DiveHive for diversFeaturesSpecies and ocean data
Free for diversKnow what you might see, and what the water is doing.
A species guide built from open sources, sightings from real dives, and conditions and ocean forecasts for the site and the day. Everything is labelled for what it is, and your guide still makes the call.
From the guide to the water.
Four steps, from a curious look to a better briefing.
- Browse the species guide
Search by name, group, depth, season or site, and open a page for each animal.
- See what divers saw
Sightings from guides’ dive logs appear on site pages, so you know what was seen there lately.
- Check the day
Weather, sea, tides and ocean forecasts for the site and the time of your trip, each labelled as a forecast.
- Help the science, if you like
Share your observations as anonymous totals, only when you have said yes.
Species guide
A species guide you can search and trust.
Find an animal by name or by how you met it, and read where the facts come from.
- Search the way you remember it. Browse by group, family and genus, or filter by depth, water temperature, season, how common it is and where it was seen.
- A page for each species. Classification, other names, names in your language, a short description, depth and temperature ranges, and the months it is seen.
- Photos with credit. Photos from openly licensed observations, each with its author and licence shown. Nothing is used without a licence that allows it.
- Sources named on the page. Taxonomy and names from WoRMS, ranges and records from OBIS and GBIF, descriptions from Wikipedia with credit and a link, and sightings from DiveHive dives.
Sites and sightings
What was seen at a site, and when.
Dive logs add up to a picture of each site, so you can plan around what you hope to find.
- Seen recently. A site page can show that a species was seen a few days ago, taken from the logs of guides who dived there.
- Site pages that grow. Depth, difficulty, access, hazards, typical current and highlights, kept up to date by the shops that dive there.
- Typical conditions by month. With enough reports, a site shows what divers usually log for each month, and a marine-life calendar. With fewer reports it shows the written description instead.
- Anonymous, never attributed. The figures come from many dives together. They never show who logged a dive or which shop it came from.
Conditions and storms
The day at the site, before you go.
Weather, sea and tides for the place and the time of your trip, with a clear flag when something needs a second look.
- Weather and sea. Wind, rain, waves, swell, sea temperature and currents for the site, marked as indicative. They are fetched for the day, not stored on the site.
- Tides and daylight. Tide times for the site, plus sunrise, sunset and the moon in local time.
- Storm warnings on your trip. When an official warning covers the area, your trip is flagged with a link to the bulletin. Your shop decides what happens next.
- Nothing cancels itself. A warning never cancels a trip. The shop checks, decides and tells you.
Ocean data
What the water is doing, and a way to help.
Ocean forecasts are free for divers. They are guidance for your own planning and never a rule.
- Temperature at depth. The forecast temperature where you will be, and where the thermocline sits, with a wetsuit hint such as “most divers wear…”.
- A visibility band. Good, fair or poor rather than a number, checked against what divers logged at the site lately. Without recent reports it says so instead of guessing.
- Labelled as guidance. Every ocean figure says it is a forecast from E.U. Copernicus Marine Service data, and to follow your guide and shop. Sources and datasets are credited on an attribution page.
- Science, with your consent. If you choose, observations from your dives can help reef research as anonymous totals. You can say no or change your mind.
Honest about what we know.
Conditions and ocean figures are guidance, labelled as such. Conditions underwater can differ.
Warnings flag a trip and never cancel it. The guide and the shop make the call on the day.
Species data, photos and ocean figures name where they come from, and photos show their author and licence.
Anything that goes to science is your choice, and it leaves DiveHive as anonymous totals.
Everything in species and ocean data.
Each feature in a line or two, grouped by what you want to know.
Species guide
- Search and browseBy group, family and genus, or by depth, water temperature, season, how common it is and where it was seen.
- Species pagesClassification, other names, names in your language, a description, depth and temperature ranges and the months it is seen.
- Maps and chartsWhere in the world a species has been recorded, where near you it was seen, and its best months.
- Photos with author and licenceAn openly licensed photo gallery, each photo credited. Nothing without a licence that allows it.
- Sources on every pageWoRMS, OBIS, GBIF, Wikipedia summaries with credit and a link, and sightings from DiveHive dives.
Sites and sightings
- Seen at this siteSpecies sightings from guides’ logs, shown with how recently they were seen.
- Site pagesDepth, difficulty, access, hazards, typical current and highlights for dive sites around the world.
- Typical conditions by monthWhat divers usually log at a site, shown once enough reports exist, with the written description before that.
- Marine-life calendarWhich species show up in which months at a site, from the dives logged there.
Conditions and safety
- Weather and seaWind, rain, waves, swell, sea temperature and currents, marked as indicative.
- Tides, sun and moonTide times for the site and daylight in local time.
- On your tripConditions for the time and site of each trip, in the trip itself.
- Storm warningsTrips in an affected area are flagged with a link to the official bulletin. Nothing is cancelled automatically.
- Your unitsTemperatures, depths and speeds in the units you chose.
Ocean data and science
- Temperature at depthThe forecast at your planned depth and the thermocline, with a wetsuit hint based on your own comfort when you set it.
- Visibility bandGood, fair or poor, checked against recent dive logs, or a plain note when there is no recent data.
- Currents and wavesA forecast cross-check for the day, labelled as guidance.
- Reef health and conservationReef health on site pages, and a gentle prompt now and then to note what you saw. Not during booking or check-in, and you can switch it off.
- Share for scienceOpt in to share anonymous totals. Nothing identifies you, your shop or your companions.
More for your trips.
Species and ocean data are one part of one free account. These are the others.
Questions about species and ocean data
More in the diver FAQ.
Where does the species data come from?
Names and classification from WoRMS, depth and temperature ranges and records from OBIS and GBIF, descriptions from Wikipedia with credit and a link, photos with an open licence, and sightings from DiveHive dives. Each page names its sources.
Can I use the photos?
Each photo shows its author and licence, and that licence is what applies. Check it before you reuse a photo.
How reliable are the ocean figures?
They are forecasts, labelled as guidance, and they are not a promise of what you will find. Conditions can differ at depth and on the day, so always follow your guide and your shop.
Will a storm warning cancel my trip?
No. A warning flags the trip and links to the official bulletin. Your shop decides whether the trip goes ahead and tells you.
What is shared with science, and who sees it?
Only what you agree to share, and only as anonymous totals. It never names you, your shop or your companions. You can change your mind at any time.
Does it cost anything?
Species data, conditions and ocean forecasts are part of the free diver account.