Diving

A rising whale shark population in the seas off Qatar has seen the Gulf country become a focus for marine conservation in the Middle East.

Tracing naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace’s long way home, Marco Ferrarese voyages from West Papua to the northern Moluccas, crossing the Halmahera Sea in a traditional wooden phinisi vessel.

Sipadan’s turquoise waters are home to an amazing variety of marine life, including dolphins, giant turtles, sharks and a technicolor array of tropical fish. 

Bali’s Crystal Bay features a cleaning station for the gentle and mighty Mola Mola, also known as the ocean sunfish.

The small city of Moalboal on Cebu in the Philippines has sardines ready to see nearly every day of the year, an odd curiosity available to both snorkelers and divers.

If you think those postcard-perfect gumdrop mountains are beautiful, just wait to see what Raja Ampat is hiding underwater.

Above and below the water, Raja Ampat is paradise. From Piaynemo to manta rays, this is one of Asia’s best choices for nature lovers.

With over 800 islands over 12, 000 square kilometers, the Burma Banks and the Mergui Archipelago are on many divers’ bucket lists for the sharks, rays, fish, coral, and swim-throughs.

Get down in the muck in Lembeh for the best muck diving in the world; cruise the bottom of the Lembeh Strait and beyond for otherworldly creatures.

Seeing the wildlife of the Maldives is one thing; saving it is another. With Anantara in the Maldives, travelers can adopt and save the most precious resource in the Maldives.

Found almost a hundred miles from the nearest port, the diving hotspot of Tubbataha in the Philippines is under-traveled and teaming with life.

The Mergui Archipelago, Maldives, Komodo, Raja Ampat – all have earned their titles as some of the best dive sites in the world. But Sipadan deserves a mention as well, and diver Juanita Pienaar knows why.