World Dives
Wakatobi’s Fascinating House Reef Regulars
Here is just a small sampling of what can be found on Wakatobi’s House Reef. And as many divers and snorkelers who have experienced this
May 20, 2025
11:59 pm
About Walt Stearns
Get in touch
Editor for Scuba Diver Magazine's North America edition, Walt Stearns, has been involved in the diving industry for more than 30 years. As one of the most prolific photojournalists in diving media Walt’s articles and images have appeared in a wide range of national and international diving, water sports and travel titles.
Articles
Wakatobi
WAKATOBI – THIS IS WHAT 28 YEARS OF PROACTIVE PROTECTION LOOKS LIKE
Wakatobi Dive Resort‘s landmark community-based conservation program is now in its 28th year. As this inspiring video shows, Wakatobi’s innovative approach to protecting coral reefs
April 22, 2025
11:50 pm
World Dives
7 REASONS WHY WAKATOBI IS A FAN FAVORITE
Wakatobi Resort is one of the world’s most celebrated diving and snorkeling destinations. Guests from around the world are making plans to visit this remote
April 8, 2025
11:59 pm
World Dives
Nighttime is “The Right Time” at Wakatobi
There is a reason why so many divers at Wakatobi find nighttime there so incredible. Wakatobi is known for spectacular over-the-water sunsets, but that spectacle
March 18, 2025
11:59 pm
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
March 11, 2025
11:59 pm
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
February 25, 2025
11:59 pm
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
February 24, 2025
10:01 am
World Dives
Mandarinfish Pier Dive with Wakatobi’s Dive Yacht, Pelagian
Sunset was close at hand, and we were getting ready for a twilight dive on Magic Pier in Pasar Wajo Bay on the southeast coast
February 24, 2025
10:00 am
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
February 18, 2025
11:59 pm
World Dives
U-352 – North Carolina’s World War II Shipwreck
In the waters off the North Carolina Coast is a collect of shipwrecks that that are reminders to battles waged off our coast during the
February 13, 2025
10:00 am
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
February 11, 2025
11:59 pm
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
February 4, 2025
11:59 pm
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
January 29, 2025
7:06 am
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
January 14, 2025
12:35 pm
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
January 7, 2025
11:59 pm
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
December 10, 2024
11:55 pm
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
December 3, 2024
11:55 pm
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
November 27, 2024
12:45 pm
World Dives
Wakatobi’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Small things are a big attraction at Wakatobi. Wakatobi’s pristine reefs are home to an astounding collection of diminutive and colorful forms of marine life,
November 26, 2024
12:45 pm
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
November 20, 2024
12:45 pm
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
November 19, 2024
12:45 pm
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
November 7, 2024
12:40 pm
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
October 31, 2024
11:56 pm
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
October 29, 2024
11:55 pm
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
October 22, 2024
11:55 pm
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
August 28, 2024
10:55 pm
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
August 28, 2024
10:55 pm
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
January 31, 2024
9:00 pm
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
December 11, 2023
9:29 pm
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
July 25, 2023
5:02 pm
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
June 7, 2023
7:52 pm
Underwater Photography
First Look at Retra’s new 4th Generation Pro Max, Prime + and Pure Underwater Strobes
Retra UWT recently introduced three new, fourth-generation versions of their popular underwater flash called the Pro Max, Prime +, and Pure. At a glance, this
June 6, 2023
2:33 pm
Scuba Diving
At Tiger Beach, Who are the Masters of their Domain?
Walt Stearns gets in the ‘real’ shark tank with Bahamas Master Liveaboard at the legendary Tiger Beach. Photographs by Walt Stearns The stage is set;
June 1, 2023
2:15 pm
World Dives
Walt Stearns’ Journey through the Flores Island Group on the Arenui
Scuba Diver North America Editor Walt Stearns continues his passage through the Flores Island group on the Arenui luxury liveaboard. Photographs by Walt Stearns Two sites
May 31, 2023
4:35 pm
World Dives
Subaqueous Journeys: Dive Sites for Your Bucket List by Walt Stearns
As we all look forward to life getting back to some semblance of normality through 2022, Editor-at-Large Walt Stearns dives into his back catalogue to
May 30, 2023
4:00 pm
World Dives
Palm Beach’s Exquisite Reefs: An Underwater Journey with Walt Stearns
Walt Stearns takes us on a voyage of discovery on Palm Beach’s diverse reef systems, and explains what draws him back time and again. At the
May 25, 2023
5:21 pm
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
May 22, 2023
6:11 pm
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
May 17, 2023
8:00 pm
Scuba Diving
Global Destinations To Add to your ‘Bucket List’
North America Editor Walt Stearns dives into his back catalogue to give us some global destinations to add to our diving ‘bucket list’. Bahamas –
April 28, 2023
12:00 pm
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
September 26, 2022
9:30 am
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
June 27, 2022
7:56 am
World Dives
Spring Country – North Florida’s Fountains of Youth
Scuba Diver’s US/Canada Editor-at-Large Walt Stearns waxes lyrical about the attraction of North Florida’s cave country A faint but growing glimmer of light in the
December 23, 2021
11:25 am
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
May 15, 2021
11:16 am
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
April 19, 2021
3:02 pm
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
February 19, 2021
9:55 am
Underwater Photography
Is The Retra Prime Underwater Flash Really That Good?
An In-depth, hands on review detailing what Retra’s Prime underwater flash can provide in the way of performance for the serious wide-angle underwater photographer. In
October 17, 2020
10:48 pm
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
August 31, 2020
10:04 pm
Scuba Gear
Shearwater Research Launches New Peregrine Dive Computer
Shearwater Research Inc., manufacturer of the increasingly popular Perdix AI and Teric dive computers has launched a brand-new model called the Peregrine. With a retail
July 23, 2020
11:28 pm
World Dives
Sand Tiger Sharks, Wreck of the Caribsea, North Carolina
If you have never met a sand tiger shark you really don’t know what you’re missing. Despite their nightmarish appearance, sand tigers (Carcharias Taurus)-not to
May 24, 2020
7:01 pm
World Dives
Palm Beach Florida the best destination to Dive with Sea Turtles?
The Palm Beach County coast is one of the few places in the world where divers can encounter all five species of sea turtles native
May 19, 2020
5:03 pm
World Dives
South Florida’s Deep & Mysterious Hole-in-the-Wall
Every destination has its Signature Dive. In most cases it’s a particular wreck, reef or animal attraction that is touted as a must-do. But sometimes,
May 15, 2020
5:44 pm
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!”
May 5, 2020
8:13 pm
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
April 26, 2020
8:01 pm
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
April 23, 2020
9:01 pm
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
April 20, 2020
4:24 pm
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
March 26, 2020
10:15 pm