Moments of a lifetime caught on camera : Snorkelling side by side with the sperm whales of the eastern Caribbean Sea
by Franco and Sabrina - 29th November 2016
This post starts our contribution to the Mares blog, to which we are absolutely grateful, and our first post is about the…
Pretty birds from the Red Sea
by Ivana and Janez - 12th September 2024
I love all the different species of wrasse, and I thought I knew them well, but this one was a…
Life on the Cambodian edge – Koh Ach Seh, Cambodia
by Andi - 30th April 2024
Following a grueling four-hour drive from Phnom Penh, we arrived in Kep, Cambodia. Though exhausted after our journey from Hanoi,…
Leatherback sea turtles
by Franco and Sabrina - 18th January 2024
A leatherback turtle swimming gracefully through the open ocean is arguably one of the most majestic sights in the natural…
Coral Connections – Awarded in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year
by Alex - 20th December 2023
I am enjoying a great run of success in the most prestigious nature photography contest of them all – the…
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…
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.…
Colourful Forests of the Seas
by Ivana and Janez - 28th July 2023
Gorgonias are my favourite soft corals. In my opinion, they are magical; they look like mini trees or bonsais under…
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…
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.…
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,…
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…
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022: Bootlace Barcode
by Alex - 28th October 2022
It is fantastic to be awarded in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest again, the premier contest in nature…
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…
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…
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…
Cave diving – My way of life
by Pierre Eric - 12th February 2019
For my first blog, I want to talk about cave diving. In fact, I think for my next blog I'll…
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…
“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…
Open Ocean Research
by Submaris - 10th April 2018
The Big Blue! Finally! After three days of travelling via plane, a short delay of one day due to carnival,…
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…
Ocean acidification affects mussels in early life stages
by Herbert - 11th January 2018
Marine scientists show impact of acidification on mussel larvae Shells have a hard, calcareous shell to protect themselves against environmental…
Sea Lions – Los Islotes
by Damir - 2nd January 2018
Los Islotes island is located just 25 miles, or just over an hour’s boat ride, from La Paz. The ride…
Video footage sheds light on deep-sea food webs
by Herbert - 19th December 2017
Jellyfish and related organisms are among the most important predators The animals of the deep sea have been systematically studied…
Scientists present research results on ocean acidification
by Herbert - 31st October 2017
Ocean acidification and warming affect life in the sea In November 2017, the final phase of the German research association…
Increase in melting sea ice may lead to higher food supply in Arctic
by Herbert - 26th September 2017
In the Arctic, melt ponds are formed every year when snow and sea ice melt at the end of winter.…
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…
Deep sea mining threatens unique marine habitats
by Herbert - 3rd July 2017
Open letter: Marine researchers warn of the consequences of deep sea mining In an open letter published in the Nature…
Tasmania – Seadragon World
by Gerald - 28th June 2017
Kelp forests Not many divers from Europe know this part of the world. The flight from Europe passes over a…
The Scuba Diver Girls meet some curious seals!
by Scuba Diver Girls - 14th April 2017
“What is that?!” I gasped as I felt something tug my fin. I glanced over at Stephanie who was on…
Haliphron atlanticus: Deep-sea octopus feeds on jellyfish
by Herbert - 30th March 2017
Octopus then uses tentacles of jellyfish to defend itself The open ocean is the largest habitat on Earth. Within this…
Octopus Casper: Deep-sea octopuses require manganese nodules to lay their eggs
by Herbert - 22nd December 2016
Casper the octopus (and counterparts) threatened by deep-sea miningFor deep-sea octopuses, manganese nodules on the seabed are an important breeding…
Best Guadalupe Season Since 2012!
by Morne Hardenberg - 18th November 2016
We have just completed two EPIC expeditions to Isla Guadalupe off the west coast of Baja Peninsula! The volcanic island…
Black Sea mapping expedition uncovers more than 40 shipwrecks
by Herbert - 18th October 2016
Largest expedition of this kind in Black SeaAn international expedition mapping the submerged ancient landscapes at the Bulgarian coast of…
Life beneath the ice
by Mares - 17th October 2016
Welcome to the world beneath the ice. We're all familiar with the animals that live above the ice at the…
The Red Sea still drawing in the divers…..
by Cat - 11th July 2016
I am sat in my office trying to catch up on some paperwork in between packing my bags once again…
My life as a scuba instructor
by Yme - 10th July 2016
I have just taken off my triathlon suite after a 1hr 20min swimming session in the crystal clear waters of…
Seaweed threatens coral reefs in the Pacific
by Herbert - 28th June 2016
Researchers call for more protection of herbivorous fishCoral reefs in the Pacific Ocean are coming under increasing threat of the…
Marine life make themselves at home amongst dropped boulders at reef
by Mares - 6th June 2016
Boulders also prevent fishing activities from taking place. The large boulders dumped into the Sylt Outer Reef in the North…
Book launch at Maritime Museum shines light on first German deep-sea expedition
by Mares - 7th March 2016
Zoologist Carl Chun from Leipzig was fascinated by the possibilities within the deep sea. In a speech to the German…
Researchers measure decomposition in polyethylene and biodegradable bags
by Mares - 15th February 2016
Plastic waste is now found in practically every part of the world, from the Antarctic coasts to the ocean depths.…
Melting coastal glaciers cause loss in biodiversity – Seabed ecosystem affected by sedimentation
by Mares - 20th November 2015
Melting glaciers will lead to a reduction of species biodiversity among the benthos (bottom-dwelling organisms) community in the coastal waters…
Mesmerising creatures of the sea, yet so vicious – Misadventures with comb jellies
by Mares - 18th November 2015
Looking through the mask, it appears as if an alien lifeform is trying to communicate with the divers, flashing its…
Billions of juvenile polar cod under Arctic sea ice
by Mares - 14th October 2015
With a newly developed netting gear, marine scientists at the Alfred Wegener Institute managed to catch a large number of…
German research network on ocean acification concludes
by Mares - 8th October 2015
An in-depth assessment of the possible impact of ocean acidification on the environment, society and economy, as well as the…
30 years on: A new lease of life for the Rainbow Warrior
by Mares - 7th September 2015
Website is launched offering online tour of the wreck Thirty years ago, on 10 July 1985, an explosion ripped through…
Eilat: In The Sea And On The Sand For Your Fun In The Sun
by Herbert - 17th July 2015
For Your Fun In The Sun When temperatures start to drop during those winter months in Germany, many of us…