We were guided around Watamu dive sites by AquaVentures. A neat and professional operation run by Steve and Helen Curtis. Located at Ocean Sports Hotel on the beachfront, AquaVentures offer a choice of P.A.D.I. & B.S.A.C. courses up to Assistant Instructor level.

From the word 'go' it was apparent that Steve, ex-Zimbabwean and Helen, English Kenyan were passionate about preserving the marine environment from which they make their living. Their determined efforts to educate the surrounding community have affected some positive results for the future of Watamu Marine Park. One example of this enthusiasm for marine conservation can be seen through Watamu Turtlewatch - a project trying, with minimal funding, to save the Marine Turtle from an uncertain future. Helen Curtis and Nikki Parazzi, despite their full time committments, are the two names devoted to the continuation of Watamu TurtleWatch.

All the dive crew at AquaVentures are not only professional and very customer friendly, but their dive briefings are the most entertaining we've come across so far in Africa. The local boat captains and crew employed by AquaVentures are keen divers themselves and seem to be very aware of the etiquette around the reefs.

For qualified divers who have forgotten certification cards & log books, skills and buoyancy checks are insisted upon prior to the dives.

DIVING DAY TRIP FROM WATAMU

November through Jan - best visibility with higher potential of Manta Ray and Whaleshark sightings.

February/March - variable visibility

No diving in June July and August due to adverse weather conditions

Comments:

The Watamu Diving Area benefits from being within a Marine Reserve and National Marine Park as well as a UN Biosphere Area - i.e. an area so environmentally diverse and special that it is worthy of special protection/interest from the UN (though Watamu has yet to see what the UN actually do to help the conservation in the area!!). Although the area is policed, it is unsure as to whether the police are just park fee collectors or they actually make a difference. The Marine Park's future seems to rely on pillars of the community - Steve and Helen Curtis for example - to conduct a constant vigil over the reef and its inhabitants to ensure they remain protected. Locals are allowed to fish using traditional methods (but how traditional is a spear gun?). While we were there, some local fishermen were blatently illegally fishing one part of the reef while the patrol boat spent it's time checking numbers on the tourist boats.

The dive sites The dive sites are between 10-20 minutes boat ride from the base. We dived 8 of the more popular and accessible sites which are generally at depths of between 7-30 metres. All sites used have fixed mooring buoys to prevent damage caused by boat anchors. The top of the reef is covered with a wide variety of both soft & hard corals. The signs of recovery from the damage El Nino caused are apparent in this area. The marine fauna includes the usual species of colourful reef fish such as Butterfly & Angel fish, Damsel fish, schools of Anthias - especially around 'Deep Place' Reef -, Surgeon fish, Snappers, Groupers, . Then there are the tiny critters (great for macro photography) such as Nudibranchs, Flatworms, Frogfish, Shrimps, Leaf fish & Sole. There is the chance of seeing the bigger attractions such as White & Black-tip Reef Sharks, Napoleon Wrasse, Great Barracuda, Turtles and of course the tantalising possibility of seeing Dolphins, Whale Sharks & Manta Rays. We must add that in over 30 dives in Kenya, we didn't spot one Shark, Whale Shark or Manta Ray........ Charlie still believes we're jinxed! Its that Kit Kat advert all over again - They're dancing the Can-Can behind you when you take a break from searching the blue.

One of the major hazards in this area is the Titan Triggerfish who during nesting season (January) become agressively territorial and tend to attack anything or anyone that comes within the nesting zone (a conical shaped area opening out and upwards from the nest to the surface) If seen we had been warned not to attempt to take close up shots as we would probably be attacked and those teeth looked pretty sharp to us. The visibility wasn't good enough to take wide angle shots of these fish.

One particular dive site - The Canyon was reminiscent of the Red Sea. A sandy channel with sloping walls rising on both sides from around 20 metres. We saw many lagoon rays cruising down this channel. Adjoining sites provide a series of overhangs, soft corals and an arch jammed with glass fish, mantis shrimps and colourful soft corals. We were surrounded by a large school of yellow back fusiliers being hunted by mean-faced Trevallies. Such a huge mass of constantly moving fish on a small area of reef had us all in complete rapture.

We saw two courting valentine puffer fish which were caught on camera(though they blushed and stopped kissing as the shutter went down) - One coral head was a popular haunt for the elusive Leaf Fish. Several colours of this species of Scorpion Fish are resident in this area, but had we searched without the beady eyes of Ryby Stonehouse, Aquaventures Instructor, we would have missed them completely.

The Chakwe Wreck -- an ex shrimp trawler provides a pretty little dive for all levels. The boat, lying on its port side in sand at 14 metres. The boat sank in the late eighties and a lot of life has established itself around it. We saw a large grouper lurking around teh old refrigeration rooms. The wreck is not suitable for penetration but great for photography in good visibility.

Moray Reef is the home of 'GEORGE' the semi tame giant Moray - "not to be confused with his not so tame grandfather further along the same reef!" The top reef covered in hard and soft corals drops off to30 metres. George is usually to be found at around 22metres inside a rocky outcrop of coral with many hidey holes. This particular area of coral is incredibly busy and you could probably spend an entire dive, depending on the current, inspecting George's territory letting him get to know you and perhaps get some great interaction on film. While we were there, the current was too strong to allow us to do this comfortably...... otherwise there'd be some superb 'George' shots!

As usual on our budget of 'as little as possible' we tried to find places to camp. Ocean Sports has an area of land behind the Hotel which is designated Camping Area with spotlessly clean ablution blocks on site. Cleanliness was probably due to the fact we were only the second tent ever to be pitched in the field. The reception staff just looked confused when we asked to camp and we had to convince them that 4 or 500 Kenyan Schillings (£5) was about the price they should charge! We moved after a few days due to self initiated paranoia - we were still on our own in a field by a busy road and the promised night or daywatchman had not been seen once in 4 days.

Our next camping option was further along the beach in the grounds of a marvellous guesthouse called Mrs Simpsons.

A bizarre but somehow welcoming step back in time when we first walked in on a rather colonial afternoon tea - served at 5pm every day with home-baked cakes and biscuits. Barbara Simpson, a woman with an incredible life story owns the guesthouse and Jake Kidde Hansen runs it for her. Talk amongst the guests invariably revolves around Barbara's famous trek through Africa in the 50's. The tragic ending adventure novel is called 'The Trek'. Mrs Simpsons is a must visit if you are in the area, even if it is just to sit and chat to some facinating characters.

Camping space is limited to one site underneath the trees as the preferred accomodation offered is in the rooms of the guesthouse - 1000KS per night. Camping costs 200KS (£2) per person per night.