28th January – 10th February 2027. FULLY BOOKED.
Alex Mustard and Erin Quigley underwater imaging workshop at Misool Resort, Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
Contact Caroline@scubatravel.com for further information and waitlist places.
Scuba Travel is proud to announce the ultimate underwater photography event (probably): the combination of the incredible Misool Resort, Raja Ampat, staying for their longest package (12N in resort) at the peak time of year, with a workshop taught by Alex and Erin.
Alex says “we’ve done this once before and it was definitely a high-water mark on my workshops. But I am very excited about this event and want to tell you everything! It is hard to think of a more perfect dive destination than Misool Resort, an idyllic resort in the world’s most incredible reef diving location. Whenever I have agreed to run workshops there, I have always insisted that they are a step above and I am very excited that I am teaming up with Erin Quigley of Go Ask Erin fame! I am certain Erin needs little introduction, but suffice to say she is globally recognised as THE leading expert and teacher for post processing underwater images (as well as taking fantastic photos herself and being a great teacher of in-water techniques too). Erin is generous and a natural teacher, who loves sharing her knowledge, making complexity of processing incredibly straightforward and simply helping others. This will be my fifth trip with Erin, and our second time jointly hosting an event at Misool. Last time was truly spectacular with stunning reefs and mantas upon mantas, we’re so excited to be going back.”
MISOOL RESORT
Although very remote, Misool Resort lies at the heart of the world’s most spectacular coral reef habitat. The resort elegantly balances luxury (there are 4 staff to each guest) with active environmental protection to create an unforgettable and adventurous holiday experience in a truly unique destination. Take some time to look through the Misool website to appreciate this is no ordinary destination and resort: the island, the food, the rooms, the diving…. It is no surprise that the resort is fully booked years in advance. Watch the video below to understand why this place is so, so special:
“Misool is a paradise,” says Alex. “Lush coral reefs grow right beneath the rooms, green turtles aggregate right off the beach, reef sharks swim beneath the wooden walkways and huge schools and colourful blooms of soft coral gather just beneath the dock. On one visit we found 18 pygmy seahorses on the house reef. The island also has its own manta cleaning station, flasher wrasse spawning spots and within minutes there are some of the most famous dives in Raja Ampat. And rather than diving them with a liveaboard load of dive buddies, Misool runs small boats and even smaller groups, ensuring you dive some of the world’s best reefs in a very exclusive way. It is a place to immerse yourself in nature and in your photography. This is also an incredible place to stay, and since the resort usually attracts a lot of non-divers, it is common that people bring non-diving partners on this one, as there are plenty of staff and experiences for them to enjoy while we are out snapping.”
PROTECTED PARADISE
Alex continues “I first visited the Misool reefs in 2006, before the resort had been built and it was obvious that these were the best hard coral, best soft coral and fishiest reefs I had ever seen. What is perhaps even more remarkable is, that returning there down the years, the diving actually is better today. Many new dive sites have been discovered and we now know of a lot more manta cleaning stations (I can name 10 different manta cleaning sites close to the resort and I know the guides know more than me!). Above all there are a lot more fish, a lot more turtles and a lot more rays and sharks. Species we’re used to witnessing vanishing from the oceans are blossoming here. It is very uplifting place to see.”
What’s the secret formula? There’s no magic trick, just sound marine conservation. Misool really is an ecologically minded resort – a 300,000 acre marine protected area is an integral part of the resort and is funded and staffed because we visit. Scientific studies have measured a 250% average increase in the amount of fish inside the reserve over a 6-year period and by 2018 there were 25 times more sharks here than when I first visited. And the biomass is still growing.” By visiting Misool Resort you will be directly contributing to the Misool Foundation and supporting this work.
THE DIVING
Raja Ampat has some of the most spectacular reef diving in the world. Diverse and dense gardens of hard corals, walls stuffed with gaudy soft corals and fans, tonnes of bright reef fish and a water column filled with schools. On top of this there are loads of turtles, sharks, manta rays and more. There is even a jellyfish lake. This trip is timed in January/February which can hopefully bring us the very best conditions, with baitfish, mantas, sunshine and good visibility adding to this amazing destination. The trip is also over Alex’s birthday (the real one, not the fake one he’s having on each trip in 2025).
Alex adds “although the resort is surrounded by famous dive sites, the ability to do easy house reef dives has been incredibly popular on our previous trips. It is such a privilege to be able to dive repeatedly and at your own convenience in this area. Getting to know a site and repeating it gives such a different perspective and imagery. We usually do three boat dives out on the celebrity sites and then one on the house reef. There is also excellent split level photography possible when snorkelling. On previous trips, folks have also loved shooting as very small groups of photographers, as we spread across all the boats and visit different sites. It is usual on liveaboards in Raja Ampat for the whole group to dive the same site, while in Misool Resort we’re able to visit those same famous places with just a handful of people in the water. The small dive group size also means we can visit incredibly rich, compact pinnacles that liveaboards groups just can’t fit on. And of course, the resort has the local knowledge and dozens of dive sites that nobody else visits.”
THE WORKSHOP
Alex and Erin will naturally divide the teaching of the workshop into their well-known areas of expertise. Alex presenting the main teaching on underwater technique and Erin sharing her mastery of post processing techniques. Alex will generally run the evening sessions that will take place in the dining room at the end of dinner, with talks on shooting techniques and tips for working with specific subjects (Erin will sometimes guest too), which will blend increasingly into review sessions as the workshop continues. While Erin will run her late-afternoon “Office Hour” (aka “Happy Hour” as refreshments are often widely enjoyed) in the Hive, giving you the chance to get those golden processing tips on your images (in time for image review!). Alex will also be on duty in the camera room – as your first point of contact for any gear related problems. Misool is a wonderful place to indulge in creating sensational images and the workshop is focused on enhancing this. The conditions will be highly suitable for wide angle and this will be a major focus. But there is also excellent fish photography and macro.
Since we take over the whole of the resort, Caroline from Scuba Travel will also be on location to help in looking after everyone, taking care of the logistics and providing an extra point of contact.
BOOKING INFO
This trip is being organised by Scuba Travel, UK, who organise most of Alex’s workshop trips. For reservations and further information, please email Caroline@scubatravel.com (noting that they mainly work UK office hours for replies). However, because we expect a lot of interest from photographers all around the world, the trip is priced in US Dollars and without flights. Have a look at our tips for booking page, to understand how places are allocated.
A deposit of 35% of your package price is required to secure your spot, followed by an interim payment on 1st July 2026 of a further 30%, and the final balanced paid on 20th October 2026.
VITALS
Dates: 28th January – 10th February 2027 (Sorong-Sorong) – includes 12 nights in resort + one in Sorong.
Note you need to be in Sorong early morning of 28th January to catch the speedboat transfer to the resort (shortly after the Garuda flight from Jakarta arrives). Please check with Caroline at Scuba Travel before organising your flights (given the remote location it is very difficult to reach Misool resort if you miss the official transfer), Scuba Travel always happy to help in booking your flights etc.
Prices: depends on accommodation option, subject to availability
South Beach villa USD $11975 pp (based on 2 sharing)
Water cottage USD $13000 pp (based on 2 sharing)
North lagoon villa USD $13450 pp (based on 2 sharing)
Included: full board accommodation at Misool, Workshop with Alex & Erin, full diving package (upto 4 dives a day), 12lt Nitrox tanks & weights. 1 night post in Aston hotel in Sorong, speedboat transfer to resort, Contribution to the Misool Foundation and Raja Ampat park fees, Sorong Airport transfers.
The resort is well suited to non-divers. The non-diver rate is $2900 USD less than the diver rate. Single supplements are available on all rooms.
And finally here is a glimpse behind the scenes of the 2024 event:
