
The new Mares X-Wing C-S and X-Wing C-Evo carbon fins – A review
by Nik - 1st September 2023
I was very curious about the new X-Wing Carbon fins and chose the longer X-Wing C-Evo fins because of my…

A Riddle in the Dark – Finally Solved: The Mysterious Sinking of the German U-Boat UC 71 of Heligoland in 1919
by Submaris - 26th May 2020
Up until the end of World War I, UC 71 carried out a total of 19 enemy patrols under five…

How to find the perfect Christmas gift and also support the environment!
by Semra - 3rd December 2019
Hello everybody and welcome to my new blog! My last blog was about diving in Mexican cenotes - check it…

Mares Fins: The Channel Thrust System
by Mares - 1st November 2019
Originally, all fins were made from rubber, an excellent material; however, it had notable technical and technological limits that did…

Diving at Secca Carega, Portofino, Italy
by Underwater Tales by Stefano Sibona - 16th August 2019
Secca Carega is the second shoal found in the Protected Marine Area of Portofino and still represents one of the…

New Equipment Testing: Jupiter mask and Excite fins
by Ivana and Janez - 11th June 2018
My name is Barış Şendemir and I have been working in the diving industry since 2006 (TSSF 2 STAR instructor…

Diving at the Lighthouse, Portofino, Italy
by Underwater Tales by Stefano Sibona - 16th May 2018
"The lighthouse point in Portofino is one of the most suggestive sites of the promontory. A unique, spectacular environment and…

Primitive? Maybe. Ugly? Definitely not!
by Ivana and Janez - 26th March 2018
Featherstars are more scientifically known as crinoids – coming from a Greek word meaning ‘lily-like’- so it comes as no…

Bluefin tuna return to North Sea
by Herbert - 2nd October 2017
Researchers tag fish with satellite trackers After an absence of more than 50 years, the endangered bluefin tuna has returned…

Discovery Channel’s Shark Week finally features females
by Hannah - 21st July 2017
No doubt about it, Discovery Channel’s Shark Week gets a lot of attention with more than 2.5 million viewers in…

Mares Confirms Partnership With Diving Group Portofino
by Mares - 19th April 2017
MARES HAS BECOME THE TECHNICAL PARTNER OF THE NEW CENTER, THE MOST IMPORTANT IN EUROPE FOR NUMBER OF CLIENTS AND…

How baby reef fish find their way home at night
by Mares - 24th December 2016
Scientists have discovered that baby reef fish possess an internal magnetic compass that helps them find their way home at…

Sport diver finds possible Fat Boy bomb in waters off British Columbia
by Herbert - 8th November 2016
Broken Arrow near British Columbia coast? A ship of the Royal Canadian Navy will leave on a special mission. The…

Fishes find sanctuary
by Mares - 4th August 2016
Larger MPA established based on the movement of fishermen's favoured fish species Beneath the waves of Palikir Pass (or P-Pass)…

Scientists find thousands of red crabs “swarming like insects”
by Mares - 14th April 2016
Off the Pacific coast of Panama, researchers studying biodiversity at the Hannibal Bank Seamount got more than they bargained for.…

Defining research priorities for the Arctic
by Mares - 29th February 2016
The major international Arctic research organisations, with the involvement of the indigenous peoples of the Arctic, have come up with…

Dolphinarium in Finland to close – a success for ocean conservation
by Mares - 4th November 2015
The famous Särkänniemi Amusement Park in Tampere, Finland will close its dolphinarium in early 2016. Currently, there are still four…

Monofin Weekend at monte mare in Rheinbach
by Mares - 19th September 2015
World champion Nik Linder presents SSI monofin programme On 24-25 October 2015, freedive world champion Nik Linder will be at…

Divers Find $4.5 Million Gold Off Coast Of Florida
by Mares - 20th August 2015
Salvage Company Found Gold Coins Worth $4.5 Million On 30 July 2015, after five days of salvage, three divers working…

Photographing History
by Alex - 26th September 2023
Like many people, my highlight of a Red Sea trip is often diving on the wreck of SS Thistlegorm, with…

Nearly 70 countries sign the UN’s BBNJ agreement on the first day
by Mares - 22nd September 2023
On a momentous occasion, the United Nation's first-ever treaty on protecting international high seas opened for signature in the 20th September…

Diving Talks – An unmissable diving event in Lisbon from the 6th-8th October!
by Mares - 18th September 2023
Diving Talks - Portugal 2023 International Diving Show is a highly anticipated event of immense importance for the global diving…

Liveaboard diving 101: Everything you need to know before you go
by Kathryn - 11th September 2023
Imagine waking up to the gentle rocking of a boat, the sun rising over crystal-clear waters, and the promise of…

Liveaboard must-haves!
by Mares - 7th September 2023
Have you ever been on a liveaboard dive trip? Check out our top-tips for liveaboard holiday must-haves! Lightweight travel items…

Red Sea Heat
by Alex - 30th August 2023
We tend to think of coral seas as being close to the equator and therefore changing little through the year.…

Against all odds: Fulfilling a dream to become an SSI Divemaster
by Andi - 19th August 2023
Starting something new, especially later in life, can feel like an extreme challenge. There’s a lot of fear that surrounds…

Barracuda
by Ivana and Janez - 17th August 2023
Barracuda are extremely attractive, impressive fish. They are carnivores with long lifespans and can live longer than 14 years. The…

The Crown of Thorns Starfish – To admire from a safe distance
by Ivana and Janez - 12th August 2023
Crown of Thorns Starfish, COTS for short, Acanthaster planci in Latin, are coral-eating starfish. One of the largest in the world, they can reach up…

Tubbataha Dreams
by Alex - 4th August 2023
When I think of diving in the Philippines, I tend to think of amazing reef critters: frogfish, nudibranchs, ghost pipefish…

Colourful Forests of the Seas
by Ivana and Janez - 28th July 2023
Gorgonias are my favourite soft corals. In my opinion, they are magical; they look like mini trees or bonsais under…

Travel tips with a rEvo rebreather or Horizon SCR
by ivan - 17th July 2023
Traveling with diving equipment has always been a calling for divers. With airlines tightening luggage restrictions, packing for a dive…

Land of Ice and Fire
by Alex - 6th July 2023
I've been to Iceland 5 times before, but it was almost 15 years since my last visit, and in a…

The Shark Trust Great Shark Snapshot is back!
by Mares - 28th June 2023
For last week of July, the Shark Trust’s citizen science initiative invites divers and snorkellers around the world to record the…

The 8th Anilao Underwater Shootout
by Franco and Sabrina - 20th June 2023
As divers, we know how difficult it is to describe the beauty and colours of underwater critters to land-based people.…

Lembeh Blackwater
by Alex - 13th June 2023
The Lembeh Strait is famous for its critter-filled muck diving, but in recent years it has become increasing well known…

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Environmental Photography Award 2023
by Franco and Sabrina - 9th June 2023
Occasionally I enter prestigious international photo contests. The selected pictures have the power to leave a mark, spread knowledge, foster…

Choosing the right equipment for a diving instructor
by Ivana and Janez - 6th June 2023
Hi, I’m Yaiza Sanchez, a Spanish diving instructor based in Koh Tao, Thailand, working for Koh Tao divers, an SSI diving…

Magic Muck
by Alex - 30th May 2023
Lembeh, in Indonesia, is one of the world’s most celebrated dive destinations. This 10 mile long sliver of sea is…

Are you looking for a mermaid?
by Franco and Sabrina - 26th May 2023
Okay then, get ready and hurry up before it's too late. Mermaids? Are you sure? All right, well, let's look…

Freediving: Exploring Schieferbergwerk Nuttlar (Germany)
by Mares - 17th May 2023
Freediver Doris Hovermann recently took a trip to the Nuttlar mine in Germany for a special photoshoot. It was the…

Get close and then get closer! Underwater photography tips with Dan
by Dan - 9th May 2023
Wide angle photography is difficult to master. Small details make all the difference, it can take years of practise, some…

Goldfish of the Red Sea
by Ivana and Janez - 2nd May 2023
Every diver who's been to the Red Sea must have a picture with the Pseudanthias squamipinnis – Sea goldies. A very common…

The Leopards of the Seas
by Ivana and Janez - 24th April 2023
Leopard sharks are one of the most common sharks in the Eastern North Pacific. Their scientific name, Triakis semifasciata, means “half banded”,…

Sun Boat – An artificial reef in its full glory
by Ivana and Janez - 18th April 2023
It is a well-known fact that deliberately sunk vessels become an integral part of the seabed over time. When we…

Caymaniac
by Alex - 14th April 2023
I head to Grand Cayman most years because it serves up such classic underwater delights: reliably excellent visibility, warm water,…

Dances with Stingrays
by Alex - 7th April 2023
Crystal clear turquoise water crammed with circling stingrays - there can be few more iconic images of the Cayman Islands.…

Swedish mine diving – What’s the deal?
by Sara Banderby - 3rd April 2023
What comes to mind when you think of Sweden? Alexander Skarsgård? Zlatan Ibrahimovic? Or Ingmar Bergman and Alfred Nobel? But did…

Simply the best?
by Alex - 20th March 2023
It would be a great conversation topic over dinner with diving friends: What is the world’s best diving resort? I…