In 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature moved the whale shark from ‘vulnerable’ status to ‘endangered’ after concluding that its population had fallen by about 50 per cent in the past 75 years. SIMON J. PIERCE The Maldives, a sandy necklace of islands that stretches 750 kilometres across the Indian Ocean, just north …
WILLEMSTAD – Curacao is special to me because I received my Open Water certification there ten years years ago when my local dive shop referred me to The Dive Bus, one of the most popular local operators. In the intervening years I have widely traveled around the world, and the rest of the Caribbean. These experiences have …
If freediving the South Pacific has been on your bucket list for a while, you might want to check out Australian-based Encounter Freediving. Encounter Freediving is offering a trip for freedivers to Kimbe Bay, off the Papua New Guinea island of New Britain. The group will be led by Michael Bates, an Austrialian freediving instructor who holds a …
The archipelago nation sits at the centre of the so-called Coral Triangle, which is almost six million square kilometres that includes ecosystems containing more coral reef species than anywhere else on Earth, with six of the world’s seven marine turtle species and more than 2,000 species of fish. Aside from its abundant reefs, the Philippines …
There is little reason to wonder why Nicaragua is known as the land of lakes and volcanoes when you witness its dramatic volcanic landscape filled with vast forests, lagoons, lakes and pristine beaches. Located in the middle of the Americas, Nicaragua is home to a rich variety of plants and animals, and its beaches provide …
Award-winning Australian freediver Adam Stern has left the world collectively holding their breath after posting a risky game of hide and seek online. The catch – the game took place 45 metres under water in the Philippines, and he was ‘seeking’ his diving gear, scattered across the ocean floor by his wife. The video was …
Cruisers in Tonga discover freediving and are immediately hooked on the simple elegance of a healthy pastime. I’m floating in the electric-blue water of Tonga’s Vava‘u group. My goal is relaxation. It shouldn’t be that hard here, 50 meters from the white shores of a tiny tropical paradise. Then again, I’m not floating on the …
“Learning to freedive takes any limitations we may feel about ourselves and blows them out of the water.” When you go away for a tropical getaway, there’s no end to the list of ways that you can fit in fun physical activity. You’ve got beach volleyball, snorkeling, kayaking…the list goes on. At one point or …
We have been exploring new locations and discovering site gems for years. I remember diving in Dahab in 1999, and taking my first group there in 2001 – when The Blue Hole was strictly a 4×4 excursion, since then we seem to be bombarded with offers from further and further afield, promising a freediving experience …
If diving the beautiful waters off the South Pacific nation of Fiji is something you’ve always wanted to do, a new option is to snorkel with dolphins. Volivoli Beach Resort recently introduced a new “Dolphin Safari Adventure,” of which General Manager Nick Darling says: “The tour consists of a 3-hour excursion that included providing guests with the opportunity to snorkel one of …
