News
Latest dive deals from Scuba Travel

If you’re in need of a holiday, check out the latest dive deals from UK-based Tour Operator Scuba Travel…
Dive Buddy Offer. This 31st of August, bring your dive buddy on Carpe Novo only £995 per person
Buddy Offer Price based on 2 people booking. Wend your way between Male and Baa atolls, cherry-picking the highlight dive sites and including snorkelling at Hanifaru Bay on board the sublime and spacious Carpe Novo.
Carpe Novo offers 3 dives daily (except for on the day of arrival and day before departure) including one or two night dives and all diving is from a dhoni tender, with 12lt tank and weights are included, and nitrox. This offer is based on a standard cabin on a full board basis (twin/double share cabin) – cabin upgrades available. Tea, coffee and drinking water are included in your package. Excluded are alcohol, fruit juice, soft drinks, additional kit hire and any onboard souvenirs. A domestic flight to the embarkation point is included.
This holiday excludes international flights to Male airport transfers. We are able to add flights with a wide range of airlines, including regional departures. Please ask your consultant for a competitive quote for any flight option. Do not book any flights until your boat space is confirmed by Scuba Travel. Transfers operate at fixed times.
* prices are subject to change according to availability at the time of booking
Click here to book this holiday or call us on 01483411590
This 31st of August Explore the magical Oman onboard Oman Aggressor for only £1575
Save £900 on this truly magical itinerary for divers that love reef diving and abundant bio-diversity. The Daymaniyat Islands are the jewels for diving in the Gulf of Oman. The reefs themselves are beautiful, with hard and soft corals drenching the walls and sea bed. Nudibranchs and seahorses hide from prying eyes. Look out for honeycomb morays, stingrays and leopard sharks. Lose yourself as jacks snapper and batfish swirl around you at the Aquarium. Divers regularly see both green sea turtles & hawksbill turtles. The summer months are the best time to see passing whale sharks, bottlenose dolphins, spinner dolphins and even sometimes humpback whales can be encountered.
Oman Aggressor sleeps only 22 divers across a whopping 45m liveaboard. The saloon area is not just the hub of life when not diving or snorkelling. This is a modern, airy communal space, where the all-important meals are served. The menu aboard is varied and plentiful, with a variety of Omani feasts and local cuisine. There is a complete photo video centre for anyone with a camera, a large sun deck with shading, a jacuzzi, chaise lounges and deck chairs and bar. The dive deck is on the main deck level,
This holiday does not include any international flights to Muscat airport MCT. We are able to add flights with a wide range of airlines, including regional departures. Please ask your consultant for a competitive quote for any flight option.
Click here to book this holiday or call us on 01483411590
* prices are subject to change according to availability at the time of booking
Thresher sharks are not the only great diving you will discover with Exotic Divers in Malapascua – reefs, sea snakes and macro life all await in these azure waters. Once you arrive in Cebu you will be picked up and taken by land and boat to Malapascua island. Your holiday package includes 7 nights in a deluxe room on a full board basis (twin-share) – optional room grades available. As standard your package includes 10 dives. Please do ask your travel consultant if you would like to prebook additional diving. The local marine park fees are 150php per day. Special day trips are organised and subject to a small supplemental charge paid locally. Flights are typically with Cathay Pacific, Singapore or Emirates airlines On leaving Cebu airport there is a terminal tax of approx $10 – this must be paid in local currency at the airport.
* prices are subject to change according to availability at the time of booking
Click here to book this holiday or call us on 01483411590
Great white thrills under the water, pure, unadulterated luxury above… experience Guadalupe on the elegant Socorro Vortex, There are usually 3 full days with the great whites – this is a cage experience. Our liveaboard package is based on in a lower deck cabin on a full board basis with a selected of local beer and wine.
Socorro Vortex sets the new standard for luxury liveaboard scuba diving, effortlessly blending 5-star service with surface-side elegance. At an impressive 42m and with only 14 guests, this modern vessel has all the ingredients you need to make your adventure in Guadalupe one you will never forget.
The Great Whites of Guadalupe itinerary does just what its name implies. The professional and highly experienced team will give full briefings and instructions so you can get in the water with the utmost safety and get face to face with these incredible creatures.
This holiday excludes international flights to San Diego. We are able to add flights with a wide range of airlines, including regional departures. Please ask your consultant for a competitive quote for any flight option.
Click here to book this holiday or call us on 01483411590
* prices are subject to change according to availability at the time of booking
To find out more about Scuba Travel and the dive holidays they offer call 0800 0728221, email dive@scubatravel.com or visit www.scubatravel.com.
Marine Life & Conservation
Shark Photographer of the Year Announced by the Shark Trust

Today, on Shark Awareness Day, the Shark Trust have announced the winners of its 2025 Shark Photographer of the Year Competition.
Entries came in from 34 countries and represented 76 different species of shark, ray, skate and chimera. An exhibition of the finalists’ images is currently on display in Plymouth, the home of the Shark Trust. They’ll remain there until the end of the month as part of the Shark Month celebrations going on in Britain’s Ocean City.
The 14th of July, Shark Awareness Day, is a day to celebrate the over 1200 different species of shark and ray found in our ocean. And the submitted photographs in the Shark Trust competition did just that. From Australia to Scotland, from South Africa to The Bahamas, sharks and rays of all shapes and sizes have been beautifully photographed and submitted. From rarely seen chimera to the unmistakeable Critically Endangered Great Hammerhead Shark.
The highest accolade in this year’s competition, Shark Photographer of the Year 2025, has been awarded to Julian Hebenstreit for his stunning shot of an Indo-Pacific Leopard Shark (also known as a Zebra Shark) in Australia.

Shark Photographer of the Year 2025: Julian Hebenstreit
Simon Rogerson, Shark Trust Patron and one of a trio of judges that had the tough job of selecting the winners, said “This photograph is at first glance quite simple, but with a depth that rewards repeated views. The golden form of the Indo-Pacific Leopard shark stands in vivid contrast to the dark rock and the white sand. Placing it small in the frame creates a sense of drama rather than distance. For me, it suggests the precarious existence of our remaining sharks, this golden species representing treasure in dark times.”
Julian has won a package of accommodation and shark diving in The Bahamas courtesy of Diverse Travel and The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. He also receives the Shark Trust Shark Photographer of the Year 2025 trophy.
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, said “The highlight of the photography competition for me is the wonderful diversity of sharks and rays represented and the quality of images across the board. We’re grateful to each and every one of the photographers for taking part and sharing their love of sharks with the world.”
The judges picked out a further two outstanding images as the British and Overseas Winners. These awards went to Hector Clarke and Martin Broen respectively. They received Mares dive computers in addition to their trophies.
Hector’s image of Small Spotter Catshark lying on a mass of brittle stars in Loch Carron, Scotland highlights just why our seabed is so important to many species, including sharks and rays. Hector said “I found this individual resting on a bed of brittle starfish at around twenty metres depth. It seemed very comfortable with my presence, allowing me to get exceptionally close. I like how this image captures the density and diversity of life in this area, all the way from the multicoloured brittle stars to the exquisitely patterned catshark.”

British Isles Winner: Hector Clarke
Martin’s shot is an eye-catching split-shot. Where the camera captures subjects both above and below the water. Is depicts the mobular ray migration in Mexico in dramatic black and white. Martin said: “Below the surface, a dense school of rays forms a luminous, geometric ballet, their bodies catching shafts of sunlight filtering through the ocean. Above, a small boat with observers floats quietly, a silent witness to one of nature’s most graceful spectacles.”

Overseas Winner: Martin Broen
Sharks have been in our ocean for over 400 million years. Now, the survival of many species is in danger. This extinction crisis is avoidable if we act to address the primary threat: overfishing. The Shark Trust works globally to improve the conservation status of sharks, skates and rays. Advocating for policy changes. And generating collective action to support our goals.
To reflect the Shark Trust’s current projects in shark and ray conservation, additional accolades were awarded to those that entered images that closely align with their programmes.
Oceanics Programme
The Oceanics Programme is a wide-ranging advocacy effort which targets the conservation of oceanic sharks and rays. Oceanic sharks are some of the most iconic and functionally important species in our ocean. They are exceptionally threatened by overfishing and urgent action is required to ensure their long-term sustainability.
The winner of this category, Byron Conway, captured Silky Sharks at the surface in Cuba. He said “To tell the story of these sharks I used a slow shutter speed to get some natural movement into the image. This also allowed me to use Snell’s window at sunset to burn in some beautiful colours from the sunset above and show the relationship these sharks have with the surface. A memorable experience, amongst the best large animal encounters I have had.”
Living with Sharks
Living with Sharks is a new cross-disciplinary project which seeks to identify emerging issues and co-create equitable solutions with affected communities. It will focus on three main groups: beachgoers, recreational anglers and those taking part in shark and ray eco-tourism activities such as scuba diving or snorkeling.

Living With Sharks Winner: Gillian Marsh
The winning image, by Gillian Marsh, shows a Blue Shark off the coast of Cornwall with an underwater photographer. She said “The blue sharks were bold and curious, and we four snorkelers had a lot of good interactions with them, but I particularly like the interaction in this image. It’s tempting to imagine the shark is asking the photographer “Have you got my best side?”
Mediterranean Programme
The Mediterranean Sea is a hotspot of extinction risk for sharks and rays. A complex body of water home to nearly 80 species of shark and ray, of which at least 53% are at risk of extinction. Surrounded by 22 different countries across 3 continents, and home to over 77,000 small boats, the Mediterranean Sea is subject to a broad range of diverse fisheries pressures. Working through a network of regional partners, the Mediterranean Programme spans policy engagement, species-specific recovery programmes, and community engagement.
The winner of this category, Linda Mazza, did not actually capture her image in the Mediterranean Sea. But there is a poignant reason for this. Finding Critically Endangered Angelsharks is now very difficult. Perhaps the Canary Islands, where sightings are more common, can champion protecting them.

Mediterranean Programme Winner: Linda Mazza
Linda said “This raw portrayal highlights not only their vulnerability but also their misunderstood nature in an increasingly threatened ocean. For me, this photo breaks the usual barrier between viewer and shark. It creates an unexpected intimacy.”
Great Eggcase Hunt
The Great Eggcase Hunt is the flagship citizen science project from the Shark Trust. It not only asks people walking beaches around the world to search for empty eggcases washed ashore, but also divers and snorkellers to look out for live, developing eggcases underwater. These are perhaps the most valuable sightings that we receive as they reveal exactly where sharks and skates lay their eggs. This improves our understanding of which areas are critical habitat.

Great Eggcase Hunt Winner: Grant Evans
The winner of this category is Grant Evans with a shot of a Pyjama Shark eggcase in South Africa. He said “I took this picture as I found it a curious sight, and it is important to acknowledge the sharks’ life stages before it is a fully formed shark that is so often seen gliding through the nearby kelp forests. It also highlights the importance of the sea floor for these animals, as they need these sea fans to secure their egg cases safely. Bottom trawling threatens these corals and the egg depositing sites of catsharks in South Africa.”
Young Shark Photographer of the Year
And finally, the Young Shark Photographer of the Year 2025 was awarded to Panitbhand Paribatra Na Ayudhya for his image of a Whale Shark feeding at the surface. He said “I was very excited to see with my own eyes the largest fish in the world feeding on some of the smallest living creatures in the ocean. For me, enjoying this moment is not all there is, we must take action to help ensure these incredible, gentle giants of the sea survive. I believe that together we can help Whale Sharks live and swim freely in their ocean home, allowing them to share this planet with us for years to come.”

Young Shark Photographer of the Year: Panitbhand Paribatra Na Ayudhya
All the images will be put to good use to support shark and ray conservation efforts for years to come. Which makes each and every image entered into the competition incredibly valuable to this diverse and important group of animals, many of which of globally threatened.
The Shark Trust would like to thank all the photographers that took part. And the sponsors of the competition: Diverse Travel, The Ministry of The Bahamas; Mares; Sea Change Wine; Astralis Print and Design, Scapa Joe, In Deep Diving Centre, Haven Diving Services.
Main Image: Oceanics Programme Winner, Byron Conroy
About the Shark Trust
The Shark Trust is a UK-based charity that works tirelessly to safeguard the future of sharks, and their close cousins, the skates and rays, around the world. They have a vision: A future where sharks thrive within a globally healthy marine ecosystem. Whilst the team, based in Plymouth, is relatively small, its successes have been considerable. This is partly due to the collaborative philosophy of the charity, working with a global network of scientists, policymakers, conservation professionals, businesses, and supporters, to further shark conservation. Established in 1997 to provide a voice for UK sharks, the Shark Trust has an ever-growing number of passionate supporters. And together they’re creating positive change for sharks around the world.
News
PADI Launches World’s First Scuba Technician Distinctive Specialty Course with Octo Diver

Octo Diver, in collaboration with PADI, have introduced the first-ever PADI Scuba Technician Distinctive Specialty Course, designed to raise the standard of dive equipment knowledge and safety in the scuba diving industry.
This 7-day hands-on course is open to all certified divers, dive professionals, and dive centre/resort staff, and focuses on vital life-support equipment servicing.
The course modules include:
Scuba Regulator Servicing (Diaphragm & Piston types)
2nd Stage Servicing (Balanced & Unbalanced)
K-Valve Cylinder Valve Maintenance
Scuba Cylinder Visual Inspection
Power Inflator Servicing
Oxygen Cleaning for Scuba Equipment
Scuba Compressor Service & Maintenance
Standard Service & Repair Reporting
It is developed by Octo Diver’s professional team, led by a certified PADI Scuba Technician Instructor with a background in mechanical and aerospace engineering and over 15 years of experience in the diving industry.
This professional-level course can be conducted at Octo Diver’s classroom in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia, or hosted at dive centers worldwide. Hosting dive centers receive exclusive benefits, including high commission, special course rates, and free seats.
Upon completion, students will receive certification from PADI along with official technician credentials.
Octo Diver is currently looking for dive centers and resorts globally to host this course. Let’s work together to make diving safer and more professional — Be a Certified PADI Scuba Technician.
For more information, visit www.Scuba-Technician.com
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