Blog & News
Discover the best tips, travel guides, marine conservation news and secrets of the underwater world.
Anxiety, fear and diving: how to overcome thalassophobia underwater
Anxiety is one of the main reasons for dropping out of diving courses. Discover mindfulness techniques, CBT and the therapeutic potential of diving.
TrainingProfessional diving in Spain: vocational training, regulations and career opportunities
Intermediate Vocational Qualification in Underwater and Hyperbaric Operations, 1,400 hours. 2nd Collective Agreement Nov 2023: +19% salary. Expert diver category D: ~€2,100/month base + diving supplements. Ports, offshore, salvage, hull inspection.
TravelGreece, Alonissos: Mediterranean monk seal and the oldest marine park
The Alonissos-Northern Sporades National Marine Park, established in 1992, is the largest marine national park in the Mediterranean at 2,260 km². Its primary purpose is protecting the Mediterranean monk seal (*Monachus monachus*), with 30-50 individuals — the world's highest concentration of this critically endangered species. Regulated diving, recovering wildlife, and a genuine chance of an underwater seal encounter.
EquipmentLow-Volume Dive Masks for SCUBA: When They're Worth It
Low-volume masks were built for freediving but serious SCUBA divers increasingly reach for them. Closer lenses widen your field of view, equalization takes less air, and flooding hurts less — but the skirt is less forgiving and prices run higher. This guide covers when switching makes sense, which models hold up, and why advanced divers rarely go back.
Marine LifeSeahorses: why the male gives birth and populations are crashing
Seahorses (genus *Hippocampus*) are the only animals in the kingdom where males carry the pregnancy and deliver the young. There are 47 documented species across tropical and temperate waters. Global populations have dropped by 30–50% over 30 years, driven by seagrass destruction and the dried-seahorse trade for traditional Chinese medicine. For macro divers, they remain one of the ultimate targets.
TravelSantorini caldera, Greece: diving an active volcano
The Santorini caldera is the submerged basin left by the Minoan eruption of 1600 BC, one of the most violent in human history. Today it offers a rare combination: volcanic walls, active hydrothermal vents, lava floors, and the chance to dive above a functioning geothermal system. For divers drawn to geology, Santorini rivals the Aeolian Islands as the Mediterranean's most compelling volcanic dive.
TravelIsrael, Eilat: coral reef at the northern tip of the Red Sea
Eilat is Israel's only access to the Red Sea, at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, across from Aqaba (Jordan) and north of Sinai (Egypt). The destination has 11 km of coastline with coral reefs protected as a nature reserve, Dolphin Reef, and a diving programme for people with disabilities. It is a convenient option from Europe with cheap direct flights.
TipsHow to evaluate diving operators and travel agencies before booking
TripAdvisor, Google Maps, PADI Travel: read the negative reviews. Ratio of 6-8 divers per guide. Condition of rental equipment. Emergency oxygen on the boat. Specialist agencies vs generalist operators.
TravelDiving destinations in Japan and Vietnam: beyond the usual circuits
Okinawa: northernmost reef 415 coral species, 1,000 km. Ogasawara UNESCO. Hokkaido: ice diving. Vietnam Nha Trang: 300 fish species Hon Mun. Con Dao: whale sharks, dugongs. November-April best season in Vietnam.
TravelBahamas Tiger Beach: cage-free tiger shark diving
Tiger Beach is a sandflat off the northwest tip of Grand Bahama, in shallow water (8–12 m), hosting one of the world's most reliable tiger shark aggregations for recreational diving. No cage, no hook, in crystal-clear warm water. A specialist destination for shark photographers and divers after an intimate encounter with an apex predator.
TravelCape Verde, Boa Vista: juvenile lemon sharks and Atlantic waters
Cape Verde is an African Atlantic archipelago of 10 islands off the coast of Senegal. Boa Vista, in the eastern group, hosts one of the few Atlantic areas where juvenile lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris) congregate in accessible waters. The destination combines shark diving, Atlantic pelagic wildlife and cheap direct flights from Europe.
HealthCardiovascular diseases and diving: updated medical fitness guide
Cardiac failure causes 26% of diving deaths according to DAN. What tests you need based on your age and when hypertension is a contraindication.
TravelVancouver Island, Canada: giant Pacific octopus and kelp forests
Vancouver Island is cold-water diving at its most serious: 8–12 °C year-round, 15–25 m visibility, giant Pacific octopuses that can tip the scales at 50 kg, kelp forests dense enough to block the sky, and resident Steller sea lions that approach on their own terms. No crowds, no warm-water shortcuts — just some of the most productive temperate-ocean diving in North America.
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