Welcome to Indopacificimages!
Indopacificimages is the website of Don Silcock, an underwater photographer and photojournalist based in Bali. Don has been diving the main locations in the Indo-Pacific region for over 20 years (hence the name…) and has documented his experiences in numerous articles and pages on this site.
Plus, over the last 5 years or so, Don has traveled extensively to photograph the majority of the major marine aggregations and “big animal” experiences globally. So if you are looking for factual, interesting and accurate descriptions of some of the world’s best diving and encounters check out the latest stuff below and the menu bar on the header above. And… in case you are wondering, this is not a commercial site – I am not selling anything and it really is just what it is!
Below – Photographing Leafy Seadragons in South Australia. Cold water, but sensational things to see. Image courtesy of my good friend Filippo Borghi
New... Milne Bay - Where it all Began
Papua New Guinea enjoys a reputation for some of the best all-round scuba diving to be had anywhere. And truly, its combination of superb reefs, wonderful critter sites and WWII wrecks make it very hard to beat.
PNG was the first country I went to when I started to dive outside Australia. And I have been fortunate to have experienced virtually all the main locations over the years.
I have also been fortunate to have dived all over the vast archipelago of Indonesia. And many other global hot-spots in the Bahamas, Mexico and the Pacific. But something always brings me back to Papua New Guinea…
Nowhere can really match its special mixture of a wild and rugged landscape, unique tribal cultures and pristine underwater environment.
In a country with so many islands and with so many places to sample the underwater world it can be difficult to decide where to start. So in this series of articles I am writing for Dive Log I thought we should begin at the beginning.
Read the full story on Milne Bay, where it all began…
New.... The Whale Sharks of Isla Mujeres!
The Whale Sharks of Isla Mujeres… Every year, as the summer heat descends on the Yucatan peninsula. A truly amazing phenomenon happens to the north-east of the small holiday island of Isla Mujeres.
Local fishermen call it the “Afuera’’ – Mexican for outside. In reference to those deeper waters offshore from the tip of the Yucatan. Where, come July and August, the largest known gathering of whales sharks (Rhincodon typus) takes place.
Read the full story about this incredible event on this link to the Whale Sharks of Isla Mujeres!
Recent Articles
Posted below are many of the articles I have had published over the last couple of years. I try very hard to write accurate and informative articles and only use images that were taken on the trip – so what you see is what I saw when I was at the location.
All the articles are available as a free download by clicking on the link provided and please respect my copyright…
Complete Guide to Diving Papua New Guinea
Simply stated, the scuba diving in Papua New Guinea is among the very best in the world. And the country is truly one of the last frontiers – a wild and adventurous place that just has so much to see both above and below the water!
But it’s not the easiest place to get to. And, no doubt you will have heard all sorts of stories… Is it safe to go there? Where to go? When to go and how to get there? So I have put together this “complete guide” to understand more about Papua New Guinea and where to dive.
Complete Guide to Tonga's Humpback Whales
Tonga is probably the best place in the world to experience the “gentle giants of the sea” – the incredible humpback whale. Every southern winter, from about August the Tongan Tribe of southern hemisphere humpbacks arrive from the Antarctic and spend the next few months either mating or giving birth.
One of the few places in the world where you are allowed in the water with the whales, in Tonga it is possible to experience the full gamut of encounters. It really is incredible and is very popular with people traveling great distances to experience it all. But it can be complicated to actually get in the water and so I have put together a guide to help understand what can be seen and what the logistics are.
Diving South Africa's Protea Banks
Located some 8km offshore from the seaside town of Margate, about 130km south of Durban, the Protea Banks is one of the best places on the east coast of South Africa to dive with sharks. And. depending on the time of the year, you can see up to seven different varieties of them!
The Protea Banks is adventurous diving with most dives at around 30m and strong currents to deal with, so it is not for everybody… But if you like your diving and underwater photography at full volume then the Protea Banks offers some tremendous experiences!
Complete Guide to the Crystal River Manatees
The small town of Crystal River in Citrus County on the “Nature Coast” of Florida is without doubt the best place in North America to see and, if you are really lucky, interact briefly with the very special and quite unique Florida Manatee.
But… manatee season in Crystal River is very much focused on getting as many tourists through as possible and if you want to take good photographs it gets complicated. So I have put together this Complete Guide to help you to understand the reality of Crystal River and its amazing visitors!
Diving Tofo in Southern Mozambique
Praia Do Tofo (Tofo Beach…) is located around a very picturesque curved beach, some 16 km from the provincial capital of Inhambane, and has an excellent combination of rich, vibrant reefs and the opportunity for incredible encounters with manta rays and whale sharks.
Tofo owes its amazing biodiversity to its location at the southern end of the 1600 km long Mozambique Channel, between the east coast of Mozambique and the large island of Madagascar.
