
Japan allowed to continue trade in threatened whales’ meat
by Herbert - 4th December 2017
CITIES meeting misses historic opportunity
Last week, on 27 November 2017, the Standing Committee of CITES missed the opportunity to put an end to ...

What do whales have to do with homeopathy?
by Herbert - 18th August 2017
EU prohibits whaling, but not trade in whale products
If we think of sperm whales, we think of Moby Dick, and of whales that dive up to 2,000 m...
If we think of sperm whales, we think of Moby Dick, and of whales that dive up to 2,000 m...

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 and dolphins in...
Ten EU Member States have carried out a survey of the distribution and abundance of whales and dolphins in...

Japan kills 333 whales in annual hunt
by Herbert - 1st April 2017
Whales supposedly killed for "research" purposes
After four months at sea, the Japanese whaling fleet has returned from
its controversial annual h...

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 sperm whales of the Car...

Whales: The killing continues…
by Herbert - 28th November 2016
Japanese whaling ships set off on lethal mission
Despite having adopted a new method to control their scientific whaling activities at this ye...
Despite having adopted a new method to control their scientific whaling activities at this ye...

Cruise Ships Boycott Faroe Islands To Protest Annual Slaughter Of Pilot Whales
by Mares - 14th August 2015
Both AIDA Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises have suspended their trips to
the Faroe Islands in response to the new law which stipulate that all
whale ...

Von Killerwalen und Primaten – Teil1
by Peter - 18th February 2019
... oder wie man vom Warmdusche zum Eistauchern wird.
Buckelwale in Tahiti, bei 28°C Wassertemperatur, das war bisher meine Welt. Schimpf mich Trope...

Breathtaking Moments – The Great White Sharks of Guadalupe, August 2018
by Robert - 29th August 2018
MARES - WIRODIVE - NAUTILUS LIVEABOARDS
See photos from the experience here.
At DEMA 2017 I met up with Mike Lever, as usual. Mike is the owner of t...

Octopuses – They have it all!
by Ivana and Janez - 22nd June 2018
Who doesn’t like octopuses? They have it all: beautiful, smart and unique. These molluscs are part of the order ‘Octopoda’ (eight limbs) and are...

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 and admired by divers: Manta birost...

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 use on night dives highlight the true...

Greenpeace travels to unexplored parts of the Antarctic
by Herbert - 19th January 2018
Expedition to provide further arguments for the world's largest marine protected area
Greenpeace will explore previously barely known regions in th...

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 towards the island is like a small safari thro...

Narwhals show alarming reactions to stress
by Herbert - 21st December 2017
Human disturbances cause narwhals to freeze and escape simultaneously
New insights into the effects of ocean noise and increased human activity on ...

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 for over 100 ye...

Freediving Patagonia
by Alejandro Andrés - 27th November 2017
Have you ever thought about what freediving in Patagonia is like?
I'm a competitive Freediver and run Freediving Patagonia, my own SSI Freedive Cen...

Thousands of dolphins die as countries ignore EU regulations
by Herbert - 23rd November 2017
Whales and dolphins continue to perish as bycatch in fishing nets
The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Organization (WDC) has examined the implementa...

Why do krill stocks in Antarctica fluctuate?
by Herbert - 9th June 2017
Climatic influences not as important as previously thought
Although just six centimeters long, the Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) play...
Although just six centimeters long, the Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) play...

Marvels of the Arctic
by Herbert - 9th May 2017
Undertaking a cool journey of discovery
Water temperatures of minus 3°C. It is so cold here that using salt to lower the temperature of freez...
Water temperatures of minus 3°C. It is so cold here that using salt to lower the temperature of freez...

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: Darewin.
Darewin is the brainchild of Fab...

Humpback whale calves whisper to keep safe
by Herbert - 27th April 2017
Vocalisations may be used to help mother and calf stay together
To avoid detection by killer whales, newborn humpback whales whisper to their ...
To avoid detection by killer whales, newborn humpback whales whisper to their ...

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 top of the
water with her GoPro.
She had her c...

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 l...
For nearly three years, using underwater recording devices, scientists have been l...

Diving in Ireland
by Herbert - 5th January 2017
The Wild West of Europe
Ireland has one of the world's greatest soccer fans, who most recently fervently expressed their strong support for th...
Ireland has one of the world's greatest soccer fans, who most recently fervently expressed their strong support for th...

World’s largest marine protected area established in Antarctica
by Herbert - 28th October 2016
Just off the southern coast of Antarctica is the Ross Sea, where the
largest marine protected area (MPA) will be established.
It will cover 1...
It will cover 1...

Seismic gun testing threatens world’s second largest barrier reef
by Mares - 25th October 2016
Belize begins seismic surveys at the World Natural Heritage Site of the Belize Barrier Reef
In late October 2016, Belize announced plans to...
In late October 2016, Belize announced plans to...

Germany proposes protection for Weddell Sea
by Mares - 20th October 2016
The European Union has submitted a request for a marine protected area
(MPA) to be established in the Weddell Sea. The scientific basis was
provided...

The greatest ocean safari on the planet!
by Morne Hardenberg - 19th October 2016
Every year, over the months of June/July, we spend 40 days on South Africa's "Wild Coast" waiting for the mass migration of sardines which moves up th...

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 Arctic and Antarctica, but have y...
We're all familiar with the animals that live above the ice at the Arctic and Antarctica, but have y...

Luggage for Paradise
by Peter - 7th October 2016
The funny thing about
paradise is, it is always somewhere far, but not where you are at the
moment and paradoxically home is only sweet, when you ar...

WDC partners with Walflüsterer (Whale whisperer) project to promote sustainable whale watching
by Mares - 21st September 2016
The “Walflüsterer” (Whale whisperer) project, which promotes
sustainable whale-watching trips, has chosen the Whale and Dolphin
Conservation’...

White orca returns after absence of several years
by Mares - 7th September 2016
"Iceberg" the white orca has resurfaced in the Russian Far East. First
sighted in early 2012, he captured worldwide media interest as white
cetacean...

Free, self-contained or extended…what’s for you?
by Peter - 29th July 2016
Mares – 'just add water' and your 'pure instinct' will come to life, so you can explore the 'extended range' ahead of you!
I guess you all know ...

European Parliament urges Japan to stop whaling
by Herbert - 19th July 2016
Calls made for whaling issue to be part of EU-Japan free trade agreement negotiations
Once again, Japan’s whaling activities is in focus. Conserv...

Diving into the jaws of history
by Herbert - 13th July 2016
On the trail of the giant prehistoric sharks.
A chat with fossil hunter William “Bill” Eberlein
William “Bill” Eberlein has been diving...

Proportion of unicellular plankton much higher than previously thought
by Mares - 29th April 2016
Unicellular
planktonic organisms play a more important role in the marine ecosystem than
previously thought. This was the conclusion drawn by marine...

Straits of Gibraltar no deterrent to breeding eels
by Mares - 12th April 2016
Researchers,
including one from the Technical University of Denmark, have proven for the
first time that eels from the Mediterranean Sea do have a p...

Whale carcasses from recent stranding dissected
by Mares - 10th February 2016
Staff from
the German Oceanographic Museum had a whale of a task last weekend, dissecting
the carcasses of three of the eight male sperm whales that...

World’s Ten Best Ethical Destinations named
by Mares - 26th January 2016
Ten countries have been named as The
World's Ten Best Ethical Destinations for 2016 by Ethical Traveler, a nonprofit
project of the Earth Island Ins...

Return of the blue whale?
by Mares - 16th November 2015
For several years, blue
whales are more frequently being sighted in European waters, be it off the
coast of England, in the Azores or the Canaries I...

Rare whale filmed for the very first time off the coast of Madagascar
by Mares - 6th November 2015
Researchers have filmed the rare Omura’s
whale off the coast of Madagascar for the first time ever.
Very little is known about this whale,
whi...

Drone used to collect whale “sample”
by Herbert - 8th September 2015
Research made possible via crowdfunding
The scientists at Ocean Alliance have a mission to study whales in the
wild, and they wanted to do it with...

Whale carcass causes feeding frenzy off South Africa
by Mares - 4th September 2015
Feast for both sharks and divers
It's not something you come across every day: A floating whale carcass
on the ocean surface... with some 40 shark...

Biology: Sunfish
by Herbert - 1st September 2015
Floating "Millstones" In The Ocean?
At first glance, these curious-looking fish look like gigantic fish
heads without a body. They are known as ...

Yap: A South Pacific Paradise
by Herbert - 3rd August 2015
Getting Up Close And Personal With Residents Of The Reef
If Paradise exists on Earth, it must be nestled right here in Yap in
the South Pacific, u...

Arctic Ocean: Reduced Amount Of Ice
by Mares - 17th July 2015
Commercial Fishing Ban Implemented In The Arctic
Over the years, climate change has reduced the amount of ice in the
Arctic Ocean. To improve the ...