THE YOUDIVE LIBRARY
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Practical guides, course comparisons and diving knowledge, with an Australian perspective.
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guide
Responsible Diving in Australian Marine Parks
A practical code for wildlife distance, anchoring, collecting, photography and local rules across protected Australian waters.
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guide
Underwater Photography Etiquette
How to make better images without damaging habitat, crowding wildlife or turning a group dive into a private photo session.
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Marine life
Marine-life observation notes: make sightings useful
Record marine-life encounters with clear identification confidence, habitat context and responsible location sharing rather than turning sightings into…
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WHAT’S NEXT
Topics in development
These guides are planned and are not available to read yet.
Identification foundations 10 planned
- How do I start identifying Australian marine life?In development
- How can I distinguish fish families underwater?In development
- How can I distinguish hard corals and soft corals?In development
- How can I distinguish seagrass, seaweed and kelp?In development
- What are sponges and ascidians?In development
- How can I distinguish nudibranchs from other sea slugs?In development
- How can I distinguish rays, skates and sharks?In development
- How should I record a marine-life sighting?In development
- How can I check a marine species name?In development
- How should I use photographs for species identification?In development
Turtles and larger animals 10 planned
- Which sea turtles occur in Australian waters?In development
- How can I distinguish green and hawksbill turtles?In development
- How can I recognise a loggerhead turtle?In development
- What should divers know about turtle feeding and resting behaviour?In development
- What should I know about Australian fur seals?In development
- How do Australian sea lions differ from fur seals?In development
- What should divers know about dugongs?In development
- What should I know about whale encounters on dive trips?In development
- How should I assess a dolphin-encounter operator?In development
- How do seasonal wildlife aggregations affect trip planning?In development
Sharks and rays 10 planned
- How can I recognise a grey nurse shark?In development
- How can I distinguish common wobbegong species?In development
- What should I know about Port Jackson sharks?In development
- How can I distinguish reef sharks in Australian waters?In development
- What should I know about whale sharks at Ningaloo?In development
- How do manta rays and other mobulid rays differ?In development
- How can I distinguish stingrays and eagle rays?In development
- What should I know about sharks and rays resting on the seabed?In development
- How should I assess shark-feeding and baited-dive information?In development
- How can divers contribute useful shark and ray sightings?In development
Smaller animals and photography 9 planned
- What should I know about leafy and weedy seadragons?In development
- How can I distinguish seahorses and pipefish?In development
- What should I know about giant cuttlefish aggregations?In development
- How can I distinguish octopuses, squid and cuttlefish?In development
- How can I recognise blue-ringed octopuses without disturbing them?In development
- What should I know about Australian nudibranch habitats?In development
- How can I identify common reef crustaceans?In development
- What should I know about anglerfish and camouflage?In development
- How can I observe nocturnal marine life responsibly?In development
Conservation 9 planned
- What is coral bleaching?In development
- Why do seagrass meadows matter?In development
- Why do temperate reefs and kelp forests need protection?In development
- How can divers reduce accidental habitat damage?In development
- How can I join an organised underwater clean-up?In development
- How can I contribute to marine citizen science?In development
- How should I report injured or entangled wildlife?In development
- How should I assess reef-restoration claims?In development
- How can I make a dive trip more environmentally responsible?In development