News
Jamaican Vibes

With part of my wife’s heritage being of Jamaican descent, I really don’t understand why it’s taken so long for us to visit this amazing Caribbean Island. Firstly, as a couple enjoying adventures together and then over the last 5-6 years with our daughter as a family.
Finally we made it and enjoyed an amazing two weeks together, with the in-laws also in attendance. Initially scheduled for 2021, Covid reared its ugly head and a postponement meant we had to contain our excitement for another year until July 2022 came around and we were off.
We had booked your typical two week all-inclusive style holiday with TUI, stopping at the Royalton Negril. It was also my daughter’s longest flight but thankfully she coped really well and was a pleasure to travel with. It took a few days to get into the holiday as we made use of the all-inclusive perks of the hotel. Stuffing our faces in the abundance of restaurants or food stalls on-site (the jerk hut was a frequent lunchtime visit). While we also enjoyed the entertainment from the on-site Vibes Team. I really love the energy and enthusiasm for music in Jamaica, with the dance routines and music choices entertaining pool side.
As fun as it was on-site, you can start to feel a little trapped all inclusive. We were soon itching to break free and explore other parts of Jamaica. Being in Negril we were too far from the famous Dunn’s River Falls, so opted for the equally impressive YS Falls. It’s rainy season in July, so the falls were powerful in force, albeit less clear with a brown tinge. Still, it was a beautiful place to visit, while also enjoying rope swings into the pools and swims to cool off.
We followed up our visit to YS with a Black River Safari (you can easily manage the two trips in a day). This was a real highlight for me as I love big predators ,and seeing the American crocodiles up close again was great. It was also another stunning place as we cruised through pristine mangroves listening to the sounds of nature. Then on the way back we stopped at some local food huts for traditional Jamaican cuisine.
I love enjoying trips with the family. However, none of them are divers and I was desperate to sneak off and get some diving in. With getting married this year, diving had really taken a back seat and was long overdue. Before I left for Jamaica, I asked advice on a Facebook group for diving out of Negril and dive centres they recommended. However, I was disappointed to see a lot of negative comments basically telling me to save my money and how it really wasn’t worth it etc. Undeterred, I knew I still wanted to get some dives in and was able to get connected to Michael Cabana, who is the owner of Scuba Dive Today. Unfortunately, Michael was out of the country but put me in touch with his MSDT Sharren Robinson. They were based out of Coral Seas Cliff Hotel and he recommended coming to do a couple of dives on their house reef.
It was an eerie feeling when I first arrived for diving at the Coral Seas Cliff Hotel, as it is still closed since the pandemic and I wondered if I’d got the right place. However, I soon met Sharren, where we filled in the necessary paperwork and he provided me with all the necessary equipment. He also explained that when the high season returns the hotel is due to open back up for the first time since Covid. Immediately I saw its appeal as a group dive holiday destination in the area.
We made our way through the “abandoned” hotel towards the cliff’s edge where we had a short giant stride in. What a beautifully peaceful dive with nobody around but me and my guide Sharren. I wasn’t left disappointed like the commenters on Facebook alluded to. The water was stunningly clear with plenty of life on the reef and beautiful coral formations akin to the rest of the Caribbean. A really easy pleasant dive along the reef and sandy bottom down to around 20 metres.
I had some problems with my camera on the first dive and didn’t take any photos but I soon rectified that between dives and was glad to go back in for a second. On the first dive we went right along the reef before circling back. So, on the second we went left before circling back. Equally beautiful scenery with an abundance of fish life and soft coral to photograph. The small yellow stingrays were ever-present on both dives along the sandy bottom, while seeing one of my favourite species of marine animal – the octopus – is always a joy. Unfortunately, this particular one stayed well hidden in the rocks and I wasn’t able to get images with my fisheye lens.
My next two dives out of Negril came a week later as two other divers joined Sharren, which meant I could join a boat trip out to other dive sites. We visited two of the more popular dive sites out of Negril – Shallow Plane and Arches dive site, along with the Throne Room. Again, both sites benefitted from great visibility and an abundance of beautiful soft corals. The plane wreck is only small and after a quick circle around we were back on the reef. The most fun part about both sites were the abundance of swim-throughs along the reef and overhangs to explore. The interesting topography made the dive that bit more adventurous with plenty of big crabs and lobsters inside the cracks. It was also nice to spot a nurse shark on the Throne Room dive, albeit a little far off for any photos as it changed direction once seeing us.
While I was left disappointed by the numerous negative comments online about diving in Jamaica, I was glad I took the plunge and saw it for myself. I would definitely recommend jumping in if you’re on a family holiday to Jamaica, while I’d also highly recommend Jamaica as a holiday destination. The rest of our holiday was filled with some exciting adventures as we explored Rick’s Cafe (yes, I did the high jump and it was a lot higher than expected!) We also had a fun day trip to a river rafting site that was the highlight of the trip for my 5 year old, and finished off with a swim in the Luminous Lagoon. A surreal experience that had us all smiling with excitement. I also did A LOT of snorkelling but will leave that for another blog, so stay tuned…
For more information about diving in Negril, Jamaica, take a look at:
News
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Marine Life & Conservation
Building a Bluer Future for Indonesia’s Marine Tourism Industry

Green Fins National Workshop Charts Roadmap for Sustainable Marine Tourism Initiatives
Green Fins, the global environmental standards for diving and snorkelling, is set to contribute to Indonesia’s blue economy. A national workshop, focused on “Enabling a sustainable diving and snorkelling industry in Indonesia through the implementation of Green Fins initiative,” has ignited a collaborative effort to safeguard the nation’s marine ecosystems through marine tourism.
The Reef-World Foundation, the UNEP Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) and the Coral Triangle Center (CTC) held the Green Fins National Workshop in Aryaduta Menteng, Jakarta, Indonesia, on 18 – 19 February 2025. This pivotal event, supported by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) through the Blue Natural Capital Financing Facility (BNCFF), brought together key stakeholders from the Indonesian government, marine tourism industry, conservation organisations and the global Green Fins network to develop a roadmap for strengthening the Green Fins initiative in Indonesia and to explore sustainable financing mechanisms for its long-term implementation.
Participants from five Indonesian ministries, including the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries and the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, collaborated with local MPA management bodies, dive operators and international experts to chart a course for a more environmentally responsible marine tourism sector. This diverse group engaged in focused discussions and strategic planning, addressed key aspects of Green Fins implementation and explored opportunities for its integration into national marine conservation efforts.
“We’re not just discussing sustainability”, said JJ Harvey, Operations Director at The Reef-World Foundation. “We’re creating a tangible roadmap for action. The energy and collaboration at this workshop have been truly inspiring, laying the groundwork for real, measurable change in Indonesia’s dive industry and unlocking the full potential of its marine tourism while ensuring the future health of its reefs.”
“The Coral Triangle, as the global epicenter of marine biodiversity, relies on Indonesia’s leadership to combat threats through strong coral reef conservation and sustainable tourism practices,” said Rili Djohani, CTC Executive Director. “Expanding Green Fins and scaling up training efforts are crucial steps toward ensuring equitable benefit-sharing and long-term conservation impact of our unique marine resources.”
“Sustainable Blue Economy is at the forefront of COBSEA’s work on marine and coastal ecosystems,” stated Mahesh Pradhan, UNEP COBSEA Coordinator. “Ensuring sustainable practices in marine ecotourism in Indonesia and the East Asian Seas region will further consolidate concrete conservation efforts while also benefiting local communities. COBSEA is proud to support the Green Fins initiative, which was initiated in Thailand over 20 years ago and has now blossomed into a significant global movement.”
Key discussions and explorations during the workshop included:
- Alignment of Green Fins with national policies and international commitments, including the Indonesia 2030/45 MPA Vision, the national biodiversity action plan (NBSAP) and international commitments such as the Global Biodiversity Framework.
- Exploration of a comprehensive roadmap for Green Fins implementation in Indonesia, outlining potential steps, timeline and financial strategies.
- Discussions on diverse financing mechanisms, including public-private partnerships, blended finance models, and integration with existing programmes, to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of Green Fins.
- Emphasis on enhanced collaboration between government agencies, the private sector and conservation organisations.
- A strong focus on inclusivity, including gender-inclusive approaches and support for small-scale businesses.
The workshop highlighted Indonesia’s position as a global leader in MPA-based diving, with 70% of dives occurring within MPAs. Discussions emphasised the need to address challenges such as revenue leakage and high implementation costs while leveraging opportunities to integrate Green Fins into existing government initiatives, such as the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries’ Blue Economy strategy and the Ministry of Tourism’s sustainable tourism programmes. Participants also engaged in a learning exchange, sharing best practices from countries like the Philippines, Malaysia, Japan and Thailand, focusing on developing sustainable funding models and enhancing assessor capacity.
The outcomes of this workshop will both strengthen Green Fins Indonesia and contribute to the broader global impact, driving sustainable marine tourism worldwide.
Discover how your organisation can contribute to the global expansion of Green Fins by contacting info@greenfins.net.
About Reef-World
The Reef-World Foundation is a registered UK charity which delivers practical solutions for marine conservation around the world. The charity promotes the wise use of natural resources – particularly coral reefs and related ecosystems – for the benefit of local communities, visitors and future generations. It is dedicated to supporting, inspiring and empowering governments, businesses, communities and individuals around the world to act in conserving and sustainably developing coastal resources.
Reef-World leads the global implementation of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative, which focuses on driving environmentally friendly scuba diving and snorkelling practices across the industry globally. As such, the charity provides low-cost and practical solutions to local and industry-wide environmental challenges associated with the marine tourism industry. It provides education and capacity-building assistance to empower environmental champions (within the diving industry, local communities, authorities and governments) to implement proven coastal resource management approaches.
Please visit www.reef-world.org to learn more or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X.
About Green Fins
Green Fins is a proven conservation management approach – spearheaded by The Reef-World Foundation in partnership with the UN Environment Programme – which leads to a measurable reduction in the negative environmental impacts associated with the marine tourism industry. The initiative aims to protect and conserve coral reefs through environmentally friendly guidelines that promote a sustainable diving and snorkelling tourism industry. It provides the only internationally recognised environmental standards for the diving and snorkelling industry and has a robust assessment system to measure compliance.
Green Fins encourages and empowers members of the diving industry to act to reduce the pressures on coral reefs by offering dive and snorkel companies practical, low-cost alternatives to harmful practices – such as anchoring, fish feeding and chemical pollution – as well as providing strategic training, support and resources. By reducing the local direct and indirect pressures tourism puts on coral reefs, it helps make corals healthier and more resilient to other stresses, such as the effects of climate change. Look for the Green Fins logo when booking your next dive trip.
Please visit www.greenfins.net to learn more or follow the initiative on Facebook, Instagram and X.
About Coral Triangle Center
Coral Triangle Center (CTC) is a foundation based in Indonesia with regional scope and global impact. Established in 2010, CTC works closely with local communities, private sector, governments, and partners to strengthen marine resource management in the Coral Triangle to protect coral reef ecosystems, ensure sustainable livelihoods and food security.
CTC supports on-the-ground conservation in Bali, Maluku, as well as in Timor-Leste, and leads learning networks of women leaders and marine protected area practitioners in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste. CTC is developing its Center for Marine Conservation in Bali as an integrated learning space for training programs, outreach activities, interactive exhibits, and artistic and cultural performances to influence millions of people to care for our oceans and those who depend on it.
Since its establishment in 2010 until 2024, CTC has protected more than 435,000 hectares of critical marine habitat. We have trained more than 8,000 people to support marine protected areas and sustainable fisheries management throughout the Coral Triangle region. More than 26,000 people have visited our Center for Marine Conservation, many of whom have been inspired to take direct action to protect our oceans. In the last three years, we reach an average of 200,000 people annually to care for our seas via our social media channels.
About UNEP COBSEA
The Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) is a regional intergovernmental mechanism and one of 18 Regional Seas Programmes. It is the decision-making body for the East Asian Seas Action Plan, bridging together nine countries – Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, and Viet Nam – in the protection and sustainable development of the marine and coastal environment for the health and well-being of present and future generations. The COBSEA Secretariat is hosted by Thailand in Bangkok and is administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
COBSEA works on 1) marine pollution prevention, reduction and control, 2) marine and coastal biodiversity, ecosystem conservation and management, and 3) climate action.
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