MICRONESIA - MANTA RAY BAY HOTEL YAP

Not only is Yap famous for its large population of resident Manta Rays but during filming of the BBC's current wildlife series, Pacific Abyss, new discoveries of fish were spotted including a large, slate-blue Chromis Damselfish, along with other more likely residents such as Silvertip and Grey Reef Sharks, Lyretail Angelfish and Yellow-striped Squirrelfish. For the opportunity to get immersed with some of world’s most spectacular marine life, specialists Dive Worldwide offer 11-day holidays incorporating 7-nights at Manta Ray Bay Hotel in Yap with a 10-dive package – tours depart London NOW!

Guests are based at the Manta Ray Bay Resort, designed by, and built for divers. Choose from elegant and spacious en-suite, air-conditioned rooms complete with mini bar, safe, balcony and satellite television or deluxe ocean view with private roof jacuzzi and sun deck! Enjoy delicious meals and lagoon views at Manta Ray Bistro, the finest restaurant on the island, and a refreshing cold drink by the water’s edge in the Nautical Weaver Bar. Resident 5-star PADI diving facility, Yap Divers, offers world-class diving and a full lineup of diver education programmes along with five radio-equipped twin engine dive boats - to get divers quickly to where the underwater action is - including sharks, turtles, Pipefish, Frogfish, Nudibranches and Mandarin fish. Topside, Yap is the most intriguing of the Micronesian Islands, with its giant stone money, grass skirts and traditional Men’s Houses. Other activities on offer include sea kayaking, hiking and village tours.

The holiday costs from £2,059 p/p including scheduled flights, transfers, 7-nights B&B accommodation at the Manta Ray Bay Resort, 1-night in Manila with breakfast and a 10-dive package, tanks and weights.

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MICRONESIA - 11-DAY BLUE LAGOON RESORT

In a new BBC series, Pacific Abyss, Kate Humble sets sail on a Pacific adventure with a team of natural history filmmakers and deep-water marine biologists to explore the undiscovered depths of the world's oceans – starting in Truk Lagoon. During the making of the series, the team found an environment with a higher density of species than any other known aquatic environment on Earth, including several new fish species. Join tailor-made specialist, Dive Worldwide on an underwater tour of one of the world's remotest stretches of water during an 11-day Micronesian dive holiday, departing London daily – available now.

With more ocean than land, some of Micronesia's best sights are underwater. World-famous, Truk Lagoon is host to an entire Japanese fleet, frozen in time, sunk in WWII during US Operation Hailstone. Complete with sake cups and skeletons, jeeps and tanks tied on board and fighter planes still waiting in the holds, the wrecks have been declared an underwater museum. Incredible corals in a kaleidoscope of colours and shapes along with schooling tropical fish attract divers worldwide for both day and night diving. Nowhere else in the world are there so many wrecks in close proximity, situated in shallow clear water - many visible while snorkelling. Guests are based at Blue Lagoon Resort, conveniently situated on a palm-fringed point of Moen Island offering breathtaking views of the world’s largest lagoon. The resort offers air-conditioned, en-suite rooms, each with a private balcony, an excellent restaurant offering a choice of local seafood and Pacific and Asian cuisine. Local dive operator, Blue Lagoon Dive Centre, conveniently collects divers from the hotel dock – it couldn’t be easier!

The holiday costs from £1,930 p/p including flights, transfers, 7-nights hotel accommodation at Blue Lagoon Dive Resort (plus 1-night in Manila with transfers) with breakfast, and a 5-day dive package (2 boat dives per day, tanks and weights).
Chuuk State Dive Permit fee, currently US$30 p/p (~£16) is payable locally. A drinking permit is available at a cost of US$15 (~£8) also payable locally.

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HA’APAI ENCOUNTERS WITH HUMPBACKS - TONGA

Swim and dive with Humpback Whales during an 11-day exploration of the Ha’apai Islands, part of the South Pacific Island Kingdom of Tonga, with diving specialists Dive Worldwide. Departures are available from Heathrow weekly from now until October, coinciding with peak season for Tonga whale watching.

The Ha'apai group of islands is Tonga's best kept secret, with friendly people, an uncanny sense of timelessness, white sand beaches, balmy breezes and warm waters teeming with tropical fish. There are 60 small islands of which only 17 are inhabited. With virtually no tourism, these small islands with traditional fishing villages and fantastic beaches are truly enchanting. A highlight of the diving in Ha'apai is the geography of the reefs themselves. There are caves, canyons, caverns and tunnels to explore on just about every dive with probably many more yet to be discovered. There are also vertical walls, fast flowing passes and colourful coral gardens. Hard corals dominate the reefs but there are also gorgonian fans and soft corals to be found. From July to October Humpback Whales pass through the Ha'apai group, migrating from their summer feeding grounds in the Antarctic. The whales come to the warm protected South Pacific to mate and give birth and are often spotted from the diving boat - the very lucky may even get a closer encounter during a dive. Guests are accommodated at the Sandy Bay Resort, situated on a long stretch of secluded white sand beach with all tide swimming and an excellent snorkelling reef. The onsite dive centre, Happy Ha’apai Divers, caters for both novice and experienced divers. Many of the dive sites are within the shelter of the islands and barrier reef, but there are also a number of dives that are in more open water providing opportunities for pelagic animal encounters, including sharks, tuna, trevally and barracuda. During whale season, through passive observation and interaction, the dive team aim to provide divers with a unique opportunity to share an extraordinary Humpback Whale experience.

The holiday costs from £1,995 p/p including flights, taxes, transfers, accommodation at the Sandy Bay Resort with breakfast daily and a 10-dive package (tanks and weights included).

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