![Kathryn](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SSI-Grey-Logo-150x150.jpg)
5 great reasons to go diving in Japan
by Kathryn - 9th May 2024
With its rich culture, stunning landscapes, and diverse underwater ecosystems, Japan offers an unparalleled diving experience that beckons adventurers from…
![Andi](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Andi-Cross-150x150.jpg)
Our Encounter with the Ocean Tigers – Fiji
by Andi - 21st March 2024
As we descended into the dark and murky waters off the Fijian coast, the weight of anticipation settled in. Immediately…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
The master of camouflage – The prickly leather-jacket fish
by Ivana and Janez - 18th March 2024
When we saw the pictures that our photographer Janez Kranjc had taken, we joked that he had found a "hairy fish".…
![Franco and Sabrina](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1216329-Franco-e-Sabrina-150x150.jpg)
Baja California Sur Safari – 2023 season
by Franco and Sabrina - 28th November 2023
It’s easy to understand why we return to Mexico's Baja California Sur almost every year. The five destinations we visit…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
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…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
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…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
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…
![Alex](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/UK21_am-19240-copy-150x150.jpg)
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.…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
The Scribbled Leatherjacket (Aluterus scriptus)
by Ivana and Janez - 6th February 2023
Scribbled leatherjackets can be found in the lagoons and reefs of subtropical seas all over the world. Even though some…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
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…
![Alex](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/UK21_am-19240-copy-150x150.jpg)
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,…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Looking at life from a Cassiopea’s perspective – Upside down
by Ivana and Janez - 20th December 2022
Upside-Down Jellyfish live resting on the sea floor, making them look like they are upside-down. They are found in coastal waters,…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
The white-spotted octopus (Callistoctopus macropus)
by Ivana and Janez - 1st December 2022
The white-spotted octopus lives predominantly in the shallow waters of the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas, but can sometimes be found…
![Franco and Sabrina](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1216329-Franco-e-Sabrina-150x150.jpg)
Cabo Pulmo and endless vortexes of fish (Chapter Five)
by Franco and Sabrina - 22nd November 2022
If your diving wish list includes finding yourself finning inside vortexes of different species of fish so dense as to darken…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
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…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
The Triton Snail
by Ivana and Janez - 7th October 2022
In Greek mythology, Triton, son of Poseidon and god of the sea, is often depicted blowing a horn/shell that looks…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
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…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Discover Starfish!
by Ivana and Janez - 29th July 2022
Famous not only on the TV thanks to cartoon character Patrick the Star, these animals are actually not fish, but…
![Alex](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/UK21_am-19240-copy-150x150.jpg)
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…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
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.…
![Franco and Sabrina](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1216329-Franco-e-Sabrina-150x150.jpg)
Baja California Sur – Pacific Coast, Offshore Adventure (Chapter Three)
by Franco and Sabrina - 28th June 2022
In the southern part of Baja California Sur, on the Pacific Coast, the offshore high sea is a place of…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
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…
![Mares](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Mares_blog-2-150x150.jpg)
Phoresis in the Mediterranean
by Mares - 19th January 2022
This fascinating video, captured by Mares Ambassador Pasquale Vassallo in the Mediterranean Sea, shows a Sand Crab hitching a ride on…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
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…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Spanish Dancer
by Ivana and Janez - 29th November 2021
Hexabranchus sanguineus, commonly known as the Spanish dancer, is a colorful marine mollusc belonging to the Gastropoda (Snails and Slugs) class…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
The bearded fireworm
by Ivana and Janez - 25th October 2021
Bearded fireworm, Hermodice carunculata (Pallas, 1766) The bearded fireworm is a marine bristle worm that lives throughout the tropical coastal waters of…
![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…
![Franco and Sabrina](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1216329-Franco-e-Sabrina-150x150.jpg)
Crinoids – Flowers of the reef
by Franco and Sabrina - 14th June 2021
One of the things that struck me most during the first dives I made in Papua New Guinea, and especially the…
![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)
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…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
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…
![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…
![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…
![Dan](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/107609215_3999721133433839_4862193931765128460_o-1-150x150.jpg)
Night Time On The Reef
by Dan - 12th May 2020
Lagoon comes from the Italian word 'laguna' meaning pond or lake. Like the name suggests, a lagoon is generally a…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Sea Anemones
by Ivana and Janez - 4th May 2020
Sea anemones are a group of marine animals that are predatory in nature and are closely related to jellyfish and…
![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.…
![Gerald](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Gerald-Novak-150x150.jpg)
Nestled in the seventh continent – Iceberg diving in the Antarctic
by Gerald - 17th December 2019
Being in the Antarctic has always been my dream. In an unforeseen way, it has now come true. As a…
![Dan](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/107609215_3999721133433839_4862193931765128460_o-1-150x150.jpg)
Clowning around in Tahiti
by Dan - 13th December 2019
Tahiti is an incredible place famous for its sharks, whales and great diving. One of my goals for this trip…
![Franco and Sabrina](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1216329-Franco-e-Sabrina-150x150.jpg)
Striped Marlins (Kajikia audax)
by Franco and Sabrina - 6th December 2019
I’ve always been fascinated by Striped Marlins and wanted to take on the challenge of documenting some of their unbelievable…
![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.…
![LiveAboard](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/logo1200x1200_Liveaboard-150x150.jpg)
Love to swim with orcas? 12 reasons to go Arctic liveaboard diving now!
by LiveAboard - 5th November 2019
The Arctic has long been known for its outstanding wildlife watching and dramatic landscapes. It offers numerous diving opportunities, but…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
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…
![Michael](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/f-150x150.png)
Introduction to Mike Bolton
by Michael - 4th September 2019
Hi all, I am so stoked and honored to be a new Mares Ambassador! To be part of such a…
![Dan](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/107609215_3999721133433839_4862193931765128460_o-1-150x150.jpg)
The Islands Of Tahiti: A Whale’s Paradise
by Dan - 6th May 2019
When someone mentions Tahiti, incredible sunsets and sipping cocktails whilst relaxing on over water bungalows comes to mind. Located in…
![Robert](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/D_DESK_BAN_WILPERNIG_-150x150.jpg)
The Azores – In the realm of the whales
by Robert - 25th March 2019
The unique location of the Azores, in a transition zone between the cold, nutrient-rich currents from the north and the…
![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…