Welcome to Indopacificimages – the website of Don Silcock, an Australian 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!
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…
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. But please respect my copyright…
Ogasawara Islands
Often referred to as the Oriental Galapagos, the Ogasawara archipelago is located in the north-west Pacific Ocean.
About 1000km south of Tokyo the islands are one of the most isolated areas of Japan – Read more…
Protea Banks
Located some 8 km offshore from the seaside town of Margate in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province
The Protea Banks are one of the country’s very best places to dive with sharks – Read more…
Chinchorro
Underwater encounters with big animals are rarely if ever static. They move, often constantly and occasionally very fast!
Whereas American crocodiles remain still, with a coiled-up energy ready to attack – Read more…
Oceanic Whitetips
As recently as the 1960’s Oceanics were considered one of the most abundant large animals in the world.
And just 50 years later, they are now on the IUCN Red List as “Vulnerable” globally – Read more…
Giant Salamanders
Giant Japanese Salamanders are quite unique creatures that live in the rivers of west and south-west Japan.
They are indeed quite large – reaching up to 1.5m in length and around 25kg in weight – Read more…
Great Hammerheads
There is literally nowhere else you can come face-to-face with these incredible animals so reliably as Bimini!
Solitary creatures, Great Hammerheads are really difficult to come across underwater – Read more…
Complete Guide to Diving PNG
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.
There are comprehensive sections providing an overview of the diving in PNG and why it is good. Plus sections on each major location – Port Moresby, Milne Bay, Tufi, Kimbe Bay and New Ireland. And… a Papua New Guinea Survival Guide to help you better understand the country, the people, the culture and the risks!
Start here with the Complete Guide to Diving Papua New Guinea.
The Humpback Whales of Tonga
Tonga is probably the best place in the world to experience the “gentle giants of the sea” – the incredible humpback whale. Because every southern winter, from about August the Tongan Tribe of southern hemisphere humpbacks arrive from the Antarctic.
And spend the next few months in the Tongan archipelago either mating or giving birth…
Tonga is one of the few places in the world where you are allowed in the water with the whales. And it is possible to experience the full gamut of humpback encounters there. 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… So I have put together a guide to help understand what can be seen and what the logistics are. Follow this link to go to the Complete Guide to the Humpback Whales of Tonga.
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!
The Sharks of 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!
Check out this link to the Complete Guide to Diving Protea Banks for more information on one of the most exciting locations in South Africa.
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 a complete guide to help you to understand the reality of Crystal River and its amazing visitors!
Use this link to see the Complete Guide to the Crystal River Manatees.
Southern Mozambique
Diving in Southern Mozambique is concentrated around the small town of Praia Do Tofo (Tofo Beach…). Which, in turn, is located around a very picturesque curved beach, some 16 km from the provincial capital of Inhambane.
Tofo 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.
Check out this link to the Complete Guide to diving Tofo in Southern Mozambique for more information on this interesting location.