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Raja Ampat is universally known as "The Heart of Coral Triangle”, for its unrivaled wealth, including: 540 hard coral species (more than 75% of the world's coral species); 60 types of crayfish; 1,070 types of reef fish; 699 types of mollusks. Also on land, Raja Ampat has incredible diversities: over 874 plant species that 9 are endemic and 6 are protected species, of which 360 species are trees. Also there are 114 species of herpetofauna with 5 species of which are endemic and 5 other species are protected. There are also 47 species of mammals, of which 1 is endemic and 3 is protected. And lastly, there are 274 bird species with 6 species of which are endemic and 8 species are also included in the protected category. This mega-biodiversity and various types of endemic flora and fauna that cannot be found anywhere in the world. For that reason, 66% of Raja Ampat's terrestrial area is a Nature Reserve or Conservation Area, and 5 Regional Water Conservation Areas or KKPDs cover an area of 1,125,940 hectares. The epitome of Raja Ampat's beauty is found in the Misool area, which, due to its distance from the more frequented areas, and the very strict management policy of the marine park, allows marine life to continue to thrive. I’ve visited Raja Ampat 3 times, and every time I go back I feel that, unlike many other places I have visited, the marine life here doesn’t seem to suffer the anthropic pressure, a sign that environmental protection and public awareness are working extensively. The heart-shaped lagoon of KARAWAPOP Geosite The last time I visited Misool, I was on a cruise aboard the Gaia Love vessel, after a long crossing from Ternate (Halmahera), which I have already talked about in a previous article. The first stop in the Misool area was at Pele island. We dove sites as Pele’s Playground, Kaleidosoope and Toblerone, all with wonderful corals and pelagic life. I was amazed by the colors of Kaleidoscope, and I understood why this site was named like that. The Gaia Love at sunset, moored in the Pele area Moving east from Pele, we arrive in the Fiabacet/Warakaraket area, near the Misool eco resort. Here we can find some of the most iconic dive spots in Misool, such as Nudi rock, Magic Mountain, Boo Windows, Four Kings, just to name a few! The abundance of life and color in these areas is absolutely astonishing. We stayed in the area for the rest of the cruise, being able to count on an infinite number of fantastic dive sites in a very short distance. My favorites were, once again, Boo Windows and Four Kings. Between the spectacular cliffs of Boo and the pinnacles of 4 Kings every encounter is possible, even with our beloved winged friends, the Mantas. Here we had the privilege of swimming in very close contact with a majestic oceanic manta that stayed with us for almost the entire dive, making some laps and then coming back to greet us. Finally, after 11 days of fantastic diving, we set sail for our port of disembarkation, Sorong. I must say with a lot of melancholy, since these places enter your soul and you never want to leave them. Conclusions. My experience on this cruise, which started in Ternate and ended in Sorong, touching the most beautiful places in Halmahera and Misool, was absolutely extraordinary. I have to thank all the staff of Gaia Love who made sure that every moment of the crossing was unforgettable, starting from the top-quality food, to the diving guides who were always very attentive and who always made us feel safe and protected. I would also like to thank the officers on board who were always able to manage all the moments of the cruise with the highest professionalism. As for the photographic equipment, for those who are curious, I recommend reading the previous article where I detailed everything. See you next time! Pietro Cremone

Text and images: Davide De Benedictis - Claudio Valerio Cover photo: Marco Bartolomucci If we told you how long we've been diving, you'd immediately know how old we are. We'd just tell you that we've been diving for a long time and that our passion for the sea has always been a part of us. We've spent most of our time in the Mediterranean, and by diving year-round, we've seen the gradual changes in the sea we love the most. A while back, we observed some novice divers during our decompression stop and wondered what it was like for them exploring the seafloor. Are they aware of the changes they're witnessing, or are they unwitting victims of shifting baseline syndrome? Unfortunately, this is what we've been observing for years in the Mediterranean during the summer: a carpet of mucilage in the first few meters of depth. The video text is based on Greta Thunberg's famous speech at the Youth4Climate event in Milan in 2021. This speech, with its great impact and appealing style, has been used in lots of different contexts. However, to my knowledge, it hasn't been used in relation to the marine world. When we were editing the images, we thought of the old saying "Once it was all countryside here", which makes you think about the past in a nostalgic way. But even the most overused clichés have a grain of truth. To paraphrase the cliché, we could say that "Once it was all sargassum and Cystoseira here". These seaweeds, which are common in the Mediterranean, were an important part of the marine ecosystem. There were large groups of Sargassum and Cystoseira, which alternated with Posidonia oceanica bushes and seafloors covered with calcareous algae (maerl). Some of the algae were the size of a fist. The bottoms were also decorated with white gorgonians, which are typical of these shallow waters. Today, although these species are still present, many of them are difficult to observe and suffer from a thick layer of mucilage covering them. This is now so common during the summer months that only those with long diving experience, or observing the seabed in winter, can tell the difference. When we showed these images to a non-diving audience, even though we had a marine biologist explain them, they were still pretty skeptical until we showed them exactly the same places filmed in winter and spring before temperature rises. Then they finally understood what we were talking about: These two short videos show how challenging it is to communicate the changes taking place in the oceans. The warming waters and human activities are affecting underwater ecosystems just as much as they are affecting land ecosystems. But underwater, the problem is even more pronounced. There's a lack of historical data, which makes it tough to grasp how marine environments are changing (again, it's the shifting baseline syndrome). Plus, our direct experience of the underwater world is limited. Everyone can see the effects of fires in the Amazon rainforest on the news or watch the urban landscape change from the car window. But what's going on underwater? This is why it's so important to communicate the importance of marine ecosystem conservation in a clear and urgent way. This is the challenge we're up against. Given the lack of inspiration in our recreational diving, we've been wondering if there's somewhere where these changes haven't happened yet. It's probably the so-called "mesophotic zone or twilight zone", which is the bathymetric range in the Mediterranean from fifty to one hundred and twenty meters deep. As depth increases in this zone, plant life gradually makes way for animal life due to the decreasing levels of light. Recently, this zone has become really important for studying how climate and human activities are affecting our oceans. It's a completely undiscovered world that could be home to species that could be valuable resources for addressing problems related to global warming and overfishing in the surface marine zone. The trailer on our Underwater Italy channel gives you a sneak peek of the mesophotic seafloor of the Mediterranean. A while back, whenever we talked about our passion for deep diving, the response was always the same: "Why go to the trouble of going deep when there's so much to see here on the surface?" And then, of course, there was the inevitable warning about the dangers of deep diving. How could they be blamed for that? Back then, going beyond the limits of recreational diving was all about deep air and not much else. As it turns out, today in the Mediterranean, we can only observe intact ecosystems through deep diving, and the tools of technical diving allow us to do so in reasonable safety. However, even in these environments, things are changing. For years, we've been seeing signs of suffering in marine animal forests, even in the shallowest parts of the "mesophotic zone". This shows that the effects of climate change are constantly evolving. Here's an example of what's happening to some of the seabed in the Tuscan archipelago, between 50 and 70 meters deep. It seems that the damage is not only proportional to depth, but probably also depends on other factors such as currents and the morphology of the seabed. To get a full understanding of this phenomenon, further scientific studies will be needed. As divers, our role is simply to observe. It's crucial that we keep an eye on these changes in marine ecosystems and keep documentation up to date. Every observation and piece of research helps us to understand our underwater environment better. It's essential that we pay attention and put in the effort to adapt our conservation strategies so that we can meet the challenges that climate change poses. It's an ongoing process, but it's vital to preserve the wonders of the sea for future generations.

Waterpixels is delighted to announce that Maria Munn has joined the team as our Compact Systems Specialist. For many years Maria has taught and specialised in producing amazing images using compact systems especially the Canon G series. She’s been looking too at action cameras and housed smartphone systems and has posted some really helpful guides and reviews. A more detailed resume for Maria is on our About page. We’re sure members will welcome warmly her knowledge, experience and enthusiasm. Great to have you with us, Maria.

In April 2024, I took a memorable cruise, with the itinerary covering from Halmahera to Sorong, crossing some of the most iconic dive sites in Indonesia. In this article I will cover the first part of the journey, the one from Ternate to Pisang. I will add a second article focusing on the Raja Ampat and Misool area. I was onboard the beautiful GAIA LOVE vessel, a beautiful modern motor yacht, purpose built to explore the far-reach regions of Indonesia. This was the itinerary: The embarkation point was in Ternate, a city steeped in history. Once a major spice trading center, Ternate still exudes a colonial charm. Ternate Island is known for its historical sites and stunning beaches. Ternate, Al-Munawaroh Mosque, also called it “Masjid Terapung”, or "the floating mosque" because the structure was built by the sea, looking like floating on it. The first dives of the trip were in the Halmahera/Jailolo surroundings, and since the first jump I was delighted by the wonderful and pristine reefs of the region. The highlight of this sites are the big sponges, often covered with white sea cucumbers that give the sponges the effect of a decoration. Aerial view of one of the Goraici islands After Jailolo, we headed to the Goraichi islands, where we stay for 2 days and six dives. The small archipelago of Goraichi lies around 50-kilometres southwest. Another small cay of Goraichi's archipelago The locals here have a reputation as environmentalists, and the healthy coral reefs abound with macro marine life, offering fantastic opportunities for photography and night diving. In addition, there are also beautiful coral-covered walls to explore. Left the Goraichi's, we headed to South Halmahera, where we had another day packed with wonderful reefs and the highlight of a night muck dive in Penambuan. A small village in South Halmahera Then, we left Halmahera, crossing to Pisang. Pulau Pisang is located around 70-kilometres southwest of Damar Island, where the Halmahera and Ceram seas meet, making it a common stop for liveaboards as they cross to and from Raja Ampat. The diving here focuses on a series of underwater ridges that connect the main island to several smaller surrounding islands and feature large pinnacles covered with branching corals. I still found wonderful and healty reefs, teeming with life and, apparently, not yet polluted with plastic. During all the trip, we had calm seas and good visibility, that granted me the opportunity to get many good shots. The equipment: For this trip, I used the SONY A7RV, in a Nauticam housing, teamed with the Nikonos RS 13mm, adapted for SONY mirrorless by Isaac Szabo. I am using this fantastic lens since 2014, but with the adaption for Sony, Isaac made a fantastic job, making the lens yet more performing! Lighting was granted by SUPE D-pro strobes, with an even and powerul beam that well couples with the great field of view of the RS 13mm. The Boat: I was onboard the GAIA LOVE, a 40mt. steel motor yacht. The GAIA LOVE in front of Pulau Pisang The Gaia Love offers the guest contemporary settings, plenty of space and comfort, and a wonderful experience. I have tried many liveaboards before, but since when I boarded on Gaia I felt like it is a different level from the other boats! As a photographer, I was amazed by the great spaces that are available for the equipment, starting from the gorgeous and climatised camera room, and ending to the personal rinse tank that you havd on the diving deck, just in front of your personal place. The experience on board was then completed by delicious gourmet food , and a fantastic crew always ready to pamper the guests. The spacious camera room Conclusions: The first leg of the trip, covering the Halmahera region, was a great experience for me. It was the first time I dove these waters and I was really amazed for the richness of the reefs and the absolute sense of wilderness, we found maybe a couple of other liveaboards during the journey, and we always were the sole boat diving in any place! I will cover the second leg of the trip in a next article, please stay tuned.. Cheers! Pietro Cremone

During our first stay in the Philippines, just after COVID, we skipped Moalboal. At the time, it was still "complicated" to change islands. For this trip I studied an Anilao – Romblon combo but it seemed relatively complicated to me... I gave up. Good for us with the typhoons, we would have been stuck for a few days. Anyway, we went back to Cebu again, with Moalboal and its sardines as our first stop. For the rest of the season we chose safety by returning to the Thalatta Resort south of Dauin in Negros Oriental. It was also an opportunity to re-test this hotel, following the change of ownership. For the third place, another safe bet, the Island View Beachfront Resort and its Anda Scuba Diving club. Resort at the top of our possibilities with the "real" rates and not the promotional ones we had in 2022. FYI, if you are a "returning guest" there is a small discount... but also by making a "long stay" from 7 or 8 nights. This helped us a lot, without these discounts, we would not have gone back for so long. So if you go, stay at least a week. I tried to minimize the trips but we will have done close to 600 km by car and boat. The route, once again it will be with Singapore Air that we will fly, still departing from Zurich. ZRH -> SIN 12 hours (return more than 13 hours) and a little less than 4 hours from SIN to CEBU. I always enjoy this long night on the plane where you can land, especially since on the way there and back you arrive in the early morning. Some go through Turkey when I look at the schedules, no thanks, especially if it's to earn only a few euros on the flight and then it's a hassle when arriving in Cebu at 2 a.m. For us, it was an arrival in Cebu around 3 p.m., everything went quickly and without the slightest problem. Provided that you have thought carefully before leaving to fill in the online form on the Philippine website in order to obtain a QR code that will be requested on arrival. This form, on the other hand... uh... A real hassle to fill, I had to start over a good dozen times... bugs galore. So avoid doing this at the last minute, you risk having surprises. It's a long journey, especially if you still count the journey to Zurich the day before the flight. 44 hours door-to-door on the outward journey and 56 hours from the departure of Anda for the return. Here we are at the exit of the airport and our driver is waiting to take us to Moalboal at the Cebu Seaview Resort. This will be the most difficult part of the journey. Almost 3 hours of winding roads with part of the night. But we arrive without any problem at the first stage of our journey where we will dive for 4 days. A quick dinner, before assembling the photo and video equipment... tomorrow the dive starts at 8 o'clock. With the 7-hour difference in winter between France and the Philippines, we will have to set the alarm clock... But it will not be useful, only too happy to be back in the warm waters of the Golden Triangle. In the morning, a little check of the papers (certifications and insurance) and of course the small form with liability waiver, in short, classic. Everything is very well organized, the tank are rigged on land by the divers but transported on the bankas by the many crew members and guides/instructors. Once everything is installed on the banka, the signal is given to join the boat. A small staircase to go down and then, depending on the tide, a small walk in the water to reach the access staircase to the banka. I strongly advise to wear booties, if possible with good thick soles, your feet will thank you. Here as in the other places where we dived, pebbles, corals and especially sea urchins can be formidable when accessing the boat. The first dive will be in Pescador, a small island in front of Moalboal, renowned for being surrounded by a teeming life. A few years ago there was a large sardine bar that had taken up residence there... We won't see the slightest of them, just a lot of fish. Nice dive to start our stay. After the dive, it's back to the center, everyone disembarks, there's something to make coffee or tea... but nothing to nibble on while waiting for the 2nd departure. Cebu Seaview being located more or less in the middle of the Moalboal coast we will do the dives less than 15 minutes away from sailing and just a little more for Pescador which we will do 3 times in 4 days. The conditions were not great so we only did the west side but nature is well done, it was different each time. In the afternoon there is a 3rd dive and it is possible to do night dives. We will not do it. On the second day we change guides that we will keep for the remaining 3 days. Not bad... I would say better than the first one who was an employee of the center while Cino was a freelancer. A guide with a bottle... A pleasure to dive with him. We will always leave first and will often, if not always, avoid "traffic jams" and "jacuzzis". It is therefore with him that we will make "the Sardines". Sardines... They migrated for an unknown reason a few dozen meters from the coast. This is where they are visible to divers but also to snorkelers. The number of boats on the surface made me fear the "worst", I could already see myself having to elbow my way underwater, a bit like Hanifaru Bay in the Maldives. Cino jumped us into the water first and "traced" directly to the north... small shock... "But where is he going?" and then magic sardines... sardines everywhere... thousands, sorry millions, impressive. We were the only ones for the first few minutes. Then a few divers joined us but at no time was there a crowd, really great. An experiment to be done at least once... We did it again 2 days later without any regrets. It's not easy to convey the atmosphere in photos, I did the best I could. It's up to you to judge. The dive center is not the "family" type, it's closer to the factory... but very well organized, where it is good to dive. We did 11 dives in 4 days and were happy to go to see something else. The hotel is comfortable, nothing to say, nickel, quiet and the a la carte restaurant is very good. It's not on the level of the next ones but excellent for the price. Very good mention for the bar. The cocktails are very well dosed... (I suspect the bartender reversed the dose of rum with that of orange juice... ) It was really not worth having 2 drinks to sleep well. As is often the case with great encounters during these few days, there are no regrets about having passed through Moalboal... Sardines undoubtedly deserve the destination to be bet on a "ToDo", even if bubble factories are numerous here. After 5 nights it is the departure for the Negros Oriental. The transfer is arranged at my request by the Thalatta Dive Resort. A taxi picks us up at 8 am and after about 2 hours 30 minutes we arrive at a small port where small fast shuttles go back and forth between the islands of Cebu and Negros. The crossing is done in less than 30 minutes. Remember to have Pesos (PHP) in order to pay porters and luggage tax on arrival. The whole thing cost us a few hundred PHP (1 € = +/- 60 PHP). Upon arrival, a driver is waiting for us to take us in less than an hour to the Thalatta. We will arrive in the early afternoon and will be able to sit quietly and enjoy the pool before the return of the divers who spent the day with 3 dives at Apo Island. When we arrived, we met "our" guide Nadi with whom we had dived 2 years ago. He no longer dives. Alex, the new owner of Thalatta Resort, asked Nadi to take over the reins of the diving club. He now manages the entire small team and the maintenance of the diving center. We will dive with Oien during the 7 days. He is now the most experienced guide. He was trained by Nadi. We had already dived with him during Nadi's "day off" in August 2022. He is very good and has gone out of his way to show us as much as possible.... Ouch that's where it starts to get stuck. The season is really not ideal, not too much life, few nudibranchs, shrimps and others. It's nature and you have to accept it. We are "just" a few weeks, even days before the gradual return of the little beasts. Nature... hmmm that includes the weather. Not really at the top of the wind coming from the north-east and some clouds. But overall it was very nice. A little frustrated at having been able to fly very little with the drone. Big frustration on the day of departure with flat seas.... And to think that 2 days before, on the way back from the last dive, my wife, while jumping from the Banka "at the wrong" time, sprained her ankle... It is therefore with a crutch that she will leave the Thalatta. Thanks to the carpenter, who quickly made him something to move around without putting too much strain on his foot. Thanks also to the masseuse who worked a miracle. Our physiotherapists should learn from this... More than an hour of massage to relieve pain and try to unravel problems and restore mobility. Back to diving. After the first day where we did a double dive trip to the south (Basak) and then in the afternoon a House Reef for the two of us, we left for Apo and three dives on the second. The crossing is slightly hectic but it goes well with the very comfortable banka. First dive on the bow of Apo.. hmmm but where have the fish gone? The place is still beautiful with soft corals everywhere, a few turtles but very few fish. The next 2 dives will be the same. Frustration, disappointment and sadness. After a little discussion, it seems that the locals are fishing in the "marine park"... Two days later the 2 bankas are scheduled for Apo... we will have a short day of rest. That's how much we were marked by this first outing in Apo. On the way back from the banka (yes there was only one that went out, the group that had booked the second one cancelled at the last minute ) those who dived there were delighted... obviously there was life... But it was the first time... or we had fallen on a very bad day. We will have to go back to find out for sure. A day doing nothing feels good but it's so long . We will continue by diving on the coast of Dauin to the north and south and for me a little "night dive" on the "House Reef"... and on the last day a single dive on the HR with a very sporty but then very sporty launch and return. The photographic harvest was less, as was the quality and variety of the subjects. It's nature, you have to know how to accept it. A small overview of the result. More here The Thalatta Resort, for those who know it, it's always the same. You feel good there, you should say: always so good. The restaurant is always good, as is the staff of the whole hotel who are very attentive, helpful and smiling. No regrets about coming back. The changes now: Alex, the new owner, obviously has plans not to change anything... i.e. to keep this family atmosphere. Keeping the same concept of what Patrick has built. But there is an important point, he intends to do better... To improve the Thalata little by little, in small steps and I don't doubt for a moment that he will succeed. He started by redoing the inflation installation New compressors, and nitrox per membrane... The best of the best, a very good start. On the hotel side, renovation work is being carried out everywhere. Small things like the restaurant toilets, the new fresco and different layouts tested. Everywhere, gardeners are replanting new plants to further embellish the setting. I like it. At the bar, installation of shade sails so that you can sit there during the day. I'm curious to see how it will evolve in a few months. Anyway, you can go quietly, you won't be disappointed, the Thalatta Resort is a place made for divers. If you stop by the Paris Dive Show, there should be a booth with the Thalatta. Alex should be there with the former owner Patrick. We will go there to say hello to them. There is a difference between Patrick and Alex.... Patrick didn't dive, Alex, yes and he's not a beginner.... I believe that there will be positive surprises in the future on the diving side. Small downside... As a child, the prices of the dives have increased slightly. After 2 stays of 10 and 8 nights I will not hesitate for a moment to go back but at another time when there is more life... why not spend Christmas 2025 there... the whole team is well on its way to make the atmosphere there, with the decoration and a nice "Christmas menu"... I almost placed an order . Let's move on to the 3rd part of our stay. Once again we made the choice to go back where we would be sure not to be disappointed. Yes, yes I know maybe we should go elsewhere to be more adventurous... Of course not. I totally assume this choice to return in order to enjoy even more and a little differently. We appreciate finding what we loved, in order to savor the place once again. If possible, we do a small combination of safe bets with "experimentation". The next trip will again be in this style 2/3 of novelty and to finish 1/3 back... But let's get back to this trip which ends in an hour with our landing in Zurich. Anda in the south-east of the island of Bohol is a remote place, it is the price to pay to find the calm... almost 3 hours drive from Tagbilaran without counting the 2 hour crossing by speedboat from Dumaguete. We will arrive at nightfall... very tired but happy to find the Island View Beachfront Resort that we had found magical the first time. Peter the owner has made small improvements such as terraces on the front of the cabanas bungalows. Sorry for posting all this pictures but it is such a lovely place. The restaurant, the "Old Plantation" is always at the top, the reference in Anda, and guests from other hotels come there to treat themselves. We had a great time... Too much maybe the scale won't like it, I'm afraid. After a visit to the room, we meet at the bar, Hubert the boss of Anda Scuba Diving whom we did not know yet since he was in France during our 1st visit. There is also Olivier who is in his third season here. Zack, with whom we had dived in 2022, has returned to France. Nice contact and appointment for the next day before 8 am for the paperwork and our first dive. After a restful night, we are at the club with "Captain Thomas" still in place, but now there is still Jason, a young Filipino, who takes care of the inflation and supports Thomas in all the preparations on the boat. He looks serious and during our stay he passed his Open Water. Hubert intends to train him to become a guide, and thus expand the team. The boat... It was replaced by a larger one but kept the same flat bottom philosophy in order to be able to sail in a few centimeters of water and be able to approach the beach at low tide. I find it really very good, comfortable, the edge is very wide, you are well seated and equipped with the block, it can be placed stable on it while waiting for the launch. The service is top-notch, and the security system is at the forefront. Only downside, yes I know I'm a born complainer there are only S80s.... But Hubert is well aware that it will be necessary to invest in some S100 in order to make heavy consumers feel comfortable and safe. I managed but I admit that I was a bit frustrated to often stay a little higher, just to keep the hour of diving... on the other hand I never used my reserve on fins which came out regularly with 100 bar... I let her enjoy her dives without playing parasite, attached to the rescue. Underwater, the same as elsewhere, less life and always the same reasons given. Not really the season, and in addition the water being particularly hot it seems to accentuate the phenomenon. In the end, the water lost 1 to 2 °C, going from 30 to sometimes 28 on the last day. There were quite a few turtles 2 years ago... But this year we have moved to a whole new level. There are many more of them and they are less shy. I think we are slowly approaching the "level" of Bunaken. Awesome. Unlike Dauin, we had a very calm sea being protected from the wind by the big island of Bohol. Very well. We enjoyed ourselves even if, as already said, I regret a little lack of life. But the last 2 days, there was starting to be a little more to see. According to Hubert, the high season is fast approaching, More to watch here On the diving side, as well as on the hotel and restaurant side, no regrets about having gone back to dive in Anda and as for the Thalatta I can only recommend the address. If the opportunity arises, we will return without the slightest hesitation. It's a good way to end a stay, with a little more upscale services. Depending on the return flight, it is necessary to leave a day earlier and spend a night not too far from the airport. This was our case. We made it simple by going to the Waterfront right next to the airport. Decent room, big and beautiful pool but on the restaurant side there is better. I regretted not having dinner while having a simple meal in the domestic flight airport lobby right in front of the hotel. In Singapore, the work is now complete. There weren't too many people I found, at least that's my impression. Singapore Air nothing to say, the economy class is not bad and when you see the comfort that those who fly in business class can have... I understand why this company is always so well ranked. Here we are back in Europe and tomorrow work resumes. The 7-hour time difference is really complicated on the way back, on the way there it goes very well. Who knows why Nice little trip of more than 3 weeks including the trips. But small frustrations due to a lack of life, yes, yes I'm jaded, there's no need to remind myself of that. Just like the weather which was not at the top of the best and which could have led to even more serious consequences for my partner's ankle. We were hot on this one. In the end, I dived a little less than expected with only 47 dives distributed like this: Maolboal: 11, Dauin: 16 and Anda: 20 On average, they had 1 hour, a maximum depth of 34m and only 3 dives of more than 30. A hiccup with a 38-minute dive because a member of the group was at 40 bar after 35 minutes of diving Now I'm going to get ready for the next trip which will be soon and to a mythical destination for divers, Raja Ampat with a short week in Lembeh on the way back, a destination just as famous for its Muck Dive. Thanks for reading. I publish the report in french and used the automatic translate module of Microsoft Word. I hope this stay comprehensible and you enjoy my report. Feel free to ask if you have question. Comment are also welcome. Hugues

Managing underwater photography collections can be overwhelming, but with Adobe Lightroom's robust metadata features, organization becomes seamless. On his blog, Mike Jones outlines a systematic approach to metadata management, emphasizing the importance of consistent practices to enhance searchability and gain deeper insights into marine environments. Key steps include: Rating: Assigning ratings to evaluate image quality. Keywords: Applying terms to describe the environment and subjects. Title: Using a consistent format for easy grouping. Species: Recording both common and scientific names. Category: Grouping similar species under broader classifications. GPS: Adding precise coordinates to document the exact location of each shot. Implementing these practices transforms your photo library into a valuable dataset, capturing snapshots of time, place, biodiversity, and behavior. For a comprehensive guide, visit Mike Jones's blog: https://mikejonesdive.com/lightroom-metadata