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Orange Christmas tree worms on a coral reef

Our Top Ten Christmas Tree Worm Facts

Christmas tree worms truly live up to their festive name, with decorative colour schemes and striking spiral shapes that resemble a Christmas tree. These colourful creatures are much more than just a reef decoration; they also play a vital role in the reef ecosystem and exhibit fascinating…

Emperor angelfish swimming alongside a coral reef wall in the ocean

Our Top Ten Angelfish Facts

Angelfish are some of the most vibrant creatures on the reef, but there's a lot more to these angelic fish than first meets the eye. From the fascinating ways they communicate to their captivating personalities and even their preferred cuisine, read on to discover our top ten angelfish facts...

Blue whale gliding through the blue ocean

Our Top Ten Biggest Sea Creatures

The ocean covers over 70% of the Earth and is home to some of the world's largest and most extraordinary sea creatures. From gentle ocean giants to colossal creatures of the deep, we'll explore the ocean's biggest sea creatures (think gigantic blue whales, colossal squid and ten-legged…

Our Top Ten Mola Mola Facts

Mola mola, also known as ocean sunfish, captivate ocean lovers with their impressive size, peculiar shape and fascinating behaviours. From their daring diet (jellyfish anyone?) to their extraordinary adaptations, read on to discover our top ten mola mola facts…

Stonefish on wreck

Our Top Eight Stonefish Facts

Famous for being the world's most venomous fish, stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) are masters of disguise lurking among the rubble and coral. With the ability to survive out of water for 24 hours and a striking speed that would put Mike Tyson's punch to test, these funky looking fish command…

Blanket octopus

Our Favourite Blanket Octopus Facts

With a cape that would make Superman jealous, the largest sex discrepancy within the animal kingdom, and a penchant for stealing, the blanket octopus (Tremoctopus violaceus) is elusive, majestic and quite the daredevil.

Parrotfish

Our Favourite Facts About Parrotfish

Around the world's oceans, you may see the odd flash of blue, pink and green gliding among coral reefs, which is likely to be the parrotfish. Known to change colours and gender throughout their lives, these toothy, rainbow fish can munch on coral faster than a Brit eating a roast. Read on…

Clams

Our Top Facts About Clams

Clams may be unassuming characters resting (happily) on the sandy seabed, but beneath their hard shells they have some interesting features. They may not have a brain, but they have a foot to help them dig. They begin their lives as males and end as females. Some produce pearls. And with…

Wobbegong Shark

Creepy Creatures of the Underwater World

The existence of aliens may be an ongoing debate, but observing the eerie life beneath the water's surface definitely raises some mask-covered eyebrows. Here are some of our favourite creepy creatures to get you pondering on the relatives of extraterrestrial life…

Lemon Shark

Our Top Ten Facts About Lemon Sharks

Fun fact: lemon sharks like to make friends. These social and curious creatures, who enjoy the company of other sharks and divers alike, are known for their yellowish skin tone and stocky build. You'll most likely spot them in warm, shallow waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, near…

Nurse Sharks

Our Top Nurse Shark Facts

Nurse sharks are bottom-dwelling, slow-moving beauties found in the warm waters of the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Oceans. Often also referred to as sleep sharks, nurse sharks have a wonderfully chilled nature and can usually be found resting on the sandy seabed during the day. If you want…

Trigger fish

Our Top Facts About Triggerfish

Triggerfish are colourful, curious creatures found in warm waters around the world. Feisty in nature, they protect their nest with their biting abilities, especially if threatened during a new moon. They roam the waters alone, taking on sea urchins and unassuming divers. If you want to learn…

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close up image of the side of a pufferfish's face

Top Ten Pufferfish Facts

Picture yourself suddenly ballooning into a spiky sphere whenever you feel a mix of nervousness and curiosity. That's just a typical day in the life of a puffer fish. And while they may be the world's most poisonous fish (when eaten) they're romantics at heart. Ready to learn more about…

Hammerhead shark

Top Ten Hammerhead Shark Facts

Hammerhead sharks are one of the most recognisable ocean creatures and perhaps the most distinctive of all shark species, largely thanks to their strangely-shaped heads - known as a cephalofoil. Found in the warm waters around Central America, Southern America, Africa, Asia, and Australia,…

A large camera sits on a rock on the shoreline of an ocean during sunset.

The 14 Best Diving Films

When you're desperate to submerge, but currently landbound, sometimes a good diving film has to suffice. The ocean has appeared on the big screen for decades, captivating audiences with stunning seascapes, delightful marine characters and thrilling underwater adventures. Whether you want to…

Sea lion

Top Ten Sea Lion Facts

Whether you know them as sea lions or 'puppies of the sea', these charismatic and playful creatures share a lengthy history with humans. From being worshipped by the ancient Moche civilisation of Peru to facing commercial hunting for their hides during the 1800s, the relationship between sea…

Top Ten Thresher Shark Facts

At sunrise, if the conditions are utterly perfect - deep water, plenty of cleaner fish and nutrient-rich currents - you might just spot a thresher shark. For many scuba divers, encountering these shy creatures is a bucket list experience - and for good reason. Seeing a thresher shark's long,…

Top Ten Bull Shark Facts

Brutish bull sharks get a bad rep. Despite joining great white and tiger sharks in the 'Big Three' for shark attacks, these formidable fish face far more danger from us than we do from them. As apex predators, bull sharks are pivotal to keeping marine ecosystems in balance. However, like…

Mantis Shrimp

Top Ten Mantis Shrimp Facts

Often spotted scurrying across the ocean floor or peering out from their carefully constructed burrows, alien-like mantis shrimp are always a joy to see. These intriguing, carnivorous crustaceans come in a wide range of sizes and colours, and although some live in temperate waters, most…

Great White Shark

Top Ten Great White Shark Facts

The infamous great white barely needs an introduction. After skyrocketing to fame in 1975 thanks to Steven Spielberg's hit movie Jaws, these majestic, yet somewhat misunderstood, creatures are one of the most well-known shark species worldwide.

Nudibranch

Top Ten Nudibranch Facts

From the bright red Spanish dancer to Hopkins's rose nudibranch, neon green leaf sheep nudibranch - otherwise known as 'Shawn the Sheep' -, and the orange-peel Doris nudibranch, fabulously coloured nudibranchs have amassed a cult-like following among divers. Hailed as the 'Jewels of the…

Manta ray

Top Ten Manta Ray Facts

What diver doesn't dream of swimming alongside majestic manta rays? These charismatic and gentle fish, whose relatives include sharks, sawfish, electric rays and stingrays, certainly deserve a place on every diving bucket list.

Angsana Ihuru aerial

Five of the Best House Reefs

Coral reefs are some of the world's most colourful and diverse ecosystems, and a hidden treasure to feast the eyes upon for any scuba diver and snorkeller. But why should you wait for a boat trip from your hotel when you can access these underwater Edens straight from the shores of your…

diving in egypt

Short Haul Winter Diving Destinations

As we (at least those of us based in Europe) are slowly stepping into the cold of winter and dusting off our winter clothing, here at Original Diving, we've compiled our list of some top short-haul winter-come-spring diving destinations. Here's a selection of places you can get to for a…