Capturing the Moment

  Diving Zanzibar: From the Roof to the Basement of Africa   Pool scene at Ras Nungwi Beach Hotel With this adventure Jack and I completed the 19,401ft descent from the tallest point in Africa, the summit of Kilimanjaro to 60ft below sea level off the coast of Mnemba Atoll near Zanzibar, Africa. Stone Town, Zanzibar Ornate Door in Stone Town Zanzibar is a collection of islands off the coast of East Africa. The fact that the main island of Unguja, which is now generally referred to as Zanzibar, provided a defensible harbor which led to it becoming a strategic trading post for Arab, Indian, and Chinese traders. Together with Mafia Island, Zanzibar is often nicknamed the "Spice Islands" due to it main exports of spices including nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, and black pepper. The wealth and rich history of Zanzibar can easily be seen today by strolling through the World Heritage Site of Stone Town with it's massive ornately carved doors, minarets, and su...

Healthy Herbivores   I feel pretty lucky that I can come back to Maui for a quick two week vacation and have amazing adventures with great friends. One of these adventures was on my old boat, the Ocean Adventurer, for an all-day snorkel trip to the island of Lanai.  Kelly diving under as Ben stands guard Early Morning Rays    Lanai is often called the "pineapple isle" because it was once a massive pineapple plantation. Nowadays it is owned by the business software mogul Larry Ellison and is more of an elite tourists destination. Although at the moment the two major hotels that are on Lanai are closed for upgrades. Which means that the snorkeling around the island is almost completely untapped except for the few snorkel boats adventurous enough to make the drive from Maui. Predator jacks search for food Kelly freediving deep Underwater swim-thru    We had wavy conditions but almost no wind. We found great snorkeling conditions at...

Dauin (Dumaguete), Philippines Scuba Dive Destination Wide angle madness! Apo Island's clear waters Stilted bungalows of our resort   Dauin is a tiny municipality of Negros Oriental, Philippines. Except for tourists coming in for scuba diving the small fishing village vibe still rules here. Ladies set up stalls by the road in the afternoons with all the fresh catch of the day. The men and some women too take out big seine nets right around sunset time and drag them along the shallows. Ten villagers hauling in these huge nets on either side made me wonder how any fish are still out there in the shallows. I got my answer when they pulled the net in the first time and I overheard someone say, "stonefish....we got 1 stonefish." They are hoping to get tiny little fish about the size of anchovies on our pizza here in the States to make little fish pancakes and rice for the next mornings meal. I couldn't believe all the work that went in to such a small...