The Last Wild Island

Thanks to intense conservation efforts, Tetepare Island, part of the Solomon Islands, has restored and conserved much of his marine land — which has saved sea turtle populations. Read more.

Split shot of coral in water and island on top

Beyond Phuket

Phuket is Thailand’s gateway to the Andaman Sea. Regardless of whether you head north or south from this vibrant dive mecca, prepare to be amazed.

Lone woman on beach reads a book

The Cayman Islands

With 365 dive sites, world-class walls and a marine park celebrating 25 years of protected status, the Cayman Islands are a diver’s dream. Learn what to expect and how to dive in the Cayman Islands.

Male scuba diver takes a photo of a brown grouper

66 Years Down

The Island of Chuuk played a pivotal role in World War II, and the lagoon surrounding the islands guard the remains of that history. Read more about the Island of Chuuk.

Diver shines a torch on a coral formation

Cayman Blue

The Cayman Islands have become an addiction for a National Geographic photographer. Discover why this person is so passionate about these islands.

Black-and-white photo of a stingray buried in the sand

Roatán Photo Gallery

Francesca Diaco provides a bonus photo gallery of images from her island community of Roatán in the Bay Islands of Honduras.

Fakfak

JUST BEFORE SUNRISE I make a cup of strong Indonesian tea and feel the familiar rush of anticipation that always builds when I dive where no one else has. From the liveaboard’s top deck I squint at a string of islands— just green dots from here — that stretch offshore from the Fakfak Regency …

Misool Foundation

The spectacular ecosystem of Indonesia’s Raja Ampat offers ample opportunities for fish portraits and macro shots with a 100mm lens, but the broad expanses of pristine hard corals punctuated with colorful soft corals and sea fans made it difficult for me to forego using my wide-angle lens during a recent liveaboard trip.

A drone’s view of Batbitim Island and the surrounding waters of Misool

Dominica

When people ask me to describe my favorite ocean experiences, I think of my first trip to Dominica in 2020. My goal was to photograph sperm whales underwater, but I kept my expectations low, having heard that quality interactions with sperm whales often require a lot of luck.

A group of sperm whales comes together to socialize