Advice Please - Where to go?

[Luko]

My first remark is that there might be place available for returning to some of the locations you mention, since your average number of dive on each location is 10 -which is not much, especially on a liveaboard-, according to the record of logged dive you specify and to your location list.

If you can't find something that is pleasing you though, and if you're into Pelagic action, I think the obvious four places missing in your bucket list are :
- Socorro/Revillagigedo islands in Mexico
- Maldives : loads of sharks and rays in blue water
- French Polynesia. Rangiroa and Fakarava are probably the ultimate places for shark action. Said to be Maldives square or cube : not tens or dozens of sharks, WALLS of sharks.
- Mozambique : tiger sharks, whale sharks, bull sharks, sandtiger sharks, oceanic blacktip sharks, you-name-it sharks & manta rays.

If you say Asia pulls you back, it's probably not for the pelagic action, South East Asia is mostly recognized for incredible diversity, awesome corals... Talking about diversity, SEA smokes them all!

 

[scubajunky17]

Thanks to everyone for their responses. French Polynesia is on the agenda, this summer I hope.
How is Wakatobi and Pula Weh?

 

[Quero]

Wakatobi is lovely, but not for big fish. It's all little critters. I think the biggest thing I saw there in the two weeks I spent at the resort was an eagle ray. This is a posh place with excellent facilities and a great vibe that develops amongst the group of guests there--all of these are big plusses when it comes to gauging how enjoyable a trip is. I stay in pretty close contact with a number of diving friends I made while I was there years ago, and this includes both dive staff and other guests.

Pulau Weh is an interesting place with a few really nice dive sites, but the diving is not going to be of the caliber of the other places you've already been. This is a kind of the-way-it-used-to-be-in-SE-Asia island; poor infrastructure, diving from rickety little boats, sleeping in a buggy bamboo shack on the beach, etc. The big draw is that it's unspoiled--like goats in the road unspoiled, no ATM unspoiled, no nightlife/no dive shops/few interesting restaurants unspoiled. I like it though, for a break from the development of the more-frequented dive destinations here.

 

[dpaustex]

You might consider Sea of Cortez...but it is better in Dec.-Feb.. Cocos means you have to fly to the mainland, then take a long boat ride from there. For quick fun, there is the Flower Garden National Marine Sanctuary (hammerheads are starting to move off the site, now).

Sounds like you've done some great stuff.

 

[Nishan]

pelagics + Asia = Maldives :blinking:

mantas, reef sharks, eagle rays, tuna, turtles, chances for whale sharks.