Ocean Torchbearers, PADI is celebrating 60 years of Ocean Conservation

Join us this year to celebrate the success and fight for more wins for the ocean  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌      In 2026, PADI marks 60 years of diving—and 60 years of commitment to ocean conservation. In this edition, we reflect on key moments like CITES COP20, look ahead to the future of diving and PADI, and spotlight what Worth Magazine is saying about the PADI AWARE Foundation. We’re also gearing up for our Go Eco! campaign in April where all Ocean Torchbearers can get involved and celebrate the impactful work of our Eco Centers and incredible grantees. Let’s make 2026 a success for ocean conservation, together!     Where We’re Headed: The Future of Diving and Ocean Stewardship         2026 PADI is celebrating its 60th anniversary! A great time to reflect on the past and all the great things the dive community has achieved. Let’s also use this opportunity to look ahead and what the future of diving and ocean stewardship may hold.   Find Out More   Go Eco! Campaign         This April, PADI’s Go Eco! Campaign spotlights PADI Eco Centers leading the way in ocean conservation and sustainable diving. Making sustainable choices and supporting conservation is now easier than ever – both above and below the water.   Find Out More   How Policy helps Ocean Conservation         Discover how your everyday dives from logging marine debris and soon your shark and ray sightings in the Conservation Action Portal help fuel real conservation wins. Your local actions power the data, advocacy, and momentum that drive major global policies and protections for sharks, rays, and marine ecosystems.   Learn More   A Diver Walks Into a Global Wildlife Summit         What happens when a diver steps into the world of global wildlife policy? From grammar debates with ocean-sized consequences to why lived dive experience belongs in decision-making rooms, this firsthand account from CITES COP20 shows how storytelling can shape conservation. Read the full blog to dive deeper.   Read Now   PADI AWARE in the Media         “It’s not about counting your dives, it’s about how you make your dives count.” A wonderful quote in Worth Magazine that spotlights the PADI AWARE Foundation and the collective power of divers to create real change for the ocean. Click through to read how everyone around the world can help protect what we love underwater.   Read Article   PADI AWARE Grantee Spotlight         In Mozambique, a locally owned dive center is reshaping conservation by putting leadership, opportunity, and reef protection in local hands. This short film by Tales of Odyssey follows PADI AWARE Grantee Maputo Dive Center and their powerful role in building a sustainable future for Mozambique’s reefs and the communities that depend on them.   Watch Their Story       Unsubscribe from conservation emails | Unsubscribe from all PADI emails Contact | Manage Preferences | View Online PADI Americas | 30151 Tomas, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, 92688 USA Europe, Middle East, Africa | Pavilion 1, The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol, BS13 8AE, UK Asia Pacific | Level 4, 120 Old Pittwater Road, Brookvale NSW 2100, Australia This email was sent to nop1002.987654@blogger.com by PADI. Add padi@mail.padidiver.com to your email address book to ensure that you receive PADI emails to your inbox. © 2026 PADI

SCUBA News - #307 - February 2026

SCUBA News ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) Issue 307 - February 2026 https://www.scubatravel.co.uk ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Happy Lunar New Year! As we welcome another new year, we're celebrating with a splash of colour from the reef. This issue marks the return of Creature of the Month, and we're looking one of the Red Sea's most striking — and surprisingly under-studied — fish: the Red Sea anthias. Contents: What's new at SCUBA Travel? Dive for less: Up to 50% off Liveaboards Red Sea Anthias is Creature of the Month Diving news from around the World You can download SCUBA News as a pdf. What's New at SCUBA Travel? Our most read SCUBA News stories last year An eclectic mix where sealife stories alternate with diving destination guides plus cutting down plastic in your cup of tea. SEE TOP 10 Little-Dived Cabrera National Park Of you only go diving in one place in the Balearics make it Cabrera. Just 3 boats a day allowed for marvellous scenery and sealife. DIVE CABRERA Liveaboard Diving Offers: Dive for Less Get up to 50% off at some of the best diving spots in the world. Plus, automatically get an extra 5% off any subsequent trip! C Echo 2, Egypt, North Wrecks and Ras Mohammed, Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone, SAVE 25 %. Maximum of 18 divers on board across 15 cabins for a relaxed, uncrowded experience. Small dive groups (4-5 divers per guide). 25% Off Adelaar, Indonesia. Historic liveaboard with just 4 cabins. Trained by a Belgian master-chef, the onboard chefs Wayan and Made pair aromatic local specialities with global dishes. Visits Raja Ampat and Komodo. Some trips to Komodo begin or end in Bali, so you don't have to book an extra domestic flight. More Info or Book Black Manta, Maldives. SAVE 15%. A combination of luxury and adventure in the Maldives. DIVE THE MALDIVES Galapagos Sky. SAVE 10%. Galapagos Sky is a small, luxury liveaboard. Unparalleled diving with schooling hammerhead sharks, Galapagos sharks, and large pods of dolphin SAVE 10% Seatopia, Thailand. Explore the Andaman Sea's most spectacular sites. FROM £496 Navis I, Philipines. Spacious catamaran visits the magnificent Apo Reef, the globally acclaimed dive spots of Coron and El Nido, and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Tubbataha Reef. SAVE 10% Felicity, Maldives. SAVE 50%. The Felicity is full of character. There are 7 cabins with private en-suite bathrooms and air-conditioning for 10-14 guests. The large open deck has ample space for relaxing. There is a covered outdoor dining area where meals are served family-style and an outdoor lounge. The boat's bow has loungers for sun lovers to soak up the rays. Indoors is an air-conditioned lounge and dining area. Read our article about whaleshark research on the Felicity or book now. Half price Maldives diving See more liveaboard deals to some of the best diving in the world - Micronesia, Philippines, Galapagos, Indonesia, Socorro, Cocos Islands... Red Sea Anthias is Creature of the Month With its vivid colours and elusive habits, the Red Sea anthias (Pseudanthias taeniatus) is one of the region's most eye-catching yet least understood reef fish. February's creature of the month, this striking species is instantly recognisable once you know what to look for — though the dramatic differences between males and females can easily fool even experienced divers. Male Red Sea Anthias, Pseudanthias taeniatus, in Dahab. Jill Studholme The male and female fish look very different. Where the male is tomato red with white stripes, the female is golden. She looks, at first glance, a little like the much more common lyretail anthias but without the violet streak from eye to cheek. Female Red Sea Anthias. Francois Libert/CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 All born female All Red Sea anthias are born female, and all have the ability to transition into males. They live in a harem structure with one male and many females. When the male dies, the dominant female starts the transition. This sex change can take as little as two weeks, but may take longer. As the female transitions, she will start to display more intense colours and develop longer fins. She also becomes more aggressive, chasing other females. Female Red Sea Anthias transitioning to a male. Frank Krasovec/CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Where to look for them They are widely thought to only live in the Red Sea, and even there only in the north. But there has been an unconfirmed sighting in India. Occasionally they are as shallow as 10 m, but you more often find them between 20 and 40 m. They hover in the water, eating small zooplankton. Pseudoanthias species tend to prefer areas with currents - outer reef slopes and drop-offs - which deliver a stream of plankton for them to eat. To photograph them then, try heading with the current towards them to capture their face or profile. Head on. Jill Studholme These lovely fish are not well studied - if you've spotted one - tell us. Class: Actinopterygii > Order: Perciformes > Suborder: Percoidei > Family: Serranidae > Subfamily: Anthiinae > Genus: Pseudanthias > Species: Pseudanthias taeniatus References Field and Field, Reef Fish Of The Red Sea Khilesh K.V. et al, Checklist of serranid and epinephelid fishes (Perciformes: Serranidae & Epinephelidae) of India, Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation. 2021, Volume 38 Diving news from around the World Scientists discover a new whale highway Indonesian scientists have attached a satellite tag onto an endangered pygmy blue whales for the first time, revealing a new feeding site and also a previously undocumented path it takes to the South Antarctic. Why so many mangrove restoration projects fail Roughly 70% of restoration projects struggle to establish healthy forests. Success depends as much on social and economic conditions as on planting techniques. Shark-repellent could reform fisheries by curbing bycatch Shark repellent device works by pairing zinc and graphite in seawater. The zinc reacts with the graphite to produce a small electric field in the surrounding seawater. This electric field is detected by the sharks, repelling them from the bait without affecting the fishery's target fish. Corals in extreme coastal bays show greater resilience to climate stress Corals in these environments have flexible nutritional strategies, often live in symbiosis with more heat-tolerant algae, and host microbial communities that potentially contribute to their stress resistance. Flagship whales facing climate-driven decline in Australia Once considered a global conservation success story, the southern right whale is now emerging as a warning signal of how climate change is affecting threatened marine life Research helps lobster hatcheries safeguard genetic diversity Low diversity is bad for the health and resilience. The findings help release programmes adapt to conserve fisheries. Urban light pollution alters night-time hormones in sharks Artificial light at night is one of the most pervasive environmental effects of urbanisation. Sharks play a key role in maintaining balanced marine ecosystems. Blind, slow and 500 years old - or are they? How scientists are unravelling the secrets of Greenland sharks Described by one researcher as looking already dead, the enigmatic creatures are one of the least understood species on the planet Tests uncover unexpected humpback sensitivity to high-frequency noise With better understanding of humpback hearing, we can better protect them and minimise human interference on their lives The collapse of Atlantic cod in the Oslofjord, Norway Coastal fish populations in temperate regions increasingly experience environmental pressures and dramatic decreases in stock size. Study Tracks Tiger Sharks to Maui Mating Hub Solved: long-standing global mystery in shark biology: the location and nature of tiger shark mating.

SCUBA News is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. This means we are happy for you to reuse our material for both commercial and non-commercial use as long as you: credit the name of the author, link back to the SCUBA Travel website and say if you have made any changes. Most photos though, are copyright the photographer. Please get in touch for details. Photo credits: Tim Nicholson, Jill Studholme, Kelly Wong Johnson, Pete McGee/CC BY-NC 4.0, DepositPhotos, divebooker.com UNSUBSCRIBING Visit https://c.emailsend20.co.uk/profile/S-51014@J7sllRUwYQNkRwrI93C6yQ4F0xqxNQi6gZV3_N2Z6zU.@1 to remove yourself from the mailing list. Any problems contact news@scubatravel.co.uk. ADVERTISING Should you wish to advertise in SCUBA News, please see the special offers at https://www.scubatravel.co.uk/newsad.html Other advertising opportunities are at https://www.scubatravel.co.uk/diving-advertising.html CONTACTING THE EDITOR Please send your letters or press releases to: Jill Studholme SCUBA News The Cliff DE6 2HR UK news@scubatravel.co.uk

Bonaire Is Calling: Dive PADI’s Club-Mersion

Unlimited diving, new dive buddies, and Caribbean vibes in Bonaire

‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  No images? View the online version     Find Your Flow Underwater in Bonaire   Pack your fins and join PADI's Total Club-Mersion in Bonaire, hosted at the iconic Buddy Dive Resort, from April 25 – May 2, 2026. This one-of-a-kind dive getaway blends world-class diving, skill-building, and unforgettable community moments — all in one of the Caribbean's most diver-friendly destinations. Dive pristine reefs just steps from shore, refine your buoyancy, and connect with fellow ocean lovers during a full week of shared adventures above and below the surface. What's Included in Your Club-Mersion 8 days / 7 nights accommodation Round-trip airport transfers 7-day car rental (manual, insured) 4 days of two-tank boat dives Unlimited shore diving 6 days unlimited air & Nitrox Tanks, weights, and weight belts Daily breakfast + surface interval refreshments 3 group dinners Weeklong games, challenges & prizes Reef Renewal & Fish ID presentations Peak Performance Buoyancy Clinic Welcome drink, social events & PADI Club-Mersion swag bag This isn't just a dive trip — it's a chance to sharpen your skills, explore legendary reefs, and form connections that last long after the last dive.   Grab your Spot!   Still Thinking About It?   We've handled the details so you can focus on the fun. Expect stress-free planning, easy shore diving, vibrant marine life, and plenty of time to relax, socialize, and explore Bonaire topside. Whether you're traveling solo or with a buddy, you'll feel right at home. Spots are limited — and Bonaire always sells out fast.   Book Now nop1002.987654@blogger.com is subscribed to receive newsletters from Scuba Diving. Unsubscribe   |   Manage My Preferences   |   Privacy Policy Add partners@mail.padidiver.com to your address book to ensure delivery. Copyright © PADI, 30151 Tomas, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688      Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are those of the sponsors and are not an endorsement nor do they reflect the opinions of PADI or any of its publications.