Orcas Ahead!

“Leaning forward to escape the Arctic wind, I catch sight of my snow-filled fins and can’t stop laughing. The feeling in my face has long since disappeared, and the other guests are equally rigid, turning purple in the minus 4°F Norwegian wind chill. Snow is everywhere, and I long to throw myself into the 36°F water to warm up. I never knew snorkeling could be so extreme—frankly, it’s absurd.”

Read my latest article for Scuba Diving magazine Orcas Ahead to find out what it’s really like to come face-to-face with orcas in freezing cold Arctic waters.

Kathryn Curzon dive writer

Adventuring On Your Own? 9 Great Liveaboards For You

I've always been a fan of solo travel and it is fast gaining popularity in the travel industry.

Once you get over the initial leap and fear, there are many benefits to solo travel.

Why Travel Solo?

• It's one of the best ways to meet new people!

• You can experience dive and travel highlights from other people's perspectives

• Pushing outside your comfort zone will literally change your life!

Top Liveaboards for Solo Adventures

It can be challenging to find facilities tailored for solo travelers but thankfully more and more liveaboards are providing single cabins. YES!

Here are my top picks for solo liveaboard diving:

French Polynesia diving

Dive with walls of grey reef sharks at French Polynesia's Fakarava atoll

French Polynesia Master, French Polynesia

This gorgeous liveaboard is the ultimate for shark diving fans. Go French Polynesia diving and you'll be surrounded by more sharks than you could wish for.

Thailand

Experience Thailand's incredible beaches and landscapes

Hallelujah, Thailand

This comfortable, large liveaboard visits some of Thailand's best dive highlights, including diving with mantas at Koh Bon and the whale sharks and macro life of Richelieu Rock.

In the heart of the Coral Triangle, Indonesia is home to exceptional marine biodiversity and flourishing coral reefs.

Empress II, Indonesia

Komodo and Raja Ampat are two of Indonesia’ best-known dive destinations and the Empress II takes you to experience them.

Imagine diving with thousands of fish, plus mantas, sharks and tiny colourful critters....Indonesia diving is rightly known as some of the best in the world. Don't miss it!

The Maldives

Carpe Novo, Maldives

This luxurious new liveaboard visits a variety of the Maldives best atolls, including these liveaboard diving highlights:

• Quiet dive sites and well-preserved reefs at North Male Atoll

• Undiscovered dive sites at Laamu and Thaa atolls

• South Ari Atoll’s whale sharks

• Numerous nurse sharks and stingrays at Vaavu Atoll

• A mix of easy and challenging dives at Meemu Atoll, plus mantas and reef sharks

• Rasdhoo Atoll's deep drop-off and hammerhead sharks at dawn

Find out more in my latest article for Dive News Wire.

Scuba Diving With Whales in Mexico

Featured on Sportdiver:It's the start of whale watching season in Mexico, so a lot of my recent work with media outlets has been focussed on these ocean giants. Mexico is incredible for large pelagics and you can spot thousands of humpbacks during whale season, plus maybe see blue whales, sperm whales, minke whales, pilot whales and even orcas.Mexico is suddenly at the top of my diving wishlist.Find out more in Scuba Diving with Whales in Mexico.

Remote Diving the Great Barrier Reef

Featured on Scubadivermag:I have to admit I've not been sure about diving the Great Barrier Reef, Australia as I thought it would be over-run with divers. It turns out is it ideal for going off the beaten path and exploring rarely-visited dive sites if you choose the right dive safari and know where to go...Find out more in Remote Diving the Great Barrier Reef.

Dive Micronesia

Featured in DIVE Magazine UK:

Micronesia is made up of more than 2,000 islands and is one of the top places in the world for wreck diving, especially amongst World War II wrecks. There are also other scuba diving experiences to enjoy at Micronesia though, ranging from swimming with millions of jellyfish to riding swift currents during wall dives. 

Find out more in my guide to diving Micronesia.

Top Dive Sites of Gau Island, Fiji

Featured on Sportdiver:Fiji is home to a great variety of dive sites, especially at Gau Island. The Nigali Passage near Gau is a well-known dive site and understandably so, for the sheer volume of pelagic life and fast currents. It is a beautiful and exciting dive with just a 3-hour window for diving, outside of which the current exceeds 4 knots and the visibility is low.Divers drop into the swift current and ride it through the passage, which is around 20 meters (66 feet) long and resembles a sandy road. The steep walls of the passage are covered in hard and soft corals and the water is full of barracuda and reef sharks.Find out more in Top Dive Sites of Gau Island, Fiji

Scuba Diving at Coiba National Park

Featured on Scuba Diver Life:Coiba, a rainforest-draped island off the Panama coast, is home to white-sand beaches and waters teeming with marine life. This island was a prison for some of Panama’s most notorious criminals until 2004. In 2005, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and part of Coiba National Park, which encompasses 38 islands. Scuba diving at Coiba National Park is truly world class.Who wouldn't want to dive there?! https://scubadiverlife.com/scuba-diving-coiba-national-park/

Top 5 Short Liveaboard Trips

Featured on Scuba Diver Life: It can be hard to get away from the office for a long vacation. But never fear: you needn’t miss out just because you don’t have a big block of time. Here are my picks for the top five short liveaboard trips for when you need a quick scuba fix. https://scubadiverlife.com/top-five-short-liveaboard-trips/

Diving Komodo: One of the Most Biodiverse Location in the World

Featured in Scuba Travel:Komodo Island forms part of the Komodo National Park, which was established in 1980. It is one of only seven locations in the world with pink sand along its beaches and has a range of scuba diving options, including wall dives, pinnacles, swim-throughs, sea mounts, reefs and caves.Find out more in Diving Komodo, one of the most biodiverse locations in the world

Top Tips for Night Diving

Featured on Scubadivermag:Night diving is an entirely different experience to diving during the day and offers the chance to witness night-time marine life and unique behaviours. Descending into the water as the sun goes down and watching the ocean become busy with hunting and foraging activity at night is magical.Check out LiveAboard's top tips for night diving with Scubadivermag:https://www.scubadivermag.com/travel/dive-travel/10-great-tips-for-night-diving/