
Two-thirds of zooplankton at tropical coral reefs lost to ocean acidification
by Herbert - 24th September 2016
Ocean acidification can fundamentally change the structure of the reef Tropical coral reefs can lose up to two-thirds of their…

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…

Liveaboard diving 101: Everything you need to know before you go
by Kathryn - 11th September 2023
Imagine waking up to the gentle rocking of a boat, the sun rising over crystal-clear waters, and the promise of…

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…

Magic Muck
by Alex - 30th May 2023
Lembeh, in Indonesia, is one of the world’s most celebrated dive destinations. This 10 mile long sliver of sea is…

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…

Caymaniac
by Alex - 14th April 2023
I head to Grand Cayman most years because it serves up such classic underwater delights: reliably excellent visibility, warm water,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Coral Spawning and Hope in the Maldives
by Alex - 22nd November 2021
I normally plan my travel meticulously, paying special attention to the season and the lunar tidal cycle. I find this…

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…

Whale Memories
by Dan - 19th August 2021
About this time every year, humpback whales travel from Antarctica to the warm waters of the Pacific to calve. Sadly,…

Hello! Meet Mares Ambassador Alex Mustard
by Alex - 20th July 2021
Hi! I’m Alex and I’m new to the Mares team. Of course, I’m not new to diving, or to Mares…

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…

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…

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…

The largest animals ever to have lived on Earth!
by Franco and Sabrina - 17th December 2020
The southern coast of Sri Lanka may turn out to be one of the best international hotspots for seeing blue…

Coral and Reef on coral reefs
by Ivana and Janez - 20th November 2020
Coral Man's model - Women's model Different water temperatures require different wetsuits. Of course, most of us feel comfortable when diving in…

Dan’s Dive Destinations: Beqa Lagoon (Fiji)
by Dan - 12th October 2020
With a population of around 900,000, the stunning tropical islands of Fiji (all 332 of them) are home to the most…

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…

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…

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…

9 Great Liveaboard Destinations for New Divers
by LiveAboard - 27th January 2020
You’ve got your dive certification and the underwater world awaits you, but where do you dive first? Whether you want…

Revisiting a Classic: Thailand’s 8 Best Dives
by LiveAboard - 20th December 2019
For budget-friendly tropical liveaboard diving and encounters with everything from ocean giants to tiny macro treasures, you can’t beat Thailand.…

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…

A Paradise in Paradise
by Gerald - 29th November 2019
When tropical storm "Winston" swept over Fiji on February 20, 2016, Taveuni and Paradise Taveuni Resort were particularly hardly hit.…

Destination New Zealand: Goat Island, Auckland
by Dan - 8th November 2019
New Zealand is a destination full of exciting diving; from the deep fiords of the south island to the subtropical…

How to choose the right suit for your dive needs!
by Semra - 27th May 2019
Hello everybody and welcome to my new blog! In my last blog, I talked about why you should go on…

Introducing Dan
by Dan - 16th May 2019
Kia ora! (Hello) My name is Dan and I am an underwater photographer and proud Mares Ambassador from Auckland, New…

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…

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…

Swimming with Crocodiles
by Boaz - 4th March 2019
I can still remember the first time I went in the water with a crocodile. Feelings were intense as I…

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…

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.…

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…

“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…

My Mares equipment – Introducing Noam Kortler
by Noam - 27th April 2018
As a beginner diver who had just finished his Open Water course (back in 1995) my first set of equipment…

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,…