![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Freshwater in salty water – Underwater springs
by Ivana and Janez - 15th October 2019
You have certainly, at some point, experienced an area where cold water rises up from the deep. It might be…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Freshwater vs marine diving
by Ivana and Janez - 13th November 2018
For more information on Marine Ecology, check out our friends at SSI! Most of us dive in a marine environment…
![Herbert](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Herbert-150x150.jpg)
Freshwater sources in the sea
by Herbert - 20th July 2017
The invisible water resource In the scientific journal Earth Science Reviews, geologists Nils Moosdorf and Till Oehler from the Leibniz…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
A mysterious fleet at the bottom of Lake Ohrid
by Ivana and Janez - 20th May 2024
In North Macedonia, at the bottom of Lake Ohrid, there is a mysterious sunken fleet. The ships sank during World…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Gobies – Small, cute and sneaky
by Ivana and Janez - 15th April 2024
There are more than 2000 species of gobies in one of the largest bony fish family, Gobiidae. They can be found…
![Kathryn](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SSI-Grey-Logo-150x150.jpg)
Diving in the Pacific: 7 Idyllic Islands for Scuba Divers
by Kathryn - 27th March 2024
Diving in the Pacific Islands is a bucket list vacation for many scuba divers and unsurprisingly so. Idyllic islands surrounded…
![Kathryn](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SSI-Grey-Logo-150x150.jpg)
Love manatees and dugongs? Here’s where you can swim with them
by Kathryn - 21st November 2023
The gentle giants of the sea, manatees and dugongs have captured the hearts of many with their endearing presence and…
![Mares](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Mares_blog-2-150x150.jpg)
Mares Dive Torch Maintenance
by Mares - 17th August 2023
Keep your Mares torch in great shape with our torch maintenance tips! · Rinse with freshwater: After each dive, rinse…
![Franco and Sabrina](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1216329-Franco-e-Sabrina-150x150.jpg)
Crystal River: a warm, sleepy refuge for manatees
by Franco and Sabrina - 13th March 2023
Manatees (Trichecus manatus latirostris) are large, gentle mammals that would be the bugbear of any dietitian. Lazy and sedentary, during the…
![Alex](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/UK21_am-19240-copy-150x150.jpg)
Underwater Photographer of the Year 2023
by Alex - 24th February 2023
The winners have been announced for the 2023 edition of the Underwater Photographer of the Year contest, a competition that…
![Mares](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Mares_blog-2-150x150.jpg)
Night diving in the jungle of Colombia
by Mares - 17th February 2023
During the JBL research expedition to Colombia in November 2022 to learn more about the habitats and habits of aquarium…
![Kathryn](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SSI-Grey-Logo-150x150.jpg)
12 Great Places to go Diving in New Zealand
by Kathryn - 23rd May 2022
With more than 1,500 km of coastline and around 600 islands, hosting everything from subtropical islands to dramatic fiords, New…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
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…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
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…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
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.…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
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…
![Franco and Sabrina](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1216329-Franco-e-Sabrina-150x150.jpg)
Lake Malawi : The Lake of Stars
by Franco and Sabrina - 9th March 2021
So here we are. Six divers and I, patrolling large rocks at a depth of 18m, struggling to photograph a…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Most loved marine mammals
by Ivana and Janez - 15th January 2021
Everyone loves dolphins, and it is probably the dream of most divers to dive with dolphins, the most loved cetaceans.…
![Thomas Van Puymbroeck](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/P8050012-1-150x150.jpg)
Diving in Belgium
by Thomas Van Puymbroeck - 12th January 2021
2020 has been an exceptional year with lockdowns, travel bans and corona. Most Belgians like to travel to tropical destinations…
![Dan](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/107609215_3999721133433839_4862193931765128460_o-1-150x150.jpg)
Motivation For Winter Diving
by Dan - 24th August 2020
Winter. Is. Here. Any diver dreads these 3 words, especially if you live in a colder climate. New Zealand, although…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Who am I? Saint Pierre
by Ivana and Janez - 3rd August 2020
When I was asked to write about the Saint Pierre fish I had no idea what it was. Then I saw…
![Robert](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/D_DESK_BAN_WILPERNIG_-150x150.jpg)
Grüblsee Alpine Aquarium
by Robert - 9th July 2020
Grüblsee - the highest diving center in Europe Grüblsee - the Alpine Aquarium - is located directly in the Präbichl…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Marine Guide to Long-term Relationships
by Ivana and Janez - 8th June 2020
Do you remember the term 'symbiosis' from your biology classes? To refresh your memory, these are interactions between organisms that…
![Franco and Sabrina](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1216329-Franco-e-Sabrina-150x150.jpg)
A Beautiful Beast
by Franco and Sabrina - 10th April 2020
Being based in Switzerland, when I’m not travelling abroad, I like to discover what lives in the freshwaters of Europe.…
![Imran](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/IA-150x150.jpg)
Wonderland
by Imran - 23rd January 2020
Some of the most magical time spent photographing underwater is when you capture images which people least expect to look…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Groupers – The gentle giants of the oceans
by Ivana and Janez - 26th November 2019
Groupers belong to the Serranidae family, which they share with Sea basses, living in the warmer waters of most oceans.…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
How a conger eel brought the Serbian and Irish together
by Ivana and Janez - 3rd June 2019
Almost six years ago, on the 9th of June 2013, an Irish diver had a near-death experience whilst diving off…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Appearances can be very deceiving! The Mantis shrimp…
by Ivana and Janez - 18th March 2019
I have always thought that Mantis shrimp are one of the most beautiful creatures you can find and photograph in…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Picasso’s muse?
by Ivana and Janez - 25th January 2019
We learn something new every day. Recently I discovered that the beautiful triggerfish is also known as the Picassofish, the…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Trumpetfish – The forgotten cousins of seahorses
by Ivana and Janez - 6th December 2018
There are only three species of trumpetfish in the world (discovered so far anyway): the Chinese trumpetfish (Aulostomus chinensis), the…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
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.…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Blowfish, balloonfish, pufferfish, puffers, blowies, toadfish…so which one is it?
by Ivana and Janez - 15th August 2018
The name of a fish order - Tetraodontiformes - does not sound familiar to many, but when we look into…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Hermit crabs against plastic!
by Ivana and Janez - 31st July 2018
Hermit crabs are decapod crustaceans which, like other members of this order, have segmented bodies and very well developed eyes,…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
So which one is it? A stonefish or a scorpionfish?
by Ivana and Janez - 24th July 2018
I often get confused between stonefish and scorpionfish and need to remind myself what the differences between them are. Both…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Octopuses – They have it all!
by Ivana and Janez - 22nd June 2018
Who doesn’t like octopuses? They have it all: beautiful, smart and unique. These molluscs are part of the ‘Octopoda’ (eight…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Clownfish
by Ivana and Janez - 3rd May 2018
What’s the world’s most famous fish? Well, I think Clark’s anemonefish is. What’s that you say? Remember Nemo? Well, Nemo…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
The Prettiest of Worms
by Ivana and Janez - 4th April 2018
When we think of worms, these colourful, feathery, flower-like creatures are not the first things that come to mind. Their…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
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…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Mares XR – Review
by Ivana and Janez - 20th March 2018
The Mares XR1 Kevlar Dry Suit, Active Heat Vest and Extreme Undergarment have been used in a year-long ultimate endurance…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
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…
![Gerald](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Gerald-Novak-150x150.jpg)
Dive into the underwater world of Milford Sound
by Gerald - 22nd January 2018
We are now far at the south end of New Zealand. More specifically in the southwest, in the world of…
![Herbert](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Herbert-150x150.jpg)
Hells Bells: Unique underwater stalactites in Yucatán Caves
by Herbert - 12th December 2017
Researchers study how Hells Bells was created In recent years, scientists have identified a small group of stalactites in which…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
The Lions of the Ocean
by Ivana and Janez - 1st December 2017
Lionfish (Pterois spp) are represented by 12 very closely related species. These majestic and amazing looking fish are among underwater…
![Herbert](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Herbert-150x150.jpg)
Fuel from seaweed
by Herbert - 25th October 2017
Researchers developing breeding programmes for seaweed In the future, our homes and vehicles could be fuelled by seaweed cultivated in…
![Mares](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Mares_blog-2-150x150.jpg)
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…
![Mares](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Mares_blog-2-150x150.jpg)
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…
![Mares](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Mares_blog-2-150x150.jpg)
In the darkness of caverns
by Mares - 2nd August 2017
I am certain there is not a single scuba diver that has never been drawn to the dark, hidden places…
![Herbert](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Herbert-150x150.jpg)
Glacial retreat accelerated by meltwater lakes under Antarctic Ice Sheet
by Herbert - 4th July 2017
During the last glacial period, the ice in the Antarctic was thicker and extended farther offshore than it does today.…