Mermaid I and II in Ambon and Raja Ampat

Dear Fellow Diver, The latest “best diving in the world” seems to be Raja Ampat, Indonesia.  The greatest marine biodiversity is in the Coral Triangle (Indonesia, Philippines and PNG). No less than the Nature Conservancy has crowned Raja Ampat (RA) the heart of this area and is actively involved in helping form numerous Marine Protected … Read more

Remote Dive Site Contingencies: When Evacuation Is Not An Option

As secret agent James Bond once sagely observed to Q, who supplied his special equipment and was complaining that he was bringing it back damaged, “It’s hell out there in the field.” Divers aren’t dealing with jet-packs, ejection seats in Aston-Martin sports cars, or the best way to use the strangling wire released from the … Read more

Dive Community Makes Key Contribution to Philippines Relief Effort

Author Anne Paylor is an aviation journalist who finally took the plunge and completed her PADI OWD in 2011.  In July last year, Anne spent 10 days diving in Komodo National Park with Worldwide Dive and Sail, during which she completed her AOWD and Nitrox qualifications. She was not compensated for this article In the … Read more

Cruise Ship Diving

Cruise ship travel, seen by many divers, including yours truly, as despoilers of both the environment and culture at their ports of call, is the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry. Bigger and fancier floating megaresorts are regularly launched and new piers constructed for the vacationing overfed, newly-wed and nearly dead at such once … Read more