Destination News

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Triples in Size

Photo credit: G.P. Schmahl/NOAA

Moving forward, this expansion means increased protections for important species and habitats. The expansion areas will be home to future conservation work and support resource protection, recreation and stewardship for local communities and the country. In particular, the sanctuary’s expansion provides an excellent opportunity to: 

The Pelagic Fleet is now the Pacific Fleet

While we have loved our brand The Pelagic Fleet, we see our rebranding as an evolution in continuing to create The quality and standards that we have will not change, in fact, we are working diligently on making your experience the most memorable. 

We still have the same incredible crews that will give you the best service in and out of the water. This combination of our incredible crews and the some of the most spectacular big animal diving anywhere in the world, makes us your premier adventure travel company.

Volivoli Beach Resort Certifies Local Community Kids

2020 was certainly a tough year and whilst almost everyone on the planet was in some way or another effected by circumstances around COVID-19 our entire Fijian life and livelihood relies either directly or indirectly on tourism.

It felt so great to help share a little fun and education with the youth of today, who in turn will become our leaders of tomorrow, to provide the opportunity to see first-hand why divers from around the globe flock to the famous Bligh Waters to experience ‘Fiji’s Finest Diving’ and the ‘Soft Coral Capital of the World’.   

Japan Underwater Photo Contest 2020 Winners

Gold Medal winner: "Survival," a photo capturing a butterflyfish feeding on spawning corals in Yakushima, Kagoshima
Gold Medal winner: "Survival," a photo capturing a butterflyfish feeding on spawning corals in Yakushima, Kagoshima

From October to Novem­ber of 2020, the Japan National Tourism Organ­ization (JNTO) held its second annual Japan Underwater Photo Contest, seeking photos taken by divers that showcase the undiscovered beauty and artistry of diving in Japan to the world.

Mike Ball Announces Photo Competition Winner for 2019/20

Photo Credit: Tanya Piejus

It was a close competition and as always a difficult one to judge but Tanya’s image captured the essence typifying the experience encountered on our minke expeditions. 

https://www.mikeball.com/photo-gallery/photo-year-competition-2019-2020/

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions run expeditions to the Coral Sea and the far northern Great Barrier Reef between Cairns and the Cape York peninsula.

Currently running 5 Night Minke Whale Expeditions.

The Arenui Announces Renovations during Pandemic Travel Bans

Very warm wishes from the Arenui Team!

We hope that you and your loved ones are well during these past few, COVID-19 affected months. Although we are in another part of the world and the situation has meant different things to us all, we've all been impacted. But with every cloud, can come a silver lining.

What can you expect to see once you’re onboard?...

Grand Bahama Island Bounces Back as a Popular Destination for Divers

Ian Rolle, Acting Chairman of the Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board (GBITB), reports that the island and its reefs fared well during Hurricane Dorian. “Three weeks after the hurricane, a crew from UNEXSO, our leading underwater experts, went on an exploratory dive of the reefs stretching along the south shore of the island, from the Grand Lucayan Water Way all the way to Silver Point Reef. At that time, it was discovered that all the reef structures were in standing positions and the wrecks were in the same location and status as before the storm,” noted Rolle.

Bahamas Diving Association Member Update after Hurricane Dorian

All 32 members of the association offer our condolences to the families of those lives lost during the storm.

We have in fact heard from all our operators, and the only adversely affected areas are sadly the Abacos and portions of Grand Bahama Island. All the rest of the country’s 32 resorts, dive operators and liveaboards are up and running on their normal dive schedules.

Dahlia Anemone

Scottish Snorkel Trail Unveiled

The SWT – which receives funding from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation – has also confirmed that Scotland's first snorkel trail has been created in the north west Highlands. The idea is that the snorkel trail is self-led.

Tourism Secretary Fiona Hyslop stated “The snorkel trail is an innovative approach to marine and coastal planning that encourages use of existing infrastructure to help tourism diversification like this."