Maritime Trivia

As a licensed professional master of vessels from motor yachts to cruise ships, I’ve lived with the esoteric lexicon of the mariner for nearly forty years. To the uninitiated, the language of the sea might as well be Pig Latin for most casual observers. But the layperson need not feel completely left out. The origins … Read more

The Sea Snakes of Fire Mountain

I must admit that Indonesia has managed to get a pretty good grip on me in recent years as more and more routes have opened unique diving opportunities up with the expansion of quality liveaboards in the region. The diving is varied, exciting, and frequently spectacular. And I remain firmly convinced that some of the … Read more

New Reefs Can Save the Old

Think about this scenario: You and 15 other divers on a liveaboard motor overnight to an isolated, uninhabited chain of islands. The following morning you pour a cup of coffee, step out on deck to salute the dawn and revel in some much-needed solitude. Big surprise! Unfortunately, the early morning light reveals a couple of … Read more

Diving: The Superior Sport

What a fabulous sport scuba diving is. Other sports mostly challenge my sanity, and their blatant inadequacies confirm diving as the superior sport. Take Motor Racing for example. Aren’t you glad I do not squirt you with Champagne on the dive deck after every successful dive? Few realize what this extravagant behaviour actually symbolizes. Squirters … Read more