Scuba
Diving
Dubbed
in by ichthyologists from the Smithsonian Institute, and other
notable scientific institutions as the "last untouched
reef in the world", Christmas Island promises great diving
and delivers. In July of 2005, scientists from Honolulu's
Bishop Museum (led by renowned ichthyologists Richard Pile
and John Earle) spent 2 weeks documenting new reef fish species
and assessing the atoll's reef life sustainability. The results
were unanimous---Christmas Island is one of the last places
on Earth that has the amount and variety of fish that you
can find here.
What
makes Christmas Island such a special place to dive has a
lot to do with its age, believed to be among the oldest atolls
in the world, and the fact that it's few inhabitants (numbering
less than 5000) have only lived on the island for less than
60 years. The reefs around Christmas teem with a variety of
both fish and underwater plant life that make this a top destination
to those who want a real National Geographic experience.
