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Macro World
by Mares - 9th August 2017
When we become divers we go through different stages in our diving adventure. We start off scared/excited (nervous-cited) of what…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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.…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…