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…
Picasso’s muse?
by Ivana and Janez - 25th January 2019
We learn something new every day. Recently I discovered that the beautiful triggerfish is also known as the Picassofish, the…
Breathtaking Moments – The Great White Sharks of Guadalupe, August 2018
by Robert - 29th August 2018
MARES - WIRODIVE - NAUTILUS LIVEABOARDS See photos from the experience here. At DEMA 2017 I met up with Mike…
Blowfish, balloonfish, pufferfish, puffers, blowies, toadfish…so which one is it?
by Ivana and Janez - 15th August 2018
The name of a fish order - Tetraodontiformes - does not sound familiar to many, but when we look into…
Octopuses – They have it all!
by Ivana and Janez - 22nd June 2018
Who doesn’t like octopuses? They have it all: beautiful, smart and unique. These molluscs are part of the ‘Octopoda’ (eight…
Diving at the Lighthouse, Portofino, Italy
by Underwater Tales by Stefano Sibona - 16th May 2018
"The lighthouse point in Portofino is one of the most suggestive sites of the promontory. A unique, spectacular environment and…
The Wobbegong Shark
by Ivana and Janez - 16th March 2018
When I first heard the name 'Carpet shark', I thought it was a joke. The name does not sound very…
Mantas – the gentle giants of the seas
by Ivana and Janez - 7th February 2018
Manta rays – the diver's dream. Belonging to the family Mobulidae, there are two species of Manta Ray often seen…
Cuttlefish: underestimated players in the ocean
by Herbert - 9th January 2018
Squids play an important role in the food web and in the carbon cycle Squid are marine creatures with fascinating…
Video footage sheds light on deep-sea food webs
by Herbert - 19th December 2017
Jellyfish and related organisms are among the most important predators The animals of the deep sea have been systematically studied…
Scientists discover flexible self-healing ability in ctenophora
by Herbert - 6th December 2017
Wound healing or regeneration – the environment decides Losing a body part is almost always an irreversible situation for humans…
The Lions of the Ocean
by Ivana and Janez - 1st December 2017
Lionfish (Pterois spp) are represented by 12 very closely related species. These majestic and amazing looking fish are among underwater…
Bluefin tuna return to North Sea
by Herbert - 2nd October 2017
Researchers tag fish with satellite trackers After an absence of more than 50 years, the endangered bluefin tuna has returned…
Increase in melting sea ice may lead to higher food supply in Arctic
by Herbert - 26th September 2017
In the Arctic, melt ponds are formed every year when snow and sea ice melt at the end of winter.…
The Myth of the Jellyfish
by Mares - 1st September 2017
When I asked my child what jellyfish were, she said they are half fish, half jelly… Well nothing could be…
Bahama Mamas – the Tiger Sharks of the Bahamas
by Gerald - 11th August 2017
Shark diving is probably one of the things almost every diver wants to do at least once in his life.…
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…
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…
‘Weedy’ fish species to dominate future oceans due to ocean acidification
by Herbert - 24th July 2017
Such fish are “marine equivalent to rats” For the first time, researchers at University of Adelaide have demonstrated that the…
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…
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,…
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…
Vamonos à bucear
by Franco and Sabrina - 15th May 2017
The look of the Baja California Sur can appear tedious: cactus, desert, rocks, beaches and vice versa, but the underwater…
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…
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…
Mediterranean Great Sharks Project
by Emir - 23rd April 2017
The 'GranResearch Program', named 'GREBA', has been running since 2015 and aims to identify, label and study shark species in…
First cave fish in Europe discovered
by Herbert - 5th April 2017
Fish is also world's most northerly cave fishFew species are as well hidden as those that live underground. In Europe,…
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…
Best Guadalupe Season Since 2012!
by Morne Hardenberg - 18th November 2016
We have just completed two EPIC expeditions to Isla Guadalupe off the west coast of Baja Peninsula! The volcanic island…
Great Barrier Reef continues to be under threat from coral bleaching
by Mares - 4th November 2016
Scientists publish interactive map Scientists from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University are…
The greatest ocean safari on the planet!
by Morne Hardenberg - 19th October 2016
Every year, over the months of June/July, we spend 40 days on South Africa's "Wild Coast" waiting for the mass…
Diving into the jaws of history
by Herbert - 13th July 2016
On the trail of the giant prehistoric sharks. A chat with fossil hunter William “Bill” Eberlein William “Bill” Eberlein has…
Turtle herpes outbreak may be due to pollution
by Herbert - 11th July 2016
Disease causes growths that obstruct turtle's vision Green sea turtles, which are currently endangered, are facing another threat – a…
Researchers discover that sponges are host to surprising diverse range of microbes
by Herbert - 17th June 2016
Discovery opens door to potential new discoveries in the futureSponges are important hosts for microbes, making up a significant part…
Coral bleaching makes fish easy prey
by Mares - 17th May 2016
The current spate of coral bleaching in Australian waters is preventing baby common damselfish from learning how to identify which…
Reef sharks prefer bite-sized meals
by Mares - 22nd April 2016
Many of us have the impression that sharks have a large appetite. However, a new study proves otherwise, indicating that…
Baby sharks defy ocean acidification
by Mares - 15th April 2016
Some baby sharks are able to cope with the level of ocean acidification predicted for the end of this century,…
Scientists find thousands of red crabs “swarming like insects”
by Mares - 14th April 2016
Off the Pacific coast of Panama, researchers studying biodiversity at the Hannibal Bank Seamount got more than they bargained for.…
Straits of Gibraltar no deterrent to breeding eels
by Mares - 12th April 2016
Researchers, including one from the Technical University of Denmark, have proven for the first time that eels from the Mediterranean…
Researchers measure platelet ice beneath Antarctic sea ice
by Mares - 8th February 2016
For the first time, sea ice physicists at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) have developed a new method of efficiently…
Eurasian water shrew is Switzerland’s Animal of 2016
by Mares - 8th January 2016
A water shrew that hunts underwater has been named Animal of 2016 by Swiss environmental organisation Pro Natura. The Eurasian…
Invasive seaweed develops stronger defences
by Mares - 4th January 2016
A higher level of defence has been found within an invasive strain of seaweed from Asia that has translocated to…
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…
Maldivian Resort Welcomes 124 Baby Turtles
by Herbert - 19th August 2015
Baby Turtles On Maldivian Island Resort Velassaru In the Dhivehi language, the word 'veela' means 'turtle'. Hence, it is no…
Palau – The Ultimate Diver’s Paradise
by Herbert - 7th July 2015
Wrecks, drift drives, with lots of sharks, manta rays and macro life – Palau has everything that divers would wish…
Biology: Rays
by Herbert - 6th July 2015
The Art of “Underwater Flight” The dance of mantas in the ocean certainly leaves no diver unmoved. The majesty of…