The site comprises 244 islands, islets and coastal areas that are located in the Gulf of California in northeastern Mexico. The Sea of Cortez and its islands have been called a natural laboratory for the investigation of speciation. Moreover, almost all major oceanographic processes occurring in ... Read more »

Located some 506 km off the coast of Colombia, the site includes Malpelo island (350 ha) and the surrounding marine environment (857,150 ha). This vast marine park, the largest no-fishing zone in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, provides a critical habitat for internationally threatened marine speci... Read more »

Cocos Island National Park, located 550 km off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, is the only island in the tropical eastern Pacific with a tropical rainforest. Its position as the first point of contact with the northern equatorial counter-current, and the myriad interactions between the island an... Read more »

Situated in the Pacific Ocean some 1,000 km from the South American continent, these nineteen islands and the surrounding marine reserve have been called a unique 'living museum and showcase of evolution'. Located at the confluence of three ocean currents, the Galapagos are a 'melting pot' of mar... Read more »

In the language of the Mayan peoples who once inhabited this region, Sian Ka'an means 'Origin of the Sky'. Located on the east coast of the Yucatán peninsula, this biosphere reserve contains tropical forests, mangroves and marshes, as well as a large marine section intersected by a barrier ree... Read more »

Shiretoko Peninsula is located in the northeast of Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. The site includes the land from the central part of the Peninsula to its tip (Shiretoko Cape) and the surrounding marine area. It provides an outstanding example of the interaction of marine and terrest... Read more »

Manta Point, Pulau Kri, Raja Ampat Islands, Papua Barat, Indonesia. Close encounters with large schools of manta rays practically guaranteed. Dive with Papua Diving - www.iriandiving.com More information at www.nickturvey.com/resear... Read more »

Kal's Corner, south east corner of Pulau Selayar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Big sharks, rare invertebrates, this place has everything, and very few divers. Dive with Selayar Dive Resort - www.selayar-dive-resort.info More information at www.nickturvey.com/resear... Read more »

Batu Bolong, Pulau Komodo, Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Outrageously colourful, and huge numbers of fish. More information at www.nickturvey.com/resear... Read more »

Lighthouse Point, Pulau Pelokang, Sabalana Islands, Flores Sea, Indonesia. Extremely remote and totally unexplored, huge walls of virgin coral and terrifying currents. More information at www.nickturvey.com/resear... Read more »