I'll take you back to Sogod Bay, nicknamed "the bay of whale sharks", in the south of the island of Leyte, in the Philippines... On my first trip there in 2008, I missed them. Twelve years later, I was luckier!
Protecting the ocean: what I have seen while travelling and diving
Below is a selection of stories published during my dives around the world. Some of them highlight initiatives to protect the underwater world and the coral reefs. Others show the wonderful biodiversity of still pristine locations and marine sanctuaries. And others try to warn of disasters caused by over-fishing, over-tourism, plastic pollution and climate change... Through these reports, stories and pictures, I hope to raise awareness. And to promote responsible behaviour in the practice of scuba diving. The ocean produces half of the oxygen in the air we breathe on Earth... Let's protect the ocean!
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.
It's hard to make diving travel plans with the Covid-19 pandemic. In the world before the coronavirus, I used to go diving in the Philippines or Indonesia... In the world after, I dive in Brittany in green and cold waters.
In the Philippines, Balicasag Island is a popular dive site. You can observe a huge silvery school of trevallies, spinning near the reef. A fascinating sight...
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.
Fancy Indonesia? I will take you diving in the waters of Sali Kecil, a remote little island on the west coast of Halmahera. Magnificent!
It is called dugong or "sea cow". I was lucky enough to watch this fascinating animal in its natural environment, in Alor, Indonesia.
In the Philippines, Tubbataha Marine National Park is open only three months per year. It is an underwater jewel, with exuberant coral and abundant life below the waves.
In the Philippines, it is THE mythical encounter that all divers dream of: the whale shark, the biggest fish in the world.
Fancy some exuberant coral and wriggling fish? A little corner of authentic Indonesia? Welcome to Kampanar, Sulawesi!
They are beautiful, long-legged sharks! I loved watching and photographing them in the Red Sea. But I admit, they are also a little scared ...
Here, there are swarms of sparkling fish and a jumble of multicoloured corals... I take you diving in the waters of Misool, in the south of Raja Ampat.
Sipadan. An island of dreams, explored by Cousteau. But under military surveillance, for the safety of divers and the preservation of the reef.
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.
March 2013. Bangka Island, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. My new home, for a few days, is called Coral Eye. What a beautiful name!
Diving at Raja Ampat... A dream. But beware, a trip to Raja Ampat requires that you behave as a responsible visitor. Tourism, which is booming in this archipelago, is threatening one of the most magnificent reservoirs of biodiversity on the planet.
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.
Get your snorkel ready, but forget about The Big Blue and Flipper Dolphin... There's something better!!! I take you to watch Egyptian dolphins in a 1.5 minute video.
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.
Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud's new film will be released on Wednesday. I was able to watch Oceans in December, long before the official release. And I've met the film crew.
During the day, turtles from Derawan Island (Borneo, Indonesia) swim under the jetties. At night, they lay their eggs in the still-warm sand.
My clown fishes in one! I'm not a little proud... several...
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.
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.
The coral-eating acanthaster starfish is called "crown of thorns" in English ... or COT. This Sunday, it's COT's party!
Last day of diving in Tioman, peninsular Malaysia side. A day dedicated to the dreaded acanthaster, coral starfish ...
Info found on Plongeur.com. Read the full description here on...
