Eye to eye with the Tiger Shark!
by Gerald - 2nd August 2019
Cocos Island is an island far off the Pacific coast of America. The island belongs to a trio of islands…
Tales from the History of Pula – Part 1
by Mares - 19th July 2019
PULA-BORN LUDOVICO MARES BUILT THE FIRST SCUBA DIVING MASK FROM A CAR INNER TUBE AND GLASS ON THE PORTARATA SQUARE!…
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…
Mauritius Freediving
by Fred Buyle - 10th May 2019
In April, Orca Diving Center organized a two-week freediving event in Mauritius, bringing together freedivers for exploration and technical workshops.…
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…
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…
The Azores – In the realm of the whales
by Robert - 25th March 2019
The unique location of the Azores, in a transition zone between the cold, nutrient-rich currents from the north and the…
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…
10 reasons to become a diver
by Semra - 24th December 2018
Hi everyone and welcome to my new blog post. In my last blog I wrote about my work in Soma…
The Green Jungle of the Yucatan Cenotes – Mystical Underground Rivers
by Damir - 30th November 2018
There are places on the planet where gods still dwell and there are other places where they used to dwell.…
The exciting journey of sockeye salmon
by Gerald - 22nd November 2018
Together with a handful of like-minded people I make my way to British Columbia. Via Vancouver, we drive to Shuswap…
Freshwater vs marine diving
by Ivana and Janez - 13th November 2018
For more information on Marine Ecology, check out our friends at SSI! Most of us dive in a marine environment…
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.…
Mares and MantaFest 2019
by b_rad - 1st October 2018
Mantas, Sharks & UW Photo/Video Workshops in Micronesia at MantaFest 2019 - Small contest, BIG PRIZES! MantaFest is an annual…
Mermaids? Are they real?
by Thomas Van Puymbroeck - 27th September 2018
Are mermaids real? In the olden days, sailors believed in magical, magnificent creatures which they called 'mermaids'. Now we suspect…
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…
Hermit crabs against plastic!
by Ivana and Janez - 31st July 2018
Hermit crabs are decapod crustaceans which, like other members of this order, have segmented bodies and very well developed eyes,…
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 ‘Octopoda’ (eight…
“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…
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,…
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…
Ocean acidification affects mussels in early life stages
by Herbert - 11th January 2018
Marine scientists show impact of acidification on mussel larvae Shells have a hard, calcareous shell to protect themselves against environmental…
Cold spell in the US: frozen sharks on the beach
by Herbert - 10th January 2018
Frozen sharks wash up on the shores of the US West Coast Icy temperatures in the north and northeast of…
Cuttlefish: underestimated players in the ocean
by Herbert - 9th January 2018
Squids play an important role in the food web and in the carbon cycle Squid are marine creatures with fascinating…
115 previously unknown species discovered in the Mekong
by Herbert - 8th January 2018
Something new in the East! A crocodile lizard, a snail-eating turtle, and a bat that looks like a character from…
An island in the current of an endless ocean
by Franco and Sabrina - 5th January 2018
Nine islands of lava, each one different from the other; some with high coasts and fjords, inlets that seem to…
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…
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…
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…
Sea Something, Say Something: Coral Reef Citizen Science
by Hannah - 11th December 2017
We have had a hectic hurricane season here in the Florida and Caribbean region, which can have a big effect…
Dolphins in Red Sea tormented by tourists!
by Herbert - 7th December 2017
Tourists should not swim with dolphins Swimming with dolphins in the Red Sea endangers the survival of these marine mammals,…
Scientists discover flexible self-healing ability in ctenophora
by Herbert - 6th December 2017
Wound healing or regeneration – the environment decides Losing a body part is almost always an irreversible situation for humans…
EU project Nunataryuk investigates effects of permafrost thaw
by Herbert - 27th November 2017
Fragile Arctic environment threatened by retreating permafrost Permafrost makes up a quarter of the land mass in the Northern Hemisphere.…
Faster reproduction ensures immigrant species success
by Herbert - 19th November 2017
Why only a few introduced species establish themselves in foreign marine regions The number of non-native species detected for the…
Fuel from seaweed
by Herbert - 25th October 2017
Researchers developing breeding programmes for seaweed In the future, our homes and vehicles could be fuelled by seaweed cultivated in…
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…
Successes in fight against dolphin threats in South Africa
by Herbert - 27th September 2017
First shark nets dismantled After the fourth incident earlier in 2017 involving an endangered humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea) in a…
Increase in melting sea ice may lead to higher food supply in Arctic
by Herbert - 26th September 2017
In the Arctic, melt ponds are formed every year when snow and sea ice melt at the end of winter.…
The Myth of the Jellyfish
by Mares - 1st September 2017
When I asked my child what jellyfish were, she said they are half fish, half jelly… Well nothing could be…
Blue Shark Tagging in the Azores
by Fred Buyle - 30th August 2017
Every year since 2005 I have been helping marine biologists do their fieldwork using my freediving skills. During the summer,…
What do whales have to do with homeopathy?
by Herbert - 18th August 2017
EU prohibits whaling, but not trade in whale productsIf we think of sperm whales, we think of Moby Dick, and…
Sea Turtle Recovery Center – Croatia
by Marjan Radovic - 7th August 2017
At the Verudela Lighthouse in Pula - Croatia, the release of sea turtles back into the wild was organized by…
Copepods rise and shine to internal genetic clocks
by Herbert - 7th August 2017
The Calanus finmarchicus is a copepod that packs a big punch. Although just two to four millimetres, this zooplankton’s genetic…
Temperatures in Arctic archipelago may soon rise beyond freezing point
by Mares - 10th July 2017
Scientist predict that the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard may experience above-freezing temperatures for the first time on record, as a…
Coastal ecosystems threatened by rising water temperatures
by Herbert - 7th July 2017
Higher water temperatures can lead to nitrite accumulation in marine environments worldwide, and this can ultimately disrupt oceanic food webs,…
Tasmania – Seadragon World
by Gerald - 28th June 2017
Kelp forests Not many divers from Europe know this part of the world. The flight from Europe passes over a…
Canyoning – An extreme sport which raises adrenaline levels
by Predrag - 27th June 2017
Canyoning is one of those adventures in which you have a full sense of enjoyment while dealing with nature and…
Adriatic Cuttlefish
by Mares - 16th June 2017
Cuttlefish or cuttles are marine animals of the order Sepiida. They belong to the class Cephalopoda, which also includes squid,…