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Join Duxy in Mexico for a photo workshop and other great deals from Scuba Travel

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Scuba Travel

Scuba Travel new logoIn addition to some great deals on Red Sea liveaboard diving, UK-based tour operator Scuba Travel currently have a brilliant offer that underwater photographers won’t want to miss.

Here are the details:

Mexico Photography Tour / 16th July / 11 nights / £2695 inc flights (Save £200)

  • Fully escorted by photo pro Duxy
  • 2 locations to optimise your diving opportunities
  • Dive at the unique underwater museum
  • Snorkel with vast numbers of whale sharks
  • 3 days diving in Mexico’s famous Cenotes

There is simply so much to photograph in Mexico that Duxy had to custom build a dedicated photo itinerary, taking in not only the famous cenotes but the unique underwater museum and an opportunity to snorkel with whalesharks. The adventure begins when you land in Cancun. From here you will be transferred to your first home, Isla Mujeres. After a check dive, you have 8 dives (4 x 2 tank) including the underwater museum plus 1 morning snorkelling with the massive whale sharks that aggregate just off the coastline at this time of year. Your next stop is Tulum, where the famous Mexican cenotes await (6 dives) as well as 1 reef check dive. Flights are with British Airways direct from Gatwick. Excluded are any additional dives, kit hire, meals and beverages outside of your room basis and departure tax.

Find out more about this trip here.

Northern Red Sea Relaxed Itinerary / 21st May / Whirlwind / £995 inc flights

5 Star Red Sea Diving at affordable prices; dive the Red Sea at you own pace. Return flights to Hurghada, 7 nights full board on Spacious Liveaboard Whirlwind.

Scuba Travel’s photography expert Duxy will be on board to help you capture your best photos.

A very rewarding, but more relaxing and slower paced alternative to the more usual wrecks and reefs itinerary. With the same amount of dives available but at fewer locations, allowing you to see the best sites at different times of the day, this works brilliantly for photographers but is also proving to be a big hit with people that prefer to take things easier and with less rushing about. Some sites during the week will be “Open Deck” like The Barge and also the Thistlegorm. Once you’re initially briefed you stay for the day or longer and you can dive whenever you want. So from about 05:30 until 19:30 in the evening you have the usual four dives, but the timings are up to you and your buddy.

Find out more about this trip here.

Southern Red Sea / 25th May / Hurricane / £845 inc flights

Save £330. Sail the Southern Red Sea in complete comfort with 7 nights full board aboard the Stable Steel hulled Hurricane. Direct Flights to Marsa Alam.

Scuba Travel’s ‘Simply the Best’ itinerary shows you the best of the Southern Red Sea.

Dive the fabled Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone with the most experienced team on board the stable steel hulled Hurricane. Avoid long transfers with Scuba Travel’s direct flight to Marsa Alam. Night diving is prohibited on the Brothers and Daedalus so expect around 18 dives in total. All fees, 12 L tank & weights and free Nitrox are included in your package – additional kit and tank hire need to be prebooked. All trips are fully guided with 2 expert guides. Flights are with Thomson from Gatwick and transfers are included. At the end of the week a day use room and lunch at a hotel while you wait for your flight home is also included. The only costs not included are the Egyptian entry visa, alcohol, additional kit hire and any on board souvenirs. Let Scuba Travel know if you would like to pre-book any PADI courses on board or have any dietary requirements.

Find out more about this trip here.

To find out more about Scuba Travel and the dive holidays they offer, visit www.scubatravel.com.

Marine Life & Conservation

IUCN Spotlights Green Fins at Bali Ocean Days 2025, Calling for Stronger Business Model in Marine Conservation

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conservation

IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Global Ocean Director, Minna Epps, has spotlighted Green Fins Indonesia along with a call for stronger business models that sustain marine conservation. Speaking at the inaugural session of Bali Ocean Days 2025 held on 7-8 February, Epps emphasised the need for sustainable financing to support and scale marine conservation initiatives such as Green Fins.

conservation

Activities earlier in the week with the Coral Triangle Center in Sanur and Ceningan Divers in the Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area shaped the IUCN Ocean Director’s message at the conference and showcase, aligning with the theme of the blue economy and impact finance to sustain marine ecosystems.

conservation

“Tourism has such a big impact on marine biodiversity, and we need it to adhere to a certain code of conduct,” Epps said. “That is why through our funding facilities, we worked with The Reef-World Foundation advancing Green Fins so dive operators can become certified with standards. But this kind of initiative has been around for a long time and it’s also a tool used to improve [MPA management], but it needs to come with a business model. I also believe in market-based instruments to evolve this programme.”

conservation

IUCN’s visit is part of their Blue Natural Capital Financing Facility (BNCFF), which supports at least 21 projects around the world, building the business case for investing in the future of our ocean.

In Indonesia, the project supported by IUCN was developed in partnership with The Reef-World Foundation, the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) and the Coral Triangle Center, which serves as the local implementing organisation for Green Fins. The initiative engages marine tourism businesses through voluntary sustainability certification based on the only internationally recognised environmental standards for diving and snorkelling operations. Green Fins’ activities aim to reduce negative environmental impacts associated with marine tourism activities as well as improve the management of marine protected areas.

conservation

IUCN’s promotion of Green Fins in Bali Ocean Days signals the need for greater private sector engagement in marine conservation across Indonesia and beyond.

Investors, donors, marine tourism operators and stakeholders looking to support scalable marine conservation solutions are encouraged to explore opportunities with The Reef-World Foundation, the international coordinator of the Green Fins initiative. To learn more about sustainable marine tourism and how to get involved, visit www.reef-world.org.

conservation

About Reef-World

The Reef-World Foundation is a registered UK charity which delivers practical solutions for marine conservation around the world. The charity promotes the wise use of natural resources – particularly coral reefs and related ecosystems – for the benefit of local communities, visitors and future generations. It is dedicated to supporting, inspiring and empowering governments, businesses, communities and individuals around the world to act in conserving and sustainably developing coastal resources.

Reef-World leads the global implementation of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative, which focuses on driving environmentally friendly scuba diving and snorkelling practices across the industry globally. As such, the charity provides low-cost and practical solutions to local and industry-wide environmental challenges associated with the marine tourism industry. It provides education and capacity-building assistance to empower environmental champions (within the diving industry, local communities, authorities and governments) to implement proven coastal resource management approaches.

Visit www.reef-world.org to learn more or follow them on Facebook, Instagram and X.

About Green Fins

Green Fins is a proven conservation management approach – spearheaded by The Reef-World Foundation in partnership with the UN Environment Programme – which leads to a measurable reduction in the negative environmental impacts associated with the marine tourism industry. The initiative aims to protect and conserve coral reefs through environmentally friendly guidelines that promote a sustainable diving and snorkelling tourism industry. It provides the only internationally recognised environmental standards for the diving and snorkelling industry and has a robust assessment system to measure compliance.

Green Fins encourages and empowers members of the diving industry to act to reduce the pressures on coral reefs by offering dive and snorkel companies practical, low-cost alternatives to harmful practices – such as anchoring, fish feeding and chemical pollution – as well as providing strategic training, support and resources. By reducing the local direct and indirect pressures tourism puts on coral reefs, it helps make corals healthier and more resilient to other stresses such as the effects of climate change. Look for the Green Fins logo when booking your next dive trip.Visit www.greenfins.net to learn more or follow the initiative on Facebook, Instagram and X.

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Filming 360 in The Bahamas

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In December 2024, the Shark Trust had a very special opportunity to film sharks and rays in The Bahamas. Frogfish Photography are the Bahamas Dive Ambassadors for the UK. And Caroline, Deputy Editor at Scubaverse, is the Marketing Manager at the Shark Trust. So, when the need arose to film footage of several species of shark and ray for a new Shark Trust project, The Bahamas seemed the perfect fit. A huge thank you is needed here to the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. As they stepped in to fully support the trip both financially and practically. Ensuring that the filming expedition ran smoothly, and that we got as much time as possible in the water with sharks and rays, during the 10 day, 3 island trip.

The Bahamas is famous for its sharks and rays. Divers flock there to experience getting up close to a range of species. Our itinerary saw us visit Nassau, Bimini and Grand Bahama. It packed in as many in-water experiences as possible and had us dive, snorkel, and even take a submarine to experience them in a variety of different habitats and to capture them on film. We saw 148 sharks and rays from 8 different species (all of which have been logged on the Shark Trust Shark Log!).

But why were we there? The expedition was designed to fulfil the needs of two new projects being launched by the Shark Trust in 2025. The filming done underwater on this trip was the start of creating OneOcean360: A Shark Story. A new 360 immersive experience designed primarily for immersive domes and planetariums. The film will be the nearest experience to getting in the water with sharks and rays without getting wet! It will bring the world of sharks to an audience that may never get the chance to experience it first-hand. A Shark Story aims to deepen people’s understanding of sharks, uncovering and illustrating why they are so wonderful as well as being vital to marine ecosystems.

The film is being made in collaboration with Real Immersive. Also based in Plymouth, they have an immersive dome and are providing the technical expertise behind creating this unique experience. Reviewing the footage in the dome has been an invaluable part of the process. Both inspiring the team and allow us to refine the filming techniques to suit this immersive theatre.

You might imagine that we are using expensive cameras and even more expensive housings. But this is not the case. The entire project is being filmed using Insta360 X4 cameras. With only a few simple additions to the standard dive setup. The INON weight plate allowed us to attach this camera to a dive weight, set it down on sand or wreck, and then swim away and let the sharks be the stars. And the results are very exciting. The film will be ready this autumn. It will be accompanied by an educational pack for teachers to take away after school trips to see the film. Encouraging all those that see it to continue learning about these incredible animals.

You can support the creation of OneOcean360: A Shark Story by heading to the crowdfunder page and donating or selecting a reward.

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/a-shark-story


Read about the shark and ray dives we did on Nassau, Bimini and Grand Bahama in our next blog post coming soon on Scubaverse.

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