Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara: Liveaboard Safari to Komodo, Flores & Alor

Bobtail squid at Beangabang, Alor, Indonesia
Bobtail squid at Beangabang, Alor, Indonesia. Photo by Scott Bennett.

Located in the eastern half of Indonesia is the island chain of Nusa Tenggara where unique marine life can be found on brilliantly colourful reefs as well as sites with volcanic sands, great for muck diving and macro photography. Scott Bennett takes us on a liveaboard adventure to three of the islands: Alor, Flores and Komodo.

Cape Verde: Diving the Barlavento Islands

Moravia doctorfish, blackbar soldierfish and yellow cup coral in cave at Tres Grutas dive site
Moravia doctorfish, blackbar soldierfish and yellow cup coral in cave at Tres Grutas dive site

Located in the central Atlantic Ocean, off the westernmost point of Africa, Cape Verde is an island country made up of an archipelago of ten volcanic islands. Pierre Constant shares his adventure diving, hiking and trekking in the rugged northern group of isles called the Barlavento Islands.

Truk Lagoon: A "Wreck-reational" Diver's Paradise

Brilliant soft corals, damselfish, fusiliers and cardinalfish on the king post of the Sankisan Maru, near the surface
Brilliant soft corals, damselfish, fusiliers and cardinalfish on the king post of the Sankisan Maru, near the surface

Picturesque, remote tropical islands, a serene, protected atoll, endless warm water, colorful soft corals, encrusting sponges, schooling reef fish and the occasional spotted eagle ray, shark or other pelagic… What more could a diver ask for? How about over 60 shipwrecks, plane wrecks and even a submarine steeped in WWII history—95 percent of which are within recreational diving limits.

Baby hammerhead during development with a nascent hammerhead snout.
Baby hammerhead during development with a nascent hammerhead snout.

How hammerheads grow their hammers

In an unprecedented study, scientists from the University of Florida (UF) have delved into the development of hammerhead sharks' skulls, uncovering the process behind their iconic hammer-like shape at the embryonic stage.

Led by UF professor Gareth Fraser, the study focussed on bonnetheads, the smallest among the hammerhead shark species. The species’ abundance in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, along with their near-shore presence, made them ideal subjects for the study.