June 2023

Lithographic print of men in whaleboat lancing a sperm whale.

Iceland suspends controversial whale hunt

“I have taken the decision to suspend whaling” until 31 August, food minister Svandis Svavarsdottir said in a statement, after a recent government-commissioned report concluded the hunt does not comply with Iceland’s Animal Welfare Act.

The report which provided a video showing a whale being hunted for five hours concluded the killing of whales during the hunt took too long.

Animal rights groups and environmentalists hailed the decision, with the Humane Society International calling it “a major milestone in compassionate whale conservation”.

MIDE welcomed big crowds each day to its new venue at MITEC in Kuala Lumpur on 26-28 May
MIDE welcomed big crowds each day to its new venue at MITEC in Kuala Lumpur on 26-28 May

MIDE 2023: Bigger and Better

Entering the exhibition hall on Day One at MIDE 2023 gave me a distinct buzz. Squaring my shoulders in anticipation, I walked past the booths and waved hello to old friends. As I made my way deeper into the hall, I felt a raising sense of excitement. MIDE 2023 was my first overseas dive show since the pandemic, and it appeared to be off to a promising start.

Olivier Leger Portfolio

Mothership, by Olivier Leger. Ink painting on gesso, 60 x 80cm
Mothership, by Olivier Leger. Ink painting on gesso, 60 x 80cm

British artist and avid diver Olivier Leger creates large-scale fineliner pen drawings and colourful ink paintings that celebrate the diversity and interconnectedness of our blue planet, drawing attention to the threats the oceans face. In his highly intricate artworks, viewers will discover marine species such as octopuses, sea turtles and whales carrying living worlds on their backs, giving sanctuary to a diverse range of sea life.

Ambient Light in Underwater Photography

Photo by Kate Jonker
Photo by Kate Jonker: Capturing the sun’s rays when the surface of the water is calm and flat can add a whole new dimension to your images. Long Beach, Simon’s Town, South Africa. Gear: Canon EOS 7D Mark II camera, Tokina 10-17mm fisheye lens, Sea&Sea housing. Exposure: ISO 160, f/11, 1/200s

We asked our contrib­utors what their favorite images were, captured using ambient light only, and they came back with a diverse selection of photos featuring sublime underwater scenes from a variety of dives on reefs and wrecks, in caverns and cenotes, as well as with interactions with marine life.

Adventures Edition of Peregrine dive computer

Adventures Edition of  Peregrine dive computer
Adventures Edition of Peregrine dive computer

Shearwater has announced the new Adventures Edition of its popular Peregrine dive computer, in two color combinations: light and dark. The light model sports coral reef-inspired white and silver foam colors, with ocean teal accents; and the dark model is a wreck and cavern-inspired steel gray, with sporty orange accents.

Fresh shark fins drying on sidewalk at Hong Kong
File photo of Fresh shark fins drying on sidewalk at Hong Kong

Brazil seizes record haul of illegal shark fins

Brazil's environmental protection agency, Ibama, estimated that approximately 11,000 blue sharks and shortfin mako sharks, which Brazil listed as endangered last month, were killed.

The fins, which were destined for Asia, where shark fin soup is considered a delicacy, were found in two locations.

Mosquito bites cause itching and discomfort, and in some cases carry diseases such as malaria.

How to avoid mosquito bites

Amid the buzzing hum of the relentless mosquito, it appears that our everyday habits may be making us more alluring to these pesky insects. In a surprising discovery, it appears that your favourite body wash may be your downfall when it comes to warding off mosquitoes.

he UN’s 193 Member States adopted a landmark legally binding marine biodiversity agreement on Monday

UN adopts historic treaty to protect high seas

The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty, widely known as the High Seas Treaty, establishes the first-ever framework for governing practices like fishing, mining and oil extraction in international waters, an issue that has threatened oceanic ecosystems across the globe with little oversight.

Pocillopora is a genus of stony corals in the family Pocilloporidae occurring in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. They are commonly called cauliflower corals and brush corals.

Heat-tolerant symbionts creates resilient coral reefs

Some reefs in the tropical Pacific Ocean could maintain coral cover into the second half of this century by shuffling the symbiotic algae they host.

To better understand how corals improved their tolerance to heat stress, the researchers at the University of Miami examined more than 40 years of coral reef-monitoring data from Panama, one of the longest datasets of its kind in the world.

Scientists discover pristine deep-sea coral reefs

Observations using the newly upgraded human-occupied vehicle Alvin are the first of a deep-sea coral reef in the Galápagos Marine Reserve.  The reef, found at 400-600 meters (1,310-1,970 feet) depth at the summit of a previously unmapped seamount in the central part of the archipelago, supports a breathtaking mix of deep marine life, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution writes.