Sunset in the Sulu Sea, Philippines

Koh Tachai - Thailand Paradise in the Similan Islands. This half-moon arc of white sand beach is surrounded by crystal clear water, coral reefs, and completely deserted of tourists. Only a few times a day do dive boats stop for a few hours, as you are not allowed to stay on the island overnight.

The Coral Triangle - Indonesia Indonesia, which stretches from north of Singapore, east to Papua New Guinea, and north to Borneo, is made up of more than 17,000 islands (6,000 of which are inhabited) and 150 active volcanoes - the most famous being Krakatoa. Komodo Island sits in the lower point of the 'coral triangle', a vast reef area with the worlds largest coral and fish diversity. Almost a dozen organizations are active in the preservation and conservation of these pristine reefs, many under threat by unsustainable fishing practices and globally warmer seas. Here, the fiery sun slips into the Flores Sea - a sea filled with unbelievable biodiversity, staggering beauty, and a landscape of color.

Paradise Cove - Mexico Turquoise waters, shimmering white sand beaches, azure skies, salt and pepper stripped limestone cliffs draped in palm trees - paradise indeed. Here, the beaches of Tulum are the nesting grounds for sea turtles. From May to August, almost every night, the turtles come to the beaches to dig holes and to lay their eggs.

Little Jerry Beach, Koh Lak - Thailand On the crude scrap of paper that was called a 'map' this beach was noted as "secret beach". And so we hiked; through the rain forest, along jungle cliffs webbed with vines, up and down muddy troughs of leaf litter, in the darkness of an occlusive green canopy, through the webs of gigantic Golden Orb spiders (5 inch legspan), to finally emerge on this pristine sand beach. After hours of profuse sweating, we walked into the light and laid in the sand - only to notice a maintained trail coming down through the forest behind us, from the highway, and a bamboo shack selling ice cream and soda. Stupid map.

Similan Sunrise - Thailand Sunrise over the tiny Islet of Similan #6. Although not large enough to posses a white sand beach, this tiny granite outcropping is surrounded with lively reefs filled with hundreds of species of tropical fish, soft and hard corals, octopus and the occasional larger pelagic.

Heavy with Rain, Dampier Strait - Indonesia

Anemone Garden, Similan Islands - Thailand On a shelf of bare granite was this small covey of partially closed blue and purple Magnificent Anemone. As we floated overhead the resident Skunk Clownfish kept a close watch on us, never straying away from the safety of their little anemone homes.

Koh Bon, Similan Islands - Thailand The waters around the island of Koh Bon are nearly indescribable in their clarity and beauty. The jungle, the granite boulders stacked just so, the stunning azure blue of the water. It's almost as if it were a constructed stage for a movie.

Moonrise over the Sulu Sea, Philippines.

Soaring Manta, Similan Islands - Thailand A giant manta ray soars silently over a wall of sea fans along the rocky cliffs of Koh Bon island. These giant, gentle creatures can become twelve to twenty-five feet wide, wingtip to wingtip. They glide past divers in graceful arcs while filtering the plankton from the water with massive gills.

The Jaya - Thailand Indonesian built, this traditional phinsi schooner was our home for a week, diving the fantastic oceans of the Similan Islands of Thailand.

Clown Fish - Thailand The clown Anemonefish and the anemone have a symbiotic relationship. The clown fish is not harmed by the stinging tentacles of the anemone, and its bright orange color acts as a lure for passing fish. After the anemone paralyzes its prey, the clown fish gets to eat the leftovers. The clown fish helps keep the anemone clean and increases water circulation by its constant swimming action.

Tranquility - Thailand Snorkeling is like flying. You glide over powder-white sand, weightless, captivated by the myriad small fish that pass just a few feet away, and slowly move to deeper water, to deeper coral patches and the life that can be found there.

Barrel Sponge - Thailand Large barrel sponges like this one, weathered the Tsunami of 2004 much better than the surrounding fans and soft corals. But, due in part to an inexhaustible effort by the local divers here at Ao Nang, who painstakingly replaced and supported the broken fans with bamboo, the diving, and the health of the reef, is returning to its original vibrant state.