Archive

…..yet Reef Safe’s manufacturer continues to market the killer At last, coral reefs are finally getting some significant protection. Hawaii and Bonaire have just banned sunscreens containing the sun-blocking chemical oxybenzone. Furthermore, 13 United Nations World Heritage sites have banned sunscreen use onsite. While the toxic effect of oxybenzone has been known for some time, […]

The Mu Koh Similan National Park – often referred to as ‘the Similan Islands’ or ‘the Similans’ – re-opened to visitors last week with a raft of new regulations to promote sustainable tourism with the intention of preserving the natural beauty of the islands. The Similans, part of southern Thailand’s Phang Nga province and most […]

A diver without good buoyancy is like a driver who is unable to change lanes, is uncomfortable reversing, and cannot parallel park. Not really a good driver, right? Mastering buoyancy is one of the most fundamental skills that you must learn and perfect to really be in control of your dive. This is our comprehensive […]

Hammerhead sharks are one of the easiest sharks to identify, thanks to their hammer-shaped heads, and are a great species of shark to dive with. They can be found at a variety of top dive destinations including Cocos Island off Costa Rica, Malepelo Island in Colombia, and the Galápagos Islands. Divers can also enjoy hammerhead […]

Adventurous diving is irrevocably linked to air travel, but if we divers are to be ecologically responsible, should we consider giving up globe-trotting to fin through exotic dive sites? After all, human-induced climate change is caused, by and large, by carbon emissions, and according to a study published in Nature Climate Change in May, eight […]

The first global database of marine parks and conservation efforts is being created to help establish what is working and where more protection is urgently needed. James Cook University researchers in Australia say the database will lead to better marine parks by helping to bridge critical gaps in marine conservation planning. Dr Jorge G Álvarez-Romero from the […]

By Thomas Linley & Alan Jamieson From an unmanned submersible, protected by a casing of stainless steel almost an inch thick and a window made from super strong sapphire crystal, we can observe the life that thrives at our planet’s most extreme and darkest depths. Thanks to technology and sheer material strength, we can temporarily trespass into […]

There are seven species of sea turtle: green, loggerhead, hawksbill, leatherback, flatback, olive ridley and Kemp’s ridley. They can be identified by their different jaw structures and shell shapes, and are found in tropical and subtropical waters around the globe. Sea turtles have lived in our oceans for more than 100 million years. But they […]

Restoration Project Increases Fish Stocks Fivefold A project using former dynamite fishermen to protect and restore coral reefs has had a dramatic impact on an island in Indonesia with fish stock in protected areas increasing by as much as fivefold in two years. The programme was set up by the French non-profit Coral Guardian in the isolated […]

By Rick Allen – TDI/SDI There’s no denying that, no matter your economic status in life, scuba diving is an expensive pursuit. Between certifications, gear, more certifications, and upgrading to newer gear it doesn’t slow down either. Not to mention that every time I look for new places to go diving all I see are ads […]