IANTD Indo-Pacific

Today is World Environment Day, but this is not a day for celebration; it is a call for urgent awareness. The reality captured in the image is not an isolated incident; it is a global emergency.

The statistics from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) paint a staggering picture of our oceans:

- Between 1950 and 2017, humanity produced an estimated 9,200 million tonnes of plastic—and approximately 7,000 million tonnes of that became waste.

- The volume of plastics currently in the ocean is estimated to be around 75 to 199 million tonnes.

- Every single year, 19 to 23 million tonnes of plastic waste leak into aquatic ecosystems, polluting our lakes, rivers, and seas.

- Without meaningful action, emissions of plastic waste into these ecosystems are projected to nearly triple by 2040.

Our training grants us exclusive access to the underwater world, but with that privilege comes the duty to protect it. It is time to turn our awareness into action and lead the charge in defending the environments we explore.

Tackling this crisis requires the same discipline we apply to our dives:

- Make every dive a cleanup dive: Carry a mesh bag and adapted cutting tools if possible; if not, because of challenges, make it a mission to bring at least one piece of debris on every dive if you see any.

- Audit your operations: Lead by example and try to completely eliminate single-use plastics from your boats, dive shops, and classrooms.

- Document the truth: Use your underwater time to photograph and report the pollution, forcing the unseen reality to the surface for the world to see.

The ocean is running out of time.

Dive with purpose. Protect with discipline.

Diving at Jogashima, in Kanagawa, Japan Jogashima is a tiny island located on the southern tip of Miura Pen...

Today, shellebrate with us World Turtle Day

For over 100 million years, sea turtles have navigated our oceans. As divers, encountering these graceful reptiles is always a privilege, but it also comes with the responsibility to protect them.

Here are a few incredible facts about the turtles we share the water with:

The Ultimate Deep Divers: The Leatherback sea turtle is a true technical diver, capable of reaching depths of up to 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) and holding its breath for over an hour.

Reef Guardians: Hawksbill turtles feed heavily on sea sponges. By doing so, they prevent sponges from overgrowing and suffocating coral reefs, keeping the ecosystem in balance.

Vital Grazers: Green sea turtles act as underwater lawnmowers. Their grazing keeps seagrass beds healthy and productive, which in turn stores carbon and serves as a nursery for countless fish species.

Despite surviving since the age of the dinosaurs, nearly all seven species of sea turtles are now classified as vulnerable or endangered. Their biggest threats—plastic pollution, entanglement in fishing gear, and habitat loss—are driven entirely by human activity.

Our Duty as Divers:

Keep your distance: Never chase, touch, or block a turtle’s path to the surface. Stress can be lethal to them.

Remove debris: Use your dive skills to carefully collect plastics and discarded fishing nets that pose severe entanglement risks.

Cut out single-use plastics on land: Sea turtles frequently mistake floating plastic bags for their favorite food—jellyfish.

Every time you enter the water, you are a guest in their home. Be an advocate for their survival.

Dive with purpose. Protect with discipline.

Today We Honor the International Day for Biological Diversity

Coral reefs cover just 1% of the ocean floor but hold 25% of all marine species. They boast evolutionary diversity unmatched anywhere on land, with 32 of Earth’s 33 major animal phyla found in the sea. Yet, with 66% of marine environments already altered by human actions, this underwater world is in crisis.

As divers, we are often the only observers of these fragile ecosystems, making us their frontline guardians. Protecting them requires discipline both below the surface and on land.

Underwater, we can protect these habitats by mastering our buoyancy to prevent reef strikes and maintaining a strict "look, don't touch" policy to protect corals and marine life. We can also minimize our impact by using reef-safe sunblocks or rash guards and actively removing marine debris during our dives.

Because the biggest threats originate on shore, our actions at home are just as critical. Lowering our plastic and carbon footprints to combat ocean acidification and advocating for expanded Marine Protected Areas.

Dive with purpose. Protect with discipline.

Important Reminder: IANTD Ethics Standard on Public Media

As IANTD professionals, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of discipline—not just in the water, but in how we conduct ourselves publicly.

In light of recent events, and specifically the case that is currently in the news everywhere across the diving community, we must issue a firm and timely reminder regarding the IANTD Ethics Standard for Electronic and Written Public Media.

While it is natural for the public to follow and discuss highly publicized incidents, as IANTD members, you are bound by a strict code of professional conduct. In the event of a dive emergency or tragedy, IANTD members are strictly prohibited from publicly discussing, criticizing, or releasing information regarding:

- Current or attempted rescues.
- Body recovery operations.

This applies to all forms of electronic, written, and social media. Sharing such information, offering public critiques of an ongoing operation, or posting details without explicit permission from appropriate law enforcement and the families of those involved is not just unprofessional; it is a direct violation of IANTD ethical standards.

Our public communications should always reflect positively on the dive community. During times of tragedy, our first duty is unwavering respect for the affected families and the integrity of the authorities involved. Speculation, criticism, and unauthorized sharing have no place in our organization.

Wrapping up a massive Sidemount Summit Malaysia 2026!
Here is what it looks like when you combine cutting-edge technology like the O'Dive by Azoth Systems with disciplined diving:

- 50+ new IANTD O’Dive Doppler Technicians certified.
- 460+ Doppler readings submitted and reviewed.
- 127 different dives executed and analyzed.
- 8 different countries represented by our divers.

A huge congratulations to everyone who put in the work to elevate their decompression safety.

We also took advantage of the unparalleled logistics and service at the IANTD facility, Uncle Chang's Sipadan Mabul Dive Lodge, to accomplish even more. We want to extend a special shoutout to Yann Poiré and Yuichi! They took the opportunity to cross over to the new M3S Neptun aCCR, officially earning their IANTD Neptun CCR ART certifications.

IANTD Indo-Pacific president Christian Heylen also ran several pool tryout sessions for the Neptun aCCR.

Beyond the water, the summit served as a premier platform for knowledge sharing. We had the privilege of attending incredible presentations from leaders across the technical diving community:

- IANTD ITs Roihan Han and Por Parasu Komaradat shared deep insights and lessons learned from their personal journeys through technical and cave diving.

- Maxime Cheminade delivered an inspiring presentation on photogrammetry, demonstrating that this powerful tool is accessible to any diver willing to put in the time and effort.

- Hans Peter Hartmann from (GoSidemount) walked us through the design and evolution of the Razor sidemount system.

- Frederic Swierczynski took us around the world with a fascinating breakdown of his extreme cave explorations.

- The Arex Team unveiled their groundbreaking HUD Mask, featuring a full dive computer with a display integrated directly into the mask glass.

- Raymond E. Ray gave us a look ahead, presenting the evolution and future of Garmin dive products.

Thank you to everyone who presented, attended, and made this event a success. See you at the next one!

Today is Endangered Species Day.

As divers, we regularly share the water with marine life most people will never see. You might have even crossed paths with one of these five species on a dive—but did you know just how close we are to losing them?

Hawksbill Sea Turtle: A frequent sight on tropical reefs, yet their global population has plummeted by over 80% due to the illegal tortoiseshell trade.

Angelshark: Once abundant across Europe's coasts, they have been wiped out from 90% of their historical range by bottom trawling. Today, the Canary Islands are one of their last remaining strongholds.

Giant Sea Bass: These massive residents of the Pacific kelp forests were hunted so heavily that their breeding population once dropped to roughly 500 individuals.

Sunflower Sea Star: Starting in 2013, a catastrophic wasting disease wiped out an estimated 90% of their global population—billions of individuals—in just a few years, fundamentally altering kelp ecosystems.

Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle: The rarest sea turtle on the planet. Unlike other species, they rely almost entirely on a single stretch of beach in Mexico for their survival.

Exploring the underwater world is an incredible privilege, but it comes with a definitive responsibility. True pioneers do not just explore new environments; they actively protect the ones we already know.

Dive with purpose. Protect with discipline.

Have you ever seen a critically endangered species while diving? Let us know in the comments below. 👇