Mesmerising creatures of the sea, yet so vicious – Misadventures with comb jellies
by Mares - 18th November 2015
Looking through the mask, it appears as if an alien lifeform is trying to communicate with the divers, flashing its…
Meet the Marvelous Brittle Stars: The Underwater Gymnasts of the Echinoderm Family!
by Ivana and Janez - 20th November 2024
Brittle stars belong to the class Ophiuroidea within the phylum Echinodermata, which also includes sea stars, sea urchins and sea…
Galloping Through The Sea: The Fascinating Abalone
by Ivana and Janez - 24th October 2024
When you think of oceanic wonders, majestic dolphins or playful sea otters might come to mind. But let’s not overlook…
Porcelain Crabs: The Elegant Eccentrics of the Marine World
by Ivana and Janez - 25th September 2024
Ever heard of a crab that’s more about high fashion than high sea drama? Meet the porcelain crab, the ocean’s…
5 great reasons to go diving in Japan
by Kathryn - 9th May 2024
With its rich culture, stunning landscapes, and diverse underwater ecosystems, Japan offers an unparalleled diving experience that beckons adventurers from…
Life on the Cambodian edge – Koh Ach Seh, Cambodia
by Andi - 30th April 2024
Following a grueling four-hour drive from Phnom Penh, we arrived in Kep, Cambodia. Though exhausted after our journey from Hanoi,…
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…
Our Encounter with the Ocean Tigers – Fiji
by Andi - 21st March 2024
As we descended into the dark and murky waters off the Fijian coast, the weight of anticipation settled in. Immediately…
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…
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…
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…
Diving the HTMS Sattakut wreck – Thailand
by Ivana and Janez - 17th October 2023
The Gulf of Thailand hides many interesting sites for divers beneath its surface. One of these world-class locations is 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…
Hanifaru Bay: In a flying vortex
by Franco and Sabrina - 10th October 2023
Are you looking to be enveloped in a flying vortex of Mantas? Get ready, it doesn't happen often. Have you ever…
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conservation, diving, fish, freediving, Hanifaru Bay, manta, Mares, ocean, photography, research, SSI, underwater
conservation, diving, fish, freediving, Hanifaru Bay, manta, Mares, ocean, photography, research, SSI, underwater 
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.…
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…
Get close and then get closer! Underwater photography tips with Dan
by Dan - 9th May 2023
Wide angle photography is difficult to master. Small details make all the difference, it can take years of practise, some…
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…
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…
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…
The Mediterranean lobster
by Ivana and Janez - 13th October 2022
The Mediterranean lobster, Palinurus elephas, was named after the Roman seaport of Palinurus, known today as Palinuro, in southwestern Italy,…
Planting Corals
by Ivana and Janez - 1st September 2022
The importance of corals and coral reefs for life on our planet is well-known, that's why it's not surprising that the…
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…
Run…Sardine Run
by Ivana and Janez - 20th June 2022
I am well aware of how privileged we are to be doing this job. This time, our passion for scuba…
The Crocodilefish (Papilloculiceps longiceps)
by Ivana and Janez - 16th June 2022
In Egypt, you can take wonderful boat rides on the Nile and admire the mighty crocodiles, but did you know…
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…
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…
The Hidden City – Zabargad
by Ivana and Janez - 2nd August 2021
After diving on Daedalus and Rocky Island I thought that was it, we had seen the best on this safari. However,…
The gentle giants
by Ivana and Janez - 2nd April 2021
Whale sharks are on many diver's bucket lists. I envy any diver that has been lucky enough to see one while diving.…
Most loved marine mammals
by Ivana and Janez - 15th January 2021
Everyone loves dolphins, and it is probably the dream of most divers to dive with dolphins, the most loved cetaceans.…
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…
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,…
A Windy Day in Paradise
by Dan - 22nd May 2020
Here's the worst case scenario. You've planned a brilliant dive holiday to the dive destination of your dreams. You have…
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…
Nurse Sharks: Docile or Dangerous?
by Ivana and Janez - 29th October 2019
There are various theories as to why the nurse shark is called so; one being that the sound they make…
Greenland on the Rocks
by Franco and Sabrina - 6th June 2019
I had dived under ice platforms in the chilly, cold waters of the Arctic and Antarctic several times before diving…
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 Story of Satil
by Ivana and Janez - 4th April 2019
It is often said that ships, just like people, have their destinies. The story of the sunken ship Satil (also…
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…
A closer look at Aqaba Bay – Interview with Abdullah Momany
by Ivana and Janez - 7th January 2019
Abdullah Momany is the owner and manager of the Red Sea Dive Center. He is also a marine biologist who…
