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Blue Abyss announces partnership with RAID

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The world’s first commercial aquatic and space research, development and training centre, Blue Abyss, has announced a perfect “brand fit” partnership with innovative diver training company RAID.

RAID will help to build a team of up to 35 divers to support the UK-based astronaut and space tourism training, commercial diving and human performance research centre in the facility’s 50m deep indoor pool.

Working alongside mission control supervisors, the divers will ensure a safe and controlled environment for all pool-based activities.

Among RAID’s instructors is world-leading freedive Instructor Trainer and Blue Abyss Consultant Emma Farrell. Blue Abyss is also supported by extreme diver and underwater explorer TV presenter Andy Torbet.

John Vickers, Blue Abyss Chief Executive, said RAID shared Blue Abyss’ ethos and approach, which made it a perfect brand fit for the multi-million pound facility.

“RAID is taking diver training to the next millennium. It is the ideal training vehicle for diving instruction at Blue Abyss and will complement the specialist space agency, military and medical training that our divers will also undergo.”

Diver recruitment

The Blue Abyss intensively-trained team will support astronaut training, experiences and other activities, including education outreach and STEM-related projects, in the facility and externally. These activities will be capable of simulating the challenges of the extreme environments of outer space and underwater – so that users can experience the sensation of weightlessness and some of the effects of space travel through various simulations.

James Rogers, Managing Director of RAID UK and Malta, said recruitment would start soon for the “multi-faceted, highly skilled” instructors to embark on rigorous training programmes across all diving disciplines RAID offers.

“This is a 35-strong full-time team for an exciting and unique facility. These will be divers with highly-specialised training. They will have to be ready from day one to be able to support all disciplines in the pool. These jobs will be highly sought after.

“Key individuals in the team will have to have the capabilities to be able to support all of the disciplines – freediving instructors and instructor trainers working at the facility, both open circuit and rebreather instructors and instructor trainers and commercial and astronaut trained divers.”

Presenting at the Great Northern Dive Show

James Rogers will talk about the partnership with Blue Abyss on the main stage at the Great Northern Dive Show this coming weekend 8th and 9th April).

RAID is a growing global business, based in the UK with 16 regional offices across the world, and shares the ethos and vision of John Vickers and the Blue Abyss team.

RAID is the first diver training agency to offer a complete range of online diver academic programmes “in the comfort of their own learning environment” from Try Dive to Instructor Trainer.

“Our difference is that we spend longer in the water. We encourage taking time to really understand buoyancy, the most important part of diving, for people to be the best diver they can be.”

“Blue Abyss offers a unique career opportunity for divers of all levels and previous training codes, which is rare in the diving market. Such diving diversity in one special location is very unusual – this team will offer the different options of scuba, technical, commercial, freediving and astronaut training, and be involved with the management and diving business elements of the facility as well.”

For further information contact info@diveraiduk.com referencing Blue Abyss.

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Humpback Mother and Calf Win Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025

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Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025

Spanish photographer Alvaro Herrero is named Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025, his photograph ‘Radiant Bond’ shows the special relationship between a mother humpback whale and her new-born calf. The photo was taken in French Polynesia and triumphed over 6750 underwater pictures entered by underwater photographers from around the world.

“The mother is accompanying her calf to the surface, because the baby is still so small and clumsy,” explained Herrero. “The calf is releasing a few bubbles underwater showing it is still learning to hold its breath properly. For me, this photo really shows a mother’s love and communicates the beauty and fragility of life in our ocean.”

Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025

“This delicate yet powerful study of a mother and calf’s bond says all that is great and good about our world,” commented contest judge Peter Rowlands. “We face our challenges, but the increasing populations of humpback whales worldwide shows what can be achieved.”

Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025

Photo: Shunsuke Nakano

Other winners in the International categories included Shunsuke Nakano from Japan with his photo “Face Off”, which shows two extraordinary looking male Asian sheepshead wrasse jousting over spawning rights. “The harem king, on the right, is over 30 years old,” said Nakano, who won the Behaviour category. Abdulaziz Al Saleh, from Kuwait, won the Portrait category with his unique shot “Hydration” showing camels drinking in the desert from below the water. And Bryant Turffs, from the United States, won the Compact cameras category with “The Beauty of the Swamp” with a picture of a prehistoric gar fish taken in the Everglades with a simple GoPro camera.

Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025

Photo: Abdulaziz Al Saleh

Ruruka from the Republic of Korea was named as ‘PADI’ Up & Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025 for his photo “Underwater Aurora”, showing of a diver in the multi-coloured waters of a cenote sinkhole, in Mexico. Ruruka purposely visited this cenote during the rainy season, that seas more tannin rich water draining into the sinkhole, creating the bands of coloured water. “From where I live, it’s a very long way to this location, about 24 hours by plane,” said Ruruka. “But it is worth the journey because this unique environment perfectly aligns with the type of images I am trying to create.”

Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025

Photo: Ruruka

“An extraordinary image,” commented contest judge Tobias Friedrich. “It is an amazing scene, with a rainbow of freshwater colours in one picture and the high technical quality combined with the golden ratio composition made it a very deserving category winner.”

The Underwater Photographer of the Year contest is based in the UK, and David Alpert, was named as British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025 for his image “The Curious Seal”, which challenges misconceptions that British waters are murky and lifeless. “My photo is from Lundy Island, a marine protected area since 1973,” explained Alpert. “British seals are delightfully curious, more interactive than any other species I have dived with around the world. Briefly, I become one of the privileged few, crossing the bridge, able to make a connection with a wild animal.”

Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025

Photo: David Alpert

“This image is truly a stunner,” comment contest judge Friedrich. “It is well framed in the sea weeds and has beautiful light beams so evocative of shallow waters. The composition is completed by the inquisitive look. An excellent portrait.”

In the same contest, German photographer, Robert Marc Lehmann, was named ‘Save Our Seas Foundation’ Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year 2025, with his photo ‘1 in 200,000,000’, taken in Indonesia. Lehmann’s photo show fishermen hauling a large tiger shark ashore. “This is just one of around 200 million sharks that lose their lives every year at the hands of humans,” said Lehman.

Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025

Photo: Robert Marc Lehmann

“The composition is immersive and the timing, capturing the fisherman’s gesture, is decisive,” said contest judge Alex Mustard. “Although an everyday occurrence and legal almost everywhere, the man reaching out to stop the photo reveals what his conscience reckons on what they are doing.  A picture that takes you straight into the story.”

About Underwater Photographer of the Year

Underwater Photographer of the Year is an annual competition, based in the UK, that celebrates photography beneath the surface of the ocean, lakes, rivers and even swimming pools, and attracts entries from all around the world. In 2025 the contest attracted 6750 underwater pictures, with the awarded photographers coming from 28 different countries.  The contest has 13 categories, testing photographers with themes such as Macro, Wide Angle, Behaviour and Wreck photography, and includes three categories for photos taken specifically in British waters. The winners were announced in an award ceremony in central London, hosted by The Crown Estate. This year’s judges were experienced underwater photographers Peter Rowlands, Tobias Friedrich and Dr Alexander Mustard MBE. The contest was first run in 1965, when Phil Smith was named Underwater Photographer of the Year.

www.underwaterphotographeroftheyear.com

About The Crown Estate

In managing the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, The Crown Estate works in partnership with customers and stakeholders to support the long-term sustainable development of the seabed. From awarding seabed rights to sharing their knowledge and data, their small expert team directly manage their relationships with customers and partners with a commitment to delivering high levels of customer service.

The Crown Estate sponsor the British Waters Living Together category, host the UPY award ceremony and support an annual print display at the Go Diving show in the UK.

www.thecrownestate.co.uk

About PADI

PADI® is the largest purpose-driven diving organization with a global network of 6,600 dive centres and resorts, 128,000 professional members and more than 30 million certified divers to date. For over 50 years, PADI has undeniably been the Way the World Learns to Dive, setting the standard for the highest quality dive training, underwater safety and conservation initiatives while evolving the sport of diving into a passionate lifestyle. PADI sponsor the Up & Coming category, championing new talent in underwater imaging.

www.padi.com

About the Save Ours Seas Foundation

The Save Our Seas Foundation has funded over 425 projects in 85 countries around the globe since its inception in 2003. Focusing primarily on sharks and rays, each project strives for deeper understanding and more innovative solutions in marine research, conservation and education. The Save Our Seas Foundation are sponsors of the Marine Conservation category, which is free to enter and provides a valuable platform for these important images.

www.saveourseas.com

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Marine Life & Conservation

Dr. Sylvia Earle Announced as First PADI Emeritus AmbassaDiver

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Sylvia Earle

PADI® has announced the first PADI AmbassaDiver™ for 2025: legendary scuba diver, marine biologist, oceanographer and explorer Dr. Sylvia Earle.

“Dr. Earle embodies everything PADI stands for and we celebrate her continued commitment to inspiring future generations of divers and conservationists,” says Kristin Valette Wirth, Chief Brand and Membership Officer for PADI Worldwide. “For decades, she has continued to break through the glass ceiling and show what is possible when it comes to both seeking adventure and saving the ocean.  It’s a privilege to amplify her legacy as a scuba diver and ocean advocate.”

Since 2015, the PADI AmbassaDiver program has aimed to amplify the personal stories of exemplary scuba divers who are part of a global team committed to encouraging their communities to experience, explore, and protect the underwater world.

“I am honored to be asked to serve as the first PADI Emeritus AmbassaDiver,” says Dr. Sylvia Earle. “I look forward to being a champion for PADI and using this honor to inspire respect, love, and care for the ocean while providing effective guidance on safety for those who seek adventure underwater.”

Dr. Earle’s key accomplishments for the ocean include:

  • one of the first scientists to use scuba to document marine life firsthand
  • the first female chief scientist of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
  • recording the deepest walk on the ocean floor leading the first all-female team of aquanauts for the Tektite II project in 1970
  • founding Deep Ocean Exploration and Research in 1992 to develop human-occupied submersibles and other subsea technologies.
  • Leading the 5-year Sustainable Seas Expeditions with National in National Marine Sanctuaries
  • Founding Mission Blue in 2009 to establish more MPAs and “Hope Spots”
  • being awarded TIME Magazine’s first Hero for the Planet in 1998, the 2009 TED Prize, the United Nations Champion for the Earth in 2014, and the Ken Burns Prize in 2024
  • authoring over 200+ publications, lecturing in 80+ countries, leading 100+ marine expeditions and spending nearly 10,000 hours underwater
  • Co-Hosts the Dive in With Liz and Sylvia program sponsored by the Ocean Elders

“Dr. Earle’s PADI Emeritus AmbassaDiver distinction is more than a title—it will become a powerful movement that engages the global diving community, honors her legacy, and inspires others to rally behind our shared vision to explore and protect the ocean,” continues Valette Wirth.

Twelve additional PADI AmbassaDivers are anticipated to join Dr. Earle as the program’s 2025 inductees later this month. Learn more about the PADI AmbassaDiver team at padi.com/ambassadiver.

About PADI 

PADI® (Professional Association of Diving Instructors®) is the largest purpose-driven diving organization with a global network of 6,600 dive centers and resorts, 128,000 professional members, and more than 30million certified divers to date. Committed to our blue planet, PADI makes the wonder of the underwater world accessible to all, empowering people around the world to experience, explore and take meaningful action, as Ocean TorchbearersTM, to protect the world beneath the surface. For over 50 years, PADI is undeniably The Way the World Learns to Dive®, setting the standard for the highest quality dive training, underwater safety and conservation initiatives while evolving the sport of diving into a passionate lifestyle. For divers by divers, PADI is obsessed with transforming lives and, with its global foundation, PADI AWARETM, creating positive ocean change. Seek Adventure. Save the Ocean.SM

www.padi.com

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