On February 4th 2019, the vessel “Solomon Trader” from Hong Kong ran aground in Rennell Province in the Solomon Islands during Cyclone Oma. The ship was carrying 800 tonnes of fuel, and it is feared that up to 100 tonnes has spilled into the sea and onto the surrounding reef. Given the potential for escalating damage, the Solomon Islands Government has requested assistance from Australia; teams of equipment, vessels and experts have now been sent. 

Rennell Island is 250km south of Honiara, Guadalcanal. The proximity of the incident from our liveaboard operations therefore means that we do not anticipate any immediate impact on upcoming departures. However, the potential implications on both the marine environment and the indigenous people is significant. The eastern half of Rennell Island is on the world heritage list and is home to 1,200 Solomon Islanders who live by subsistence farming, huntingand fishing. 

We will be monitoring the situation closely, and will offer any assistance that we can. Further updates will follow as we receive them.

For more information, please visit http://www.wwdas.com 

The Phinisi yacht is the new addition to The Junk brand and will operate diving liveaboard cruises in Thailand and Myanmar starting November 1st 2018.

She will offer four different routes that cover the best of diving in Thailand: Similan & Surin Islands including the famous Richelieu Rock, as well as Phi Phi Islands, Koh Haa and the two famous dive sites Hin Deang and Hin Muang. Itineraries vary between 4 and 6 nights, and are ideally combined into a 10 night itinerary. On top of that, Myanmar is added to the schedule from 2019 onwards with 7 and 10 night cruises around the Mergui Archipelago.

Officially known as ‘Cheng I Sao’, The Phinisi (pronounced: Pinisi) is fully equipped to accommodate 18 divers in 7 en-suite cabins with individual air conditioning units. Guests can choose between flexible double/twin, fixed twins, and quad cabins. Full of character and charm, The Phinisi also has quite a remarkable history.

Custom-built in 2007 as a liveaboard yacht in classic Indonesian Phinisi style, she became part of the WWDAS fleet as Sampai Jumpa Lagi. In 2008, she was renamed Siren; the first vessel to bear the name of what later became the well-known Siren Fleet. She successfully operated in Thailand, Myanmar, the Andaman Islands, Indonesia, and the Maldives.

The Phinisi has had a break from hosting liveaboards for the last couple of years; instead she has been cruising with guests on day trips around the islands near Phuket. Now she is back! New colours, new name, but with the same characteristic style and outstanding service that people have become accustomed to on The Junk.

For more information and bookings, consult our website at: http://www.thejunk.com 

Based on previous success, Siren Fleet proudly announces a second ‘Special Siren Trip’ on 9-19 January 2019 in cooperation with LAMAVE. Dive some of the best sites in the Philippines and assist LAMAVE with their invaluable research to whale sharks, manta rays and turtles! 

On this Philippine Siren special itinerary: Southern Leyte and Bohol, you are invited to join in for exploratory dives to deploy or retrieve acoustic receivers at multiple sites along the route of the trip, including Cabilao, Balicasag, and Pamilacan. Your help is also greatly appreciated with Photo ID research to mantas, turtles and whale sharks.

This trip, Gonzalo Araujo from LAMAVE will be on board and will give several presentations explaining LAMAVE’s research and how it can lead to conservation. He is an expert on whale shark research and conservation across different locations in the Philippines. 

LAMAVE – Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines – is the largest independent non-governmental organisation dedicated to conservation of marine megafauna and protection of their habitats in the Philippines. Besides their research activities, an equally important part of their work is providing information, education and raising awareness.

Siren Fleet embraces LAMAVE’s work and objectives and we will donate a portion of all income of this cruise to them. Sign up for this Special Siren Trip, so you can participate and contribute on multiple levels to help this NGO continue their valuable work!

Contact us today at http://www.wwdas.com for more information and bookings.

Combine your dive liveaboard cruise in Philippines, Palau or Truk with diving in Yap and receive 10% off both!

Siren Fleet and Master Liveaboards are excited to announce new diving combination packages with Manta Ray Bay Resort in Yap. This tiny island in the Pacific is a tropical jewel, well hidden from the rest of the world. Resident mantas and a huge reef shark population give Yap its diving fame. It is a pristine paradise surrounded by clear blue water, exquisite coral gardens, channels, and reef walls that will awe even the most seasoned diver. Seize this opportunity while you are in the region to visit this exclusive diving treasure away from the crowds. Macro lovers will be duly impressed by the variety of critters on display. Diving in Yap is fantastic all year round; the average air temperature is 27°C (80°F) whilst the water is a very comfortable 28°C (82°F). Visibility is generally very good and can get up to a stunning 50 metres (164ft)!

Our partner in Yap, Manta Ray Bay Resort, was built for divers by divers and offers 35 comfortable, well-appointed a/c rooms, each with a unique marine design. You can choose between three different room types: Standard, Ocean View, and Deluxe Ocean View. The in-house 5* PADI & SSI Platinum dive centre is fully equipped to meet all divers’ needs; nitrox, lockable camera bays, modern boats, and personal storage bays. Courses are on offer as well.

Read more about the packages available here: https://www.masterliveaboards.com/yap-combo-packages/

Following the recent merger with blue o two, Master  Liveaboards is pleased to announce yet another vessel to its ever growing network of worldwide liveaboards; the Solomons  PNG Master.

Explore the Solomon Islands with it’s exquisite diving, truly one of the last diving frontiers, with pristine coral reefs  and an unparalleled variety of marine life. Dive into history and explore the many WWII wrecks in the Iron Bottom Sound. Sojourn comfortably on board the Solomons PNG Master that many will already know as Taka, the much respected vessel operating liveaboard cruises in the Solomon Islands since 2013 with Solomon Islands Dive Expeditions. The custom-built vessel will begin operations as Solomons PNG Master officially in January 2018, however existing cruises on the 2017 schedule are open for bookings also.

As the name suggests Master Liveaboards is not offering just one, but TWO new destinations; Papua New Guinea (PNG) is now  on the menu as well! From April 2018, Master Liveaboards will be offering the best liveaboard diving in PNG for several months of the year, including amazing transition trips, aboard Solomons PNG Master. The diving in PNG is virgin territory: so remote and unexplored to the extent that new marine species  are still being discovered there.

Schedules for Solomons PNG Master will be available and open for sale from the 21st of September with cruises in the  Solomon Islands available immediately, with the first cruises to Papua New Guinea starting in April 2018.

Contact us for more information and reservations at https://www.masterliveaboards.com/solomons/

Do you have any plans for this summer/winter? Siren Fleet and Master Liveaboards have some great alternatives for you to enjoy your next liveaboard holidays.  Dive in the tropics and bring back some incredible memories.

Komodo – Indonesia

A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1991, Komodo has one of the richest reefs in the world thanks to its privileged position. Located in the heart of the Coral Triangle, 2 major currents converge here. To the North, the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean; and to the South, the cold waters of the Indian Ocean attract a large number of pelagics looking for food: mantas, sharks, turtles, Napoleon wrasses, as well as incredible macro – pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs, frogfish, porcelain crabs, coral shrimps. Its volcanic sands also have great muck diving.

Visayas and Malapascua – Philippines

The Visayas, known as the mecca of diving in the Philippines, offer a wide variety of macro life that will keep you so busy looking for the most incredible sea critters that you won’t notice the time pass under the water! You will also have the opportunity to dive with big schools of barracudas, trevallies and sardines! As well as snorkel with the majestic whale shark in Oslob and dive with thresher sharks in Malapascua!

Palau

In Palau, you will experience some of the most incredible close encounters you have ever had! Sharks, mantas, Napoleon wrasses, Bumphead Parrotfish, school of barracudas and jacks! As well as drift dives, cave dives and wreck dives!

Fiji

Known as the Soft Coral Capital of the World, in Fiji you will experience some of the most colorful dives of your life! Red, yellow, orange, blue, green, pink, purple … hiding amazing macro life! Nudibranchs, pigmy sea horses or ghost pipefish! Summer time is known to be the best time to dive Fiji. You will experience cold water which brings a bigger amount of sharks and mantas! One of the most incredible encounters you will experience in Fiji will be the Hammerhead shark!

French Polynesia

French Polynesia, situated in the heart of the Pacific Ocean, hides under its pristine waters and white sandy beaches one of the most amazing diving experiences that will captivate even the most blasé of divers. Sharks everywhere! As well as mantas, dolphins, huge schools of fish and, for the very lucky ones, humpback whales from July to November!

Maldives

The abundance of marine life in the Maldives can be attributed to the ideal growing conditions the waters provide for the coral reef. They constantly receive nutrients from ocean currents that favor the explosion of marine life. These coral reefs are home to more than 700 species of fish, many of which are ocean rarities. In the lagoons you can find whale sharks, turtles, octopus, manta rays and the giant Napoleon wrasse to name just a few!

Red Sea

Considered as one of the most beautiful submarine paradises of the world, the Red Sea is also called an underwater “Garden of Eden”.  With miles of beautiful coral reef, numerous wrecks and a vast array of marine life from brightly coloured nudibranch and tropical fish to large pelagics such as oceanic white tips and hammerheads, there really is something for everyone!

Truk Lagoon

Truk is a wreck lovers’ heaven: around 61 wrecks that can be explored both inside and out. Many historical artefacts such as medicine bottles and newspapers along with articles of war, which include planes, tanks, funs, gas masks and ammunition, can still be found at many of the sites. However, there is so much underwater life that even if you tire of the wrecks you can enjoy the dives. There are many excellent reef dives, with pinnacles and deep channels which attract a range of sharks and schooling pelagic species.

Galapagos

UNESCO World Heritage since 1978, Galapagos Islands have been called a unique “living museum and showcase of evolution”. Experience diving with thousands of hammerheads sharks, whale sharks, manta rays, turtles as well as discovering one of the rarest macro creatures in the world: red lipped batfish. Sights on land are also unique in the Galapagos: watch sea iguanas, penguins and lazy sea lions sunbathing on the beach.

Experience these incredible destinations on board the Siren Fleet and Master Liveabaords. Both offer incredible liveaboard holidays on board wooden or steel yacht with a variety of itinerary from 6 – 14 nights. All this surrounded by their professional, experienced and friendly crew.

All vessels feature a/c cabins with en-suite facilities and plenty of space for you to relax and enjoy your time onboard.     Each yacht has a dedicated camera set-up and charging station with plenty of additional storage for all your extra lenses, strobes and batteries. It is thoughtful touches such as these that make Siren Fleet and Master Liveaboards the best choice for both professional and amateur photographers.

As Worldwide Dive and Sail and blue o two are celebrating their merge, they have invited you to the party and have put together a 3 month celebration to make sure everyone gets the chance to join in the party! They have some amazing offers on all the above diving destinations all the way to the end of the year! Up to 25% discount on specific dates!

Let’s enjoy the party with them and book your next holiday liveaboard trip with Siren Fleet and Master Liveaboard!!!

Further information on the following links:

http://sirenfleet.com/liveaboard-offers/summer-merge-mania-specials/  http://www.masterliveaboards.com/summer-merge-mania-specials/

After launching Maldives, Bahamas and Red Sea only late 2016, Master Liveaboards are pleased to announce yet another exciting destination: Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands! This exclusive and unparalleled diving destination is undisputedly ranked first on any serious wreck & technical divers’ bucket list. This is well justified; as nowhere else on earth you will be able to dive such a unique collection of historic battleships, cruisers, as well as the world famous USS Saratoga aircraft carrier with its 270m (888ft.) flight deck. For this reason, Bikini Atoll has been declared the first UNESCO World Heritage site for the Marshall Islands archipelago in 2010.

In the 1940’s and 50’s, the United States designated Bikini a testing site to launch a multitude of atomic bombs on a collection of war naval ships. This resulted in the most exciting and interesting underwater wreck graveyard in the world surrounded by untouched coral gardens. The ultimate wreck diving for the true fans.

Regular trips will start from May 2018 and will be operated by the Truk Master, offering a choice of 10 and 11 nights’ trips to a maximum of 11 guests per cruise. Most wrecks in Bikini Atoll are located beyond recreational diving maximum depths; therefore technical diving skills and wreck experience are required.

Contact us for more information and reservations visit: http://www.masterliveaboards.com

Following the recent merger announcement between Worldwide Dive and Sail and blue o two, Master Liveaboards has now announced that it will be adding three new vessels to it’s existing fleet.

Following the recent merger announcement between Worldwide Dive and Sail and blue o two, Master Liveaboards has now announced that it will be adding three new vessels to it’s existing fleet.

Bahamas Master

From 2018 Master Liveaboards will take ownership of the respected MV Yemaya, currently operating in Cocos and Malpelo. Following a short cosmetic refurbishment, the boat will be moved from the Pacific to the Atlantic where she will begin operations in March 2018 as the Bahamas Master. Based out of Freeport, she will offer 7, 10 and 14 night cruises for up to 16 guests, predominantly based around the amazing shark encounters available in the area. Itineraries will cover tiger sharks at Tiger Beach, hammerhead sharks in Bimini, oceanic white tip sharks at Cat Island as well as dolphin and shark combo experiences in the summer months.

Red Sea Master

As part of the merge activity, from mid-2017, the newly merged group will also be offering cruises in the Red Sea aboard M/Y blue Horizon which is to be re-branded as the Red Sea Master. Operating as the flagship of the blue o two Red Sea fleet since 2006, with a major refit only last year, the boat has won multiple Best Liveaboard and Liveaboard of the Year awards with both Diver and Sport Diver magazines in the UK. A range of itineraries will cover the whole of the Egyptian Red Sea from the Strait of Tiran in the north to St Johns in the deep south, for up to 26 guests. These itineraries cater for a wide variety of interests and locations suitable for both novice and experienced divers and will be hitting all the Red Sea legends including SS Thistlegorm, Elphinstone, Daedalus, Brothers and everything in between.

Maldives Master

Also in 2017, the Maldives will be on the menu for the Master Liveaboards fleet as M/Y blue Voyager will be offered as the Maldives Master. Operating in the Maldives since November 2015 with a range of itineraries from 7 nights to an incredible 22 nights, this newly refurbished vessel offers up to 26 guests cruises throughout some of the best diving in the Indian Ocean in spacious luxury. Boasting the largest dhoni in the area, Maldives Master has 13 comfortable cabins including three suites, a Jacuzzi, and seven social areas, including a sky lounge and bar, so guests can be assured they can explore these turquoise atolls in relaxed comfort.

Please, visit the Master Liveaboards website for more information

Worldwide Dive and Sail and blue o two are pleased to announce that they are in the final stages of finalising a merge that will bring their two companies together in a merger of equals.

The parties intend to pursue a combining and growth of their liveaboard fleets, while separately continuing the international growth of blue o two, which is already the UK’s largest scuba diving tour operator, as a provider of worldwide adventure travel products. The deal is expected to be completed by the end of 2016, with the re- branding and combining of fleets expected to follow 18-24 months after the subsequent closing of the merger, subject to regulatory and board approval.

The combination of these two like-minded and complementary businesses will create a leading player in the dive industry. It is the culmination of four years of talks and an extension of the existing partnership that they began with formation of Master Liveaboards in 2014.

Following completion of the transaction board members and other executives, as well as the name of the merged group, will be announced.

In a joint statement, the owners of both companies said…

“We are extremely excited about the future. We are looking forward to using the combined innovation and passion that both companies are already known for to continue to expand our product range globally by investing in an ever growing portfolio of international destinations. It will allow us to provide both our existing and future customers with an unparalleled service to build a sense of adventure and excitement from the moment they discover our products and services”

Are you a wreck-fanatic and/or a tec diver and ready for exciting wrecks? Come and join us aboard the new and luxurious Truk Master yacht to explore some of the best WWII wrecks in history. Operations in Truk Lagoon have now commenced with both 7 and 10 night itineraries available.

Diving in Truk (also known as Chuuk) Lagoon is quite unlike any other destination you probably have ever been to. A historically important site: the sunken Japanese Imperial fleet of war and merchant vessels that has, over time, developed into a beautiful coral reef. This combination makes for a unique diving experience. Many war and cargo relics remain on the vessels, creating an exceptional atmosphere and an extraordinary diving experience.

In February of 1944, during WWII, the Americans launched Operation Hailstone on the Japanese naval base in Truk. They effectively eradicated 61 ships with a combined air/naval and submarine strike. The result of this attack is a collection of shipwrecks closely packed into a coral lagoon, many of which lie at depths easily reached by recreational divers. For tec & wreck specialist divers, Truk is a diving delight as well as many wrecks can be explored and penetrated in deeper waters (40+ meters).

Highlights:

• Fujikawa Maru – An armed cargo ship measuring 132m and featuring a 6-inch bow gun. She was carrying several parts of a Zero Fighter Aircraft, such as propeller blades and engine parts, still visible today. Deeper down into the ship there are 4 more disassembled Japanese fighter planes: Mitsubishi A5M and Mitsubishi A6M.
• Submarine 1.169 – Submerging quickly to avoid damage during the attacks in 1944, the crew omitted to close the valves causing the submarine to sink completely. She is now at her final resting place at 38m depth.
• Nippo Maru – This 118m long cargo ship carried a tank and Howitzer guns and lies at a depth of 18-48m.

Truk Master crew and boat

The crew of the Truk Master will provide you with the top-notch service that Master Liveaboards is known for. The yacht has undergone a complete re-fit through 2016, to meet all specific requirements of divers on a liveaboard holiday; i.e. luxurious cabins with en-suite bathrooms, plenty of space to stow your diving gear and personal belongings, and a special camera set up area.

Contact Master Liveaboards for more information and bookings at: www.masterliveaboards.com  or contact your preferred agent.

While the Tubbataha 2016 season is barely over, we already look forward to coming season, which is already filling up swiftly. Check out this exciting event in spring 2017: hop on board the Philippine Siren on our 29 March- 4 April 2017 – 6 nights cruise and get even more out of your Tubbataha liveaboard dive trip!

• Assist the LAMAVE team in monitoring tiger shark and gray reef shark behaviour.
• Join in for exploratory dives to deploy new acoustic receivers to track individual (whale) sharks, manta rays and analyse the gathered data from existing receivers.
• Help with identifying individual tagged species of (whale) sharks, manta rays and turtles to be able to count their numbers.

LAMAVE – Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines – is the largest independent non-profit non-governmental organisation dedicated to the conservation of marine megafauna and the protection of their habitats in the Philippines. They have been working with the Tubbataha Management Office and it’s rangers since 2015 to assess the biodiversity, shark/ray behaviour and study the whereabouts of shark/ray species in the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park. You can find out more about LAMAVE on: www.lamave.org.

One of the main goals of this expedition on the Philippine Siren is to retrieve and deploy acoustic monitoring stations, and download the data for the first time to see how tiger sharks and gray reef sharks use the North and South Atolls of Tubbataha Reefs.

Working in close collaboration with the park rangers, LAMAVE apply several research techniques to gather their data. The divers will be trained in these data collection methods, especially in Photo-Identification. This technique aims to identify single individual animals based on the distribution of the unique spots and stripes patterns on their body. Divers will be able to match each of their photos taken during the encounter with the national and international catalogue to learn more about the history of each individual mantas and whale sharks and directly contribute to the conservation of the species.  The -so called- Citizen Science does not stop with whale sharks and mantas. LAMAVE, in collaboration with the Tubbataha Management Office, use divers’ photos and reports to assess the biodiversity of these amazing corners of paradise.

To date, LAMAVE’s research has shown the presence of 23 different species of sharks and rays within the park! Besides their research activities, an equally important part of their work is providing information, education and raising awareness. LAMAVE’s researchers visit local schools, offer film screenings, conduct community art projects and give lectures on plastic pollution, sustainability, coral reefs and (whale) sharks.

Whilst on board, Gonzalo Araujo, who is one of LAMAVE’s executive directors, will give several presentations on LAMAVE’s research. Gonzalo has been working in the Philippines since 2011 and joined LAMAVE in July 2012. Ever since, he has supervised whale shark research and conservation across different sites in the Philippines. He is interested in the movement and ecology of marine megafauna and how we can study them through minimally to non-invasive methods. This includes the use of lasers – photogrammetry, satellite and acoustic tags, remote cameras and new technologies involving DNA. Understanding a species presence and whereabouts is essential to advise the authorities and ensure their conservation.

Worldwide Dive & Sail embraces LAMAVE’s work and objectives and we will donate a portion of all income of this cruise to them. Therefore, sign up for this special cruise, in order for you to participate and contribute in multiple ways to help this NGO continue their valuable work! Contact us today at  http://sirenfleet.com/liveaboard-diving/sharks-lamave.html for more information and bookings.

S/Y June Hong Chian Lee, or The Junk as she is known, is a restored teak wood Chinese merchant sailing vessel that offers a unique liveaboard diving experience in Thailand. With an experienced crew and great food served on board, The Junk is the most charming and distinctive vessel in Thailand. So distinctive in fact that she has been used for several famous movies!

Since her incorporation to the WWDAS flotilla in 2014 she has been offering diving itineraries across the Similan and Surin Islands. As WWDAS is always searching for new exceptional destinations to offer you, they are now offering some great new itineraries while the Similan National Park is closed. Dive with The Junk from May to August and discover the best of the Phi Phi Islands, Koh Haa, Hing Daeng and Hin Muang on a combination of 2 day/1 night and 3 day/2 night cruises!

“This part of the Andaman Sea offer is a great variety of dives for all levels and it will be a pleasure to introduce our guests to it on board such a charming and historic boat!” says company GM, Mark Shandur.

The Junk is a 33m sailing boat with three masts that can take up to 18 divers in 6 air conditioned cabins, offering a choice of double cabins, triple cabins and quads. All of them with their own private bathrooms with hot showers.

The Phi Phi National Marine Park and the islands of Koh Haa offer pinnacles, incredible limestone walls full of healthy soft corals and gorgonians, as well as shallow coral gardens full of macro life ready to be discovered by you! You can find tigertail seahorses, ornate ghost pipefish and nudibranch around the islands, but that’s not all! Leopard sharks, black tip sharks, bamboo sharks, turtles, octopus, scorpion fish, frog fish, schools of barracudas and snappers can also be found. If the weather conditions allow it, The Junk will also offer diving in Hin Deang and Hin Muang. These two sites, only 500 m away to each other, offer a wide diversity of everyday reef life on both sites such as tiny invertebrates, big schools of snappers and barracudas as well as bamboo and leopard sharks!

Dive into the past with The Junk!

Visit our website for further information on the itineraries at: http://www.thejunk.com

Anyone who has dived with Siren Fleet or Master Liveaboards in the past 3 years will know that Worldwide Dive and Sail offers divers the opportunity to rent Nautilus Lifelines at a token rental fee, with all funds from these rentals going to the Siren Foundation that was created to distribute funds yearly to a selection of marine charities.

In the last few months, two areas where Worldwide Dive and Sail operates have been hit massively by natural disasters. Firstly Fiji bore the onslaught of Cyclone Winston, which caused both great damage and loss of life across the country. Then only 2 short months later, Ecuador was hit by a 7.8 earthquake that caused damage and loss of life, particularly in the western coastal areas.

“After the difficulties these countries are both currently in the process of overcoming, that this year’s donation should literally be a Lifeline. As such Frank and I have decided that the money from 2015 will be split between two charities that are involved in overcoming the effects of these disasters.” says company GM, Mark Shandur.

In Fiji, the money will be donated to the Sea Save Foundation that is working directly to help Fijian families rebuild their lives. Worldwide Dive and Sail partners in Fiji, Volivoli Beach Resort, are coordinating the distribution of these funds. For anyone who wishes to contribute directly can do so at this link.

In Ecuador, Worldwide Dive and Sail is currently working with their people on the ground to get the correct NGO for this matter.

Learn more about Worldwide Dive and Sail at: http://www.worldwidediveandsail.com

Learn more about Siren Fleet at: http://www.sirenfleet.com

On the morning of February 20, Fiji encountered the most powerful cyclone in the Pacific nation’s recorded history.

Thanks to the bravery of the captain and crew on board and the following hard work of the Fiji Siren crew and the Siren family ground support, the Fiji Siren is now back in action. Cruises diving the Soft Coral Capital of the World started again on the 14th of April!

Since the cyclone, all the dive shops around Fiji have been checking the reefs in their area and everybody is happy to discover that most of the reefs haven’t been damaged or, if they have, then only suffering minor damage. The feedback from the first trip was kind of great too! Mantas on almost every dive, plenty of sharks, beautiful corals with plenty of macro life and schooling of fish!

• Midway: This area is almost unharmed and the underwater life keeps swimming around the sea fans and hard corals as if nothing has happened: nudibranch, lizard fish, starfish, spotted eagle ray and countless schooling pelagics’ such as blue fin trevally, jacks and barracuda are all still in attendance.

• Vatu I Ra Passage: This area has no damage and you wouldn’t know a massive storm had recently passed by! The soft corals are out en mass, as are the fish life with black tip, white tip and grey reef sharks, huge schools of giant trevally, jacks, unicorn fish and groupers all cruising around.

• Vatu Lacu: The healthy reefs and prolific fish life are everywhere! Lots of sharks, plenty of nudibranch, cheeky blennies, everyone’s favorite Nemo and of course our trademark anthea’s in schools way too big to count.

• Tavenui: Most of the area is just as before! The hard corals, soft corals, giant trevally, whitetip reef sharks, pipefish, nudibranchs, garden eels, schooling fusiliers, unicornfish, schools of fish are in full bloom in all colours of the rainbow!

• Beqa Lagoon: The entire Coral Coast between Nadi and Suva including Pacific Harbour were relatively unaffected by the cyclone. There was only minimal damage and the bull sharks are already missing you!!!!

The Fiji Siren offers affordable luxury liveaboards in Fiji all year round with a choice of 7 or 10 night itineraries, with 4 guided dives per day in small groups. All this surrounded by their professional, experienced and friendly crew.

The vessel features a/c cabins with en-suite facilities and plenty of space for you to relax and enjoy your time onboard, as well as, a dedicated camera set-up and charging station with plenty of additional storage for all your extra lenses, strobes and batteries. It is thoughtful touches such as these that make Siren Fleet the best choice for both professional and amateur photographers. The Fiji Siren offers free essential scuba equipment rental and free Nitrox.

Would you like to support this country of happy and welcoming people, then choose Fiji on board the Fiji Siren! 10% of the value of all Fiji bookings made in April and May 2016 will go to help the people in Fiji, through their campaign with Sea Save to rebuild homes and lives. Sea Save will redistribute the money directly to the people in need! Contact us today!

Learn more at: http://www.sirenfleet.com

February means the Tubbataha National Park is re-opening its doors, much to the delight of anxious divers that have been waiting for this since last June. Due to weather conditions, the park is only accessible by liveaboard from mid-February to mid-June and its remoteness provides a haven for larger pelagics and big fish schools.

Being a Marine Protected Area (which means among other things no fishing), a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1993 and a nominee to be one of the 7 wonders of Nature in 2008, the Tubbataha Reefs National Park is without doubt one of the best places to scuba dive in the world and one of the “must see” diving destinations among divers.

All these titles won’t be enough to describe just how beautiful diving in Tubbataha really is! 360 coral species, 600 different types of fish, 222 species of marine mammals, 11 different shark species, 19 species of rays and 13 whale and dolphin species!!! Not bad considering that many of these animals are considered endangered!

In past seasons Philippine Siren liveaboard guests have seen white tip, grey reef sharks, turtles, schools of trevally, barracuda and snapper on each single dive!!! For the rest of the dives, our past trip reports recorded sightings of mantas, marble rays, eagle rays, Napoleon wrasse, parrot fish, dog tooth tuna, whale sharks, tiger sharks, nurse sharks, hammerhead sharks, and silver tips. Some lucky divers even encountered a thresher shark at Jessie Beazley Reef!!  Not enough? Well, the macro lovers photographed ghost pipefish, frogfish, seahorses and shrimps, all this while surrounded by the stunning corals and huge sea fans that adorn the steep reef walls.

Siren Fleet offers a range of 6-night trips throughout the season, as well as two extended 13-night transfer trips where S/Y Philippine Siren cruises between Cebu and Puerto Princesa that include not only the stunning Tubbataha Reefs, but also the best diving in the Southern Visayas, including the awesome reefs of Apo and Balicasag and for macro lovers needing a fix, the stunning weirdness of Dauin.

For the 2016 Tubbataha season, Philippine Siren is fully booked; however, they still have a few spaces left for 2017. Why not take the chance while the spaces are still there and book it today… Siren Fleet Tubbataha trips sell out very quickly!

Learn more at: http://sirenfleet.com/liveaboards/philippines.html

French Polynesia, surrounded by white sand beaches and situated in the heart of the Pacific Ocean, hides under its pristine waters one of the most amazing diving experiences that will captivate even the most blasé of divers! Hammerhead sharks, tiger sharks, mantas, dolphins, huge schools of fish and, for the very lucky ones, humpback whales!

If you wish to see more specific pelagics, book your trip according to the following dates:

• June: Grouper spawning season
• June to October: Manta season
• July to November: Humpback whale season
• December to March: Hammerhead and eagle ray season

Master Liveaboards, brought to you by Worldwide Dive and Sail; owners and operators of the Siren Fleet, will launch this year the French Polynesia Master! Built of steel and with a cruising speed of 11 knots, she welcomes aboard 25 guests for 7 or 10 night dive safaris diving between Fakarava and Rangiroa in the Tuamotu Archipelago. Providing diving for groups of no more than 5 divers, her 4 decks provide ample space for relaxation as well as dive equipment and camera preparation, whilst her experienced crew members ensure you receive only the highest quality service on your diving holiday.

To plan your next diving holiday in French Polynesia, please contact Master Liveaboards. Don´t think for too long though, French Polynesia Master will be the only liveaboard in the region and has already caused a lot of interest among the diving community since her launch! So don’t delay, contact the team today!

DO YOU WANT TO MAKE YOUR DIVING EXPERIENCE EVEN MORE EXCEPTIONAL AND UNFORGETTABLE? THEN, CONTINUE READING

Either before or after your French Polynesia Master trip, why don’t you join one, or both, of their exceptional proposed excursions in conjunction with an experienced local tour operator that has been operating in the area for 14 years?

1. Diving with Tiger sharks

Dive not only with tiger sharks but also with nurse sharks, black tip reef sharks, grey reef sharks, white tip sharks and lemon sharks!

Your day will start at 8:30 am with a talk about shark behavior and conservation, the shark feeding practice and how to observe sharks in French Polynesia. Then you will go for a 2 dive day trip with 2 experienced dive guides in a small group of up to 12 divers.

2. Snorkeling with Humpback Whales

If what increases your adrenaline is to be with the biggest mammal on earth, then this excursion is right for you!

Every year, beginning in June and ending in December, female humpback whales head to Tahiti to deliver their calves in the comfort of the warm waters of French Polynesia. At the same time, other adults come to find a new mate among the increased numbers of animals in the area while sheltered from their natural offshore predators.

There are only a few places in the world where we can still swim with these amazing animals, so don’t miss this chance while you are in French Polynesia!!

It consists of a half day trip observing and snorkeling with humpback whales.

*Available only from August to mid-November.

For further information on both excursions, please contact the Master Liveaboards reservations team! These are two days out that the whole Worldwide Dive and Sail team highly recommends you!

Learn more at: http://www.masterliveaboards.com/french_polynesia/

After a full 4 month refit in Cebu, under the watchful eye of the Worldwide Dive and Sail team, the Palau Siren will be back in action in February 2016!

If you would like to be hooked in at Blue Corner, drifting in Ulong Channel or experiencing some mantastic dives in German Channel, please contact the Siren Fleet reservations team, they only have availability from June 2016!

Worldwide Dive and Sail is very excited of have the Palau Siren plying the Rock Islands of Palau once again and they have been working on some very special trips, with Paul Collins and Richard Barnden of Sam’s Tours Unique Expeditions, to offer you some very exciting and exceptional trips in 2016 and 2017!

Be prepared to live some truly unique diving experiences with the Palau Siren!

For more information visit:  www.sirenfleet.com

After 4 months diving the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Komodo National Park, the Indo Siren and her crew have now returned to Raja Ampat for a new exciting 7 month season of underwater action!

The archipelago of Raja Ampat lies right in the middle of the Coral Triangle, which is the most bio diverse marine ecosystem on the planet! It hides under its waters three quarters of the world’s coral varieties and more than 2000 species of fish – many of them species you won’t find anywhere else!

Diving Raja Ampat is a true representation of what the Coral Triangle has to offer! Dive a mix of drift dives, dark sand slopes, dramatic walls dotted with huge gorgonian fans, reefs covered with colourful soft corals as well as cleaning stations for manta rays. Expect to see large schools of bumphead parrotfish, snapper, barracuda and trevally. Groups of oriental sweetlips shelter under corals and batfish hang in the currents. Flasher wrasse and anthias add that extra touch of colour, as if it was needed! Manta rays are common at several sites in the north, mobula rays too! White tip, black tip and epaulette sharks are also regularly spotted, not to mention the wobbegong shark, so characteristic of Raja Ampat!

For critter lovers, there are several pygmy seahorse varieties, numerous species of nudibranch, pipefish, crocodile fish, blue ringed octopus, cuttlefish and toadfish.

How to get to Raja Ampat? All Siren Fleet Raja Ampat liveaboard cruises depart from Sorong, which can be reached via Jakarta, Bali or Manado.

The Indo Siren offers a 10 night itinerary diving all around Raja Ampat, from North to South, so you won’t miss anything of what Raja Ampat has to offer you! Each trip cruises between Misool, Batanta, the Fiabacet Chain, the Dampier Strait, Gam, Mansuar and Arborek Islands!

Contact Siren Fleet today, they have very few spaces left in the 2015 – 2016 season!

Learn more at:  www.sirenfleet.com

The Galapagos Master welcomed aboard a group of German divers for a week of unforgettable diving. After greeting everyone with a drink and making sure everyone was comfortably settled into their cabins, Cruise Director Juan Carlos (JC) briefed the guests on what to expect from their Galapagos experience, both in and out of the water. A short while later, we donned our gear for an easy check dive. This was a great chance to fine tune their buoyancy, practice deploying their submersible marker buoys and get a quick glimpse of a playful sea lion or two. It was also the first opportunity for our guests to sample Chef Angel’s otherworldly hot chocolate and hors d’oeuvres, served on deck right after the dive.
All of our guests seemed comfortable, confident and excited to take on the more challenging dives to come. Onward to the island of Santa Cruz!

First on our schedule today was Punta Carrion. Hammerhead sharks, a Galapagos shark, a white tip reef shark, a manta, a mobula ray, an eagle ray, a marble ray and, for those inclined to look for the small stuff, literally thousands of nembrotha nudibranchs. We even enjoyed the company of a few sea lions, who were keen to pose for photographs and show off their underwater barrel rolls.
A short surface interval later, we were back in the water at Isla Moscera for another brilliant dive. Mobula rays, green turtles, a huge manta and 15 – 20 hammerheads were the highlights this time.

With two dives under our weight belts, we turned our attention to topside exploration at Seymour Norte. As soon as we arrived on the island, we were greeted by an enormous iguana lazing in the shade. A few paces later, we came upon a colony of frigate birds nesting just a meter from the walking path. An equally close-up visit with a blue footed booby wrapped up the island tour. No matter how much time we spend in the archipelago, we will never cease to marvel that, in the modern world, it is still possible to have encounters with wild animals that seem to take no notice of our presence. Absolutely wonderful day!
But as fascinating as the terrestrial creatures of Galapagos may be, our guests were already looking forward to the next dive. Lucky for them, our next site was one that should be near the top of every serious diver’s bucket list….the legendary Wolf Island.

To take advantage of the better light and higher activity levels associated with morning dives, we shifted our day’s schedule to the early side, three dives before lunch and one dive in the late afternoon.  This proved to be a wise decision.  On our first dive, at a site called Landslide, there were scalloped hammerheads everywhere, 5-7 at a time at the beginning of the dive, 20-30 at a time toward the end.  Determined to strike while the iron was hot, we returned to Landslide for our second dive and found the site again bustling with shark activity.

As the sun moved higher in the sky for our third and fourth dives, we still had plenty of encounters with hammerheads, green sea turtles and, on our final dive of the day, a dolphin!  Comfortable conditions and lots of marine life…there’s not much more a diver could ask for.    In the meantime, we moved on to perhaps the most iconic dive site in the entire Galapagos archipelago, Darwin Island.

Spirits were high on the dive deck as our divers prepared their gear with Darwin’s Arch beckoning in the distance. To keep a bit of space between our two dive groups, we decided that one group would drop in at the Theater, while the other would drop in at the sandy bottom. We had the dive site to ourselves so there was no need to crowd together.
The 40-meter visibility ensured that we saw everything there was to see: 10 or so hammerheads, a school a barracudas, rainbow runners, and a few yellowfin tunas on the first dive; 30 hammerheads plus a dolphin on the second dive; a few more hammerheads on the third dive; and golden cowrays and more yellowfins on the fourth dive. As we raised the Pilsens at dinner that evening, there were smiles all around.

For our return to Wolf, the scene was familiar: hammerheads zipping by while our divers hunkered down behind the rocks and boulders, trying to remain as still as possible.  The highlight of this day, however, was a pod of 30-40 dolphins which passed through both dive groups at a depth of about 10 meters.  It’s not unusual to glimpse dolphins at a distance, or to see a few up close, but to have so many dolphins, including juveniles, passing to the left, right, above and below is the kind of experience that makes even veteran divers pump their fists with excitement.  Great stuff, Mother Nature!  Please keep it coming.

The following morning we arrived at Punta Vicente Roca on the island of Isabela.  As soon as the first light peeked over the horizon, the area around our anchorage came to life as Galapagos penguins, flightless cormorants and sea lions all began to stir.  Underwater, the action was even better.  At one point, we had no fewer than six mola molas within clear sight.  A few sunfish, too caught up in the pleasures of a cleaning station to pay attention to much else, even drifted within a couple meters of one of our guests.  Add in a few sea lion encounters, a half dozen mobula rays and a Galapagos Bullhead Shark and you have the recipe for another tremendous day of diving in Galapagos.

Back on board, the saloon was abuzz with divers exchanging video footage. Without question, this was a day that will have a special place in our divers’ You Tube channels and personal highlight reels. With only two dives left on our itinerary, and the bar set at a vertiginous height, we bid adieu to Isabela and made our way to Cousins Rock.
The highlight of our last day of diving was a school of 25-35 eagle rays that came close enough to pop our bubbles with their tips of their wings. A great way to end a great week!
The last day of diving is always bittersweet. When each dive is better than the one before, you wish you could stay an extra day/week/month. Sadly, the time has come for our German friends to say farewell. We wish them good health and safe travels.
But for the crew of the Galapagos Master, the diving continues. Tomorrow, we welcome a new group of divers embarking on a new set of adventures. What do the waters of the Galapagos archipelago hold for them? Tune in next week to find out.

Diving the Galapagos is on every diver’s bucket list. The islands are famous for some of the most incredible underwater action in the world!

Find yourself surrounded by huge schools of barracudas, groupers, snappers, jacks or tunas. Dive with curious and playful sea lions, watch marine iguanas eat, be surprised by a big school of dolphins or mobula rays. Drift along with black and white tip sharks, bullhead sharks, Galapagos sharks and of course watch the famous big schools of hammerheads so characteristic of Galapagos waters!

Would you love to experience this but hate diving in cold water? Did you know that from January to June the waters in the Galapagos are milder than you realise, around 70°F (21°C) – 80°F (27°C)? These water temperatures are just perfect for diving with just a wet suit and still being able to get the most of what the Galapagos have to offer! But there’s another plus! These warmer waters bring along generally better visibility, calmer seas and a lot of mantas!

Mantas migrate at this time of the year to mate, so expect to see long mating trains with single females being followed by several males dancing above your head! Something truly beautiful!

Big schools of mobula rays are also seen at this time of the year, as well as a larger number of sea turtles and marine iguanas. Maybe these guys prefer the warmer water too!

This time of the year is also perfect to observe, on land, larger groups of iguanas, flamingos, white-cheeked pintails, albatross, masked and blue footed boobies that love to visit the different liveaboards around the area!

So if you are an avid diver who:

• loves to dive in warm waters
• loves to dive with good viz
• loves to enjoy flat and calm seas during your liveaboard vacations
• loves to dive with mantas
• wants to experience a thrilling underwater experience

Then, diving in the Galapagos from January to June is just for you!

Since the launch of the Galapagos Master last May 2015, she has been operating at full capacity, but due to last minute cancellations in February, there are now some spaces available! Don’t miss this opportunity, contact them today for a once in a lifetime experience!

Learn more at: www.masterliveaboards.com/galapagos

The National park of the Similan Islands is open again to the public, much to the delight of divers and snorkelers! Considered the jewel in the crown of Thailand diving, the Similan and Surin Islands won’t disappoint you! Thriving reefs with over 200 species of soft and hard corals and impressive sea fans abound, as well as an incredible variety of marine life including ghost pipe fish, napoleon wrasse, schools of barracuda, nudibranchs and even beautiful sea horses. There is also plenty of larger life to see with sea turtles, Napoleon wrasse, bumphead parrot fish, leopard sharks, manta rays and of course the majestic whale shark!

Whale sharks wander the warmer seas around the world, either alone or in large numbers, in areas with abundant plankton, their main source of food. One of the main dive sites for seeing whale sharks is Richelieu Rock, some 50 miles or so north of the Similans and a mainstay on every Similan Itinerary.  This limestone pinnacle covered with soft corals slopes steeply to a sandy bottom at 35 meters (120 Ft). The surrounding deep waters of this pinnacle bring up nutrient-rich currents providing the whale sharks with a ready supply of plankton! Did you know the presence of plankton indicates healthy seas?

Known to be seen regularly from January to March, The Junk liveaboard has already been seeing whale sharks from her first trip in November, so expect a bumper season ahead!

The Junk is a 33 m restored teak wood Chinese merchant sailing vessel that can take up to 18 divers in 6 air conditioned cabins, with a choice of double cabins, triple cabins and quads. Each cabin has its own private bathroom with hot water. There is a choice of 4 and 6 night cruises departing from Taplamu Pier, near Khao Lak, or Patong, Phuket.

If you want to live this unforgettable experience, bear in mind that if your gear is serviced and ready to go then you can dive the Similan Islands right now!! Contact The Junk today to book your next diving vacation in Thailand! Limited spaces are available so don’t wait too long!!

Learn more at:  www.thejunk.com

Worldwide Dive and Sail, the founders and owners of Siren Fleet bring you the best diving experiences in South East Asia and the Pacific.  Already cruising and diving in the Philippines, Indonesia, Fiji and Palau with the Siren Fleet, Worldwide Dive and Sail bring you the latest in liveaboard luxury with the launch of their new brand “Master Liveaboards”.

The new fleet is designed to offer divers an even wider choice of diving destinations than that already provided by their phinisi yachts already plying the waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. First on the list is the Galapagos Master, one the most eco-friendly liveaboards in the region. She will be diving the Galapagos Islands with 7 and 10 night itineraries year round to cover both the  “whale shark season” (May – November) and the “manta ray season” (December – April).

Image ©Marcel Wilpernig

Previously operating as the Deep Blue; in November 2014 she began a full refit and modernisation by the Worldwide Dive and Sail team and in May she was ready to start cruising the wild islands of the Galapagos.

The Worldwide Dive and Sail GM, Mark Shandur, and 15 other guests were the lucky ones to experience her maiden trip.  “The diving in the Galapagos is some of the most unique in the world, and we were anxious to jump into the water and experience Darwin’s playground.“ said Mark. The trip was a great success with thrilling dives showcasing hammerheads, schooling fish, huge groupers, marble and spotted eagle rays, enormous turtles and playful sea lions. On land, they had the opportunity to see the amazing wildlife that the land of Darwin has to offer; blue footed boobies, frigate birds and iguanas.

Read about their full adventure in the Galapagos Master maiden trip blog here.

If you want to experience this incredible adventure too then contact  the Master Liveaboards reservations team at http://www.masterliveaboards.com/galapagos. 

What are you waiting for?

Worldwide Dive and Sail are pleased to announce that they will continue to offer Truk Lagoon as a liveaboard destination after the recent loss of the Truk Siren. They have decided to add Truk to the Master Liveaboards roster, alongside the newly commissioned French Polynesia Master and the Galapagos Master, which begins operations this month.

‘‘While we are obviously sad to lose the Truk Siren, we find ourselves in the fortunate position of having a beautiful steel yacht in our possession that is just waiting to be given a destination. She has been used for many years as a private luxury boat and, while she is obviously a different kind of vessel, she is definitely just as beautiful. Truk wasn’t the original plan for her, but we have worked hard with the team and know that she will be perfect there’’ said company founder and CEO, Frank Van der Linde.

The Astral Star is a Codecasa built Long Range Cruiser designed by Camper Nicholson that is built to Lloyds class A1 standard. She was built and operated for private use and literally plied the seven seas before now being purchased by Worldwide Dive and Sail. She will visit dry dock for a refit and modernisation by the experienced Worldwide Dive and Sail team, led by Frank Van der Linde.

The vessel will be launched in February 2016 to offer a choice of 7-night or 10-night trips cruising Truk Lagoon, offering some of the best wreck diving in the world to both the recreational and technical diver. Guests are offered a choice of lower, main or upper deck cabins — in a twin bed or double bed configuration.

With her sleek curves and elegant design the Truk Master is a worthy addition to both the Master Liveaboard fleet and to Truk Lagoon.

Visit the Master Liveaboards website for the full schedule listing and reserve your place on the Truk Master today!

The Siren Fleet is a keen supporter of underwater photography and each of our yachts is designed to accommodate the underwater photographer’s needs. Each Siren yacht has dedicated preparation areas, storage drawers, several charge points, large rinse tanks, and a central computer to edit a hard day’s work as well as a large plasma TV to view and share photos and videos of the cruise.

Joseph Tepper

Throughout the whole year they have a wide selection of escorted underwater photography workshops, hosted by well-known underwater photographers and videographers who provide our guests with the opportunity to develop and improve their photography skills in a variety of destinations.

On the 11^th -21^st June 2015, the Siren Fleet is happy to introduce a new underwater photography workshop, specialising in wide-angle photography, hosted by Joseph Tepper in Fiji on board the Fiji Siren.

Whether you want to learn the basics of wide-angle or master advanced techniques, this workshop is just for you! Joe will deliver a number of seminars on different types of underwater photography techniques such as how to create motion in your images as well as giving some post production tips and tricks in Photoshop. He will also spend some time with each guest to help improve particular underwater photography skills.

The colorful Fijian reefs and their large number of schooling pelagics will provide you with many opportunities to practice what has been learned during the classes and seminars, as well as improving your skills on every single dive.

Joseph Tepper is an award-winning photojournalist, specialising in underwater photography. Despite his young age, Joseph is currently the Associate Editor for Divephotoguide.com and Scuba Diver-Through the Lens, the world’s first global underwater photo magazine. His pictures and articles from all his international trips have been featured in numerous publications such as Scuba Diving, Sport Diver, Scuba Diver-Australasia and California Diver.

“Built by divers for divers”, the Siren Fleet yachts feature individually air conditioned cabins with en-suite facilities and plenty of space for you to relax and enjoy your time onboard. Siren Fleet offers 4 Guided Dives per day in small groups with free scuba equipment rental and Nitrox; all of this surrounded by our professional, experienced and friendly crew.

Book today and receive a 10% discount! Have you already been onboard the Siren Fleet? Quote Summer of Sirens when you contact us and receive something extra special!

What are you waiting for! Contact us via our website at sirenfleet.com and book your trip now! Limited spaces!

The Siren Fleet offers guests the opportunity to dive 2 fabulous dive destinations back to back! Dive the Philippines and Palau from the 11^th to the 24^th of July 2015, with your first week on board the Philippine Siren and then after a short hop, your second week on the Palau Siren. Don’t miss the opportunity to explore and discover what these 2 very different destinations have to offer you!

The Philippines will give you the opportunity to see the tiniest sea critters, hidden between beautiful coral reefs and on black sandy bottoms, such as nudibranchs, sea horses, ghost pipe fish or even a frogfish or the rare blue ringed octopus! At the same time, you will also have the opportunity to experience one of the most incredible close encounters of your life! Snorkel with the majestic whale shark! Or watch thresher sharks hunt a huge school of sardines!  While in Palau you will be hooked in at Blue Corner counting the sharks in front of you, watch the mantas dancing among a huge school of fish in the German Channel and even snorkel among non-sticky jellyfish! What else could you ask for from a scuba diving trip?

“Built by divers for divers”, the Siren Fleet yachts feature individually air-conditioned cabins with en-suite facilities and plenty of space for you to relax and enjoy your time onboard. Each yacht has a dedicated camera set-up and charging station with plenty of additional storage for all your extra lenses, strobes and batteries. It is thoughtful touches such as these that make Siren Fleet the best choice for both the professional and amateur photographer. Siren Fleet offers 4 Guided Dives per day in small groups with free scuba equipment rental and Nitrox; all of this, plus being surrounded by a professional, experienced and friendly crew.

Book today and receive a 10% discount! Have you already been onboard the Siren Fleet? Quote Summer of Sirens when you contact us and receive something extra special!

What are you waiting for? Visit our website www.sirenfleet.com for more information

The Siren Fleet and Reef Check are working together this July to give you the opportunity to learn a little bit more about reef conservation. Whilst on-board the Philippine Siren, you will have the opportunity to participate in several courses and presentations by Dr. Gregor Hodgson from Reef Check.

Dr Gregor Hodgson

Reef Check was founded in 1997 as an international non-profit foundation that monitors reefs in over 90 countries, mainly tropical coral reefs. Their protocol is the largest coral reef monitoring program and is used by many national governments as their primary coral reef monitoring tool. The Reef Check Mission is to “empower local people to save their reefs through research, education and active conservation”.

Dr. Gregor Hodgson is a coral reef ecologist and the founder of the Reef Check Foundation. Greg holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Biology, specialising in Coral Reef Ecology and Integral Coastal Management, and attained his doctorate studying the impacts of logging on reefs in El Nido, Palawan. For 10 years he worked in Hong Kong as an environmental consultant before becoming a professor in Environmental Science and Marine Conservation at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The Reef Check courses are:

Eco-Diver: A 3 day course taught by Gregor on how to monitor coral reefs by using a set of 30 predefined indicators. After successfully completing the course you will receive a certification card, allowing you to participate in future Reef Check survey expeditions anywhere in the Indo-Pacific.

Discover Reef Check: A half day course for divers interested in learning a little more about reef conservation.

All participants in both courses will receive a wall certificate signed by Dr. Gregor Hodgson.

Participation in the course and presentations given by Gregor are strictly voluntary, so guests may opt to do as little or as much as they wish and the trip will follow the regular itinerary. Dive guides will be on hand to assist both those participating in the courses and guests who prefer to simply dive the reefs.

The itinerary of the 6 night trip will include Cabilao, Balicasag, Dauin, Apo Island and Pescador Island.

“Built by divers for divers”, the Siren Fleet yachts feature individually air conditioned cabins with en-suite facilities and plenty of space for you to relax and enjoy your time onboard. Siren Fleet offers 4 Guided Dives per day in small groups with free scuba equipment rental and Nitrox. All this surrounded by their professional, experienced and friendly crew.

Visit the Siren Fleet website (www.sirenfleet.com) for more information. Book today and receive a 10% discount! Have you already been onboard the Siren Fleet? Quote Summer of Sirens when you contact us and receive something extra special!

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about reef conservation!

Do you have any plans for this summer? We have some great alternatives for you to enjoy an unforgettable summer. Dive in the tropics and bring back some incredible memories.

Here are 4 of the top 10 dive destinations in the world!

Komodo – Indonesia

A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1991, Komodo has one of the richest reefs in the world thanks to its privileged position. Located in the heart of the Coral Triangle, 2 major currents converge here. To the North, the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean; and to the South, the cold waters of the Indian Ocean attract a large number of pelagics looking for food: mantas, sharks, turtles, Napoleon wrasses, as well as incredible macro – pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs, frogfish, porcelain crabs, coral shrimps. Its volcanic sands also have great muck diving.

Visayas – Philippines

The Visayas, known as the mecca of diving in the Philippines, offer a wide variety of macro life that will keep you so busy looking for the most incredible sea critters that you won’t notice the time pass under the water! Tiny sea critters hidden in amazing coral reefs such as nudibranch, sea horses or ghost pipefish, but also hidden in the black sands are frogfish, blue ringed and mimic octopus!

Not everything is about tiny critters! In the Visayas, you will also have the opportunity to dive with big schools of barracudas, trevallies and sardines being hunted by Thresher sharks! As well as snorkel with the majestic whale shark!

Palau

Recently awarded by Scuba Diving magazine readers as one of the best wall diving, best marine environment, best cave diving, best big animal, best overall diving and destination, and best underwater photography in the world, it is not surprising that Palau is on every diver’s bucket list! Under Palau’s pristine waters there are 340 mushroom shaped islands and more than 700 coral and 1300 fish species!

In Palau, you will experience some of the most incredible close encounters you have ever had! Sharks, mantas, Napoleon wrasses, Bumphead Parrotfish, school of barracudas and jacks! As well as drift dives, cave dives and snorkeling with thousands of non-sticky jellyfish!

Fiji

Known as the Soft Coral Capital of the World, in Fiji you will experience some of the most colorful dives of your life! Red, yellow, orange, blue, green, pink, purple … hiding amazing macro life! Nudibranchs, pigmy sea horses or ghost pipefish!

Summer time is known to be the best time to dive Fiji. You will experience cold water which brings a bigger amount of sharks and mantas!

One of the most incredible encounters you will experience in Fiji will be the Hammerhead shark!

Experience these incredible destinations on board the Siren Fleet. “Built by divers for divers”, the Siren Fleet offers affordable luxury liveaboards in Indonesia, Philippines, Palau and Fiji all year round with a variety of itineraries from 6-14 nights. All this surrounded by their professional, experienced and friendly crew.

All vessels feature a/c cabins with en-suite facilities and plenty of space for you to relax and enjoy your time onboard.

Each yacht has a dedicated camera set-up and charging station with plenty of additional storage for all your extra lenses, strobes and batteries. It is thoughtful touches such as these that make Siren Fleet the best choice for both professional and amateur photographers.

The Siren Fleet offers 4 Guided Dives/Day in small groups, free essential scuba equipment rental and free Nitrox.

Dive Fiji, Palau, Philippines or Indonesia with the Siren Fleet from May to September and receive a 10% discount on all destinations!

Have you already been onboard the Siren Fleet? Quote Summer of Sirens when you contact us and receive something extra special!

What are you waiting for? Visit http://sirenfleet.com/liveaboard-offers.html for more information

For the 5^th consecutive year, Dive Log Australasia Magazine hosted a “Who Is” competition among its readers asking them to vote for the best regional and overseas dive shops, dive operators and diving liveaboards.

Once again, the Siren Fleet yachts were voted amongst the Top Ten Best Overseas Liveaboards! 2^nd place went to the Palau Siren, in 3^rd place was the Fiji Siren, the Indo Siren took 4^th place, and in 6^th place was the Philippine Siren! A big thank you to all our guests who voted for us! Also, a huge round of applause for our team!

“We feel very proud to be among the top 6 best international liveaboards in Dive Log readers mind! Thank you to all of our past guests, and well done to all of our crew! We are hoping that our Master Liveaboards will be voted in next year!,” said company owners, Frank Van der Linde and Mark Shandur.

Visit our website to book your next dive holidays on board the best overseas liveaboards!

The Siren Fleet is teaming up with Paul Collins and Richard Barnden of Sam’s Tours Unique Dive Expeditions to offer our guests some extraordinary encounters in Palau; the spawning aggregations of Bumphead Parrotfish and the Red Snapper.

Divers joining us aboard the S/Y Palau Siren on these cruises have a chance to see these amazing natural events, where they can see literally thousands of Bumphead Parrotfish spawning, or huge aggregations of Red Snapper which also bring forth exciting shark encounters with Oceanic Blacktips and Bull Sharks preying on the snapper! These massive aggregations only occur during New and Full Moon, respectively. For night dive lovers, Paul and Richard have pioneered “Blackwater” diving. Watch, miles away from the shallow water of the reefs, as one of the largest migrations on earth of weird and wonderful creatures from the depths head closer to the surface to feed. From post larval fish to Cephalopods, most smaller than a fingernail, these amazing dives present some of the weirdest creatures you are ever likely to see without a submarine.

Cardinal Eggs Transparent

Paul and Richard will deliver a number of presentations during the trips about these unique dives. They will cover the ecology of the dives as well as how to photograph them.

The best news is that there is no additional charge for this extraordinary adventure!

The amazing underwater phenomena occurring in Palau has only been witnessed by a few divers… The Palau Siren guests that came on our first Palau spawning trip on the 13^th of February were some of the lucky ones!

“There were hundreds of Bumpheads gathered around the reef, ready to participate in a typical spawning fusion. Loud bangs, sounding like big guns, erupted around us as male Bumpheads banged heads like buffalos to gain superiority over females with colour changes taking place as the fish prepared to spawn. From the deep, rising from the sandy bottom to the surface like a firework display the fish released their gametes into the water column over and over again as we all looked on in amazement. A truly unique spectacle!,” said Richard Barnden.

The Blackwater night dives were no less disappointing. “Copepods and plankton started arriving attracting bigger predators like miniature squids and the show was on. […] Bobtail squid, larval stage mantis shrimps hunting cocopods and several species of cardinal fish harbouring fully formed eggs in their mouths were among the candidates. Ninety minutes later and nearly a full SD card the dive was a success!!”

As we all know, Palau hides under its pristine water incredible underwater action that especially increases during Full and New Moon. If you would like to know more about their dives with sharks, mantas and Nautilius, please read our full trip blog here.

For the chance to participate in this once in a lifetime experience, visit our website and contact the reservations team for further details and ask about the following dates, but be quick, as spaces are limited!

• 25th April – 5th May 2015
• 24th May – 3rd June 2015
• 8th – 15th October 2015
• 19th – 26th October 2015
• 4th – 11th March 2016
• 31st March – 7th April 2016
• 25th June – 5th July 2016
• 11th – 18th November 2016
• 10th – 17th December 2016

Learn more at http://www.sirenfleet.com

Worldwide Dive and Sail considers not only the safety on board of our guests and crew, but also marine conservation. While on board, our guests have the opportunity to rent a Nautilus LifeLine, for just 1 Euro per day. The money collected is then handed over to the Siren Fleet Foundation. The money raised in 2014 has been gathered and donated to the following marine conservation charities:

• Bite-Back is a Shark and Marine Conservation organization whose main mission is to terminate the consumption and trade of vulnerable fish species, promote sustainable fishing, protect ocean habitats and inspire worldwide respect for the marine environment. Bite-Back is working to end the profit opportunities for all shark and shark-derived products in the UK including shark fin soup, shark cartilage, shark jaws, shark teeth and oils.

• Reef Check Foundation is an international non-profit organization dedicated to conservation of the tropical coral reefs and the California rocky reefs. Its main goals are to educate the public about the value of reef ecosystems and the current crisis affecting marine life, to create a global network of volunteer teams trained in Reef Check’s scientific methods who regularly monitor and report on reef health,
to facilitate collaboration that produces ecologically sound and economically sustainable solutions, and to stimulate local community action to protect remaining pristine reefs and rehabilitate damaged reefs worldwide

Why not join Reef Check onboard Philippine Siren this year? For information on the trip in July click here.

• Wild Me is a non-profit organization that encourages, facilitates, and undertakes world-class scientific research to provide important information and tools (data and software) to assist with ‘best practice’ management for wildlife conservation. Worldwide Dive and Sail is currently in the process of adopting a manta ray in Komodo from Wild Me! More information coming soon!

Worldwide Dive and Sail, the founders and owners of Siren Fleet and Master Liveaboards, bring you the best diving experiences.  Already cruising and diving in the Philippines, Indonesia, Fiji, Palau and Truk with the Siren Fleet and recently announced, from 2015, the Galapagos Islands with Master Liveaboards. Now, hot on the heels of the Galapagos Master, is the French Polynesia Master!

This Codecasa built Long Range Cruiser, designed by Camper Nicholson, is currently in the dry dock for a refit and modernization by the experienced Worldwide Dive and Sail team, led by Frank Van der Linde.

This latest vessel in the Master Liveaboards fleet will be launched in 2016 and will offer 3 to 4 dives per day in a choice of 7-night or 10-night trips cruising between Fakarava, a Unesco Biosphere Reserve, and Rangiroa in the Tuamotu Archipelago.

French Polynesia, situated in the heart of the Pacific Ocean, hides under its pristine waters and white sandy beaches a world-class diving, including hammerhead sharks, tiger sharks, mantas, dolphins, huge schools of fish and, for the very lucky ones, humpback whales!

Guests are offered a choice of lower deck, main deck or upper deck cabins – in a twin bed or double bed configuration.

“French Polynesia has either been on divers’ bucket lists for many, or a complete unknown destination for others. What we want to offer with The French Polynesia Master is make diver’s dreams a reality and allow them to discover that amazing destination“, says company GM, Mark Shandur.

Worldwide Dive and Sail and the Tahiti Tourism board have worked very hard to make this project a reality  and will provide with you the best diving that the Tuamotu Islands has to offer.

Announced at DEMA dive show in Las Vegas, in November, the French Polynesia Master has been very successful among agents and tour operators since it will be the only liveaboard in the area. So, don´t think too long  and plan your next diving holidays on board the French Polynesia Master before it’s too late!

Please, visit the Master Liveboards website for more information

Worldwide Dive and Sail, the owners of the Siren Fleet and Master Liveaboards, are now also the proud new owners of The Junk.

S/Y June Hong Chian Lee or The Junk, as she is known, is a restored teak wood Chinese merchant sailing vessel, that offers a unique liveaboard diving experience in Thailand. Already with an experienced crew and great food served on board, The Junk is the most charming and distinctive vessel in Thailand. So distinctive in fact that she has been used for several famous movies!

The Junk now joins Siren Fleet and Master Liveaboards, under the WWDAS umbrella, with each brand presenting different features, services and prices. The Junk joins the team to offer great value for money liveaboard diving in Thailand.

“Thailand is a great destination for any kind of divers and it will be a pleasure to introduce our guests to it on board such a charming and historic boat!” says company GM, Mark Shandur.

The Junk is a 33m sailing boat with three masts that can take up to 18 divers in 6 air conditioned cabins, offering a choice of double cabins, triple cabins and quads. All of them with their own private bathrooms with hot showers.

Before cruising again around Thai waters, the Worldwide Dive and Sail team are carrying out renovations to the boat in order to improve our guests’ experience.

She has already started operations offering 6 night trips around The Similan and Surin islands. The Marine National Parks of the Similan Islands and the extensive reefs in the Surin Islands are without a doubt the best diving in Thailand. Over 200 species of hard corals spread between walls and coral gardens where turtles, Napoleons, bumphead parrot fish, barracudas, mantas rays and all kinds of tropical fish patrol. All this as well as one of the best dive sites in the world, Richelieu Rock, and the chance to see the majestic whale sharks!

Dive into the past with The Junk!

Visit our website for further details.

Bula and welcome to what was geared up to be another great trip aboard the S/Y Fiji Siren. We had on board this week divers from New Zealand, United States, England, Thailand and Heather Sutton who was on her 6th trip with us! Welcome back! We are so happy to have onboard again! We started off this trip with a nice easy going dive in Volivoli at Amazing Maze. This helped everyone check their weighting and get comfortable with the cool 24 degree waters we have at the moment. We stayed anchored overnight just off shore and had an early morning departure for Vatu-I-Ra where we experienced some of the amazing dives the Bligh Waters had to offer. The first dive of the day was Mellow Yellow which stunned everyone with the amount of color that was around the site. Of course there was an abundance of yellow soft corals giving the site its name. We followed this dive up with Maytag and then Coral Corner which were equally as good wanting the guest to stay to photograph more of the area. We encountered leaf fish, barracuda and a few small grey reef sharks just to name a couple of things.

Upon discussing with Captain Julian we decided to leave early for Makogai where we got some great diving with everyone getting to see the small electric fileclam and lots of different nudi’s. We even had a little white tip swim by one of the bommies to say hello.
We departed the island in the afternoon and were spoiled with having Humpback whales breaching along with Dolphins and Manta Rays all playing around on the surface. It was a great crossing to the island of Wakaya where everyone was super excited about the dive on Lions’ Den that night. Everybody was up the day after to dive Vatu Vai. Everyone managed to get at least one Manta Ray swim by with some being lucky enough to have two near the end of their dive.

At the end of the fourth dive that night the boat pulled anchor and made its way down to the Island of Gau so we could all have the pleasure of diving with the sharks….The first dive at the Nigali Passage was so good that even after the second dive we stayed and had a third on it! Lots of Grey Reef and white tip reef sharks, a big sting ray, schooling big eye and chevron barracuda plus many more things to keep us entertained. We didn’t want to leave but the captains eyes were on the horizon and set for Taveuni.

The diving started off spectacular with Annie’s bommies then on to the world famous Great White Wall for a look at that wondrous white coral that spans the entire rock face of the wall. That night thinking it was someone else here was to be a big surprise for all including one particular crew member who though he could get away with celebrating his birthday. With Julies thinking it was someone else’s birthday we managed to sit him in a chair and sing to him with the chefs baking a special cake just for him. HAPPY BIRTHDAY from everyone Ju!!!

With the halfway point of the trip passing we thought it was about time for a quick excursion to the island of Taveuni for a day trip to the Bouma National Park to look at the waterfalls and most importantly cross the meridian line from today to yesterday multiple times with the obligatory photos taken standing in between the signs. After such a big day of travelling around all were in bed early to get ready for the crossing to Namenawhere we would be spending a few days diving the Marine Park and all its wonders.

As there were a couple of days spent in the Namena Marine Park we got to have a look around the many sites it has to offer. There were many things seen from sharks to mantis shrimp with everything in between. Finally on the last day we invited the group to go down to Kansas and check out the little Pygmy Seahorses!
Sadly as the trip came to an end we approached our last diving day at Vatu-I-Ra on the infamous E-6. We opened the site up for two dives with the second dive not being time restricted. After a great last night barbeque where the Fijian Rubber Band had an impressive show we woke early Friday morning to finish packing and have that one last group breakfast before heading back to Volivoli resort to wish everybody safe travels. Thank you to all who made this a great trip! We would like to congratulate Jane on achieving her 600th dive and Andrew W on his milestone dive. And of course we would like to Wish Anna a Happy Birthday for next week.

Moce Mada and Vinaka Vaka Levu!!

More Liveaboard Diving Blogs from the Fiji

The Indo Siren was happy to welcome on board this week 13 divers from Sweden. All thrilled to discover what Komodo Marine Park had to offer. A few of them were repeat customers. The dive crew introduced our divers to the strange and wonderful creatures of Bima Bay on the island of Sumbawa. A checkout dive at Nudi Reef proved that the astounding diversity the nudibranchs we had spotted on our last cruise was no fluke, while the following dives in Bima Bay offered many of our guests their first glimpse of the thorny seahorse, pygmy cuttlefish and even Wunderpus!

The following morning, the Indo Siren moved to the volcanic island of Sangeang for another day of remarkable macro diving. The great visibility helped us to spot the critters! At Techno Reef and the Estuary, our photographers got some fantastic shots of a tiny painted frogfish, two ornate ghost pipefish camouflaged in a feather star and the quintessential macro subject, the bargibanti pygmy seahorse. The night dive at Sangeang’s Circus is always a favorite with our guests, and our Swedish divers were no different, as they marveled at the stargazers’ eerie grimace hidden just beneath the sand.
As thrilling as it is to explore the macro world above and below volcanic sands, by our third day it was time for some “blue water” diving. And no better place to begin than the famed Shotgun. Divers could see the mantas hovering the current. The late morning dive at Castle Rock brought our divers to use their reef hook and see the white tip reef sharks and giant trevallies hunting only few meters away.

The next day, at Makassar Reef, with its numerous cleaning stations, our divers made excellent manta video footage, as well as at Batu Bolong where white tips and big napoleons were there for our divers ‘delight! The sunset dive at Wainilu where we had the opportunity to see some mandarin fish. At Rinca Island, we did the awaited Komodo walk. Wearing their shoes for the first time in almost a week, the group encountered about a half dozen good-sized dragons before ascending the rocky path to take in the view overlooking the bay. Dragons. Done. Photos. Done. Let’s get back to the diving! And our first taste of cold water. At Tiga Dara, our divers adjusted to their newly-added layers of neoprene and a new type of diving: greener water, more soft corals, different types of aquatic life. Then we moved the Indo Siren farther south to Nusa Kode and the stunning soft coral coverage of Yellow Wall of Texas, Boulders and Cannibal Rock.

We moved the Indo Siren to Manta Alley in southern Komodo. Back to the hot waters, our divers could keep their attention focused on the business of spotting mantas! about 10 or 12 on each dive!! But what really had the divers pumping their fists in excitement was the first creature spotted at the manta cleaning station….a MOLA MOLA!

We came back to Batu Bolong and on our second visit to Shotgun a swarm of mantas entered the channel and hovered gracefully above us for 10 minutes or more. The best dive of the return trip, however, was the second visit to Castle Rock with 7 white tips, 2 grey reef sharks, giant trevallies and schools of blue dash fusiliers all vying for our attention. Just awesome.
It was a fantastic cruise from start to finish. We were sorry to see our Swedish group go, but we were delighted to know that a few of them were going to join us again when the Indo Siren would be back at Raja Ampat! Can’t wait to see them again!

During the month of September, Siren Fleet opens a new Facebook competition: “You and your Siren”.

Take a “selfie” picture of you and the Siren Yacht you dove with, tag Siren Fleet in the picture and then like the Worldwide Dive and Sail fanpage (if you haven’t done this already!).

The picture that receives the most “likes” at the end of the month will win some cool Siren Fleet goodies!

This new trip truly had everything: great guests, great aquatic life and a great opportunity for our divers to benefit from the presentations and innovative dive equipment provided by our friends at Aqua Lung, two of whom joined us for a special 10-day Aqua Lung Safari. We kicked things off with a check dive at Techno Reef, where we enjoyed the company of a gregarious reef octopus under the smoldering peak of the Sangeang volcano. Later that morning, our guests marveled at the diversity of nudibranch species gliding (ok, more like creeping) over the dark sands at the Estuary. Then it was on to Gili Banta and the abundant sweetlips, crustaceans and turtles of K2. For many of our guests, however, the best part of Day 1 was the night dive at Circus. Highlights included stargazers peeking up from beneath the sand, snake eels, otherworldly decorator crabs and pygmy octopuses. It was all we could do to get the guests out of the water and back on the Indo Siren for dinner.

In the days that followed, the diving only got better. As we drifted with a relatively mild current at Shotgun, we spotted one white tip reef shark, then another. A few black tips joined in the action, bringing the total shark count to five. Once we passed through the “shotgun” itself, we had our first encounter with a reef manta. All things considered, not a bad way to start your morning. Our second dive of the day at Crystal Rock was action packed, with a strong current turning the twin pinnacles into a swirling cauldron of fish life. The conditions at Castle Rock were a bit milder but the fish were no less abundant, with white tip reef sharks and giant trevallies patrolling the waters in search of an afternoon snack. During our night dive at Spanish Dancer Heaven, patience paid off. Only minutes before coming to the surface, one of our guests finally spotted a 30cm example of the flamboyant nudibranch we had all come to see. Well done!

The Indo Siren then made its way to Current City, where we did two dives each at Batu Balong and Makassar Reef. As the current was falling for each of or visits to Batu Balong, we stayed on the sheltered south side of the dive site. The hawksbill and green turtles must have had the same idea, as we seemed to find one in every nook and cranny of the reef. At Makassar Reef, the current was fairly mild, so little exertion was required to spend time with the 5 or 6 mantas we encountered on each of our dives.

A steady stream of jokes and good-natured ribbing provided the soundtrack for this trip, so it was no surprise that the group had a great time during the dragon walk on the island of Rinca.

No sooner had we regained our land legs than we were back in the water, this time in Nusa Kode at the southern end of Rinca. Cannibal Rock is world renowned for its amazing diversity of coral and critter life and it certainly did not disappoint, providing us with an up close view of a giant frog fish, dozing cat sharks, zebra crabs and an amazing variety of nudibranchs.
During our previous visit to Nusa Koke, we had seen an extremely rare white manta at the surface, so we were thrilled to spot this magnificent creature once again and to capture it on video as it swam alongside our dive tender.

Another remarkable inhabitant of the waters around Nusa Kode is the lacey scorpionfish (rhinopias aphanes), which we often see at the site called Boulders. We had seen a gorgeous purple specimen on our two previous cruises and, sure enough, the same fellow was waiting on the sand right where we left him. It was wonderful to see our divers encircle the rhinopias at a respectful distance to give this rare and beautiful animal every bit of the appreciation it deserves. A spectacular night dive among the torpedo rays, bobbit worms and other bizarre critters of Torpedo Alley wrapped up our visit to Rinca and whetted everyone’s appetite for what awaited the next day.

A short crossing back to Komodo brought the Indo Siren to Manta Alley, where the presence of numerous cleaning stations usually ensures there will be lots of mantas, and almost as many dive boats. But to our surprise the Indo Siren was the only liveaboard in the area. Lucky us! Our first dive at Manta Alley started slowly, with only a few mantas passing by our cleaning station during the first 10 minutes. Then the action heated up. Towards the end of the dive, we spotted a train of 9 mantas soaring over the sand. The second dive was even better, with somewhere between 15-25 individuals passing back and forth throughout the dive, the type of experience that will humble even the most experienced diver.

Sad though we were to leave Manta Alley, more great diving awaited. We returned to Current City, where our third visit to Batu Bolong greeted us with a rising current, allowing us to finally explore the dramatic topography on the north side of the site. On our second visit to Shotgun we encountered much stronger current than the first, so our guests could truly understand how the site got its name. The highlight of our return to the north, however, was our second visit to Castle Rock. This time, the current was a bit stronger, so we hooked in on the west side to enjoy the show. And what a show! Huge schools of neon fusiliers swirling all over the rock while giant trevallies, white tips and grey reef sharks passed in the blue. When it came time to unhook and drift slowly towards our safety stop, the sight of graceful white tips cruising above the rock, silhouetted in the early morning sun, provided the perfect conclusion to a brilliant 10 days of diving.

This was a wonderful group of divers and a wonderful safari both in and out of the water. Special thanks to our friends at Aqua Lung, whose informative presentations and awesome gear really helped our crew and guests take their diving to another level. We can’t wait to see you all again aboard a Siren Fleet vessel!

The Siren Fleet is excited to announce that they are teaming up with Paul Collins and Richard Barnden of Sam’s Tours Unique Dive Expeditions to offer our guests some extraordinary encounters in Palau; the spawning aggregations of Bumphead Parrotfish and the Red Snapper.

Divers joining us aboard the S/Y Palau Siren on these cruises will have a chance to see these amazing natural events where they can see literally thousands of Bumphead Parrotfish spawning, or huge aggregations of Red Snapper which also bring forth exciting shark encounters with Oceanic Blacktips and Bull Sharks preying on the snapper! These massive aggregations – that only occur during Full and New Moon – are some of the most amazing underwater phenomena occurring in Palau. Only few divers in the world have ever witnessed it!

For night dive lovers, Paul and Richard have pioneered “Blackwater” diving. Watch, miles away from the shallow water of the reefs, as one of the largest migrations on earth of weird and wonderful creatures from the depths head closer to the surface to feed. From post larval fish to Cephalopods, many smaller than your finger nail, these amazing dives present some of weirdest creatures you are ever likely to see without a submarine.

“Palau is famous for its mantas, sharks, schools of fish and WWII wrecks. However, there is much more action than this under its waters. We are really privileged to be able to team up Sam’s Tours Unique Expeditions to offer this once in a lifetime experience to our guests” says company GM, Mark Shandur.

Paul and Richard will also deliver a number of presentations aboard the Palau Siren about these unique dives. They will cover the ecology of the dives and how to photograph them.

The best news is there is no additional charge for this extraordinary adventure!

Visit our website or contact the reservations team for further details.

On this 10 day charter trip, the crew was excited to welcome our German guests from Spirosub. The first diving day started with a check dive on the Haf Adai Wreck, a small sheltered wreck in Malakal area where our guests enjoyed the presence of Lion fish, Starry Pufferfish, fuseliers, sweetlips as well as crinoid shrimps and blue dragon nudibranchs. Then the Palau Siren pulled up anchor and moved towards Ulong Island to do the second dive in Sandy Paradise. The visibility was good and the marine life amazing: Leaf scorpionfish, grey and white tip reef sharks, school of barracudas, black and humpback snappers, white banded and cleaner shrimps, among other critters.

The first dive of the second day couldn’t have started better with white tip and grey reef sharks at the entrance of Ulong Channel where the current then drifted us into the coral garden with its huge lettuce coral formation, giant clams and groupers resting on the sandy bottom. Siaes Tunnel was our third dive in the Ulong area, a big cavern followed by a nice easy wall dive. Our last dive in the Ulong area was at Siaes Corner where we hooked in and not only had the grey reef sharks for company but also a juvenile eagle ray and even a flyby of a Mobula ray! The Palau Siren moved towards the Ngemelis area after this where we did our first night dive of the trip. Big Drop off was a beauty: slipper lobster, leaf scorpionfish, several types of nudibranch and spotfin lion fish. Blue Corner, German Channel and Barnum’s Wall were our next scheduled dives where the mild currents allowed us to explore the different reefs hiding the rare ghost pipe fish and to photograph the friendly Napoleon wrasse. Continuing our trip to the historical island of Peleliu, some of our guests took the opportunity to do the optional land tour and visit the site of a major battle between the U.S. and Japan in the Pacific. The next dive at Orange Beach brought another surprise: an Ornate Ghost Pipefish!!

The weather in Palau can change a lot from day to day but the rain didn’t stop us enjoying the underwater beauty of Big Drop Off and Turtle Cove where there were loads of green and hawksbill turtles as well as a big pregnant grey reef shark. The next dive, German Channel, was a great one: grey and whitetip reef sharks, dogtooth tuna, blue trevallies, Napoleon wrasse, school of barracudas, jacks, snappers, yellow tail and blue dash fusiliers and to finish with a Manta ray that most of our guests were lucky to see! Our night dive was Turtle Cove where there are always lots of special things to be found: flat worms, shield slugs, notodoris serenea nudibranchs, crabs, shrimps, sea pens, soldierfish, yellow snappers, Malabar groupers and of course white tip reef sharks!

On the next day, the Palau Siren was floating off Blue Corner and the sun was out for our first dives; Blue Corner and Blue Holes. This last one is always a favorite of our guests with its entrance through 3 different holes on the top of the reef allowing the light to come in to the main cavern, called the Cathedral. While we were diving Peleliu Wall, we saw a big eagle ray and after the dive it was time to move towards Jellyfish Lake and its millions of Golden Jellyfish. On our way there, we were treated to the sight of spinner dolphins playing in front of the bow of our liveaboard.

Two favorite dive sites on any trip, Ulong Channel and Sandy Paradise were on the list after the visit to Jellyfish Lake. We had a good current going into the channel and the best was for last as we got to see a good size Bull shark swimming along! Time to move back to Malakal where we did the early morning dive at the wreck of the Iro Maru followed by a dive in Chandelier Cave with its stalactite formations and surfacing in the cave. After the exit on the reef in front of the cave entrance mandarin fishes can be seen hiding in the coral. A great way to round of another superb trip in Palau.

More Liveaboard Dive Trip Blogs from Palau