The Republic of Palau is a country consisting of a collection of islands spread over a large area of the western Pacific Ocean. It lies east of the Philippines and north of the huge island of New Guinea. Geographically, it is part of the Caroline Islands, which in turn form part of a region known as Micronesia.

I clearly remember the day I reached out to Arlindo. I accidentally stumbled across a post or advertisement for the inaugural Diving Talks conference in Portugal, and it caught my attention and made me pause. I immediately, or perhaps instinctively, sensed that here was something fresh, new and out of the ordinary in the making, a project that needed all the support it could get. So, I reached out and offered our assistance, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Norway: two sides of the same coin. Tell us about winter diving beyond the Arctic Circle.

Last December, in the middle of winter, I organised a dive trip to the wrecks of Narvik in Norway. There, amidst snowstorms, ice, cold and the darkness of the polar night, my team and I dived to film what remains of the warships sunk during World War II.

Alex Buttigieg’s name has become synonymous with conservation efforts of the ocean’s most enigmatic creatures, particularly sharks. Through his unique blend of expertise in diving, passion for marine life and unwavering commitment to conservation, Buttigieg has earned the respect of divers, conservationists and ocean enthusiasts around the world.

In the 21st century, is it still possible to build a dive resort at the edge of the world in an area that very few people have heard of, more forgotten than the nearby region known as the Forgotten Islands, where the nearest airport is hours away, where almost no one has ever dived (and then only from passing boats), where there are no contacts, no facilities of any sort and you have to start from absolute zero?

Let’s start with the humble beginnings. Do you recall the moment you wanted to become a diver?

Bill Acker is a member of the original class of SSI Platinum Pro Divers. As a PADI and SSI Instructor, he remains active in exploring new dive sites and teaching the sport to those interested in sharing his love of the marine environment. His accomplishments are recognized by the worldwide diving community. In 2014, Acker was inducted into the Scuba Diving Hall of Fame for pioneering diving in Yap. He celebrated 30 years in business that same year. In addition, his dive resort was recently recognized in 2024 as the best dive resort in the Pacific and Indian Ocean.

My introduction to this incredible region traces back to 1999 when I stumbled upon a post in an online underwater photography bulletin board (anybody remember them?). The author of the post was trying to assemble a group of like-minded divers for a trip to a newly established “eco beach camp” on Kri Island—providing an opportunity to explore the recently discovered dive sites in the Dampier Strait.