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…
Visitors In The Night
by Alex - 16th May 2022
Fourth dive of the day done, the liveaboard is at anchor and we’re all tucking into dinner and Lightroom! Surely…
My Knight in Silver Armour
by Dan - 19th June 2020
Coming from a freediving background, my peers were always disapproving of my fascination with scuba diving. When I suggested they…
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…
Blackwater Night Dive
by Ivana and Janez - 24th January 2018
To most divers, a night dive is their favourite kind of dive. Everything becomes pacified at night. The lamps we…
Diving at the Poor Knights Islands
by Gerald - 3rd January 2018
Even as a teenager, I dreamed of the islands off the New Zealand North Island and always wanted to go…
How baby reef fish find their way home at night
by Mares - 24th December 2016
Scientists have discovered that baby reef fish possess an internal magnetic compass that helps them find their way home at…
Harpa Snails: More Than Just a Pretty Shell
by Ivana and Janez - 20th December 2024
Harpa snails, ranging from 3 to 10 cm in size, are found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world.…
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…
The spiny devilfish
by Ivana and Janez - 14th August 2024
The spiny devilfish (Inimicus didactylus) is a venomous marine fish of the Synanceiidae family. This family also includes stonefish, which are considered some…
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…
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,…
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…
The master of camouflage – The prickly leather-jacket fish
by Ivana and Janez - 18th March 2024
When we saw the pictures that our photographer Janez Kranjc had taken, we joked that he had found a "hairy fish".…
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…
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…
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…
Liveaboard diving 101: Everything you need to know before you go
by Kathryn - 11th September 2023
Imagine waking up to the gentle rocking of a boat, the sun rising over crystal-clear waters, and the promise of…
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…
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…
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…
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…
The unfortunate fate of the Salem Express
by Ivana and Janez - 31st January 2023
In the early nineties, the tame waters of Safaga became the stage for one of the biggest maritime tragedies in…
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,…
The white-spotted octopus (Callistoctopus macropus)
by Ivana and Janez - 1st December 2022
The white-spotted octopus lives predominantly in the shallow waters of the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas, but can sometimes be found…
Cabo Pulmo and endless vortexes of fish (Chapter Five)
by Franco and Sabrina - 22nd November 2022
If your diving wish list includes finding yourself finning inside vortexes of different species of fish so dense as to darken…
Canada: Cold and Golden
by Alex - 7th November 2022
Sitting in Europe and dreaming of Pacific diving destinations, Canada won’t instantly be at the top of most people’s lists, but…
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022: Bootlace Barcode
by Alex - 28th October 2022
It is fantastic to be awarded in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest again, the premier contest in nature…
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,…
Ragged-tooth shark (Carcharias taurus)
by Ivana and Janez - 18th July 2022
The Ragged Tooth Shark lives in oceans and seas around the world, and has different names in different regions. Around…
Shining a light on UK diving
by Alex - 13th June 2022
The recently updated EOS LRZ line of torches sparked the plan. Our idea was to meet up at Capernwray in the…
12 Great Places to go Diving in New Zealand
by Kathryn - 23rd May 2022
With more than 1,500 km of coastline and around 600 islands, hosting everything from subtropical islands to dramatic fiords, New…
The orange colours of Ribnicko Lake
by Ivana and Janez - 8th April 2022
At the start of this year, Mares Ambassadors Ivana OK and Janez Kranjc embarked on an icy adventure on Zlatibor mountain in central Serbia... It has been about…
Glow in the Dark
by Alex - 20th December 2021
Trying to search for any positive in the travel restrictions of the last few years is tough, but at the…
Tiger Sharks
by Ivana and Janez - 15th December 2021
Tiger Sharks are one of the largest predatory sharks, shadowed only by the Great White. Female Tiger Sharks are larger…
Time to mask up!
by Dan - 25th November 2021
Its time to mask up! No, not 'those' masks, I think we have heard enough about those lately...I'm talking about…
Coral Spawning and Hope in the Maldives
by Alex - 22nd November 2021
I normally plan my travel meticulously, paying special attention to the season and the lunar tidal cycle. I find this…
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…
Hammerhead Sharks
by Ivana and Janez - 13th September 2021
Sharks have a bad reputation and are the most feared marine species, even though attacks on humans are rare, with…
The mystery of the sunken treasure of the SS Carnatic
by Ivana and Janez - 26th August 2021
When departing from Hurghada, heading towards Sinai, one must pass by the Sha’ab Abu Nuhas reef. Until the construction of…