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.…
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…
Photographer engulfed in manta ray mating dance in Yap, Micronesia
by b_rad - 12th February 2018
One of the greatest shows underwater is seeing Yap's resident manta ray population fully engaged in courtship - "dancing mantas".…
Master of the coral reef – The Giant Moray Eel
by Mares - 12th May 2017
Sometimes ugly, sometimes frightening, and of imposing size, the Giant Moray Eel is the master of the coral reefs of…
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…
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…
Biology: Rays
by Herbert - 6th July 2015
The Art of “Underwater Flight” The dance of mantas in the ocean certainly leaves no diver unmoved. The majesty of…
The Ripple Effect – Negros Oriental, Philippines
by Andi - 2nd April 2024
Another day, another mission. Waking to the sound of a gong made from old kitchenware, a diverse community of dedicated…
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…
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…
Galapagos – Diving Turned Up To 11
by Alex - 5th February 2024
Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands are an archipelago consisting of 13 main islands (five of which are inhabited), seven minor islands and…
6 of the best shark diving experiences for new divers
by Kathryn - 1st February 2024
For many scuba divers, going diving with sharks is a bucket-list experience and it can easily turn into a lifelong…
Lightweight Kit for Video and Photography
by Ivana and Janez - 23rd January 2024
Most lovers of the underwater world like to share what they experience while diving. Even as a professional photographer, I…
The 10 most-read Mares blogs of 2023
by Mares - 28th December 2023
It's almost the end of 2023, and Mares would like to re-propose some of the most-read articles of the year from our blog...…
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…
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…
Little Cayman – A special diving adventure!
by Alex - 13th October 2023
As I’ve written before, Grand Cayman is one of my favourite places to teach underwater photography. The conditions are inviting…
Hanifaru Bay: In a flying vortex
by Franco and Sabrina - 10th October 2023
Are you looking to be enveloped in a flying vortex of Mantas? Get ready, it doesn't happen often. Have you ever…
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conservation, diving, fish, freediving, Hanifaru Bay, manta, Mares, ocean, photography, research, SSI, underwater
conservation, diving, fish, freediving, Hanifaru Bay, manta, Mares, ocean, photography, research, SSI, underwater 
Komba Island – Diving under an active volcano
by Ivana and Janez - 3rd October 2023
Due to a storm and strong winds that hit the Banda Sea, we missed out on some really attractive locations…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Eilat, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea – A winter adventure in Israel
by Ivana and Janez - 11th April 2023
This year's first diving expedition took us to the Israeli resort of Eilat, on the coast of the Red Sea.…
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…
A forest dive at Ponikve – “the peek-a-boo lake”
by Damir - 8th March 2023
A few of the members of RK Roniti se mora dived recently at an interesting, temporary location: Ponikve. The small…
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…
Canada: Bursting with Life
by Alex - 16th December 2022
For my final blog post on my visit to Canada, I want to turn my attention fully to the attraction…
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…
The Mediterranean lobster
by Ivana and Janez - 13th October 2022
The Mediterranean lobster, Palinurus elephas, was named after the Roman seaport of Palinurus, known today as Palinuro, in southwestern Italy,…
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…
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…
Ragged-tooth shark (Carcharias taurus)
by Ivana and Janez - 18th July 2022
The Ragged Tooth Shark lives in oceans and seas around the world, and has different names in different regions. Around…
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…
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…
Shining a light on UK diving
by Alex - 13th June 2022
The recently updated EOS LRZ line of torches sparked the plan. Our idea was to meet up at Capernwray in the…
7 easy ways to be an eco-friendly diver in 2022
by Kathryn - 6th June 2022
Whether you are diving close to home or venturing overseas, there are many easy ways you can become a more…
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…
Classic Thrills In The Maldives
by Alex - 9th May 2022
It is not a secret that the diving around the Maldives’ central atolls, including North and South Male and Ari…
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…
Underwater Scholar
by Alex - 2nd March 2022
The Our World Underwater Scholarship Society is a unique and fascinating organisation in our community. Founded in 1974 and supported by…
Vasa – The ship and museum
by Ivana and Janez - 12th January 2022
History tells us of many grand endeavours that ended ingloriously. The story of the fate of the royal ship 'Vasa' is well-known,…
Dive Munda Youth Training Program
by Mares - 18th October 2021
We would like to congratulate Dive Munda, an SSI/Mares dive center in the Solomon Islands, for their incredible dedication to…
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…
Diving Cornwall, England
by Alex - 9th August 2021
Like many people right now, my options for international travel are limited, but that is not stopping me diving. While…
