The unfortunate fate of the Salem Express
by Ivana and Janez - 31st January 2023
In the early nineties, the tame waters of Safaga became the stage for one of the biggest maritime tragedies in…
Fortunal – A beauty of a wreck dive!
by Ivana and Janez - 31st October 2018
When the fishing ship was given the name Fortunal, the owner had no idea it would be a bad omen.…
Bluefin tuna return to North Sea
by Herbert - 2nd October 2017
Researchers tag fish with satellite trackers After an absence of more than 50 years, the endangered bluefin tuna has returned…
Exploring Raja Ampat
by Alex - 16th May 2024
I am fortunate to dive and travel widely while running underwater photography workshop trips. Everyone is always excited before these…
Mares goes to the Edges of Earth to transform online discourse with ocean good news
by Andi - 14th March 2024
Love it or hate it, social media is here to stay. And unfortunately, its general discourse has become harder to…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Photographing History
by Alex - 26th September 2023
Like many people, my highlight of a Red Sea trip is often diving on the wreck of SS Thistlegorm, with…
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…
Sun Boat – An artificial reef in its full glory
by Ivana and Janez - 18th April 2023
It is a well-known fact that deliberately sunk vessels become an integral part of the seabed over time. When we…
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…
Pro’s like a Pro Therm
by Ivana and Janez - 28th March 2023
Since scuba diving is my profession, the right choice of equipment while being in my underwater office is very important.…
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…
Trust your gut – My rebreather journey to rEvo
by Sara Banderby - 3rd January 2023
My rebreather journey started like most others, with rigorous research. I read all the tutorials I could find about what…
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…
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…
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…
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…
The elusive Basking Shark
by Alex - 30th September 2022
Last summer I headed to the tiny island of Coll, out in the Atlantic, off the west coast of Scotland.…
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…
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…
Diving at Brijuni National Park
by Marjan Radovic - 3rd June 2022
Along the west coast of the Istrian peninsula there are several groups of islands - the largest and most interesting being…
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…
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,…
Dolphins and a Dog!
by Alex - 5th January 2022
One of the big lures of the underwater world is that it is ripe for exploration and discovery. It is…
Time to mask up!
by Dan - 25th November 2021
Its time to mask up! No, not 'those' masks, I think we have heard enough about those lately...I'm talking about…
Sardinia with family & friends
by Alex - 27th September 2021
This summer we were lucky to escape to Sardinia for a family holiday. Fortunately for me, my wife Eleonora is…
The sinking of the ‘Hawk’ military plane
by Marjan Radovic - 6th September 2021
Exciting wrecks are a favorite dive spot for many divers. Some are in good condition, whereas unfortunately others are in poor condition thanks…
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,…
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…
‘Baitball’ watching in the open sea
by Gerald - 12th July 2021
"May the god of the sea spoil you with happiness and let a mighty school of fish slide over your…
Dan’s Guide To The Perfect Underwater Selfie
by Dan - 15th February 2021
Social media has taken over many people's lives and, as a result, selfies or self portraits are part of our…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Dan’s Dive Destinations: Niue
by Dan - 14th August 2020
2400km northeast of New Zealand lies a large coral atoll, only 65 kilometres in circumference and with its highest point…
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,…
Albania – Wreck Diving
by Damir - 30th July 2020
Albania! Yes, Albania and wreck diving, that was our destination last year. Travelling via Belgrade and Tirana all the way…
8th Mares Underwater Photo Marathon 2020
by Damir - 3rd June 2020
Another very competitive Mares Underwater Photo Marathon has come to an end. We are proud to say that the 8th…
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…
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…