The living dinosaurs of the sea
by Mares - 4th August 2017
Out of the seven species of sea turtles, six have made it onto the International Union for Conservation of Nature's…
Freediving: Seas vs Lakes
by Gianluca - 31st July 2017
Often those who live near the sea don’t even think about the fact that they can go freediving in other…
Fun, tech diving, photo pro, friends … what else?
by Franco and Sabrina - 25th July 2017
All over Croatia the sea is crystal clear with millions of shades, promising and seductive. It embraces a strip of…
Freediving in the Mediterranean islands
by Gianluca - 24th July 2017
In Italy there are many small islands where practicing freediving is particularly pleasant. The islands near Sicily, the Aeolian Islands,…
The secret beauty of Nudibranchs
by Mares - 13th July 2017
Nudibranchs come in many different colours, shapes and sizes. According to various sources, there are between 2000 - 3000 different…
Freediving in Swiss lakes with Gianluca Genoni
by Gianluca - 12th July 2017
Freediving often means exploring crystalline waters to see and discover the wonders of the ocean, but this is not always…
Underwater Archaeological Exploration
by BGfU - 10th July 2017
The underwater archaeological exploration of a late roman shipwreck on the coast of the Istrian peninsula as part of a…
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…
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…
Distant fish relatives share looks
by Herbert - 21st June 2017
Distant fish relatives evolve to look like one another Scientists from James Cook University (JCU) have found evidence that distantly…
Diving the B-24 Liberator in Vis, Croatia
by Mares - 17th June 2017
This B-24 Liberator is the last one of the series. The undersea world around the island of Vis is without…
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,…
French Connection – A freediving course with the Mares France team
by Gianluca - 15th June 2017
A super freediving course with the Mares France team. A week spent learning more about freediving but also sharing our…
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) plays an…
Waiting with Ba(i)ted Breath
by Hannah - 2nd June 2017
We have all been waiting with ba(i)ted breath to see our first silky shark of the year here off the…
The freediving family continues to grow
by Gianluca - 1st June 2017
Another SSI Freediving Instructor course has concluded in Lerici and the freediving family continues to grow. That which was once…
Compass jellyfish in Boka Bay, Montenegro
by Mares - 13th May 2017
Jellyfish...so graceful and elegant, yet at the same time found in so many different colors and shapes. Their movements remind…
Master of the coral reef – The Giant Moray Eel
by Mares - 12th May 2017
Sometimes ugly, sometimes frightening, and of imposing size, the Giant Moray Eel is the master of the coral reefs of…
Teaching freediving: a passion for fun
by Carlo - 11th May 2017
Since I started teaching freediving courses in 2004 things have changed a lot on both the national and international freediving…
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…
Southern France: Best of Mediterranean diving
by Herbert - 1st May 2017
World-famous wrecks and a marine reserve When in the Mediterranean, be sure to visit Côte d'Azur in southern France, where…
Surviving Murphy’s Law to study sharks
by Hannah - 24th April 2017
Have you ever had one of those days when just about everything goes wrong? Mine started out breaking one of…
Soča – River Diving in Slovenia
by Gerald - 21st April 2017
As a child I went to Slovenia many times. My father was a passionate fly fisherman and Slovenia in the socialist period…
Post-trip review 4 – Luggage
by MARES / SSI / rEvo Dive Expedition Team - 19th April 2017
Our trip would not have been possible without all the wonderful Mares gear we had in tow, but how did…
Post-trip review 3 – BCDs and Torches
by MARES / SSI / rEvo Dive Expedition Team - 13th April 2017
Given the extreme nature of our dive expedition, our first choice of buoyancy device was the Donut Bladder Twin Tank…
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…
Post-trip review 2 – Dive wear
by MARES / SSI / rEvo Dive Expedition Team - 31st March 2017
On our expedition to Lake Baikal, the XR Kevlar Dry Suit was indispensable, and ours went through at least 10…
Litter in the sea: New portal offers comprehensive coverage
by Herbert - 29th March 2017
New online portal LITTERBASE compiles all data in one location Where is litter at sea and which species and habitats…
Post-trip review 1 – Regulators
by MARES / SSI / rEvo Dive Expedition Team - 22nd March 2017
The Mares / SSI /rEvo Dive Expedition Team have had a few weeks to relax and now we’re back on the…
Biorock project Curacao
by Herbert - 27th February 2017
Artifical reefs help to preserve valuable ecosystemsCuracao's intact coral reefs belong to the most popular attraction for divers and snorkelers.…
Why the cockeyed squid has mismatched eyes
by Herbert - 23rd February 2017
Researchers solve mystery after examining 25 years of video footageThe animals in the deep seas comprise some of the most…
Day 9 and 10 – Heavy to handle
by MARES / SSI / rEvo Dive Expedition Team - 23rd February 2017
The day started the same as usual, but just up to the point where we loaded up our 4x4’s, because the…
Day 8 – The last walk under the ice
by MARES / SSI / rEvo Dive Expedition Team - 21st February 2017
This morning we woke up with a smile in our faces since we knew it would be a fantastic day,…
Growing problem of litter in the Arctic depths
by Herbert - 16th February 2017
Sea ice may be responsible for transporting plastic wasteThe Arctic has a garbage problem. In just a decade, the amount…
Day 1 – Arrival at Irkutsk
by MARES / SSI / rEvo Dive Expedition Team - 14th February 2017
The first day on site was challenging for all team members. A 7,000km flight in Economy Class through 7 time…
D – Day
by MARES / SSI / rEvo Dive Expedition Team - 13th February 2017
Seven well prepared and highly motivated MARES/SSI/rEvo Dive Expedition Team Members, 18 pieces of checked-in luggage (lots of excess luggage…
Coral reefs enchant when one dives in fluorescence
by Mares - 10th February 2017
Adventures in fluo-diving in Abu Dabab No, it wasn't the Pink Panther, but a pink flathead that was the highlight…
When changes regenerate you
by Yme - 17th January 2017
It’s the first day of the year and I’m sitting in front of my computer summarizing 2016. There have been some incredible experiences and I…
MT Haven (ex Amoco Milford Haven) – Ligurian Wrecks (Part II)
by Florent M. Locatelli - 12th January 2017
MT Haven, formerly Amoco Milford Haven, is a VLCC-class oil-tanker (Very Large Crude Carrier), in other words a super-tanker, built…
Baikal Lake, the blue pearl of Siberia
by Franco and Sabrina - 4th January 2017
Last summer I went to the Baikal Lake in Russia and lead a group of passionate cold-water divers and amateur…
Clam shells used to compile 1,000 yr record of ocean climate
by Herbert - 19th December 2016
As a postdoctoral researcher at Bangor University in Wales from 2007 to 2009, Alan Wanamaker started the compilation of a…
Kelp along Southern California coastline resisted warmer temperatures
by Mares - 16th December 2016
In early 2014, when a large-scale heat wave in the Pacific Ocean produced temperature anomalies greater than anything seen since…
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…
A goodbye to Enzo Maiorca from Gianluca Genoni
by Gianluca - 21st November 2016
Dear Enzo, As you well know, under certain circumstances I don’t particularly like to say anything, it’s too easy to…
Free-diving legend Enzo Maiorca dies at age of 85
by Herbert - 15th November 2016
A great fighter, a fine spirit On 21 June 1931, he was brought into this world in Syracuse, Sicily. Today,…
From walking the runway to diving for ghost nets
by Mares - 10th November 2016
Model Barbara Meier is the new project ambassador for the WWF campaign against ghost nets Model and actress Barbara Meier…
Sport diver finds possible Fat Boy bomb in waters off British Columbia
by Herbert - 8th November 2016
Broken Arrow near British Columbia coast? A ship of the Royal Canadian Navy will leave on a special mission. The…
Trial of shark-detection technology begins at shark nursery
by Herbert - 7th November 2016
Is Clever Buoy smart enough to spot the sharks?In light of the recent shark attacks off the North Coast of…