Dan’s Dive Destinations: Marlborough Sounds (NZ)
by Dan - 4th August 2020
Located at the north eastern point of the South Island and making up 150km or ⅕ of New Zealand's coastline,…
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…
Sounds of the ocean
by Herbert - 2nd February 2017
Findings on background sounds in Southern Ocean published For nearly three years, using underwater recording devices, scientists have been listening…
Madeirense Shipwreck – Porto Santo, Portugal
by Ivana and Janez - 19th July 2024
For me, volcanic islands have always seemed to hold special secrets, and nothing is different with Porto Santo, Portugal. It…
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,…
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…
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".…
Travel to a Different World
by Alex - 11th January 2024
November 2023 saw me heading off on a real adventure, destined for one of the most amazing countries to visit…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
The orange colours of Ribnicko Lake
by Ivana and Janez - 8th April 2022
At the start of this year, Mares Ambassadors Ivana OK and Janez Kranjc embarked on an icy adventure on Zlatibor mountain in central Serbia... It has been about…
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…
Why you should dive in a dry suit
by Dan - 15th November 2021
Diving in a dry suit Diving in a dry suit can be an intimidating prospect. Being dry underwater? That sounds…
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.…
Feather star’s dinner
by Thomas Van Puymbroeck - 19th October 2020
Feather stars live in both shallow water and the depths of the ocean. Their scientific name, crinoid, comes from the Greek…
The Islands of Socorro
by Damir - 28th September 2020
I believe that most divers have a list of destinations they would like to visit and dive at. Socorro is…
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…
Dive into the Center of the Earth
by Ivana and Janez - 19th May 2020
I believe that Jules Verne would not be angry that I borrowed part of his title to begin the story…
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…
A Fantastic Voyage
by Mares - 14th April 2020
A message from Sergio Angelini, Chief Technology Officer at Mares... We all have fond memories of some trip or another.…
Freediving under the Ice
by Nik - 5th March 2020
I remember the first time I was under the ice of a lake. It was in 2008, in the Swiss…
Nurse Sharks: Docile or Dangerous?
by Ivana and Janez - 29th October 2019
There are various theories as to why the nurse shark is called so; one being that the sound they make…
Diving at Secca Carega, Portofino, Italy
by Underwater Tales by Stefano Sibona - 16th August 2019
Secca Carega is the second shoal found in the Protected Marine Area of Portofino and still represents one of the…
Working Together
by Ivana and Janez - 28th March 2019
Being a brand ambassador brings with it a lot of beautiful things. You have the chance to be among the…
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…
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…
Loop 15X Review
by Ivana and Janez - 28th May 2018
I have been scuba diving for 35 years and for the last 15 years I have been a dive instructor,…
“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…
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…
The Wobbegong Shark
by Ivana and Janez - 16th March 2018
When I first heard the name 'Carpet shark', I thought it was a joke. The name does not sound very…
Blackwater Night Dive
by Ivana and Janez - 24th January 2018
To most divers, a night dive is their favourite kind of dive. Everything becomes pacified at night. The lamps we…
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…
Nutrient Mix enables phytoplankton to flourish
by Herbert - 6th November 2017
Combination of nutrients is necessary to promote plankton growth For the food webs in the ocean and processes such as…
Where None Have Gone Before!
by David - 8th September 2017
It's not every day that you get to dive a new site which is not only new for you, but…
The “Biggest” Little Photo Workshop in the Diving Industry
by b_rad - 6th September 2017
The biggest in prizes that is. This summer some photographers are going to win almost $10,000 in Mares gear along…
The secret beauty of Nudibranchs
by Mares - 13th July 2017
Nudibranchs come in many different colours, shapes and sizes. According to various sources, there are between 2000 - 3000 different…
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…
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…
Freediving – a tool for marine biology
by Fred Buyle - 5th May 2017
For my first Mares blog I have decided to write about one of the most exiting projects I’m involved in:…
Humpback whale calves whisper to keep safe
by Herbert - 27th April 2017
Vocalisations may be used to help mother and calf stay togetherTo avoid detection by killer whales, newborn humpback whales whisper…
Gulf of Thailand: The Burma Maru Expedition
by Herbert - 6th April 2017
Wreck Discovery in the Gulf of Thailand There was little to forewarn the fate that would strike the lone cargo…
Day 6 – Earthquake underwater?
by MARES / SSI / rEvo Dive Expedition Team - 19th February 2017
Do you remember? Yesterday’s dive spot was great. So nice that we decided to go to the north tip of Olkohn, Kohboy,…
Day 4 – Dive Sessions on Oltrek Island
by MARES / SSI / rEvo Dive Expedition Team - 17th February 2017
Finally we got under the ice today! The morning got off to a challenging start since the temperature dropped below -28°C. Everything…