You can find the rest of the list containing all 20 islands (a number which are noted for great scuba diving) at yourdreamisland.com.

So far life on the Island has been great. It is still November and the weather has been in the mid 70′s to 80′s most everyday. Miyako Island Scuba diving is apparently great, but do to the cost (around $150) for 2 boat dives) I have been doing a lot of snorkeling.

The closest beach (painagama beach) is about a 5 minute drive from our house. It has a few spots anenomes and clown fish, but the visability isn’t to great. Luckily there are a number of locations within about a 10 minute drive that have clear waters and an abundance of life. Nagamajima (located on the Island of Kurima, has swarms of fish and some neat reef structures, Maehama has some amazing beaches, and Sunayama also has a wide variety of fish.

You can also find some additional resources on Miyakojima below.

Miyakojima Wikipedia

Japan National Tourist Organization on Miyakojima

OKINAWA Travel Guide,Take a visit in OKINAWA

A coral reef booms with life off miyako island, okinawa

Miyako Island in Japanese

Miyakojima Tour

Miyakojima Net

In my next post, I will be writing about purchasing a good scuba mask and how to keep it clear.

Stay Tuned

Surrounded by crystal blue water, it’s no surprise that some of the most popular Hawaii vacation activities take place in the ocean. And if you prefer to spend all of your time in the ocean you may want to consider a Hawaii cruise. A Hawaii cruise gives you all the sun, sand, and beautiful ocean views of a Hawaii land vacation, with the added bonus of being able to see more than one of the Hawaiian Islands. When traveling by boat on a Hawaii cruise you may get the benefit of seeing at least four of the major islands in one luxurious trip. Taking a Hawaii cruise has other perks as well.

One of the countless perks of a Hawaii cruise includes paying only one price and having everything from meals to transportation included. All you have to do is sit back and relax without worrying about where to stay, how you are going to get from one point of interest to another, or how much all your sight seeing is going to cost.

Whether on an inland vacation or a cruise there are a variety of activities for everyone. For the more daring, there is snorkeling, scuba diving, or the well-known Hawaiian sport of surfing. While on a Hawaii cruise you will be able to participate in these activities right on the boat or during one of your land stops. Looking for a more peaceful way to spend the day? Pack your beach towel and a lunch and spend the day soaking up some sun either on the deck of your Hawaii cruise boat or on the miles of sparkling white sand beaches.

There are so many things to do and places to see on your Hawaii vacation that it is hard to know where to start. The six main Hawaiian Islands, although similar, offer a diverse selection of activities. Researching and knowing what each island has to offer might give you a start in choosing the destination that is ideal for you. However, after researching each island and you are still not sure which to choose, there’s always the luxury of a Hawaii cruise.

Looking for a romantic getaway? Lizard Island, nestled in the depths of Australia, provides vacationers with more than just an ideal backdrop. With colorful schools of fish swimming in the crystal clear water, the white beaches are nothing less than a peaceful way to relax and get away from the fast paced life we are all so accustomed to.

According to hundreds of vacation magazines and travel guides across the world, Lizard Island is one of the most beautiful beaches on earth. It offers visitors a chance to experience a piece of life that is usually so hidden when we are busy with other aspects. For most people, they crave a sense of adventure when they are on a vacation. Therefore, Lizard Island allows you to snorkel or scuba dive in these warm waters. With year round instructors ready to either guide you in a group dive or an individual one, the opportunities are endless to have fun.

Not interested in exploring the deep crystal clear waters? While scuba diving isn’t for the anxious, there are plenty of other activities to do while visiting Lizard Island. Bird watching is one of the most popular hobbies, since the species vary from season to season. Other adventures include visiting the Great Barrier Reef via a dingy or trying your hand at paddle skiing. Regardless of how energetic you want to be, Lizard Island will certainly rise up to your expectations. There are even boat trips for visitors who just want to relax and view the scenery.

When you are ready to enjoy a bite to eat while gazing over the water, you may want to try Cooks Look. It is not only an amazing hike, but the food is mouth watering. The majority of visitors feel that it is a perfect ending to a tiring day, especially if you have tried the snorkeling or infamous scuba diving. Nevertheless, as long as you have an appetite, Cooks Look will be an exhilarating treat.

What is even more exhilarating about Lizard Island is that vacationers are allowed to camp out! While it is required to get permission from the National Park, it is probable to reside a few nights or even a day at the camp ground. This is a wonderful way to experience the outdoors, but it is important to remember that you must provide your own food and anything else you may need. One must also take into consideration that bugs are quite bad during most months. Therefore, it is essential to bring bug spray to avoid the annoyance!

For many visitors, Lizard Island is a getaway that should be made into living quarters. It is so beautiful and breathtaking that most people do not want to leave. The numerous amounts of activities and wildlife make it easy for vacationers to spend days upon days there. After all, who wouldn’t want to experience a place that resembled Heaven?

Tourists are attracted by the island’s rustic charms, mystical culture and tradition, spectacular tropical sceneries and beautiful white sandy beaches. Many of these tourists are also scuba divers and are in Bali for scuba diving. After all, Bali was voted by several scuba diving magazines as one of the top ten dive location in the world.

Bali have many scuba diving locations where awesome underwater landscape and marine creatures abound. Let’s take a tour of some of Bali’s diving destinations.

Sanur and Nusa Dua – These 2 dive spots are located just 5 minutes away from the shore and therefore are very accessible. Beginners and novice divers will enjoy diving here because of the very gentle current. Visibility depending on seasons is low to moderate. Although hard corals are scarce, the many species of colorful fishes made up for the shortfall. Soft corals and sponges can also be found thriving on the reefs.

Nusa Penida and Lembongan Islands – Drop off reef diving is the main attraction on these islands. It is a 45 minute speedboat ride to the islands. Water visibility is rated as good because the islands are further away from the coast and therefore less polluted. The current here is very strong and experienced divers can enjoy drift diving. Sometimes the current may get too strong and dives may be abandoned.

There is a very good variety of hard corals, colorful sea gorgonian fans and many huge pelagic fishes to see. Highlights of diving here are sightings of huge schools of sweet lips fish, huge hawksbill turtles, sharks and giant manta rays.

Amed and Jemeluk Beach – These dive spots are one and half hour from Denpasar, a popular tourist town. Only experienced divers can dive here because of the strong current. The dives here can be very spectacular because of the long coastal reef, reef slopes and wall diving. Water visibility is moderate to good. This diving location is reputed to be the home of the best hard coral community in Bali.

The Padang Bay – This dive scuba diving location in Bali have a flat bottom seabed and is made up mixed reef and sandy bottom. Because of its close proximity to the shore, the water visibility is rated at best to be moderate. The attractions here are frequent sightings of large triggerfish and blue-spotted stingrays.

Tulamben Wreck Dive – For those who enjoy shipwreck diving, then this is the dive site in Bali that you must not missed. Water visibility here is fair to good and the current is generally gentle. Night dive on this wreck is described by many divers as spectacular.

The wreck was the USS Liberty, sunk in World War 2 by Japanese submarine torpedoes 1942. Since the wreck is so near the beach, scuba divers can simply swim to the wreck from the beach.

These are merely some of the many scuba diving destinations in Bali. For more excellent diving sites, you can check out with the many scuba diving operators when you are in Bali.

A beautiful shot of sunrays braking through a cavern

Various pictures of nature on Miyakojima

A short video of some Miyakojima Island reef life

Well, I have decided to take the big plunge. After living here in Tokyo for two years (three all together), I have decided to quit my job and move to the remote location of Miyakojima. Miyakojima is a small island of Japan southwest of Okinawa and about 400k east of Taiwan. And the best part is that Miyakojima Island scuba diving is absolutely amazing.

I travelled to the main island of okinawa about four years ago and did a couple of divies there. I absolutely loved it. I went in January the first time to the main island about 4 years ago and the amount of marine life was amazing. I had a chance to go to Miyakojima island in June and after spending everyday in the water, I decided I wanted to go back. So I quite my job and am moving to Miyakojima in two weeks. You can find the full story of how I quit my job and moved to a tropical island here. You can also find pictures of the island here. I probably won’t have a chance to do too much diving on the island this winter, but will be prepared to go next spring.

You can find more info on Miyakojima below:

• Miyakojima Wikipedia
• Miyakojima official website (Japanese)
• Okinawa
• Wikitravel Okinawa

The diving is pretty good, but there like many places now there are places where you can find dead coral. The reefs  and reef structures in cozumel are quite beautiful. Forming many underwater arch ways and short tunnels. Due to the current most of the diving  is drift diving and will be from a boat.

Cozumel has some night life, but is primarily a diving island and caters mostly to divers. If you are more concerned with night life, then you can always take a ferry over to cancun.

While I wouldn’t rate Cozumel island scuba diving the best in the world. For those living in north America it is still one of the best values. A quick trip to tropical clear waters.

Additional info

• Cozumels official site
• Cozumel informational site
• Cozumel Diving site
• Cozumel Blog
• Cozumel Insider Blog