
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…

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…

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…

Wreck Freediving
by Ivana and Janez - 9th November 2023
Freediving is exciting in itself, even more so on the wrecks of sunken ships. We recently had the opportunity to interview Nik…

From Battlefields to Coral Gardens: Vanuatu’s Secret Dive Sites
by Andi - 23rd October 2023
Before moving from New York to Perth, Western Australia, I had never heard of Vanuatu. It was not until I…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

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…

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”,…

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.…

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…

Dan’s Dive Destinations – Sydney
by Dan - 1st March 2023
Sydney, Australia, is better known for its fantastic food, nightlife and surfy vibe, but not many people know that it…

Discover the Triggerfish!
by Ivana and Janez - 12th January 2023
Triggerfish or balistoids (from the family Balistidae) are mostly rhomboid shaped fish, almost circular, with eyes that can rotate independently…

Arctic Aur-Orca
by Alex - 26th December 2022
It is definitely the best snorkelling experience in Europe, and it is probably the best underwater experience too. Each winter,…

Canada: Cold and Golden
by Alex - 7th November 2022
Sitting in Europe and dreaming of Pacific diving destinations, Canada won’t instantly be at the top of most people’s lists, but…

Flying gurnard (Dactylopterus volitans)
by Ivana and Janez - 1st November 2022
Flying gurnards roam the Atlantic and can be found along the coasts of Canada, the US and the Gulf of New…

The elusive Basking Shark
by Alex - 30th September 2022
Last summer I headed to the tiny island of Coll, out in the Atlantic, off the west coast of Scotland.…

Bahia Magdalena: Where giant travellers rest (Chapter Four)
by Franco and Sabrina - 12th September 2022
The Baja California peninsula is another world, another universe, and inside this bewitching world there is a stretch of Pacific…

Eagle Rays (Myliobatidae)
by Ivana and Janez - 17th August 2022
Eagle rays are a group of cartilaginous fish (fish that have skeletons made out of cartilage instead of bones), closely…

Summer Lovin’
by Alex - 26th July 2022
It's easy to forget that the Red Sea is seasonal when you always visit it at the same time of…

Pinnipeds – Marine Acrobats
by Ivana and Janez - 13th July 2022
Pinnipeds, commonly known as seals, are a group of semi-aquatic carnivorous mammals of 34 species living across the world’s oceans.…

Marvellous Mexican Mantas
by Alex - 4th July 2022
There isn’t a more wonderful ocean creature to spend time with than the manta. Despite their huge size, these graceful…

The Crocodilefish (Papilloculiceps longiceps)
by Ivana and Janez - 16th June 2022
In Egypt, you can take wonderful boat rides on the Nile and admire the mighty crocodiles, but did you know…

Get to know the Batfish
by Ivana and Janez - 15th April 2022
True batfish belong to the order Platax, coming from the Greek word 'Platys', meaning 'flat', due to their distinct body…

Freediving Under Ice
by Nik - 31st March 2022
Freediving under ice can be very demanding, but at the same time it is the perfect challenge in order to…

X-Wing Pro and Spyder mask – Now available in brown
by Mares - 29th March 2022
By popular demand, our X-Wing Pro fins and Spyder mask are now available in brown! Discover more on Mares.com! The…

Cayman Reunion
by Alex - 17th March 2022
After two years away, it was fabulous to return to the Cayman Islands this January. I have been running underwater…

Baja California Sur – The Sea of Cortez – A fascinating mystery (Chapter Two)
by Franco and Sabrina - 10th March 2022
Imagine swimming above thousands of small Munk’s Pigmy Devil rays (mobula munkiana) gliding slowly in warm water. You cannot see the…

Shark Behaviour on the Alimatha Reef – Capturing the photo
by Ivana and Janez - 10th February 2022
Nature’s behaviour surprises us every day... Alimatha reef, which is famous for the large number of sharks that live in…

Dolphins and a Dog!
by Alex - 5th January 2022
One of the big lures of the underwater world is that it is ripe for exploration and discovery. It is…

Tiger Sharks
by Ivana and Janez - 15th December 2021
Tiger Sharks are one of the largest predatory sharks, shadowed only by the Great White. Female Tiger Sharks are larger…

Loving Life in Laamu
by Alex - 9th December 2021
Laamu atoll is in the south of the Maldives, and with only one resort on the island (the beautiful and…

Maldives Underwater Initiative
by Mares - 4th October 2021
The Maldives is world famous for its picturesque turquoise waters, white sandy beaches, and rainbow reefs. A vast underwater mountain…

Hammerhead Sharks
by Ivana and Janez - 13th September 2021
Sharks have a bad reputation and are the most feared marine species, even though attacks on humans are rare, with…

Scottish Freediving Photography
by Alex - 30th August 2021
The chilly waters of Scotland do not attract many visiting divers but they should. Scotland’s geologically splintered coastline means that…

Mares Events this September in Poland! (EN/PL)
by Mares - 5th August 2021
Test the Horizon SCR Come and test Mares’ Horizon SCR at Deepspot, one of the deepest dive pools in the world,…

‘Baitball’ watching in the open sea
by Gerald - 12th July 2021
"May the god of the sea spoil you with happiness and let a mighty school of fish slide over your…

Capturing the moment: Alex Dawson
by Mares - 7th July 2021
I was lucky enough to get this incredible shot on one of my first dives in Tasiilaq, Greenland. We had…

Capturing the moment: Franco Banfi
by Mares - 7th July 2021
I’m extremely grateful to call the vast blue expanse off Dominica Island, in the Caribbean Sea, home. Its unfathomable sapphire…

Guitar sharks, anyone?
by Ivana and Janez - 22nd March 2021
I love many things about diving, but what I love the most is the fact that it means constant learning. There…