" I’d like to introduce you to some of our friends, enthused our guide Manasa, a.k.a Papa, as he held aloft a well-worn loose-leaf binder. The photographs within produced nervous laughter and a couple of anxious glances amongst a few of the divers. Then again, with names like Scarface, Hook and Big Mama, these were no ordinary friends. They were sharks, and we would soon be making their acquaintance. "

The proposed Water Discus underwater hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is to be comprised of a series of sci-fi styled discs, one of which will be positioned 21 stories underwater.

Impressions from Antarctica, photographed by Michael Aw and Göran Ehlmé

The Channel Islands offer world-class diving. Below the surface the islands play host to forests of giant kelp and a multitude of abundant marine life, supported by nutrient rich, cold water upwellings.

Dutch Springs is a quarry in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Every weekend hundreds of scuba divers come to train, practice skills or just have fun underwater. The quarry features platforms where divers could practice skills, and has underwater attractions including boats, planes, vehicles and even a helicopter.

Global diving travel has become increasingly easy over the last decade or so, providing easy access to a growing number of tropical and exotic destinations. So, for many divers residing in cooler climates or new to the sport, it is tempting to look only towards these warm distant destinations and perhaps ignore the wealth of marine life on their own doorstep.

To understand why, let me share these images with you; they were all taken in 2008 when Aliwal Shoal was at its best.