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Example of the healthy reefs at Wakatobi.
Conservation

All is Well at Wakatobi

A Conversation with Marine Biologist Julia Meller After earning her Master of Science in Marine Biology from Oxford University, Julia Mellers joined the Wakatobi team

Wakatobi's Pelagian Dive Yacht in Indonesia.|Pelagian Dive Yacht|Pelagian's cruise directors Ramon Crivilles and Judith Terol Oto.|Pelagian Dive Yacht at anchor (top)
World Dives

INSIDER’S INSIGHTS ON THE PELAGIAN

“Pelagian is a true five-star liveaboard experience”…  “A 7-star diving experience”… “The best team we have ever experienced.”  These are just a sampling of the hundreds of

Male and female Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) a member of the dragonet family
Underwater Photography

Tips for Photographing Mandarinfish 

Having the best of the best underwater camera setup money can buy is not the key to getting great mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) shots. It’s about

Large green turtle taking a snooze on Wakatobi's House Reef wall.|Snorkelling the shallows of Wakatobi's House Reef.|Wakatobi''s jetty extends all the way out to the edge of the House Reef's drop-off.|Where the shallows meet the drop off on Wakatobi's House Reef.|Life underneather the Wakatobi House Reef Jetty.|Pair of white leaf scorpionfish.|Wrapped in its protective cocoon a parrotfish is bedded down for the night.|A Tasseled scorpionfish (Scorpaenopsis oxycephala) fluoresces an interesting combination of green and orange under Fluo lighting at night.|Coral hermit crabs (genus Paguritta) are a different kind of hermit crab in that instead of using a discarded snail shell as its home
World Dives

On The House – Wakatobi’s House Reef

What exactly makes Wakatobi’s House Reef worthy of its many accolades?  It is a combination of factors that include easy access, habitat health, diversity of

Male Yellowfin flasher wrasse (Paracheilinus flavianalis) strutting his stuff for the ladies. Photo by Wayne Osborn|Kaleidios wrasse (Pseudojuloides kaleidios) reach a maximum size of 10 cm / 4 in.|Male Yellowfin flasher wrasse (Paracheilinus flavianalis) strutting his stuff for the ladies. Photo by Wayne Osborn
Content Marketing

Wakatobi’s Flash Mob

Reports have been coming in that divers at Wakatobi are getting flashed – that is by flasher wrasses.  Search around the edges of a reef

Scuba diver with a friendly green sea turtle at Wakatobi
Wakatobi

Diving Your Way at Wakatobi

Novice, enthusiast or fanatic? Leader, follower, or soloist? Whatever your scuba diving style, you are welcome to dive your way at Wakatobi Dive Resort.  Thanks

Wakatobi dive site Turkey Beach
World Dives

Maxing Out At Wakatobi

Visitors to Wakatobi often compliment favorably on the pristine condition of the coral reefs and the exceptional variety of marine life found within the resort’s

If you’re into wall diving
World Dives

Wakatobi’s Wall to Wall Paradise 

If you’re into wall diving, you’ll be in wall-to-wall paradise at Wakatobi No matter how many times you’ve experienced it, that initial moment when you

World Dives

Getting the Big Picture at Wakatobi

Capturing the true scope of Wakatobi’s reefs through wide-angle imagery There’s no denying the appeal of photographing the elusive marine life that hide in the

Wakatobi Dunia Baru|Pajama cardinalfish|Wakatobi Dunia Baru|Shrimp Gobie and Shrimp
World Dives

Wakatobi’s Dunia Baru

Dunia Baru, number 35 on Wakatobi Dive Resort‘s list of dive sites sits proudly on a “Top Ten” roster because those who come to know

Getting Trigger Happy at Wakatobi|Clown Triggerfish at Wakatobi
World Dives

Getting Trigger Happy at Wakatobi

Discover why the triggerfish on Wakatobi reefs are worth a look. Though often overlooked by divers, triggerfish are worth a closer look. You often find

Turkey Beach
World Dives

Wakatobi’s Turkey Beach – Dive Site #1

If Wakatobi’s dive site Turkey Beach is not about turkeys, then what is it about? Look at a map of Wakatobi‘s Reefs and you’ll notice

Wakatobi's Dive Yacht Pelagian cruising past the resort.|Pelagian Dive Yacht|Pelagian master suite stateroom (top)
World Dives

Wakatobi’s Dive Yacht Pelagian

High style diving aboard Pelagian reveals the never-ending riches of Indonesia’s underwater realm Each evening just before sunset, coral laced rock piles around the base

Wakatobi Dive Resort dive boat.|||Wakatobi Dive Resort||Dining by sea at Wakatobi|Wakatobi dive boats|Pelagic dive yacht|mandarinfish|||||Wakatobi's Dive Yacht Pelagian cruising past the resort.
World Dives

Wakatobi’s Double Dip Diving Experience

This might be the perfect dive vacation: Start with a visit to one of the world’s most iconic dive resorts, where you explore pristine coral

Wakatobi Dive Resort's jetty bar during sunset.|Sunset views are now more comfortable than ever
Wakatobi

Wakatobi’s Front-Row Seating For Sunsets

During your stay at Wakatobi Dive Resort, sunset is the perfect time to relax. And the place where these sessions are especially enjoyable is out

Wakatobi Dive Resort's fan favorite dive site Zoo.
World Dives

Let’s Go to The Zoo

Wakatobi’s Dive Site #3, The Zoo A zoo is a place that can be enjoyed by everyone. So it’s a fitting name for one of

||Liken to a pair of eyes are the large twin dorsal spots on a pair of Signal Goby (Signigobius biocellatus) also called a crab-eyed goby
Content Marketing

DON’T BELIEVE THE EYES

The illusionary false eyes on one little fish The waters of Wakatobi are home to a diminutive master of visual disinformation. Twin-spot signal gobies are

Several of Wakatobi’s dive guides assisting the resort’s new in-house marine biologist Julia Mellers in collecting water samples around varies dive sites where hard corals are particularly robust for DNA and chemical analyst. - Photo by Kristian Gaeckle|Wakatobi Dive Resort’s new in-house marine biologist Julia Mellers. Photo by|Wakatobi Dive Resort’s new in-house marine biologist Julia Mellers working with water samples collected during a recent dive.||Wakatobi Dive Resort’s new in-house marine biologist Julia Mellers on a dive on one of Wakatobi’s magnificent reefs. Photo by Adrienne Gittus|A few of Wakatobi’s dive guides who are now assisting Julia Mellers in her coral research at the resort posing with water samples collected on one of Wakatobi’s reefs where hard corals are particularly robust that will be used for DNA and chemical analyst. Photo by Adrienne Gittus
Content Marketing

Wakatobi Expands Coral Reef Protection

Wakatobi Dive Resort has expanded its long-standing commitment to coral reef protection and restoration with a new Reef Health Assessment program and the addition of

|The ribbon eels (Rhinomuraena quaesita) are recognizable by their long
Content Marketing

There be Dragons Here!

To denote dangerous or unexplored territories on navigational charts in medieval times often included small illustrations of dragons, sea monsters and other mythological creatures. Wakatobi

Small female Blanket Octopus found during a blackwater dive off Palm Beach Florida.|Some of the rarer visitors from the deep one might find during a blackwater dive off Palm Beach Florida include ornate oddities like this juvenile ribbonfish. This one is just a baby with a body length less than 2-inches.|The lighted surface buoy aka the “Pumpkin” ready for deployment for the backwater dive off Palm Beach Florida.||Small grouping of juvenile Spotfin Flying Fish hanging close to the water's surface.|Lavel Spotfin Flounder. During their larval state
World Dives

Palm Beach Blackwater Diving

South Florida’s Open Ocean Diving Adventure by Night It’s well past sundown and we’re several miles off the coast of Palm Beach, Florida, preparing to

Snorkeling the shallows at Wakatobi|A bird's-eye view of Wakatobi showcases the benefits of ongoing reef conservation and debris removal.|Just because you are in a remote location doesn’t mean you can escape plastic and other debris often coming in from other countries. That’s why Wakatobi is diligent about collecting any trash they see on the reefs and beach which includes debris removal efforts in the shallows of reefs the House Reef.||Diver swims over a large Table Coral at Wakatobi
Conservation

Wakatobi: at the Forefront of Ocean Stewardship

Through Wakatobi’s creation of their own Reef Conservation Program, coral reefs in their corner of Indonesia are among the healthiest in the world. The world

Happy Hour Snorkeling at Wakatobi
Features

Happy Hour Snorkeling at Wakatobi

Wakatobi’s iconic Jetty Bar overlooking the House Reef is a favorite place to gather and enjoy a libation while watching the sun sink towards the

Florida's Wreck Trek||The-wrecks-are-fantastic-for-wide-angle-photography|CCR divers on the Castor wreck|Deck gear on the Anna Celica||French Angelfish on a riverwalk wreck|Goliath Grouper shelter under the Anna Celica|Goliath grouper|Goliaths on a wreck off Jupiter|Goliaths on the Castor wreck|Greeny Moray|Shark on the Governor's wreck|The Anna Celica|The governor's riverwalk wrecks are quite sizeable|The Governor's Riverwalk Wrecks|The Jupiter wrecks also attract various species of shark|The Jupiter Wrecks|The wrecks are fantastic for wide-angle photography
World Dives

Florida’s Unique Wreck Diving Experience

In a previous article, Walt Stearns provided a tour of the unique reef systems and described some of the interesting varieties of large marine life

Bargibant Pygmy Seahorse|Different from their Bargibanti cousin
Content Marketing

Wakatobi’s Littlest Seahorse

A Peek into the Small World of the Pygmy Seahorses at Wakatobi  Though you might not guess it based on name or appearance, seahorses are

Underwater photographer eyeing some false clownfish in large green colored sea anemone at Dunia Baru, one of Wakatobi’s popular dive sites.
World Dives

Dunia Baru – Wakatobi Dive Site #35

Dunia Baru is rarely listed on a “Top Ten” roster of Wakatobi dive sites, largely because many believe the better sites are farther from the

Wakatobi’s new Turtle Beach Bungalow|Wakatobi's new Turtle Beach Bungalows|Wakatobi Turtle Beach Bungalows|Wakatobi 2-bedroom Turtle Beach Bungalow|2 bedroom Turtle Beach Bungalow at Wakatobi Dive Resort.|
Content Marketing

Wakatobi’s New Turtle Beach Bungalows

Larger accommodations promising more elbow room combined with scenic beach and ocean views are what Wakatobi’s Turtle Beach Bungalows are about. If you’ve ever said

Wakatobi|Wakatobi
Content Marketing

Nemo’s crabby room-mate at Wakatobi

Anemone-dwelling clownfish are a favourite with critter-watchers and underwater photographers. But these colourful little fish aren’t the only creatures that take up residency among the

Wakatobi
World Dives

Meet Wakatobi’s tiny cheerleaders

Wakatobi‘s reefs are home to some strange critters, and one of the most-endearing is the so-called pom pom crab. Pom pom crabs are clever little

Diamond squid
Underwater Photography

6 Tips To Improve Your Blackwater Photography

Photography by Walt Stearns and Mike Bartick Blackwater Photography It’s well past sundown and we’re several miles off the coast of Palm Beach, Florida, preparing

Floridas Goliath grouper
Scuba Diving

Florida’s Goliath grouper under fire

Since 1990, Florida’s beloved Goliath grouper have remained a federally protected species. That may all change as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC) Commission

Diver just outside the entrance into Ginnie Springs Ballroom cavern.
World Dives

A Guide To Florida Springs Diving

Photographs by Walt Stearns A faint but growing glimmer of light in the passage ahead signals the end of our dive. We exit a realm

|The Typo sank in a collision in 1899 while carrying coal. This three-masted schooner now sits in deep water with it's forward mast still standing up into 110ft of water. The bow sprit is intact with rigging and the bell is still in place. CCR diver Jim Eckhoff illuminates one of it's wood stock anchors on the bow.
World Dives

North America’s Great Lakes

Here is a small sampler to diving the wrecks in North America’s Great Lakes By Becky Kagan Schott Hard to believe, but North America’s Great

World Dives

Top 10 Best Dive Sites in the World

When our Editor-in-Chief, Mark Evans, asked each of us to choose our Top 10 Best Dive Sites in the world, I said “alright, I’m game!”

Coronavirus
Medical

Diving in the Era of COVID-19

The following article is written by my friend, Dr. Douglas Ebersole, who in addition to being a cardiologist, is also a TDI and INATD technical

Scuba Diving

Come Scuba Dive Bonaire!

One of the first places we’re all going to look forward to visiting in the Caribbean once COVID-19 is further in the rearview mirror, is

Scuba Diving

World Learns to Kneel in Scuba Diving

Here’s a bit of light humor and some points to consider when testing your scuba skills. Our partner, James Blackman of Divers Ready shares his

Goliaths in the Stream
Conservation

Goliaths in the Stream

The Goliath Grouper is among the largest species of boney reef fish found in tropical waters around the world. Here in Florida, commercial and recreational