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Blue sea anemone and clownfish

Top Ten Anemone Facts

With their swaying tentacles and colourful bodies, sea anemones are a pleasure to spot when diving. Often overlooked in favour of the shimmering shoals that swim above them, these invertebrates are a fundamental part of marine biodiversity and come in all sorts of colours, shapes and sizes.…

Freediving

Our Favourite Freediving Facts

We love scuba diving (and always will), but there's still a certain appeal to diving below the surface without tanking up. Freediving, also known as apnea, is a form of underwater breath-holding where you rely solely on your lung capacity, rather than diving equipment. Whether you want to…

Flores, Indonesia

Six Fabulous Facts About The Flores Sea

Early in the 16th century, the Portuguese arrived in the Malay Archipelago and took control of the island of Flores, among others. The name Flores means 'Flowers' in Portuguese, and after a spell of Portuguese rule in the mid-19th century, the island became part of the Dutch East Indies.…

Scuba diver exploring the Great Barrier Reef.

Seven Scuba Diving Facts

We seem to be living in a world where misinformation is lurking around every corner. With the internet teeming with these 'alternative facts,' we're going to give you a few bona fide facts about scuba diving and perhaps dispel a myth or two along the way. From the deepest dive ever to what's…

Crinoids in the Timor Sea.

Our Favourite Facts About The Timor Sea

Sandwiched between Indonesia and Timor-Leste to the north and Australia to the south, the Timor Sea is a relatively shallow and small tropical body of water. With the Indian Ocean to its west and the Arafura Sea to the east, it covers 240,000 square miles and contains very few islands. This…

The Maldives

Top Ten Indian Ocean Facts

The Indian Ocean may be smaller and younger than its siblings - the Pacific and Atlantic - but don't underestimate the wonders of this tropical body of water. Known for its warm waters that are rich in biodiversity, varied in underwater topography and swarming with some of our marine…

Diver in Hawaii

Top Ocean Facts

Despite oceans covering more than 70% of our planet, we know more about the surface of the moon than we do the big blue. However, what we do know is that the ocean is vital for the health of our entire planet. Feeding millions of people, regulating our climate, storing carbon dioxide and…

Person diving over coral reef, Pacific Ocean

Top Ten Pacific Ocean Facts

The Pacific Ocean is big. So big, in fact, that it's the world's largest ocean and covers nearly a third of its surface. Formed over hundreds of millions of years, this vast body of water is filled with creatures great and small, from the tiny critters that surf in the ocean's channels to…

Coral in Indonesia

Top Ten Java Sea Facts

From its vibrant marine ecosystem to its strategic role in history, the Java Sea is more than just a stretch of water - it's a living, breathing part of Indonesia's cultural and natural heritage. Whether you're a diver, traveller, history buff or just love fun facts about the world's oceans,…

Boat on the Bali Sea

Six Fascinating Facts About The Bali Sea

Sitting within the Coral Triangle, the Bali Sea laps the northern shores of both Bali and Lombok and flows into the channels that separate the two islands from each other and their neighbours. Its warm and inviting waters are home to a rich variety of marine life, and the dive sites in the…

PADI Women’s Dive Day

On the 19th July 2025, PADI will celebrate its 11th annual Women's Dive Day, an event that empowers female divers to explore the wonders of the ocean. And what better way to join the celebration than by honouring our very own all-women team here at Original Diving? Read on to discover why…

Emily’s Trip to Cenderawasih Bay on the Dewi Nusantara

With this trip planned over a year in advance, I knew summer 2025 would be one for the books - and I was right; my 11-day journey aboard the luxury liveaboard Dewi Nusantara did not disappoint. Translating to Goddess of the Archipelago, we sailed this classically designed vessel to the…

Popular posts

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. Sea lions were once worshipped by the ancient Moche civilisation of Peru, before later facing commercial hunting for their hides during the 1800s, so it's…

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,…

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.

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…

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…

Angsana Ihuru aerial

Six 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…