Mark 'Crowley' Russell - Senior Correspondent
Crowley (known to his mum as Mark) began diving in 2000 in Sharm El Sheikh, before quitting a 10-year IT career and moving to Thailand to take his PADI IDC in 2005. He moved from Thailand to Australia and Curaçao before returning to Sharm as an instructor in 2009. He managed a Nusa Lembongan dive centre between 2013-14 before hanging up his instructor booties and returning to the UK. Crowley started writing a regular column for DIVE in 2010, and now looks after DIVE's daily online content and writes regular features for the print magazine. In his spare time, Crowley is an enthusiastic guitar player, devoted motorcyclist, dedicated gamer, and door-opening expert for two cats.
Full-face snorkel mask causes IPO fatality
A coroner has warned that full-face snorkel masks could be putting ‘millions of people’ at risk, following the death in…
Snailfish breaks world record for deepest fish
A new world record for the world’s deepest fish to be observed underwater has been set after a snailfish was…
Virtual Reality brings ‘Flight of the Mantas’ to life
The Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) has announced that it has partnered with location-based virtual reality (VR) ‘edutainment’ company, Immotion, to…
Northern Diver online Easter Egg Hunt 2023
Northern Diver’s online Easter Egg hunt is returning for 2023. From Thursday, 6 April at 12 noon, five Easter eggs…
Whale shark reproductive ultrasound study published
A new study has been published detailing the successful blood-sampling and ultrasound scanning of wild, free-swimming Galápagos whale sharks in…
Northern Diver 60m reel & dive torch combo
Northern Diver is offering its innovative and uniquely designed dive reel as a combo package together with its Varilux Micro…
Review: A Diver’s Guide to the World
In A Diver’s Guide to the World, Carrie Miller and Chris Taylor explore 50 of the world’s top dive spots…
MCS report finds sewage litter across UK beaches
The Marine Conservation Society’s 2022 Beachwatch report has found that sewage-related litter is washing up on beaches all around the…
Wakatobi – the business of conservation through sustainable tourism
Mark ‘Crowley’ Russell visits Wakatobi and talks to its founder, Lorenz Mäder, about the business of conservation, and the hard…
British diver dies at Maldives’ Rasdhoo island
A British scuba diver has died while diving near Rasdhoo island in the Maldives. The diver, reported to be a…
Reefscape Travel – scuba diving with a personal touch
Louisa Fisher and India Tyndall – two self-confessed’ scuba diving obsessives’ – tell DIVE how they came to start their…
Orca adopts – or kidnaps – pilot whale calf
A study by researchers from the West Iceland Nature Research Centre (Náttúrustofa Vesturlands) has published the first documented case of…
Blue whales swallow ten million pieces of microplastic a day
Blue whales could be ingesting as much as 10 million pieces of microplastic every day, according to a study published…
World’s first reef-safe suncream conference to be held in Seychelles
Tourism Seychelles will be hosting a virtual conference on 20 March 2023 to address the continuing problem of toxic chemicals…
Northern Diver limited edition Divemaster drysuit
Northern Diver is launching a limited edition version of its Divemaster drysuit, which will be available at the UK Go…
UK Government announces three new HPMAs
The UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced the formation of three new Highly Protected…
Scubapro Jet Fins now available in camouflage colour schemes
Scubapro’s iconic Jet Fins are now available for the first time in camouflage colour schemes Jet Fins were something of…
Judge overturns Malta dive buddy death ruling
Maltese divers have expressed relief after a judge overturned the conviction of Arthur Castillo for the involuntary manslaughter of his…
Accused: a dive instructor’s wrongful prosecution for manslaughter
Experienced instructor, Nigel Craig, was wrongfully prosecuted for the tragic death of his student, but perhaps neither of these things…
Wreck of submarine USS Albacore (SS 218) identified off Japan
The US Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) has confirmed the identity of a submarine wreck located off the coast…
Top tips for improved air consumption
Ask the question ‘How do I improve my air consumption?’ in any dive-related forum and you will get a series…
Featured Photographer: Elise Gibbins
Elise is a British underwater and topside filmmaker and photographer specialising in content-driven campaigns for wildlife and commercial projects. With…
Unseen video footage from the first Titanic dive
the bow of the rms titanic wreck
Seahorse Man comes to Netflix
The award-nominated documentary, Seahorse Man, which sparked the launch of the global Save Our Seahorses campaign, is now available to…
Dive & Dig II Episode 5, 8,000 years under the sea
The 8000-year-old Neolithic site at Agios Petros is the earliest submerged settlement in the Aegean, and reveals astonishing insights into…
Rescued Thai youth footballer dies in UK
Duangpetch Promthep – also known as Dom – one of the 12 members of the Wild Boars youth football team…
Fiji no longer requires Covid-19 vaccine for travel
The government of Fiji has announced that travellers to the country will no longer be required to show proof of…
Underwater Photographer of the Year 2023 winners announced
An eye-catching photo of a pink river dolphin breaching the surface of the Amazon River has seen Kat Zhou of…
Longest underwater kiss world record broken
The Guinness World Record for Longest Underwater Kiss has been broken in time for Valentine’s Day 2023 by South African…
Visit Curaçao – the best of Caribbean scuba diving
The beautiful island of Curaçao is where the best Caribbean scuba diving dreams are brought to life. With more than…
British shipwreck Josephine Willis gains Historic England protections
The wreck of a British emigrant ship Josephine Willis, which sank 167 years ago off the Kent coast with the…
Dive & Dig II Episode 4, Istanbul’s Harbour of Life
In the fourth episode of Dive & Dig Season II podcast, Professor Bettany Hughes and Dr Lucy Blue head to…
DIVE Magazine Winter 2023
Issue # 29: Life Changing DIVE’s Winter 2023 magazine is out now, and this winter we take a look at…
Why Isla Guadalupe needs shark tourism
Youtube shark video expert Carlos Gauna – aka ‘TheMalibuArtist‘ – has produced a detailed video explaining why the closure of…
Dive & Dig II Episode 3, Sunken Sin City
In episode 3 of the Dive & Dig season II podcast, Professor Bettany Hughes heads to the Bay of Naples…
Bottle deposit return scheme announced
The UK government has announced that a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers will be introduced across England, Wales…
Dive & Dig II Episode 2, Ancient Greek shipwrecks
In the second episode of the Dive & Dig series II podcast with award-winning historian Professor Bettany Hughes and maritime archaeologist, Dr Lucy…
2022 Ocean Art underwater photography competition winners
The winners of the 2022 Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition, now in its 11th year, have been announced by the…
New Shark Trust citizen science app
The Shark Trust has launched a new smartphone app that makes it easy for anybody to get involved with shark…
Isla Guadalupe permanently closed to shark diving
Great white cage diving hot spot Isla Guadalupe has been permanently closed to tourism by the Mexican Government. As of…
MMF confirms world-first international reef manta migration
New research by the Marine Megafauna Foundation has extended the southern range of the reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi) in…
#WhyCoExist video competition – win an all-expenses paid Seychelles trip
Win an all-expenses paid, 8-day conservation expedition for two to a remote island in Seychelles in the #WhyCoExist video competition…
Dive & Dig series II – exploring the ancient underwater world
In a new five-part podcast series, Dive & Dig, award-winning historian Professor Bettany Hughes and maritime archaeologist, Dr Lucy Blue,…
Egypt dive centres hit by currency devaluation
Many dive centres – and other small businesses – in Egypt are suffering devastating financial losses after a massive fall…
Scuba diving pioneer Bob Hollis dies
Scuba diving pioneer, underwater photographer and expert dive equipment specialist, Bob Hollis, has died surrounded by his family at the…
Prescription lens masks for scuba divers
Stick-on lenses, contact lenses or prescription dive mask? Here’s some of the options available for scuba divers who wear glasses…
Win a 3-night/6-dive stay at Siladen Resort & Spa!
Siladen Resort & Spa is offering one lucky diver the chance to win a three-night stay at its exclusive resort…
UK petition to stop shark meat being sold under misleading names
A petition on the UK Government’s website is raising signatures for the law to be changed to prevent shark species…
Conception liveaboard fire victims were trying to escape when they died – report
Mobile phone video footage recovered from one of the victims of the 2019 Conception liveaboard fire tragedy has revealed that…
DIVE Magazine print issue highlights of 2022
A selection of some of the best articles from DIVE’s 2022 print magazine issues We are exceedingly proud of DIVE’s…
DIVE Magazine Christmas competition
This year, we’re offering 15 lucky readers the chance to win a year’s subscription to DIVE Magazine. Already got one?…
2022 – a DIVE year in review
It’s been quite the year. 2022 saw the first year of proper diving after almost two years without travel, a…
New Northern Diver Nautic multipurpose wetsuit
Northern Diver has announced the launch of its new Nautic wetsuit, a multi-purpose watersports wetsuit available in 3mm or 5mm…
Huge decrease in Dogger Bank bottom trawling after UK ban
Analysis by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has found that there has been a 98 per cent decrease in bottom-towed…
Help PADI save sharks and win a t-shirt and hat!
PADI has teamed up with shark conservationist, Discovery Shark Week personality, and Emmy Winner, Andy Casagrande, to design a PADI…
Ocean Film Festival 2022 virtual theatre
The 2022 Ocean Film Festival is now available as a virtual show, with gift passes available for inspirational festive gifts. As…
Great Barrier Reef whale shark continuously tracked for 12 months
A whale shark has been continually tracked by satellite tag for 12 months in the far north of the Great…
Humpack whales spotted breaching off Cornwall
Humpback whales have been spotted breaching off the coast of Cornwall, bringing hope of a ‘bumper season’ of sightings for…
The Shark Trust’s Big Shark Pledge
The Shark Trust is launching an ambitious new campaign to help protect the world’s sharks. The ‘Big Shark Pledge’ aims…
Devil Ray Conservation Dive launched at Aliwal Shoal
A unique ‘Devil Ray Conservation Dive’ programme is to be launched this December at Aliwal Shoal off the coast of…
Divers outraged at Malta dive death court ruling
Scuba divers in Malta have expressed their ‘grave concern’ after an experienced diver was found guilty of the involuntary homicide…
Advanced open water courses are advancements, not ‘advanced’
The typical ‘Advanced Open Water’ type scuba course is not meant to be ‘advanced’, but, rather, an important advancement of…
Free undersuit with Scubapro Everdry 4.0 drysuit
Scubapro is offering cold-water divers a free undersuit with every puchase of its Everdry 4.0 neoprene drysuit, in a promotional…
Fourth Element X Sea Shepherd partnership
Fourth Element has announced that it has partnered with Sea Shepherd to produce a new range of products from which…
Learning to dive – which agency is best?
There’s an alphabet soup of dive training agencies out there – so which one is best, and how do you…
Northern Diver Christmas sale starts early!
Northern Diver has (very excitedly) announced that it has started its Christmas sale early this year. Discounts and special offers…
60 more shark species protected by CITES
All species of requiem sharks, all species of hammerhead sharks, and all guitarfish are to be protected after being listed…
Nurse shark with rare skin condition sighted in Honduras
Divers in Utila, Honduras, have spotted a nurse shark with a rare condition that has completely altered the pigmentation pattern…
Wreck of Shackleton’s Endurance to be protected
UK Antarctic Heritage Trust to partner with Historic England to ensure the wreck of Shackleton’s Endurance will be protected The…
Blue O Two enters administration
The popular UK liveaboard operator ceased trading and entered administration following financial pressure caused by Covid-19 downturn Blue O Two,…
Tiger sharks help map world’s largest seagrass ecosystem
The largest seagrass ecosystem in the world has been discovered and mapped in The Bahamas – thanks to the help…
World’s largest oceanic manta ray population in Ecuador, says MMF study
The world’s largest population of giant oceanic manta rays (Mobula birostris) has been formally identified off the coast of Ecuador,…
PADI calling for increased shark and ray protection at CITES 2022
PADI and the PADI AWARE foundation are representing the dive commmunity at this year’s Convention on International Trade of Endangered…
Paralenz files for bankruptcy
Danish underwater action camera manufacturer Paralenz has filed for bankruptcy, just two months after launching its latest version of the…
Venture Heat picks up Thermalution heated undersuits with new model
Venture Heat has taken on the Thermalution’s heated diving undersuits with a new model of wireless controlled heated undersuit due…
BSAC Diving Incident Report 2021 released
The British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) has released its latest annual Diving Incident Report, showing that UK diving had largely returned…
Wreck diving in Bermuda – shipwreck capital of the world
Bermuda’s shipwrecks are a must-dive for wreck diving enthusiasts, and a wreck specialty course is a great way to learn…
Learning to dive – what to expect from a scuba diving course
Learning to dive is not particularly difficult, but it helps to know what you’ll actually be doing during your entry-level…
Diving in Shark Heaven: Tubbataha Reefs in the Philippines
By Dr Simon Pierce, MMF The Philippines is known for its fantastic diving, but the jewel in the crown is…
Ten of the best wreck dives for recreational divers
Many of the ships that are not lost entirely to the depths are accessible only to specialist technical divers, but…
Learning to dive – is scuba diving right for me?
Many people are interested in learning to scuba dive, but don’t have diving friends and family to advise them. If…
The best scuba diving in Bali
Finding the best scuba diving in Bali isn’t terribly difficult – most of it is pretty amazing – but there’s…
Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year competition opens 1 November
The Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year competition, organised by the Underwater Photographer of the Year and sponsored by The…
Stunning footage of orcas killing great whites
Scientists in South Africa have released a study featuring the first known footage of orcas (killer whales) predating on great…
Prince Harry visits MMF project in Bazaruto, Mozambique
Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) co-founder Dr Andrea Marshall welcomed the Duke of Sussex and a US congressional delegation to Mozambique…
Scuba diving charity Deptherapy to close
Deptherapy, the scuba diving rehabilitation charity for wounded ex-service personnel, has announced that it is to close in August 2023…
DIVE Magazine Autumn 2022
Issue # 28: More to Discover DIVE’s Autumn 2022 magazine is out now – and this autumn we’re celebrating the…
Montenegro’s new Laboratory of Maritime Archaeology
A new maritime archaeology centre has been established at the University of Montenegro, the first research unit of its kind…
2022 Ocean Art underwater photo competition announced.
The Underwater Photography Guide has announced that it is now accepting entries for the 2022 edition of its annual Ocean…
Women Divers Hall of Fame’s new members for 2023
The Women Divers Hall of Fame (WDHOF) has named three new members appointed to its rolls for 2023. Dedicated to…
British diver dies during Albania wreck dive
This story is developing. Updates will be posted when more information is received. A 29-year old British woman has drowned…
Rare megamouth sharks spotted off San Diego coast
Two rare megamouth sharks have been spotted together and filmed by fishermen off the coast of San Diego, California. David…
Scuba diving skills: how not to panic
Mark ‘Crowley’ Russell shares some tips on staying calm when things go wrong Sometimes, underwater, despite the best-laid plans of…
Ghost Fishing UK funding request
Ghost Fishing UK is seeking pledges from the public and businesses to secure funding in order to continue its work…
Model divers – on a mission to digitise Red Sea wrecks
Holger and Nicola Buss are divers on a mission. On a Red Sea liveaboard trip they plan to photograph, map…
WW1 wreck of USS Jacob Jones located off UK coast
A team of British divers has located the wreck of the USS Jacob Jones, a US Navy destroyer sunk in…
Diving world mourns death of Divers Alert Network founder Peter Bennett
Dr Peter Bennett, founder and former president of the Divers Alert Network (DAN) has died at the age of 91.…
Learning to dive – is scuba diving safe?
‘Is scuba diving safe?’ is one of the questions most asked by prospective dive students. And the answer is yes,…
Highest Great Barrier Reef coral cover in 36 years
Coral coverage across the northern and central parts of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has reached its greatest extent since monitoring…