What are the differences between the dive sites, marine life, required experience levels, and terrestrial interests in the Galápagos in Ecuador versus those of Cocos Island in Costa Rica? Which destination is better suited to your diving experience and expectations? We'll tell you everything you need to know before taking the plunge!
Where and when can you dive with blue sharks? What's special about them? Are blue sharks friendly? We've been diving with blue sharks in the Azores, an archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Diving in the Azores is good, as you can see plenty of pelagic life. It is also one of the largest whale sanctuaries worldwide. The best time to go diving there is in July and August. To dive with blue sharks in the Azores, you'll have to go to Pico island or Faial!
Where can you scuba dive at the end of 2021? **Indonesia** has reopened since mid-October to fully vaccinated travelers from 19 countries. **Thailand** has been easing its SandBox program, and travelers from 46 countries will be able to enter the country without quarantine starting November 1st! **Fiji** will reopen on December 1st to fully vaccinated travelers of more than 14 countries without quarantine.
Azores, Portugal, is often claimed to be the best scuba diving destination in Europe. From Pico island, you can access Princess Alice, a world-famous dive site full of exciting species. You can also dive with the fastest sharks on earth, the blue sharks. Are the Azores indeed one of Europe's best-kept-secret for scuba-diving? With the COVID-19 pandemic limiting travel outside Europe, we decided to give it a go this summer and headed to Pico island for a week.
Why is Socorro at the top of the bucket list of so many divers? When should you dive Socorro? How do you get there? How deep is the diving? Are oceanic mantas there year-round? The Revillagigedo archipelago often referred to as "Socorro" or the "Mexican Galápagos", is only accessible with a liveaboard.
Sharing your passion for diving with your family - this is what many would love to do! Some eco-resorts and liveaboards have been designed with families in mind, and catering to young divers is part of the experience. We've selected six places where you'll have some incredible dives and create long-lasting family bonds.
With a size that most often averages 12 meters length (40 feet), whale sharks are the biggest fish in the sea. Even though they are listed as Vulnerable to extinction in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, you can see them congregating in large amounts in various areas of North and Central America. It is possible to snorkel with them, following the code of conduct you'll be introduced to on the boat.
Seeing humpback whales is a dream of many: they have amazing shapes, their songs are captivating and they are gentle with each other. While most of the world's humpback whale populations are no longer endangered, you will have a better chance to see them if you go in the peak season of their favorite mating and calving grounds.
Charlotte, half French and half American, tells us all about her divemaster internship she did in Indonesia. Working as a management consultant in Sydney, Australia, she is passionate about scuba diving, sky diving (she has 80+ solo and group jumps so far!) and has just started learning to sail!
Whether you've never seen a shark at all, or you're a pro who knows them all by name, one thing is for sure: it is _always_ a thrill to see one! Grey reef, white tips, black tips, nurse, tiger or bull sharks... some are curious, others are massive, and all impose respect.
We all want to have fun while diving, it's important to feel confident and know what to do to avoid accidents. Too many times, it is a little chain of incidents that lead to a dive accident. So we looked back on our dive experience and gathered these tips you might find useful.