Tubbataha

Tubbataha is located in the Sulu Sea in the middle of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. There are nearly 500 species of fish, 373 species of coral and more marine critters.

An octopus finds debris on the sandy bottom to build a protective dwelling.

Ocean Views 2018: A Sweet Spot in Time

As part of the 2018 Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards annual competition, the Ocean Views category honors those photographers whose skill and creative vision have captured a frozen moment in time that can bring attention to both the bounty and fragility of the marine ecosystems found in and near our underwater world.

An extreme close-up view of the eye of a gray whale

Testing the Waters

Costantino Balestra, Ph.D., has spent his life coming up with groundbreaking hypotheses in research labs and applying them to the real world. Read more about the researcher, his motivation and projects.

Two divers swim below and there are a lot of bubbles around them.

Anatomy of a Commercial Mixed-Gas Dive

The commercial diving industry adopted mixed-gas technology in the 1960s to overcome the limitations of deep air diving. The industry has an exemplary safety record.

A dry welding chamber is lowered to a repair site for installation.

Basking Sharks

The basking shark is the world’s second-largest fish. They have large gaping mouths which are used to skim the plankton-rich surface of the water. Basking sharks are slow and populations have been declining.

A basking shark has its mouth wide open and its jaw looks like a skeleton.

Kona, Hawaii

While Kona, Hawaii may have the same biodiversity or colorful corals as other dive sites, it has much, much more. One diver discusses why they enjoy diving in Kona.

A handsome monk seal swims about Hawaii.

A Cleaner, Brighter Future

Fishing gear debris is unfortunately common in the waters surrounding Hawaii, and it threatens green sea turtles and the endangered Hawaiian monk seal. Volunteer divers, however, have come together to restore these waters.

A sea turtle lazily swims above a reef.

How to Save a Fish

In response to the declining grouper populations, conservation organizations have paired with local government to spearhead initiatives. Their efforts have worked and populations have grown.

An aggregation of grouper swim around the ocean.

How Old is Too Old

Dive computers and BCDs are expensive, which can make it very tempting to keep using the ones we own year after year. Remember that this is life-support gear, and it won’t last forever.

A Rising Tide

Thanks to scholarships, eight landlocked high school students were able to experience the ocean firsthand. Their experiences were part of a web-based series called “A Rising Tide.”

A group of high school students pose with several adults. Mountains are in the background.