Perfect Diver Magazine 18 issue

1. COMMUNICATION

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2. COMMUNICATION + VIDEO

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TWOJCIECH ZGOŁA Editor-in-Chief

he weather is getting colder. Some are happy about it; others are waiting for spring to come or are flying off to warmer places. The summer holidays have become a memory, so I encourage you to admire the cover made by Mariusz Czajka, because it is fantastic, and to look deeper into the text about Croatia by Michal Štros.

And that's just the beginning of our virtual dive into the last issue of Perfect Diver Magazine this year.

We have not written about the Sea of Cortés before. The topic is brought closer to you by Katarzyna Cieślawska, and the whole text is enriched by beautiful, as it is in our editions, photographs.

We do not run away from difficult subjects. From the very beginning, we have been concerned about Planet Earth. Inside, you will find a powerful and substantive text by Prof. Hanna Mamzer on the ritual slaughter of the long-finned pilot whales...

You will find an amazing article by Agata Turowicz-Cybula about sharks in the Baltic Sea, and in our interview, Laura Kazi asks Siân Williams about turtles... Please note the fantastic pictures by Karola Takes Photos.

I can't reveal everything, but there is also a summary of the Clean up the World, and at the very end, as it is already customary in our magazine, we have a very practical article about diving torches. Wojtek A. Filip asks if power is the most important.

In your hands lies another quality issue of the Perfect Diver Magazine. We close the year 2021 and look forward to 2022. What will it bring to the world, to our planet, to ourselves?

I wish you a wonderful and peaceful Christmas. And in the New Year, make all your dreams come true.

Zgoła Mateusz Popek

Bartosz Pszczółkowski

Hubert Reiss

Agnieszka Gumiela-Pająkowska Arleta Kaźmierczak

Reddo Translations Sp. z o.o. Piotr Witek

Lawyer Joanna Wajsnis Brygida Jackowiak-Rydzak

WOJCIECH ZGOŁA

He often repeats that he travels by diving and that is his motto. In 1985 he obtained a yacht sailor's license, and only in 2006 began to dive. In the following years he improved his skills by obtaining the Dive Master degree. He completed nearly 650 dives in various climatic conditions. Since 2007, he has been taking photographs underwater, and since 2008 he has also been filming. As an independent journalist, he published dozens of articles, mainly in journals dedicated to diving, but not only. Co-author of photo exhibitions in Poland and abroad. He is passionate about and propagator of diving. Since 2008 he has been running his own website www.dive-adventure.eu. On the basis of extensive experience, in August 2018 he created the new Perfect Diver Magazine

”My passion, work and life are under water.” He has been diving since 2009. Since 2008, he's walking in caves. Underwater archeologist by education. He participated in numerous projects in Poland and abroad. He has been engaged in professional diving since 2011. In 2013 he obtained the qualifications of a 2nd class diver. Has experience in underwater work both at sea and inland. Since 2013 he has been diving in caves, especially in the mountains, and since 2014 he is a diving instructor CMAS M1. In June 2020, he obtained a doctoral degree in underwater archeology.

An IT specialist by profession, but a flesh and blood salesman who is not afraid of any job. Diving has always been my big dream. At the beginning it was supposed to be a challenge, a short episode but it turned out to be a passion for the end of the world and one day longer. Under water I react and rest. As a Divemaster, sidemount Razor diver, and recently also a photographer, I realize my dreams by admiring and immortalizing the beauty of the underwater world. "Passion breeds professionalism, professionalism gives quality, and quality is a luxury in life. Nowadays, especially..."

That's my name and I come from Poznań. I have been associated with water practically from birth and with diving since I learned to walk. My grandfather instilled my passion for the underwater world, a CMAS*** instructor taking me to the lakes at any free time. I obtained my first qualifications in 1996. A year later I went to Croatia and literally went crazy at the sight of blue water, octopus and colorful fish;) I bought my first underwater camera – Olympus 5060 and started the adventure with underwater photography. I acquired my diving experience in the Canary Islands, Sardinia, Norway, Maldives and in Polish lakes. I am currently a Padi and ESA instructor, I train diving enthusiasts in Europe and pass my passion on to others.

I invite all lovers of the underwater world and photography to Beediver (FB) – see you soon.

MATEUSZ POPEK

BARTOSZ PSZCZÓŁKOWSKI

HUBERT REISS

Has more than 8000 dives on his account. He has been diving for over 30 years, including over 20 years as a technical diver. He is a professional with great theoretical and practical knowledge. He is an instructor of many federations: GUE Instructor Mentor, CMAS**, IANTD nTMX, IDCS PADI, EFR, TMX Gas Blender. He participated in many diving projects and conferences as a leader, explorer, originator or lecturer. These included the Britannic Expedition 2016, Morpheus Cave Scientific Project on Croatia caves, GROM Expedition in Narvik, Tuna Mine Deep Dive, Glavas Cave in Croatia, NOA-MARINE. Professionally, he is a technical director at TecLine in Scubatech, and a director of training at TecLine Academy.

Karolina Sztaba, and professionally Karola Takes Photos, is a photographer by education and passion. She is currently working at the Trawangan Dive Center on a tiny island in Indonesia – Gili Trawangan, where she moved to live four years ago. She photographs above and below the water. In addition, she creates photographic projects against littering the oceans and polluting our planet with plastic ("Trapped", "Trashion"). She cooperates with NBO organizations dealing with environmental protection and actively participates in pro-ecological actions (coral protection, coral planting, cleaning the world, protection of endangered species). She is also the official photographer of Ocean Mimic – a brand that creates swimwear and surfwear from rubbish collected on the beaches of Bali. She cooperated with many brands of diving equipment for which she created advertising campaigns. In 2019, she became the ambassador of the Polish company Tecline. She has been a technical diver for two years.

A graduate of Geography faculty at the University of Wrocław and an incurable optimist… with a permanent smile on her lips! It was probably Destiny that led her to Activtour… and she's been here on permanent basis. She passionately fulfils the dreams of many, organizing diving trips around the world, and she has already been diving for more than half of her life. Each year she explores a different ‘piece of the ocean’, pinning another pin to her diving world map. In winter she changes fins into her beloved skis and gets away into the Alps. A recipe for life? ”The only a dead trunk flows with the current – the explorer's canoe flows up the river!” anna@activtour.pl activtour.pl; travel.activtour.pl; 2bieguny.com

Polish photographer, winner of awards and distinctions in world underwater photography competitions, has already dived all over the world: with sharks and whales in South Africa, with orcs behind the Arctic Circle, on Galapagos with hundreds of hammerhead sharks and humpback whales in the Tonga Islands. He participates in specialist photographic workshops. He has been diving for 27 years, he started at the age of 12 – as soon as it was formally possible. He was the first in the world to use the Hasselblad X1d-50c camera for underwater macro photography. Recently, in the remote Chincorro archipelago on the border between Mexico and Belize, he did it again, taking a successful attempt to photograph the eye of a crocodile with a macro lens with an additional magnifying lens, which is the world's largest photo of the crocodile's eye living in the wild (in terms of pixel count, print size, quality).

A traveller and a photographer of wild nature. A graduate of journalism and a lover of good literature. She lives in harmony with nature, promotes a healthy lifestyle: she is a yogini and a vegetarian. Also engaged in ecological projects. Sharks and their protection are especially close to her heart. She writes about the subject in numerous articles and on her blog www.divingandtravel.pl. She began her adventure with diving fifteen years ago by total coincidence. Today she is a Divemaster, she visited over 60 countries and dived on 5 continents. She invites us for a joint journey with the travel agency www.dive-away.pl, of which she is a co-founder.

"Wet photos" – He has photographed since he remembers. After several years of experience as a diver, he wanted to keep memories of underwater dives. He bought his first compact camera with an underwater housing. Over time, however, the desire to have the best photo began to dominate, which was not quite possible with the compact he used. That's why he switched to the Olympus PEN E-PL 5 reflex camera, which allows the use of several different lenses. He uses a combination of underwater flashes and lights. He focuses on wildlife photography, not arrangement. He photographs in fresh domestic waters as well as in the seas and oceans of the world.

He has already won numerous awards at Czech and foreign photography competitions. More photos can be found on his website, where you can also buy them not only as photos, but also as photos printed on canvas or on another medium. www.mokrefotky.cz www.facebook.com/MichalCernyPhotography www.instagram.com/michalcerny_photography/

WOJCIECH A. FILIP

SYLWIA KOSMALSKA-JURIEWICZ

ANNA SOŁODUCHA

KAROLA TAKES PHOTOS

MICHAL ČERNÝ

JAKUB DEGEE

A graduate of two Poznan universities, the Academy of Physical Education (coaching specialization – handball) and the University of A.Mickiewicz, Faculty of Biology (specialty of experimental biology). He connected his professional life with this first university trying to influence the direction of development of future professionals on the one hand, and on the other planning and implementing research, pushing laboriously in the right direction of the stroller called science. In his free time he spends his time actively – his main passions are sailing (sea helmsman), skiing (downhill skiing instructor), riding a motorcycle, recreational diving and many other activities, as well as photography, mainly nature.

Since I was a child, I had dreamed of becoming a marine biologist and I managed to fulfill that dream. I did a degree in oceanography, where I recently started my doctoral studies. My diving adventure began when I was 12 years old. I love observing the underwater life up close and I try to show other divers how fascinating the underwater, Baltic creatures are.

”I can't imagine living without water, where in a free body I experience freedom of the spirit.”

• founder of the first freediving and swimming school in Poland – FREEBODY,

• Apnea Academia International and PADI Master Freediver freediving instructor,

• world record holder in freediving (DYN 253 m),

• record holder and Polish champion, member of the national team in freediving 2013–2019,

• winner of the World Championships in freediving 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2018,

• multimedalist of the Polish Championships and a member of the national team in swimming in the years 1998–2003,

• passionate about freediving and swimming.

A traveler, photographer and the underwater world filmmaker, an Asian cuisine enthusiast and a PADI diving instructor. He visited over 70 countries and dived on 5 continents (the other two are planned for next year's expeditions). For several years he has also been an instructor and trainer of the unmanned aircraft flights. A co-author of a travel agency for divers www.dive-away.pl. He documents his expeditions with photos and descriptions of his journeys on his blog www.divingandtravel.pl

Laura Kazimierska is currently working as PADI Course Director at TrawanganDive Center on the Indonesian island of Gili Trawangan. Founder of the Divemastergilis portal. www.divemastergilis.com @divemastergilis For over 7 years she has lived and discovered the underwater world of Indonesia. She is not only an avid technical diver, but also the face of the Planet Heroes platform and the ambassador of the Ocean Mimic brand. She actively contributes to the promotion of the protection of corals and the natural environment of fish and marine animals by taking part in scientific projects, campaigns against ocean littering and cooperating with NGOs in Indonesia.

@laura_kazi

Regional Manager Divers Alert Network Polska, diving and first aid instructor, technical diver and cave diver. In love with all flooded, dark, cold, tight places and invariably from the beginning of the diving route – in the Baltic. Implementing the DAN mission, he conducts a series of lectures ”Dive safely” and Diving Safety Laboratory, so field research of divers for scientific purposes.

IRENA KOSOWSKA

AGATA TUROWICZ-CYBULA

AGNIESZKA KALSKA

WOJCIECH JAROSZ

LAURA KAZIMIERSKA

ADRIAN JURIEWICZ

MA in tourism and economics. She dives from the cradle, she grew up in diving camps. She managed to combine her professional work with a great passion for diving and travel – for over 10 years she has been running the diving travel agency Activtour.pl, which deals with professional organization of diving trips around the world (also in the Arctic areas: to Antarctica and the Arctic).

More information at: www.activtour.pl www.activtour24.pl www.safari-nurkowe.pl

The author is biologist by profession, involved in cancer research at the Czech Academy of Sciences in Brno. His profession enabled him to travel around the globe and to visit places which are also regarded as the best dive sites. Underwater photography became a part of his life since he dove the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. His ”pet“ is Canon 80D (Ikelite housing, ”fish eye“, 60 mm and 100mm macro lenses, Subsee diopters and snoot RETRA), as well as the Photoshop editing software. He received an “Honorary Mention” on one of the most the prestigious underwater photo contest, Ocean Art 2020 (Underwater Art). Some of his underwater photos are processed by creative tools, by combination of underwater photography and digital software to create captivating – sometime even surrealist – images.

His photos are regularly published in scuba diving magazines and presented at exhibitions. He believes that exhibiting of underwater photos to the public could increase social awareness towards marine conservation. More underwater photos, as well as information about the author, are to be found on his website http://michalstros.cz

He has always been fascinated by the underwater world, and from the very beginning of his diving journey, he has been associated with the wrecks of the Baltic Sea. Currently, he has completed several thousand dives in various places around the world. He dives mainly technically, wreck and cave. Fascinated by rebreathers and underwater photography. Tomek is an Instructor Trainer, rebreather, technical, wreck and sidemount instructor in several training organizations. For over 10 years, he has been sharing his knowledge with others, focusing on high quality training. Founder of the 4baltic Association, owner of Deepbusters and Wreckbusters. www.4baltic.pl www.deepbusters.pl www.wreckbusters.pl www.facebook.com/tomekramutkowskitechnical

KATARZYNA CIEŚLAWSKA

MICHAL ŠTROS

TOMEK RAMUTKOWSKI

HANNA MAMZER

Professor at the Department of Sociology, Adam Mickiewicz University. A psychologist, sociologist, and forensic expert in animal welfare, dog ethology, and human-dog relations. She initiated the creation of the Inter-species Relations Section in the Polish Sociological Association. Member of the Local Ethics Committee for Animal Testing. A twotime scholarship holder of the Fulbright Foundation, British Council, Leibniz Institute for Regional Development and Structural Planning in Erkner (Germany), Central European University in Budapest, European University Institute in Florence, Stefan Batory Foundation, the winner of Polityka magazine scholarship campaign, and numerous awards and distinctions. Multiple participant of Socrates Erasmus and Socrates Erasmus Mundus

programmes. She lectures in Poland and abroad and has extensive international cooperation with the United States of America. She works towards understanding animal needs and promoting animal welfare in human social practice. In her academic work, she pays great attention to making interdisciplinary connections between different scientific fields in order to integrate activities and information that promote an understanding-based approach to human-nonhuman relationships. She collaborates with law enforcement agencies in Animal Welfare Act investigations. She also works with non-governmental organisations, local authorities, and homeless animal shelters. She runs a temporary home for anxious, withdrawn, and distrustful dogs.

In the Foundation, he is the commander-in-chief of the Clean up the World – Poland Action and manages the works of strategic projects. Grzegorz realizes himself creatively in ideas for new campaigns and methods of promotion as part of the Foundation's Clean Up the World – Poland and Eco-education programs. Arranges strategies and coordinates the work so that everything goes according to plan. During off-road activities, he wears yellow gloves and naturally carries kilograms of waste. He often takes the helm of the foundation's Facebook and Instagram profile to talk about what we can do together for our immediate surroundings. In his free time, he sails, runs and traverses mountain trails.

A graduate of the Faculty of IT Management and Finance at the University of Economics in Wrocław and the Faculty of Journalism and Social Communication of the University of Lower Silesia in Wrocław. Certified specialist in the field of obtaining EU funds and communication on the Internet.

GRZEGORZ MIKOSZA

Underwater Croatia

After many years of traveling to remote and exotic destinations, together with a friend of mine, we decided to head to the nearby Croatia for a couple of days, visiting the Murter island and Kornati National Park.

For Europeans, Croatia is one of those countries with sea access where you don’t need to go by plane. Besides, remote exotic destinations won’t do for an extended weekend or even a week of vacation. I must admit that after diving in Egypt, in the Caribbean, in Indonesia, Australia and other remote locations, I wasn’t expecting much from the Adriatic in terms of diversity of its underwater life. All the more was I surprised by the abundance of sea flora

Text and photos MICHAL ŠTROS

Orange sponges on the walls of the headland Kaprije

and fauna off Murter island and in the Kornati National Park. We took off for Croatia with our car packed with diving gear, thick neoprene suits, underwater cameras, food and a case of bottled beer. The way to the little coastal town of Tisno (on Murter island), driving on almost empty highways, took us about 10 hours. “Tramonto” (Tisno/Murter) and “Just Dive –Croatia” (Biograd na Moru) were our diving bases in Croatia. In order not to have to drag bulky diving gear around, we

found accommodation a couple of minutes walk from each of our bases.

DIVING OFF MURTER ISLAND

There are plenty of diving sites around Murter island – lots of shipwrecks, brightly colored gorgonians, corals, sponges and large schools of fish which are a magnet for recreational and technical divers. As most dives in this area exceed 20 meters of depth, you need to be licensed to dive up to 30 meters, e.g. AOWD or CMAS P2. It is also a good idea to dive with nitrox (a license is absolutely required). Apart from a few exceptions, there was no instructor to accompany us when descending but – as it turned out – this is normal in Croatia. Before each dive there was always a detailed “briefing”, allowing us to quickly find our way around underwater. The currents weren’t too strong, so that I could focus entirely on photography. There are several shipwrecks near the Murter island, but our attention was drawn by the German bomber Junkers 87 R-2 (Stuka) from the Second World War.

Zadar

Šibenik KORNATI NATIONAL PARK

MURTER

Diving boat in the bay of Tisno

JUNKERS 87 R-2 (STUKA) BOMBER

In the autumn of 2014, near the Croatian island Zirje, fishermen accidentally found a wreck of a German bomber Junkers 87 R-2. This is a single engine machine from the Second World War period, with detachable wings, fixed undercarriage and a two-man crew (a pilot and a gunman). During the war, the bomber was widely known as “Stuka” which is an abbreviation for German “Sturzkampfbomber”, a diving bomber, which refrs to its flight path during bombing. The main Stuka strategy was to quickly climb above the target, then approach it headfirst and drop bombs from a height of approximately 450 meters. Most Stuka bombers were fitted with so-called “Jericho trumpet” emitting a characteristic siren sound that induced dread and panic among the civilians and the Ally troops. The wreck of the Junkers 87 R-2 bomber sits at a depth of 28 meters, on a sandy seabed, surrounded by grass. The machine is well preserved and looks like it has just smoothly landed. Only the cockpit dome and the engine are missing, which most probably were torn away upon

hitting the seabed. The discovery of a Stuka bomber in such a well-preserved condition is remarkable, as out of the 6000 machines manufactured, only 3 have remained all over the world.

According to historians, on 12 April 1941 three Stuka Ju 87 R-2 bombers piloted by Italians were attacked by two Yugoslavian war ships going near Šibenik. They managed to shoot down two of the machines. One of them is the already mentioned wreck. Nothing is known about the pilots’ fate but it is assumed they survived. The wreck was made available for diving amateurs in April 2015 but only diving with licensed diving centers is allowed here. Approaching the plane wreck with a diving boat takes about 70 minutes. The site, where the wreck lies, is not marked in any way so that unauthorized persons can’t access it easily. A couple of floating plastic buoys is attached to an anchor cable. Although we noticed a stronger current when disembarking the boat, the attached rope led us safely to the wreck which we could see already at 15 meters of depth.

Wreck of the German dive bomber Junkers 87 Stuka

DIVING SITES NEAR MURTER ISLAND

Most sites around Murter island can be reached with a Zodiac within 30 minutes. Lesser-known locations in that area include Kukuljari, Kaprije, Kablinac and, a bit more remote, Zirje island.

Kukuljari (also known as Kukuljar) is a small rocky island with a lighthouse, located near Murter. The island stands out only three meters above the sea surface and is flat, with slopes so steep that they are impossible to climb. On the west side, it is shallow and the seabed covered with grass descends gently. This is the place where the diving boat is usually moored. At first, you descend with a rope along sandy terraces to the depth of 20–30 meters where the last terrace ends and a vertical wall begins, descending straight down to the sandy seabed at 45 meters. There are numerous cracks along the wall, where plenty sea creatures find their refuge. In shallow waters, you may find coral, yellow, orange and dark-brown sponge, and winnowed anemones. If you watch the life on

the seabed closely, you will surely notice Ringneck blenny (Parablennius pilicornis), and in the vegetation cover or near yellow sponges beautifully colored nudibranch. Apart from other fish species, on the seabed you may notice schools of Dreamfish (Sarpa salpa) with their characteristic stripes along their bodies. Eating this fish evokes strong hallucinations in humans, which is why the Romans called it a “fish that makes dreams”. In shallow waters, you may also spot octopuses hidden among the rocks.

The ”Kaprije point” is a site where a wall with two terraces begins. Its first edge lies at 8–12 meters and is densely covered with sea grass. The terrace gradually descends to 20 meters. The second edge reaches about 30 meters of depth and is covered with sponge. The wall is a shelter for rock lobsters and octopuses. It is incredibly colorful, with orange and dark-brown sponges here and there, colorful corals, anemones and red starfish Echinaster sepositus. Eye-catching coloring is the feature of a 15 mm sea slug Thuridilla hopei

Ringneck blenny (Parablennius pilicornis) in deterrence posture

A sea slug Thuridilla hopei feeding on yellow sponges

White-tufted worms dancing in the current

– one of the common species in the Mediterranean Sea. It feeds on algae that it uses for sourcing active chloroplasts, obtaining additional feed through photosynthesis. Despite its acidic secretion and bright colors to scare away any predators, it is a favorite delicacy of the tube hermit crab. There are also beautiful, creamy white in color tentacles of the white-tufted worms (Protula tubularia) which look like “feathers” with regular spots up each tentacle. The wall descends vertically to the very bottom at a depth of 50–55 meters. In Croatia, it is quite common underwater to spot a Bearded fireworm (Hermodice carunculata), measuring about 15cm. Their rich coloring warns potential enemies against excessive intrusion. The fireworm moves with ease, and its body is covered with bristles that are empty inside and contain venom. You shouldn’t touch them, as stuck bristles cause burning and swelling of the skin. It is not without a reason that these marine bristleworms are referred to as „fireworms”.

Another diving site near Murter island is Kablinac. This is a tiny point at the North of Maly Tetovinjak island. The sea is shallow between Kablinac and Maly Tetovinjak, reaching as little as 10 meters in the deepest place. Meeting an octopus in this area is quite common. Shallow sea and schools of colorful fish make it a perfect snorkeling location. The rocky point descends to 25 meters of depth and then steeply falls to 55 meters on a sandy seabed covered with grass. You may spot lobsters hiding in the cracks of the vertical wall covered with orange sponges and red sea fans, beautifully contrasting with the blue of the sea. In order to appreciate their stunning colors, you need a good flashlight.

DIVING IN KORNATI NATIONAL PARK

During our stay in Croatia, almost everyday we went for two dives and returned either early in the afternoon (Tisno/Murter) or late in the afternoon. If we still had time after diving

Bearded fireworms on a gorgonian

Close-up of a bearded fireworm

Red starfish "under microscope" travels

Long-snouted seahorse with luxuriant "mane"

Long-snouted seahorse and seagrass

An aeolid nudibranch Cratena peregrina

on Murter, we went to the nearby Vodica or Šibenik. Both resorts attract with their unique charm of port towns. Šibenik is also famous for romantic walks along moored sailing vessels and loads of cafes and restaurants along the embankment. The nearby downtown may offer you the history of the town and lots of tourist attractions. After diving in Kornati National Park we hadn’t much time left, so in the evenings we usually took a walk on the town of Biograd na Moru embankment, looking at the see and boats passing by or wandering through the streets, and absorbing the atmosphere of a coastal resort.

During diving in diverse locations within Kornati National Park (near Balun and Borovnic islands) we had several occasions to admire long-snouted seahorses (Hippocampus guttulatus) which belong to the most charismatic sea creatures. During the day, the seahorses were camouflaged in the grass and, and if they had to move, they were very slow and they did it rath-

er reluctantly. Not far away from this place, I took a picture of an aeolid nudibranch Cratena peregrina with beautifully colored outgrowths called cerata, waving in the water. From time to time, we could also see other nudibranch species, but compared to other well-known locations for macrophotography, their presence and diversity in Croatia is rather poor. Nevertheless, through my camera viewfinder I managed to spot plenty of tiny sea critters, and observing their “everyday” life was a remarkable experience for me. Kornati National Park delights not only with its rich and diverse underwater life forms – their limestone and slate islands are a paradise for sailors. On the Kornati National Park islands there are no rivers or sources of fresh water, therefore they are uninhabited for most part of the year. The beauty of Kornati is best captured in the quotation from Bernard Shaw: “On the last day of Creation God desired to crown His work, and thus created the Kornati islands out of tears, stars and breath.”

Technically … the best.

Hollis gear stands up to any condition. So, how deep will you go?

www.nurkowanie-ecn.pl

Sunset in Biograd na Moru

Vámonos! The Sea of Córtes…

Text KATARZYNA CIEŚLAWSKA

Wnora and the Gulf of California, places that are not as famous as the Mexican Yucatán Peninsula or the Revillagigedo Archipelago, with its legendary dive sites around the islands, including Socorro. Nevertheless, whoever has been there and had the opportunity to dive in Sonora will probably share my opinion about how unusual and charming this place is!

The Gulf of California, also called The Sea of Cortés, has so much to offer to scuba divers that it will work up the appetite of many of you – especially underwater photographers! If we summarised all the attractions that await us here, I think that they would be:

f an amazing marine life, f exoticism, one of the last strongholds missed by mass tourism,

a secluded archipelago of islands, around which there are only two or three dive boats,

f magnificent walls covered with black coral forests,

f home of hundreds, if not thousands, of sea lions that accompany during dives, showing their charm to our camaras' lenses,

f a meeting place for whale sharks, dolphins and even cetaceans (if you're lucky),

f an amazing macro world with the most popular: jawfish, blennies, nudibranchs,

f or by contrast, huge shoals of trevallers, sardines, tunas, barracudas and even devil fish...

In a word, a place that works up an appetite for an underwater adventure! There is a reason the Sea of Cortés is on the UNESCO World Heritage List... The only one like that, unique, inconspicuous...! It is squeezed between the mainland and the

Photo Mirek Gołaś Post-production Grzegorz Kajstura

Photo Katarzyna Cieślawska, activtour.pl

Photo Katarzyna Cieślawska, activtour.pl

Photo Katarzyna Cieślawska, activtour.pl

Sonora GULF OF CALIFORNIA Mexico

Baja California Peninsula, a world-famous dive site. Jacques Cousteau called the Sea of Cortés the "aquarium of the world", because over 600 species of animals live in it, ranging from representatives of the macro world: cute seahorses, groupers, anglers, nudibranchs; to numerous colonies of larger representatives of the fauna: Californian sea lions, dolphins, devil fish, sperm whales, fin whales, whale sharks, sharks and pilot whales. The Gulf of California is a real delicacy that opens up to diving safari boats only 3 months a year.

In the summer months, where the largest Mexican desert, the Great Altar, lushly decorated with cacti meets the sea, it attracts the attention of diving enthusiasts from all over the world. The northern area of the Cortes Sea, called the Midriff Islands, consisting of a system of islands, pinnacles, and islets, becomes accessible to visitors thanks to the period of windless weather and slightly undulating water. At the northern end of the coast there is a small port town of Puerto Penasco, where we boarded our dive boat. The easiest way to get here is from the airport in Phoenix in the USA – approx. 2 hours drive or from the airport in Hermosillo in Mexico – approx. 5 hours drive.

The Sea of Cortés is a breathtaking destination on the diving travel map, especially for fans of underwater photography and filming. The water temperature in the summer months ranges

Photo Andrzej Misiuk

Photo Katarzyna Cieślawska, activtour.pl

Photo Mirek Gołaś, Post-production Grzegorz Kajstura

from 28 ° C to 29 ° C, the thermocline is a rare phenomenon, and the visibility we can count on reaches an average of 20–30 meters. During the entire trip, the exception was 1–2 dives with cooler water reaching a temperature of 25 ° C and visibility below 5 meters. With three to four immersions a day, we will have the greatest thermal comfort in a 4–5 mm thick foam, and for those who are cold, I recommend that you pack insulation. The vast majority of dives are calm and do not pose any major problems even to beginner divers. The adopted limit of the depth ranged most often between 20 and 30 meters, the impetuous currents and tides occured maybe several times.

We set off for our adventure on board on an extremely comfortable boat M / Y Rocio del Mar, dedicated to divers. It is an extremely spacious vessel, enriched with a rare system of side floats – ensuring stabilisation during waves, significantly improving the comfort of the cruise. The daily diving schedule filled our time from dawn to dusk, because every day we were at least three or four times underwater. Between the dives, it was a real pleasure to snorkel among colonies of sea lions, being interrupted from time to time by jelous males sending us clear signals that they do not want our company and interaction with their harem friends...

A weekly cruise away from civilisation and GSM network coverage, the lack of the company of other boats, allowed

Photo Mirek Gołaś, Post-production Grzegorz Kajstura

Photo Mirek Gołaś, Post-production Grzegorz Kajstura

Photo Mirek Gołaś Post-production Grzegorz Kajstura

us to immerse ourselves in the beauty of this place, feel the desert climate of the surrounding islands and of the animals inhabiting them. For a moment we moved to a world where birds, sea lions, whales, devil fich reign... a place where cacti look nostalgically from the sun-burnt slopes of the mountains. It is where the inky blue water invites you to the wonderful underwater world in which we set off on board of zodiacs, called by the local "pangas", visiting the greatest attractions of the Midriff Islands route.

Angel Island

This was the first destination on our diving safari route – approximately 12 hours cruise from the port in Puerto Penasco. It was here that we first met numerous colonies of Californian sea lions, we dived near the walls thickly covered with black coral and we discovered funny representatives of the macro world. Midsummer is the peak of the breeding season for many fish species around Angel Island. We were hypnotised by the habits and antics of the inhabitants of the bottom zone: fine-spotted jawfish looking out from their pits with wide

mouths full of eggs (as typical of the species, males incubate eggs in their mouths), many varieties of richly shaped blennies or colonies of many varieties of nudibranchs – shimmering oranges, beiges, violets...

Isla San Pedro Martur

A small, uninhabited island located in the central part of the Cortes Sea. The surrounding peaks of the local islands bear the characteristic white traces of bird droppings – guano, which are visible in virtually every point where the eye can see. Interestingly, in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, collecting the local guano was a thriving business, which when exported to Europe was considered an excellent fertiliser. The local beaches and mountain slopes are home to one of the largest colonies of sea lions, willingly interacting with our group. It is here, on the slopes of San Pedro Martur Island, we had an unforgettable opportunity to plunge into a shoal of sardines, which aroused a lot of interest of the groupers and barracudas hunting for them.

Photo Andrzej Misiuk

Photo Mirek Gołaś Post-production Grzegorz Kajstura

Photo Mirek Gołaś, Post-production Grzegorz Kajstura

Bahía de Los Angeles

In other words, the Bay of Angels, surrounded by the bare peaks of the San Pedro Martir mountains, is a beautiful area protected from nearly 7-meter tides by the Angel de la Guarda Island.

The wide bay is inhabited by a population of adolescent whale sharks that feed on krill that occurs here. It is here, on the last day of our safari, that we came across the coldest and least clear water. However, we spent that day without moaning, as the

crowning achievement of the stay in this area was snorkelling with whale sharks feeding near the water surface. There were a few of them, they gracefully swam along the hull of the fishing boat, from the deck of which we tried to approach them. Gentle and calm, they allowed for several minutes of interaction.

The culmination of the trip turned out to be a few days on land, which we spent travelling through the greatest attractions of the secluded state of Sonora – definitely underestimated

Photo Mirek Gołaś, Post-production Grzegorz Kajstura

Photo Mirek Gołaś Post-production Grzegorz Kajstura

Photo Mirek Gołaś Post-production Grzegorz Kajstura

due to its location in a short distance from the American state of Arizona, with its most famous attractions, including canyons: Great Canyon and Antelope Canyon, Route 66 or the town of Sodon. Gloomy mountains, sun-scorched plains, huge cacti, beautiful beaches of Northern Mexico, the largest Mexican desert, lava-frozen formations, lunar and even unearthly crater landscapes of the Sierra de Pinacate Biosphere Reserve, dunes of the Altar desert – the Mexican part of the Sonoran Desert, cliffs and rocky coves flowing straight into the sea, the largest Mexican island of Tiburón – home of the Seri people cultivating old traditions, which was one of the last to open up to elements of European culture and Christianity, and ancient rock drawings – petroglyphs in the area of La Proveedora.

These are just a few promises of this extraordinary part of Mexico, completely forgotten by mass tourism. And, hopefully, this trend will continue as long as possible!

Photo Katarzyna Cieślawska, activtour.pl

Photo Katarzyna Cieślawska, activtour.pl

Photo Katarzyna Cieślawska, activtour.pl

My take on the ”Torpedownia”

TORPEDO TESTING STATION

There's a place on the Polish diving sites map that needs no further introduction. Probably anyone who dives in our beautiful country or at least anyone who is interested in diving here has heard about the "Torpedownia" torpedo testing station in Gdynia Babie Doły.

This site attracts many people, not only locals from the Tricity area. It is quite a curious place that attracts people due to the beautiful shoreline, characteristic for this part of the Baltic Sea, with the remains of a post-German torpedo testing center, which the Germans called Torpedowaffenplatz Hexengrund. Constant human drive for destruction is what emanates from the ruins of the testing station, extending above the water surface some 300 meters from the shoreline, surrounded by beautiful wildlife.

Text and photos TOMEK RAMUTKOWSKI

COORDINATES:

54° 35' 16" N

18° 32' 44" E

remains of a building, a ruin that has become an indivisible part of the Gdynia Babie Doły landscape.

The building itself has a stretched "U" shape, so you can swim past it from the outside, moving along the walls and stone embankment. This allows you to assess the building size, especially when you move slightly further away from the walls which, with good visibility, looks very impressive.

This extraordinary combination is very appealing because of the landscape and is so attractive that many people choose this place for surface photo sessions.

Alright, I'm supposed to be talking about diving, so… :)

WHAT IS THERE TO SEE UNDERWATER?

Let's start with that the dictionary would tell you – the "Torpedownia" torpedo testing station is actually not a wreck but the

As time passed, a part of the building collapsed to the inside, creating a unique underwater landscape. Numerous reinforced concrete slabs, metal structures, steel sheet piles (Larssen sheet piles) or floor elements (along with ceramic tiles), scattered like huge blocks or pick-up sticks, make you feel as if swimming through an underwater maze.

Chaotically scattered structural elements, especially in the central part of the building, surrounded with walls, are definitely worth seeing.

Photo Andżelika Więcek

This dive takes you to quite low depths – it ranges between 3 meters at the most shallow place and 12 meters where the dive is the deepest. Divers usually swim at average depths of 5–6 meters. This ensures good lighting during the dive, which makes this place even more appealing.

On a sunny day, the sunlight penetrates under the water surface, creating picturesque light reflections, enhancing your perception of the underwater landscape.

Because of all the above aspects, the torpedo testing station is often visited by fans of wide angle underwater photography. You won't be disappointed taking your camera there to hunt for the perfect shoot, especially between late fall till early spring, when underwater visibility is at its best, sometimes exceeding a dozen meters. Regardless of the season, visibility is relatively good there because of the sandy seabed.

MACRO WORLD

Nature has its way when it comes to recovering from harmful human interference. "Torpedownia" is yet another example, providing refuge for many species of plants and animals among the remains of bygone Nazi glory from World War II.

If you're interested in underwater fauna and flora, this place might be your actual Eldorado! A watchful eye and spending some time underwater are enough to discover the multitude of underwater lifeforms in the water surrounding this site.

It's home to beautiful formations of sponges and other plants, numerous bivalve molluscs and many fish species – e.g. several species of Gobiidae, characteristic straightnose pipefish and broadnosed pipefish, great sand eels and lesser sand eels hiding in the sand, flat European flounders and sometimes even cyclopterus lumpus or shorthorn sculpin.

Besides, you can expect encounters with several species of shrimps, which move in a specific manner like small androids, often gathering in bigger groups. Not so far away from the shrimp herds, you can find a hidden dwarf crab; recently, there are a lot of them in the Bay. Crabs sometimes come out of hiding and wave their claws, glaring at you in an unfriendly manner :) if you swim too close. The crab is of course only several centimeters long, so this only brings a smile to the diver’s face :)

Even though some of the creatures found there are not endemic (native) species, they became a part of our ecosystem, so we need to treat them like a part of this ecosystem – look and admire.

This entire underwater world of animals and plants, with all its inhabitants, is pure magic!

SO WHO CAN DIVE AT THE "TORPEDOWNIA" TORPEDO TESTING STATION?

The truth is that this site is open for any diver, starting from OWD to advanced rebreather divers, and everyone can find it appealing! If you want to visit, there are some important elements to consider, but on the whole, this place is relatively safe even for beginner divers.

Interestingly, during the winter months, when wreck trips are not organized for obvious reasons, Torpedownia is really crowded with divers, often in technical setups or using rebreathers. Being a technical diver doesn't mean you have to dive deep and breathe trimix :)

HOW TO GET THERE?

Well, there's that. First, there are two options:

● by sea – when you dive from a diving boat,

● by land – when you get into the water from the shore. When you arrive by sea, you need to make arrangements with a local diving center. The advantage is that the boat takes you directly to the ruins and after your dive takes you back to the port conveniently.

When diving from the shore, you are completely independent from the boat and less dependent on the weather, which allows diving there especially during the winter period. This however means that the logistics of such a dive are more complicated. Nevertheless, this is the most popular way of diving here, so I’ll focus on it.

In order to dive this site from the shore, you need to:

1. Reach the entrance to the beach by car – you just need to type “Torpedownia Babie Doły – ruiny” into Google Maps and the navigation will smoothly direct you to your destination.

2. Unpack your equipment near the entrance to the beach and park the car at the parking lot at Zielona Street, several dozen meters back.

3. Take the entire necessary equipment to the beach, where you will enter the water. You only need to walk a very short distance, considering that until quite recently, the only way to reach the site was using steep stairs on the side of the cliff, several hundred meters back. At the time, it was a route for the really motivated diver. Now getting to the beach is not particularly difficult.

4. You will need to swim some 300 meters in the direction of the ruins. You can swim on the surface (if that's what you like :) ) or underwater. First, you need to swim along a palisade that is a remnant of the pier leading to the building. At

the end, of it you must turn right and after a few meters find a fixed rope, leading directly to the first elements scattered off the building.

5. If you swim, the time varies depending on your fin hardness, efficacy and swimming pace or the diver’s fitness and the trip takes between 15 and 25 minutes one way. You should account fir this when planning your gas reserves for the dive.

6. A DPV may be a good solution in case of shore trips, as it will help your reach the destination efficiently. On the other hand, swimming there allows you to observe everything that you pass along the way and this way you can surely spot more details.

RISKS

Even though diving this site is apparently easy, there are a few risks that should be taken into consideration when planning your dives here:

1. Protruding bars and concrete elements – there are many protruding elements in the ruins that you can accidentally bump your head against or catch your diving equipment on. When swimming inside, keep an eye out and maintain a safe distance from the protruding elements.

2. Ruptured fixed rope – before descending, settle a compass bearing on the building, as sometimes the fixed rope leading to the ruins is ruptured, so it's better to have an idea about how to get there, just in case. Having a compass and basic navigation skills is advisable.

3. Boats and scooters above your head – mainly in the summertime there is heavy small water craft traffic in the vicinity of the ruins. So it is highly recommended to have a decompression buoy and release it when surfacing. It is also advisable to stay sharp when you hear the engine of a boat passing by.

4. Currents – sometimes there is a strong current along the route to the site, which makes swimming difficult. You

Photo Andżelika Więcek

should be properly trimmed, swim in the appropriate position, have the appropriate amount of weight and proper training, using well-fitted equipment that does not increase resistance, moving with a flawless technique – this way swimming against the current will not be a problem :)

5. Waves – wind blowing toward the shore, i.e. from the north to the southeast, can cause some pretty burdensome waves, especially for those who are less fit, such as beginner divers, but swimming in such conditions becomes less pleasant also for the more advanced divers. High waves, combined with low depth along the way, greatly impair visibility. So if the wind is strong in any of the above-mentioned directions, consider a different place to dive :)

SUMMARY

Regardless of all, diving at the "Torpedownia" torpedo testing station will be worth your effort. Visiting this unique place is worthwhile, at best in sunny weather and with good visibility, which will allow you to feel its incredible atmosphere.

The small ecosystem and permanent residents of the site, who we should treat with respect as guests, will make the trip even more exciting. Finally, I recommend going there and trying to see the place through my eyes, just as I see it.

KURSY

TECHNICZNE I REKREACYJNE

SIDEMOUNT WRAKOWE

INSTRUKTORSKIE

Why is the Baltic Sea void of sharks?

Text AGATA TUROWICZ-CYBULA

Photos ŁUKASZ METRYCKI

The Baltic Sea is considered by scientists to be the sweetest sea on the planet, but what does this actually mean?

According to the Encyclopaedia of the World Geography: Oceans and Seas, the salinity of seawater is “the concentration of a mixture of sea salt ions measured in conventional units of practical salinity scale”, or to put it simply: how many grams of salt are in one litre of water.

The seas and oceans contain the same salts, and the water from each body of water differs only in its concentration, meaning the ratio of salts to water. Scientists have estimated that the average salinity of the seas and oceans is 35 PSU, which means that there are on average 35 grams of salt in

every litre of seawater. The saltiest sea on Earth is the Red Sea, which has a salinity of 42 PSU, while the saltiest bodies of water include Lake Assal in Djibouti (348 PSU), Patience Lake in Canada (428 PSU) and Don Juan Pond in Antarctica (up to 402 PSU). The average salinity of the Baltic Sea is only 7.5 PSU. Ok, but why is there so much detailed information on salinity in the article about the presence of sharks in the Baltic Sea? Because it is the salinity that prevents us from seeing sharks in our sea.

Sharks, unlike most fish that inhabit every body of water on the planet, belong to the cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes). As the name suggests, they have a skeleton made of cartilaginous tissue, rather than bone as in most fish we know. Sharks' bodies are covered with specific, rough scales (called placoid scales), commonly called dermal denticles. Cartilaginous fish do not have a swim bladder and they regulate their buoyancy thanks to the fatty content of their liver, but some of them have negative buoyancy throughout their lives, so they have to stay in motion all the time to stay at the right depth.

As aquatic animals, all fish must cope with a number of difficulties that terrestrial animals do not have to face. In addition to the greater resistance of the water, regulating pressure

changes caused by differences in depth, fish must above all cope with so-called osmoregulation.

Osmoregulation is the set of processes in a living organism that ensures that the correct concentration of an animal's body fluids is maintained. In the same way that saltwater will mix with fresh water in a glass to have the same concentration of salt throughout its volume, the water in which a fish swims will want to "mix" with the body fluids of the fish to have the same concentration.

Bony fish (e.g. perch) that live in freshwater, e.g. lakes, have a higher concentration of salt ions inside their bodies than the concentration of salt ions in the surrounding water. We then say that the fish is hypertonic in relation to the surrounding environment (hyper – meaning much, above). The water that surrounds the fish will try to flow into the body, while the salt ions in the body fluids will try to escape from inside the fish into the water. In order to maintain proper water-electrolyte balance, such a fish will excrete large amounts of very dilute urine, actively take up mineral salts from the water through the gills to make up for their deficiency, and will not need to drink water because the water coming in through the skin is sufficient for proper hydration.

The situation is completely opposite in the case of bony fish (e.g. tuna) living in salty waters (e.g. Mediterranean Sea). In such a situation the concentration of ions in the fish's body is lower than the concentration of salts in the surrounding water. We then say that the fish is hypotonic in relation to its surrounding environment (hypo – meaning below). This means that the water in the body fluids of the tuna will try to flow outwards and the ions from the surrounding water will penetrate through the skin into the body. To maintain proper water and electrolyte balance, such a fish will excrete little urine, which will be very concentrated, drink a lot of seawater to replenish its deficiencies, and remove excess salt from the

body through special salt cells in the gills that trap salt and remove it to the outside.

Sharks deal with the process of osmoregulation in a completely different way. Well, they maintain practically the same salt concentration in their body as in the surrounding environment. This means that they are always isotonic with respect to the surrounding environment (iso – meaning equal). They do this through their ability to maintain a high concentration of urea in their blood. Therefore, the process of osmoregulation in their body does not actually occur, and water and ion exchange does not take place.

Sharks by nature are found in seas with full salinity. However, if such a shark were to enter the Baltic Sea, where the salinity is very low, it would find that the concentration of ions in its body fluids far exceeds the concentration of salt in Baltic water. Lacking the ability to efficiently perform the osmoregulation process, such a shark would simply not be able to cope with this inhospitable environment.

Of course, as with every rule, there are exceptions. Very rarely, but sometimes we can record the presence of one of three shark species in the Baltic Sea: porbeagle (Lamna nasus), spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias), or small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula). If you are very lucky, you may encounter them in the Danish Straits, where the salinity is higher than in other parts of the Baltic Sea, ranging from 20–30 PSU. However, remember that they are only guests and not permanent residents of the Baltic Sea.

At a turtle’s pace

Introduction & questions LAURA

KAZIMIERSKA

Photos KAROLA TAKES PHOTOS

For centuries they have been carrying the burden of this globe on their shoulders only to become a militant icon of pop culture. They were my motivation to delve into the secrets of the underwater world. Our first meeting only confirmed what I have felt for a long time. I have had the feeling that I belong to this underwater land and I want to protect it, and turtles will accompany me on my exciting escapades. We are talking about sea turtles, of course!

Their presence is evident in the mythology of many cultures. They are a symbol of longevity and immortality, in Mesopotamia they were equated with the god of the ocean, and in the Chinese symbolism they are patrons of the universe. Despite the fact that they have been roaming our planet for over 100 million years, turtles have become a critically endangered species in the last century. Siân Williams, an eco-warrior from Indonesia, will tell us about how to improve the situation of our beloved diving companions, about their amazing life cycle and Covid restrictions on a tropical island.

Laura Kazimierska: What made you interested in the conservation of sea turtles in Indonesia?

They are a symbol of longevity and immortality, in Mesopotamia they were equated with the god of the ocean, and in the Chinese symbolism they are patrons of the universe.

Siân Williams: My first environment conservation voluntary work was in Malaysia in 2007. We took care of the protection of a huge beach, which is known as a turtle nest. I got up late at night to check the traces of females going to the beach, took measurements to identify them and carefully counted the eggs. Every minute of this project was incredibly exciting for me.

When I moved to Gili Trawangan, I noticed that there were many more sea turtles on the reefs there than on the Malaysian Perhentian Islands. The shocking thing is that there was not even a proper species protection program here. The locals just took their population for granted. The only turtle "sanctuary" was a tourist trap located right on the beach. It consisted of three reservoirs in which small turtles were kept

in shallow, cloudy water for over 6 months, offering tourists, of course, for a fee, to release them into the sea. Today we know that keeping young turtles in such conditions is an ineffective and unethical way to protect their population. Baby-turtles released into open water have an extremely low survival rate.

The sanctuary was closed after years of fighting, and our organisation Gili Eco Trust began to look closely at the situation of turtles on the island. Until recently, we were notified of turtle nests and enjoyed the support of the local community. In 1929, all that changed. The Gili Islands live only from tourism, and when most of the inhabitants lost their income, we saw a rapid increase in poaching for turtle eggs.

What's the most fascinating thing about turtles?

Certainly they are great travellers and we still don't really know where they spend most of their childhood.

Turtles go on one of the most difficult journeys in the animal kingdom. They spend only a few days with their siblings, digging themselves out of their nests and scrambling across the beach towards the lunar reflection on the surface of the ocean. Immediately after hatching, they accumulate energy that lasts only 72 hours. Every minute counts and the effort is enormous. During this time, they must make their way through a treach-

erous reef, where many predators await them, and get out into the open ocean.

For years, scientists have not been able to say what really happen to them shortly thereafter. Many "teenage" turtles do not return to reefs until they are sexually mature. It can be from 7 to 20 years.

Still little is known about the years they spend at sea known as "lost years." Most specialists believe that due to the fact that young turtles are weak swimmers, they will drift in ocean currents, protecting themselves from predators under drifting debris, more and more often the debris made of plastic. Recent research has shown that turtles use pelagic fish navigation to guide them to places where they can shelter and get food. We still have a wealth of interesting facts to discover about the life cycle of sea turtles, which makes the protection of their breeding habitat even more important.

Since there is a huge turtle population around the Gili islets and Indonesia in general, why do they need protection?

Two species of turtles that commonly occur on the Gili Islands are the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and the green turtle (Chelonia mydas). Both are on the IUCN Red List under the category of the critically threatened species. As inhabitants of this part of the world, we are extremely

It is difficult to define the greatest single threat to the turtle population in this area, but undoubtedly each is based on human interference.

lucky to witness these breathtaking creatures on almost any diving or snorkelling trip. This is why our islands should become a sanctuary for these species, where every part of their life cycle is under protection. And this would serve for future generations and for local communities, as a means of earning money from diving and ecological tourism.

Tell me about the turtle tracking project and who was involved?

Due to the fact that the island is a popular destination for tourists watching the picturesque sunsets and spending time on the beaches until late at night, before the pandemic we often received messages and phone calls warning us about turtles nesting on the beach. At the beginning of the 2020 season, I realised that we had lost this method of reporting and collecting data, and consequently we lost the method of tracking, locating and protecting nests. I quickly started to create a team of volunteers. Since most of us wondered what to do with our free time during the island lockdown, I didn't have to look for volunteers very far. My new team consisted of diving instructors, hostel and restaurant owners who had lived on the island for years, travellers who had been "stuck" with us due to the pandemic, and the local community.

I created a simple tracking and data collection program for any layman to join. In keeping with citizen science basics, I implemented the protocols that we tested and improved while monitoring and tracking female nesting females, taking the project from Malaysia as an example. Through a short training session (1.5 hours), the volunteers learned to recognise species, assess behaviour and record nesting sites, all based on the footprints left on the beach. Ideally, we would monitor the area every few hours throughout the night for more

accurate data, but with 7 km of coastline and 9 permanent volunteers, we wanted to do our best in the current situation. The walk around the shoreline in search of the characteristic turtle tracks started at the crack of dawn. After a two-hour walk, our task was to record data such as location coordinates and photos of any tracks or nests found. And this is how we spent our mornings from mid-April to the end of October.

Have you noticed any particular changes in turtle behavior in recent years?

Our nesting turtles have always surprised me. They are very resistant and adapted to risk, maybe less careful. Some are completely unconcerned with lights, noise and pollution on beaches. In the past I was called to nest turtles not only in busy restaurants, but also those that crawled up to a bar and started making a lair under the bar stool!

Due to the relatively short time of the species observation, we lack precise data to be able to accurately compare them. We have certainly noticed an increase in the loss of coastal habitats. In places where females used to lay eggs frequently, no breeding grounds have been recorded in recent years due to making beaches available to restaurants and hotels. The government project to demolish all the buildings on the beaches gave us a lot of hope. However, the debris left behind and the lack of proper disposal of the remaining building materials, cluttered areas suitable for breeding grounds.

How about the inactivity during COVID, has it affected the turtles?

It has, immensely. During the last year of dives, we observe their increased presence on coral reefs, now they can be admired at all diving sites, we have also registered more breeding sites than in previous years.

Decreased tourist activity is contributing to the recovery of many coral reefs that were usually overcrowded. For our turtles, the consequence of the lack of tourism is less risk of collision with a boat, no one rushes after them with a go-pro to have a fantastic selfie on Insta, an increase in the number of successful broods. This has its dark sides. The economic crisis has led local residents to return to poaching their eggs and baby turtles, selling them to pet stores.

What is the main threat to the turtle population around Gilis?

It is difficult to define the greatest single threat to the turtle population in this area, but undoubtedly each is based on human interference. Poaching, beach and ocean pollution, land erosion due to irresponsible management by local authorities, unethical diving or snorkelling trips where turtles are caught, blocked to the surface to breathe, and the constant pursuit of a great photo. These problems threaten not only turtles but many other species around the world.

From the point of view of an environmentalist living on a small Indonesian island, what is the biggest challenge?

It is the feeling of helplessness in the face of global problems. Climate change or ocean pollution cannot be solved on Gili Trawangan. Although we try very hard. We recently organised a mock protest with students from a local moentessori school. As part of education about the climate crisis, we created posters, cleaned the beach and planted trees to educate and inspire the young generation of Gili Trawangan.

There is no green without blue. We cannot clean the ocean and rebuild the reefs locally without efficient waste management. To achieve this, we must focus on land-based activities such as daily garbage collection and disposal, recycling projects,

sustainability training, to name just a few. This is a huge task for such a small NGO and we rely on donations and volunteers to keep our projects alive.

How can you help?

In September, we conducted a huge campaign to inform the public about the condition of our breeding turtles, especially after the closure and the lack of tourism. We launched a crowdfunding campaign to build one of Indonesia's first ethical hatcheries (one that doesn't use headstarting techniques).

Not only were we able to complete the (currently ongoing) fundraiser, we also entered into an agreement with a local eco-resort on Gili Trawangan, which has the perfect plot to build a hatchery less than 50 meters from the beach. You can sponsor a nest turtle through our fundraiser or adopt a turtle every month to help financially and ensure that the great work of our turtle rangers continues next season!

insta: https://www.instagram.com/giliecotrust/ support & donate: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/save-gili-endangered-turtles/ contact: sian@giliecotrust.com

RITUAL SLAUGHTER

THE TRADITION OF PILOT WHALE HUNTING IN THE FAROE ISLANDS

Text and photos HANNA

MAMZER

In the years 2017–2019 (until July 6, 2019), 2,330 long-finned pilot whales and 755 other cetaceans were killed in the Faroe Islands, mainly white-sided dolphins.

Thanks to the courtesy of Hanna Mamzer from Faculty of Sociology at Adam Mickiewicz University (mamzer@amu.edu. pl), we present excerpts from a wider publication on the'barbaric slaughter' of pilot whales in the Faroe Islands, which takes place year by year. You can read the entire article here: Ritual slaughter - the tradition of pilot whale hunting in the Faroe Islands.1, 2

ABSTRACT

ISLANDS

Hunting for pilot whales is treated by the Faroe Islands as a cultural heritage, despite the fact that this custom is no longer necessary to obtain food and fight for human survival. Its recreation fulfils other functions now. In public opinion outside the Faroe Islands, the custom is described very critically, usually in the convention of 'barbaric slaughter'. From the point of view of veterinary medicine and biology, the method of killing pilot whales is a form of ritual slaughter carried out with full consciousness of the animals. Pilot whales are highly social, intelligent animals with extensive communication systems. From this point of view, the traditional way of hunting pilot whales should be considered a procedure that exposes the animals to a high level of distress. In the light of the level of civilisation development and material well-being, the practice of pilot whale killing appears to be an inadequate relic of the past.

Sociological concepts generalising the tendencies of social changes indicate that postmodern communities put very little emphasis on tradition: it ceases to be an important element that binds the community together. It is also more and more common to generate neo-traditions, or rather a kind of individ-

1 I would like to thank Prof. Jan Marcin Węsławski, Ph.D., from the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences for enabling participation in the research project "Arctic benthic ecosystems under change: the impact of deglaciation and boreal species transportation by macroplastic" (ADAMANT), thanks to which this text was written.

2 The text is an abridged version of the article with the same title published elsewhere: Mamzer H., (2020). Ubój rytualny – tradycja polowania na grindwale na Wyspach Owczych (Ritual slaughter – the tradition of pilot whale hunting in the Faroe Islands) In H.Mamzer (ed.) (2020). Ubój rytualny – tradycja polowania na grindwale na Wyspach Owczych (Cultural differences in the treatment of animals). Atut. Wroclaw; Mamzer H. (2019). Ubój rytualny – tradycja polowania na grindwale na Wyspach Owczych (Ritual slaughter – the tradition of pilot whale hunting in the Faroe Islands) part 1. Życie Weterynaryjne • 2019 • 94(11), p.753-758; Mamzer H. (2019). Ubój rytualny – tradycja polowania na grindwale na Wyspach Owczych (Ritual slaughter – the tradition of pilot whale hunting in the Faroe Islands) part 2 in Życie Weterynaryjne • 2019 • 94(12), p.814-820

ualised customs, which are modified based on the individual choices and preferences of their participants (Giddens 2002), and which fulfill the functions of group-shared traditions.

It is also a fact, however, that in the face of intense globalisation changes, there are trends aimed at the re-cultivation of old traditions or selected customs, often modified in such a way as to constitute an adequate reference to social reality (cf. Maffesoli 2008). Their socio-cultural function is the same as that of traditions cultivated in traditional societies: they are supposed to integrate, give a sense of belonging to a given community, generate a sense of the predictability of the world and constitute some kind of reference points determining values that should be followed. Some of the various traditions still cultivated take a purely symbolic form and have a very modest practical meaning (or even none at all). Hunting pilot whales in the Faroe Islands is such a tradition. (...)

Defining the boundaries between what cultural practices are acceptable and what are not is controversial, because most probably the proposed division will always be considered unfair by some group of people. However, this cannot

justify abandoning the topic. In such circumstances, at least an attempt should be made to define what is and what is not accepted in the context of cultural differences. Establishing one rule is a huge challenge. However, I propose to consider as a possible proposal to set a boundary based on whether the given practices assume a physical violation of the body of a human or other animal against their will. This is a radical criterion, but its adoption would make it possible to objectify the tool for assessing cultural practices. Pilot whales hunting should be considered in this context. (…)

A PILOT WHALE AS THE SUBJECT OF HUMAN (BUT NOT HUMANE?) CULTURAL PRACTICES

Pilot whales (Globicephala) are mammals of the dolphin family (Delphinidae). Their name comes from the characteristic round shape of their head – the generic name is a combination of the Latin word globus – ‘ball, sphere’, and the Greek word κεφαλη kephalē – ‘head’. These animals live in all oceans and seas, at temperatures ranging from 0 to 25°C, and their prevalence certainly contributed to the hunting of these mammals, although

Due to the strong social ties of pilot whales, other members of the herd do not leave the injured or killed animals, but follow them, and therefore also often die.

the exact size of the population and its growth force are not known. The total number of pilot whales is estimated at around 780,000 individuals living in the North Atlantic, but the inaccuracy of data means that in IUCN reports (International Union for Conservation of Nature), data indicating the number of pilot whales have the status of "missing data" (cf. Hay 1982). Moreover, studies indicate that in some regions the populations of long-finned pilot whales are very few – e.g. in the Gibraltar region, the developmental assessment of the current population of 250 individuals showed an 85% probability of extinction of this population in the next 100 years, which is influenced by viral diseases that decimated the population in 2006 and 2007 and factors resulting from human pressure: climate change, increasing sea traffic, increasing environmental pollution and the influence of the fishing industry (Verborgh, Gauffier, Esteban, Giménez, Cañadas, Salazar-Sierra, de Stephanis 2016). Pilot whales are two distinct but very similar species: long-finned and short-fined.

Long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala molasses) are a subject of particular demand in the Faroe Islands. This species was

described in 1809 by Thomas Stewart Traill (1809). It is one of the largest representatives of the dolphin family: males reach a length of 8.5 meters and a weight of 3.5 tons, and females up to 6 m in length and 2.5 tons in weight. The coloration of the animals ranges from metallic grey to black, with light grey or white markings on the throat (anchor-shaped) and abdomen, in the form of a stripe behind the eye, and also around the dorsal fin, forming the so-called "saddle patch". The thick dorsal fin is sickle-shaped and is located in a third of the length of the animal's back. Long-finned pilot whales are named after their long, sickle-shaped pectoral fins that reach 18 to 27 percent of the body's length (Jefferson, Webber, & Pitman, 2015). Pilot whales have one blowhole.

Long-finned pilot whales maintain very strong social bonds and are social animals – they form groups consisting of several to a thousand individuals (cf. Bloch, Desportes, Mourit-

sen, Skaaning, Stefansson 1993), although the most common groups consist of several dozen to a hundred dozen individuals. Pilot whales feed on small fish and squids. Females mature at the age of 8, males at the age of 12. Gestation lasts up to 16 months and the female gives birth to five young during her life. Reproduction rarely occurs within one family group, most often fertilisation occurs when two foreign groups meet – and it can be practically all year round, although it is most common in spring and early summer. Calves are born when they are about 2 meters long and weigh about 75 kg. (…)

The fact that they are notoriously hunted in the same places may indicate that female long-finned pilot whales do not communicate information about threats to other school members (or are unable to identify those threats). The process of transmitting such knowledge is certainly hampered by the fact that the Faroese try to kill entire herds, so there are rarely any survivors who would be able to pass the knowledge on to other animals. (…)

Undeniably, long-finned pilot whales, like other dolphin species, are highly developed animals, and human knowledge of their lives and the way their senses function is very limited.

Our inability to feel what it is like to be in their skin limits our ability to understand these fascinating and mysterious animals. This problem was outlined in 1974 by Thomas Nagel in his famous essay 'What is it like to be a bat?', in which he pointed to the inability of man to experience the world as other living species experience it. Based on the knowledge of cetaceans available to man, they should be treated very carefully as 'something', because there is a high probability that they are 'someone'.

HUNTING FOR PILOT WHALES: HISTORICAL OUTLINE AND THE PRESENT OF THE GRIND

The largest documented hunting of pilot whales took place in 1918 in the Chatham Islands, an archipelago belonging to New Zealand, when a thousand animals were killed (cf. http://www. doc.govt.nz/nature/habitats/offshore-islands/chatham-islands/ chatham-islands-marine-mammals/). The hunting of pilot whales in the Faroe Islands is referred to as grind or grindadrap – they are still cultivated. The most intense hunting takes place in summer, when cetaceans appear most frequently near the shores. Groups of up to 200 individuals are then killed.

Whale hunt is basically a typical group battue, taking place in such a way that when a school approaches the bay and someone notices it, they are obligated to inform the public of this fact.

Faroe Islanders stop all activities that they are doing at the moment and run to the motorboats, which then drive the animals towards the beach where they are to be killed. Animals are killed after being pulled out onto the sand, usually all of them because, being highly social, they cannot cope alone. Animals who survived do not swim away for long –they stay in a bay full of blood, trying to accompany slaughtered family members. After the hunt, which took place on August 27, 2019 in Vestmann, the 4 remaining pilot whales for at least an hour and a half after killing the remaining members of the school, swam in the

water of the bay. The entire hunt took five hours, the process of killing 98 animals alone – twelve minutes. The school leader (rather a female than male because of the matrilineal leadership pattern of pilot whales) is killed first. People make communication difficult for the rest of the animals by generating noise: pounding wooden sticks against the water and hitting the sides of the boats.

All animals killed know that the rest of the herd are killed as well: the animals communicate with each other vocally and behaviourally.

When the animals are herded to the beach, people enter the water and hook on their blowholes with special metal hooks with a metal ball on one side and with ropes attached to them on the other, used to pull the animal onto the sand (which must be painful for the animals). There, after being relatively stabilised, the animal is killed by inserting a special kind of double-sided blade into the spinal canal (according to the guidelines, the blade should be inserted between the skull and atlas, so as to break the spinal cord, and then it should be moved to the right and left to cut the vessels supplying blood into the animal's brain). The blade is 4.7 cm wide and the spinal canal is about 5 cm in diameter. The animal does not lose consciousness and does not die from the severing of the spinal cord, but from gradual bleeding out. The neck and sides of the animal's neck are also cut with a long knife in order to get rid of the blood (in order to increase the consumption value of the meat). Dead animals are often dragged in the water to the harbour where they are kept. (…)

The meat and fat of pilot whales are shared by participants in the hunt among all members of the community who took part in the hunt. As a rule, raw meat is not sold, while dried meat can be found occasionally in INN and Miklagardur supermarkets and in fish kiosks (e.g. in Klaksvik). The price depends on the size of the dried piece, but usually the range is 50–100 DKK (about 5–10 Euros). However, the activist organisation 'Sea Sheppherd' opposing pilot whale hunting argues that pilot whale meat is sold to stores, pointing, for example, to a report from the local Faroese newspaper 'Dimmalaetting' of August 4, 2017, that pilot whales were sold to stores at a price of 25,000 Faroese crowns each (about 2400 Euros) (cf. https://www. seashepherd.org.uk/campaigns/operation-bloody-fjords/?fbclid=IwAR3kEgHIucH3EPYpUAIf_5ZQQQE8p7zBGXD_5ZQQQE8p7AbPrXD_5ZQQQE017eQmPrXD_5ZQQQE8p7AbGXD). The idea of distributing meat for free among members of the community is an important argument used in justifying the sense of this type of hunting. (…)

Due to the strong social ties of pilot whales, other members of the herd do not leave the injured or killed animals, but follow them, and therefore also often die. About 400–1,000 pilot

whales are killed in this way each year. Currently, these hunts do not have any economic justification, they are only an element of tradition. Faroese supporters of this tradition defend it as their own cultural heritage, but for many reasons it seems that this tradition should be revised. (…)

In the years 2017–2019 (until July 6, 2019), 2,330 long-finned pilot whales and 755 other cetaceans were killed in the Faroe Islands, mainly white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus acutus)3 (…)

HARM TO ANIMALS

The greatest, objective, and indisputable loss to pilot whales during the grind is the loss of life. What is more, the process comes with additional somatic and psychological suffering to animals, which is seldom addressed in the widespread debate on the subject. The current regulations specifying how pilot whales can be legally killed should be treated as rationalisation – a process aimed at suppressing the emotions that should accompany the killing. A precise description of procedures and tools creates an illusion of control over reality. It does not take into account the sensitivity of animals, it does not reduce their suffering. Writing down the procedures creates the IMPRESSION that the process is under control and that consideration is given to the animal's welfare. The argument that killing is controlled through guidelines is often used by advocates of these hunts. (…)

All animals killed know that the rest of the herd are killed as well: the animals communicate with each other vocally and behaviourally. It is obvious that they understand what is happening (cf. Butterworth, Andrew & Brakes, Philippa & Vail, Courtney S. & Reiss, Diana 2013). Such practices, which put animals under stress, are unacceptable in the case of slaughterhouses and laboratory animals. (…)

In the light of veterinary, zoological and psychological knowledge, hunting for pilot whales should be clearly treated as the abuse of non-human animals. Despite respect for cultural differences, I am convinced that especially this type of hunting should be prohibited by law due to the level

3 There is one more aspect of hunting for pilot whales that I do not elaborate on in this text. Namely, the issue of "ownership" of animals in the sea: according to the regulations of the Common Fisheries Policy of the EU, fish and other living resources are not owned by any state or person, but the European Community, which decides on the amount and method of catching. For this reason, fishermen who eat fish have no legal basis to claim compensation - until the fish is taken on board, it is the property of the EU community. Most pilot whales are schools that live in the waters of the European Union, to which neither Iceland, nor Norway, nor the Faroe Islands belong.

of suffering their victims suffer. It is a kind of tradition that doesn't fit at all the time and situation of the affluent society of Western Europe.

CONCLUSIONS

In the light of the information presented, especially medical and veterinary, hunting for long-finned pilot whales should be defined in terms of ritual slaughter due to: firstly – embedding this method of killing animals in tradition and its perception as an important cultural element, and secondly – because of the mandatory killing technique used, whereby the animal remains conscious and dies without stunning as a result of bleeding out. This is an extremely cruel way of killing animals – after breaking the spinal cord, its motor functions are disabled, so it cannot run or defend itself, but it remains aware of what is happening and what further actions it is subject to. This kind of killing of animals is ethically and morally unacceptable. Unfortunately, the common knowledge about the process of killing animals is not deepened and it may seem to outside observers that paralysing an animal after a spinal cord rupture is tantamount to its immediate death. It is not. Dying may take more than 4 minutes ((cf. Butterworth, Andrew & Brakes, Philippa & Vail, Courtney S. & Reiss, Diana 2013). What seems to be very controversial is the inhumane process of hunting – taking several hours to chase animals to a location that humans consider appropriate for killing them.

On the other hand, it is a fact that the tradition itself is subject to transformations and modifications (e.g. back in 1927,

animals were driven to bays by the use of rowing boats, while today motor boats are used). In the past, grind participants had to use everyday clothing to insulate themselves from the low temperature of water, today they use foam clothing that is better insulating. In 2014, regulations regarding the permitted method of killing pilot whaling were introduced, which explicitly excluded the legal possibility of using other methods (North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission Instruction manual on Pilot whaling). It indicates that the scope of the change is possible and that determining how far they should to go is a matter of agreement between human societies. The lack of economic justification for the need to kill pilot whales places this practice in the realm of traditional symbolic actions that are only recreated on the basis of historically embedded conventions, but which can be changed by 'social contract' – or a socially generated redefinition of this practice. As I indicated earlier, the processual nature of changes in tradition may also include intentional modifications. There are no obstacles to start such a modification process with regard to grind.

Public opinion outside the Faroe Islands seems to have a negative opinion of pilot whale hunting, which is reflected in

In the light of veterinary, zoological and psychological knowledge, hunting for pilot whales should be clearly treated as the abuse of non-human animals.

the nature of media reports. In the Faroe Islands themselves, the opinion in this respect is also not homogeneous.

The perception of human relationships with the world of nonhuman animals, including humans and pilot whales, is directly dependent on the level of human awareness and empathy. Raising the level of these psychological competences seems to be the only method of improving the welfare of non-human animals and possibly of an effective influence on the prohibition of cetacean hunting. Cetaceans, on the other hand, as organisms very highly developed socially, psychologically and somatically, are aware of human actions they are subjected to. They feel it on the somatic and psychological levels and actively try to defend themselves against these actions. In the light of veterinary, zoological and psychological knowledge, hunting for pilot whales should be clearly treated as the abuse of non-human animals. Despite respect for cultural differences, I am convinced that especially this type of hunting should be prohibited by law due to the level of suffering their victims suffer. It is a kind of tradition that doesn't fit at all the time and situation of the affluent society of Western Europe.

P.S.

There were also attempts to pay for the cessation of pilot whale hunting in September 2018, and the Sea Sheppherd organisation made a financial offer to the Faroese parliament. In return for ending pilot whale hunting, Parliament was to receive £ 910,000 (ninety-ninety thousand British pounds) each year for the next 10 years.

(https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/whales-killed-faroe-islands-whaling-sea-shepherd-uk-photos-a9085396.html)

The offer was rejected...

Elite design. Top performance. With Atomic Aquatics, the only limits are your own.

Survivors of the slaughter

The first edition of the DIVING TALKS – International Diving Congress contributed to the restart of the diving scene. Above all, it was a great weekend with old friends and meeting new ones. Much to improve for the next edition, but the feedback immensely encourages the organizers to go on.

Diving Talks aimed to bring Portugal an event to promote and share knowledge on the subaquatic environment and diving.

The Diving Talks Organization established four main objectives:

1. Hold an event with international attractiveness and visibility;

2. Bring to Portugal top players, explorers, divers, scientists, who are currently developing relevant and innovative initiatives, recognized as such by the international community;

3. Create an underwater skills hub in Portugal, which will enhance its development to exporting national capabilities;

4. Promote the sharing and debate of the most recent technological discoveries in the different fields of diving.

Freeze the dates: 2022 October 7 to 9 we have a meeting at the Tróia Peninsula. Not to be missed!

We fully achieved these objectives:

1. The Diving Talks – Portugal 2021 had international visibility and was widely referred to as "the most important diving event in 2021";

2. Gathered in Portugal more than 20 individuals from the international diving community;

3. Introduced local agents; divers, explorers, scientists that bare skills to be engaged in international projects: a relevant contribution to exporting national entrepreneurship, and;

4. Was the stage for several well-attended debates within the panels' framework and the presentations included in the program.

The Congress had 202 participants – which fell short of the initial goal of 250 attendees. In addition to local assistance, its broadcast through the online platform, together with online promotion and dissemination initiatives, namely, the publication of the "Talks", contributes to reaching 50,000 views, which was the organization's objective.

We know we have much to improve, but the feedback immensely encourages us to go on. That's why Diving Talks – Portugal 2022 is definitely coming: October 7 to 9, there will be the second edition of the show we soon want to be a mandatory point of contact for every European diver or ocean lover.

As some of you, dear readers may have already noticed, in one of the previous releases of PD we announced the start of cooperation with Decathlon. It is about time to elaborate on this announcement 

After long discussions with the Decathlon brand, we decided that we would not test just one of the products that is available in the diving category. The article and test must contain information that for our readers and those starting their diving adventure will be a comprehensive answer, concerning the whole set of equipment needed for diving, and this is exactly what we did.

Each piece of equipment that comes to our editorial office is a big highlight, because we have the opportunity to touch and test products very often not yet available on shop shelves, but waiting to be purchased and shipped from the central warehouse.

Our criterion was to choose products from Decathlon's own brand under the Subea logo. Decathlon's assortment also includes prod ucts of well-known manufacturers of diving equipment, yet we wanted to test what is unknown but potentially tempting with its price, availability and well, is it also quality?

Two large packages have arrived at Perfect Diver's editorial office; our first thought — chain store quality. The large scale and the number of shops may indicate a basic offer, economically justified by the price. After unpacking everyone was pleasantly surprised and got more interested in the products.

For the test we bought:

BCD set – Wing type diving jacket SCD 500B size L/XL

Regulator – Subea SCD 100 DIN with 1st stage unbalanced 300 B

Octopus – Subea SCD 500 Scuba diving fins – Subea SCD 500 OH Adjustable Diving mask – Subea SCD 500 V2 Singe lens

` Subea SCD, 5 mm Neoprene scuba diving gloves

` Subea SCD, Neoprene mask strap cover

` Subea SCD, Regulator bag/case

` Subea SCD, 90 L Scuba diving travel bag with rigid shell and wheels

A hefty set indeed, but let's get straight to the point 

The first impression – each product is very aesthetically and thoroughly packed. Visual assessment of the quality of workmanship – good to very good. Although the offer also includes a set of regulators with a pressure gauge, we decided to choose the version for self-assembly, to which we added our pressure gauge. Of course, looking at the diving equipment is not the best way to test it, so we decided to take it with us on some diving trips where we could test it in its designated environment – underwater. We tested the equipment in two different water bodies and at different depths, so we could reliably determine how it per-

forms in our Polish waters and at different temperatures. We dived in Niedacki Lake in Bory Tucholskie and in the Piechcin Diving Base – Piechcin Quarry.

To start with a pleasant piece of information, the WING is very generously equipped with accessories. Standard equipment includes two weight pockets with a quick-drop system, two trim pockets on the back strap, two handles for attaching the octopus and pressure gauge to the D-rings (there are 7 of them in total – 5 metal and 2 plastic), a whistle located in the chest buckle and a pocket mounted under the weight pocket to hide a spare mask, all packed in a transparent bag for easy drying. The airbag is made of 420 polyamide which is very durable. Although most of the manufacturers use double Cordura to protect the bag against punctures or abrasion, the wing we are testing is a light, economically priced version which could be a good investment for a person making several dives a year or needing their own equipment for a trip without having to rent it from diving centres. All structural ele ments are made of 600D polyester material, which gives a very pleasant impression of a solidly manufactured wing. There are three quick-release valves available. Two "flush valves" marked with yellow handles and one hidden in the inflator (it’s enough to pull the inflator). Thanks to the U-shaped ar rangement of the flotation bag, we are able to move stably in a trim position underwater.

REGULATOR SET – when deciding to buy one, remember that it meets EN250:2014 and is a standard regulator which is easy to maintain. The SUBEA unbalanced regulator works equally well in warm and cold waters. It only requires more breath ing effort depending on depth. It has no air resistance adjust

ment, which may not appeal to every diver. It is equipped with 1 high-pressure outlet (HP – 7/16") and 4 medium-pressure outlets (LP – 3/8). This gives the possibility of using it in a dry suit configuration, as there is a port for an additional hose supplying the addition valve. The layout of the ports is designed in the form of a rosette, which has a quite uncomfortable placement of hoses on the respective sides of the jacket.

GLOVES – made of soft 5mm neoprene are a product that our staff in the editorial office found attractive. Being an underwater photographer, it is not only important to be able to move your hands freely, but also your fingers. With these gloves, you can really feel that comfort. They are lined with additional reinforcing material on the inside. Very comfortable to put on and – most importantly – warm!

FINS – each diver has their own opinion on which fins are better. The Decathlon version released under the Subea logo is

very well made and equipped with comfortable bungee rubber, adjustable, perfectly fitting either to a neoprene boot or a dry suit. The fins can be described as medium-hard, very comfortable to maneuver underwater and swim using the frog kick technique – they provide very good propulsion and precision of movement underwater.

MASK – fits comfortably on the face, does not leak, after initial "hardening" the effect of evaporation occurred, but to a much lesser degree than in virgin use. Supplied with transport box. Single lens version with black silicone decorated from the front with neon lime green frame looks very modern and allows to comfortably see underwater. We also received a neoprene strap to secure the rubber and it is actually a very good solution, especially for people with long hair diving without a hood 

BAGS – useful and very solidly made. The regulator case is stiffened, which gives more confidence that the regulators will be safely stored and transported. Travel bag with a capacity of 90L is extremely functional. It has wheels and a telescopic handle which make it easier to transport heavy equipment. The bag allows you to transport wet equipment without worrying about flooding your car or other means of transport. Equipped with 3 pockets (two external and one internal, which is located in the flap). Stiffened from the bottom guarantees additional security for the transported equipment.

The total price of the tested set is about 2700 PLN – so from the perspective of a recreational diver who has a few dives a year, it is a very reasonable price for your own equipment. The tested set fulfils its function and provides an opportunity to pursue one's passion.

Hubert Reiss

Photos in the water Editorial Team

Photos of the equipment Decathlon Web page

Harriers from the marsh

Text and photos WOJCIECH JAROSZ

With the lightness inherent only in the best flyers, harriers glide low over the reeds, staring at the rushes. Not only do they look with their eagle eyes (by the way, they are distant cousins of falcons), but they also listen.

Marsh harriers have facial disc made of feathers around their heads – not as well-developed as that of owls (also their distant cousins), but still helping to determine the location of a potential prey. The aforementioned cousins leave no illusions – marsh harriers are birds of prey with all the attributes of sky predators.

Marsh harriers (Circus aeruginosus) are, according to their generic and species name, birds of wet and open areas at the same time. They feel best at the shores of stagnant waters covered with reeds. Among the reeds, they not only look for food, but also make their nests. They usually hide the nests carefully,

because although they hunt birds nesting in reeds themselves, they do not want to subject their own chicks to too much pressure from predators. It is completely understandable and fits into the rule governing the world of living organisms, that it's better to be the hunter rather than the prey. Marsh harriers take care of their family basically just like we humans do. They look after the chicks carefully until they acquire the ability to fly. When the young birds learn to fly and leave the family nest, the parents find them ready to manage on their own and it is time for young people to start living on their own (à propos leaving the nest by young people, i.e. leaving the family home, I recommend a beautiful song 'Je vole' by Michel Sardou, but necessarily performed by Louane from the movie 'La Famille Bélier' – 'We understand each other without words').

Nests in the form of floating platforms are built by females, although males can help with carrying the material. In fact, for everything that happens in the nest, the responsibility is bravely taken by the harrier lady. Not only does she build the nest herself, she also incubates the eggs herself, until the chicks hatch. The male at this time provides food by passing it on to the female during aerial acrobatics (such gifts in flight the

male gives to the female also during the courtship displays preceding the breeding season). Interestingly, when food is in abundance, the male can handle more than one female in this way, so we are dealing here with polygyny or more familiar-sounding polygamy. This form of polygamy requires a lot of work from the male, because maintaining the incubating female, and after hatching also the young, is not an easy task. Therefore, this type of behaviour is observed in marsh harriers only during the seasons when the availability of food is actually greater than usual. Then, loosing less energy, you can catch a sufficient number of bird chicks (and sometimes eggs), rodents, frogs and other available vertebrates. And invertebrates, too, but more often during wintering in tropical regions, where the basis of the me be orthopterous insects, including locusts, especially when they enter the so-called swarming phase and there is no problem with their availability.

Harriers catch their prey in the claws, often falling from a height of several meters to the target. Marsh harriers hunt not only within the coastal reeds, where they have their nests. They are also found while patrolling adjacent fields and meadows, where voles, but also field mice and other rodents most of-

ten fall their prey. Rodents, and especially the aforementioned voles, become their main food during their mass appearances, which take place every few years. Perhaps it should be written that they took place every few years, because in the era of a warming climate, more and more often changes in the number of these animals are chaotic fluctuations, and not regularly occurring population peaks. Going back to the marsh harriers: during the flight, when they search for candidates for the position of calorie provider during the next meal, they can hover in the air. Most likely, this ability was the inspiration for the engineers when they gave the name Harrier to the legendary jet attack aircraft, whose most characteristic and at the same time unique feature is the possibility of vertical take-off and landing. The bird's ability to fly is exceptionally well adapted to the harriers' lifestyle and hunting mode (as only Mother Nature can do using natural selection). They have long and narrow wings, a long tail and are very light – they have, for example, a three times lower weight to wing area ratio compared to a peregrine falcon (by the way, also an unmatched flyer, although flying in a completely different way). The silhouette itself in flight is also very characteristic, with wings raised above the line of the

body, which is often described as the shape of a wide letter V, and with a lowered head. Very often they fly against the wind, which allows them to effectively use the lift during a slow flight over the patrolled territory. The slender body and raised wings during flight are not the only features that allow the harrier to be distinguished from other birds of prey.

Male marsh harrier are interestingly coloured. Their backs are brown, the head and breast are yellow-white or yel-

low-grey, the tail is bluish-grey, and the wings are of at least three colours, i.e. grey, light grey and clearly marked black on the wing tips (primaries). The underside of the body is rusty brown. Females are larger than males, and their colour is chocolate-brown with a pale yellow throat, the top of the head (quite a stylish cap) and the front edge of the wings. Juvenile birds also have a coloration similar to females, and after they reach sexual maturity after 2-3 years, they adapt the adult colouration. At this point it is worth adding that the marsh harrier, which this article concerns, is the most numerous, but not the only species of marsh harrier occurring in Central Europe. Its close relatives is the Montagu's harrier (C. pygargus) nesting in Poland, though less numerous, and the Hen harrier (C. cyaneus) which also used to breed in Poland – today it doesn't, unfortunately. There is also the pallid harrier (C. macrourus) visiting Poland, but it is a rather rare guest. These marsh harriers have many things in common, but also differences, mainly in terms of size and coloration. The European marsh harrier is the largest in the 'family', but the general silhouette in flight and the dark primaries of males is a trait present in all of the species mentioned. In addition to these, there are many more species of harriers in the world, as many as 15 altogether. The

most interesting in terms of coloration, in my humble opinion, are: the black harrier (C. maurus) from South Africa, unfortunately at the danger of extinction, East Asian pied harrier (C. melanoleucos), which fortunately somehow holds up, as far as the population is concerned, and finally the already mentioned Eurasian pallid harrier, whose population is at risk.

Finally, a word about the harrier's wanderings. Eurasian marsh harriers are with us only in the warm part of the year. During winter, following the example of many species of their bird relatives, they fly away to warmer places, where it is easier to find food. Although marsh harriers are rather loners outside the breeding season, they can form groups during migration and in wintering grounds. Birds nesting in central and northern Europe winter most often in Africa (northern populations can travel up to 5,000 km) and in the Mediterranean region.

During the next dives, swims or just walks in the vicinity of reeds, look for harriers – they are really beautiful birds and meeting them always leaves an indelible impression!

Underwater cleanup

This year 300,000 people cleaned up their bit of Poland as part of the Clean Up the World campaign. Among the cleaners were also volunteers – divers invited by the Perfect Diver Magazine who, in the final round, together with the Our Earth Foundation team, cleaned up Lake Ciecz in the Lubuskie Voivodeship.

SEEK, AND YE SHALL FIND

Sometimes we don't notice the rubbish around us at first glance. But looking under some bushes is enough to find abandoned bottles, cans, or other types of packaging. It's just that sometimes we have to bend down to see what is hidden from us. We can also... go underwater.

I must admit, my diving experience in comparison with Perfect Diver readers cannot be considered impressive in any way. In fact, it is limited to a spontaneous dive in the Adriatic Sea during sailing trips. And yet, even my meagre experience is enough to notice that one of the "attractions" of the underwater world is the rubbish I know so well.

SEPTEMBER IS TIME FOR CLEANING

Traditionally, during the third weekend of September, the whole of Poland cleans up. We already know that such a large involvement as this year’s has not been recorded for years. Over 3,500 registered groups from the Baltic Sea to the Tatra Mountains cleaned up under the banners of the Clean up the World – Poland campaign. We still have to wait for the official results, but we can already estimate that 300,000 Poles took part in the action! This year, special attention was given to waste left over from our leisure and recreational activities – we call this 'weekend waste'. And, as we all know, the weekend is a great time to relax by the water. Therefore, since last year, under-

...since last year, underwater cleaning has been permanently included in the Action's finals.

water cleaning has been permanently included in the Action's finals. And so, on the second day of this year's final, September 18, together with Perfect Diver magazine and the invited divers, we went to Łagów, to go underwater and clean up.

UNDERWATER TREASURE

You may wonder what we found at the bottom of the beautiful Lake Ciecz? While observing and meticulously picking up raschel bags from divers emerging from the water, I had an opportunity to take a closer look at them. I divided them into three categories: The first was waste that found its way into the water by accident. Sunglasses that were on someone's nose a moment ago, only to land in the water through a moment of carelessness. It includes mobile phones and walkie-talkies which nobody seemed to want to part with. I would also include in this category all kinds of clothing, swimming trunks,

and underpants, but here everyone has to use their imagination and figure out how they got there.

The second category was the unfortunate "weekend waste". It is no longer a coincidence that beer bottles from virtually every Polish brewery, cans, jars, and food wrappers were found in the bags they fished out. Out of sight, out of mind? Not this time, unfortunately, the waste fished out that day stung the eyes and was a visible testimony to what we want to change so much in the behaviour of Polish women and men – littering in nature.

And the third category. This one hurts me the most. It's the bulky stuff. Leftovers from renovations, construction sites, whole kitchen sets, plates, cups, pots, trolleys, chairs, and of course tires. Did you think that wild dumps are only a problem of rubbish being taken to the forests? Unfortunately not! Wild dumps are also a problem of Polish water bodies, only you can't see them and hardly anyone talks about them. Perhaps it is time to start?

HARD WORK LIES AHEAD

How much effort does it take to take a bag full of rubbish out of a forest? Every participant in the Clean Up the World campaign knows that this is no easy task. But it's nothing compared to the effort a diver makes whilst cleaning up underwater. In Łagów, bag after bag, more and more rubbish appeared in our Headquarters. In literally two hours a really impressive pile of rubbish accumulated, and at the end of the day, we closed the whole action with the result of 534.1 kilograms

of rubbish! For this huge effort and commitment, I would like to thank all the divers! A huge green heart for you!

Unfortunately, even such an impressive result is just a drop in the ocean. And here enters our most important task, that each cleaning action should be accompanied by educational activities and promoting the attitude of not littering in nature. After all, it is not about cleaning up litter lying on the bottom all the time. I think you will all agree that there are definitely more interesting things to do underwater. This year's 28th campaign was held under the slogan "I think, therefore I don't litter". The Clean Up the World – Poland campaign is primarily about a joint manifesto against littering in nature. This year, the manifesto resounded particularly loudly in the media, on the Internet, and in the local community. And let it continue to do so! On land and, thanks to you and Perfect Diver magazine, underwater!

 Grzegorz Mikosza  Chief coordinator of the Clean up the world – Poland campaign

IT’S

A COLD WORLD OUT THERE.

BUT BARE KEEPS YOU WARM ON EVERY DIVE.

How to select A DIVING TORCH?

THIS ARTICLE WILL SHOW YOU AN EFFECTIVE TEST THAT WILL LET YOU SELECT THE BEST TORCH FOR YOU

Everyone have heard that a certain type of torches is the best. Without specialized knowledge, we are often lured by commercials based on the “BESTs: highest amount of lumens, highest wattage, brightest light.

Photo Tomasz Płociński

Text WOJCIECH A. FILIP

Beginners may think that if something can output 10,000 lumens, it's better than the one with 1000 lumens. Well, not quite.

It would be best if we got rid of all the advertisements, descriptions and choose the best one by trying out a few models underwater, not knowing anything about various types of torches.

Here are 3 methods that we usually apply when selecting a torch – check out which one you've applied to select your diving light.

METHOD 1

Logical

You need to familiar with the basics of how light and torches work underwater and effectively resist advertisements: a high amount of lumens and a high wattage are the parameters that will rarely prove useful underwater, but perfectly describe the perfect torch to be used on land. What is this method all about?

You focus on testing several torch models and selecting the one that meets the simple criteria described in the test that you will find listed in the second part of the article.

Pros:

● the torch will work well in waters with limited visibility

● the torch will allow for effective communication and lighting up details during any type of diving

● you can use the torch to light up videos recorded with a small camera

Cons:

● the torch is probably more expensive

● you should read the full article

● you will not be among those who have a torch with the highest wattage and 100,000 xxx lumens output 

METHOD 2

“Because everybody says so”

Just listen to the advertisements 

What is this method all about?

This one is based on accepting that the key elements for a torch is to have the highest wattage, highest lumen (lm) output, highest lux (lx) value and other parameters, while leaving its actual performance underwater to sheer chance.

Pros:

● if your package says its the strongest torch out there, it must be the best one 

Cons:

● if this is the torch that you really wanted, there are no cons.

Photo Mariusz Czajka

Since only a few of us have specialist knowledge about light combined with a lot of diving experience, we need a simple and effective method for torch assessment.

Manufacturers take advantage of this, telling us that the higher the numbers describing the torch's parameters, the better the torch is. Seems legit, but it's not true in the case of a diving torch.

When selecting a diving torch, you should avoid the most powerful ones.

They will most probably be nothing much but obstructive when diving.

METHOD 3

“Because reasons”

–

or love at first sight

We've all had this time when we wanted to buy something because we simply liked it. What is this method all about?

You don't care about anything at all, you just buy the thing you've always dreamed of 

Pros:

● they're all there and if this purchase is connected with Method 1, then having made your dreams come true also means you've bought a really good torch Cons:

● it might be that you do not have a package that says it's the most powerful and thus the best torch 

Photo Mariusz Czajka

Photo Mariusz Czajka

EFFICIENT 3-STAGE DIVING TORCH LIGHT TEST

What we'll need:

● wetnotes or an underwater slate

● 6 m of line

● a diving spot with a visibility typical for our dives

● bottom, platform or the deck of some nice wreck 

● several torches that we want to test

Write ”BEST TORCH” on the slate with capital letters that would be 1 cm high.

Stage 1. Is the torch suitable for diving in low visibility waters, such as in Poland:

Extend the slate with the text as far before you as possible, draw the torch back slightly further than 0.5 m and shine on the slate directly.

Passed: you can read the writing right away – the torch will work well in low-visibility water.

Failed: you can see a a dazzling white spot – the torch will blind you.

Stage 2. Is the torch suitable for communication?

Grab one end of the 6 m line and give the other one to your partner who will swim 6 meters away from you, turning their back on you. Agree in advance that once they notice a horizontally moving spot of light from your torch, they will extend their hand to the side without turning. Then move the torch slowly up and down a few times. If the movement is visible, your partner will raise their hand without turning.

Passed: your partner has no doubts as to the direction in which you are moving the torch – it has a beam of light narrow enough to enable communication.

Failed: your partner is doubtful or does not recognize the direction of your light’s movement – the torch's beam is too wide.

Failed x2: you cannot clearly see your partner, because the light bouncing back against them blinds you – the torch has too much lumen output/wattage. It's best suited for lighting up objects on the ground.

Photo Mariusz Czajka

A good diving torch should easily pass all 3 stages of the test.

Stage 3. Is the torch suitable for underwater exploration (lights up small objects sufficiently well)?

Stop approximately 1 meter above the bottom or a wreck where you placed your slate or wetnotes. Keep shining forward. Look down towards the bottom through the light of your torch.

Passed: you can see the bottom, the slate, wreck parts – the torch's lumen output/wattage is well-suited for exploration and wreck or cave dives.

Failed: you see a white, non-transparent stream of light  contact Luke Skywalker: you have mistakenly brought a JEDI sword underwater instead of a torch. Such equipment will only hinder you in advanced diving (too much wattage/lumen output).

Were you precise when testing your torch? Follow the same principle when selecting your torch – it should be the perfect underwater tool, with as few drawbacks as possible. Reject those torches that you have any doubts about – invest in your own safety.

REMEMBER that it's up to you what you want to take underwater: if you don't care that your torch is not suitable for communication, wreck diving or rescue operations but it has a high amount of lumen output, I have great news for you: do not waste time for tests, as any torch will do for you 

Photo Tomasz Płociński

Nine commandments for those in search of the perfect torch:

Light

1. It cannot dazzle in low-transparency water

2. It's light should allow for communication

3. It should offer a wide beam (for filming)

Functionality

4. Simple, easily accessible light mode switch

5. Suitable for use on land

6. Easy to use when riding a DPV

Traveling

7. Light

8. Does not take up much space

9. Airlines allow for it to be transported on a plane

Summary

I hope you're not bothered by the joking form used to talk about serious issues.

This issue, as over the years little has changed when selecting torches: beginner divers are looking for a method to quickly test torches and rely on advertisements, as they have nothing better. Manufacturers seize the opportunity and sometimes offer us incredibly sturdy torches that dazzle more than actually illuminate anything and we think this must be the way... Really? It's all up to us!

Do you have any doubts?

Come to a practical underwater light use seminar at the Tecline Academy.

If you're short on time, try this: take 2 torch underwater and choose the one that will accurately light up small details from up close and the video that you record will allow you to see those small details instead of a white spot.

May the moderate force be with you 

https://teclinediving.eu/tecline-academy/#/

Photo Tomasz Płociński

TACTICAL SEARCH RESCUE