Dive Review of Cocos Diving and Wet and Dry Adventuress (Xmas)/Cocos beach motel and Sea Eye guest in
Australia/Cocos and Christmas Islands

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Cocos Diving and Wet and Dry Adventuress (Xmas)/Cocos beach motel and Sea Eye guest: "Diving Cocos and Xmas Islands", Sep, 2020, by Andrew Falconer , Bunbury, AU ( Top Contributor 51 reports with 29 Helpful votes). Report 11489.
Photos Submitted with this Report Click on an image to see an enlarged version and captions
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	DIVING THE COCOS (KEELING) ISLANDS AND CHRISTMAS ISLAND by Andrew Falconer With no possibility of a dive trip to Indonesia due to COVID-19, the Australian Indian Ocean territories of the Cocos(Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island offered a tropical diving destination away from the winter weather of the South West of the state where I live. The islands are considered part of Western Australia, so you don’t leave the state, although currently you do need entry and exit permits, easily obtainable by WA residents. Located over 2,500 km from Perth, Virgin Australia flies two return flights per week (Tuesday to Xmas first and Friday to Cocos first), enabling both islands to be visited. Although relatively close to each other, they are very different: Cocos is a classic low lying coral atoll, consisting of 27 islands, 14 sq km in area, max elevation 5 m, population 600, with white sand beaches and coconut trees. Xmas is a single rocky limestone capped jungle covered outcrop, 135 sq km in area, max elevation 360 m, population 1,800, with only a few beaches, phosphate mining, and lots of crabs and birds. Both islands have steep drop offs to the deep Indian Ocean floor below. Location of Cocos and Xmas islands Cocos (Keeling) islands I flew on Tuesday to Cocos via Xmas, and stayed only 3 nights (two days diving), as the accommodation was rather expensive, then from Cocos to Xmas on Friday staying a week (4 days diving and 2 days exploring with a 4WD) as the accommodation was much cheaper. Both dive operations on Cocos and Xmas were small, with only a few other divers, the way I like it. COCOS ISLANDS DIVING There is only one diving operation on the Cocos islands, run by long term resident Dieter (www.cocosdive.com) who runs a small but sturdy boat across the lagoon from West Island to a number of dive spots around Direction Island. There was a strong south west trade wind (20-25 knots) for the duration of my trip on both Cocos and Xmas islands. It was pretty wet going to and from the dive sites as a result, and the waterproof jackets that Dieter supplied were very handy. There were only a couple of other divers on the trips. Crossing the lagoon was a very wet experience. Lunch break between dives was much calmer Both days were double dives, with a relaxing stop for lunch on Direction island, and on different spots around a similar area, visibility and corals were both very good, fish life mainly reef fish, apart from a turtle and shark, but the highlight was my first sighting of a dugong! Apparently there is only one dugong in the Cocos, and he is not often seen, and even less close up as we were privileged to witness. Excellent corals and visibility My first ever dugong sighting! Overall I enjoyed my short time diving on the Cocos islands before heading to Christmas Island. CHRISTMAS ISLAND DIVING Diving on Christmas Island with Hama of Wet & Dry Adventures (www.divingchristmas.com) started off badly for me as my TG-5 camera and housing both flooded on my first dive, so no photos apart from one of a cave we dived taken from the internet. Because of the strong SW winds our dives were restricted to the coast west of Flying Fish Cove, which was sheltered by the island. Christmas Island with Flying Fish Cove. View looking out from Thundercliff cave I dived on four of my six days on the island, all double dives from from the main settlement of Flying Fish Cove in a smallish RIB with only a couple or so other divers. Although a bit rough at times we didn’t get wet transiting to and from the dive sites. There was a general lack of pelagic fish, apart from a group of black GTs (giant trevally) and on one occasion couple with four dusky sharks. These all provided some entertainment when fed fish scraps from the surface in a bit of a feeding frenzy. We did venture once to the east of Flying Fish Cove, on a slightly calmer day and were rewarded with an abundance of juvenile schooling reef fish. The coral I saw was different in that it was mostly hard bommies. We dived one wall, and two caves, both of which had air pockets inside. On days not diving I hired a 4WD and explored the island, did some walks in the jungle at the Dales, went to the blowholes and several small beaches, together with sightings of red, blue and the huge robber crabs. A red crab, one of millions on the island. Typical Xmas island coast with limestone cliffs In conclusion, diving both the Cocos Islands and Christmas Island, provided an interesting alternative in the absence of an Indonesian destination during these times of restrictive travel. Costs: Round trip airfare (Perth/Cocos/Xmas/Perth): $1170 Diving: Cocos $180/day, Xmas $185/day Accommodation: Cocos $195/day, Xmas $65/day Eating out: limited but possible on both islands August/September 2020
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vanuatu, South Africa, Iceland, Scotland, Norway, Cuba, Maldives, Chuuk, Galapagos, Phillipines, Sri Lanka, France, Colombia
Closest Airport	Perth WA	Getting There	Fly round trip twice weekly to both islands from Perth
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy	Seas	choppy, no currents
Water Temp	25-27°C / 77-81°F	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	15-25 M / 49-82 Ft
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	?
Enforced diving restrictions	[Unspecified]
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	no
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

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Dive Review of Cocos Diving and Wet and Dry Adventuress (Xmas)/Cocos beach motel and Sea Eye guest in Australia/Cocos and Christmas Islands

Cocos Diving and Wet and Dry Adventuress (Xmas)/Cocos beach motel and Sea Eye guest: "Diving Cocos and Xmas Islands", Sep, 2020,

Photos Submitted with this Report

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Cocos Diving and Wet and Dry Adventuress (Xmas)/Cocos beach motel and Sea Eye guest in
Australia/Cocos and Christmas Islands