Epic Journey, Tiny Worlds

Geri Murphy

Up close and exotic in the waters of Indonesia's North Sulawesi

On the surface, there is nothing to suggest that the Lembeh Strait would be a better spot for a dive than any other in the area. In fact, with an industrial seaport just down the coast, fishing villages crowding the shoreline and a ceaseless parade of boat traffic plying the channel, it seems an unlikely choice. At first glance, conditions below the surface appear no better: The topography consists of a monochrome black-sand bottom pitted with sickly coral heads and littered with bottles, cans, logs, shoes and other debris. The visibility is, at best, 30 feet, the water a broth of jellies and goop. And yet this muck dive in the company of the North Sulawesi Aggressor's experienced guides quickly reveals just what all the hype is about. In this seemingly barren and lackluster landscape, every solitary sponge or castoff Coke bottle is a potential oasis of life, and the life to be found here is, in its own way, every bit as rewarding as humpbacks or hammerheads.

Request Information

Sun Dancer II, Belize

The lagoon at Half Moon Caye is almost a miracle in the noon sunlight, bluer than seems possible. We’ve just come ashore and walked down the jetty to the sand, to a short path that ends at a viewing platform. We can hear sharp squawks from the red-footed booby chicks long before we see them.

Four Seasons Explorer, Maldives

With clear, calm waters, prolific reefs and a huge diversity of marine life, the Maldives provides all you could ever want in a live-aboard diving experience. With its breathtakingly lovely backdrop of scattered atolls with turquoise lagoons and coconut-palmed, white-sand islands, the picture-postcard cliché definitely applies.

Arenui, Indonesia

Imagine returning from a dive on Cannibal Rock in the southern region of Komodo National Park and being greeted by wooden masts rising beside the verdant, cloud-capped hillsides, your ship’s handsome traditional profile a reflection of Indonesia’s distinguished boatbuilding heritage.

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions' Spoilsport, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

The feeling of being watched overwhelms me, I turn. A fleet greater than 20 strong is charting a course in my direction. With profiles like the noses of B-52 bombers, the bumphead parrotfish fix their gazes on me as they pass, and I, in turn, watch spellbound.

Cayman Aggressor IV, Cayman Islands

It pays to be the early bird. Awakened by dawn reaching through the porthole, I peek out blearily at Jackson Bight, a bay of plenty on the north side of Little Cayman.

5 Live-aboards That May Change How You Travel

It’s a fantasy we all share: Picture yourself so far our in the big blue that no land is visible anywhere, and all there is to do is dive, eat, dive, relax, dive, unwind and, oh yeah, dive.

Galapagos Islands: Editor's Trip Report

Exceeding ExpectationsA return engagement to the Galapagos Islands

10 Perfect Reasons to Dive Queensland, Australia

Dive into one of the world’s great natural wonders and discover a region full of earthly delights in Queensland. Here is a list of 10 perfect reasons to plan a diving vacation in Australia’s Sunshine State.