Articles

Planning a liveaboard dive trip? This ultimate 2025 packing list covers everything you’ll need – from must-have dive gear and personal items to handy extras that make life onboard smoother. Whether it’s your first time or you’re a seasoned diver, this checklist helps you dive in fully prepared.

When is the best time to dive Raja Ampat?
This Indonesian paradise offers world-class diving year-round, but conditions can vary depending on the season. From manta ray migrations to peak visibility and quiet off-season months, this guide breaks down what to expect month by month — so you can plan your perfect trip to Raja Ampat.

Thinking of diving the Maldives but not sure whether to stay at a luxury resort or book a liveaboard?

With its warm waters, vibrant coral reefs, and world-famous marine life — from manta rays to whale sharks — the Maldives offers some of the best diving on Earth. But how you experience it can vary hugely depending on your choice of accommodation. This guide compares Maldives dive resorts and liveaboards to help you decide which is best for your dive style, travel preferences, and budget.

Read about Bluewater's epic Spring 2025 Anilao Underwater Photoworkshop, 17 days of world-class critter diving, hands-on instruction, blackwater adventures, and creative photography led by Nirupam Nigam!

Our dive experts just spent 3 weeks exploring Egypt’s Red Sea—from famous northern wrecks to Elba Reef’s pristine southern sites. Get firsthand tips on top liveaboards, best dive seasons, and must-see spots like the Thistlegorm and spinner dolphins.

This unforgettable 12-day journey took us through world-renowned sites like Blue Magic, Melissa’s Garden, and the Four Kings. We explored coral-covered reefs, swam with manta rays, and encountered uncommon animals like walking sharks and pygmy seahorses. It was the dive trip of a lifetime, complete with professional guides, first-rate service, and constant marine life action!

Bluewater’s March 2025 Antarctica expedition took travelers from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia before embarking on the M/V Ortelius. Highlights included diving in the Beagle Channel, exploring iceberg-filled waters, and witnessing wildlife like penguins, whales, and leopard seals. The group crossed the Antarctic Circle, explored a sunken whaling ship, and dove into Deception Island's volcanic caldera. This unforgettable journey offered once-in-a-lifetime experiences, from breathtaking underwater sights to rare encounters with Antarctica’s wildlife.

Join trip leader Nirupam Nigam on an unforgettable February 2025 photo workshop in Socorro, featuring giant mantas, sharks, and expert underwater photography guidance aboard Rocio del Mar.

Explore Oman’s surprisingly vibrant reefs and macro life with Bluewater Travelaboard the Oman Explorer—the only liveaboard in the country.

Read about our unforgettable trip to interact with Pacific gray whales in Baja, Mexico, in February 2025. We experienced the incredible bonding experience of petting mothers and calves as they approached our boat to seek affection.

Bluewater Travel's Raja Ampat Photo Workshop aboard MV Ambai in December 2024 was a 12-day diving adventure to remember. Clients explored the biodiverse waters of southern, central and northern Raja Ampat, completing 36 dives and capturing stunning underwater images. Highlights included close encounters with manta rays, wobbegong sharks and the shy walking shark. Night dives and daily photography workshops were part of the experience. As well as diving, the tourists enjoyed scenic tours, a beach barbecue and even an unplanned engagement. The trip concluded with a photo competition and a celebration of the beautiful marine life and friendship experienced aboard MV Ambai.

Bluewater Dive Travel's Fiji Trip Report November 2024 describes an underwater photography workshop and a busy diving adventure. It is full of amazing dives, rare sea life, colourful coral reefs and island life. This is a well planned trip full of adventure, photography and marine encounters.

The Socorro Islands, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s most iconic diving destinations, promises breathtaking encounters with marine giants and vibrant underwater life. Our group’s 10-day liveaboard journey aboard the Valentina from November 10-19, 2024, proved to be an adventure of a lifetime. Here’s a recap of our incredible experience.

For another great UNESCO World Heritage Site to dive, check out Belize.

Our Fiji Photo & GoPro Workshop, held October 9-19, 2024, delivered breathtaking underwater experiences and vibrant cultural immersion. Guided by Nirupam Nigam and Todd Kortte, 25 divers explored the kaleidoscopic reefs of Beqa Lagoon and the legendary Bligh Waters. Highlights included dramatic shark dives, thriving soft corals, and vibrant marine life enhanced by nutrient-rich currents. Evenings featured workshops on photography and GoPro techniques, fostering remarkable progress among participants. Land excursions, cultural activities, and a final beachside lovo dinner added to the camaraderie.

Every year, French Polynesia hosts humpback whales who travel from Antarctica to the islands’ warmer tropical waters, to mate, calve, and nurse their young. Interactions with these giants of the sea are life-changing, and for the lucky few who encounter humpbacks in the water, the experience is described as once-in-a-lifetime!

Discover the highlights of our 2024 Bali to Komodo liveaboard trip: exploring remote dive sites, volcanic reefs, and vibrant marine life. From Lombok's hidden gems to Komodo's famed currents and manta encounters, this photo workshop journey captures Indonesia's exciting underwater beauty in a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

In fall 2024, eighteen divers joined the Rocio Del Mar for Bluewater's Explore Baja trip in the Sea of Cortez. Starting from Puerto Peñasco, the journey featured diverse marine life encounters, including sea lions, whale sharks, and vibrant reefs. Highlights included unique underwater photography opportunities and memorable interactions with sea creatures like mobula rays and humpback whales.

Nirupam Nigam led a captivating 2023 Sea of Cortez photo workshop with Bluewater Travel, showcasing diverse marine life and dynamic underwater landscapes. The Rocio Del Mar provided exceptional amenities and personalized service, enhancing the experience. Participants explored macro wonders like signal blennies and enjoyed thrilling encounters with sea lions and whale sharks.

Indonesia offers some of the best macro photography opportunities on the planet, and Bluewater’s 12-day, dual destination trip to Lembeh and Bali gave 20 guests an experience to remember. Read all about our Lembeh/Bali 2024 trip.

Bluewater Travel's 2024 Svalbard group trip offered a thrilling Arctic adventure filled with diverse wildlife encounters, icy dives, and spectacular landscapes.