Iceland

It’s not every day you can witness the inner workings of our planet by taking a live look under the hood at the engine of creation. Some scientists claim that life on Earth began from hydrothermal vents in the ocean’s abyssal reaches. That realm is much deeper than where I float now, but otherwise it’s […]

Chunks of ice wash up on the black sand at Diamond Beach near Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon

Back to Lembeh

THE QUESTION PEOPLE MOST FREQUENTLY ASK us about our years of dive travel involves our favorite place to dive. This can be a delicate topic, especially when visiting a resort with resident staff or management nearby. We unfailingly reply, “Where we’re diving now.”

These 2-inch male mandarin fish display their beautiful outstretched fins without hostility

FIJI

The island country of Fiji is part of Melanesia in the heart of the South Pacific Ocean. Volcanic activity more than 150 million years ago formed this archipelagic nation of 333 islands, about 106 of which are inhabited. 

Vibrant corals at Rainbow Reef’s Rainbow Passage.

The Beat Goes on in Southwest New Providence

When I began working as a dive photojournalist for Skin Diver magazine in the mid-1980s I was like other photojournalists of that era, Rick Frehsee and Michael Lawrence. We all lived near enough to Miami International Airport so we could easily fly to Caribbean destinations to do articles. Our small posse was frequently sent on assignment to “the islands.” 

The Arena is a popular shark-feeding venue

Mexico’s Sardine Run

Although striped marlins (Kajikia audax) are slower than some of their billfish cousins, their 50-mph speed is plenty fast for me. I try to swim alongside this stealth bomber of the sea as it works a baitball to separate individual sardines from the silvery mass. While getting outpaced by sailfish and black marlin might be […]

Diving in the Turks and Caicos Islands

DIVING IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS guarantees plenty of beauty and excitement. This British overseas protectorate entices tourists with the slogan “Beautiful by Nature.” The Caribbean waters throughout the islands offer breathtaking vertical walls, frequent close encounters with pelagics, and opportunities to observe an incredible diversity of fascinating marine life.

A diver poses with a massive tube sponge at Double D dive site.

California’s Channel Islands

It’s 5 p.m., officially boarding time, and the floodgates have opened. Eager, impatient divers synchronously emerge from their cars and begin to haul carts full of gear down the dock. We’re right there with them, jostling to get a prime spot for our tanks.

California Sea Lion

Bay Islands of Honduras

Explore the Bay Islands of Honduras, home to stunning reefs and vibrant marine life. Discover underwater wonders waiting for you.

Caribbean reef squids measure up to 12 inches (30 cm) long and frequently change colors and patterns, including when interacting with others.

Destination Antartica

WHEN I STARTED DIVING, I fell in love with colorful coral reefs and marine life. If you had told me that Antarctica would someday become a favorite destination, I might have laughed and said I’d never …

Palau

I WAS READING SYLVIA EARLE’S FOREWARD TO Our Ocean, Our Future: Palau, a lovely coffee-table pictorial book by Michael Aw, David Doubilet, and Jennifer Hayes. Earle opened by remarking on when she’s asked about the best place to go diving. Her usual answer is, “Almost anywhere, 50 years ago.”

An aerial view of Palau’s famed Rock Islands.