Scuba Diving at Mabul Island, Borneo

Dive Site: Old House Reef
Location: Mabul Island
Description: Reef
Depth: 20 metres (65 feet)
Visibility: 15 metres (50 feet)

Old House Reef is about 2 minutes boat ride from the main jetty on Mabul and is a relatively shallow dive (20m). In just outside the floating resort, “Sipadan Water Village” or “SWV” onto a sandy seabed at around 20m. The water temperature was 27 degrees, there was no current and here, which were obviously part of an old jetty or the foundation structure for a previous part of the floating village. The first thing which strikes you is the sheer number of fish. Almost anywhere else in the world this would have been a less than average dive – (around 15m) the topography was nothing out of the ordinary and much of the dive was over a predominantly sandy seabed. However there was an astounding amount of sea life. In the shallows were shoals of silver jacks, numbering in their hundreds. On the wooden structure were 2 of the biggest frogfish, one who kindly opened his mouth just at the right time for a photo (see the photograph on the left). There were small moray eels and a lovely bright red frogfish, almost completely hidden. There was also a small wreck of what looked to be an old fishing boat and it was here we came across the unusual sight a of ghost pipefish (around 2 inches in length). The second probably no larger than a few millimetres . These creatures are usually found in pairs and the smaller one would have been the male. There was also a proliferation of clearfin lionfish here. On across the sand and first was a small green leaffish and then another small green frogfish. Amongst some coral formations we found a giant moray

Scuba diving in Papua New Guinea – Piper Cherokee Plane and Yam Pilau Ship wrecks

Dive Site: Piper Cherokee Plane & Yam Pilaus Ship

Location: Rabaul, Papua New Guinea

Description: Plane and Japanese ship wrecks

Depth: 24 metres (79 feet)

Visibility: 20 metres + (65 feet)

Rating: ****

This was another awesome dive from the shores of Papua New Guinea. The sand on the beach is black. The beautiful surreal grey-blue sand slope is full of sand eels and starfish littering the gentle slope down to the Piper Cherokee aeroplane plane which lies on the seafloor at a depth of 24 metres. There is a lot of small fish life which includes baby stripped pipefish, banded and harlequin shrimps in the cockpit.

There exists also a shipwreck – the Yam Pilaus. This is a small vessel lying on one side and quite broken up in places. There are sweetlips in and around the wreckage and also rare huge potato cods. On the surrounding seafloor there are small crocodilefish which lay camouflaged against the sand and the usual territorial clownfish huddled in the anemones.

Scuba Diving in Bali, Indonesia

Dive Site: Coral Garden
Location: Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia
Description: Reef
Depth: 5 – 12 metres (16 – 39 feet)
Visibility: 20 metres (65 feet)

Just in the front of Tulamben resort in 5- 12 metres of water is a delightfully rich little patch reef, which is dominated by hard coral, including some large table and fire corals, interspersed with anemones and sponges. Though only less than 200 metres long, this reef supports a diverse fish population including snapper, angelfish, wrasse, parrotfish, black tip sharks, and millions of common reef fish. You can also see some rarities, like blue ribbon eels (the juveniles are black) frogfish and unusual scorpionfish and even the rare ghost pipefish.

Your dive here can be much deeper than 12 metres. If you follow the sandy slope down, you will find barrel sponges with many surprises, juvenile emperor, angelfish, a school of juvenile catfish, a school of razorfish and two spot lionfish. If you turn to the right toward the drop-off and swim along the slope you will arrive at a dry river bed, a grey bowl of rock and sand with no structure other than small sound ridges radiating out into the deep.

Scuba Diving in Ko Lanta, Thailand

Dive Site: Ko Haa
Location: Ko Lanta, Thailand
Description: Group of five islands offering 5 or 6 different sites
Depth: 3 – 50 metres (10 – 150 feet)
Visibility: 20 – 30 metres (60 – 100 feet)

A photographer’s paradise! Ko Haa offers beautiful diving with spectacular visibility and is suitable for divers of all levels. Ko Haa, meaning ‘Five Islands’ has a central lagoon area that is ideal for beginners. It offers a safe and relaxed starting point for you to take your first underwater breaths and there are some extremely friendly little porcupine pufferfish ready to make your acquaintance in the large, sandy bay area. The bay slopes gently onto the reef allowing you to progress into your first dive effortlessly.

The marine life that can be found at Ko Haa varies from rare ghost pipefish measuring only a few centimetres, to an abundance of octopus hiding amongst the rocks and crevices. A hawksbill turtle is often seen swimming amongst the pristine coral. Manta rays, eagle rays and even whale sharks are spotted here occasionally. You can’t predict exactly what you’ll see, but it’s always a pleasant and rewarding surprise!

One of Ko Haa’s highlights is the series of caverns and swim-throughs. The largest cavern has three chambers. The first two chambers are connected by a shallow swim-through at about 9 metres. There are also various chimneys and other systems to explore. You can find banded sea snakes, lionfish, crustaceans and beautiful cowries. Huge schools of silverside fish, glassfish, barracudas abound. The clear waters and consistent visibility of 25m+ make Ko Haa an un-forgettable diving destination.

Scuba Diving in Panglao Island, Bohol, the Philippines

Dive Site: Kalipayan
Location: 09°32.494N; 123°45.639E (Danao, Panglao Island, Bohol, Philippines)
Description: Wall dive at the beginning, slope at the end of the dive
Depth: 3 – 25 metres (10 – 80 feet). Most interesting at 7 – 12m (23 – 39′), not so interesting below 25m (80′)
Visibility: 10 – 25 metres (30 – 80 feet)

This is long dive site good for two dives. It’s connected to Habagat Wreck at Danao Beach. Nice blue and table corals, sea fans, brown daisy coral (Tubastraea micrantha) grow on the reef and you can find dothead rockcod (Cephalopholis microprion) and small barracuda. With a good dive master you will also see the black and yellow harlequin ghost pipefish (Solenostomus paradoxus). Halfway along the wall, look in caves and crevices for the ‘comet’ (Calloplesiops altivelis) and the banded pipefish (Doryrhamphus dactyliophorus). In the months of May and June the aggressive blue-finned or titan triggerfish (Balistoides viridescens) can be found here.

Scuba Diving in Panglao Island, Bohol, the Philippines

Dive Site: Habagat Wreck
Location: 09°32.408N; 123°45.358E (Danao Beach, Panglao Island, Bohol, Philippines)
Description: Wreck and steep slope dive
Depth: 8 – 34 metres (25 – 112 feet). Most interesting at 8 – 12m (25 – 39′), not so interesting below 40m (130′)
Visibility: 15 – 25 metres (50 – 80 feet)

Normally start the dive at the Habagat wreck at 35m, then come up along the sandy slope in a northwest direction to the s-shaped wall with an overhang. Keep the wall on the right shoulder, heading west.

Watch your NDL if you plan to dive the wreck that was sunk in the year 2000. You can bring a dive light to look in the wreck and the small caves in the wall. Swimming above the wreck are tall fin batfish (Platax teira), under the wreck are big lionfish (Pterois volitans), one giant angelfish (Antennarius commersonii) and many different kinds of cardinal fish in the wreck. At the S-shaped wall look for angelfish and at the slope look among the feather stars for harlequin ghost pipefish (Solenostomus paradaxus).

Scuba Diving in the Similan Islands

Dive Site: East of Eden
Location: Pabu Island, Similan Islands, Thailand
Description: Hard and soft coral sloping reef
Depth: 5 – 35 metres (16 – 115 feet)
Visibility: 20 – 30 metres + (66 – 98 feet)

East of Eden is home to the biggest coral head or ‘bommie’ in the whole of the Similans. It starts at around 25 metres with the top at 12 metres. The bommie is completely covered with soft coral with huge gorgonian sea fans in the deeper sections. I have seen anglerfish, ghost pipefish, many types of nudibranches, not to mention all the glass fish and blue fin trevallies hunting them. A great dive with amazing visibility all year round.

Scuba Diving in the Red Sea

Dive Site: Bannerfish Bay
Location: Dahab, 28°29.934N; 34°31.125E
Description: Shore dive / seagrass area
Depth: 1 – 30 metres (3 – 100 feet)
Visibility: 30 metres (100 feet)

Bannerfish bay is located just right of the Lighthouse. Using the same entry point as the Lighthouse, go left down a gradual slope to about 12 metres. Here you will swim over a large seagrass area which is abundant with macro life; seahorses, anglerfish, nudibranchs, rare ghost pipefish, moray eels, stonefish, scorpionfish, crustaceans and lots more are hidden in the seagrass. It is quite common to see the resident turtle feeding on the seagrass. Right in the middle of it all you will see a small car wreck and several tyres. Swim a little further and after the seagrass you will find a small reef filled to the brim with schooling bannerfish, which is how the dive site got its name.

Scuba Diving in Panglao Island, Bohol, the Philippines

Dive Site: Alona Beach (House Reef)
Location: 09°32.742N; 123°46.346E (Tawala, Panglao Island, Bohol, Philippines)
Description: Steep slope and wall dive
Depth: 3 – 24 metres (10 – 79 feet). Most interesting at 5 – 15m (15 – 50′), not so interesting below 25m (79′)
Visibility: 8 – 25 metres (25 – 80 feet)

Start the dive with the wall on the left or right shoulder. Right in front of Alona Beach is a beautiful house reef, great for introduction, check-up or night dives.

During a night dive you will definitely see basket stars (Astoboa nuda) and harlequin ghost pipefish are a strong possibility. Baby barracudas, many reef fish like the purple queen anthias (Pseudanthias tuka) or moorish idol (Zonclus conutus) or the regal angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus) can also be found. Unfortunately the reef is a bit affected by the many boat mooring ropes, which has damaged some corals.