“Is there diving in Kamchatka?” my buddy asked me while inspecting a map of Russia on Google. It was such an unexpected question, it put me in a stupor. As a Russian dive professional, I certainly should know about all the dive sites and dive centers around the country, but I was stumped with this question about Kamchatka.

The “Visayas” is a group of islands that comprises the central portion of the Philippine archipelago. A few Visayan islands are popular among travelers, such as Cebu and Boracay; while the majority remain low-profile but nonetheless exquisite. I have been regularly diving in the Visayas during the last six years

“Have a great time, but keep your head down!” This was the response I received from a diving friend after announcing I was planning a visit to Ambon. At least he knew where it was; my announcement to friends in Toronto drew blank stares. When I mentioned the Spice Islands, a dawn of recognition crept into their eyes. It was a place they’d vaguely heard of but had no idea whatsoever as to their location.

Tasmania’s Southwest National Park and World Heritage Area is the land that time forgot, and most of the civilized world has never heard of Bathurst Harbour. It is the home of the world’s oldest living plant, Kings Holly (Lomatatia tasmanica) discovered in 1934 by the late Deny King, an environmentalist and local legend who lived in the area most of his adult life earning his living mining tin. On the banks of the Old River, bushwalkers able to penetrate the closely guarded secret location can admire a 10,500-year-old Huon Pine Tree. From the bird hide near the Melaleuca airstrip, you can watch the mating dance of a pair of orange bellied parrots, a species which breeds only in this region and has been saved from extinction by volunteers and the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service. Apart from the rare flora and fauna, the landscape is as rugged and spectacular as any wilderness on earth.

Barb Roy writes: The Maori warrior cautiously moved towards us. His face was painted and body adorned in traditional combatant attire. He yelled words I did not understand and pounded the ground with

The critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphin population in the Mekong River numbers just 85, WWF research has revealed. Calf survival was found to be very low, leading researchers to conclude that the small population is declining and at high risk of extinction.

You may have heard of the Chinese white dolphin, especially due to recent environmental efforts to protect their dwindling numbers. But did you know that the island of Taiwan has its own sub-species of resident white dolphins? Did you know there are less than 100 left? Neither did I.

SY Oriental Siren will be offering 10 night Timor Discovery trips starting in August 2012. Our 10 night safaris will run between August and November each year, departing from the capital city of Dili.

Australia - Indonesia - Papua New Guinea

A “flamboyant” new species of marine worm has been discovered living in the Celebes Sea, between the Philippines and Indonesia.