The Autumn 2026 issue of DIVE Magazine (issue #43, themed 'Alternative Perspectives') is out, and its cover story makes a point of going where few dive writers bother: Topolobampo, in Mexico's Sinaloa state. Marine biologist and underwater photographer Bella Zandoná, based in Seattle, found a quiet fishing village with genuinely good diving and a healthy colony of sociable sea lions — a very different picture from the cartel-related headlines that usually define the region in the news.
The rest of the issue sticks closer to the Caribbean dive classics, but with fresh angles. Photographer Jenny Stock contributes two features: a guide to underwater wildlife photography that centres on not harassing your subjects (her argument: if you want contest-winning close-ups, charging in like, as the issue puts it, a flailing human torpedo won't get you there), and a liveaboard trip aboard the Roatan Aggressor through Honduras's Bay Islands, diving Roatán, Utila and the Cayos Cochinos.
Bonaire gets a look beyond its famous easy shore dives. Writer Rachel Plunkett explores the island's rougher east coast, a windward stretch far fewer divers see, which turns out to be an important habitat for Caribbean sea turtles. Mark 'Crowley' Russell files from Belize, reporting that the country's reefs are both in impressively good condition and actively protected — with Belizeans taking serious conservation steps to keep it that way.
There's more beyond the destination features. The issue includes an extract from Wild Orcas, a new book by Hanne Strager and Catherine DeNardo covering orca behaviour from apex hunting to communication, grief and a possible sense of humour. The winners of DIVE's Big Shot Man-Made underwater photo competition — mostly wrecks, plus some smaller-scale subjects — are printed in the magazine's art-quality gloss.
Practicalities if you want a copy: print runs are limited, and orders placed by Wednesday 23 September are guaranteed a copy. DIVE is running a £1 offer for a three-month print and digital subscription (normally £23.99 in the UK), which includes full content and more than 100 digital back issues; it renews at the standard annual price after three months, can be cancelled any time, and is available worldwide, though international shipping costs extra. A full one-year print-plus-digital subscription is also available.
Why it matters for travellers: if you're weighing up a Caribbean dive trip for late 2026 or 2027, this issue is essentially a scouting report. It covers four proven dive destinations with an eye on the less obvious corners — Sinaloa's sea lions, Bonaire's east coast, Belize's reef health — plus gear-adjacent advice on photographing marine life responsibly, which is worth reading before any dive holiday where the temptation to get close to a turtle wins out over common sense.