Fakfak

Just before sunrise I make a cup of strong Indonesian tea and feel the familiar rush of anticipation that always builds when I dive where no one else has. From the liveaboard’s top deck I squint at a string of islands— just green dots from here — that stretch offshore from the Fakfak Regency …

Belize

Our explorations of Belize’s equally biodiverse jungles and reef systems some 4,000 miles (6,437 kilometers) south repeatedly reminded me of that endless summer afternoon in Alaska.

The Great Blue Hole on the northern end of Lighthouse Reef Atoll

A Quest for Life

Seemingly crafted for photographers, nudibranchs are slow-moving and vibrant and have adapted to curious shapes and sizes.

The Miamira tenue sea slug often has a partner shrimp riding along its back and sides.

Galeri Foto La Paz

After reading Tanya Burnett’s feature about La Paz, see more of her amazing images in this photo gallery.

blenny

Teluk Triton

TRITON BAY, INDONESIA, was one of the last places I visited before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Looking back, part of me wishes I would have been there instead of at home when the world turned upside down and international dive travel became almost impossible. An extended sabbatical in the middle of bustling hordes of fish […]

Yayasan Misool

The spectacular ecosystem of Indonesia’s Raja Ampat offers ample opportunities for fish portraits and macro shots with a 100mm lens, but the broad expanses of pristine hard corals punctuated with colorful soft corals and sea fans made it difficult for me to forego using my wide-angle lens during a recent liveaboard trip.

A drone’s view of Batbitim Island and the surrounding waters of Misool

Dominika

When people ask me to describe my favorite ocean experiences, I think of my first trip to Dominica in 2020. My goal was to photograph sperm whales underwater, but I kept my expectations low, having heard that quality interactions with sperm whales often require a lot of luck.

A group of sperm whales comes together to socialize

La Paz

La Paz, on Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, has always been connected to the sea, from its indigenous pre-Columbian people and a history of sea explorers, pearl divers and fishers to a modern destination attracting ocean-inspired tourists to interact with the abundant marine treasures of this region.

sekolah dongkrak mata besar

Filipina

During the pandemic I asked my partner, David Doubilet, a question: “If you had one full year to dive in one country, what country would it be?” I thought he might need some time to consider, given he has spent five decades documenting the sea for National Geographic.

Ikan kalajengking Rhinopias dengan cahaya latar

YAP

Shallow coral heads are on both sides of the M’il Channel opening as we slow down to locate our mooring ball. The incoming tide brings clean, blue water into the lagoon, creating opportunities for encounters with one of Yap’s main attractions just a few feet below the surface.

Manta rays come to be cleaned of parasites by small wrasses.