Belize has a reputation for being some of the best reefs the Caribbean can offer, especially around the Turneffe atoll. It goes without saying when I found out I would be leading the Turneffe tour, I was excited. Not only for snorkeling, but the opportunity to visit Mayan temples. Belize was a hub for the Mayan civilisation, leaving plenty of ruins and temples to observe. Altun Ha was a great example of the Mayan stonework and ancient ways. For those that have not been definitely a great experience. After a big lunch it was time to head out to the boats and meet the crew for Turneffe. Turneffe atoll is famous for its marine biodiversity. With regular sightings of dolphins, sharks, and turtles (Even manatees and crocodiles) just to name a few. Not to mention the beautiful reef fish in abundance. With all this on the doorstep of the Turneffe island resort. Heading out with our infamous guide JV and crew we were in good hands and plenty of laughs to be had. Having always lived and worked in the Pacific you always feel very spoiled with how good our reefs are. I can only say that Belize was certainly living up to its reputation. Stunning soft corals everywhere with gigantic elk horn corals. It was incredible. Not only that, it was so colourful and pristine. The few times I had been to the Caribbean i was always “oh this is nice, but not amazing”. This was fantastic. Full of fish and soft fan corals waving in the motion of the ocean. One day leaving the resort, within about two minutes the boat was being pursued by dolphins. With no hesitation the crew got us ready and we went. Normally interactions with dolphins are pretty fleeting. Here they kept coming
Belize has a reputation for being some of the best reefs the Caribbean can offer, especially around the Turneffe atoll. It goes without saying when I found out I would be leading the Turneffe tour, I was excited. Not only for snorkeling, but the opportunity to visit Mayan temples. Belize was a hub for the
There is no place really like it. With the hustle and bustle of Cabo San Lucas, then around the corner complete wilderness of Baja. Our Pelagic Mexico snorkel tour was one I had been looking forward to getting on for a long time. It certainly lived up to my expectations. With such a mix of emotions. Anticipation, excitement, thrill and a bit overwhelming at times. Not to mention the need for patience. After meeting my group and being briefed by the amazing team at Latitude Encounters, we were ready for a day of swimming with sharks. Our first day heading out the harbour of Cabo was an experience in itself. The boat was being followed by curious large male sea lions, then arriving at the famed arch. After a quick photo shoot we were underway. Heading out on the Pacific side of the Baja peninsula. As the name would suggest we were heading off shore looking for pelagic sharks. Our main targets were mako and blue sharks. Within about three minutes into our passage, the crew had spotted our first of many humpback whales. The humpbacks come to this area every year for shelter and to bring up the calves. Such an awesome sight to watch something so big just glide past effortlessly, and so close to the boat. After spending some time with the whales we were back on our mission for sharks. After an exhilarating ride we were in the middle of the deep sea. The boat was positioned over a pinnacle starting at about 80 metres deep. Now we would begin the process of chumming. Chumming is a mixture of crushed dead fish in a big barrel of water. The team would then pour this bit by bit into the ocean, creating fishy oil slick on the
There is no place really like it. With the hustle and bustle of Cabo San Lucas, then around the corner complete wilderness of Baja. Our Pelagic Mexico snorkel tour was one I had been looking forward to getting on for a long time. It certainly lived up to my expectations. With such a mix of
For sure is an absolute bucket list adventure, to be able to swim with the world's largest shark. Considered the holy grail by many. Even though the world's largest shark sounds a bit scary, they are in actual fact harmless. Gentle giants is a name affectionately given to them and suits them well. They are ocean nomads crossing great distances all over the world. Fortunately for us we know a few areas where they like to congregate. Here in Indonesia we have Cenderawasih Bay and Triton Bay in West Papua. I recently just explored Gorantalo in the north of Sulawesi. While in Mexico you have the famed La Paz area in Baja. These are places we visit on our Snorkel Venture tours, and while nothing is guaranteed this is our best chance to snorkel with whale sharks. Though they can turn up anywhere on any one of our trips. Just got to be lucky. So let's jump into some quick facts about the whale shark. As mentioned before it is the largest fish (Shark) in the ocean, With the largest specimen measuring at 20 meters. Most weigh between 15 and 20 tons when mature. If you think of a big bus, that’s about the size of a whale shark. Whale sharks can live up to about 60 years with some reports believing they can reach 100 or even 150 years old. Whale sharks give birth to live young that develop from eggs inside the mother. They can give birth to up to 300 pups, measuring between 35 and 70 cm in length. Whale sharks have a vast area they populate. With the majority living in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, with a small percent living in the Atlantic. Whale sharks have been spotted as far north as New York. Whale
For sure is an absolute bucket list adventure, to be able to swim with the world’s largest shark. Considered the holy grail by many. Even though the world’s largest shark sounds a bit scary, they are in actual fact harmless. Gentle giants is a name affectionately given to them and suits them well. They are
For those of you reading this that have been snorkelling in Alor, you already know just how amazing that place is. By far one of my top snorkelling places in Indonesia, and trips we offer at Snorkel Venture. It is still one of those places that feels like a well-kept secret. We can spend a week there and never see another dive/snorkel operator around. Leaving us with the immaculate reefs to ourselves. We also have a great boutique resort we use, Alami Resort. Such a splendid resort and run so well by the managers Max & Rhome' (& Team). Giving this place that little extra feeling of paradise. When in Alami, we charter the whole resort for our group making it feel like a home from home. But what makes Alor super special, is the abundance of marine biodiversity it has to offer. We can go out in the morning and come across migrating whales. Then in the afternoon, we'll be muck snorkelling looking for all the small weird and wonderful critters. So there really is a huge range of marine life here. Something Alor can possibly offer if you are LUCKY!! Are some of the big sea creatures we don't see in other places. Being situated in the Savu sea above East Timor. With a very deep sea around the island. There is an oceanic channel that runs through there called the Wetar Strait. This is like a runway for migrating whales. Periodically through the year Pygmy blue whales pass through the Alor island chains heading north. I once had guests see them from the plane as we were coming into land. These giant gentle ocean mammals are a sight to behold. Only slightly smaller than their larger subspecies blue whale, they are huge at a whopping 24 metres.
For those of you reading this that have been snorkelling in Alor, you already know just how amazing that place is. By far one of my top snorkelling places in Indonesia, and trips we offer at Snorkel Venture. It is still one of those places that feels like a well-kept secret. We can spend a
It is easy to say that French Polynesia is exactly how you would imagine it to be. A remote tropical paradise. As you fly into Tahiti over the island's fringing reefs and lagoons, you can see why it is so rich in marine biodiversty. The scenery of the big volcano in the background with lush greens making their way down to the blues of the ocean, is exactly like you see on the postcards. This is definitely one of my favourite trips we offer at Snorkel Venture. I love the remoteness of being out in the middle of the Pacific on a big catamaran, cruising the atolls. I first really started to hear about the Atoll Fakarava on the BBC documentary The Blue Planet with David Attenborough. It was famed for its wall of sharks in the passages. The passages are the gaps that lead to the open ocean, allowing water to flow through the atoll. Taking a short flight from Tahiti we headed to Fakarava. Passing over pristine reefs and atolls. Once landed we were greeted by locals at the airport and adorned with beautiful flower necklaces. A traditional way of greeting and welcoming people to the islands. Jumping on board our boat the Aqua Tiki ii we wasted no time and set sail South towards the South Passage. A 4 cabin catamaran with a large galley and spacious deck area. Made the perfect setting for our first sunset cocktails and briefings on the boat. For me personally sleeping on yachts is the best night's sleep. The sound of the ocean and gentle rock of the boat, is a great combination for a perfect night's sleep. Especially when inside the atoll. With an early start and short sail we had arrived at the famed South Passage. With us being
It is easy to say that French Polynesia is exactly how you would imagine it to be. A remote tropical paradise. As you fly into Tahiti over the island’s fringing reefs and lagoons, you can see why it is so rich in marine biodiversty. The scenery of the big volcano in the background with lush
