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World | Australia | Diving Christmas Island:
Christmas Island overview
Wrecks:
Reefs:
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Scuba Diving Christmas Island, Australia
Water temperature: |
25°C - 30°C (77°F - 86deg;F) |
Suit: |
3mm - 5mm wetsuit |
Visibility: |
20 - 50 metres (65 - 165 feet) |
Type of diving: |
Wrecks, reefs |
Marine life: |
Whale sharks, grey reef sharks, manta rays, turtle, butterflyfish, batfish, moray eels, nudibranchs |
When to go: |
Any time of year |
How to get there: |
There are two weekly flights into Christmas Island Airport from Perth, Western Australia (via RAAF Learmonth) operated by National Jet Systems on Mondays and Fridays with additional Saturday flights almost fortnightly and a weekly charter flight from Malaysia operated by Malaysia Airlines on Mondays. |
Christmas Island is located 2650km northwest of Perth and 985km southwest of Cocos Island, its closest neighbour. It has consistent year round day temperatures of 27-30șC, with slightly cooler conditions during July and August. Christmas Island is part of Australia and offers a unique diving experience. A myriad of tropical fish swim by in only metres of water, while a short distance away divers can cruise the drop-off, which plunges dramatically into the abyss.
With only two small dive operators on the island, you can experience all this without the hoards you find in most great dive destinations. There are over 40 dive sites around the island, suited to divers of PADI Advanced Open Water level or above. There is no recompression chamber located on Christmas Island, the closest chamber is either Perth or Singapore.
As Christmas Island is part of Australia, the language spoken is English and the currency used is Australian Dollars (AUD). It is advisable to carry a small amount of cash as there is no ATM on the Island. Cash can be obtained from visiting the Westpac Bank which is open limited hours. Most businesses do accept EFTPOS, Visa and Master cards. Diners and American Express are not accepted. Visa requirements are as per Australia. The time difference to GMT is +7 hours. Tap water is safe to drink. The local telecentre provides a public internet service.
It is essential to pre-book trips Christmas Island including diving, flights and accommodation. The cheaper seats on flights can book out more than 6 months in advance. Luggage weight restrictions do apply. Generally 5kg and hand carry and 20kg luggage is the norm. Excess baggage is charged at $10.00 per kilo.
Island Explorer Holidays
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