'OK, the first science block this year is Marine Science and we're going to be SCUBA diving as part of it.' This statement was well received by the 22 Year 10 students that sat in front of me
While divers and surfers gave envious comments about my upcoming adventure, most other people were full of warnings about the dangers of PNG, but it had been on my list of prime diving destinations for many years.
If you ask any visitor to Bali, why they chose Bali as their holiday destination I am sure you will receive many and varied answers including, the culture, the people, the shopping, the nightlife, the stunning scenery. But there is a secret side to Bali that is slowly being discovered by more and more people looking for that something different and exciting!
There are some things in life you fantasise about. Dream of doing but never get around to; the timing is not quite right or age takes over and you leave your dreams for someone younger to fulfil
Coral reefs are very special places. They are the oldest richest natural communities on our planet. In them, that most wondrous and mysterious of all natural phenomena, life, has found its fullest expression.
It is a fact that Christmas Island has some of the best diving in the world, with warm waters, healthy corals, abundant marine life and forever vis – just ask a local! So for a bit of fun and a chance to show off the underwater world a digital shootout was organised as part of Territory Week.
Leaving at 6.30 in the morning for two days driving was a tough ask for some. "Where's Paris" was the question. My response was "In France", "No, Where's Paris Knight?", "In France when it's dark!". Some people are just not morning people I was quickly coming to understand.
As a diver it's not every day when you stumble across something in the water so incredible you are literally stunned with surprise. Maybe even a worlds first...this is the story of one of those events and the days building up to it.
The WAKATOBI Dive Resort is located in a remote area of Indonesia: Southeast Sulawesi. The currents that pass through channels and along the steep drop offs carry an incredible diversity of marine life that settles on the substrates surrounding the atolls.
We waved goodbye to the crew from Cocos (Keeling) Islands until our arms hurt. We were a bit sad to leave everybody behind, but also excited about what was going to come. After only an hour the plane started to descend again and we could see Christmas Island. It was very clear straight away that Christmas Island is geologically very different from the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
Once upon a time ... Ok I won't go back too far. In 1980 courtesy of you, the tax payer, I was fortunate enough to have the Royal Australian Navy pay for my PADI Open Water Course ...
Similarly to sharks, rays do not have a true bony skeleton like most fish but instead have a cartilaginous skeleton made of the same material as our nose and ears ...
Long before I even started diving, I had a strange fascination with the dolphin. I think it started with a visit to a place called "Atlantis Marine Park" which used be up in Yanchep, but closed down many years ago.