SCUBA Travel
Ice divers experience unique underwater environments and marine life that few people get to see. There is nothing quite like the peace of being under the ice, surrounded by bright blue water and ice formations.
The new Socorro Aggressor liveaboard launches in December and transports scuba divers to encounter great white sharks at Guadalupe or giant manta rays, humpback whales, dolphins and sharks at the Socorro Islands.
What to expect when cage diving with sharks, and what to consider before you go. Cage diving with sharks gives a chance to see these beautiful animals up close. However, it is controversial. Scientific research on cage diving, though, concludes that the effect of cage diving is positive for the sharks, the environment and the local people - provided the dive operators conform to codes of behaviour.
Does diving with sharks and rays affect their behaviour? How can divers and dive operators ensure that they dive with sharks responsibly?
We first sent SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) in the year 2000. It was before any social media, before Wikipedia. We still aim, though, to provide useful information for divers who like to travel the world and care about the marine environment.
Good news for Indonesia's shark sanctuary: sharks and other fish are more abundant within zones with fishing restrictions according to a new study. Bad news for the people who fish for a living - they sometimes turned to crime...
More sharks live around the Galapagos Darwin and Wolf Islands than anywhere else on the planet
"My theory on choosing dive companies via the internet is simple: if the pictures of divers have happy expressions and there is at least one photo of an ocean-loving dog on the site, the dive shop has to be good" writes Karen Begelfer in her book Manta Rays and Margaritas.
The Giant Manta Ray is the largest living ray and a very impressive sight underwater. Mantas migrate vast distances, crossing international boundaries, in search of food. Products from manta rays have a high value in international markets, and targeted fisheries hunt them for their valuable gill rakers used in traditional Chinese medicine. Monitoring and regulation of the exploitation and trade of manta rays is urgently needed, as well as protection of key habitats.
The mighty potato cod of Australia and the Pacific grows to 2 m long and can weigh 110 kg (242 lbs or over 17 stone). It is a grouper, exceedingly territorial and very aggressive towards intruders. A...