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The mahi-mahi were tagged before being released back into the ocean.
The mahi-mahi were tagged before being released back into the ocean.

Fish behaviour affected by exposure to crude oil

The 3.19 million barrels of crude oil that spilled into the Gulf of Mexico during the Deepwater Horizon in 2010 had a devastating impact to the natural environment, as well as the people and animals in the vicinity.

A study on the mahi-mahi in the nearby waters revisits the incident by studying how fish in the wild are being affected from the exposure to crude oil.

Multibeam sonar image of the SS Mesaba lying on the sea bed in the Irish Sea.

The ship that tried to warn the Titanic has been found

The British merchant steamship SS Mesaba sent a warning radio message to the Titanic on April 15, 1912 while crossing the Atlantic. The message was received by the Titanic – which was advertised as unsinkable – but did not reach the main control centre of the vessel.

Later that night, the supposedly unsinkable Titanic hit an iceberg and sank on her maiden voyage, taking 1,500 lives and becoming the world’s most infamous shipwreck.

A tagged fin whale
A tagged fin whale

New satellite tag tracks long-term whale behaviour

Keeping an eye on whale behaviour is not easy, considering the fact that they travel vast distances and spend the majority of their time beneath the ocean surface.

To counter this, researchers at Oregon State University {OSU) have developed a new satellite tag that can track the whales' movements, even during dives.

Known as RDW, this new technology incorporates pressure and accelerometer sensors, thus giving the researchers the opportunity to monitor the whales’ movements underwater for several months.

2022 Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition Announced

The Underwater Photography Guide is delighted to announce that it is accepting entries for the 2022 edition of the annual Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition – the 11th annual Ocean Art competition!

This year’s competition features over $100,000 in prizes, making Ocean Art the world’s largest and most prestigious underwater photo competition. The competition attracts amateur to pro photographers across the globe.

Ancient shipwreck reveals a lost age of Mediterranean trade

According to the archaeologists, despite the religious tensions in the area, the shipwreck demonstrates that commerce was still thriving since it carried products from all over the Mediterranean, including Cyprus, Egypt, Turkey, and the coast of North Africa.

It was around the time the largely Christian Byzantine Empire was in decline and had begun losing its grip on this eastern Mediterranean region while Islamic rule was extending its reach.

Corals on Flynn Reef, part of Australia's Great Barrier Reef
Corals on Flynn Reef, part of Australia's Great Barrier Reef

Temperature and habitat changes have impacted Australia's reef fishes

For more than a decade, some researchers in Australia have been monitoring coral reefs in the vicinity to see how rising ocean temperatures affect both the tropical and temperate reef fish communities.

The findings of their study was published in the Current Biology journal.

According to lead author Rick Stuart-Smith, a marine ecologist at the University of Tasmania, the team had focused on reef fishes as reefs provided many benefits to people and the fishes there helped maintain the natural ecological function of the reefs.

Addu Atoll: Diving the Southernmost of the Maldive Islands

Giant manta ray at cleaning station in Addu Atoll
Giant manta ray at cleaning station in Addu Atoll. Photo by Raf Jah

In the southern end of the Maldives lies the Addu Atoll, which hosts beautiful reefs, plentiful marine life, giant manta rays, sea turtles and crystal-clear waters. Raf Jah takes us on a journey to this diving haven, with a stop along the way to dive with tiger sharks at Fuvahmulah Island.

Fuvahmulah's Sharks

Tiger shark
Tiger shark on shark dive at Fuvahmulah in the deep south of the Maldives

Over the last few years, Fuvahmulah has become a world-famous pristine destination for close encounters with large tiger sharks. The green island is located at the deep south of the Maldives archipelago. Michel Braunstein reports.

Emperor Divers Autumn Sale Ends October 1

We are offering some amazing Autumn savings across a whole range of our liveaboard and daily diving holidays.

In some cases you can get up to 25% off – but it’s best to be quick.

Among the highlights include 20% off selected sailings for the rest of 2022, early bird discounts for trips in 2023 and 2024 and a superb 25% off bookings for our brand-new, pride and joy Emperor Harmoni.

We also have a 10% discount and extra free places for those booking charter sailings.