Southern Right Whales

A few white southern right whales are born each year, but this leucistic trait is not a permanent feature. Their coloration usually gives way to a lighter gray in adulthood, indicating they were white at birth and distinguishing them from the more common darker whales.

Southern Right Whale

The Lives of Spiny Lobsters

Her legs move quickly as she scrambles over the sand toward a large coral reef. It’s a bold and risky move, as the expanses of sand between coral patches are full of predators waiting to take advantage of a lone spiny lobster. 

Caribbean spiny lobsters

Shared Sparks

My dad is always beside me in everything I do. It was no surprise when he followed me off the end of our dive boat and under the waves.

Shannon poses with her parents, Kim and Ben Amiot

Stand-Up Paddleboard Exercises

Training on a paddleboard requires you to stabilize your body to maintain balance. Working your stabilizing muscles is beneficial for diving because they are helpful in dynamic ocean environments.

Downward Dog to Push-Up

Understanding Oxygen Kit Components

Oxygen is the standard of care for first aid in dive injuries. You do not need to determine if the injured person is experiencing decompression sickness (DCS), arterial gas embolism (AGE), or nonfatal drowning, as oxygen can be beneficial in all these situations.

Assisting with oxygen kit

Malaria Risks and Prevention

Malaria is a serious infectious disease threat that primarily exists in many of the world’s subtropical and tropical regions — areas popular with divers — where the environmental conditions support a stable, infected population of Anopheles mosquitoes.

mosquito

Flipping the Script

Maintaining a respectful distance from potentially harmful species underwater is a tenet of good recreational diving and a frequent topic of charter boat predive briefs. But those venomous fish you have learned to avoid might save your life someday.

Scorpionfish is a common tropical coral reef resident in both Pacific and Atlantic/Caribbean waters.

DAN Research Internship

This year DAN interns participated in two field studies — a cardiac study and a venous gas embolism study — where they had the opportunity to work directly with participants […]

DAN 2024 interns and research staff

Photographing Cetaceans 

Capturing good pictures of whales is among the most rewarding photographic experiences an underwater photographer can have. These majestic and charismatic creatures evoke wonder, and the time spent with them will likely be unforgettable. The environments where you find them, however, along with their sheer size and elusive nature present challenges.

Humpback whales

DAN Medic Exchange

The DAN Emergency Hotline provides 24/7 emergency medical assistance to divers worldwide without charge and regardless of DAN membership status. DAN medics and physicians working in shifts across different time zones make this continuous service possible, ensuring that a dive medical expert is always available.

DAN medic exchange