8 Talk to an expert 0845 130 6980BeginnerFinding Iron: Whatever your experience, there is a wreck to suit you.Exhilarating, eerie and unforgettable, wreck diving is certainly specialist but it is nonetheless accessible to divers of all levels. Wrecks are a key attraction at dive sites worldwide, and while certain do require advanced levels of experience and even a specific PADI qualification, others are available from the shore and can be enjoyed by beginners. Regions such as Micronesia and the Caribbean have so many wrecks on offer that they alone could be the focus of an entire trip. Below are a few of our recommendations.YS-11 AirplaneDestination: Aruba, CaribbeanMax Depth: 12mwww.diveworldwide.com Search ArubaSunk deliberately in 2004, this Air Aruba plane lies on the Renaissance reef underneath the flight path to Aruba's runway. Although it is too new to have extensive coral or sponge growth, its cabin is empty of seats and lockers, and has exits at both ends, so is wide enough to swim right through. The cockpit is more intact, with seats and joysticks. James Bond WrecksDestination: Bahamas, CaribbeanMax Depth: 15mwww.diveworldwide.com Search BahamasMake like 007 off the shores of Nassau and explore the sunken Hollywood sets around which Sean Connery swam in Never Say Never Again and Thunderball. Bond experts will recognise the tugboat from the former film, while the 'Vulcan Bomber' from the latter is now encrusted with colourful invertebrates and sponges.Prince AlbertDestination: Roatán, HondurasMax Depth: 22mwww.diveworldwide.com Search RoatánThis large Nicaraguan tanker once brought refugees to Honduras from its war-torn neighbour. 30m from the wreck's bow is the shell of a DC-3 aircraft fuselage and the tanker itself is in excellent condition, with over twenty years' coral growth and resident moray eels, seahorses and arrow crabs. IntermediateAdvancedLiberty WreckDestination: Bali, IndonesiaMax Depth: 30mwww.diveworldwide.com Search BaliIntentionally stranded on Tulamben's rocky beach after being damaged by a Japanese WWII torpedo, the Liberty was sunk by magma flow from a volcanic eruption in the sixties. Coral now coats the wreckage which houses barracuda, bumphead parrotfish and mola mola in season. Dredger WreckDestination: Mahé, SeychellesMax Depth: 30mwww.diveworldwide.com Search SeychellesAt the western end of Beau Vallon bay, this wreck was purposely sunk in 1989 and has become a haven for marine life. Regularly visited by pelagic species, it has been used as a temporary sanctuary for black groupers and red snappers. Moray eels, scorpion fish and marlin have also been spotted. Hilma HookerDestination: Bonaire, CaribbeanMax Depth: 32mwww.diveworldwide.com Search Bonaire Now lying between two reefs in the area known as Angel City, the Hilma Hooker cargo ship was seized in the 1980s with a huge haul of smuggled marijuana. Unclaimed and therefore left to sink by the authorities, the ship went down with contents intact, making it a challenging but rewarding site. Irako MaruDestination: Coron Bay, PhilippinesMax Depth: 40mwww.diveworldwide.com Search Coron BayDespite being the victim of a 1944 US air-raid, this large Japanese cargo ship is reasonably intact. She is just under 150m long and 19m wide with excellent visibility. Soft corals and sponges coat the surfaces while schools of barracuda, tuna and snappers dart around it and sea turtles live in the metal's folds. Hirokawa Maru/Bonegi lDestination: Solomon IslandsMax Depth: 58mwww.diveworldwide.com Search Solomon Islands The wreck of this Japanese transport ship, bombed and beached in 1942, is easily accessible from the shore and has sections at varying depths, making it a possibility for beginners and advanced divers. Many sites in the Solomon Islands with the exception of Iron Bottom Sound - are too deep for recreational diving, so we recommend exploring on the Bilikiki liveaboard.San Francisco MaruDestination: Truk Lagoon, MicronesiaMax Depth: 63m www.diveworldwide.com Search MicronesiaSunk by a bomb, this ship went down upright and fully loaded, hence its nickname: 'The Million Dollar Wreck'. A veritable museum of warfare, the ship and her contents are exceptionally well preserved. The hold contains detonators, mines and torpedoes while trucks and tanks sit on the deck, creating sinister photo opportunities.

Or visit us on the web www.diveworldwide.com 9UNderwAter PHOtOGrAPHYTop Tips from Beneath the WavesThe sea holds a real fascination for most people, bringing a sense of serene calm and relaxation to all, whether walking alongside it, snorkelling on its surface or even scuba diving beneath the waves.Waterproof digital compact cameras make underwater photography fun and easy for all members of the family and you don't need to be a diver to take fabulous underwater photographs. It took me three years to get over my fear of being a scuba diver, and during this time, I snorkelled my way around the world following my passion for sharks, whales and dolphins. To take great pictures, make sure that the built-in fl ash is switched off (otherwise you may get undesirable red blobs in your photos), take your camera off 'Automatic Mode' and choose a Film Speed of 200 to keep your pictures nice and sharp. Then all you need to do is get as close to your subject as possible, keep your fi nger pressed halfway down to focus on your subject, and 'snap' when ready.If you are looking to venture a little deeper beneath the waves, the underwater mode is fantastic when you are between 1.5 and 7m. Again, remember to keep the fl ash switched off and get as close as you can to your subject, whilst remembering to be careful of the coral and marine life around you. Getting underneath or level with your subject can really give it more impact, but this always depends on what your subject is and where it is positioned! As red is the fi rst colour to be lost underwater, your photographs can appear more blue than you were expecting. A simple way to overcome this is to use your camera's manual white balance feature, or you could invest in an external fl ashgun to replace lost colour and enhance the beautiful red, pink and purple corals and vibrant fi sh life. Wherever you travel, even the simplest digital compact camera can give you stunning results to share with your family and friends and cherish forever.Maria is the fi rst person in the UK to specialise in teaching both beginners and advanced users how to take award-winning underwater photographs with digital compact cameras. She has been featured in 18 magazines worldwide and runs underwater photography courses in Bromley, Kent - her guests have won prizes both here and abroad. If you would like to travel with Maria for expert advice on photography please contact us.Maria's new book "Underwater Photography for Compact Camera Users" is available to buy online from 14 July 2010 on the Ocean Visions website.Book your course now! Maria is offering a 10% discount on introductory photography courses in Bromley to anyone who has travelled with Dive Worldwide in the past 12 months. Valid until 30 September 2010. "wherever you travel, even the simplest digital compact camera can give you stunning results to share with your family and friends and cherish forever."by Maria Munn