Two recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports (IPCC 2018; Bindoff et al. 2019) summarize the existing projections of future coral bleaching, stating that coral reefs as we know them will all but disappear in a scenario of up to 2°C (3.6°F) warming. Additionally, up to 90% of coral reefs could be lost even with an increase of 1.5°C (2.7°F), which is now predicted to occur as soon as 2027. With the Tongan volcanic eruption appearing to have accelerated this process by 10 years, we are running out of time and need to take immediate action.

Belgium may be a small country, but its diving opportunities are anything but modest. The country offers several quarries turned dive sites that provide a safe and controlled environment for divers of all levels. There are also some very popular lakes which offer great diving opportunities. Interestingly, sea dives are not very common in Belgium, and divers travel more to the neighboring Netherlands for their saltwater adventures.  

When it comes to scuba diving destinations, diving in the Netherlands might not come to mind first thing. It may be a small country and known for its picturesque windmills and tulip fields; however, hidden beneath the surface are some remarkable dive sites that offer unique underwater experiences. From historic shipwrecks to vibrant marine life, diving in this region is an adventure waiting to be discovered. Let’s dive into the depths and explore the captivating world beneath the surface in the Netherlands. 

Have you ever wondered how much of the ocean has been explored? The answer to this may dazzle you. Although humans have been around for nearly 200,000 years, we’ve only just scraped the surface of underwater exploration. With numbers varying slightly depending on which agency’s data you’re looking at, we’ve chartered and mapped roughly 20% of the ocean and have only physically seen or been to 5%.