Don Silcock

The Ghosts of the Machines

Kavieng WWII Aircraft Wrecks… World War II came to the Australian territory of New Guinea in January 1942 when the Imperial Japanese Army invaded Rabaul in New Britain. Followed shortly after by the taking of Kavieng in nearby New …

A Guide to Diving Tasmania

Eaglehawk Neck in TasmaniaDiving Tasmania… The “Apple Isle” is, in so many ways, the hidden gem of Australian scuba diving.And getting to know a bit more about it has been one of the highlights of my personal diving career!There …

Diving Beautiful Tufi

Diving Beautiful Tufi… The sun was just breaking as we walked across the tarmac towards the small plane that would take us over the mountains.Anxious to leave on time and with a busy day ahead of them. The two-person TropicAir crew ushered …

Raja Ampat Pioneers – Edi Frommenwiler

Edi Frommenwiler and Pindito – I have a theory… Completely unproven of course, but very logical (well, to me at least). And it’s that true adventurers have seven genotypes, rather than six like the rest of us. Let’s just call it the AA++ …

The Wonderful Witu Islands

The Witu Islands… As they say in the real estate business – location, location, location… And it is Papua New Guinea’s location astride the Equator and at the end of what was historically referred to as the Malay Archipelago, that puts it right …

Angelique Songco Mama Ranger

Angelique Songco – “The Mama Ranger” Angelique Songco Mama Ranger… It’s a country that has so much to offer the traveling diver and underwater photographer. But there are certain exceptional locations in the Philippines …

Diving Kavieng in PNG

Diving Kavieng in PNG… A window seat on the early morning flight out of Kavieng is the go. It’s my favourite way to end a trip to this special part of Papua New Guinea. For, as the sun rises out of the vast Pacific Ocean to the east. It …

Diving Kimbe Bay in PNG

Diving Kimbe Bay in PNG… There is a line of thought among the scientific community that this large, sheltered bay, located roughly one third along the north coast of the island of New Britain is possibly where the first corals …

Conserving Tubbataha – Garden of Eden

Conserving Tubbataha is about far more than protecting a remote coral reef in the middle of the Sulu Sea. It is a rare and powerful example of how determined leadership, science-based management, and political will can work together to preserve a …

Diving Milne Bay in PNG

Diving Milne Bay in PNG… This large bay on the eastern tip of the Papua New Guinea’s “mainland” is what first brought the country to the attention of travelling divers and underwater photographers around the world. The first articles …

Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park

IntroductionTubbataha Reefs Natural Park… Rising from the deep waters of the Sulu Sea, Tubbataha’s atolls and reefs are widely regarded as one of the finest and most pristine dive destinations on the planet.Located roughly 150 …

Ten Best In-Water “Big Animal” Experiences

The Ten Best In-Water “Big Animal” Experiences… There really is something quite unique about an eyeball-to-eyeball underwater encounter with a big animal. You are after all but a temporary visitor to their domain. One they may not be the …