_09:24:00!

http://deepseadrilling.org/about.htm

I recommend hoping across to this article on the subject http://www.caribjournal.com/2013/12/19/why-the-caribbean-needs-to-go-green/

eagle ray

Had a couple of tanks with indigo diving today and was very impressed with their levels of service and the boat. The diving - how was it ? Well we saw all manner of tiny critters from blennies to flamingo tongues and peterson shrimp and pistol shrimp sharing a flat = corkscrew anemone. But what was a real treat was the black tip reef shark ! it was also a pleasure to dive with Steve and Nishi and Pat from Indigo divers. All very good divers and that made for a great two tanks. Nishi is blogworthy as she is an expert on SQUID! She even found 3..So the site was Double Dip and we got no deeper than 18m for the first dive, lobsters, one king crab and a very healthy sized barracuda. The second dive was in the vicinity and forget the name if it had one. The second was where the shark cruised on by. 

It doesn’t matter if you're a new couple or a pair of old lovebirds – at some point, you’re going to want to organise a romantic trip away together. It can be difficult to know where to start. Planning a holiday for two is tricky. What if your partner doesn’t like the romantic hotel you’ve booked? What if they want to play tourist all fortnight and you just want to spend time together in private? What if it ends up being a disaster and you come home resenting each other? 

The latter problem is, fortunately, very rare. Couples who can get along well for a week or two spent constantly together, tend to be very strong indeed. There’s nowhere to hide on holiday. You and your partner are likely to be together 24 hours a day, so it’s important to plan a trip that incorporates both of your personalities and hobbies. This isn’t half as difficult as it sounds – all it takes is a little care and consideration. Here’s how to plan a dream holiday for you and your loved one. 

Decide On A Location

As you can probably guess, location is key. If you’ve got the money and the adventurous spirit – why not splash out and tick a destination off your bucket list? Thailand, Mexico, Peru and New York can all be extremely romantic places to visit and spend time. If you fancy something a little more humble, stick with a European getaway, says travel website TravelDudes.org. Europe has some of the most romantic destinations in the world, you know. It’s important that you decide on a location that you’ll both enjoy, so do discuss the matter at length. Try to arrive at a compromise, if you can’t quite decide on a favourite destination. But beyond all other destinations the Caribbean can be the best destination for a romantic holiday for many reasons mostly that you won't find it too busy at all.

Lounging Or Leaping?

Backpacking might be exotic, but it isn’t always easy. There are long bus journeys in sweaty, cramped conditions, hostel bathrooms that really aren’t as clean as promised and dark nights in the middle of nowhere with little to do. It’s a good life, but it’s a tough one. 

When your home is on your back and your bed is wherever you can find it, unexpected things tend to happen. A bout of food poisoning or a nasty cut, even a bad hangover, can turn into a major situation if you haven’t got the tools to deal with it. If you are currently backpacking or you plan to be backpacking soon – it is absolutely vital that you take certain items with you. 

Here are a just few of the most important items on a responsible backpacker’s checklist. If they’re not on yours – add them. 

Money Belt 

No, it's not a bum bag. Yes, it is unfashionable. Nevertheless, it’s a necessity. When travelling, it’s vital that you do not carry all of your valuables in one bag or pocket. If you are targeted by a pickpocket, it is highly unlikely that he or she will have time to check more than one of your pockets. The theft or loss of any valuable item can be frustrating, but the loss of them all can be devastating. Carry money in a securely fastened belt that hangs close to the body. If it makes you feel safer, wear it under your shirt or jacket. Always separate your money and your passport. It can also be a good idea to carry a small amount of emergency cash in a separate bag or pocket. Avoid accessing this money in public – you never who’s watching. 

I had a lot of success with my post on swimming goggles for big noses that today while diving and wondering why my dive this morning wasn't quite perfect that I had no room at the end of my nose pocket. There must be a lot of us finning around finding it hard to steer that I hope if you too have a big nose you might share this blog post and indeed be able to share your wisdom so that I might save some dollars and buy the right mask for my big pointy nose.

So please share some diving humour today and help us big nosed divers out !

I did a quick search to save you some time and found these also helpful links:

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=40442

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/fins-masks-snorkels/244222-masks-people-big-noses.html