In 1625, Sweden’s King Gustav II Adolf ordered four ships—large regal ships—to crown the fleet. The four ships were Vasa, Äpplet, Scepter and Svärdet. Mimo Moqvist relays the story of one of them: Äpplet (The Apple).
A small volcanic island in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, Graciosa offers a vibrant escape to a destination with beautiful nature, rich culture and delicious cuisine, as well as intriguing wrecks, marine life, caverns, caves and springs. Brandi Mueller tells us about her adventure there.
Indonesia is located in the Coral Triangle, a marvel of marine biodiversity often referred to as the “Amazon of the Seas.” Lureen Ferretti shares some of the hotspots and highlights of her adventures there.
Part of Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province, West Timor, also known as Timor Barat, is home to beautiful reefs, diverse marine life and even an underwater bubbling vent within recreational diving depths. Matthew Meier tells us about an exploratory dive trip there on a liveaboard.
Climate change, ocean warming, impacts on marine biodiversity and the importance of marine protected areas (MPAs) prompted Greenpeace Italy to embark on an expedition to Liguria in late June 2024. Valentina Di Miccoli, a marine biologist on the expedition, tells the story.
We asked our contributors to share their favorite images of the ornate and ornamental in the underwater realm, and they returned with a fine selection of macro and wide-angle shots featuring a diverse range of marine species from fancy fish, cephalopods, crustaceans, echinoderms, crinoids, corals and anemones to dappled whales and sharks to delicate nudibranchs and sea slugs.
When divers face unforeseen conditions, the actions they and the dive crew take at the surface can significantly impact the outcome. Simon Pridmore shares his personal experience and insights on handling challenges on a dive.
Blacktip reef sharks are enigmatic creatures whose complex behaviours are not widely understood. Ethologist Ila France Porcher shares her insights into the mysteries of these beautiful sharks.
The wreck of the USS Stewart, a World War II-era destroyer, has been located off the California coast by a team of researchers using advanced sonar technology during a survey of the ocean floor.
A recent study has shed new light on playful communication in bottlenose dolphins, revealing that these marine mammals might have more in common with primates and land carnivores than has been thought. Researchers have found that dolphins use visual signals, particularly an “open mouth” display similar to smiling, to communicate during social play.
The transfer of sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius has raised hopes that the islands’ pristine waters will become a new diving destination.
New research reveals surprising cooperation between octopuses and fish, with unexpected aggression when the hunt slows down.
Researchers have uncovered significant changes in the habitat of killer whales along the Atlantic coast, revealing how factors like distance to shore, water depth, contact with recreational shipping, and temperature influence their distribution. These dynamic shifts are linked to the migration patterns of tuna, a primary food source for these majestic marine mammals.
The wreckage of the Le Lyonnaise, a French passenger steamship that sank in 1856 after colliding with another vessel has been discovered off the coast of Massachusetts by a dive team from Atlantic Wreck Salvage.
New research sheds light on the sophisticated hunting strategies of elephant seals, highlighting their unique adaptations for deep-sea predation.
Officials in Florida’s Okaloosa County hope to send SS United States to the bottom of the Mexican Gulf to create the world’s largest artificial reef.
During a recent 28-day expedition to the Nazca Ridge in the Southeast Pacific, oceanographers made remarkable discoveries, including 20 potential new species, the first-ever footage of a rare squid, and thriving deep-sea coral ecosystems.
Maritime historians from the Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association (WUAA) have discovered the wreck of the schooner Margaret A. Muir near Algoma, Wisconsin, USA. The team, led by Brendon Baillod, Robert Jaeck and Kevin Cullen, used historical research and advanced sonar technology to locate the remains of the ship on 12 May 2024.
Populations of young bull sharks have increased significantly in estuaries along the US Gulf Coast.