Pretty birds from the Red Sea
by Ivana and Janez - 12th September 2024
I love all the different species of wrasse, and I thought I knew them well, but this one was a…
Competition – Win a trip to Colombia!
by Mares - 2nd August 2024
COLOMBIA: AN OASIS OF SUN AND SAND - COMPETITION Colombia has a privileged location and a climate that is increasingly…
Madeirense Shipwreck – Porto Santo, Portugal
by Ivana and Janez - 19th July 2024
For me, volcanic islands have always seemed to hold special secrets, and nothing is different with Porto Santo, Portugal. It…
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…
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,…
Shifting Baselines – Hong Kong, Sar
by Andi - 18th April 2024
The research team had warned us upfront about the perilous diving experience ahead. One not marked by surreal encounters with…
Gobies – Small, cute and sneaky
by Ivana and Janez - 15th April 2024
There are more than 2000 species of gobies in one of the largest bony fish family, Gobiidae. They can be found…
The Ripple Effect – Negros Oriental, Philippines
by Andi - 2nd April 2024
Another day, another mission. Waking to the sound of a gong made from old kitchenware, a diverse community of dedicated…
Diving in the Pacific: 7 Idyllic Islands for Scuba Divers
by Kathryn - 27th March 2024
Diving in the Pacific Islands is a bucket list vacation for many scuba divers and unsurprisingly so. Idyllic islands surrounded…
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…
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…
6 of the best shark diving experiences for new divers
by Kathryn - 1st February 2024
For many scuba divers, going diving with sharks is a bucket-list experience and it can easily turn into a lifelong…
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…
The 10 most-read Mares blogs of 2023
by Mares - 28th December 2023
It's almost the end of 2023, and Mares would like to re-propose some of the most-read articles of the year from our blog...…
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…
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 
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…
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…
The new Mares X-Wing C-S and X-Wing C-Evo carbon fins – A review
by Nik - 1st September 2023
I was very curious about the new X-Wing Carbon fins and chose the longer X-Wing C-Evo fins because of my…
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.…
Barracuda
by Ivana and Janez - 17th August 2023
Barracuda are extremely attractive, impressive fish. They are carnivores with long lifespans and can live longer than 14 years. The…
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…
The Shark Trust Great Shark Snapshot is back!
by Mares - 28th June 2023
For last week of July, the Shark Trust’s citizen science initiative invites divers and snorkellers around the world to record the…
The 8th Anilao Underwater Shootout
by Franco and Sabrina - 20th June 2023
As divers, we know how difficult it is to describe the beauty and colours of underwater critters to land-based people.…
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…
Are you looking for a mermaid?
by Franco and Sabrina - 26th May 2023
Okay then, get ready and hurry up before it's too late. Mermaids? Are you sure? All right, well, let's look…
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…
The Leopards of the Seas
by Ivana and Janez - 24th April 2023
Leopard sharks are one of the most common sharks in the Eastern North Pacific. Their scientific name, Triakis semifasciata, means “half…
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.…
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…
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…
Night diving in the jungle of Colombia
by Mares - 17th February 2023
During the JBL research expedition to Colombia in November 2022 to learn more about the habitats and habits of aquarium…
The Scribbled Leatherjacket (Aluterus scriptus)
by Ivana and Janez - 6th February 2023
Scribbled leatherjackets can be found in the lagoons and reefs of subtropical seas all over the world. Even though some…
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,…
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…
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…
