Truk Lagoon is enclosed by a 225 kilometre barrier reef and is home to an entire Japanese WWII fleet, sunk in 1944. The lagoon houses more than 100 ships, planes and submarines. Frozen in time, complete with its submarine, jeeps, tanks and fighter planes still waiting in the hangars, all encrusted with coral, the area has been declared an underwater museum.

Nowhere else in the world are there so many wrecks within a coral reef lagoon, with many wrecks located in shallow, clear water. This fabulous combination of superb wrecks and wonderful reef diving attracts divers of all levels. 

SS Thorfinn 

SS Thorfinn is one of the world’s largest and best equipped liveaboard dive cruisers, having cruised Micronesian waters since the 1980's. SS Thorfinn is big, rugged and built for the world’s most challenging oceans. Spacious and well appointed, the vessel offers great food and extensive comforts without pretensions. The vessel has 10 double occupancy rooms with space for 20 guests and has a very experienced crew. 

7 night Truk Lagoon trips aboard SS Thorfinn start from £1,645 per person, including twin share accommodation, up to 5 dives per day, a la carte meals, snacks, teas, coffee, soft drinks and juices. Free Nitrox. Flights are excluded but can be arranged through Regaldive.

Truk Odyssey 

Truk Odyssey is one of Truk’s finest liveaboard vessels with the advantage of having a steel hull. The Odyssey has seven staterooms with either king size or twin beds and two private single staterooms, all are en-suite. Truk Odyssey’s amenities are consistent with the world’s top liveaboards, including a comfortable entertainment lounge and a large dining area with a full commercial galley. 

7 night Truk Lagoon trips aboard Truk Odyssey start from £2,237 per person, including twin share accommodation, up to 5 dives per day and all meals, snacks and beverages, including beer and wine. Free Nitrox. Flights are excluded but can be arranged through Regaldive.

Call our friendly team on 01353 659999 to find out more.

I have been diving for 14 years  now and, as a keen photographer, it wasn't long after then that I realised that I wanted to take pictures underwater too. In my eyes, the greatest aid to this has been the switch from film to digital that was gathering pace at that time.

I can't imagine how it must have been taking a camera on a dive knowing you could only take a maximum of 36 shots, most of which could be completely rubbish. I'm first to admit that on a 2 week trip to somewhere like Indonesia I take hundreds of pictures underwater, most of which are still rubbish, but if  I get a couple of dozen that I'm happy with (and other people seem to like) then it's worth the effort.

So, this blog is by no means the definitive answer to fantastic underwater photography, more just an idea of what works for me. If you are already an accomplished photographer with a Digital SLR, huge housing and loads of strobes I  should pass on by pretty quick. My motto, as with a lot of things in life, is 'keep it simple'.    

There is however a balance to be struck. I certainly get reasonable results from a compact camera, but it is a higher end compact, not just an everything automatic point and shoot. So, before buying a camera to use underwater I would recommend getting to know how cameras work and understand taking pictures other than on totally automatic modes. In my opinion, the best way to do this is to ask another photographer to spare you an hour or two of their time. I'm sure they won't mind, we all love talking about our hobbies, don't we? So get them to tell you about ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed and the relationship between them all.   

I would recommend a camera where you can choose the settings for taking your pictures with modes for auto/programme, Shutter and Aperture Priority settings and also manual. My personal favourite is Aperture priority. That means I control the amount of light entering the camera and the camera takes care of the shutter speed. Of course there is less light at depth than near the surface, so a wider aperture is more likely to bring a correctly exposed picture and less blur if your subject is on the move.

Another important aspect is to understand the effect that Aperture has on Depth of Field, maybe something else your friendly photography enthusiast can explain. But basically, with an open Aperture and a subject reasonably close, your background will be nice and blurred, enhancing you subject by removing any unwanted distractions behind. 

Another thing that has a major bearing on our underwater photos is the effect of the water itself on the colour of our pictures. I'm sure you have noticed, but it's a bit blue down there, with all red disappearing within a few metres of the surface. The professionals will tell you the best way to overcome this is with 1 or 2 strobes (flashes). Well I leave that to  the experts as it complicates things in my view and adds to the cost a bit too much for me. Again you can take the simple approach. A red filter on the front off your housing will help, probably better for the point & shoot type cameras where few adjustments can be made within the camera. But beware if you want pictures in the shallows or else they will take on a bit of a red tinge.

The other way is investing in a camera with adjustable White Balance. Don't ask me why it's called that because in our case it's the blues and reds it sorts out. So adjustable White Balance is a useful feature on any camera you buy for underwater work. Again the easiest way to learn how it works is to sit down with a friendly, experienced photographer when you are on a dive boat sometime. 

A tip you will often see is to always shoot your underwater pictures in a RAW. This is something I have done for a few years, but now have hundreds of picture files I have never used and hard drives that are completely full due to the larger file size. So only do this if are really serious about editing your pictures, with plenty of time and a good knowledge of using photo editing software. I find that with JPEGs I can still get nice results, some don't come out right, but I don't want to bore family, friends and other divers with hundreds of photos. So 20 to 30 good pictures from a trip are often enough. Sometimes less is more anyway.         

Buceo Anilao Beach and Dive Resort in Anilao

Nestled in the heart of Anilao, Buceo Anilao Beach and Dive Resort is an ideal spot for discovering the Batangas province, known for its impressive shoreline. This welcoming and friendly resort sits in the heart of the Philippines’ best-loved diving in the Coral Triangle, the ‘muck diving’ capital of the Philippines, where the waters are rich in marine and coral life. With an attractive house reef and access to great dive sites, divers are bound to enjoy this location. The Buceo Anilao Beach and Dive Resort flanks a hillside that runs straight down to the shoreline in a quiet and tropical location. Designed and built with divers in mind, Buceo Anilao Beach and Dive Resort has just 10 Deluxe Rooms with either sea or sunset views. 

Standard Rooms at Buceo Anilao Beach and Dive Resort are available at very competitive prices, with 7 night packages starting at only £1,099 per person. This includes: flights, transfers and accommodation in a twin room on a Bed and Breakfast basis.

Asia Grand View Hotel in Coron

Divers can enjoy the beauty and wonders of Coron from the stunning setting of the Asia Grand View Hotel. Coron Bay is known for its access to wreck dives, rich marine life, lush green mountains and rich flora and fauna. Welcoming and friendly, Asia Grand View Hotel is located within lush gardens, in tranquil surroundings. Only a stone’s throw from the world renowned wrecks of Coron Bay, Asia Grand View Hotel is an ideal base for divers to experience world-class wreck diving, along with outstanding reef and coral diving. Extended dive safaris are also available around Busuanga Island and to Apo Reef. 

Superior Rooms at Asia Grand View Hotel are available at very reasonable rates, with 7 night packages starting at only £1,399 per person. This includes: flights, transfers and accommodation in a twin room on a Bed and Breakfast basis.

For further information, or to book, give our friendly team a call 01353 659999, or visit: Buceo Anilao Beach and Dive Resort or Asia Grand View Hotel.

Aggressor Fleet Group Specials

Book a group trip aboard Bahamas Aggressor or Galapagos Aggressor III for travel between August 2016 and December 2019 and pay your deposit before 18 August 2016. Free Nitrox for Group Leader. Special group offers include:

Bahamas Aggressor  

• 6 Pay, 1 goes free 
• 12 pay, 2 go free

Galapagos Aggressor III 

• 8 Pay, 1 goes free
• 14 pay, 2 go free

Book a group trip aboard Okeanos Aggressor I or II for travel between August 2016 and December 2018 and pay your deposit before 18 August 2016. Free Nitrox for Group Leader. Special group offers include:

Okeanos Aggressor I 

• 6 Pay, 1 goes free 
• 9 pay, 2 go free 
• 18 Pay, 4 go free

Okeanos Aggressor II

• 6 Pay, 1 goes free
• 9 pay, 2 go free
• 18 Pay, 4 go free

Aggressor Fleet group offers apply for new bookings only. Book by 18 August 2016.

Caribbean Explorer Group Specials

Book a group trip aboard Caribbean Explorer for the Saba/St. Kitts/St. Maarten itinerary during travel dates 15 August to 15 October 2016 and 1 December 2016 to 31 January 2017 and benefit from this offer:

• 8 Pay, 2 go free

Caribbean Explorer group offers apply for new bookings only. A limited number of places are available.

Call our friendly team on 01353 659999 to find out more.

Malta – one of Regaldive’s most popular destinations - is only a three hour flight from the UK and boasts a large number of wrecks to enjoy. Lying at 14m in Valetta harbour is HMS Maori: a British destroyer sunk in 1942. Another famous Maltese wreck is the Bristol Blenheim Bomber. One of five known wrecks of its kind, the engine and wings are intact at 42m and make a memorable dive for experienced divers. Another wreck for the more experienced diver is the Imperial Eagle; a former ferry and the sister ship to Cousteau’s Calypso. 

An Egyptian liveaboard is the place to be if you want to visit the best wrecks the Red Sea can offer. Regaldive offer itineraries including the most famous Red Sea wrecks: the Dunraven at Ras Mohamed, the Rosalie Moller and the most famous wreck of them all; the mighty Thistlegorm. 

In the early 1960s, Jacques Cousteau placed Sudan firmly in the psyche of divers with his experiments in underwater living. The remains of his Conshelf II “village” provide a fascinating window into this unique chapter of diving history. Directly out of Port Sudan lies the Umbria: an Italian cargo ship deliberately scuppered at the beginning of WWII to avoid it falling into British hands. The holds are easily penetrated and the cargo (ranging from ammunition and military vehicles to wine) is still there to be explored. Fans of the Red Sea seeking a new challenge should ask Regaldive for details on a Sudan liveaboard.

Known as the “wreck capital of the Caribbean” Grenada is recognised for its exceptional range of wrecks, and is renowned for one wreck in particular: the Bianca C - a 200m liner that caught fire and sank in 1961. With her deck sitting at 35m, the wreck supports a large amount of marine life and has numerous points of interest, including a swimming pool and the bridge. At the bow divers can see large pelagics including schools of barracuda and tuna, as well as passing eagle and manta rays.

The Veronica L, a highly photogenic wreck that makes a fantastic night dive, is festooned with colourful soft corals, sponges and marine life. The open hold, crane and surrounds of this 25m cargo ship are home to seahorses, moray eels, frogfish and octopus. 

Due to popular demand Regaldive has now added Busuanga Island to our Philippines portfolio. From here divers are ideally placed to dive the Second World War Japanese wrecks of Coron Bay: some of the best preserved in the world. 

Another recent addition which will excite all wreck lovers is Truk Lagoon – one of the most famous concentrations of wrecks in the world. Final resting place for an entire Japanese fleet sunk in 1944, the wrecks include a submarine, jeeps, tanks and fighter planes. Truk Lagoon is a dream destination and one which all wreck lovers should experience.

There is nothing quite like the feeling of sitting on a boat knowing that you are about to dive one of the most famous wrecks sites in the world. Each site has its own unique beauty, is mostly intact, within recreational diving limits and full of history. Happy diving, metalheads!

For help with planning your next wreck diving adventure, call us on 01353 659999 or send us an email.