27 - 31 March 2010 Anilao Batangas was where I learned diving in 1997. I had been coming here camping on the rocks when I was still in college in the 80's! Anilao was where Manila divers went for diving because it was closest to Manila and we all thought it was a pretty cool [...]
15 - 22 March 2010 Sunset illuminates this charming dive resort in Mindoro Guenter Taus was my dive instructor for my PADI advance course many years ago. He also is part owner of Occidental Mindoro's newest dive resort called Apo Reef Club. Michi Roos is the founder and operations manager of this resort in [...]
15 - 22 March 2010 The colors of Asia comes out with this bright outrigger boat turned liveaboard Apo Reef Club I. Diver about to surface after a good dive With the expedition team complete with our writer Alya Honasan, our first Philippine journey for this leg was to Apo Reef. We spent [...]
26 March 2010 Today, I received a birthday greeting from our dear Paul Sunters, the Managing Photo Editor of the WWF Global Photo Network! It is my one year blog anniversary since writing my first entry! Imagine that! I went back to that first entry and thought, "where has the time gone?" And yet we've done so [...]
9 March 2010 Sometime August last year, during our trip on the Seven Seas diving around Komodo National Park, we met Jack Shargel, an animated American jeweler based in Bali. Jack, upon hearing what it was we were doing, showed us a somewhat different coral triangle! He opened his magic jewel pouch and brought out beautiful looking [...]
8 – 28 February 2010 Sorido Bay Resort A panoramic view of one of the most comfortable and elegant lounge and dining areas we've been to here in Indonesia! High end Papuan art of tapa bark cloths, woven Papuan bags and intricate highland wood carvings tastefully decorate this place giving off a feeling of [...]
8 - 27 February 2010 While we were in North Raja Ampat, we were incredibly fortunate to have professional photographers and videographers Claudia & Leon Joubert document our stay and experience in what is arguably the epicenter of marine biodiversity. Claudia Pellarini-Joubert and Leon Joubert of the Bittenbysharks.com fame work with Max Ammer to manage and market Sorido Bay Resort. [...]
27 February 2010 After days of grumbling about the weather, Yogi finally found his smile again. Max Ammer was bringing him along as co-pilot to his truly photogenic yellow aircraft. Yogi finally smiling from ear to ear. Finally sunny after overcast days with heavy rain Conservation International needed to do regular surveys to [...]
8 - 26 February If I may, I would like to lift a few bits and paragraphs written by Dr. Mark V. Erdmann, Senior Advisor Conservation International Indonesia Marine Program in his introduction of a new fantastic coffeetable book The Raja Ampat. "Reefs on Steroids", "The Kingdom of Coral", "Heart of the Coral Triangle", "The World's Richest Reefs" [...]
8 - 25 February In 1526, Jorge de Menses, the first Portuguese governor to the Moluccan "spice islands" was swept ashore by a storm to the Bird's Head Peninsula (West Papua) even before he reached his post. He named the country Ilhas dos Papuas (Islands of the Papuans) derived from the Malay term "orang papuwah" meaning the [...]
