
The birth of the XR line
by Florent M. Locatelli - 13th September 2016
In 1949, Ludovico Mares designed and manufactured his first masks and spearguns with one dream and purpose in mind: to…

Sharks and rays under threat from overfishing and poor fisheries management
by Mares - 3rd March 2016
A high demand for shark fins from Asian countries has been considered to be a major cause of the overfishing…

WWF Calls For Reforms For The German Fishing Industry
by Mares - 27th August 2015
Increasing fish imports leads to a need for more responsible fishing The annual meeting of the German fishing industry is…

Aldabra: An enchanted and enchanting lagoon
by Franco and Sabrina - 20th September 2021
Compared to many millions of people, especially in this difficult time, Franco and I are lucky to live an independent…

UJ-2208 – German navy submarine chaser – Ligurian Wrecks (Part III)
by Florent M. Locatelli - 19th September 2018
UJ-2208 (ex-Alfred) - German Navy (Kriegsmarine) submarine chaser (ex-patrol boat) (ex-trawler). Built in 1926 by the Ateliers et Chantiers de…

Diving World Record Attempt in Florida
by Hannah - 21st June 2017
The early morning sun was bright on Saturday, June 17th, casting glaring rays from the east atop the water to…

Manta ray performs acrobatic display of thanks for divers
by Mares - 3rd September 2015
Animal had fishing lines wrapped around its body In May 2015, dive instructor Paul Slater was on a group dive…

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…

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…

Whale Memories
by Dan - 19th August 2021
About this time every year, humpback whales travel from Antarctica to the warm waters of the Pacific to calve. Sadly,…

It’s a job to save the Napoleon fish!
by Ivana and Janez - 16th August 2021
The Napoleon fish is a humphead species of wrasse living in the Indo-Pacific and Red Sea coral reefs, also called…

‘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…

The gentle giants
by Ivana and Janez - 2nd April 2021
Whale sharks are on many diver's bucket lists. I envy any diver that has been lucky enough to see one while diving.…

Dan’s Dive Destinations: Shark Diving
by Dan - 31st December 2020
Diving with sharks in Fiji In my opinion, every single person should experience a shark dive just once. It can…

How Cara Lost Her Color
by Ivana and Janez - 10th December 2020
Ivana OK: What are you by profession? I’m a marine naturalist. In a complete leap of faith, I moved to…

Junkers 88 in the Adriatic Sea
by Ivana and Janez - 21st July 2020
On August 31, 2008, when a group of divers touched the sea bottom at a depth of 54 meters in…

A Windy Day in Paradise
by Dan - 22nd May 2020
Here's the worst case scenario. You've planned a brilliant dive holiday to the dive destination of your dreams. You have…

Jackfish
by Ivana and Janez - 17th September 2019
Why so blue, Jack? Jackfish, also known as Bluefin trevally or blue jack, are one of the most common fish…

Tales from the History of Pula – Part 1
by Mares - 19th July 2019
PULA-BORN LUDOVICO MARES BUILT THE FIRST SCUBA DIVING MASK FROM A CAR INNER TUBE AND GLASS ON THE PORTARATA SQUARE!…

Introducing Dan
by Dan - 16th May 2019
Kia ora! (Hello) My name is Dan and I am an underwater photographer and proud Mares Ambassador from Auckland, New…

70 years of Mares!
by Mares - 21st January 2019
Mares is turning 70 this year! Who knows whether our founder Ludovico Mares could have ever dreamed that 70 years…

Fortunal – A beauty of a wreck dive!
by Ivana and Janez - 31st October 2018
When the fishing ship was given the name Fortunal, the owner had no idea it would be a bad omen.…

Corals are the perfect models
by Ivana and Janez - 4th October 2018
Looking at wonderful, colourful, tropical coral reefs, many people believe that the organisms responsible for these structures are plant based.…

The best known wrecks of Jordan
by Ivana and Janez - 16th July 2018
It is in the northernmost part of the Red Sea, at the very tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, that…

The Wrecks of Karaburun
by Ivana and Janez - 15th June 2018
The small town of Karaburun is located in northwest Turkey, 650km away from Istanbul. What used to be a fishing…

“Caution, sea urchins!”
by Ivana and Janez - 9th May 2018
"Caution, sea urchins!" Does this sound familiar? The name ‘sea urchin’ resounds on almost every dive boat. We are always…

Mantas – the gentle giants of the seas
by Ivana and Janez - 7th February 2018
Manta rays – the diver's dream. Belonging to the family Mobulidae, there are two species of Manta Ray often seen…

Cuttlefish: underestimated players in the ocean
by Herbert - 9th January 2018
Squids play an important role in the food web and in the carbon cycle Squid are marine creatures with fascinating…

115 previously unknown species discovered in the Mekong
by Herbert - 8th January 2018
Something new in the East! A crocodile lizard, a snail-eating turtle, and a bat that looks like a character from…

An island in the current of an endless ocean
by Franco and Sabrina - 5th January 2018
Nine islands of lava, each one different from the other; some with high coasts and fjords, inlets that seem to…

Sea Something, Say Something: Coral Reef Citizen Science
by Hannah - 11th December 2017
We have had a hectic hurricane season here in the Florida and Caribbean region, which can have a big effect…

Researchers puzzle over possible causes for disappearance of sea snakes
by Herbert - 11th December 2017
Western Australia: High genetic diversity in sea snakes found Scientists have studied the genetic diversity of sea snakes in different…

Freediving Patagonia
by Alejandro Andrés - 27th November 2017
Have you ever thought about what freediving in Patagonia is like? I'm a competitive Freediver and run Freediving Patagonia, my…

Thousands of dolphins die as countries ignore EU regulations
by Herbert - 23rd November 2017
Whales and dolphins continue to perish as bycatch in fishing nets The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Organization (WDC) has examined…

The Myth of the Jellyfish
by Mares - 1st September 2017
When I asked my child what jellyfish were, she said they are half fish, half jelly… Well nothing could be…

The living dinosaurs of the sea
by Mares - 4th August 2017
Out of the seven species of sea turtles, six have made it onto the International Union for Conservation of Nature's…

Future opportunities for coral reefs
by Herbert - 8th June 2017
In spite of global warming, reefs could change but remain the same Although the world’s coral reefs are under threat,…

How are whales and dolphins doing in Europe?
by Mares - 24th May 2017
New population estimates released Ten EU Member States have carried out a survey of the distribution and abundance of whales…

Vamonos à bucear
by Franco and Sabrina - 15th May 2017
The look of the Baja California Sur can appear tedious: cactus, desert, rocks, beaches and vice versa, but the underwater…

Compass jellyfish in Boka Bay, Montenegro
by Mares - 13th May 2017
Jellyfish...so graceful and elegant, yet at the same time found in so many different colors and shapes. Their movements remind…

Teaching freediving: a passion for fun
by Carlo - 11th May 2017
Since I started teaching freediving courses in 2004 things have changed a lot on both the national and international freediving…

Southern France: Best of Mediterranean diving
by Herbert - 1st May 2017
World-famous wrecks and a marine reserve When in the Mediterranean, be sure to visit Côte d'Azur in southern France, where…

Survey needs divers to speak up for value of Florida’s reefs
by Hannah - 28th April 2017
Beautiful coral reefs are priceless to divers and snorkelers. The intrinsic value of dipping below the waves, leaving the stress…

Surviving Murphy’s Law to study sharks
by Hannah - 24th April 2017
Have you ever had one of those days when just about everything goes wrong? Mine started out breaking one of…

YO-44 aka Kodiak Queen: Richard Branson to sink WWII ship that survived Pearl Harbor attack
by Herbert - 12th April 2017
Ship targetted to become artificial reef These days, weather permitting, a ship is scheduled to sink. Nothing special? In the…

The massive and solitary Sphyrna Mokarran
by Franco and Sabrina - 4th April 2017
A few weeks ago I was leading a micro-group of passionate divers and UW photographers to Bimini Island, a lovely sandy…

Litter in the sea: New portal offers comprehensive coverage
by Herbert - 29th March 2017
New online portal LITTERBASE compiles all data in one location Where is litter at sea and which species and habitats…

Catching fish too expensive to eat
by Mares - 9th February 2017
WWF report: Improving fishing management imperative for global food security By 2050, millions of people in the global South (in…