"History and ancient history would suggest that diving itself was probably born in and around the warm shallow waters of Bahrain. Recorded as far back as 5000 years ago, Pearl Diving has been Bahrain's heritage for millennia and ,today, these same productive oyster beds (the largest of their kind in the world) continue to flourish, offering some very unique, rewarding and exciting recreational diving opportunities all year round. With water temperatures ranging from 34C in summer to 20C in winter, providing comfortable diving conditions year round, up to 30 species of coral and in excess of 200 species of fish can be found, in particular, on the northern offshore reefs of Bahrain. Here, divers, underwater photographers and snorkellers can discover a myriad of Indo Pacific species including clown fish, trigger fish, surgeon fish,turtles, rays, lion fish,grouper, snapper, crayfish and even whalesharks; while tuna, mackerel, trevally and barracuda cruise above. In addition to reef diving there are a number of wrecks around the island, including ships, planes, tugs and barges that have something special to offer the inveterate diver. Dugongs (sea cows) can also be seen feeding on the sea grass in the southern waters of Bahrain during the cooler winter months. Scuba and snorkelling education, equipment, experiences and excursions are available to an international standard through a PADI 5 Star Dive Centre located in Manama".