My own top five dream dive destinations, in no particular order.

1.Sulawesi, Indonesia

The dive sites around the small cluster of islands off the tip of Sulawesi have some of the best marine biodiversity on the planet. I spent the majority of my dives here searching for pygmy seahorses, but there are more nudibranchs and healthy corals than anyone can identify. The Bunaken National Marine Park is at the forefront in eco tourism with each scuba diver paying a park charge that is shared amongst local villages. Staying with the eccentric but interesting marine-obsessed Frederick Fuellerman and his team at Sula Dive on Bunaken is unforgettable, with communal dining each night where we all talk about the day's diving and where they will explore the next day.



2.Holmes Reef, Coral Sea, Cairns Australia

Holmes Reef, positioned in the Coral Sea off Cairns is well known for it's amazing visability, usually over 50m. While you are not diving the Great Barrier Reef , you will see all the same species of fish and coral only much larger. With some amazing caves, 3000 feet dropoffs, pinnacles, a turtle's grave yard and some incredible night diving no scuba diver can afford to miss Holmes Reef. It is probobly the best and most reliable shark feeding in Australia.

3.Cozumel Mexico

The Island of Cozumel, off the Mayan coast, is surrounded by amazing coral and pristine clear water; perfect for diving. On a good day visibility can be up to 75m. Gentle currents running adjacent to the reef are a drift diver's dream. There are 20 recognised scuba diving areas, including unbeleivable caves teeming with sea life. Cozumel is tourist friendly, it has affordable accommodation and exciting night life. Cave divers can include a trip to the mainland to dive the cenotes (freshwater caves). There are heaps of excellent dive shops in the town of San Miguel.



4. Sipadan Island, Malaysian Borneo

Malaysia's only oceanic island is a small speck in the South China Sea. Underwater it is a magnet for fish: schools of trevally and horse-eye jacks swarm over the reefs, which are also home to lots of breeding hawksbill turtles. The turtles are not afraid of scuba divers and I have yet to discover a better place to get up close and personal to these gentlest of reptiles. Shark encounters are reliably good here, though the currents can be strong and I would not recommend Sipadan for new divers. Close by, the reefs of Kapalai are fantastic for spotting endangered mandarin fish (I saw them spawning at dawn) and nudibranchs.

5.Galapagos Islands

Made famous by Charles Darwin and the Beagle, this group of islands is a place with experiences like nowhere else place on earth. The Galapagos Islands, under the control of Ecuador, are much more than where the theory of evoloution was thought of. Incredible discoveries are available to the average layman diver as well, as scuba divers can mingle freely underwater with tortoises as well as Iguanas and a myriad of other wildlife.