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BIKINI ATOLL, MARSHALL ISLANDS is next spot is exclusively for the daredevil adventurer. Between 1948 and 1956 the U.S. used the Marshall Islands, located in the central Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and the Philippines, for atomic bomb testing. e area is still considered more radioactive than Chernobyl. Although the area was closed for tourists in 2008, you can still set up a dive experience with Bikini Atoll Divers. A dive here will grant you access to the ships that were used for and wrecked by nuclear bomb testing. e archipelago became a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010. ALIWAL SHOAL, SOUTH AFRICA is rocky reef is the remains of an ancient sand dune that is located approximately three miles off the coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Here, divers can be sure to find a little bit of everything from colorful coral reefs to schools of fish and shipwrecks. Inside Edge is perfect for seeing octopuses, cuttlefish, scorpionfish, eels and anemones. Between May and August, divers can witness the yearly sardine run. is phenomena happens when sardines migrate for the season, they travel in a tunnel of current that flows at around 21 degrees celsius. ey are unable to swim outside of this current making them easy prey for predators that wander over to feed. Find the wreckages of the 1884 SS Nebo and the 1974 bulk carrier, Produce, near the main dive site. GALAPAGOS, ECUADOR e archipelago was made famous by Charles Darwin's recordings of the pristine and diverse plant and animal life. Visitors will behold the sight of marvelous hundred-year-old tortoises, froclicking sea lions, blue-footed boobies, lava lizards and even the waved albatross before even stepping into its astounding blue waters. Beneath the ocean, divers will be glad to find there is almost perfect visibility, meaning you'll be able to see all of the ocean life relatively clearly. Make sure to visit El Arco, or Darwin's Arch, where it is not uncommon to see schools of sharks and rays that are unique to the region. V U E N J . C O M 145

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