Last day in Lembeh. Time definitely goes too fast! With its rusty freighters and its black sand bottom littered with sediment and rubbish, this strait is really a singular dive spot, far from clichés.
Four days already, I'm in Nusa Lembongan, a small island southeast of Bali. Atmosphere very peaceful, as I like, not too crowded with tourists ...
Making bubbles along coral drop-offs overflowing with life and colour, what a delight! In the Philippines, Cabilao Island is a real little underwater gem.
In the Philippines, cockfighting is very popular. Neal, our dive guide in Siquijor, and Raul, who manages the Kiwi Resort, suggested us to go and see these bloody bird fights, at the nearest cockfighting arena, in the village of Enrique Villanueva.
In the Lembeh Strait (Sulawesi, Indonesia), live underwater monsters that delight divers-photographers!
In Rangiroa, Polynesia, dolphins love to play underwater with divers! Video demonstration in the Tiputa pass.
The wealth of submarine sites in Dauin (Negros) and Apo made a strong impression. Life abounds there and the beauty of the coral, hard and soft, farting with health, is properly stunning.
Info found on Plongeur.com. Read the full description here on Wetpixel. To summarize, a barge loaded with materials...
Nothing is more annoying to photograph than a seahorse-pygmy. Too small. Too much camouflaged. Too shy. But his delicate plastic is worth a few efforts.
The rest of my trip to Sulawesi (Indonesia) during the summer of 2007 ... On the program: the Togian Islands. A little paradise at the end of the world!
I left Derawan and its archipelago today. I realized this dream that I had since the beginning of this Indonesian trip to Borneo: swim with rays-mantas, in the waters of Sangalaki!
I've been dreaming for years. I'm there ! The Maldives ... A gigantic archipelago at the water's edge, spectacular from the arrival by plane.
My short stay on the small Indonesian island of Derawan last July allowed me to attend no less than two weddings! Two almost identical weddings, with kitschy decor and pop-marshmallow orchestra.
In the dream boat category, here is one on which I would see myself embarking one day: the mythical Aranui, to go to the Marquesas Islands, in Polynesia!
Open your eyes: in the Lembeh Strait in Sulawesi (Indonesia), strange creatures populate the seabed. A treasure of biodiversity, which attracts divers from all over the world.
In Borneo, Malaysia, the Sepilok Orangutan Centre is trying to reintroduce these endangered great apes into the jungle. A short visit...
Polynesia is not just about luxury hotels on stilts. There is also a lot of simpler and more affordable accommodation, where the atmosphere is also more family and very warm.
I had not been back in Bali for a few years. And here there are a lot of little details that I have great pleasure to find.
And here I am, on my island in Malaysia! Perhentian Besar, "the big one". Which faces Perhentian Kecil,...
The picture under water, it's funny. I love it when the fish take suggestive poses. The coolest are not the ones we believe!
The more I dive, the better! I have never seen so many manta rays as last year. The proof, with this new video, brought back from Komodo National Park (Indonesia), where I was in July 2011.
I take you back to Sogod Bay, nicknamed "Whale Shark Bay", in the south of Leyte Island, Philippines... On my first trip there in 2008, I missed them. Twelve years later, I was luckier!
I continue the story of my trip to Sulawesi, a trip in July 2007. I will take you back to the Toraja country for a motorcycle ride in the beautiful rice paddies around the village of Batutumonga, north of Rantepao.
Thailand : islands - February 2009 Here I am, sorting out the pictures...
Underwater, we do not look only in the blue. In the archipelago of Alor, Indonesia, it is by scrutinizing the bottom that we find treasures.
Excellent choice, the Perhentian, for a gentle "return to fins". Shallow dives, generally without too much current. And...
Shrek's cat tenderizes you? Do you fall for wet eye pups? This cute little couscous from Indonesia should melt you.
Ah! I like the Liberty wreck in Bali. I go back regularly dive, never tired. She is so beautiful...
The Liberty wreck in Tulamben (about 15 km west of Amed) is Bali's most popular dive site in Indonesia. I returned with happiness ... Here are new pictures (photos and video).
Lovina Beach ... The name is nice, but I'm a little mixed about the place. Here, the tourist pressure is certainly less than in Kuta-Legian-Seminyak. Yet I feel to have been more solicited than elsewhere by the indefatigable sellers of sarongs and other trinkets!
Maldives for not (too) expensive? It's possible. There is an alternative to luxury hotel-islands: the guesthouses of inhabited islands.
When I'm not posing with the sharks of Sipadan, I stay in Mabul, the neighboring island. I live in a "longhouse",...
Flashback. July 13, 2009. My stay in Mabul is coming to an end. Ultimate and fabulous dives, again, in Sipadan. On the way back, between the two islands, a school of dolphins accompanies for a moment the race of our speedboat ... Ultimate happiness.
I revised my Malaysia itinerary for July 2006. It is necessary to make choices... Here is a new map of the route that I will take...
I have time to make plans, at D-87... It will be mostly a "diving and relaxing" trip. Hence my choice...
I'm missing. Light and tropical heat, islands and salt water, bubbles and coral ... I already have the nostalgia of the Maldives.
Manta Sandy is the most famous dive site of Raja Ampat. Normal, it's a real "spa" with manta rays! The proof in photos and video.
Guilhem, my dive buddy in Derawan (Borneo), was kind enough to send me two underwater videos he made this summer in the sea of Celebes.
Yes, yes, I swear! It's exhausting to walk up and down this beach. From the losmen (small hotel) to the dive-shop (dive shop), then the dive-shop to the restaurant, the restaurant to the bar, then the bar to the losmen ... Crevant, I tell you!
The Dutchman Max Ammer is the "pioneer" of diving in Raja Ampat. A sacred character. He is an eco-adventurer, an enthusiastic explorer and a fabulous storyteller.
Did you see the movie The Beach with Leonardo Di Caprio and Virginie Ledoyen? Yes, it's there ... Maya Beach, on Koh Phi Phi Leh, in the south of Thailand.
Maz and Alex are a couple of English eco-lovers and diving enthusiasts, whom I had the pleasure to meet again in Tioman. They are on a humanitarian trip (18 months, 65,000 km and 26 countries) for the Care organization.
I'm in a melancholy mood tonight. I leave Nusa Lembongan to return to Kuta, Bali. The return is approaching. I console myself with a beautiful sunset on the bay of Jungut Batu ...
His name: Melibe colemani. This small sea animal is the star of Romblon, Philippines. Divers are ready to travel thousands of miles to admire this strange sea slug!
The dragons exist, I met them! Scales, claws, forked tongue, everything is there ... Listening only to my courage, I went to photograph these big prehistoric lizards or "varans" that live in the archipelago of Komodo, Indonesia.
I'm tired of the Breton winter dreariness. I want to go back to Thailand! Bathing in the translucent blue of the Andaman....
High up! I take you back to Raja Ampat, on the most beautiful cruising-diving boats, all sails out. The Waow, there is no need to say, it is aptly named ...
The Indonesian archipelago of Raja Ampat sometimes has an air of Jurassic Park. The pretty little island of Mioskon is home to thousands of bats.
Eh yes ! I am a little lucky. I saw a mola-mola today at Crystal Bay again. One time is not customary this morning: excellent visibility and little current, both for this beautiful first dive, and for the second, Toyah Pakeh Bay.
This tiny sea horse is hidden in the branches of the sea fans. In Pemuteran (Bali), we see each dive! I do not get tired of photographing them.
That's the Pascha. Well named boat, on which I lived like a princess, during the six days of my dive cruise in Komodo, in July 2011. Six fantastic days out of time.
There are dives that make the heart beat a little faster. I'm taking you to the south-west of Lombok, Indonesia, discovering The Magnet video and Gili Sarang, in Belongas Bay.
I regret that I could only spend two days in Moorea, the neighboring island of Tahiti. I loved its rugged terrain and lush vegetation, azure lagoon and the legendary Cook Bay.
At Pulau Weh, most divers come for the "big", the deep, the current. And I, who never do anything like the others, I'm having fun in a few meters of water on the beach, tracking down the little animals.
The country Toraja, it deserves! From Manado (North Sulawesi), you must first reach Makassar to the south, an hour and a half by plane. Then it's 8 to 10 hours bus ride to Rantepao.
I take you underwater, in the east of Flores, Indonesia, for a special nudibranch sequence, in Maumere Bay.
It is one of the treasures of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, to discover underwater. The delicate beauty of nudibranchs, these small sea slugs with shimmering colors, is a delight!
Among the islands that I dream to explore when I return to Polynesia, there is Rurutu, in the Austral Islands ... For humpback whales.
He's such a great guy. Opo, my dive guide in the waters of Central Sulawesi, became my hero. Because I can be a real burden sometimes...
Here are new pictures of the peaceful little island of Koh Yao Noi, in the bay of Phang Nga, Thailand. Authentic atmosphere, nothing to do with Phuket.
Papua, Papua in Indonesian. Jungles and beaches, exuberant coral and giant fish. Another world ... which amazed me. Welcome to Raja Ampat!
These words are already a journey. Before discovering Polynesia in 2012, I thought it was mostly folklore for tourists in search of exoticism. Not at all. These are really strong cultural symbols, rooted in the everyday life of Polynesians.
Go. Breathe. Dream. Away from the hustle and bustle of the world ... Head to Gili Asahan, a small peaceful Indonesian island, in the southwest of Lombok.
I'll take you back to Pulau Weh, under the surface, again. More than a month after my return from Indonesia, I continue to sort my photos: huge coral platters, delicate fans of gorgonians, multicolored clouds of fish in the blue ...
I have been in Pemuteran, a small village in western Bali, since Tuesday. I love it! Here, the entire population is focused on the conservation of the coral reef.
I take you under the surface, discover the underwater world of the Perhentian Islands, Peninsular Malaysia ...
During the day, turtles from Derawan Island (Borneo, Indonesia) swim under the jetties. At night, they lay their eggs in the still-warm sand.
Koh Phi Phi, it's actually two islands. The big one, Koh Phi Phi Don, where one lives. And the little one, Koh Phi Phi Leh, uninhabited. It keeps, despite the crowd of tourists, like treasure island, cinema island.
Take photos under water, I love it. But palmer, much less. I realized this well by diving in Alor, Indonesia.
The Togian dives seemed less spectacular than those of Bunaken or Lembeh, during this July 2007 trip: coral more damaged, life less abundant. Yet, taking his time, we discover a lot of treasures.
I arrived on Tuesday in Pemuteran, a village on the north coast, just west of Bali. In this area of arid mountains, bordered by black sand beaches, all the activity of the village is turned towards the protection of the coral reef.
I love the bright colors of coral on a subaquatic blue background. Small immersion, in images, on the splendid reef of the Kakaban island, near Borneo (Indonesia).
Going to a tropical island far from everything is good. But to immerse yourself in a tropical sea is better ... For me, happiness is under water! This time, it's happening in Lombok, Indonesia, near Bali ...
Raja Ampat is where I've done some of the best diving of my life. But tourism is booming on these remote Indonesian islands, endangering the seabed and the region's exceptional biodiversity.
In 2012, I discovered Rangiroa and its spectacular shark gathering. My dream: to go back there and also to dive in Fakarava, another legendary Polynesian spot to observe the sharks.
Near Bali, Indonesia, Sumbawa Island and its volcanoes offer a fantastic variety of dives. From manta rays to nudibranchs, the underwater world is full of wonders...
I'm coming back from Borneo! Highlight of the trip: the dives in Sipadan, Malaysia ... Yes, for me, Borneo has more the color of the sea than the jungle.
Traveling light, I do not know what it is! In March, I went diving in the Philippines, Anilao and Romblon. With, in my luggage, a cumbersome paraphernalia to photograph the tiny wildlife that lives under water.
Fancy some exuberant coral and wriggling fish? A little corner of authentic Indonesia? Welcome to Kampanar, Sulawesi!
Sipadan. An island of dreams, explored by Cousteau. But under military surveillance, for the safety of divers and the preservation of the reef.
Yes, I bring you (again) under the surface ... To finish with the wreck of the Liberty in Bali, I propose below a small series of underwater photos.
Here is a pretty "hairy frogfish" photographed in Lembeh to wait for the next ticket.
I had a dazzling memory of my dives in Sipadan three years ago. Today's ones amaze me just as much. Turtles, sharks and barracudas are still there. It's spectacular!
Turquoise water and white sand. The beach of Alona, in the Philippines, is certainly very beautiful. But upon arrival, I have only one desire: to flee as soon as possible.
I'm reconciled with Lovina Beach! Thanks to two very nice dives, a traditional ceremony facing the sea and a splendid sunset.
Thailand: Islands - February 2009 Are you the kind of person who plans everything before you leave, or who improvises at the...
After my malaise trip from summer 2006 to the northeastern tip of Borneo (Sipadan Island), I feel the urge to return to soak my palms in the sea of Celebes. A little further east, this time: on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
I finally decided the stages for my Malaysian-Indonesian trip of July: Perhentian, Mabul (Sipadan), Derawan. Nothing but islands! These holidays will be insular and aquatic.
I dreamed, I'm there! Pulau Weh is a small Indonesian island located on the northern tip of Sumatra. The region is known: it is that of Banda Aceh, devastated during the tsunami of December 2004. Pulau Weh is little tourist and famous for its underwater world.
This is a rare event that I witnessed between two dives during my last trip to Indonesia. The rendezvous of the Sun with the Moon!
Ah, Indonesia! My favorite diving destination. But when you travel there, you'd better get used to jam karet, the "elastic weather"...
A drone over Raja Ampat, it gives stunning images! Small video south of Misool Island, among the cliffs that plunge into the turquoise water ...
Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. I'm there !!! A real end of the world, still virgin, wild and beautiful, on land and under water.
I had a very nice dive expedition to Redang, about an hour and a half from the Perhentian boat. There, the visibility is exceptional and the three dives that we chained in real decors of postcards are a treat.
Reef Seen Dive Center in Pemuteran hosts children's dance classes. Adorable little girls Balinese dancers ...
I will leave again. At the end of June, I fly again towards the Orient. It was enough for me to receive the e-ticket on my mail to feel wings.
I'm a lucky girl. I'm going on another trip soon! Not to Asia this time. I'm flying to the West,...
A little video flashback: In October 2012, I went to meet sharks in the blue, off Rangiroa, in Polynesia.
Cebu City is a big city not very beautiful, of which I saw only a few streets and malls ... The kind of city where we just pass.
To fight the spleen of the return, I walk on the beach again. The one in Kuta-Legian-Seminyak, known as Kuta Beach. An immense and splendid tongue of grey sand, well packed as it should be, which I love to walk in one direction, then in the other, until the time of the fabulous sunset.
Today I am back in Manado, where I find the civilization and comfort of the modern world: air conditioning and hot water, shopping malls and club-sandwiches, mobile phone that captures and high-speed internet connections ...
In lack of salt water, I'm nostalgically looking back these days to my last underwater images brought back from the Philippines... It was a year ago, early 2020. Before the Covid-19 pandemic and border closures.
I was (still) gone. A short trip of 15 days in Indonesia. On the program: rest and dives at Halmahera (North Maluku) and Bangka in North Sulawesi.
I often go back to Bali while traveling in Indonesia. The island always brings me back to her. The more I go back, the more I love it.
I dream of it, I want to see them, the mantas of Sangalaki. Will they be there? Will I have the chance to meet them, to admire the graceful underwater ballet of these harmless giant?
Raja Ampat! I fell in love with these lost islands in the depths of Indonesia. I was there in March. I went back in July. Even dazzling.
On the island of Flores, Indonesia, some rice fields take unusual forms. In the region of Ruteng, in the west of the island, rice is cultivated in spiderweb!
Thailand : islands - February 2009 No camera, no underwater pictures... Back to my photographic setbacks with...
Fancy Indonesia? I will take you diving in the waters of Sali Kecil, a remote little island on the west coast of Halmahera. Magnificent!
The huge island of Sulawesi (Indonesia) amazed me. I take you to cool off at the Saluopa waterfall buried in the jungle, near Tentena and Lake Poso.
In the Indonesian archipelago of Derawan in Borneo, the islands of Sangalaki and Maratua are no longer the fabulous diving spots they were in 2013.
Did you like fish pedicure? You will love the manicure shrimp! A cleanser shrimp care for underwater travelers.
The big day is here. Today, finally, I plunge to Sipadan. The site does not usurp its reputation. It's spectacular. Sharks and turtles galore. Fish everywhere. All along a vertiginous "wall" where the corals abound, which sinks into the blue.
Hop, we go to Malaysia to dive to Sipadan ... As a mouthing, I made it simple: a video, a shark, a minute.
In July, during my stay in Sipadan (Borneo, Malaysia), I had prepared two short underwater videos. Here they are !
Sipadan. Three mythical syllables for divers in Asia! Sharks, turtles, barracudas and trevallies ...
I did a good job of leaving for Siquijor without waiting. On arrival, I find an almost deserted beach, the beautiful Sandugan Beach.
First stage of my Philippine journey: the southern tip of the island of Leyte. For some dives in Sogod Bay, in the hope of crossing the path of a whale shark .
Thailand: Islands - February 2009 To forget the grey sky, the crisis and the conflicts, here is a small...
I finally passed under the surface, with delight, in the waters of Pulau Weh. The underwater fauna is dense, varied. The two short weeks of my stay here will not be enough to explore everything!
