Mapping out Alphonse, Seychelles

INSIDER KNOWLEDGE: DIVE GUIDE FERY

An excellent dive guide makes all the difference to your trip and we know where to find them. We’ve been chatting to dive guide extraordinaire Fery from the Arenui on what makes liveaboard diving so special…

HOW DID YOU GET INTO DIVING? My father was a fisherman and when I was a young child I used to join him on his boat. I loved how colourful and beautiful all the different species of fish were and one day told my father ‘I will never kill or eat another fish’. I decided to find a job to try and protect all the fish in the ocean and soon had the opportunity to start diving, which changed my life forever.

WHERE HAVE YOU DIVED? Manado, Lembeh and Bunaken in North Sulawesi, Komodo, Alor, Banda Sea, Triton Bay, Ambon and Raja Ampat.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE DIVE SITE AND WHY? Magic Mountain in Misool has an incredible diversity of life, from pygmy seahorses and nudibranchs to giant and reef mantas, sharks, dolphins and even whale sharks. After many years diving there I still enjoy it just as much as the first time – anything can happen there, which is why we call it ‘magic’!

YOUR BEST DIVING MOMENT WITH A GUEST? In 2018 we were diving from the liveaboard Arenui in front of a little village where they have an amazing old wooden jetty. It is home to all kinds of fish and marine life from schooling giant sweetlips to giant clams, surgeon fishes, fusiliers, green turtles and much more. It was the last day of the trip and we decided to do a shallow early morning dive at five metres depth. As soon as we went under the jetty it was full of life with hundreds of fishes, and we started diving through them when suddenly all the fishes start swimming like crazy and after a few seconds they were gone. Then a bull shark came and swam very gently under the jetty in three metres of water and one metre from us. This was my first time ever seeing that kind of shark and after dozens more dives in that spot since I am still looking for him!

WHAT DO YOU DO TO MAKE THE TRIP SO SPECIAL FOR YOUR GUESTS? For me it is very important to make all my guests happy and there are a few things I always do to make sure every single diver has the best trip of their life. First, safety is very important for me, so I always do a briefing before we go underwater, explaining how deep we will go, in which direction and where the currents are on that dive site. During the dive I keep a constant eye on them to make sure there is no problem. The second thing is protecting and respecting the marine life. I want to show the beauty of the reef but at the same time I explain to them how important it is to avoid touching or damaging the coral. If I see one of them trying to get a photo of something and there is coral nearby I make sure they will not damage it. The other thing I always do from the first second until the last one is to keep looking for the things my guests want to see and to make sure everybody sees them and can get good photos.

WHY DO YOU THINK A LIVEABOARD IS A GOOD WAY TO DIVE? Diving from a liveaboard is the best way to explore an entire area and go to places where only a few people have been before. Every morning when you wake up you are in a new area and the dive sites are different. You don’t need to do long speedboat rides because the liveaboard will be there and if the conditions are not good in one place then you travel all night and the next morning you are 100 miles away and you may find the perfect conditions. One day you can enjoy diving with mantas and pelagic fish, then the next day you can be diving for macro life and the next day you are diving along walls covered with colourful corals and tons of reef fish. Basically, staying on the Arenui is like being on a floating five star hotel and diving five star dive sites every day!

TOP TIP WHEN DIVING FROM A LIVEABOARD? Once you are on a liveaboard and you start the trip you need to think about how far from the city you will be for many days. If something fails on your dive equipment you can’t get the proper spare part, so it’s very important to carry a spare battery for your dive computer, new straps for your mask or fins and even a whole extra mask!

Visit our website to discover Indonesia’s most luxurious liveaboards: originaldiving.com/collections/ luxury-indonesia-liveaboards

Images from left to right, top to bottom: elephant ear coral, epaulette shark, squat shrimp, anemonefish, sea fan corals, juvenile boxfish, tassled wobbegong shark

While you’re here, WHY NOT…

Whether surfing in Sumba, biking through Bali, lounging in Lombok or eating just about everywhere, Indonesia has something for everyone.

2THE VOLCANOES OF JAVA Stay in a secret spot 6,000ft above sea level in Bromo Tengger National Park, waking up at dawn to watch the sun peak over the horizon at Mount Bromo’s summit. Then take the scenic train journey to Bangyuwangi to marvel at the steaming volcanic vents and turquoise crater lake of the Ijen crater before decamping to the coast of Bali Barat National Park. 1 PADDLEBOARD THE PASSAGE, RAJA AMPAT Follow the path of legendary explorer Alfred Russel Wallace when paddle boarding in the crystal clear waters of Hidden Bay - aptly hidden by towering limestone karsts - before continuing along the winding waterway between Waigeo and Gam Islands spotting rainbow-shaded soft corals among the mangroves.

3SLOW DOWN IN LOMBOK Channel your inner beach bum on the talc-fine white beaches of Lombok, Bali’s sleepy, laid-back neighbour. Spend days snorkelling over pristine reefs, exploring the island’s jungle-clad interiors and day tripping - picnic in tow - to explore the so-called Secret Gili islands. 4 ADVENTURE IN UBUD Bali’s cultural, spiritual and culinary capital, Ubud is also one big adventure playground. Enjoy cycling past emerald rice paddies; rafting down the Ayung River’s rapids; hiking up the majestic Mount Batur for sunrise; embracing spirituality in the region’s temples or learning the art behind Indonesia’s culinary creations with a local cooking class.

6OFF-THE-BEATEN-TRACK IN SULAWESI When not diving some of the world’s best muck diving sites in Northern Sulawesi’s Lembeh Strait, explore the Minahasa Highlands; cycle around the scenic Tondano Lake; soothe aches in bubbling hot springs and hike its craggy volcanic peaks for sweeping vistas of the towering Gunung Lukon volcano. 5 THE SUMBA SURF SCENE Located to the east of Bali, the lost-world island of Sumba hosts one of Indonesia’s best surf breaks. Stay at Nihi Sumba, one of our all-time favourite lodges, and learn to surf with world class instructors on the smaller waves of Coconut Cove or tackle the bigger barrels of Occy’s Left, a private break which is limited to only ten people per day, so you can surf the swells in salty solitude.

... FOR LIVEABOARDS

Whether you’re a snorkeller or advanced diver; want to up the dive count or combine diving with land-based escapades, we know the very best liveaboards plying the world’s oceans.

Located off the south eastern coast of Oman, the Hallaniyat Islands are a relatively new destination for liveaboard divers, wherein lies the charm. Board the Oman Aggressor to cruise the archipelago, diving in a fish soup of reef species alongside honeycomb moray eels, dragon morays, giant groupers, sea turtles and - if you visit between January and March - humpback whales, all without another soul in sight.

AUSTRALIA

The three swirling atolls that make up Rowley Shoals are the remnants of a trio of extinct volcanoes, featuring everything from dramatic canyons and lagoons to thrilling drifts and plunging walls populated by healthy corals and abundant marine life (over 688 species, to be precise). The Rowley Shoals are located 180 miles west of Broome, so set sail aboard True North and explore sites guided by a marine biologist and a posse of underwater naturalists, naturally.

MALDIVES

Rather than pick one idyllic island paradise, cruise around several aboard some of the world’s finest luxury liveaboards. Each day dip into a different turquoise atoll to explore some of the archipelago’s more remote dive sites, ranging from crystal clear lagoons to thrilling channel dives. Along the way, dive with manta rays, sharks, dolphins, groupers and more, spending surface intervals exploring local islands and picnicking on deserted sandbanks.

MICRONESIA

Located in the Pacific, this remote archipelago is home to Chuuk Lagoon, the site of a ferocious airstrike carried out by the United States on the Japanese in WWII known as ‘Operation Hailstone’. Best accessed by liveaboard, divers can explore an underwater museum of over 50 wartime wrecks draped in corals, spotting all manner of cargo including bullets, gas masks and even bones. For the best of both worlds, hop west to Yap to dive with mantas in the Mi’l channel.

AHOY THERE!

A far cry from the days of scallywags and scurvy, leave landlubbers behind and discover some of the most luxurious, adventurous liveaboards we offer.

Top to bottom, left to right: ⚫ The Alexa, Indonesia ⚫ Galapagos Sky, Darwin’s Arch in the Galapagos ⚫ Si Datu Bua, Indonesia ⚫ Nautlius Belle Amie, Socorro ⚫ Scubaspa, Maldives ⚫ The Undersea Hunter’s DeepSea

Submersible, Cocos Island, Costa Rica

SMALL

IS THE NEW BIG

What if we told you that you don’t need to board a spaceship to see alien life forms? That below the surface of some of the world’s most remote and exotic seas, tiny, weird and wonderful aliens of all shapes and colours thrive and flourish in underwater landscapes just as varied? Welcome to the wonderful world of macro diving.

Peacock mantis shrimp

This: Pygmy seahorse Below: Blue-ringed octopus Opposite top: ‘Shaun the Sheep’ nudibranch Opposite bottom: Whip coral shrimp

SPACE ODDITIES

Divers are really astronauts; gliding weightless through the ocean we explore strange new worlds, some carpeted in colourful coral gardens and others covered by desolate volcanic sands. Look a little closer and a world of minute macro marvels is unveiled.

The name ‘macro diving’ derives from the large lens needed to capture the ocean’s smallest critters. The sheer quantity of macro life is too long to list (with new species being discovered almost daily), and while they can be found across the world many of the best sites can be found in the Bohol Sea off Dauin in the Philippines. The seabed here is home to a mix of coral and muck sites (so-called because of the nutrient-rich volcanic sand – or ‘mucky’ – seabed), and divers are treated to the whole spectrum of critters, from the expertly camouflaged – like the pygmy seahorse that winds itself round the tendrils of a gorgonian sea fan, or the tiny coconut octopus that shelters in shells – to the bold and brilliant. From technicolour sea slugs (nudibranchs) to the rainbow coloured peacock mantis shrimp, spindly ghost pipefish and bizarre hairy frogfish, these are some of the most fascinating creatures in the ocean.

KEEP YOUR CRITTERS CLOSE It might sound obvious but one of the best tips for capturing the perfect shot is to get closer. While this might be easy with stationary subjects, with timid fish remember to take your time, watch your surroundings and never poke, prod or harass your subject to get them closer to your lens. We are guests in their world and there should be no shortage of subjects on the reef.

INSIDER KNOWLEDGE: MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY

Professional underwater photographer Saeed Rashid shares his top tricks for getting the perfect shot…

BEHAVIOURAL INSTINCTS Talk to most dive guides and they will tell you that they rarely look for the subjects themselves but the habitat in which they live. Some critters, like the ‘Shaun the Sheep’ nudibranch or a whip coral shrimp, can be so small they appear as a tiny dot but if you know the type of places to look you can find these amazing critters. Grab yourself a magnifying glass and keep it in your BCD pocket as it will significantly aid your search for some Caption goes here of the smaller subjects in the sea.

A LIGHTBULB MOMENT Artificial lighting – the use of strobes (flashes) and occasionally continuous lights (torches) – is important for photographing the smaller fish and critters on the reef. Spend time practicing in a swimming pool before you get out on the reef and when you do take a photo check it out on the camera screen, zooming into the corners just to make sure you have them positioned correctly. Remember, with lights you can get a big difference with only a small change so adjust settings a little at a time.

Clockwise from above: Harlequin ghost pipefish Orbicular damselfish Feather star shrimp Anemonefish

THINK COMPOSITION Try and make something in your photograph the focal point. This could be a fan coral on a wall, the eye of a fish or even your buddy – this will add interest and really help your image ‘pop’. See if you can add depth to your composition by shooting along a reef or blurring the background. Many people will tell you to fill the frame with the subject but a clever use of so-called negative space can be just as powerful.

A BEAUTIFUL BACKDROP Even when you are photographing the most colourful and exciting subjects a messy background can ruin your photograph. Experienced photographers often look for background first then search for a foreground subject to add interest.I will often follow a fish in my viewfinder and only press the shutter when it ventures to a more photogenic location.

NEVER SHOOT DOWN, EXCEPT… When I teach new underwater photographers, I often talk about getting ‘clean water’ behind your subject. The best way to do this is to get down below or at least eye level with your subject. For me, the only time you break this rule is when you’re photographing something that has an attractive back such as a turtle, shark or ray.

While you’re here, WHY NOT…

The 7,107 islands of the Philippines are surrounded by more than 10,000 square miles of coral reefs, home to over 1,200 macro and pelagic species and WWII wrecks galore.

2A BAIT BALL FESTIVAL Just off the shores of Panagsama beach in Moalboal lives a shoal of millions of sardines in a bait ball so thick it blots out the sun. Enter the cloud and watch them dance and shimmer across the reef until you reach a sudden 40 metre drop off out to the blue. 1 THRESHING AROUND Monad Shoal, a large seamount off Malapascua Island in northern Cebu, is the only place in the world where sightings of the elusive thresher shark are almost guaranteed. Descend to 25 metres at dawn to see these long-tailed predators rid themselves of parasites at the reef’s cleaning stations.

3BARRACUDA LAKE Located in a volcanic crater in Coron, Barracuda Lake offers the unique experience of diving in a mix of fresh and salt water, separated by a foggy, bath temperature (no need for a wetsuit here) thermocline at around 14 metres depth. Continue descending down against a dramatic jagged limestone wall backdrop until you reach the silty floor, which feels like landing on Mars. 4 WRECK YOURSELF Located on the northern tip of Palawan, Coron Bay is home to an underwater museum of a dozen Japanese WWII ships, sunk in 1944. Conveniently close together, explore wartime vessels (some over 550ft long) encrusted in corals and decked out with amazing artefacts (think: anti-aircraft guns).

6CAPTIVATING CORAL For those who like to drift gently past ornate, rainbow-coloured walls bursting with life, head to Anda, a quieter corner of Bohol, and you’ll be greeted with sites brimming with stunning hard and soft corals and equally exotic inhabitants from sea snakes and turtles to pygmy seahorses, candy crabs, and, if you’re lucky, whale sharks. 5 EL NIDO’S BIG AND SMALL LAGOON If you can drag yourself away from the marvellous underwater world, El Nido has some of the most beautiful topside scenery in the world. Avoid the crowds by kayaking around the magnificent Big and Small Lagoons in the late afternoon, drifting past dramatic limestone karst cliffs to hidden sparkling white sand beaches.