Fifty Places to Dive Before You Die – Chris Santella
I read this book while on holiday in Knysna – a bit of escapism within a bit of escapism. Author Chris Santella has produced a small library of “Fifty Places” books, each one comprising interviews with experts in the field he’s discussing. In this book, Santella asks divers from around the world where their favourite dive spots are. Most of the interviewees are instructors, photographers, dive centre owners, and film makers, and are very well travelled.
I’ve read quite a few of these encyclopaedias of desirable diving destinations (Jack Johnson’s Diving with Giants and Dive Atlas of the World spring to mind, as well as 100 Diving Sites). It’s very easy to become bogged down in the Red Sea and southeast Asia, as the array of dazzling coral reefs populated by charismatic macrofauna in crystal clear water tends to draw a lot of attention.
Santella’s experts, however, manage to draw attention to some very interesting locations (even though the book is heavy on Malaysia, Indonesia and the like). I have a soft spot for the cold water sites, as I think they don’t get enough attention. From this book, Passamaquoddy Bay, an inlet of the Bay of Fundy (think massive tidal range) in Canada and the Poor Knights Islands in New Zealand interested me particularly.
South Africa gets a mention with an article on Protea Banks and Aliwal Shoal, and Mozambique features with a page or two on Inhambane. There are recommendations of local operators to use (I would not set much store by these – most of the interviewees recommend themselves), when to go, and pointers to general references on the diving in each area. The vast majority of the sites described are within recreational range (less than 40 metres’ depth).
There aren’t as many photographs as one might expect, and the ones that do feature are of decidely mixed quality. In most cases the dive site descriptions are sufficient to explain why they feature among the “world’s greatest” diving destinations.
If you’re in South Africa, buy the book here. Others can try here or here.
