Links

www.7crossstreet.com

A small and quirky hotel in the “Latin Quarter” of Galway on the west coast of Ireland. A comfortable sanctuary after the scenic splendour of the Burren, before another day of riding the Wild Atlantic Way.

https://www.alfheimar.com

Our refuge from bad weather for a night in Eastern Iceland, when camping was out of the question.

https://butterfly-conservation.org/our-work/reserves/allt-mhuic-loch-arkaig

An important butterfly reserve in a remote spot next to Loch Arkaig in Western Scotland, a stronghold of the Chequered Skipper.

www.apartamentosmontanaderiano.com

Excellent apartment in the spectacularly located Riano, on the edge of the Picos De Europa in Northern Spain.

www.apartamentossierradeloso.com/en/

Very good self-catering apartments with great views over the town of Potes in the Picos De Europa, Northern Spain.

https://www.arbol.is

A guesthouse in the north Icelandic town of Husavik. The proprietors were a bit over-obsessed with their rules, but the rooms were nice.

www.aquamarinediving.com

We dived with Aquamarine for our three diving days in the Nusa Penida area, looking for Mola Mola and Mantas.

A good reliable dive operator, we were successful in our Mola Mola quest with a great encounter on the second day. The Mantas for once played a supporting role.

www.adobe.com/uk
Creator of much of the software we use for our digital photography and more.

https://ahr.mx

A racing circuit in Mexico City.

After a long hiatus, Formula 1 returned to Mexico City with great success. The organisers put on a great event with a great atmosphere. We were fortunate to attend in 2018, to see Lewis Hamilton win his fifth world title.

https://cubandivingcenters.com/

In March 2020, we boarded the excellent Avalon III for a week of diving the “Gardens of the Queens” marine national park on the southern side of Cuba. The Caribbean at its’ best. Remoteness itself.

www.atlantishotel.com

The Philippines based Atlantis Hotel dive resorts, at Puerto Galera on the island of Mindoro, and at Dumaguete on the island of Negros offer a complete package for the long haul dive traveller, with high standards of accommodation and service, fine food and great diving. These resorts should feature on the “must visit” lists of the “global diver.

https://www.atlantic-diver.co.uk

Based in Newquay in Cornwall, this dive centre offers Blue Shark cage diving in the summer months. Jeremy did this trip during 2015 and found it very worthwhile, with very friendly hosts Chris and Annabelle.

www.artistresidence.co.uk

We’ve stayed at the quirky and enjoyable Brighton “branch” of the Artist’s Residence hotel on several occasions. Well located and a bit leftfield of the normal hotel.

We’ve also had some enjoyable stays at their Penzance “outpost” in Cornwall – our accommodation of choice whilst doing the Basking Shark and Blue Shark trips with Charles Hood.

www.aquaphot.com

We were recommended to use Aquaphot by Ocean Optics for housing repairs and found them to be friendly, helpful and reliable.

We have used them for servicing and repairs ever since.

www.lecques-aquanaut.fr

A friendly and competent dive centre at Les Lecques in the South of France, used by Kurt Amsler for his underwater photography courses back along. Expect to be offered pastis after the dives, especially if Thierry is on the boat (if he’s still there, as it was some years ago)!

www.amoray.com

When scheduling meant that we couldn’t dive the wreck of the Spiegel Grove with It’s A Dive (now Pirate Island Divers), we were referred to the Amoray Dive Centre just up the road. Great dive on the Spiegel Grove and a friendly, helpful crew.

www.allangelo.it/en/

Our well located base in Venice – in the backstreets but close to Piazza San Marco.

http://antiguaanchorageinn.com/v2/

A friendly hotel very much in the vibe of the old “Caribbean” rather than the “all inclusive” resort style places that proliferate these days in Antigua and similar islands.

www.gandamusic.co.uk

A great teacher of music with much versatility, empathy, knowledge and endless enthusiasm, and an all-round excellent chap, based in Warminster.

http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/alalaproject/

The Hawaiian Crow (the Alala) is one of the world’s rarest birds, critically endangered.

This website is the information centre for the organisation that is dedicated to saving them and re-introducing them to the wild.

It’s quite a task, let’s wish them well. If we can save this species, we can save others.

https://www.facebook.com/abdullasivad
https://www.youtube.com/user/MegaSeaward
Maldivian dive instructor and dive enthusiast based on the Bandos Island Resort. When not working, he dives with his video camera documenting marine life in the Maldives, including of the less visited deep south from where he originates.
An all-round good guy – always helpful, cheerful and friendly.

www.aggressor.com

We enjoyed a great time on the Kona Aggressor liveaboard in late 2006, exploring the Kona Coast of Hawaii. The manta ray night dives were incredible, like nothing else. The hospitality on the boat was excellent, too – the food was better than most restaurants. Who says you can’t trust a restaurant that moves!

In 2009, we travelled onboard the Cayman Aggressor, visiting selected sites around Grand Cayman before heading off to Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. It was another “top” week.

Then, in 2011, we enjoyed a fantastic week on the Belize Aggressor visiting iconic dive sites such as the Blue Hole.

In 2014, we hopped on the Turks & Caicos Aggressor for another great week visiting Grace Bay, North Point, West Caicos and French Cay and another stay onboard the Kona Aggressor, this time with Zac in tow as a Junior Advanced diver.

More recently, in 2016, Jeremy and Zac had a “father and son” trip on the Kona Aggressor – a fabulous week that included the famed Manta Ray Night dives, the “pelagic magic” blackwater night dive and sites along the Kona Coast almost as far south as South Point itself.

Jeremy’s pictures have been used many times in the Aggressor “Cruise News” and other spin-offs, including on one of their mugs!

Most recently in early 2022, we were sad to learn that the Kona Aggressor had to be taken out of service.

https://www.balmerlawnhotel.com

A venue for a “pre-Christmas rest” for Amanda and I, after a busy week and busy year!

https://baskingsharkscotland.co.uk/

Based on the island of Coll, this company offers trips in search of the Basking Sharks that gather in the area in the Summer months.

https://www.nationalpark-bayerischer-wald.bayern.de/english/index.htm

An interesting national park area that we enjoyed motorcycling through, bordering the Czech Republic.

https://belfry.fr/en

My accommodation in the religious city of Lourdes, in the foothills of the French Pyrenees. The spa and outdoor hot-tub were nice after a long day’s motorcycling.

https://biggameclubbimini.com

A friendly and casual resort on the Bahamian island of North Bimini. We enjoyed our stay there, whilst visiting to dive with the seasonal visitations of the Great Hammerhead Shark.

https://biggameclubbimini.com
https://www.biminiscubacenter.com/

The accommodation and dive operator for our visit to the Bahamian island of Bimini in a successful quest for Great Hammerhead encounters.

https://www.biminiscubacenter.com
A friendly dive centre located at Bimini in the Bahamas. We succeeded in getting our Great Hammerhead sightings there.

https://www.camping.info/en/campsite/tjaldsvi-hunaveri

A campsite at the North Icelandic town of Blonduos.

https://www.dedrentseliefde.nl/nl/

A friendly and intimate hotel close to a national park. A good breakfast was served.

https://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk

A ferry company that serves France and Spain from the UK. I travelled on the Plymouth – Santander route with the motorcycle for my 2025 ride in Spain, France, Andorra and Portugal.

https://www.bannview.co.uk/
My base for exploring Northern Ireland on the R1200GS.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/branscombe/features/the-beach-at-branscombe

A scenic and tucked away section of the Jurassic Coast, with an excellent coast path section and plentiful wildlife including national rarities such as Peregrine Falcons and the Wood White butterfly..

https://www.barbican.org.uk/

A hub of arts, film and music in the north east part of central London.

Lot’s of very interesting things happen there.

https://biggameclubbimini.com/
https://www.epicdiving.com/
The operator for our upcoming visit to the Bahamian island of Bimini in a quest for Great Hammerhead encounters.

http://butterfly-conservation.org

A UK based organisation dedicated to conserving UK butterflies and moths. We have a family membership and donate to their campaigns.

Reserves visited include Alners Gorse (https://butterfly-conservation.org/our-work/reserves/alners-gorse-dorset ), Broadcroft Quarry (https://butterfly-conservation.org/our-work/reserves/broadcroft-quarry-portland-dorset ) and Lydford Old Railway (https://butterfly-conservation.org/our-work/reserves/lydford-old-railway-devon )

“BC” also have local branches that cover counties and regions. Here’s the one’s I’ve spent the most time looking at, mostly for details of the sightings;

• Cumbria; https://butterfly-conservation.org/in-your-area/cumbria-branch
• Devon; https://butterfly-conservation.org/in-your-area/devon-branch
• Dorset; https://www.dorsetbutterflies.com/
• Hampshire/Isle of Wight; http://www.hantsiow-butterflies.org.uk/
• Norfolk; https://butterfly-conservation.org/in-your-area/norfolk-branch
• Somerset & Bristol; https://www.somersetbristolbutterflies.org.uk/
• Sussex: https://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/index.php
• Wiltshire; https://www.wiltshire-butterflies.org.uk/

www.bupg.co.uk

This Bristol based underwater photography group includes some excellent underwater photographers amongst its membership.

After years of not getting around to it, Jeremy eventually joined in late 2016 and attends meetings regularly.

www.bubblesbelowkauai.com

We enjoyed some excellent diving with Bubbles Below around the “forbidden island” of Niihau, and also Mana Crack and Kauai’s south shore. What made it special was the dive crew themselves – friendly, knowledgeable, helpful and enthusiastic.

The encounters with the critically endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals were unforgettable.

https://bsoup.org.uk/

Affectionately known as “B-SOUP”, the British Society of Underwater Photographers is an active, diverse and progressive organisation, covering the entire spectrum of underwater photography and filmmaking. The website is an excellent resource.

www.daintreerivercruise.com

Our son Zac wanted to see a “salty” during his time in Australia. On this river trip, he saw several, including a couple of babies and a mature adult with bloodied teeth. Scary!

www.blakeney-hotel.co.uk

Jeremy stayed at this luxurious hotel during his motorcycle explorations of East Anglia. It’s in a great spot and the bath was especially enjoyable after a few hours in the saddle. Blakeney itself and the area around it would be worth a visit in its own right.

www.boutiquesouk.com

We organised our stay in Marrakech, Morocco through Boutique Souk and found Rosena to be helpful, attentive and prompt in sorting out the (relatively last minute) arrangements for our stay. The selection of Riads on offer made choosing difficult. In the end we went for Riad Ayadina, which was perfect for a relaxing and exquisite long weekend to celebrate a significant birthday of Amanda.

www.scubadivingjersey.com

Bouley Bay Dive Centre in Jersey offer a friendly and helpful dive centre facility on the island’s north east shore. It’s a great place to dive, especially if the conditions are calm, with a variety of topography and marine life to check out. I was paired up with massively enthusiastic local underwater photographer Kirk Truscott, who was the perfect dive guide and buddy for the two days that I dived there.

Since our original dives back in 2010, we have dived Sark and Jersey again in 2018.

www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk

BMW are manufacturers of fine motorcycles including the R1200 GS Adventure. Wheels (and poetry) in motion!

www.blueplanetaquarium.com

This aquarium at Ellesmere Port near Chester offers dives with the Sand Tiger Sharks, which Jeremy and Zac enjoyed. Also in the tank are Lemon and Leopard Sharks plus eels, rays and a plenty of other fish.

https://www.trukbluelagoonresort.com

Way back in 2000, we travelled out to Micronesia. We stayed at the Blue Lagoon Resort, which was our base for visiting the famous wrecks of Truk Lagoon.

www.blackrockdivecentre.com

A laid back, friendly and underwater photography orientated dive centre located at Dahab in the Egyptian Sinai. Choose from a wide variety of shore diving sites, plus options for boat diving. We enjoyed ten great days there thanks to Hayden and his team.

www.bizleyart.com

High quality art of a prehistoric and sci-fi persuasion. The gallery and shop is at Lyme Regis, on the Jurassic Coast.

https://www.africa-adventure.com/accommodations/berenty-lodge

A well known lodge, estate and reserve on the South East of Madagascar. The “walking” sifakas are great to watch.

Watch out for the “Ring Tails” though; if you leave a window open they’ll get into your room!

www.tikishark.com

A fantastic Hawaii based artist producing a unique interpretation of Tiki art.

We bought a unique piece for our home, which looks great on our wall. We met Brad, and he personalised the painting for us with “JAZ 1” on the vehicle number plate.

https://bloolagoon.com
Our quirky and enjoyable “eco resort” base at Padangbai in Bali, from where we dived the Nusa Penida area.
We would have liked a few more days. The views of the sunrise each morning were magical as we drank coffee and watched the day come alive.

www.bahnstormer.co.uk

Supplier of my last two BMW 1200 GS Adventures (purchased in 2017 and 2024), based in Alton in Hampshire.

www.bluedivingustica.it

Our choice of dive centre on the Italian island of Ustica, north of Sicily.

Our visit coincided with fantastic conditions, and we really enjoyed diving with the Blue Diving team (and associated dive centre Mr. Jump), who we found really friendly, welcoming and professional. Very good indeed!

https://www.bakucitycircuit.com/

The website for the increasingly popular street circuit in Baku, capital of Azerbaijan.

https://bluemarlincove.com/
Our excellent Grand Bahamian base for the shark diving at Tiger Beach.

http://bandosmaldives.com

A long established and blissful Maldivian island, conveniently located close to Male. Great diving, including a superb house reef.

It’s been great for us as a family, and was the place where our son Zac did his first dive in the sea.

We’ve been there an incredible six times (at time of writing), and it’s very hard to leave when the time comes!

https://campegilsstadir.is/

A campsite in Eastern Iceland, which had a café and bar that served decent fish soup.

https://campeast.is/en/reydarfjordur

A good campsite on the East of Iceland.

https://www.thakgil.is/?lang=en

A remote campsite on the South of Iceland in a spectacular location, accessed by an equally spectacular road.

https://www.hoteisguide.com/pt/casa-de-alpajares-guest-house-spa

Lovely accommodation with fantastic views over the Duoro valley in Portugal.

https://casadesantiago.es/

Pleasant accommodation in the spectacular old town of Albarracin, set into the rocks in south central Spain.

https://rincondelacatedral.es/

Excellent “riad” style accommodation in the World Heritage city of Toledo in Spain.

https://cattlestone.uk

A friendly campsite close to the Knepp Wildlands in the South Downs. Fuzz and I tested out our new “motorcycle tents” here, ahead of our Iceland trip.

www.chuckjones.com

An interesting gallery in the Gaslamp District of San Diego.

We got tempted with a “Sludge Tarpon” sculpture for our house.

https://www.circuitcat.com/en/

Excellent and long-established Grand Prix circuit on the outskirts of Barcelona in Spain. The only criticism is the lack of infrastructure in the vicinity of the circuit, which would benefit from some improvement.

https://fresh-escapes.com/rentals/apartment-teignmouth-crab-shack-443913.html

Our pleasant accommodation for a short Winter break on the South Devon Coast at Teignmouth.

https://crabberswharf.co.uk/

A development of nice self-catering apartments at Portland in Dorset.

www.circuitpaulricard.com/en/

A historic circuit located in the hills of Provence, not far from Marseille, Aix-en-Provence and the coastal towns of La Ciotat, Les Lecques and Bandol.

We attended in 2019 in baking temperatures, as the summer heatwave kicked in.

www.circuitoftheamericas.com

An excellent circuit just outside the enjoyable Texan city of Austin, famed for its’ live music scene. After watching Lewis Hamilton win, we stayed on and watched Stevie Wonder close out the event.

www.plantationoncrystalriver.com

We spent two days snorkelling with the manatees at Crystal River in Florida based at the Plantation Inn – unusual in that it’s a “dive and golf resort” (there isn’t much interaction between the two “camps”!).

Above water, the conditions were perfect, but below the waterline it wasn’t quite as easy, especially for those of us with cameras. As the manatees feed they grub up the bottom and aren’t necessarily attracted to “good visibility” – often choosing the most muddy and murky areas of the river systems. If you’re lucky enough to encounter them in the King Spring or Three Sisters Springs where the water is incredibly clear, you’ll be in for a treat.

http://charleshood.com/

Jeremy and Zac had good days hunting for Basking Sharks out of Penzance with shark expert and photographer. Though we didn’t get any “Baskers”, we did get to snorkel with seals. We hope to go back and get success with the Basking Sharks.

Charles also offers Blue Shark trips with high success rates, which we did in 2016 and 2017. Our 2018 and 2019 “blues quest” were both cancelled due to weather.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/compton-bay-and-downs

A fabulously scenic bay on the south side of the Isle of Wight, and home to the rare Glanville Fritillary butterfly.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/glastonbury-tor/trails/collard-hill-in-pursuit-of-the-large-blue

A nature reserve near Street in Somerset, known for its’ population of the re-introduced Large Blue butterfly.

www.cooperandtanner.co.uk

Our preferred property agent, with an office in our home town of Warminster.

https://divedominica.com/

A small and intimate dive lodge situated near Roseau, the capital of the Caribbean’s “nature island” of Dominica. Excellent food, great diving and great people.

www.cairnsaquarius.com.au

We rented an apartment at the Cairns Aquarius for our 2010 visit to Australia. It’s in a great position, right on the esplanade and very close to all the restaurants and shops.

http://captaincookinn.co.uk

A welcome place (pub) to stay after a day of motorcycling up the East Coast of the UK

https://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/walksdb/622/

An interesting and secluded part of Portland, and centre of the fascinating re-establishment of the once extinct in the UK Large Tortoiseshell butterfly.

Sadly, there’s no longer a website for this entry on the worldwide web. It would seem that the world has moved on…

Now closed, Devon-based Cameras Underwater were the suppliers of our Subal D7200 housings, as well as a few other items such as ports and accessories.

https://www.sleeper.scot/
The sleeper train to Scotland – we enjoyed waking up somewhere west of Glasgow to the vista of the Scottish Highlands en route to Fort William, before heading over to Mull. A good memory and trip.

In 2025, we travelled again on the Caledonian, also to Fort William.

https://www.curlewaction.org/

“Curlew Action” is the creation and work of Mary Colwell, a writer and producer specialising in the natural world. I especially enjoyed her book “Curlew Moon” which described a 500-mile walk for curlew awareness, overlapping with the complicated conservation matters and viewpoints that are associated with saving this expressive and dynamic wading bird in the UK.

https://the-old-coach.inn.fan

I enjoyed a night’s stay in the Old Coach Coach House at Eyemouth on a east coast motorcycling trip in 2017.

Eyemouth is also a popular diving spot, and chatted with some divers in the pub that evening.

www.caseustica.it/

We stayed in one of these apartments whilst on the excellent island of Ustica.

A perfect base for our stay on the island, which included superb scuba diving.

We stayed in the Cavalluccio Marino apartment.

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/home-of-charles-darwin-down-house/

I always associate Charles Darwin with the restless and enquiring mind, which led him to his theories on natural selection. In many ways, it’s that spirit (of the enquiring mind) that appeals to me more than anything.

Back in 2016, we visited his former home, which is run by English Heritage and is a museum to his life’s work.

https://daintreewildernesslodge.com.au/

Our accommodation in the Daintree Rainforest, where we had a really enjoyable stay. The Cassowary encounter by our cabin was magical.

https://www.northiceland.is/en/service/dalvik-camping-ground

Our campsite base for two days, from where we visited the island of Grimsey on the Arctic Circle.

https://www.devere.co.uk/cotswold-water-park-hotel

Our base for visiting the Cotswold Water Park area. We chose one of the “apartment style” rooms.

https://drury188189.co.uk

An excellent coffee and café located in Drury Lane, London.

https://www.dyfiospreyproject.com

A well established Osprey reintroduction project in West Wales. It’s good to see these birds returning each year and fledging young. There’s also a nature reserve at the site, with a viewing platform from where to view the nest.

https://www.darrenhaines.co.uk

We’ve worked with Warminster based Darren Haines (formerly Impact Digital Design) for a long time now. Design flair is evident on our “Diving Dreams” calendars, “Shoot To Thrill Policy” brochures and our “Cover Shots” to name some examples.

https://www.durrell.org

Gerald Durrell was a trailblazer in conservation, opening his zoo with the aim of closing it, as his primary motivation was captive breeding and re-introduction rather than a zoo as an exhibition.

He hoped that there would be no need for his zoo in the future.

He also funded his work by writing, at which he became very successful.

I can relate to his life as a boy, collecting and finding insects and birds, spending most waking hours outdoors. He was in Corfu, I was in Corsley – I didn’t matter, there was so much to discover.

His work lives on via the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, based on Jersey.

www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/wild-seas-centre

A small wildlife centre and museum at the remote (in UK terms) Kimmeridge Bay in Dorset.

www.donfosters.com
www.divetech.com

After a week on the Cayman Aggressor liveaboard, I still had the “urge to submerge”, so I did some half days with Don Fosters and Dive Tech – very mellow, easy diving, but still good.

Sadly, we can’t see a website for this entry on the worldwide web. Maybe the world has moved on…

A rustic lodge set on a hillside overlooking the Ranomafana National Park in Madagascar. A great base from which to hit the forest trails.

https://diverslodge.yolasite.com

We dived with this dive team during one of our earlier dive experiences in the Egyptian Red Sea, visiting dive sites around Hurghada

Sadly, there’s no longer a website for Divequest on the worldwide web. It would seem that the world has moved on…

We’re now veterans of many Divequest trips, including Sulawesi, Bonaire, Dominica, Papua New Guinea, Borneo, Bali, Egypt and Galapagos. We hope to do many more. In fact, diving the Divequest “brochure” (now online!) could be a life’s work. It’s certainly a life’s ambition!

https://www.diveworldwide.com

We found Dive Worldwide very helpful in pulling together our trip to Cuba, visiting Havana, then joining the Avalon III liveaboard to dive the “Gardens of the Queens” marine reserve and afterwards, an extension to the Zapata National Park area in a quest to find the Bee Hummingbird, the world’s smallest bird.

www.divephotoguide.com

US based Dive Photo Guide is a global “hub” for all things underwater photography and videography. Jeremy has contributed features to the website including trip reports and underwater photographer’s guides.

www.divegrenada.com

An excellent and friendly beachside dive centre on Grand Anse Beach in Grenada.

We visited over Christmas 2016 and enjoyed dives in the marine conservation areas at sites such as Happy Valley and the unique Underwater Sculpture Garden. We also were able to dive the wreck of the Bianca C, one of the “destination” shipwrecks of the Caribbean.

Highly recommend them!

www.dikdik.ch

We stayed at the secluded Dik Dik Hotel to visit the nearby Arusha National Park. They also arranged our successful “summiting” of Mt. Kilimanjaro (the “Roof of Africa”).

https://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/

A conservation body dedicated to conserving wildlife in Devon.

Essential work is undertaken by them.

Sadly, there’s no longer a website for this entry on the worldwide web. It would seem that the world has moved on…

We enjoyed a great week of diving in Saudi Arabia with Desert Sea Divers way back in 2000. Wonder where our friendly Welsh dive guide “Fat Cousteau” is these days? If anyone knows, let us know.

www.ddivers.org

An organisation dedicated to helping people with disabilities to scuba dive. Jeremy has photographed some DDI pool sessions at Culverhay School in Bath at the invitation of the former Divezone.

www.diversdown.co.uk

Divers Down helped us with tanks, fills and a bit of logistics whilst diving the “cuttlefish hotspot” of Babbacombe near Torquay in Devon.

https://dan.org/

We use DAN Insurance for our dive travels, just in case anything goes wrong.

https://www.biosphaere.ch/en

An interesting reserve area in Switzerland where we stayed for a couple of days on our 2023 motorcycle tour.

www.ellwoodcottages.co.uk/

A pleasant and tucked away set of converted farm building re-imagined as self catering units. It was perfect for a concentrated content writing session for this website.

www.elmleynaturereserve.co.uk

This privately owned farm on the Isle of Sheppey encompasses a vast National Nature Reserve.

We stayed in one of their “Shepherds Hut” cabins. Great for wildlife and walks. Really enjoyable.

https://www.exmouthdiving.com.au

A friendly and professional dive centre in Exmouth serving the northern part of Ningaloo Reef in western Australia. Blizzard Ridge, Navy Pier and sites around the Muiron Islands offer top notch diving. For the southern end of Ningaloo see Ningaloo Reef Dive.

www.epicdiving.com/

Epic Diving were our friendly and welcoming hosts for our visit to Tiger Beach off Grand Bahama for Tiger and Great Hammerhead encounters. Sadly, no Great Hammerheads turned up during our visit, but the rest of the shark action was spectacular.

In addition to the “Tigers”, we saw Caribbean Reef Sharks, Lemon Sharks and Bull Sharks.

Since our return, a huge female Great Hammerhead (known to the Epic team for many years) has returned to the area (she was feared dead), so it was excellent news to hear this.

https://fjalladyrd.is/

A wilderness lodge and restaurant in the interior of Iceland. A nice place to stay.

https://www.islandshotel.is/hotels-in-iceland/fosshotel-myvatn

An upscale hotel in a spectacular position overlooking Lake Myvatn.

https://www.islandshotel.is/hotels-in-iceland/fosshotel-stykkisholmur

Our inadvertent base on the Western side of Iceland, after we were chased out of the Westfjords by bad weather.

https://frankiesays.uk

Excellent apartment accommodation in London’s Soho.

https://www.fullertonhotels.com

An iconic hotel in Singapore and a special treat for us to stay there.

https://www.northnorthants.gov.uk/fermyn-woods-country-park

Fermyn Wood has become well known among butterfly circles as an excellent “Purple Emperor wood”.

The best areas are away from the Country Park visitor centre.

https://www.forestryengland.uk/fineshade-wood

Part of the original Rockingham Forest, Fineshade Wood was chosen as the reintroduction site for the Chequered Skipper in England. As of 2022, the project has been a success.

www.formula1.com

Our favourite motorsport, the absolute pinnacle of circuit racing.

www.fiaformulae.com

Forward thinking racing series using fully electric cars. Many of the world’s top drivers have been attracted to compete in the series.

www.floridaysresortorlando.com

A conveniently located resort in Orlando, close to Sea World and other theme parks.

We were in the area to give Zac the “theme park” experience, though it isn’t really “our thing”. We did do the Beluga interaction at Seaworld which was fun.

We also used the base to visit Cape Canaveral.

www.fishnfins.com

A long established dive centre in far flung Palau. Back in 2000, we spent three days there. It most certainly wasn’t enough!

It was our first experience of “flying in the current” on reef hooks.

www.flymontserrat.com

Without this tiny airline, we wouldn’t have made it to Montserrat.

We enjoyed the 20-minute flight from Antigua on their 6-seater, and lucked into great views of the island, including the smouldering menace of the Soufriere Hills volcano.

https://www.visit-hampshire.co.uk/things-to-do/farley-mount-country-park-p1414861

An excellent “birds and insects” reserve near Winchester in Hampshire.

https://dragonpub.co.uk

A nice country pub with accommodation, close to the Knepp Wildlands in the South Downs.

https://www.geosea.is/en

A clifftop geothermal pool and spa at Husavik in Northern Iceland. On a clear day you might see whales in the bay below.

https://glampingandcamping.is/en

A collection of cabins set in a spectacular location close to the main town in the Westman Islands, off the South of Iceland.

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/woods/glasdrum-wood-national-nature-reserve

An excellent reserve featuring ancient deciduous “rainforest” on the West Coast of Scotland. Sadly, a very rare habitat.

https://www.vegagerdin.is/en/the-transportation-system/public-transport/ferries/saefari-grimsey

Other than flying, this is the only way to reach the island of Grimsey. They know what they’re doing.

https://www.akureyri.is/grimsey-en

A remote island off the North of Iceland astride the Arctic Circle. It’s home to ridiculous amounts of seabirds, and especially Puffins in the summer months.

https://www.grossglockner.at/gg/en/thehighalpineroad/thehighalpineroad

A mountain pass in Austria that so iconic, it has its’ own website!

https://www.guillermolorca.com

A fabulous artist producing new takes on the Neo-Baroque style of painting.

https://gulliverstravel.co.uk/

We’ve booked some enjoyable Grand Prix trips with MRI – to Bahrain, Turkey, Belgium, Austin (Texas USA), Mexico, France and Holland (which was cancelled due to Covid-19).

Gary’s dry and cutting sense of humour kept us entertained!

He still hosts some of their trips, evidently…

https://gilbertwhiteshouse.org.uk/
Gilbert White was an early naturalist based in Selborne in north Hampshire. He studied and then wrote about the wildlife of Selborne.
Though a religious man, his work is that of a patient, careful observer with an enquiring mind. It’s that spirit of the enquiring mind that appeals to me most.
Today, his former home is a museum to his life and work.

http://greatbustard.org

A pioneering project based on Salisbury with the aim of re-introducing the Great Bustard to the UK. The “appointment only” visits are very interesting and worthwhile.

Globe Cottage in Weymouth was owned by Jeremy & Amanda, and was rented out to visitors to the area. It’s ideally situated within the old town offering easy access to the golden sands of Weymouth’s beach and is the perfect base for exploring the Jurassic Coast and wider local area including; Weymouth’s enchanting harbour, it’s busy shopping streets plus, historic Portland, Lulworth Cove, Abbotsbury, Lyme Regis, Swanage and the Isle of Purbeck.

The new owners, the Harrisons continue to offer the property as a holiday let – Google Globe Cottage Weymouth to find out more.

www.galapagossky.com

An excellent liveaboard that tours the wild seas of the remote Galapagos Islands, offering divers a glimpse of the way the oceans used to be. The crew know how to run a good dive operation that combines adventure with safety and comfort. The dives around Darwin and Wolf Islands are spectacular.

To quote Lewis Hamilton “It’s hammer time” (the hammerhead sharks).

https://galapagosconservation.org.uk
A conservation trust dedicated to preserving the Galapagos Islands. A worthy cause, we think.
We have a membership and donate to their campaigns.

http://gingerbreadhill.com

Our magical and peaceful accommodation for our time on Montserrat.

The elevated position affords excellent views of the Caribbean, the volcanic islet of Redonda and Nevis in the further distance.

It’s also home to iguanas, hummingbirds and goats among other things. If the goats are nearby, why set an alarm clock – we called it “Goat o clock”.

https://www.georgeanddragondent.co.uk/

Fuzz and I based ourselves at this friendly pub, whilst visiting the rea to see and photograph the Scotch Argus at the Smardale Gill National Nature Reserve.

https://www.goyaboutiqueresorts.com/

Amanda and I treated ourselves to a stay at this excellent and hugely relaxing resort at Ubud in Bali. It was hard to leave.

www.ginniespringsoutdoors.com

Ginnie Springs is an excellent “outdoor living” resort in the north central Florida. It’s set in mature woodland along the Santa Fe River close to the town of High Springs. Feeding the river are a series of freshwater springs producing fantastic visibility for divers and snorkellers. The area also attracts cave divers, keen to explore the labyrinths created by the springs.

www.georgiaaquarium.org

One of the world’s biggest aquariums, home to whale sharks, manta rays and beluga whales among other things!

Our son Zac was super excited when he saw the whale shark.

https://thenewgowerhotel.wales

We ended up at this hotel after we headed to the Gower Peninsula in Wales on a whim.

It turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The “Room with a Bath” was quirky idea.

https://www.somersetwildlife.org/nature-reserves/green-down

A small but very interesting reserve that is a stronghold of the re-introduced Large Blue butterfly.

www.gambia.co.uk

Back in the 1990’s, we travelled a lot to Gambia in West Africa. We often used the Gambia Experience for bookings. The Gambia itself was great fun to visit, a mini adventure, especially if we travelled “up-river” to places such as Georgetown (Jan Jan Bureh Camp), Basse and Fatoto.

https://heightshotel.com

A hotel perched atop Portland with stunning views over Portland Harbour, Chesil Beach and the Dorset Coast.

It’s been a place Jeremy has visited as a base for writing and birding.

https://hofnaccommodation.is/en

Clean and functional accommodation on the South of Iceland.

https://www.camping.info/en/campsite/tjaldsvi-holmavik

Our campsite base for the Westfjords in Iceland.

https://www.hospederiadelosparajes.com/en

Decent accommodation in the walled hill town of Laguardia in the Rioja region of Northern Spain.

https://www.hotelaldan.is

Our accommodation at the end of our Icelandic motorcycle trip.

https://www.deboegschroef.nl/en

A hotel stopover in Holland, enroute to Denmark, ahead of my motorcycle trip to Iceland.

https://hoteldjurhuus.fo/?_l=en

Our pleasant and convenient base at Torshavn in the Faroe Islands.

https://www.hotelduvin.com/locations/cambridge/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhLnJqI-vgAMVhevtCh3CgwsfEAAYASAAEgKNhPD_BwE

We stayed in the “Cambridge branch” of the Hotel Du Vin chain.

The cellar bar was good, where we enjoyed tasting different rums with the bar manager.

https://www.eurostarshotels.co.uk/eurostars-park-hotel-maximilian.html

Our base for an overnight stay in Regensburg. A bit tired, but the room was spacious and a decent breakfast.

https://www.castlebridge.cz/en/welcome

Our base at the excellent town of Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic.

https://www.hotel-goldener-hirsch.de/en

We enjoyed staying here, in this fantastically preserved walled medieval town.

The balcony overlooking the valley below was great. I would have happy staying a few days.

http://www.goldenestheaterhotelsalzburg.com/

Our base for an overnighter in Salzburg. The manager was friendly and helpful.

https://www.hotelibaia.com/en

A hotel close to the beach at Hendaye, just inside France. Hendaye is the town where the Route Des Cols Des Pyrenees starts, hence the reason for staying there.

https://www.leonardo-hotels.com/almere/leonardo-hotel-almere-city-center?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzYrJ9o-vgAMVsIhQBh0ZuANmEAAYASAAEgKSm_D_BwE

Our base to visit the Oostvardplassen Re-wilding Project.

A good way to do a modern hotel in a new town. The bar was good.

https://www.madeloc.com/en

Pleasant accommodation in the excellent town of Collioure in the South of France.

https://www.maritim.com/en/hotels/germany/hotel-cologne/hotel-overview

A large and well located hotel on the riverfront in Cologne.

Our base for a night on our 2023 European motorcycle odyssey.

https://www.hotel-meurice.fr

Our hotel at the “spiritual end” of our 2023 European motorcycle tour. Unusual place, well located, and with secure parking for the bikes.

https://www.hotelvillaparadisotaormina.com/en

Our base at Taormina in Sicily, with brilliant Mt.Etna views from our room, and from the top floor breakfast area.

https://www.hcchotels.com/en/regente

Our accommodation on Las Ramblas in Barcelona whilst attending the Formula 1 Grand Prix. The roof bar was really nice.

https://hotel-schlicker.de/?lang=en

Our weekend base in central Munich in Bavarian Germany. A good hotel with secure motorcycle parking.

https://www.vaduzerhof.net/en

Our base for our overnighter in the tiny alpine micro-state of Liechstenstein. 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFH3cRKU6B4nceOpz5z9Xlg

Our old friend, now based in Kielce in Poland. He’s always been into his music, which he’s been making with collaborators in his adopted country, now being posted on his Youtube Channel.

https://www.hotel-una.co.uk/

A friendly and quirky “boutique” hotel in buzzing, happening Brighton. Amanda and I enjoyed our stay, whilst we relaxed and made plans.

https://www.hotelcenter.com/

This hotel was better than it looked, though it wasn’t really in the centre of Brest as it’s name suggests. After a long day of wet riding, I didn’t want to go anywhere so turned in early. The breakfast was decent too.

https://www.hotel-deauville-le-chantilly.fr/
My accommodation for an overnight stay in the upscale town of Deauville, en route west on my Normandy and Brittany coast road exploration in 2019.

www.hotel-des-druides.com/

I enjoyed an overnighter here, on my motorcycle explorations of Normandy and Brittany.

www.logishotels.com/fr/hotel/logis-hotel-de-la-plage-2247?partid=661

A pleasant place to stay on the banks of Lake Geneva, prior to setting off south on the Route Des Grand Alpes.

https://hoteldeleurope-perros.com/eng

“Perros” was a nice discovery on my motorcycle explorations of Normandy and Brittany. I stayed at this hotel, which I enjoyed, benefitting from sea view.

www.hotel-la-granitiere.com/

A nice overnight stop on a Normandy and Brittany coast riding exploration. I enjoyed my room, comfortable and spacious with views. I didn’t want to leave it after a day in the saddle.

https://www.vezelay-laterrasse.com/
I rode around 375 miles to reach Vezelay from Avignon in the midst of the 2019 French heatwave, taking in the Ardeche and other areas slightly off the beaten track. My reward was this hotel in the hilltop town of Vezelay which I really enjoyed. I liked the peacefulness of the upper town, as traffic was prevented from entering, though I managed to park the machine outside the hotel. The church next to the hotel is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

www.hotel-barcelonnette.fr/uk/

I’d made some extra detours on the ride from Briancon, taking in Col De Bonette, so arrived in Barcelonnette later than I originally anticipated. My digs for the night was this hotel, which was pleasant and comfortable; ideal for a rest before tackling the final leg of the Route Des Grande Alpes.

www.paris-rome.com

In neither Paris nor Rome, this hotel is to be found at Menton to the east of Monaco, close to the Italian border. It was my base for a night after the final stint of the Route Des Grande Alpes, having set off from Barcelonnette in the morning. I arrived hot and sweaty as the summer 2019 French heatwave started to build.

https://hotelraquellahabana.com-cuba.com/en/

In central Havana, this hotel also had a nice roof bar. The beer and rum went down well!

https://hotelinglaterralahabana.com/

Centrally based hotel with a roof bar in Havana. We enjoyed staying there.

www.hotel-cloitre-saintlouis-avignon.fr/

A secluded hotel to escape from the 2019 French heatwave after riding from Marseille, via the Camargue and Arles. The temperature gauge on the bike exceeded 40 degrees on the ride into Avignon.

www.hotel-edelweiss-briancon.fr/en/

A pleasant and comfortable hotel on the Route Des Grand Alpes at Briancon, a place to reflect on riding mountain passes such as the spectacular Col D’Iseran.

www.hotelgrey.lu/en

Jeremy’s overnight accommodation in Luxembourg City, very welcome after a long (and sometimes wet) ride from Calais via Lille, Valenciennes and the winding roads of the Ardenne in Belgium.

www.castelvictoria.com/en/

A (slightly) rock and roll themed hotel at the excellent town of Le Touquet in France (sometimes called “Paris Plage”). It was Jeremy’s first overnight whilst riding the coasts of Normandy and Brittany.

www.hotel-des-marins.com/en/

A nice hotel within the walled old town of St. Malo on the coast of Brittany. After a long day of coastal riding, it was a pleasant sanctuary to rest up ready for another day in the saddle.

www.hotel-rohan.com/en/

A nice boutique style hotel in central Strasbourg (itself a very pleasant city) – an enjoyable place to stay after several hours of motorcycling from Luxembourg.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Gym-Physical-Fitness-Center/Harridges-Gym-LTD-124632261423/

A friendly gym in our home town of Warminster where Jeremy visits regularly in a quest to remain (somewhat) fit and healthy.

www.villaggiostromboli.it

Our accommodation on the fantastic volcanic island of Stromboli.

The volcano trek is superb.

https://www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife-in-norfolk/nature-reserves/reserves/hickling-broad-and-marshes

An excellent nature reserve in the Norfolk Broads, a haven from a multitude of wildlife including the English subs-species of the Swallowtail butterfly.

www.hawk-conservancy.org

An excellent centre for all things “bird of prey”. They regularly fly many of the birds for the visitors, and offer superb Bird of Prey experiences.

http://thehafod.co.uk/

This quirky and brilliantly located hotel was home for a night on one of Jeremy’s motorcycle weekends in the Welsh mountains. It’s since been refurbished.

www.habitatbonaire.com

We’ve been to Captain Don’s Habitat in Bonaire twice now. We liked the “diving freedom” and the laid back atmosphere.

www.hightorhotel.co.uk

I enjoyed the large comfortable bath when I stayed here, after a day of (mostly) wet weather motorcycling down the Pennines from Hawes in Wensleydale.

https://www.vacasa.com/unit/56140?utm_source=google&utm_medium=bookingapi

One of the best places we’ve ever stayed – this amazing house is set in the seclusion of the rainforest within the Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii.

A fantastic sanctuary that exceeded our expectations. When can we return and how long can we stay?

www.hotelkamp.com

One of the nicest hotels in the Finnish capital of Helsinki – we got an excellent deal to stay there for a few days.

http://hotel-restaurant-colbert.com

Our “start and finish” accommodation in Madagascar. We read about it in Gerald Durrell’s book “The Aye Aye and I”.

An enjoyable stay and sanctuary from the “full on” streets of Antananarivo.

https://www.mountainguides.is

The company that Fuzz and I used for our glacier climb on the edge of the Vatnajokull glacier complex near Skaftafell. Slightly against the odds on our chosen day, the weather just about held out until we’d returned. It was a good day and an ambition fulfilled.

https://autodromodeinterlagos.com.br/

Website for the iconic Interlagos Circuit in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

http://oceandivers.com/

A friendly and well organised dive centre in Key Largo, Florida. We enjoyed five days of excellent diving on the reefs and wrecks of the John Pennekamp Marine Park.

www.inon.jp

A Japanese manufacturer of underwater photography strobes and lighting. Inon is now very popular with many photographers. Jeremy is currently using a pair of them.

http://web.tiscali.it/ilbalenottero/diving.htm

We managed a couple of dives when staying on Madagascar’s Ile Sainte Marie with this friendly dive centre.

https://www.jurahotel.com/en

St. Claude was once a centre of pipe making (of the smoking variety). Since it’s heyday, the town has suffered a decline, but I enjoyed my stay at the Jura Hotel, affording views across the valley.

It was a welcome sanctuary for a night after a long winding ride from Strasbourg, through the Vosges and Jura, sometimes in wet weather, though it improved as I homed in on the “destination”.

https://www.facebook.com/JonnyBainbridge.art

A “busy bee” of a friend, always striving for something new in terms of his music and art. Hard to keep up with him!

www.jacksdivinglocker.com

Jeremy and Amanda enjoyed a brilliant “pelagic magic” blackwater night dive with this dive centre whilst in Kona, on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Good briefings and friendly, enthusiastic staff.

https://www.keahotels.is

Our hotel in northern Icelandic city of Akureyri, located in the centre.

https://www.kwseagoart.co.uk

Friend and talented artist Kimberley Watts, who grew up in the Wiltshire village of Corsley. Her work, mostly featuring the natural world, has its’ roots from those times.

https://www.facebook.com/kirk.truscott.16?__tn__=%2CdC-R-R&eid=ARCznPgUCCRr8BsZuBpJWiQCtijTateRhRwR_XhrH1Sz05oYnP-L1VLgStwT-Eil2r62e6lin1hmZoq2&hc_ref=ARQsNEYFV2P7aRjfJe2JQWTpGFnBk4vXzVOfdSnld5DepDNkKhvMEfbTO5yvozNkfkc&fref=nf

My Jersey based friend, diver, photographer and traveller.

Kirk has been a great help on my visits to Jersey, dive guiding me at the excellent Bouley Bay, and also organising a dive trip over to the island of Sark.

www.photosub.com

Based in Les Lecques in the south of France, world renowned underwater photographer Kurt Amsler runs excellent courses for underwater photographers. Kurt’s work has been published all over the world in magazines, books and advertising.

www.kuredu.com

We loved our first visit to the Maldives with a couple of weeks on this blissful island in the Llaviyani Atoll. Our early diving experiences went up a few notches here!

https://www.lembeh.com/kbr.html

“KBR” is an excellent dive resort in north Sulawesi, (Indonesia). It’s located in the dive mecca of Lembeh Strait. Fascinating dives, incredible critters, friendly people and good service. The “muck” dives are like nothing else!

We visited in 2002 and returned again for Christmas 2018. Some of the same staff still worked there.

https://knepp.co.uk/

https://www.kneppsafaris.co.uk/

https://www.kneppestate.co.uk/

https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk/rewilding-projects/knepp-castle-estate

Knepp Estate is the site of an inspirational project known broadly as “Re-Wilding”. It is brilliantly described in Isabella Tree’s superb book “Wilding”. What has happened there is nothing short of remarkable.

www.kokeelodge.com

Kokee Lodge offer rustic cabins and camping in the Kokee State Park. It’s close to spectacular scenery, world class hiking trails and remarkable tracts of rainforest rich in endemic plants and bird life.

www.visitkielder.com

The website for the Kielder Forest area in Northumberland, where Jeremy rode the Kielder Forest Trail as part of a North East and Pennines motorcycle exploration. An ambition fulfilled to ride this trail.

Sadly, there’s no longer a website for this entry on the worldwide web. It would seem that the world has moved on…

A great art gallery on the Kona water front in Hawaii.

We got to know them quite well as we homed in on a piece by “Tiki Shark” artist Brad Parker.

www.konahonudivers.com

Jeremy and Zac enjoyed the stunning Manta Ray Night dives and equally stunning “pelagic magic” blackwater night dive with this dive centre. Totally good!

https://www.portobay.com/en/hotels/sao-paulo-hotels/l-hotel-portobay-sao-paulo

Our base in Sao Paulo for attending the Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix at the Interlagos Circuit.

We found this to be an excellent hotel attended by a friendly and helpful team who helped us with transfers to and from the circuit. They served up a good breakfast each day as well.

https://www.lepatiodeluchon.com

A small quirky hotel in the Pyrenean spa town of Bagneres Du Luchon.

https://www.littlecurlew.co.uk

A pleasant and well appointed static caravan close to the beach and the Ynyslas Nature Reserve in West Wales.

https://www.uksouthwest.net/powys/llangattock-escarpment

An interesting and scenic reserve within the Brecon Beacons area of Wales, near Crickhowell.

https://twitter.com/lesserspotnet?lang=en

You can find social media profiles dedicated to the most specific of topics, both positive and negative. This is the Twitter feed dedicated to sightings of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers in the UK – a rare and elusive species.

https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/nature-reserves/latterbarrow

A small, but interesting nature reserve in South Cumbria, visited by Fuzz and I in Summer 2022.

https://daintreesiesta.com.au/

We enjoyed our single night stay at this rainforest lodge, north of the Daintree River. The highlight was encountering a cassowary and chick on one of the forest trails.

https://www.isleofmullcottages.com/cottage/lorne-cottage.html

One of our favourite places that we’ve stayed (ever), this excellent cottage was perfect in every way, affording superb vistas over the channel towards the “mainland”. It’s owned by the Tobermory Hotel, but if it ever came up for sale…

https://www.kitchenerslowestoft.co.uk

An unusual hotel, associated with a military charity at Lowestoft in Suffolk. We stayed there when Zac raced at Ellough Park Kart Circuit with Club 100.

www.loloataislandresort.com/

The Loloata Island Resort is located close to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, although its’ serenity doesn’t suggest that a nation’s capital is only a few miles away. It’s a long established dive resort with pleasant staff and decent diving, although a general facelift would probably work wonders for the place.

Having checked online recently (2020), a redeveloped resort is taking bookings.

Sadly, there’s no longer a website for this entry on the worldwide web. It would seem that the world has moved on…

Organiser of our quest for the Bee Hummingbird and other Cuban endemics in the Zapata National Park area of Cuba.

http://dive-malaysia.com/

Lankayan Island is located in Sabah, part of Malaysian territory in eastern Borneo. It’s a lovely island with great food, great hospitality and fantastic beachside accommodation. We were unlucky with the diving during our stay thanks to very poor visibility, but it isn’t always like that. If relaxation and diving is what you need, this place will tick the boxes.

Sadly, there’s no longer a website for this entry on the worldwide web. It would seem that the world has moved on…

A laid back hotel at Ifaty on the South West cost of Madagascar. We did some dives here and enjoyed the general vibe of the place. The fish soup served at the restaurant was “the best ever” – at the time of publishing it still hadn’t been topped.

www.ladyelliot.com.au

We enjoyed four great days on this fantastic little island located at the southernmost tip of the Great Barrier Reef. Great weather, great diving, lots of birds, nesting turtles, hatching turtles and simple living. There’s a fair bit of guano, too!

Though they don’t seem to have website, this jazz club in Havana (Cuba) can be found on various listings on other websites. Whilst in Cuba, just before the first Covid lockdown, we enjoyed a visit to this club.

Sadly, there’s no longer a website for this entry on the worldwide web. It would seem that the world has moved on…

We enjoyed this secluded hotel on Madagascar’s Ile Sainte Marie. During our stay, we were able to take journeys out on small boats to watch humpback whales, whilst on evenings we were treated to the amazing spectacle of the resident fireflies.

https://marskhotellet.dk

My accommodation on the return leg from Iceland. A very nice breakfast, but I’m not sure they were very trusting of me as I turned up on a motorcycle.

https://www.martinique.com.au

Our overnight accommodation after our arrival in Australia, following the usual stresses and faff of getting reading to go away in good shape, and the journey itself. A nice accommodation that served to set us up for an excellent trip.

https://melarguesthouse.is/en/

An excellent guesthouse in Northeast Iceland. The hot-tub was very welcome after a long day of motorcycling.

https://www.mikesdivestore.com

Supplier of some of our dive wear an equipment.

https://mimishotelsoho.com/

A well-located hotel in the centre of Soho in London’s West End.

https://www.mocomuseum.com/barcelona/

A really interesting museum and art gallery displaying fascinating and original work from various artists, including Lorca Guillermo.

https://www.montedaesperanca.pt/

Excellent “farm-stay” accommodation in rural Portugal. A great place to unwind after a long day’s motorcycling.

https://www.mountmulligan.com/

Our incredible wilderness digs in outback Queensland.

A great experience all round; wildlife, history, service…

It was sad to leave the place and return back to “places with lots of people”.

https://www.instagram.com/museuminnbaku/?hl=en

We enjoyed visiting this restaurant with great views of the Old City and the Caspian Sea.

In fact, we visited twice.

https://masp.org.br/en

An excellent gallery located in central Sao Paulo which we enjoyed visiting whilst “in town”.

https://myvatnnaturebaths.is

A geothermal pool and spa near Lake Myvatn. It’s similar to the Blue Lagoon near Reykjavik.

www.mantaray.com

A popular stop off on the long haul dive travel map. Expect manta and shark action, and other great sights. We did our PADI Manta Ray Awareness Specialty course whilst there way back in late 2000.

www.mattcurtisphotography.com

Warminster based freelance photographer with his own studio, offering a variety of services and image making.

www.visitmontserrat.com

The organisation tasked with attracting visitors to this “off the grid” destination.

http://montserratislandtours.com

Run by Sunny and his wife Kristina, they offer island tours including visits to the ruined and abandoned city of Plymouth in the volcanic exclusion zone.

https://www.middleeight.com/
A hotel near Covent Garden in London, the kind of place for a treat.

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/woods/monks-wood/

A National Nature Reserve in Cambridgeshire, and an important site for the elusive Black Hairstreak butterfly.

https://twitter.com/rebirding1
Twitter feed of Benedict McDonald, the author of the excellent and fascinating book Rebirding.

https://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/nature-reserves/meeth-quarry

A unique and interesting nature reserve in North Devon, near Hatherleigh and Okehampton, and home to national rarities.

Sadly, there’s no longer a website for this entry on the worldwide web. It would seem that the world has moved on…

A partnership of various organisations including the RSPB that organises the viewing and education of the White Tailed Eagle re-introductions.
We attended one of their “sessions” whilst on the isle of Mull.

We couldn’t find a website for Maccas Mooring, though it’s listed on other “listings” websites, but thought it worthy of a mention. Basically, we stayed at this out of the way B & B at Green Head on the west coast of Australia and enjoyed the time there immensely, chatting with the hosts and drinking a few “tinnies”. In the day, we’d been swimming with sealions with Sea Lion Charters (brilliant!).

www.minerallodge.fr/fr/

A lovely place to stay en route south on the stunning Route Des Grand Alpes. I had the entire place to myself.

https://parksandresorts.rac.com.au/monkey-mia/

An “end of the road” campsite, trailer park and outdoorsy resort in the Shark Bay area of Western Australia. We stayed for a couple of days en route to Ningaloo Reef.

www.motorsportstravel.co.uk

A really helpful motorsport travel company who have organised our Grand Prix trips to Abu Dhabi, Monaco, Azerbaijan and Brazil.

www.elewanacollection.com/serengeti-migration-camp/serengeti-migration-camp-at-a-glance

One of the most remote, away from it all places we’ve stayed at, located in the northern Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. Blissful and exhilarating.

Bournemouth based Martin Edge is the UK’s foremost teacher of underwater photography. Now retired, he regularly teached groups and individuals, and led photographic trips abroad to destinations such as Bonaire, Dominica, Sulawesi, the Red Sea and Micronesia. He’s also a former monthly columnist for Sport Diver Magazine, author of “The Underwater Photographer” and was a regular speaker at underwater photography events such as Visions of the Sea. He also taught both of us.

https://www.mcsuk.org

An organisation dedicated to marine conservation. A very worthy cause, we think.

We donate to their campaigns.

www.mantatrust.org

A conservation body dedicated to the protection of the incredible manta ray (actually at least 2 species exist). A great cause, we think.

http://www.matthew-oates.co.uk/home/

https://twitter.com/MatthewOates76?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Naturalist, author and butterfly obsessive. Fuzzy and I met him at the Knepp Wildlands in Sussex, hunting for the H.I.M. (His Imperial Majesty, the Purple Emperor).

His books, In Pursuit of Butterflies and His Imperial Majesty are great reads.

https://www.tokyuhotels.co.jp/en/nagoya-h/index.html

Our base for visiting the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, in the city of Nagoya.

https://www.biminiscubacenter.com

A friendly, long established and professional dive operation at Bimini in the Bahamas. The Great Hammerhead dives were stunning.

https://www.northsailing.is/

A good, professional whale watching company based out of the Northern Icelandic town of Husavik. Husavik, by the way, is known as the whale-watching capital of Iceland.

www.sopalodges.com

We stayed at this crater rim lodge during our visit to the iconic Ngorongoro Crater. A few more days would have certainly been good!

www.ndac.co.uk

Zac did a couple of dives here on his way to qualifying as a PADI Junior Advanced Open Water Diver. Future visits will surely happen as a result. It now seems as though it’s closed.

www.nasa.gov

The website for the American space agency. In 2014, we visited Cape Canaveral in Florida which was incredibly interesting.

In a wider sense, it represents the quest for exploration and knowledge.

http://www.thenautilusproject.co/

A Gibraltar based project to which we’ve contributed images, aimed at educating children about marine life.

www.nationaltrust.org.uk

An organisation dedicated to preserving land and buildings of historical or ecological significance in the UK. We maintain a membership.

https://nuit-dailleurs-bed-breakfast.nordpasdecalaishotels.com/en

A small, quirky hotel with themed rooms in Calais, which marked the end (well, almost the end) of my motorcycle exploration of France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Monaco (which included the Ardenne, the Vosges, the Jura, the Alps, the French Mediterranean coast and central France). I picked the Moroccan themed room.

www.ningalooreefdive.com

Friendly and professional dive centre in Coral Bay serving the southern part of Ningaloo Reef in western Australia. If the conditions are right, Heikes Ledge is an excellent dive site. The Manta Ray interactions are superb, too! For the northern end of Ningaloo see Exmouth Diving Centre.

www.nikon.co.uk

We use Nikon cameras, lenses and flash guns almost exclusively. We enjoy the experience.

www.niihau.us

Niihau Helicopters offer sporadic trips to the “forbidden island” of Niihau. If you want to go, get your name down early, as this trip isn’t really advertised and will only be run if there’s enough participants.

https://www.nationaalparknieuwland.nl/nl/het-park/oostvaardersplassen/oostvaardersplassen-almere?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIysvRlpCvgAMVBejtCh0YEAqBEAAYAiAAEgILyfD_BwE

Website for the excellent Oostvardplassen Rewilding project, inspiration to the Kenepp Estate in Sussex.

https://www.facebook.com/oystercatchercarlingford/

I enjoyed my overnighter at the Oystercatcher in Carlingford – just what I needed after some wet coast riding from Belfast, as part of my “circuit of Ireland” trip in 2018.

http://oliveridleyproject.org/

After meeting Jana working at Bandos Island Resort (Maldives), we learned of her “double life” as a marine biologist monitoring turtles for this project. A very good cause.

www.oldharbourdivecentre.co.uk

A Weymouth based dive centre run by Mary and Nigel. They were part of our early dive training.

http://www.pension-williams.com/

An English run hotel on the edge of the Black Forest in Germany, in the village of Seebach.

https://www.portlandbirdobs.com

A project dedicated to studying the presence and movement of birds, based near Portland Bill on the UL’s South Coast.

It’s especially interesting to read about the sightings in the Spring and Autumn migrations.

https://www.princehotels.com/parktower/

Our enjoyable and spectacular base in Tokyo, Japan.

https://www.wsbrc.org/projects/project-peewit

A project to increase the breeding success of Lapwings in the county of Wiltshire, to save them from local extinction.

https://mcfarlanemassagetherapy.com/

Along with her sister-in-law Claire, Paula is an excellent sports therapist who keeps Jeremy’s limbs supple and in good working order and unwinds tense shoulders after motorcycling trips.

https://www.princeruperthotel.co.uk/

A good hotel in the old town of Shrewsbury. I’ve stayed there on two different occasions.

www.pizzaexpresslive.com/

A long-established jazz club in London’s “West End”. It’s not far from Ronnie Scott’s actually, so two great jazz clubs within a stone’s throw of one another.

www.pilgrimshotel.com

Jeremy’s base for his motorcycle explorations of the Kent Coast.

https://www.padi.com/

The world’s most well known scuba diving organisation, responsible for training a large percentage of the world’s divers via affiliated dive centres around the world.

www.prodive-cairns.com.au

Pro Dive Cairns offer regular short liveaboard trips to the Great Barrier Reef visiting Milln and Flynn Reefs. We enjoyed the Three Sisters, Whale Bommie and Gordon’s in particular. A good trip, especially if you’ve got little time, with plenty of diving.

www.plongeecastille.com

We used this dive centre whilst in Calvi, Corsica. From there, it’s only a short boat ride to the wreck of an intact B17 bomber that crash landed in the second world war.

www.platinummotorgroup.co.uk

One of the south and west’s number one automotive retailers offering the Renault, Dacia, Toyota, Vauxhall, Citroen, Nissan, Skoda, Hyundai, Suzuki, Omoda, Jaecoo and KGM brands. 

www.parvafarmhouse.co.uk

A nice stopover in the Wye Valley on one of Jeremy’s motorcycling odysseys in Wales.

www.hotelpelirocco.co.uk

A quirky and well located hotel with a rock and roll theme in Brighton.

We’ve booked the “Mod Room” and the “Rough Trade (!)” room.

https://www.wiltshirewildlife.org/ravensroost?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvYTPpoiEiwMVnppQBh2rZSMsEAAYASAAEgJWVfD_BwE

An ancient woodland near Minety and Malmesbury in North Wiltshire, managed by the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/bowling-green-and-goosemoor?channel=paidsearch&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=203903459&gbraid=0AAAAADLmW3hf5SERl8IoiF9GLqGMWaQiI&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-N32yP78jAMV3ZVQBh2B9AyZEAAYASAAEgLDffD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

An active wetland reserve at the upper end of the Exe Estuary in Devon.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/exminster-and-powderham-marshes?channel=paidsearch&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=203905619&gbraid=0AAAAADLmW3hXYEyUVrdPqF3u2S1xd5yFx&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI99W-9P78jAMVXZBQBh2iwwwpEAAYASAAEgLlh_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

An extensive tract of coastal marshes adjoining the Exe Estuary in Devon.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/lake-vyrnwy

A reserve complex in the north of Mid-Wales, home to many species of bird including the “Oak Trio” of Wood Warbler, Pied Flycatcher and Redstart.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/pagham-harbour-local-nature-reserve?channel=paidsearch&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=203911619&gbraid=0AAAAADLmW3jSBdIP5pUw4hCkOpnuE4G9T&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_cnV3vv8jAMV8ZhQBh26owsyEAAYASAAEgIGE_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

A very interesting coastal area of shingle, salt and freshwater marshes, scrub and woodland.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/pulborough-brooks?channel=paidsearch&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=132343979&gbraid=0AAAAADLmW3j2Lr1_Aey7epKUyAb1zWDLH&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrK6fsfv8jAMVdYpQBh01li4TEAAYASAAEgLPrPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

An excellent inland wetland reserve with tracts of adjoining heathland and woodland. Really worth a visit.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/ynys-hir

An excellent reserve featuring Oak woodland, freshwater and saltwater marshes and scrub. In the Summer, it’s home to many species of Warbler, such as the rare Wood Warbler, plus Pied Flycatcher and Redstart.

https://rnli.org/

Dedicated to helping and saving people who have got into difficulties in the seas around our coasts. I hope to never need their help, but they’re on standby if one does.

https://residenza-daragona.palermohotels.org/en

A friendly hotel, old fashioned in style but refurbished in some side streets just off the centre of Palermo., We stayed a couple of nights before heading out to Ustica for some diving.

www.ronniescotts.co.uk/

A long established and iconic jazz club in London’s Soho that hosts an eclectic mix of music broadly defined as jazz. We’ve seen some incredible gigs here and have maintained a membership there in recent years. To attend a gig at this venue is always a great pleasure.

www.dangerousroads.org/europe/france/5462-route-des-grandes-alpes.html

The Route Des Grand Alpes is a stunning route of mountain passes in the French Alps. If heading south, you pick up the route at Thonon Les Bains on the shore of Lake Geneva, with the route ending at Menton on the Mediterranean coast. It took 4 days of riding to do it, with stopovers at Villaroger (near Val D’Isere), Briancon and Barcellonette. Vertigo inducing at times, with sensational views and roads. Magical to ride and satisfying to complete.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/leighton-moss/

Jeremy spent a day in this excellent reserve (a long held ambition) whilst on a motorcycle exploration of the North West. Sightings included Curlew Sandpiper and an Osprey.

Sadly, there’s no longer a website for this entry on the worldwide web. It would seem that the world has moved on…

The RSPB’s conservation effort on the Isle of Mull includes the conservation of the successfully re-introduced White Tailed Eagle. We visited a hide overlooking a nest during our visit. Keep up the good work!

www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/labrador-bay/

An easily accessible reserve on the coast of Devon and a focal point of the conservation of the Cirl Bunting. Jeremy visited the reserve whilst on a motorcycle exploration of Devon.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/lodmoor

If we’re at Weymouth, staying at Globe Cottage, we sometimes visit Lodmoor – a great reserve with easy access directly from the town. Expect Bittern, Marsh Harrier, Bearded Tit and Cetti’s Warbler depending on the time of year.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/radipole-lake

If we’re at Weymouth, staying at Globe Cottage, we often visit Radipole – a great reserve with easy access directly from the town. Expect Bittern, Marsh Harrier, Bearded Tit, Cetti’s Warbler, Kingfishers as well as Common Lizards, Grass Snakes and Otters depending on the time of year.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/arne

A great reserve in Dorset consisting of heathland, woodland and saltmarsh. It’s home to national rarities such as Dartford Warbler, Hobby, Nightjar and Spoonbill, plus other animals such as raft spiders and all six species of English reptiles. We visit whenever we can.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/titchwell-marsh/

A popular reserve with good hides on the North Norfolk Coast. There’s a visitor centre as well.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/snettisham/

A reserve on the edge of The Wash on the North Norfolk Coast. You’ll see plenty of waders.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/minsmere/

One of the best known of the RSPB reserves. Located in Suffolk, it has been the subject of TV programmes such as Springwatch. Worth a visit.

www.rspb.org.uk

A long established and well known organisation centred around birds, but perhaps more broad-based in that they conserve “habitats” which contain birds as well as other flora and fauna. We’ve been members for many years and donate to their campaigns.

Sadly, there’s no longer a website for this entry on the worldwide web. It would seem that the world has moved on…

Rosewood offer a number of vacation rentals in Kauai. We chose to stay at “Lanikai 114” in Kapaa and were really pleased our choice. The condo was exactly what we’d seen on the Rosewood website. It was a sad day when we had to leave.

https://www.rootsredsea.com

Enjoyable “back to basics” living on the Red Sea near El Quesir. Basically, eat, dive, eat, dive eat, watch the sun go down and repeat. Nice people run it and work there.

http://riadayadinamarrakech.net/

Riad Ayadina proved to be a great choice for our stay in Marrakech, Morocco. It’s a cliche to say it, but it’s an oasis of calm from the chaos of life in and around the medina. Step through the anonymous door and you enter a different world. The right place at the right time.

http://lerelaisdelareine.com

A lovely hotel set among the rocks close to Madagascar’s Isalo National Park. It was great to return here after a hard day’s trekking in the national park.

www.reefandrainforest.co.uk

This travel company arranged an excellent trip to Madagascar way back in 2001. We visited Antananarivo (Tana), Perinet and Mantady before heading south to Ifaty in the south west via Antsirabe, Ranomafana, Fianarantsoa, Ambalavao and Isalo. Later in the trip we visited Berenty and Ile St.Marie. One day we hope to return to this “island continent and visit some different areas.

www.regal-diving.co.uk

A UK based dive travel company – we booked our first trip with them to the Roots Dive Camp in Egypt.

www.redseacollege.com

A part of our early diving experiences included day boats out to sites such as Ras Mohammed and the Wreck of the Thistlegorm. Exciting days for newbie divers!

https://www.rascom-it.co.uk

Run by Rob Stokes, Rascom offer bespoke PC building, sourcing and installation. We’ve used him for some time and he always does an excellent job.

https://www.seafari.co.uk/

Based out of the tiny settlement of Easdale, this company offer boat/RIB trips to view wildlife and “ride” the Corryvreckan Whirlpool.

https://www.sealsbacton.co.uk

A nice beachside base on the coast of Norfolk.

https://wildeastdevon.co.uk/nature-reserves/seaton-wetlands-local-nature-reserve

An excellent nature reserve at Seaton in South Devon. In season, the Sand Martin “wall” is really worth spending some time.

https://setterres.com/en

Quirky and modern accommodation in an old building in the Spanish enclave (or exclave) of Llivia, in the eastern Pyrenees.

https://settersfarm.co.uk/

A pleasant and well appointed cabin, close to the Knepp Wildlands and the RSPB Pulborough Brooks Reserve.

https://www.marriott.com/en-gb/hotels/travel/gydsi-sheraton-baku-intourist/?hybridAEMFallbackRedirect=true

Our waterfront base for visiting Baku in Azerbaijan for the Formula One Grand Prix.

We enjoyed our stay.

https://montrahotels.dk/skaga-hotel

A hotel in the port town of Hirshals in Northern Denmark, ahead of my motorcycle trip to Iceland.

https://www.hotelunique.com/

An excellent bar and restaurant on the rooftop of Hotel Unique in the Jardins area of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

https://www.smyril-line.com

Ferry company that offers voyages to the Faroe Islands and Iceland, and the only way of getting your own vehicle to these locations (unless to freight them in a container). They offer a good service onboard.

https://stay.is/

A selection of apartments in Reykjavik. Ours was centrally located and had parking for the motorcycles.

https://www.strandhotel-dagebuell.de

A hotel stopover in Germany, enroute to Denmark, ahead of my motorcycle trip to Iceland.

www.studfarmglamping.co.uk

A pleasant shepherds hut at Sway in the New Forest overlooking fields. Nice for a bit of quiet time.

https://www.visitczechrepublic.com/en-US/e08b9447-885b-4d2e-b018-cc1dd8b879d2/place/c-sumava-national-park

An excellent national park in the Czech Republic, with good motorcycling roads.

https://www.suzukacircuit.jp

A spectacular and iconic race circuit in Japan, and host to the Japanese Grand Prix.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/studland-bay

The Studland Bay National Nature Reserve is run/managed by the National Trust.

It’s a unique place – home to all six English reptiles, Dartford Warblers, Nightjars and Silver Studded Blues. Out in the bay itself is a population of seahorses.

https://latorrehotel.it/
We enjoyed the great views from this hotel, a nice location to finish our trip after ten days of diving on Ustica.

www.sunningdaleapartments.co.uk/

We (Fuzzy and I) based ourselves here to dive Babbacombe Bay in search of the cuttlefish that gather to mate in spring/early summer. We probably missed the peak of the action by about a week, but we had good conditions and saw a few “cuttles”.

https://singaporegp.sg/en

The Singapore Grand Prix (Formula 1) is a fantastic event that we were fortunate enough to attend back in 2010. When can we go back?

https://www.silverstone.co.uk

A popular and long-established racing circuit in Northamptonshire. It’s become an annual pilgrimage of ours to see the Formula 1 races, come rain or shine.

https://www.theseahorsetrust.org/

An organisation dedicated to the conservation of seahorses. They’ve been decimated over the years, so a very worthy cause.

www.sandhouse.ie

Located on the huge sweeping arc of Rossknowlagh Beach, this hotel was a welcome respite at the end of a long day riding up the Wild Atlantic Way from Galway.

www.simplyscuba.com

Retailer of scuba gear, from whom we purchased our new Suunto dive computers.

www.suunto.com/en-GB/

Manufacturer of our current dive computers.

www.subtronic.de

We’ve used Subtronic’s excellent strobes for many years, with good results.

www.subal.com

We’ve used Subal housings exclusively since graduating to SLRs, initially housing Nikon F100’s, then a pair of ND20’s, keeping our Nikon D200’s dry. Now we’ve got a pair of D7200’s.

www.divessi.com

A scuba diving organisation providing training and education for divers. We did their Nitrox course whilst onboard the Turks & Caicos Aggressor.

www.spiritoffreedom.com.au

An excellent liveaboard based from Cairns visiting the Ribbon Reefs on the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea.  In 2007, we had to leave the boat at Lizard Island from where we flew back to Cairns at low level. In 2010, we finished what we started with a trip Osprey Reef having flown up to Lizard Island to join the boat. Highly recommended.

In 2021, we will return to the boat to travel on their Far North Exploratory trip from the Torres Strait back to Cairns.

www.solmarv.com

The Solmar V is an excellent liveaboard that visits the remote Socorro Islands on Mexico’s Pacific side. For divers looking for a different kind of experience, away from overcrowded and over dived resorts, this trip must surely be a major contender. It’s a great diving adventure and offers glimpses of a bygone era, of seas teeming with life in all its brutal beauty. The crew are friendly, professional and knowledgeable and offer a truly great week of diving.

The Solmar V also visits Guadelupe Island (for the Great Whites) which Jeremy and Zac did in 2016. We got the sharks!

www.silverseries.com.au

The Silver Series run Great Barrier Reef day trips from Cairns and Port Douglas. We chose the Port Douglas trip onboard the Silver Sonic visiting sites on the Agincourt Reef.

www.underwaterphotography.com.au

A great bloke and great underwater photographer, now based in Perth in Western Australia. We enjoyed trips to Bonaire, Borneo, Papua New Guinea and Galapagos with him.

www.serenahotels.com

Located in the central area of the Serengeti, we stayed at this lodge for the second half of our visit to this sensational national park.

www.orangutan-appeal.org.uk

Close to Sandakan in eastern Borneo is the Sepilok Orang-Utan Rehabiliation Centre. It’s a great place and gives hope that these endangered and threatened primates will survive man’s relentless onslaught.

We adopted a young male Orang Utan called Sen for our son Zac. More recently, after Sen was re-introduced to the jungle, we adopted Gelison and when he also returned, we adopted Archie.

http://dive-malaysia.com/

Close to the Sepilok Orang-Utan Rehabilitation Centre is this pleasant “nature resort”. Check out the night walks in the nearby forest – they’re not for the squeamish!

Ask Amanda about the leech if you want a giggle.

www.seaserpentfleet.com

We spent a week on the Sea Serpent liveaboard from Marsa Alam in the southern Egyptian Red Sea, visiting areas such as St. Johns, Fury Shoals and Elphinstone. We were looked after by a good crew, and enjoyed decent food, good company and great diving. The photographic potential was “immense”.

http://sealioncharters.com.au/

Sealion Charters is located in the tiny settlement of Green Head, about 250 km’s north of Perth in Western Australia. It’s run by Rod and Ronnie Wilson, a friendly and enthusiastic couple who operate what must be one of the best underwater experiences anywhere on the planet.

https://scubaserayabali.com/

A lovely dive resort at Tulamben in Bali with good food, friendly staff and top notch diving. Jeremy went there in 2012 to try out a pair of new Inon strobes (a good excuse!).

This prompted a “family diving” visit in 2017, which was excellent. It was very hard to leave when the time came!

www.scubadivermag.com

Formally Sport Diver magazine, which was the official publication for the PADI diving society, and was popular among the diving community in the UK. This magazine was a regular publisher of Jeremy’s features.

It has since mutated into the non-affiliated Scuba Diver UK magazine. Jeremy has contributed many features and images to the magazine since its start up in 2017.

http://www.uw360.asia/sd/

A Singapore based scuba magazine, for whom Jeremy was an occasional contributor in the past.

https://safari-consultants.com/

Back in 1999, we booked a bespoke safari through Safari Consultants – it was a truly great trip which included the Arusha National Park, a successful “summiting” of Kilimanjaro and a safari to Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and the incredible Serengeti.

https://sigmauk.com/

Manufacturer of our 4.5mm circular lens.

https://sun-bay.devontophotels.com/en

A well located hotel at Hope Cove in Devon, Jeremy’s base for some Devon motorcycle explorations.

www.sunborngibraltar.com

The Sunborn is a “boat as a hotel”. It proved to be a great choice of accommodation for our stay in Gibraltar.

http://www.inonuk.com/

https://www.facebook.com/steve.warren.9659

Supplier of Inon strobes, and former owner of Ocean Optics, Steve is a long time friend and stalwart of the underwater photography world in the UK.

https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/nature-reserves/smardale

An excellent reserve, which includes an old railway viaduct, close to the town of Kirkby Stephen. It’s home to many species including the Scotch Argus and Red Squirrel.

Fuzz and I spent two days there, to see and photograph the Scotch Argus butterfly.

https://seashantyholidays.co.uk/
Fabulously located self-catering accommodation above Branscombe Beach in Devon.

http://scribersadventures.com/

“Scriber” is Montserrat’s foremost and best known naturalist.

We enjoyed a guided walk with him on the Oriole Trail where we were able to see a variety of wildlife including a tarantula, hummingbirds, a mangrove cuckoo and the national bird of Montserrat, the endangered and endemic Montserrat Oriole.

www.scubamontserrat.com

Run by Andrew and Emmy, these guys offer friendly, knowledgeable and laid back diving at sites around Montserrat.

We enjoyed several days of diving with them which was great. Highly recommended.

https://www.taphousewarminster.co.uk

A friendly place to unwind with a drink in Warminster, stocked with local tipples.

https://www.tipis-indiens.com/anglais

Quirky tented accommodation in the Pyrenees, not far from the Cirque de Gavarnie.

https://www.swanathay.co.uk

Our accommodation in Hay-On-Wye, the UK’s “town of books”.

https://theviewbar.com.br/

An enjoyable “sky bar” and restaurant in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil.

https://www.tnmcoll.com

Our pleasant B & B accommodation on the island of Coll in Scotland.

https://tillotson.ie/

A friendly karting team and series with an international reach. Zac had a try with them at the Buckmore Park Circuit near Chatham in Kent.

http://www.theharnser.co.uk/

A friendly pub with accommodation in Stalham, perfect for a visit to the Norfolk Broads.

www.chuckjones.com

An interesting gallery in the Gaslamp District of San Diego.

We got tempted with a “Sludge Tarpon” sculpture for our house.

www.grenadachocolate.com

We visited this tiny factory whilst having a drive around Grenada.

They produce excellent chocolate, which can even be purchased at some outlets here in the UK

https://jurassiccoast.org/visit/attractions/the-undercliffs-reserve/

A unique nature reserve, stretching from Lyme Regis to Seaton, with great coast path trekking and wildlife sightings.

https://www.tate.org.uk/

We always enjoy visiting galleries and have especially enjoyed the Tate  – we’ve been to the London, St.Ives and Liverpool galleries.

www.tornadomarinefleet.com

We enjoyed a great week aboard the Typhoon liveaboard, getting away from the madding crowds and day boats of Sharm el Sheikh. We visited Ras Mohammed, Anemone City, Shark & Yolanda Reefs, Jackfish Alley, the Alternatives and spent three days at Abu Nuhas diving the “famous” Red Sea wrecks of the Chrisoula K, the Ghiannis D and the Carnatic. Friendly and helpful crew, nice boat.

http://trevosehouse.co.uk

We enjoyed an excellent long weekend in the artistic, gastronomic (and expensive) Cornish town of St.Ives.

www.scubatravel.com

We’ve travelled to the Red Sea aboard the Sea Serpent and Typhoon with Tony Backhurst Scuba. We enjoyed both liveaboards and hope to go back and do some more.

www.ticao-island-resort.com

www.donsolecotour.com

During my visit to Donsol and Ticao Island in the Philippines, I was unlucky in that the weather was unexpectedly bad and I’d picked up a nasty sinus infection which stopped me diving after a day and a half, but don’t let that put you off. In season expect multiple whale shark sightings plus other great experiences.

www.thresherdivers.com
www.tepanee.com

I enjoyed a very good ten days as a guest of Thresher Shark Divers and the Tepanee Resort. The area is unique for its reliable Thresher Shark sightings/encounters at Monad Shoals, but there’s a lot more to the diving than the sharks. Gato Island is highly recommended for spectacular underwater scenery and diverse marine life. The muck dives around Malapascua Island itself are also highly productive. It’s a great place for the discerning dive traveller wanting to get off the beaten track.

www.tarangiresafarilodge.com

A nice lodge set above the river in the excellent Tarangire National Park in Tanzania.

The walk back to our tent (which was the furthest from the lodge bar and restaurant) was somewhat unsettling.

www.tokinalens.com

Manufacturer of our much used 10-17mm lens.

https://tanhillinn.com/
The highest pub in the UK. I paid a visit whilst on a motorcycle tour of the North East, Scottish Borders and the Pennines. It had to be done!
More recently, I visited again on the motorcycle, this time with Fuzz.

www.shipatdunwich.co.uk

Jeremy stayed at this excellent pub and hotel during his motorcycle explorations of East Anglia. It’s near some great areas of natural beauty such as the RSPB’s Minsmere Reserve.

http://apaturairis.blogspot.com/

A blog run by and contributed to by fanatics of the Purple Emperor butterfly.

Fuzzy and I checked it often on the lead up to our successful trip to the Knepp Wildlands in Sussex, where we spotted the first Emperor of the season.

www.uwpmag.com 

A long established free downloadable magazine produced by underwater photography pioneer Peter Rowlands. Jeremy has supplied features on occasions in the past, and Peter has been very helpful in publishing details of our “Diving Dreams” calendars.

http://undara.com.au

Having read a feature about Undara in an in-flight magazine en route to Australia, we decided to go out to this unique lodge and national park in the outback. It’s about 4 or 5 hours drive from Cairns and choices for accommodation include staying in converted railway carriages. There’s the lava tubes themselves (fascinating), plenty of wildlife (birds, wallaroos, snakes etc), hiking trails and extinct (or dormant?) craters.

Sadly, there’s no longer a website for this entry on the worldwide web. It would seem that the world has moved on…

After trawling the internet for dive trips to the remote Dry Tortugas, we eventually found this liveaboard. It’s based out of Fort Myers Beach on the Gulf side of Florida. We had an excellent trip with a great crew. Good diving too!

www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

A useful and comprehensive resource website for the UK’s butterfly species.
They’re social media feeds are also worth checking regularly, for latest sightings;
https://www.facebook.com/groups/576914769887362/

https://www.vatnajokulsthjodgardur.is/en/areas/skaftafell/tjaldsvaedid-i-skaftafelli

A well-appointed campsite located close to several glaciers on the South of Iceland.

https://www.searoselipari.com/

Our pleasant self-catering accommodation on the island of Lipari, part of the Aeolian Islands.

https://www.east.is/en/service/vopnafjordur-camping-ground

A campsite in Eastern Iceland with a scenic vista.

www.vobster.com

All weather diving on the edge on the Mendip Hills, not too far from our home. Zac (our son), completed his PADI Junior Open Water and Junior Advanced dives here. We’ve got a membership.

www.yourvilladelmar.com

Comfortable and reasonably priced accommodation in the Turks & Caicos Islands – we stayed for a couple of days prior to boarding the Turks & Caicos Aggressor.

https://www.vakonahotel.com/en

A nice forest lodge, close to the Perinet and Mantady National Parks in Madagascar. The nightjar action at dusk was spectacular.

https://west-coast-cottages.co.uk

A company offering accommodation in Western Scotland. We stayed in a nice apartment in Oban, overlooking the harbour.

https://herjolfur.is/en

If you want to take a vehicle to the spectacular Westman Isles off the South of Iceland, this is the way to do it.

https://www.wiltshirebirds.co.uk

An active ornithological group for the county of Wiltshire, which celebrated its’ 50^th anniversary in 2024, of which we’re a member.

https://themeresandmosses.co.uk/visiting-the-mosses/30-years/
An extensive lowland bog in Shropshire, home to Curlew and the Large Heath butterfly among many other species.

https://www.lancswt.org.uk/nature-reserves/warton-crag

A nature reserve and former quarry near Carnforth in Lancashire. On the top, it affords great views over Morecambe Bay.

https://www.whittlebury.com/leisure/british-grand-prix/british-grand-prix-camping

Our campsite of choice for attending the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in Northamptonshire.

https://wurzel.weebly.com/

A friendly and enthusiastic nature lover and photographer that I met in Bentley Wood (!) near Salisbury.

https://www.wwb.co.uk/

A long established supplier of all things entomological – including moth traps, breeding cages and livestock.

https://www.wildatlanticway.com/home

A resource website for the excellent Wild Atlantic Way, a route that a rode in the summer of 2018 on a “circuit of Ireland” motorcycle exploration.

www.wakatobi.com

A culmination of an ambition delayed. Pushed back to 2022 due to Covid, we had no option but to wait longer for our dream to become a reality to visit this remote dive resort off south east Sulawesi in Indonesia – a week on the Pelagian and a week on the resort afterwards.

It was great to be diving again after two and a half years.

https://www.thewyevalleyhotel.co.uk

A pleasant pub and hotel in the Wye Valley. We stayed here whilst Zac did his PADI Junior Advanced dives in the nearby National Diving Centre at Chepstow.

www.wwf.org.uk

A conservation body that is global in reach, which uses the Panda as its symbol.

We donate regularly to their campaigns.

www.wwt.org.uk

Founded by Peter Scott, the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust continues to conserve wetland areas, and the birds that live in them. We’ve got a family membership and donate to their campaigns.

https://www.thegeorgeinnoakham.co.uk/

My digs whilst staying at Oakham in the county of Rutland, en route to the East Coast for a few days of motorcycling.

www.woodlandtrust.org.uk

An organisation dedicated to the preservation of woodlands in the UK. We maintain a membership and donate to their campaigns.

www.wiltshire-butterflies.org.uk

The Wiltshire “wing” of the Butterfly Conservation organisation.

www.wiltshirewildlife.org

An organisation conserving Wiltshire’s wildlife. We maintain a membership and donate to their campaigns.

http://www.warwickhotels.com/warwick-paradise-island-bahamas

Our base at Nassau before and after our shark diving visit to Grand Bahama.

www.wasdale.com/

Our base for tackling Scafell Pike, England’s highest peak.

The brie wedges were very popular with us.

https://xerces.org/

An American society dedicated to the conservation of invertebrates. It is named after the Xerces Blue butterfly, the first butterfly species known to become extinct as a result of human activity.

https://naturalresources.wales/days-out/places-to-visit/mid-wales/dyfi-national-nature-reserve-ynyslas-visitor-centre/?lang=en

An excellent nature reserve consisting of sand dunes, coastal scrub, beach and salt marsh near Borth in West Wales. In the Summer, it’s a haven for the Ringed Plover.

www.yongaladive.com.au

Yongala Dive is based at the remote little settlement of Alva Beach, about 15km from the nearest “big” town of Ayr. The Wreck of the SS Yongala is one of Australia’s best known dives and with good reason. Yongala Dive offer a unique and quick way of getting to the wreck on their high speed RIB launched from Alva Beach itself. The “barbie” after the diving was a nice touch.

https://www.thezhotels.com/

A network of hotels that seem to specialise in squeezing in small gaps. Stayed in them in London a few times.

www.hotelziggurat.com/

We stayed at this excellent hotel whilst in Guernsey, a great place to be, just uphill from the centre of St.Peter Port.

https://www.circuitzandvoort.nl/en/

Revamped for the Max Verstappen era, this circuit is located in the dunes on the North Sea coast of Holland. Expect to see a sea of orange when Max Verstappen’s in town.