In between Worlds: The Diver on the Surface
My first voyage aboard a submarine was an event to remember. I had worked and planned for years, and then finally the time was…
The Library
‘Tentacalizing’ – A Look at Anemones
Amemone. Amenome. Aargh. Anemone. That’s it. “An M O Knee.” It’s a relatively simple yet tongue-twisty word, which describes more than 1,000 species of…
Sheer Joy: In the Company of Whales
The water there is as blue as anywhere on earth. The underwater visibility is routinely 150 feet (45 m) or more. In fact, the…
‘It Was Right Here a Moment Ago’: Creatures That Play Hide-and-Seek on the Reef
There is hardly a diver alive who hasn’t frantically signaled his buddy after sighting some interesting creature only to turn back to point at…
Tree of Life: The Coconut Palm
Teal waves curl onto a cream-colored beach. Towering coconut palm trees line the shore, like giant feather dusters rooted in the sand. The green…
Life in the Latticework: Peering Into Underwater Caves and Crevices
For many divers, the idea creates the most irresistible of urges. For others the mere thought makes their skin crawl. This concept that is…
Take a Left at Aruba: How Do Animals Navigate the Underwater World?
You’re a baby loggerhead sea turtle. A few days ago, you were tied up in knots in a dark, warm, although somewhat cramped, shell…
Drift Diving: How to Use Current to Your Advantage
If there is a force of nature that disrupts dives and disorients divers as much as any other, it is current. On the flip…
Shifting Baselines: Putting the World’s Oceans in Perspective
At day’s end, groups of divers gathered on the back deck to watch the sunset and share the adventures of the day. On one…
Fascinating, but Complicated: Mating and Reproduction in the Marine Realm
Birds do it. Bees do it. So do fishes. All compete for mates, court, mate and reproduce. Perhaps surprising to many divers, the game…