When I touched down in Sorong, it had been almost 20 years since I’d visited Raja Ampat and I’d been obsessed with getting back there for years. My first time was in the early 2000s as a young backpacker, eager to see as many Indonesian islands as possible with only a tiny budget at my…
If you’re anything like us, coral reefs are your chosen “playground” – a place you venture to get away from the world and the stresses of modern-day life. They are places of extraordinary natural beauty and we’re always left with a newfound appreciation for the world we live in after an action-packed reef dive. But…
My early scuba diving years focused (mostly) on exploring coral reefs. As someone new to the underwater world, they felt like a sensory overload in terms of colour and species diversity. Over the years, that interest shifted to include wrecks and caves – underwater environments that, for me, required a slower, more curiosity-driven approach. More…
When we think about protecting our oceans, coral reefs tend to steal the spotlight. They’re colourful, charismatic and home to around a quarter of all marine species. But according to marine scientists, one of the most effective ways to protect coral reefs may actually begin on land…or, more accurately, where the land meets the sea….
Every time I’m analysing my Nitrox tanks on dive trips, an air diver asks me: “Is getting a Nitrox certification worth it?” The short answer? For me, yes – it gives you options and opens up more (read: longer) dive opportunities. To be honest, I’m pretty late to the Nitrox game. For many years, I…
As scuba junkies, we’re big believers that diving is more than just a sport or hobby – it’s an opportunity to explore a hidden world filled with incredible beauty and unfathomable adventures. Beneath the ocean’s surface, we’ve experienced moments of surreal peace, unexpected discovery and a connection with nature that’s difficult to describe in words. …
For the last decade, sustainable tourism has been a buzz word and it’s something we talk about a lot here at EcoOceanEscapes. It reflects a global concern around climate change and mitigating the negative impacts of our travel obsession. Sustainable travel is largely framed around minimising damage by doing things like reducing plastic waste, opting…
From reef taxes and visitor caps to Indigenous stewardship, a growing number of destinations are proving that tourism doesn’t have to destroy coral ecosystems – it can help restore them instead. Despite occupying less than 1% of the ocean floor, coral reefs support roughly a quarter of all marine life – a statistic we find…well…staggering!…
After countless ocean adventures all around the globe, we strongly believe there’s something uniquely restorative about the ocean. Perhaps it’s the salty air, the steady rhythm of the waves or the enchanting worlds that lie just below the surface (or a combination of all three), but we always return to the “real world” with a…
If you’re planning a dive trip to Palau (either land-based or on a liveaboard), you’re probably looking for something to do on your “no-dive day”, before you fly home. One of the best ways to explore the main island, Babeldaob, is by renting a car and driving between its natural waterfalls, ancient stone monoliths and…