Vanuatu is a diver's paradise, offering crystal-clear waters, vibrant reefs and spectacular wreck dives. Unspoiled, uncrowded, and full of marine life DIVE IN
From shark-filled seamounts like Malpelo in the Pacific to biosphere-reserve reefs in the Caribbean: excellent diving both sides of Colombia. LEARN MORE
Liveaboard Diving Offers: Dive for Less
Get up to 31% off at some of the best diving spots in the world. Plus, automatically get 5% off any subsequent trip.
Freedom III, Egypt, SAVE 15%: Prices from just £426. For those wanting a shorter trip, dive the famous Straits of Tiran, Gordon Reef, Thomas Reef, Woodhouse Reef, Ras Mohammed and the Dunraven.
Unlimited Shark Diving in the Bahamas with Shear Water. SAVE 10%. This steel liveaboard is the only one in the region offering unlimited diving - thanks to high-capacity tanks, a full Nitrox supply, and a dive-anytime approach. She is also the fastest liveaboard to Tiger Beach and Bimini, giving you more time where it matters most: underwater with sharks. The experience is made even more special with Jim Abernethy, renowned marine conservationist, photographer, and advocate for cage-free shark diving.
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Gentle Giant, Thailand, SAVE 15% Diving across the Andaman Sea, including the fabulous Hin Daeng and Hin Muang in the south and the Similans in the north.
Calipso, Galapagos, Save $1439. The top destination on the planet for pelagic species and a healthy marine environment. Swept by both the cold and warm water currents, the Galapagos is where polar meets tropical which is reflected in the marine life. The northern islands of Darwin and Wolf have the largest shark biomass in the world. A must-visit destination for experienced divers.
Dune Silky, Egypt, SAVE 20%. Newly constructed liveaboard with a steel hull. Free nitrox. Choice of Brothers, Daedelus, Elphinstone or northern wrecks.
Colourful Christmas tree worms are captivating during any dive, adding a touch of festive magic to coral reefs around the world.
What are Christmas tree worms?
They might look like colourful Christmas trees but they're actually segmented worms. Most of their structure is hidden in tubes within the coral with only their crowns or Christmas trees protruding. These creatures can live for 40 years!
Christmas Tree Worm, Spirobranchus giganteus
Giant Spiral-Gills
Their scientific name is Spirobranchus giganteus, meaning Giant Spiral-Gills. Although the visible part is only 1.5 cm long, together with its hidden part it is in fact one of the largest worms in its family. The branching crown is important for respiration, hence the "spiral-gills" name.
Christmas Tree Worm by Tim Nicholson
2 Trees; 1 Worm
Each worm has two crowns or Christmas Trees. The worms come in a myriad of colours, but an individual's two crowns are always the same colour. As well as being used in respiration, the the feathery Christmas Tree gathers food, wafting it down to the worm's mouth.
Carol Buchannon
Disappear when danger threatens
On sensing danger, the worm quickly retracts its crown into its tube in the coral and closes the entrance with a trapdoor called an operculum. It will stay down there for about a minute, before re-emerging very slowly to check that the danger has gone.
Christmas Tree Worm with operculum clearly showing, by Jill Studholme
Males and Females
There are both male and female Christmas tree worms and they are choosy; spending their entire life on the same coral – often massive porites. They are important for the health of coral reefs and help protect corals from invasive sea stars whilst also preventing the coral being overgrown with algae.
Close up to Christmas in Bonaire. John A. Anderson/DepositPhotos
Where to see them?
The great thing about Christmas tree worms is that you can see them around the world on most tropical reefs. They're easy to find and very photogenic, making them great subjects for macro photography. As long as you have the patience to wait and not disturb them into shooting back into their tubes. You might see them down to depths of 30 m.
Another Dive Pro Liveaboard Accident Yet another Dive Pro Liveaboard has had to have its divers rescued. MV Seaphoria ran aground near Daedelus reef in Egypt. This is the 4th Dive Pro liveaboard incident in 3 years. Best avoid this company.
Healthy oceans are a human right The idea is straightforward: people's fundamental human rights to health, food, security and even life rely on a healthy environment.
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Christmas Tree Worm, Spirobranchus giganteus
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