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The first diving gear is… a bell?

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Diving hasn’t always been this convenient. It isn’t a sport that has been existent in the time of Moses or Julius Ceasar. Diving is a sport that’s been discovered by the early 1800’s… Oh wait, did I say 1800? I meant 1500’s – with the use of a bell.


It all started with the diving bell

It all started with the diving bell

It’s not a walk in the park

Literally. It’s diving. So you need something for you to be able to breathe long-term underwater. In the year 1535, the first diving bell was created and used by Guglielmo de Loreno. I guess he wanted to see the deeper side of the sea badly for him to come up and stake his life on this invention of his.

It worked, and that’s where it started…

Whadda ya know, looks like the diving bell did it’s job in keeping Guglielmo de Loreno alive deep down under. And that’s where the idea of creating something that would sustain a deep long dive started. Invention after invention came along for deep-sea diving to be possible.

Who would have thought?

Now we all have technologically advanced ways to go and explore the beauty of the depths of the sea. Some even go diving solo (which we do not advise – especially for new and inexperienced divers) but it just shows how technology and the advances in diving has allowed diving to change radically over the years.

Who would have thought that it all started with a big bell?

Thank God for our diving gears today. Don’t worry, we won’t have you use a diving bell in our live aboard diving cruises on expedition fleet. Haha!

Sharks are Overrated

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I’ve been to many different dive sites and I dove with a lot of different dive shops and organizers – but I’ve learned, more or less, one important observation: scuba divers love to see sharks!


Reproducing nudibranches on one of my dives from the Big Blue Explore

Reproducing nudibranches on one of my dives from the Big Blue Explore

If you get the chance to dive with an organization which care about the desires of their customers, one of the DMs will ask you or the group about their preferences. And if you’re lucky enough, all the other guests share the same interests. Unfortunately my luck barely clicks on, because I love to see the small stuff, while all the other scuba divers are praying for sharks.

I don’t like sharks that much. No, to be honest: I don’t like them at all. Yes, they are fascinating creatures, yes it’s impressing that they evolved first some million years ago – even before the dinosaurs – and yes it’s amazing how easily they drift against a current, while we are struggling not to get washed away. But is it worth to miss a pygmy seahorse hiding on a soft coral or a cleaner shrimp waiting in an anemone?  Not for me!

While the shark-fans are waiting somewhere on 30 meters or anywhere in the blue, using 2/3 of their air just  to catch one short sight of the shadow of a white tip some 50 meters away I’m just thinking of all the small stuff I miss there in the coral garden.

hat’s why I love liveaboard diving: plenty of time to watch the small stuff!

hat’s why I love liveaboard diving: plenty of time to watch the small stuff!

O.k., I don’t mind to see some manta rays passing by while I hang around on 5m doing my safety stop – like I experienced on the last trip on one of our Liveaboards in Palau. And I also turn around to have a glance at a hammerhead when my buddy is banging on his tank. But nothing can top the experience of witnessing nudibranches loving each other on a soft coral J or watching a coral hawkfish defending his shelter.

And that’s why I enjoyed diving in Palau that much! While we were hooked on a reef, facing the current and letting the sharks – with their creepy eyes – come as close as 30cm, I explored the sponge next to me with all its residents in detail.

But don’t get me wrong: I absolutely respect and adore sharks. And I would never ever even think about having a shark for dinner or trying a shark fin soup! And I really hope you’re thinking the same way!

But still, I think sharks are overrated. Don’t you think so?

3 reasons why diving is best from a live aboard cruise

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I never thought that staying on a boat with 15 strangers for a whole week, far away from civilization and nothing else to do except diving, eating and sleeping would be a great and exciting experience.


My very first day on our Palau trip on board the Big Blue Explorer last month changed my perspective about living aboard, when we saw dolphins next to our boat during breakfast, had manta rays before lunch, lots of sharks until dinner and in between nudibranches in every color and shape.

Live aboard diving is a must-try

Live aboard diving is a must-try

Dive as much as you like

The first and for me most important reason to dive from a live-aboard is the fact, that you can dive as much as you want. This might be a pretty daring statement, but after about 5 dives in a day, I’m sure you’ll get more than enough of the deep blue sea. I enjoyed every minute, every second in the ocean. And guess what, I also enjoyed the moment when I was able to go to bed. Haha! J

Everything and everyone is relaxed

Imagine waking-up with the sunrise, listening to the sound of the waves and knowing that hammerhead sharks could just be right under you – isn’t that a great nature wake-up call? It definitely was for me. I’m not the typical morning person, but during this certain week when I lived aboard – between the most beautiful island and coral reefs I’ve ever seen – getting up was easy.

And during the day you don’t have to care about anything except remembering all the incredible creatures you have seen under water to fill up your logbook or look for the names in one of the encyclopedias on board. The staff takes care of the rest.

The good thing on the Big Blue Explorer is that it is big enough to enjoy some privacy – either in the Jacuzzi on the top deck or in the lounge under deck – and small enough to be close to all those people, who love diving as much as you do. Which takes us to reason number three.

The big blue explorer ship we lived in

The big blue explorer ship we lived in

People with the same fascination for diving

It was a pleasure sharing all my experiences of the day with people from all over the world, with different backgrounds and of different ages but all with the same passion for scuba diving. And if I couldn’t find one guest, who could explain which creature it was on this picture I took on the dive before, there was for sure one of the dive guides with the correct latin and common name in mind.

I could continue listing reasons, but I really think that no explanation could reach the experience of staying on a live-aboard. You just got to try it for yourself!

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