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Book a trip to Atlantis Resort Dumaguete and participate in a coral reef restoration project..!

In partnership with the Keys’ Coral Restoration Foundation, along with the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium in Utah and The Mead Foundation for sustainable development in the Philippines, this highly regarded 44-room tropical resort is busy building a large coral nursery in Dauin — and inviting visiting divers to help out for a week in September 2022. Restoration dives will involve collecting broken coral fragments from the reef and placing them on the nursery trees; at the same time, there’ll be educational sessions about coral ecology and conservation techniques.

Known for its frogfish and black volcanic sands, Dauin has long been a bastion of marine preservation in a country where 98% of the reefs are currently classified as threatened. The Atlantis Dumaguete Resort is situated just minutes from more than 20 dive spots, most are marine protected areas with reefs marked by buoys, where all activity is regulated and no fishing is permitted. Day trips from the resort include nearby Apo Island, Siquijor, and Oslob for snorkelling with whale sharks.

Conservationists have welcomed the announcement by Ecuador that it will expand the marine reserve around the Galapagos islands by 60,000 sq km.

President Guillermo Lasso announced the move at the COP 26 climate summit in Glasgow. Mr. Lasso told the BBC that his government wanted to show that action rather than words was the most effective way to fight climate change. Conservationists called it "a brilliant first step". The existing marine protected area around the Galapagos measures 133,000 sq km and was one of the first large-scale marine conservation areas to be created. It is one of the most productive marine ecosystems in the world. Conservationists hope that its expansion will protect the migration routes of endangered species such as the whale shark and make the reserve more resilient to climate change.

Among those praising the move is Sarah Darwin, the great-great-granddaughter of biologist Charles Darwin, whose theory of evolution was inspired by the biodiversity he found on the Galapagos. Sarah, a botanist and an ambassador for the Galapagos Conservation Trust, told the BBC that she was "very, very excited that President Lasso is taking the Galapagos so seriously".

"We're really looking forward to taking further conservation measures forward with him both in the marine reserve and the islands themselves," she said. "This is a real commitment, I think." But the CEO of the Galapagos Conservation Trust, Sharon Johnson, said it was important that the resources be put in place to adequately protect the newly enlarged reserve. In 2020, a huge number of Chinese fishing boats were spotted in waters off the Galapagos with conservationists accusing the fleet of "pillaging" the area for squid.

President Lasso denied that the expansion of the marine reserve was a response to the Chinese fleet's movements, insisting it was "an autonomous decision of the Ecuadorean government". Mr. Lasso said that in his most recent conversation with the Chinese president he sensed "a clear commitment to respect Ecuador's maritime" and that he, therefore, hoped there would be no repeat of the scenes which had played out in 2020. He added that his government would swap debt for conservation to create a fund that would allow Ecuador to beef up navy patrols to protect the area and to provide artisanal fishermen working outside the marine reserve with support. 

The Galapagos and the seas surrounding them are a unique ecosystem home to whales, turtles, and tuna, explain Prof Sandy Tudhope and Dr. Meriwether Wilson from the University of Edinburgh. The fact that they are so rich in commercially important species is also what makes them so attractive to fishermen, say the two scientists, who were part of the team whose research underpinned the decision to expand the reserve.

Check out our Galapagos Liveaboards -->  Ecuador Liveaboards

Our thanks to Vanessa Buschschluter - BBC News for this article. Full article HERE.

• Round trip airport transfers to/from Matei Airport​
• Oceanview Suite accommodations​
• Meal Plan with Breakfast, 2-course Lunch, 3-course Dinner​
• 2-Tank boat dives, unlimited shore dives during shop hours​
• Add Nitrox - $168 for 10 tanks​
• Non-diver discount - $500 off 7 night package, $650 off 10 night package​
• Free room upgrade to Oceanfront Suite if available​

Our exciting Malapascua – Cebu charter offers some of the best diving in the Philippines, including Sumilon Island, Pescador Island & Malapascua’s Gato Island, home of a sea crate protected breeding sanctuary. This charter includes another Malapascua favorite, Monad Shoal, known for frequent sightings of thresher sharks as well as manta rays. In addition to these pelagic species, the Malapascua area offers a wide variety of critter diving not to mention abundant reefs and wall diving. Leaving Malapascua, we head to Calanggaman Island, one of Philippines most beautiful islands. Next we head to Bohol for again a wide variety of reef, wall & critter diving as well as some land tour opportunities for those so inclined. As a Grand Finale we finish the itinerary on the dramatic walls of Balicasag, one of our favorite dives. This itinerary is hard to beat if you want a wide variety of locations as well as incredible diving.

The Visayas are one of the three island groups in the Philippines; enjoy six fabulous days diving from the Atlantis Azores around one of the most beautiful and bio-diverse regions in Asia. Easy cruises each evening will take you from one great dive site to another. With easy transfers, consider a combo trip with Atlantis Dumaguete for a multiple-week first-class dive vacation at a very reasonable investment.

• KOMODO-ALOR | 05-Jul-22 ~ 16-Jul-22 | 11 nights | 1 single bed available (female) $7370 USD
• ALOR-KOMODO | 04-May-23 ~ 15-May-23 | 11 nights | 2 single beds available ( female and male)
• ALOR | 26-Jul-23 ~ 02-Aug-23 | 7 nights | 6 cabins available
• KOMODO-ALOR | 03-Sep-23 ~ 14-Sep-23 | 11 nights | 2 cabins available
• ALOR-KOMODO | 02-May-24 ~ 13-May-24 | 11 nights | 6 cabins available
• KOMODO-ALOR | 22-Jul-24 ~ 02-Aug-24 | 11 nights | 6 cabins available
• ALOR | 04-Aug-24 ~ 13-Aug-24 | 9 nights | 7 cabins available $6160 USD
• ALOR | 15-Aug-24 ~ 24-Aug-24 | 9 nights | 7 cabins available $6160 USD

• KOMODO-ALOR | 05-Jul-22 ~ 16-Jul-22 | 11 nights | 1 single bed available (female) $7370 USD
• ALOR-KOMODO | 04-May-23 ~ 15-May-23 | 11 nights | 2 single beds available ( female and male)
• KOMODO-ALOR | 03-Sep-23 ~ 14-Sep-23 | 11 nights | 2 cabins available
• ALOR-KOMODO | 02-May-24 ~ 13-May-24 | 11 nights | 6 cabins available
• KOMODO FOCUS | 15-May-24 ~ 23-May-24 | 8 nights | 7 cabins available
• KOMODO-SUMBAWA | 25-May-24 ~ 02-Jun-24 | 8 nights | 6 cabins available
• KOMODO-ALOR | 22-Jul-24 ~ 02-Aug-24 | 11 nights | 6 cabins available 

2. More dives each day

If you love scuba diving as much as we do, then you will want to make the most of being in the water. With 3-4 dives a day you’ll have plenty of time to explore the beauties of the underwater world. Your itinerary could look something like this: a refreshing, early morning dive to start your day, a mid-morning channel dive to build your appetite for lunch, an exciting wreck dive in the afternoon, and an adrenaline-fuelled night dive with nurse sharks to finish off the day. What diver doesn’t love having more dives, more locations, and more experiences all in one day?

3. Pristine dive sites

The more accessible a dive spot is, the more divers you’ll usually find on the reef. Too many divers on one site can result in poor visibility and damaged reef systems. These things can impact the enjoyment of your diving experience. Nobody wants to go on a dive vacation just to see few fish and poor visibility. Many of the dive destinations our dive buddies experience are only accessible by liveaboard boats. The result is that the dive sites are pristine with an abundance of undisturbed marine critters to share your dive. With multiple dives a day there is plenty for you to explore. We offer trips around the world including the Red Sea, the Maldives, the Galapagos, the Socorro Islands, Sea of Cortez, Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, Truk Lagoon, and Palau to name a few.

4. Hassle-Free Diving

From the joy that comes once you have made that giant stride and submerged yourself in the water, most divers will agree that diving’s downsides take place above the water. Thankfully, liveaboards save you from these challenges. On most boats, the crew will help you get out of the water and will also help remove your fins and BCD. The crews make sure you don’t have to lift finger before or after your dive. And You will wake up on top of your next dive site. Plus, being on a liveaboard boat takes away the hassle of getting between site locations. You can relax in plush surroundings, while the captain navigates to your next inspirational dive site.

5. Comfortable and flexible surroundings

On a liveaboard, the crew will ensure you enjoy your fourth dive as much as your first. Wouldn’t it be better to spend time between dives relaxing? Wouldn’t you rather spend time talking to your buddy about the experience that you just shared? Liveaboards are designed to make your time out of the water as memorable as your time within it. Whether you are swimming with a whale shark or sitting on a spacious deck, sipping a beverage, and admiring the sunset, the whole experience is designed to be easy and comfortable. Can you think of anything better than falling asleep listening to the sounds of the sea while drifting off in a remote corner of the world? Waking up on top of your next dive site?

They made a concerted effort to rid a nearby dive site of years and years of fishing line, cleaning the newly opened Underwater Military Museum of the single-use plastic and aluminum cans that blow in off the shore of the public beach, and their house reef. From December 15th – June 29th they cleaned 1230 kilos of debris. Anywhere from 2 to 5 volunteer divers joined the staff in these cleanups. The dive center did not charge any of the volunteers for dives and if they wanted to do a fun dive afterward, they did so offering a 20% discount.  

Every one of those kilos of debris were sorted, counted, and weighed according to PADI Project Aware and then the data was uploaded on the Project AWARE website. Deep Blue partnered with their next-door neighbor, H&S Watersports, in these cleanup campaigns. The staff of H&S did several shore cleanups and gathered loads of plastic bottles, cigarette butts, plastic bags, and other items. In addition, two volunteers at the dive shop did a Go Fund Me campaign to help pay staff salaries for cleanups. They successfully raised $2835, exceeding their goal of $2800. And Deep Blue management was able to find other creative ways of funding salaries for the cleanups as well. All of this helped keep staff on board during the challenge of the pandemic.

When business started picking up after Jordan’s reopening to tourists, the cleanup campaign was slowed, but the effect of the work they did was apparent. Mohammed Leddawi, the Operation Manager, and owner of Deep Blue also used the downtime to give the business a facelift, ensure that all equipment was in top shape, ensure Covid measures were put in place, and work on improving the dive boats through remodels and refurbishing. All of this to improve customer experiences.

Slowly the dive center is rising from the pandemic. The pandemic was tough, and still is, on tourism-related businesses, but Deep Blue staff kept up good spirits though continuing to work hard and showing their love and concern for healthy reefs through regular cleanups. 

Learn more about Deep Blue Dive Center at: https://www.deepbluedivecenter.com

• Vancouver, Canada

Home to octopus, wolf eels, and anemones, Vancouver’s kelp forests should be on every diver’s bucket list. The forest is made up of bull kelp, which is a delicate golden-brown that drifts back and forth through the water. The plants grow up to 115 feet, and up to 10 inches a day as they mature. One of the most popular dive sites is the advanced Race Rocks, located along the southern end of Vancouver Island. This site often has extreme weather and has access to large marine life such as humpback whales and orcas. 

Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand 

Although kelp diving is most popular along the western coast of the U.S. and Canada, there are still some amazing sites south of the equator. The Poor Knights Islands in New Zealand have everything from gardens to volcanic walls to caves. The dense kelp forest thrives where the ocean floor begins to slope and is the perfect hiding place for the smallest of creatures. Poor Knights Island is known for the large groups of bull rays, long-tail rays, and short-tail rays. During the southern hemisphere’s summer, pods of orca whales pass through. 

Cape Town, South Africa

Not only is Cape Town, the capital of South Africa, a great pick for exploring wrecks and spotting diverse marine life, it also has stunning kelp forests. Kelp dives typically start in the A-Frame before entering other sites like Castle Rock. This site is known for sightings of pyjama sharks, shy sharks, butterfish, cape knife jaws, and steenbras. Summer is the best time to dive in Cape Town, and the Atlantic side reaches visibility of up to 65 feet, but with a chilling water temperature of 50° F.