New Book: 52 Assignments Underwater Photography
by Alex - 6th September 2024
I am very excited to announce that I have a new book out on underwater photography. The book is called…
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…
Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024
by Alex - 24th April 2024
One of the highlights of my year is chairing the judging panel and presenting the winners of the Underwater Photographer…
Diving with Dragons
by Alex - 15th February 2024
The northern islands of Wolf and Darwin are the most famous dive spots in Galapagos, but the highlight of my…
Galapagos – Diving Turned Up To 11
by Alex - 5th February 2024
Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands are an archipelago consisting of 13 main islands (five of which are inhabited), seven minor islands and…
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…
Blackwater in Anilao
by Alex - 26th December 2023
Anilao is a great muck diving destination, particularly famed for nudibranchs, frogfish, octopus and many more A-list critters. It is also…
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…
Little Cayman – A special diving adventure!
by Alex - 13th October 2023
As I’ve written before, Grand Cayman is one of my favourite places to teach underwater photography. The conditions are inviting…
Summer Holidays
by Alex - 6th October 2023
In August, I travelled to Grand Cayman. I was down to head there to run a photography workshop at Ocean…
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…
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.…
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…
Land of Ice and Fire
by Alex - 6th July 2023
I've been to Iceland 5 times before, but it was almost 15 years since my last visit, and in a…
Lembeh Blackwater
by Alex - 13th June 2023
The Lembeh Strait is famous for its critter-filled muck diving, but in recent years it has become increasing well known…
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…
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,…
Dances with Stingrays
by Alex - 7th April 2023
Crystal clear turquoise water crammed with circling stingrays - there can be few more iconic images of the Cayman Islands.…
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…
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…
5000 & Counting
by Alex - 16th January 2023
Earlier this month I logged my 5000th scuba dive with a camera, choosing an amazing location to pass the milestone,…
Arctic Aur-Orca
by Alex - 26th December 2022
It is definitely the best snorkelling experience in Europe, and it is probably the best underwater experience too. Each winter,…
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…
Canada: Time & Tide
by Alex - 7th December 2022
It is good for humans to take a break from their busy lives and have a reminder that there are bigger…
Canada: Cold and Golden
by Alex - 7th November 2022
Sitting in Europe and dreaming of Pacific diving destinations, Canada won’t instantly be at the top of most people’s lists, but…
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 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.…
Getting Wrecked
by Alex - 24th August 2022
I am always surprised by how many underwater photographers tell me they don’t like wrecks, not to photograph anyway. It…
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…
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…
Shining a light on UK diving
by Alex - 13th June 2022
The recently updated EOS LRZ line of torches sparked the plan. Our idea was to meet up at Capernwray in the…
Visiting Mares HQ
by Alex - 31st May 2022
Waking up in the Alps, I jumped in the car and set off for the Italian Riviera and the Mares…
Visitors In The Night
by Alex - 16th May 2022
Fourth dive of the day done, the liveaboard is at anchor and we’re all tucking into dinner and Lightroom! Surely…
Classic Thrills In The Maldives
by Alex - 9th May 2022
It is not a secret that the diving around the Maldives’ central atolls, including North and South Male and Ari…
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…
Underwater Scholar
by Alex - 2nd March 2022
The Our World Underwater Scholarship Society is a unique and fascinating organisation in our community. Founded in 1974 and supported by…
Underwater Photographer of the Year 2022
by Alex - 16th February 2022
These are a few of the stunning winners from the latest edition of the prestigious Underwater Photographer of the Year…
The Last of the Summer in the Red Sea
by Alex - 25th January 2022
The Red Sea is always sunny, but by the time I visited, as November gave way to December, the endless…
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…
Glow in the Dark
by Alex - 20th December 2021
Trying to search for any positive in the travel restrictions of the last few years is tough, but at 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…
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…
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
by Alex - 20th October 2021
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year is regarded universally as the pinnacle of nature photography competitions. It is arguably the…
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…
Scottish Freediving Photography
by Alex - 30th August 2021
The chilly waters of Scotland do not attract many visiting divers but they should. Scotland’s geologically splintered coastline means that…
Stamp of approval
by Alex - 23rd August 2021
As divers, we get to see part of the world that the majority of people don’t. And if you are…
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…
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…
