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Dive Review of Orca/Iorana in
Chile/Easter Island

Orca/Iorana, Jan, 2007,

by John Sommerer, MD, United States . Report 3178.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 3 stars Food 3 stars
Service and Attitude 3 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 3 stars Shore Diving 1 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 2 stars
Advanced 3 stars
Comments Not a dive destination, in my opinion, but worth an afternoon if you're on RapaNui, especially if it's raining. Good, solid dive operation, with good staff, accomodating to visitors. Water is on the chilly side (fair enough, since this isn't in the tropics); good hot showers back at the dive shop. We had our computers with us, which was good, because they only had depth guages and bottom timers to rent. Another diver was told by the guide, "don't go deeper than me, and you'll be OK." Otherwise, the gear was in good condition and was reasonably new ScubaPro stuff.

The big question is, why would Henri Garcia, a former Calypso crew member, set up a dive operation here? Sure, the vis is unbelievable! But hardly any fish, and like two species of coral. The scenery around Motu Nui is fantastic, but that's one dive. I find it hard to believe that sharks represented any risk to the competitors in the Birdman competition, since the largest fish I saw out there was an endemic butterfly. The reefs near Hanga Roa are pretty boring. Clearly, fish are being fed here, since some large jacks spent a whole dive with us.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 251-500 dives
Where else diving Carribean, Costa Rica, Galapagos, Indonesia, Micronesia, PNG, Polynesia, Revillagigedos
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather rainy Seas choppy
Water Temp 73-0°F / 23--18°C Wetsuit Thickness 5
Water Visibility 100-200 Ft/ 30-61 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile ?
Enforced diving restrictions 1 hr
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks None Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles None Whales None
Corals 2 stars Tropical Fish 2 stars
Small Critters 1 stars Large Fish 1 stars
Large Pelagics 1 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 3 stars Boat Facilities 1 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 3 stars Shore Facilities 5 stars
UW Photo Comments Small boats, but short runs to dive-sites. Good rinse tanks at dive shop.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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