gm!

I hope your summer weekend/week was relaxing, fun and sprinkled with inspirations.

Since this newsletter is a space to inspire people to create something of their own and be creative, I’ll ask the question: what did you create last week that brought you some joy?

No matter how small, take stock of how you’re creating now, and how you want to be creating in 6 months from now. If it gives you energy, it’s worth noticing.

3 Places on My Scuba Diving Bucket List

There’s nothing like traveling to a new place and being immersed in a completely foreign environment to shake up your worldview and give you a different, more colorful perspective.

For me, the ultimate combination of inspiration and tranquility can be found on the ocean floor.

My journey into the world of scuba diving began unexpectedly during a brief digital nomading stint in Roatan, a remote island off the coast of Honduras. I’ve been hooked ever since.

As an annual tradition, I've compiled a curated selection of my top 3 dream scuba diving destinations.

1. Cape Kri in Raja Ampat, Indonesia

Raja Ampat, Indonesia is one of the best diving spots in the world for seeing the highest number of fish species, and Cape Kri holds the world record for the most fish species identified in a single dive.

If you like the idea of schools of beautiful, shimmering fish swimming past you while you gaze at beautiful hard and soft corals, this is the place to go.

Raja Ampat is also known for drift diving so currents are typically pretty strong and some divers will use reef hooks to tether in place. This means that it’s probably good to get a few other dives under your belt and makes it a bit better suited for more experienced divers.

To get to Raja Ampat, most people experience it by liveaboard or from a shore-based resort.

2. Richelieu Rock, Andaman Sea, Thailand

When I first Google Map’ed “Richeliu Rock”, I was a little confused.

But then, I realized I needed to zoom out five times to see land.

Bluewater Travel explains Richelieu Rock best: “A remote, rocky outcrop off the west coast of Thailand, Richelieu Rock attracts a huge diversity of marine life along its healthy reefs. Widely regarded as the best dive site in Thailand, visiting pelagics such as manta rays, whale sharks, and tuna mingle with resident reef species to create a variety and diversity of marine life that’s difficult to beat. To top it off, some excellent macro critters can also be discovered amongst the huge and intricate coral heads.”

3. Los Islotes, La Paz, Mexico

Alright this site is mostly about playing with sea lions and not about coral. If you’re not quite 100% into scuba diving but you’re down to snorkel, this spot is accessible to you!

Depending on where you go within La Paz, you can see other wildlife like dolphins, orcas, blue whales, leaping and mobula rays, because the Sea of Cortez is home to a third of the planet’s marine mammals. And that’s why they call it “the aquarium of the world.”

If you know of any cool diving spots that I didn’t mention here (there are so many), hmu! I’m always adding to the list.

Right now I’m leaning more towards relatively shallower/warmer water that focuses on marine and coral biodiversity (over shark dives and shipwreck sites, for instance) but the ocean is wide and vast and I’ve only explored a teeny tiny piece of it so far.

Stay rad.

Quote to ponder

“If you’re under 90, try things.” - From “100 Tips for a Better Life” by Conor Barnes

Ally’s Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free subscriber.