Scuba Diver ANZ #35

DIVING NEW IRELAND

SHOOTING NAPOLEON

LADY ELLIOT ISLAND

DON SILCOCK VISITS PNG’S PROVINCE OF NEW IRELAND

HINTS AND ADVICE ON PHOTOGRAPHING THESE CHARISMATIC FISH

WHY THERE IS MORE TO THIS ISLAND THAN JUST MANTA RAYS

UNDERWATER TOUR AWARDS THE GURU GRAND PRIZE WINNER REVEALED

MONSTER TRACKING WHALESHARK TAGGING IN THE GALAPAGOS

SEAHORSE WHISPERER

IN CONVERSATION WITH DR RICHARD SMITH WRECK HUNTER

‣ CONSERVATION ‣ GREAT BARRIER REEF

#35 | $1 DONATION

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EDITOR’S NOTE GOOD NEWS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Times are changing, and to keep the magazine free, we’re asking dive stores to cover their own postage costs. If you enjoy reading the magazine, think about helping out your centre with a small donation to help cover their costs.

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Mark Evans Email: mark.evans@scubadivermag.com

DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGER Matt Griffiths Email: matt@scubadivermag.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Adrian Stacey Editor-at-Large (Australia and New Zealand) Tel: +61 422 611 238 Email: adrian@scubadivermag.com Don Silcock Senior Travel Editor www.indopacificimages.com

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MAGAZINE

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Adrian Stacey, Editor-at-Large (Australia and New Zealand)

AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND AND SOUTHEAST ASIA TEAM

Mario Vitalini, Don Silcock, Deborah Dickson-Smith, Nigel Marsh

Ross Arnold Email: ross.arnold@scubadivermag.com

This month, rather than playing the incredibly frustrating guessing game about when international borders will reopen, I will instead focus on the positive environment news coming out of the region and the fantastic features in this edition of the magazine.

The first piece of good news comes from Western Australia, where the government is considering creating two new marine reserves around the spectacular Christmas and Cocos Keeling Islands. If the proposed plans go ahead, these will be the world’s next big marine parks. They would provide critical protection for globally significant marine life in an area twice the size of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park! On the east coast, Avoid Island joins Lady Elliot Island and the Whitsundays as a Climate Change Refuge. Avoid Island is situated about 100km south of Mackay and is the second-largest flatback turtle rookery on the Great Barrier Reef. The flatback turtle is endemic to Australia.

This month’s features include a great article from renowned photographer Nigel Marsh about the incredible diving at Lady Elliot Island. Staying close to these shores, we have part two of the Best Dive Sites of the Great Barrier Reef. For our international fare we have part three of Don Silcock’s in-depth look at the diving delights of Papua New Guinea. Then to further whet the appetite for global diving, Terry Smith from Pelagic Dive Travel focuses on a whaleshark conservation initiative from the Galapagos Islands. To round off the features, we have a very interesting Q&A with world-class photographer Dr Richard Smith.

In addition to our destination features, we have our usual columns from DAN, Deborah Dickson-Smith of Dive Planit, Wreck Hunters, Conservation Corner and underwater photography hints and tips.

To stock Scuba Diver in your centre, email: subscriptions@scubadivermag.com

PUBLISHERS

Rork Media ANZ Pty Ltd 193 Latrobe Terrace, PADDINGTON, QLD 4064 Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the views of the publishers. Copyright for material published remains with Rork Media Limited. Use of material from Scuba Diver is strictly prohibited unless permission is given. All advertisements of which the creative content is in whole or in part the work of Rork Media Limited remain the copyright of Rork Media Limited.

is a registered trademark of Rork Media. ISSN 2515-9593

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DIVING NEW IRELAND

SHOOTING NAPOLEON

LADY ELLIOT ISLAND

DON SILCOCK VISITS PNG’S PROVINCE OF NEW IRELAND

HINTS AND ADVICE ON PHOTOGRAPHING THESE CHARISMATIC FISH

WHY THERE IS MORE TO THIS ISLAND THAN JUST MANTA RAYS

UNDERWATER TOUR AWARDS THE GURU GRAND PRIZE WINNER REVEALED

MONSTER TRACKING WHALESHARK TAGGING IN THE GALAPAGOS

SEAHORSE WHISPERER

IN CONVERSATION WITH DR RICHARD SMITH WRECK HUNTER

‣ CONSERVATION ‣ GREAT BARRIER REEF

#35 | $1 DONATION

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: AMANDA BLANKSBY

REGULAR COLUMNS

FEATURES...

8 News

20 Australia

The winners of The Underwater Tour underwater photography competition, a major beach and underwater clean-up in Chowder Bay, protected status for Avoid Island, Coral Gardeners in Tahiti celebrate four years in operation - and 15,000 corals planted - and the innovative Ecoventures programme.

18 Medical Q&A

The experts at Divers Alert Network Asia-Pacific discuss safe diving profiles, and the subject of air usage.

66 Conservation Corner

Conservation projects in and around Australia, New Zealand and SE Asia - this issue, you are urged to seek out reef-friendly sunscreen to help protect the fragile underwater environment.

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Conclusion of a two-part article in which we asked Master Reef Guides to choose their top 12 dives on the Great Barrier Reef. Locations in part two include North Horn and Soft Coral Wall on Osprey Reef, and Crystal Plateau on Bougainville Reef.

28 The Galapagos

The Galapagos Whaleshark Project conducted a research trip during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but as you will find out, organising it was not a simple matter.

32 Underwater Photography

Napoleon wrasse are one of the most-charismatic fish in the sea, and Mario Vitalini offers some advice on how to capture awesome shots.

36 Divers Alert Network Asia-Pacific

The DAN medical experts extol the virtues of remaining cool, calm and collected when you are diving, particularly if you encounter an issue or an emergency.

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CONTENTS

...CONTINUED

GEAR GUIDE

38 Wreck Hunter

58 What’s New

Underwater archaeology expert Mike Haigh looks at using photomosaics in wreck site investigations.

40 Q&A: Dr Richard Smith

Scuba Diver Editor-at-Large (Australia and New Zealand) Adrian Stacey talks to Dr Richard Smith about nudibranchs, the lure of Aussie diving, and pygmy seahorses.

Scuba Diver Editor-in-Chief Mark Evans looks at new products hitting the dive market, including the 3mm, 5mm and 7mm wetsuits from Henderson made from Greenprene, baseball cap and polo shirt from Fourth Element, the O’Three 90Ninety trilaminate drysuit, and the Garmin Descent MK2S dive computer.

46 Australia

62 Test Extra

Nigel Marsh explains how while Lady Elliot Island might be famous for its friendly manta rays, there is much more to the island’s rich underwater diversity than these leviathans.

Scuba Diver Editor-in-Chief Mark Evans rates and reviews the Best Divers Aldebaran dive light, and the Aqualung Sphera X freediving mask.

52 Papua New Guinea

Scuba Diver Senior Travel Editor Don Silcock continues his series focusing on Papua New Guinea, in this article concentrating on the diving opportunities off New Island.

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Each month, we bring together the latest industry news from the Asia-Pacific region, as well as all over our water planet. To find out the most up-to-date news and views, check out the website or follow us on our various social media (@scubadivermag) www.scubadivermag.com.au

THE UNDERWATER TOUR

AWARDS 2021 WINNERS ANNOUNCED

T

he organisers of the Underwater Tour Awards have announced the winners of its second annual, prestigious international competition. The annual competition encourages and inspires passion for photography, exploration and discovery from behind the lens and helps raise awareness of the world’s incredible, fragile marine and aquatic inhabitants and their environments.

THE GURU AWARDS – PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION

The only international photography competition of its kind to incorporate a systematic Ethical Review for images submitted, the Underwater Tour Awards Team is committed to ensuring the natural world is depicted both creatively and honestly, with due regard shown to the welfare of all marine life and habitats.

All images entered were subject to the competition’s Ethics Review process, conducted by renowned marine biologist and author, Dr Richard Smith (see the Q&A with Richard on page 40), before moving to the first round of judging.

Led by convenor Darren Jew, Canon Master and six-time winner of the AIPP’s Professional Nature Photographer of the Year, the international Juergen Freund, Alex Kydd, Rachael Talibart and Y-Zin Kim reviewed several hundred images submitted by photographers from all over the world.

“We are delighted with the high calibre of submissions received” said Darren. “The competition gallery takes us on a remarkable underwater tour, showcasing the fine work of competing underwater wildlife photographers and celebrating the natural wonders of the underwater world”.

THE GURU GRAND PRIZE

The competition’s Guru Grand Prize celebrates an underwater photographer with talent, skill and creativity who can deliver with more than one high-calibre image - an award for an excellent photographer, not simply an excellent photograph.

The winner is chosen from a pool of the highest scoring entrants who entered one image in each of the five different categories of the Awards.

The Guru Grand Prize Winner: Amanda Blanksby, Wembley, Western Australia

CATEGORY WINNERS

Underwater Characters Winner: Luc Rooman, Kieldrecht, Belgium Underwater Scenes Winner: Wayne Osborn, Applecross, Western Australia

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Aquatic Abstract Winner: Richard Condlyffe, Battle Creek, Michigan, USA Topside Scenes Winner: Pavlos Evangelidis, Nea Arithrea, Greece Underwater Black and White Winner: Kristian Laine, Mermaid Waters, Queensland, Australia There were two new awards in 2021.

THE ECO-HERO AWARD The Underwater Tour invited nominations for individuals going above and beyond to consistently share and encourage positive ecological change within their community environment.

Winner: Louise Hardman, Coffs Harbour, News South Wales, Australia

FROM THE HEART TO THE OCEAN This Award category was open to all creatives working in any medium – the Underwater Tour called out for the community to inspire us with their work.

Winner: Natasha Waller, Old Beach, Tasmania, Australia All finalists’ images can be seen on: underwatertourawards.com.au

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TOURISM AUTHORITY OF THAILAND SUPPORTS CHOWDER BAY CLEAN-UP

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14/06/2021 12:51

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Sydney Office, in collaboration with the Royal Thai Consulate in Sydney, took part in a beach and underwater cleanup event at Chowder Bay. The event was held at Clifton Gardens Reserve, on the foreshore of Chowder Bay, with Thai massages and a delicious Thai lunch provided by Spice I Am for volunteers, followed by a Thai cooking demonstration

by Chef Sujet Saenkham, founder and owner of Spice I am Restaurant, and Thai performance by Siam Classic Dance Group at Taronga Zoo. According to TAT Director, Suladda Sarutilavan: “In efforts to show our appreciation for those local heroes volunteering their time to protect our oceans, we are proud to support the effort of local conservation group Friends of Chowder Bay. “The travel restrictions imposed on us all by the COVID-19 pandemic has inspired, in many of us, a heightened awareness and appreciation for our precious natural environment. Many tourism operators in Thailand have spent time in lockdown looking at ways to operate more sustainably.”

Some 40 volunteers took part, including seven scuba divers, who spent a combined 456 minutes underwater collecting over 2kg of debris, much of this fishing debris with an estimated 200 metres of discarded fishing line, 63 metal hooks and sinkers and 25 plastic fishing lures.

Above water, volunteers collected 191 cigarette butts, 54 straws and other plastic cutlery items, an estimated 250 plastic fragments, 120 plastic bag remnants, 155 polystyrene fragments and 27 balloon fragments.

Organiser and co-founder of the Friends of Chowder Bay, Diveplanit Travel’s Deborah Dickson-Smith, explains the significance of Chowder Bay: “Thailand’s underwater world shares many wonders (and indeed critters!) with Australia and suffers similar threats - from plastic pollution and fishing debris. Mosman’s Chowder Bay is a unique biodiverse marine environment, home to many colourful critters including frogfish, decorator crabs, moray eels and the endangered Whites (Sydney) seahorse.”

The show of support from TAT and the Royal Thai Consulate Sydney highlights efforts to promote Thailand as a sustainable tourism destination, with tourism operators in Thailand encouraged to conserve their local environment, use local produce, support local communities, and minimise their carbon footprint. www.amazingthailand.com.au

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AVOID ISLAND CHOSEN AS CLIMATE CHANGE REFUGE The Great Barrier Reef Foundation will restore and protect vital turtle nesting site Avoid Island under the next phase of its Reef Islands Initiative. Building on the success of the initiative’s first two sites — Lady Elliot Island and the Whitsundays — the Foundation will add Avoid Island to a crucial network of climate change refuges that protect surrounding ecosystems and help save vulnerable species.

Home to numerous dangerous creatures, including death adders and crocodiles, Avoid Island is situated 100km south of Mackay and is a critical habitat for the vulnerable flatback turtle, which is only found on the Great Barrier Reef.

The Great Barrier Reef Foundation, with their partners Queensland Trust for Nature and Koinmerburra Aboriginal Corporation, are transforming the island into a hub of education and citizen science by developing opportunities for visitors to assist in the protection of important ecosystems, helping save flatback turtles, more than 80 species of birds and a diverse range of marine life.

Great Barrier Reef Foundation managing director Anna Marsden says the Reef, its islands and the marine life that depend on them are coming under increasing pressure from climate change.

“As the climate warms and cyclone intensity increases, the southern Great Barrier Reef will become an important refuge for reef residents looking to migrate to cooler areas,” Ms Marsden says.

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“Avoid Island will join our network of climate change refuges being created through the Reef Islands Initiative. Its southern location has an 8m tidal range, allowing it to avoid rising sea water levels and other effects of climate change.”

Federal Minister for the Environment Susan Ley says the Australian Government’s Reef Trust is delighted to be supporting Reef Islands with $5 million in funding to help protect reef species and rejuvenate ecosystems.

“Avoid Island is the second largest Flatback Turtle rookery on the Great Barrier Reef and restoring nesting habitats there will greatly benefit this species,” Minister Ley says.

“It is fitting that the third Reef Islands project is being announced on the third anniversary of the initiative, which has already revegetated 7.5 hectares of Lady Elliot Island and seen a 125% increase in turtle habitat at that island’s main nesting beach.”

Queensland Minister for the Environment Meaghan Scanlon says Avoid Island is a worthy addition to the initiative as a refuge for some of the Reef’s most vulnerable species.

“We’ve provided $3 million for the Reef Islands project which is already delivering fantastic outcomes such as restoring island habitats for the benefit of marine life and local communities,” Minister Scanlon says.

“Climate change is of critical concern for the Reef and this initiative is one of the many ways the Queensland Government is working to ensure a climate-resilient, healthy Great Barrier Reef for now and future generations.”

Lendlease Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Steve McCann says protecting critical Great Barrier Reef habitats aligns with our commitment to leave a positive social legacy and create value through places where communities thrive.

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“With significant turtle monitoring and revegetation progress achieved in the Whitsundays and at Lady Elliot Island, we look forward to continuing our shared partnership’s work to protect and preserve these crucial ecosystems for future generations,” Mr McCann says.

Queensland Trust for Nature Science and Education Manager Dr Renee Rossini says this project builds on our collective legacies; eons of management by First Nations custodians, represented now by Koinmerburra Aboriginal Corporation, QTFN’s commitment to growing Queensland’s biodiversity estate, and a history of conservation research and education.

“With the support of the Foundation, we will walk together to transition one of Queensland’s only island Nature Refuges into a financially and environmentally sustainable hub of education, citizen science and climate adaptation,” says Dr Rossini.

“Avoid will be a unique piece of that island ark puzzle as its unique flora and fauna differ to those already in the network. Its approach shows how we can collaboratively build and secure our environment and culture holistically, and share that legacy with our collective communities.”

The Reef Islands Initiative is a Great Barrier Reef Foundation programme, supported by funding from Lendlease, the Australian Government’s Reef Trust, the Queensland Government and the Fitzgerald Family Foundation. It will be delivered on Avoid Island in partnership with Queensland Trust for Nature, Koinmerburra Aboriginal Corporation, Wonder of Science and Mackay and District Turtle Watch.

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CORAL GARDENERS IN THE ISLANDS OF TAHITI The Coral Gardeners is a group of young ocean lovers based on the French Polynesian island of Moorea, who could see the damage done to the reefs in the waters they call home and decided to do something about it. The founder, Titouan and his team of surfers, freedivers, and fishermen, are actively working to restore the corals through a programme of regeneration.

Researchers have estimated that if we don’t do anything about it, there will be no more corals on Earth by 2050 and if nothing is done, it will be the first ecosystem on Earth to entirely collapse, dragging with it the loss of 25 percent of marine life that rely on them.

The world’s coral reefs produce 50 percent of the Earth’s oxygen and 500 million people worldwide directly rely on the reef for food, income, coastal protection and more. With this tight deadline, the Coral Gardeners have taken it upon themselves to be real heroes and are really amping up their work in the next few years.

The company is celebrating their fourth anniversary this year and have during these years planted 15,000 corals in The Islands of Tahiti. They recently announced their goal to expand beyond Tahiti’s reefs and to plant one million corals worldwide by 2025.

They have also introduced a new type of coral they use for their nurseries, called super corals, that are more resilient

and have proven to resist and survive hot water temperatures and bleaching events. Amid these extreme conditions, these resilient corals are still thriving and should hypothetically spawn. Adopting a super coral costs approx $60 and can be purchased through their website: www.coralgardeners.org

INTRODUCING ECOVENTURES Ecoventures are a carefully-curated portfolio of sustainable scuba programmes from around the world - putting the power of change in the hands of everyday divers. Through Ecoventures, travellers can help to explore and restore the world’s oceans, while creating a vital source of revenue for conservation organisations.

A 2020 survey of the ZuBlu community identified a disconnect between scuba divers’ desire to ‘travel green’, and their ability to actually do so. The survey revealed that 92 percent of people want to dive more sustainably, but 75 percent struggled to find the information they needed to make a more-informed choice - a so-called ‘eco-gap’ that is slowing sustainability efforts within dive travel. But now, with Ecoventures, ZuBlu will help to bridge this gap bringing marine conservation programmes and sustainable travellers together.

ZuBlu’s portfolio of Ecoventures includes some of the most-sought-after dive internships, ocean conservation programmes, and citizen-science volunteer opportunities from around the globe. These sustainable projects allow divers to do more during their dive holiday, helping to restore and sustain the oceans as they continue to explore them.

Divers can simply browse ZuBlu’s selection of sustainable dive programmes, using the unique search tool to filter by country, date or type of marine life they’d like to encounter.

Then, once the perfect project has been found, ZuBlu brings

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the traveller and their organisation together, introducing both parties so they can plan the trip with ease.

Importantly, Ecoventures will also create a vital source of revenue for the programmes, enabling guests to continue supporting the organisation of their choice - and the environment - every time they travel. Whenever they book another dive trip through ZuBlu, part of the cost is donated back to their chosen programme, creating a new revenue stream not reliant on external funding. www.zubludiving.com

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Ask DAN DAN medical specialists and researchers answer your dive medicine questions

IS MY DIVE PROFILE SAFE?

oxygen to your decompression phase and speed up nitrogen elimination. Keep the same times as for the air profile, even if you switch to EAN. Decrease your bottom time by a few minutes. It is always important to stay well hydrated before every dive, especially in deco diving.

40m: 20 minutes | 30m: 2 minutes 20m: 2 minutes | 12m: 4 minutes 9m: 5 minutes | 6m: 6 minutes 3m: 16 minutes

AIR USAGE

Q: I am currently taking a Master Scuba Diver course. Our instructor wants us to dive an extended time at depth.

Is that safe with regards to nitrogen build-up? I have an upcoming dive with the following profile:

Every time above 40m includes a one-minute ascent. Is this a safe profile, or should it be more conservative?

A: The profile you describe is within the limits of currently available dive tables and is slightly more conservative than the U.S. Navy dive tables. The dive profile is decompression (deco) diving, which requires decompression stops, and all these tables were developed for square profiles. I assume your instructor chose these times based on the dive tables of your training organisation or a commercially available dive planner.

If you are concerned about an increased risk of decompression sickness (DCS), you can consider options to make the dive more conservative, such as the following: Add time to the shallower deco stops (e.g., another two minutes at 6m and 9m and follow the ascent rates that your instructor proposed. Ascent rates are one of the main keys to safe decompression. Add enriched air nitrox (EAN) as a decompression gas starting on the deco stops to add

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Q: I am a scuba instructor at a resort that offers introductory scuba experiences. A student who made one dive to 6m for less than 20 minutes used a half tank of air and later told me that he started to feel awkward as if he were stoned. Was he experiencing nitrogen narcosis?

A: At a depth of 6m, the partial pressure of nitrogen is not elevated to the levels that cause nitrogen narcosis, the effects of which usually appear at a depth of at least 33m but sometimes can occur in somewhat shallower water.

A variety of things — such as dive gear, underlying medical conditions, psychological conditions, or drugs and medications — could cause your student’s experience, but we need more details to provide a proper explanation. His gas consumption may indicate hyperventilation occurred during the dive.

Without further speculation, the student will need a dive medical exam, and he should discuss this incident with a dive medical physician if he wishes to pursue training. If the physician finds no psychological or medical contraindications, instructors should initially conduct his dive training slowly and with close observation to ensure no recurrence.

DANAP.org

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THE TROPICAL NORTH’S

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Want to know the best spots to dive on the Great Barrier Reef? In the concluding part of this two-part feature, Deborah Dickson-Smith asked Master Reef Guides to choose their top 12 dives on this iconic dive location PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHELLE BARRY, DEBORAH DICKSON-SMITH AND ANDREW WATSON

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Reef sharks getting up close and personal

MARINE WORLD WALL, MOORE REEF

Master Reef Guide: Sam Gray Dive it with: Reef Magic This section of Moore Reef is heart-warming comeback story, one that graced the cover of the Weekend Australian Magazine some 12 months ago. The ‘Wall’ is located on the far side of the reef where the ‘Marine World’ pontoon is moored. In 2011, this part of Moore Reef was hammered by Cyclone Yasi, so much so that in parts, it was virtually stripped bare of coral cover.

In late-2020, Reef Magic’s GBR Biology team conducted Eye on the Reef Rapid Health Indicator Surveys, and were delighted to discover that coral cover was back to pre-Yasi levels. The reef now boasts 80 percent coral cover, with layers and layers of plating coral competing for space with branching corals and providing shelter for an increasing population of reef fish such as coral trout and lizard fish.

The Wall is horseshoe-shaped, which (under normal weather patterns) protects the coral cover from the elements, even though it faces open ocean. It is best dived as a drift dive, jumping in at ‘Pressure Point’ where you’ll likely see large schools of pelagic fish including drummer, rainbow runners, snub-nose dart fish and fusiliers. As you drift along, the coral cover changes from candy-coloured soft corals to hard branching and bushy corals in the more protected areas.

Look out into the blue for the larger pelagics such as whitetip reef sharks, tawny nurse sharks, the occasional manta, and up close on the coral for nudibranchs, Ascidians and feather stars.

Top Tip: while Sunlover Reef Cruises and Reef Magic are known more as a specialist for non-divers with guided snorkel tours and glass bottom boats, they are also a great choice for certified divers as you will usually find yourself in a very small group.

Snorkelling over pristine reef

Vibrant soft corals

CORAL GARDENS, FLYNN REEF

Master Reef Guide: Pablo Cogollos Dive it with: Passions of Paradise, Silverswift, Pro Dive Cairns Flynn Reef has some of the best coral cover on the Great Barrier Reef, in fact Master Reef Guide Pablo Cogollos compares it to Lady Elliot Island for its coral density and diversity. Huge boulder corals fight for space with plate corals, branching and bushy corals, and this diversity attracts a diversity of fish life.

Exploring the gardens, you’ll come across coral trout, sweetlips, trumpetfish, several different angel fish, damsels, chromis and anemonefish.

The reef here is one of the healthiest in the Coral Sea, and even in the shallows you can expect to see large schools of drummer, trevally, barracuda and bumphead parrotfish 22

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R I B B O N R E E F S , G R E AT B A R R I E R R E E F

DI S C O V ER A NE W GR E AT B A R R IER R EEF A D V EN T U R E A DV E N T U R E G R E AT L E AV E G R E AT E R

From swimming with majestic Dwarf Minke Whales to witnessing coral spawning, a different kind of adventure awaits you on the Great Barrier Reef.

YO U R G R E AT B A R R I E R R E E F A DV E N T U R E B E G I N S AT C A I R N S G R E AT B A R R I E R R E E F. C O M / A DV E N T U R E

NORTH HORN, OSPREY REEF

Master Reef Guide: Pablo Cogollos and Michelle Barry Dive it with: Mike Ball Dive Expeditions, Spirit of Freedom Known mainly as a shark feeding dive, the location of this site means you could expect plenty of pelagic (and shark) action regardless of whether they are fed. Located at the northern-most tip of Osprey Reef, food-rich currents from the surrounding deep water attract large pelagics such as grey reef sharks, white tip and silver tip sharks, hammerheads and the occasional thresher shark. You’ll often see large smooth rays dosing on the sandy sea floor and manta rays gliding past in the blue – even whale sharks have been sighted here.

The shark spectacular itself happens at the tip of the reef, with divers seated around natural coral amphitheatre while the sharks are lured in for a thrill (and a photo opportunity) with a bucket of chum. And it’s not just sharks that are attracted, with large numbers of trevally, cod and other smaller fish circling the sharks like a tornado, keen to sweep up the scraps. Once the sharks have had their feed, drift along the Western Wall, which is festooned with vibrant soft corals and forests of gorgonian fans while clouds of purple anthias add to the whole rainbow of colours.

SOFT CORAL WALL, OSPREY REEF

Master Reef Guide: Michelle Barry Dive it with: Spirit of Freedom, Mike Ball Dive Expeditions This drift dive runs along the outer edge of Osprey Reef, dropping down to unimaginable depths. Normally a tender will drop you at the start of the drift where you descend to about 30-40m. Drift along past huge gorgonian fans and soft corals of all sorts, and in all sorts of candy colours – yellow, pink, orange, blue, red… populated by clouds of reef fish.

About halfway along the drift, wall becomes inverted, transforming into an overhang, while everything below you falls away and you find yourself in a candy-coloured hanging garden. The inversion adds drama to this beautiful underwater landscape, the kaleidoscope of colours further enhanced by all colourful reef fish including fusiliers, chromis and damsels.

Be sure to look out into the blue for sailfish, hammerheads, dogtooth tuna, eagle rays and big schools of big-eye jacks, barracuda and herds of bumphead parrotfish. The drift ends with a finale of sharks at North Horn, where even the odd whale shark has been sighted.

Snorkeller with giant clam

Reef sharks swarm round a bait box

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Classic tropical reef awaits

Vast shoal of snapper

TWO TOWERS, RIBBON REEF 10

SCAN ME

TO START YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE! Aerial shot of the fringing reef

CRYSTAL PLATEAU, BOUGAINVILLE REEF

Master Reef Guide: Pablo Cogollos Dive it with: Mike Ball Dive Expeditions Bougainville Reef is on the ‘Fair Weather’ Coral Sea itinerary for Cairns’ based liveaboards, being one of the more remote reef systems in the Coral Sea. The reef here is one of the healthiest in the Coral Sea, and even in the shallows you can expect to see large schools of drummer, trevally, barracuda and bumphead parrotfish.

There is a fantastic drift dive here between the western reef wall and a row of five or six pinnacles where you’ll drift by large schools of fish before reaching the end of the slipstream to be greeted by the friendliest (yet to be named) potato cod.

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Master Reef Guide: Michelle Barry, Pablo Cogollos Dive it with: Spirit of Freedom, Mike Ball Dive Expeditions Two Towers is located on the northern tip of the Ribbon Reefs, and there are several reasons it is one of Michelle Barry’s favourites.

She said: “The coral cover at Two Towers is beautiful and it is also a minke whale hotspot, but the main reason I love this reef is because it’s a comeback story that gives us hope for the Reef.”

In 2013 and 2014, this reef was hammered by two cyclones and a devastating crown of thorns seastar outbreak. The reef was so badly damaged there was hardly any coral cover left at all. When Two Towers was surveyed in the 2020 Great Reef Census, Michelle and a team of marine scientists which included Dr David Wachenfeldt, head of research at the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GRBMPA), where overjoyed to find a reef in considerable recovery.

In just six years, the coral cover on the shallower parts of this once dead reef is dense and diverse. There is a higher density of fast-growing branching and plating corals, bringing with them all the fish species that love the fast growers, such fusiliers, chromis, damsels, blue line snapper, turtles and black anemonefish. These corals on the top levels of the reef are now beginning to spill over into deeper water, replenishing coral density at depth.

Another reason to love Twin Towers is that its unique topography forms a perfect nursery for brooding dwarf minke whales. Between this long section of reef and the mainland, there are no large reefs or bommies, just a wide open paddock with a sandy sea floor, protected from the open ocean by Ribbon Reef 10 – the perfect nursery for dwarf minke mums to rest with their calves before the long trip south. n

Another reason to love Twin Towers is that its unique topography forms a perfect nursery for brooding dwarf minke whales 25

M

ost divers will be aware that our oceans are under threat, with climate change, overfishing, plastic pollution, and coastal development all threatening coral reefs and other marine habitat. But there is hope for our oceans yet, with many tourism operators leading the charge to save our oceans.

Here are just a few examples of the research and nurturing programmes being managed by some of our favourite dive resorts and tour operators.

THE MALDIVES

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Passions of Paradise is one of five Great Barrier Reef operators participating in the Coral Nurture Programme. This partnership between tourism and science has introduced coral planting into these operators’ Reef stewardship. How guests can help. The Eye on the Reef programme is a citizen science monitoring program that enables anyone to contribute to the Reef’s protection by reporting what they see using a simple App - passions.com.au

MALAYSIA

In Sabah, Gaya Island Resort’s Turtle Rescue programme rescues turtles injured by ghost fishing nets, plastic pollution or boat strike, rehabilitates and releases sea turtles back into the ocean, while its Coral Reef Restoration programme nurtures the fringing reef, collecting broken or non-viable coral fragments, monitoring them in a coral nursery before they are replanted. How guests can help. The resort encourages guests to become involved in outreach programs as volunteers or sponsors - gayaislandresort.com

In partnership with Coral Reef Protection, Anantara’s Dhigu and Veli resorts manage a coral regeneration programme called Holistic Approach to Reef Protection (HARP).

The resorts now boast the healthiest corals in the Maldives.

How guests can help. Guests can sponsor and transplant a ‘coral rope’ with help from the resident marine biologist, and perhaps make a return trip to see how much it has grown Anantara.com/en/dhigu-maldives

Based at Conflict Islands Resort in Papua New Guinea, the Conflict Island Conservation Initiative Trust (CICI) manages several marine initiatives, with three main research programmes: sharks and rays, sea turtles and coral reef health. How guests can help. CICI runs a volunteer abroad programme, inviting interns to stay for a couple of weeks (for a fee) and contribute to the foundation’s research - Cici.org.au

FRENCH POLYNESIA Stay on any of the resorts on Moorea in French Polynesia and you can contribute to the Coral Gardeners initiative. A team of surfers, free divers, and fishermen are actively working to restore coral cover and they are inviting eco-warriors from across the globe to help.

How guests can help. For €25 you can adopt and name your own piece of coral which will be cultivated then planted on a reef in Tahiti - coralgardeners.org

FIJI Fiji’s Kokomo Private Island Resort has established the Kokomo Coral Restoration project to ensure the surrounding reef continues to thrive. To date, the resort, with help from guests, has transplanted over 300 corals back onto the House Reef and currently houses over 1,300 corals in their nursery.

How guests can help. With help from the Marine Biology team, guests can learn how to identify heat resilient corals, before planting them into a nursery and transplanting them back onto the Kokomo House Reef - kokomoislandfiji.com To book a holiday with a sustainable dive resort that contributes to marine conservation, contact the team at Diveplanit Travel. 1800 607 913 diveplanit.com enquire@diveplanit.com

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The Galapagos Whaleshark Project conducted a research trip during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but as Terry Smith from Pelagic Dive Travel explains, organising it was not a simple matter PHOTOGRAPHS BY GALAPAGOS WHALESHARK PROJECT

L

ast year was tough. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone in some way or form. When COVID first started to spread, international borders started shutting very quickly to stop the spread. If you were overseas away from your home country, you had to scramble to make a flight back before the borders were closed (unfortunately, some did not make it in time and are still trying to make it home…)

The GWSP’s research trip was scheduled for June 2020, but as COVID-19 started to spread and international travel restrictions began to take hold, it was uncertain whether it would run. With several months waiting to see what would happen, there started to be a window of opportunity in July, as travel was just starting to be opened between Ecuador, the US and the Galapagos. They decided to push for July, but the permit and permission came through late, so the trip had to be rescheduled for August. Luckily at this time, the borders between the USA, Ecuador and the Galapagos were open, but not for most parts of the world, which meant their partners from AUS, NZ, US and Japan could not make it.

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WHAL This meant that the team numbers and the funding were down as the partners also contributed to the overall cost. A deal was stuck with a tuna-tagging programme that would help share the vessel and costs.

TRAVELLING IN THE PANDEMIC

Although travel was open for the team, it was a difficult trip to get there. Jon and Jenny had to travel into the US to pick up equipment, which meant a PCR test to get in, await results, a hotel stay, then back into mainland Ecuador, which meant another test (await results) and then 14 days in quarantine, then after that, over to the Galapagos for another PCR test (another wait on results) and a wait for the 72 hours for their equipment from the mainland to go through quarantine as well. Add to this the flight delays and flight restrictions compounded by the uncertainty that the borders may shut at any time, it was a hard few weeks.

ARRIVING IN THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

On arrival to the Galapagos in August, they noticed straight

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GALAPAGOS

LESHARK project THE TRIP away how quiet it was. Jonathan first travelled to the Galapagos over 30 years ago and back then it was a small community, quiet, with no tourists and created stares from locals at ‘who are these people’. It felt like it had gone back into that time. The team did notice that the community had banded together and become self-sufficient, with the growing of their own vegetables, the interaction of community members with art fairs, making chocolate and masks.

This action led back to the age-old form of bartering, a community trading with each other for their needs, a completely different feel than just relying on the tourist dollar (A positive in such a small community, hopefully, the banding and interaction of the community stays into the future as tourists return).

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After loading the vessel, they set out on their 15-day trip to their research destination of the Darwin Islands. The team was worried about the impact of the reported international fishing fleets in the area, as over 200 vessels were reported sitting outside of the Galapagos marine area plundering the ocean (The vessels were being followed by the public and had been found to switch off their marine tracking and duck into the Ecuadorian waters around the Galapagos to illegally fish). Thankfully, they didn’t encounter any vessels in the area on their way out, which could be due to the Ecuadoran navy, which had conducted a crackdown on illegal fishing, just before they arrived.

Upon arrival at the dive site, they went straight to work.

The goal was to tag ten whalesharks, photo ID them and take blood samples (this is conducted in a non-invasive way).

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Once underwater, the divers position staggering themselves at depth along the rocks to search for the whalesharks

Fixing the tag on a whaleshark

A TYPICAL DAY OF RESEARCH

The team would begin diving around 5.30am-6am, out of the water by 7am, second dive around 10am, with the final dive after lunch around 2pm. All dives were a maximum of 60 minutes with all dives completed and out of the water by 3pm for safety (currents are strong so there was a concern of divers travelling long distances). The afternoon was used for data download, analysis of blood samples (measurements of the blood gas concentrations and lactate acid levels, which are used to determine the basic health of the animal) and the ID of photos.

The dives were conducted in teams of four divers. Once underwater, the divers position staggering themselves at depth along the rocks to search for the whalesharks. Once spotted the group would signal each other and come together so that one person was to tag, one person to photo, one person to draw blood (if a whaleshark notices the drawing of blood or felt uncomfortable in any way, it was not pursued or hassled, though most do not notice the drawing of blood), then the fourth diver acted as a safety and documentation diver with a camera.

WHAT TAGS ARE USED?

The team tagged a total of ten individual sharks, with eight SPLASH-10 tags on eight females ranging from four to 14 metres, two MiniPAT and Spot8 hybrid tags to were attached to a juvenile female and male. Of the ten only nine reported.

Three stopped within 60 days and they lost contact with them over the abyssal plain. Only three continued past the sixmonth mark and none have reported for over two months now.

However, Jon notes that he has tags go ‘dark’ for almost four months, so still has hope data will surface.

The SPLASH-10 tags record both vertical and horizontal movements with accurate data which can be used to determine the areas visited by the whalesharks. Spots and MiniPATS are two tags, the Spot tags mainly record horizontal movements and MiniPATS mainly record vertical movement.

A tag in-situ The team in front of the now-collapsed Darwin’s Arch

Whaleshark with tag in place

PELAGIC DIVE TRAVEL

Pelagic Dive Travel is an independent travel provider who prides itself on offering marine conservation based products, great service, new products/destinations. We focus on marine conservation organisations/initiatives and smaller operators that really offer a clear marine conservation conscientious focus. www.pelagicdivetravel.com

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CONCLUSION

Three main important points were noted: • Evidence of a travel corridor from the Galapagos to Cocos Islands — The satellite tracking of a whaleshark from the Galapagos Island’s to Cocos Islands with this the first-time data showing this corridor, amplifying the need for a marine park covering this route.

• A whaleshark returns to the original area of tagging — A tagged female was noted on an 80-day trip originating in the Galapagos Islands and returning to the same area she was tagged.

• Whalesharks dispersing in different directions but crossed later in the same areas — the tagged juvenile male headed to the eastern Pacific then back under to the south then entered the same area as the females off the coast of Peru. The tagged females all left in different directions, the female juveniles in a different direction than the female adults. The tagged male and the female juveniles crossed through the same area off the coast of Peru but the data is inconclusive if it was the same time.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR GWSP?

A trip is planned for 24 August 2021, where the team will join up with the Georgia Aquarium, who will have a vet tech that will analyse blood samples for gas, lactose, baseline health and nano plastics in their system on a cellular basis. The study of the nano-plastics is a new area of study and they are hoping to show what level such nano-plastics are invading filter feeders.

They hope the trip will provide more data on the Galapagos

Whalesharks can cover some ground!

to Cocos Island corridor, whaleshark return trip tracking and show new data on the amount of nano-plastic showing up in the marine life food chain (it is a case of how much, not if…).

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?

• Donations — The Galapagos Whaleshark Project team is in the process of registering as an organisation (a ‘.org’) in the USA and have filed all the necessary paperwork but are awaiting confirmation from the correct department.

Presently donate on their website: www.galapagoswhaleshark.org • Support dive trips — The GWSP conducts charter trips under the Galapagos Shark Dive banner. Each trip is accompanied by one of the team members who will offer tips on photograph, informative presentations and a shore excursion to learn more about the wildlife that inhabits the Galapagos Islands. These trips are not involved in the tagging or taking blood samples, it is an informative and relaxing trip. Your support on these trips spreads the word about the organisation and with of the trip cost going directly to help the GWSP expedition later in that year.

(Pelagic Dive Travel also offers a donation to the scientific trip from each booking through them).

• Photo Identification — Photo Identification is a passive tracking mechanism. From the fifth gill slit to the end of the pectoral fin, the whaleshark’s markings make up a unique pattern that serves to identify each shark as an individual.

If you see a whaleshark, photograph it and upload to Wildbook, where it will be added to the database. n

MARINE CONSERVATION MATTERS

The case of Hope highlights that the work the Galapagos Whaleshark Project is doing. Without the tagging of Hope, which showed that she must have been caught and transported through international waters, we would not have realised the extent of such proliferation of our marine world. The GWSP team is dedicated and committed to protecting whalesharks as well as the entire marine environment.

We as divers, people who use the ocean and in reality all of us should be taking note that the marine environment is being decimated and we need to support the protection of it for our future generations. Follow the GSD team on social media, get out on one of their trips and show your support! You can also support a marine organisation or initiative in your local area or even just a beach clean-up. Save our seas!

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UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY

LET’S SHOOT NAPOLEONS Napoleon wrasse are one of the most-charismatic fish in the sea, and Mario Vitalini offers some advice on how to capture awesome shots PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARIO VITALINI

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apoleons, or bumphead wrasse, are fish with character. I have yet to meet a diver that doesn’t smile when one of these curious creatures comes in to have a look. With the intricate pattern in their faces, big lips and chameleon-like eyes, these distinctive fish are prime subjects to take pictures of. In locations like the Red Sea, they are fairly commonly found. For the next time you find yourself face to face with these big-lipped beauties, here are some hints and tips for taking better pics.

This is my best shot of a napoleon yawning.

This kind of behavioural pics required not only technique but an incredible amount of luck

THE CHALLENGE

Napoleons are curious creatures and it is not uncommon for adults to approach divers to investigate. They will even sometimes follow us along the reef. So, getting close to your subject is – for once – not the main difficulty.

This means your main challenges as a photographer are to get good lighting and composition. These are the main areas you should have in mind when an encounter comes along.

If I know there is a good chance to encounter a Napoleon wrasse, I will generally choose a wide-angle lens or even a fish-eye. Curiosity gets them closer to me, making it relatively easy to fill the frame for max impact!

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SUCCESS

Mature individuals are probably the best subjects. They are bold in nature and the markings are more pronounced.

The swirling patterns on their faces, inquisitive eyes and big mouths are so interesting that is worth spending time working on your composition to get the most out of them. You can even try some abstract shots based on their cheek skin.

I know a couple of dive sites where these wrasses will swim under the boat and check out all the divers. As long as you do not chase them, they will stay in the area and even move from diver to diver to have a look. Sha’ab Claudia in the Southern Red Sea is one of these sites. I always try to visit it during my Southern Red Sea photo workshops. In these cases, I normally get the best results at the beginning or at the end of the dive, when you may have a great opportunity to spend

Best of Manado

a long safety stop photographing these gorgeous fish. When there are many divers in the water, these fish tend to be swim away and look from a safe distance. If this is the case, I tend to wait for the group to get on with their planned dive, or to get back on the boat if it is at the end of the dive - at this point, the Napoleons tend to relax and come back under the boat.

It pays to be very patient. When you spot the wrasse, do not swim towards it, let the inquisitive nature work and wait for the Napoleon to come and check you out.

And remember never, ever feed the marine life to ‘encourage’ them to come closer. Long time ago, dive guides used to feed them boiled eggs. This caused loads of health problems to the Napoleons.

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This napoleon comes incredibly close to me during a safety stop at the end of a great dive at Shark and Jolanda reef in the Northern Red Sea

Face on picture of a curious napoleon coming to investigate its reflection in my housings dome port

COMPOSITION

Now think about composition. Use the fish curiosity to get as close as possible. Try to capture the inquisitive eyes. If possible, take the photo when the fish is swimming to you. A face on shot or a 3/4 is always much more interesting than a side-on picture.

When the fish approach, try to position yourself so the reef is behind you. This will allow you to shoot with the blue water behind the fish to help you to isolate your subject and avoid busy and messy backgrounds.

If the Napoleon is hanging around and you have a wide angle or fisheye lens, you can try to get under the Napoleon and shoot upwards covering the sun with the fish to get some lovely sunbeams effect. Remember to expose for the background to avoid overexposing the background

USING AMBIENT LIGHT

If you do not have strobes, try to shoot when the sun is high.

Stay as shallow as possible to ensure the best possible light and colours, try to keep the sun behind to get most of the light on your subject and try to use a slight downwards angle.

I know most of the time I recommend shooting upwards but, in these situations, the bright sun will more likely overexpose the background.

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UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY This shot has a good, clean background, but the side on shot is not very attractive or appealing.

Is more an ID picture

Mature individuals are probably the best subjects. They are bold in nature and the markings are more pronounced I used the big head of the napoleon wrasse to cover the sun and doing so avoided overexposing the background

USING STROBES

When it comes to shooting Napoleons with strobes, the trick is to avoid backscatter and get enough light on the subject.

Keep the strobes far back or at least align them with the handles of your housing - even further back. This will minimize the number of particles being lit and therefore reduce the risk of backscatter. I tend to use a 10-2 position (referencing a clock dial) and if I want to light only my subject, I will use cross lighting. Position your flash guns far apart and back, almost aligned with your head otherwise you will get hot spots and potentially a lot of backscatter, then point them directly to the subject in the centre of the frame.

LOOK OUT FOR!

Occasionally bumphead wrasse will extend their jaws as if they were yawning. This is a fantastic behavioural shot I haven’t been able to capture properly – I’m still waiting for that magic moment when fish, kit and time all work perfectly. But if you are patient and are prepared to stick with wrasse, you may have better luck than me.

Napoleons are fantastic subjects and not a difficult one to work with, just remember not to rush and think about all the elements before you press the trigger. n

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MADE IN AUSTRALIA

SIMON LORENZ | INSIDER DIVERS

DIVERS ALERT NETWORK: ASIA-PACIFIC Divers Alert Network, widely known as DAN, is an international non-profit medical and research organisation dedicated to the safety and health of divers.

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KEEPING YOUR COOL

T

he warm, red-brown water faded to black as the two divers descended feet-first toward the river bed. Armed with screwdrivers, mesh bags and a single flashlight each, the women descended handin-hand in hopes of ending up near each other in the zerovisibility environment.

When their fins hit bottom, they lay out horizontally and stabbed their screwdrivers into the ground to keep from being carried downriver. From there, their search for fossils began.

Below the surface, you can see only what you illuminate with your dive light, and on a good day you might be working with a 7cm by 15cm cylinder of light. Aided by this small beam of light, divers daring enough to descend into this pitch-dark river sift through gravel beds to find fossilised megalodon shark teeth and other artefacts.

The women had back-rolled off their skiff three times that day searching for giant teeth. Now, during their fourth and final dive, the experienced instructor and Divemaster were hoping more than ever for that lucky find. About three minutes into the last dive, the instructor heard what sounded like a small explosion underwater followed by the sound of intense, faraway bubbling. She stopped to think, unsure whether the sound was coming from a boat working upriver or (most likely) her or her buddy’s equipment failing. Since there was no visibility at all and she could not look to see if she was the one bubbling, she reached back toward her first stage and felt a large, steady stream of gas escaping from her cylinder valve.

Within seconds she knew exactly what the issue was - her

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© STEPHEN FRINK

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About three minutes into the last dive, the instructor heard what sounded like a small explosion underwater followed by the sound of intense, faraway bubbling O-ring had blown and was likely completely extruded. Despite the issue, she kept breathing and lit up her pressure gauge, confirming that the needle was steadily moving left. Next, she acted, banging on her cylinder with her screwdriver ten times in a row to let her buddy know there was a problem and that they would need to make their ascent.

If you are running out of air because a piece of your equipment has failed, you are in an emergency, but this does not mean you have to panic. In fact, you should do the opposite. Panicking will not solve your problem; it will complicate and may even preclude your solution. When your solution is making it to the surface before all the gas in the cylinder pours out during a zero-viz dive — surrounded by unknown creatures and debris — losing your cool and bolting to the surface can be tempting, but also life-threatening.

Because this diver stuck to her training by stopping, breathing, thinking and acting sensibly, she made her way to the surface unscathed. In fact, she popped up to the surface more or less unphased, not even regarding the mishap as an emergency.

Keeping your cool underwater in an emergency doesn’t require iron grit or the courage of a war hero. It just requires reliance on your training, preparation and some comfort in the water. Every time you plan your dives, plan out your response to the emergencies you are most likely to face. Clearly communicate all plans with your buddy, as they may play an integral part of the response to a bad situation.

Staying prepared for emergencies requires both mental

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and physical preparation and may even warrant packing a few extra pieces of equipment, such as dive knives or bailout bottles. With the right tools on hand and a plan in place, you will be physically and mentally prepared to respond to many problems underwater.

The other part of staying mentally prepared comes with comfort in the water. Even if you have a plan in place and have thought through exactly how you’ll solve that problem, discomfort in the water can completely prevent you from being able to stop, breathe, think or act correctly. A high level of comfort in the water can go a long way to help you prevent panic and problem-solve efficiently underwater.

While some people are born extremely comfortable underwater, many others have to build up to that level of comfort over time. This can be done on your own or under the guidance of a professional. If you want to increase your comfort in the water, jump in — the best way to improve your dive skills is to keep diving. If you are prone to being nervous underwater, think about what makes you nervous and practice experiencing it a controlled environment. If clearing your mask is the bane of your existence, hit the pool to practice mask clearing until you enjoy doing it.

Being comfortable in the water and knowing exactly how you’ll problem-solve on your dives will enable you to keep your cool if something goes wrong. Not all emergencies can be planned for, but if you do your best to expect the unexpected and remember to stop, breathe, think and act correctly, you will have stacked the deck in your favour.

DANAP.org

DAN EMERGENCY HOTLINE

In the event of a diving incident, we encourage all divers to call the DAN Hotline promptly for advice: • Within Australia: 1800 088 200 • Outside Australia: +1 919 684 9111 • Within Indonesia: 21 5085 8719

37

USING PHOTOMOSAICS IN WRECK SITE INVESTIGATION, PART ONE Project Director Mike Haigh looks at photomosaics – a vital tool of the diving archaeologist

T

here are certain problems that diving archaeologists face which our compatriots on land do not have to deal with. In my view, the three big ones are: • The lack of time you have on the site, due either to the depth or conditions such as extreme cold.

• Limited visibility - many sites are by their nature in places of poor visibility caused by sediment, which has aided their preservation.

• The inability to ‘show’ the site easily to the general public, as most people do not dive.

An approach that can at least help to mitigate these problems is to use photomosaics. Photomosaics are produced by taking overlapping vertical photographs and joining the images together. Traditionally, archaeologists have used photomosaics in four main ways: • An ‘aide memoire’ giving an overview of the site.

• A display item used for fundraising and publicity.

• As one of a number of complimentary recording methods.

• As the only recording method available in a genuine ‘rescue’ situation.

So how do you go about creating one? In some situations, the only practical method that can be used is simply to ‘fly’ over a site to make up a pictorial view. But this will not provide completely accurate information due to a lack of precision and the absence of control information.

So, some form of physical structure is required to mount a camera on in order to produce images that will record the site accurately. This need not be a bulky construction; you simply need a photo tower and a set of ‘rails’ to run it along.

The aim is to overlap each photograph by 40 percent to the

previous one. The base of the photo tower is often made to fit a one-metre grid. This is sensible as it mirrors the grids that the divers drawing the site will use and allows for comparison of the records produced. The tower holds the camera parallel so that a true plan (or elevation) view is obtained. As the tower holds the camera steady this allows slower shutter speeds and smaller apertures, improving depth of field. The tower base also provides an easy reference point for determining the overlap between each shot. Back in 1987, Andrew Bowley, myself and a group of students from Bournemouth Technical College managed to engineer such a structure without too much fuss.

In many ways getting the photographs is the easy part; the real trick is to produce an image that does not look like a load of prints just stuck together. Before the digital photographic era this was quite tricky. In those days each print was cut out, following the contour of some object, and then joined up. The edges of each print were peeled back so that they ‘blended’ into each other. For an even better result, the cut prints were soaked in water and the back peeled off so only the emulsion layer was left. The prints were then stuck to a mounting board with wallpaper paste. Today you can use the ‘Photomerge’ programme in Photoshop. www.wreckhunters.co.uk

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WRECK HUNTERS SEASON ONE 2021 Barefoot luxury in the heart of Indonesia LAST CALL Calling would-be undersea detectives!

This is the FINAL CALL for divers to take part in a unique diving archaeology programme starting in the late summer of 2021* on the Caribbean island of Utila.

The Wreck Hunters project is offering a one-month, limited availability window for divers to be a part of the Season One team.

Applications need to be made by 31.07.21.

The focus this year is about getting to the heart of the story of a wreck called ‘The Oliver’, its rich history and the life of 18th Century mariners.

Learn the skills of undersea archaeology, from traditional to cutting edge techniques.

If you’re a relatively experienced diver with skills or experienced in drawing (artistic or technical), surveying, photography or in construction work this could be just what you’re looking for (See website for full details).

Project Director Mike Haigh’s ideal candidates have a ‘good sense of humour’ and enjoy teamwork. Check out www.wreckhunters.co.uk

So, if you think this project would help put a smile on your face, why not get in touch to find out more at

www.wreckhunters.co.uk 0117 9596454

Bunaken National Marine Park

info@wreckhunters.co.uk

*COVID restrictions may result in a change of operation dates.

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Q&A: DR RICHARD SMITH Scuba Diver Editor-at-Large (Australia and New Zealand) Adrian Stacey talks to Dr Richard Smith about nudibranchs, the lure of Aussie diving, and pygmy seahorses PHOTOGRAPHS BY DR RICHARD SMITH

Q: What first attracted you to the oceans?

A: I grew up in a fairly land-locked part of the UK and didn’t have much opportunity to visit the ocean growing up. Ever since I was a small child, however, I was absolutely obsessed with nature. I would run around the garden catching bugs, and had a bunch of weird and wonderful pets growing up. Scuba was never something I’d really thought about until a friend learned when I was 16. Suddenly, I discovered how accessible scuba was and I wanted to get underwater and learn more about the ocean’s creatures. My father and I learned to dive in a British quarry before visiting the Great Barrier Reef on the way to see some friends in Melbourne. As soon as I did my first dive on a coral reef, I was hooked. It was lucky we already had the Australia trip booked, as the British quarry dives were very much less inspiring!

Q: How did you get started in underwater photography, and what advice would you give to aspiring new photographers?

A: I first got into underwater photography when trying to identify nudibranchs. I had been working on a marine conservation project in Indonesia, and was often coming across slugs that I couldn’t identify. I would draw sketches on my slate, but there are so many species-specific details that if I missed one then an ID would be impossible. In fact, I now know that many of them were undescribed, which is why I couldn’t find them in the books! I started underwater photography, to make the ID process easier and it went from there.

The advice I would give an aspiring underwater photographer, would be to get plenty of dive experience under your belt before picking up a camera. It inevitably takes a while to get experienced enough in diving to get buoyancy perfect and to have spent some time observing the animals and learning about and feeling comfortable in the underwater environment. I had done 500 dives before properly getting into underwater photography, and I think this allowed me to learn a lot before getting stuck into photography.

Whaleshark

Pygmy seahorse

A discarded drinks can provides an unlikely home

Q: Which destinations or species are still on your to do list?

A: Gosh, there are so many! I want to explore more around Japan. I have done two big dive trips there and in 2018 named the Japanese pygmy seahorse, Hippocampus japapigu. There are so many interesting endemic species found only in Japanese waters that I’d still love to see. There’s also a dwarf seahorse in the Red Sea that I’d love to study! Oh, and another dwarf seahorse in the Gulf of Mexico, which I really hope I can see later this year. Plus, I’d really love to do a Western Australia road trip. After finishing my PhD in Brisbane, my buddy and I drove down to Tasmania diving along the way, we did the same another time along much of the south coast and south of Perth. A trip north from Perth is definitely on my wishlist, with a ton of species I’d love to see. Actually, if I can dream anything, I’d add Rowley Shoals onto that trip!

Vibrant soft corals

I first got into underwater photography when trying to identify nudibranchs. I had been working on a marine conservation project in Indonesia, and was often coming across slugs that I couldn’t identify Q: Who are your heroes in the dive community?

A: I would say that Ned and Anna DeLoach have been huge inspirations for me. I have always been inseparable from their ID book series whenever I’m on a trip (so happy they have digital versions now, they previously accounted for half my weight allowance!). We finally met through some mutual friends about a decade ago, and we’ve been buddies ever since exploring southern Australia, Japan and plenty of spots in Indonesia together. We have a very similar mind set about observing natural behaviours underwater, hunting for new and undescribed species, and capturing images of them where we can. I’ve been fortunate to do many dives with them around the world and we have plans for more as soon as we can. We were due to be back in Japan last May, but that was obviously postponed. Most importantly though, they co-founded The Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) which does incredible conservation work to protect coral reefs around the world. That’s quite a legacy.

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Q: What was the inspiration for your latest book?

A: I wanted to introduce people to some of the underdogs of the reef. My research was on pygmy seahorses, and there’s a chapter on them of course, but there are so many other amazing creatures that I’ve encountered on my travels that I wanted people to meet. I wrote the book to be accessible to anyone; it is a popular science book and certainly isn’t a strict scientific tome. There’s definitely an element of adventure and discovery in the book, which I hope illustrates how much we still have to learn about the oceans. I hope that through the book, people gain a sense of understanding and empathy for the animals we meet and ultimately want to protect them and their home.

Q: How have you been keeping busy during the pandemic?

A: I’ve spent lockdown in the British countryside, and there are certainly worse places to have been sheltering. I only managed two dives on the South Coast over the past 18 months, as we’ve been in and out of lockdowns.

Something that I consider quite an achievement, given the state of things, is that colleagues and I published our description of the South African pygmy seahorse – Hippocampus nalu - last year. It’s the first pygmy from the Indian Ocean, so was very exciting and we had been keen to publish the work since I went to South Africa to observe this species with my colleague Dr Louw Claassens the year before.

Isopod in the mouth of an anemonefish

Q: What do you feel is the biggest threat to our oceans now and what do you think could be done about it?

A: I think our biggest problem is overconsumption. Many of the issues that the oceans are having to deal with, such as climate change induced coral bleaching, pollution and over-fishing are all directly related to it. I think changes are coming, but we all need to play our part now in making conscious choices and decisions that minimise our footprint on the planet. This can be down to the food we eat, the clothes we wear… it really touches every part of our lives.

Reduce, reuse, recycle.

Grey nurse sharks

I want to explore more around Japan. I have done two big dive trips there and in 2018 named the Japanese pygmy seahorse, Hippocampus japapigu 42

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BIO: DR RICHARD SMITH

Dr Richard Smith, is a British award-winning underwater photographer, author and marine conservationist who aspires to promote an appreciation for the ocean’s inhabitants and raise awareness of marine conservation issues through his images. A marine biologist by training, Richard’s pioneering research on the biology and conservation of pygmy seahorses, led to the first PhD on these enigmatic fishes. Richard is a member of the IUCN Seahorse, Pipefish and Seadragon Specialist Group. He has named the two most recent pygmy seahorse discoveries from Japan, Hippocampus japapigu, and South Africa, H. nalu. Richard organizes and leads marine life expeditions where the aim is for participants to get more from their diving and photography by learning about the marine environment. His bestselling book, ‘The World Beneath: The Life and Times of Unknown Sea Creatures and Coral Reefs’ is out now: www.OceanRealmImages.com Divers on a wall dive

Orangutan crab

Q: A question we always ask in our Q&As is, what is your most memorable moment in diving?

A: Undoubtedly witnessing the birth and, just 20 minutes later, the mating of Denise’s pygmy seahorses on the house reef of Wakatobi Dive Resort in Indonesia was a lifetime highlight. I’m not sure there’s anyone else alive who has been this lucky. Well, I say lucky, but it took months of watching and plotting their reproductive cycles to be able to time the moment of birth to an hour or so window. Watching the tiny male seahorse, just 1.8cm long, swim off his gorgonian home in strong current to release his brood, was both mesmerising and nerve wracking in equal measure.

Q: On the flipside of that what is your hairiest diving memory?

A: Some of the most upsetting moments for me have been while witnessing our impacts on the oceans. I have come across huge ghost nets in marine parks that continue to trap unsuspecting fishes, I saw two sharks at Darwin Island in the

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Galapagos Islands with their dorsal fins cut off for the sharkfin trade – although these were the lucky ones. Probably the very worst though is seeing a coral reef bleaching. On a few occasions I have seen entire reefs bleached pure white thanks to climate change and resulting warmer ocean waters.

This impacts not only the corals, but every other species that rely on them. Some, such as butterflyfishes we may notice, but the tiny crabs, shrimps, sea stars, worms or other organisms that might not yet even have a name are equally impacted.

Q: What does the future hold for Dr Richard Smith?

A: I’d love to know the answer to that question! Right now, as restrictions slowly begin to lift here in the UK and I’ve had my first vaccination, I hope to get back in the water locally.

Colleagues and I are working on another new discovery from South Africa, which I hope will be out later this year. Beyond that, I’m keen to get back to learning more about the ocean’s amazing inhabitants. n

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Nigel Marsh is an Australian photojournalist, underwater photographer and author. Working with New Holland publishers, Nigel has produced a number of guide books for divers and snorkelers, and also a series of children’s books with marine related themes.

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Nigel Marsh explains how while Lady Elliot Island might be famous for its friendly manta rays, there is much more to the island’s rich underwater diversity than these leviathans PHOTOGRAPHS BY NIGEL MARSH / WWW.NIGELMARSHPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 46

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more than mantas!

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Blotched fantail stingray

Day octopus

Brown-banded bamboo sharks

However, for me the highlight was the sharks – blacktip reef sharks, brown-banded bamboo sharks, epaulette sharks and even a large tawny nurse shark – all in less than 1m of water

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aking a group of underwater photographers to Lady Elliot Island, an island famous for its manta rays, I had naturally promised everyone amazing encounters with these majestic rays and the chance to capture some incredible photographs. However, things don’t always go to plan, and they certainly didn’t on this trip, as we only got glimpses of the usually abundant and friendly rays. Fortunately, no one left the island disappointed, as there is so much more to Lady Elliot Island than mantas.

Located at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef and close to the continental shelf, Lady Elliot Island is one of the best places in Australia to encounter reef manta rays. The rays are seen year-round, with their numbers peaking over the winter months. However, on four previous visits over the summer months, I had encountered dozens of these wonderful rays on each trip.

Lady Elliot Island is located off Bundaberg, and with an airstrip on the tiny coral cay, you can fly from Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Brisbane or Gold Coast. Flying to the island makes it one of the most-accessible dive destinations on the Great

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Barrier Reef, but it does come with a penalty – a 15kg baggage limit. Fortunately, you can buy an extra 10kg. Still not a lot for people with dive and camera gear, so make sure you only take the essentials. That first sight of Lady Elliot Island from the air always takes my breath away, even after seeing it so many times. Visible from the plane window are the reefs and bommies surrounding the island, easily observable with the crystal-clear aqua-blue water lapping its white sandy shore.

Arriving on our most-recent trip to Lady Elliot, our group were shown around the well-laid out eco-resort and then escorted to our choice of accommodation – eco cabins with share bathrooms or garden and reef units with their own facilities. After unpacking, our first stop was the dive shop.

The dive shop at the Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort offer two boat dives a day as part of their standard package. Now this might not sound adequate for those used to three, four or five dives a day while on a dive holiday. However, these dives are 60 minutes long and believe me, the extra time between dives will not go to waste as you can explore the island, which is home to thousands of sea birds or do what we did, snorkel around the island.

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Broad cowtail stingray

WESTERN BOMMIES

The sheltered western side of Lady Elliot Island is where most of its best dive sites are found. The reef on this side of the island is close to shore and beyond this is a sandy plain dotted with numerous coral bommies.

Our first dive at Lighthouse Bommies set the tone for a fabulous week of diving. This group of small bommies sit in 14m and are the most-popular spot for manta rays to visit and get cleaned. And some of the group did see a large reef manta ray when they first got to the bottom. Unfortunately, it didn’t hang around for long and departed before the rest of us arrived. We still had a great dive in the 20 metre visibility, exploring the nooks and crannies of each bommie, most of which were filled with schools of golden sweeper.

Around the bommies we spotted whitetip reef sharks, schools of sweetlips and coral snapper, barramundi cod, coral trout, clown triggerfish, rock cod, batfish, angelfish, parrotfish and many other reef fishes. The sand next to the bommie supports a colony of garden eels, and a close inspection of the sand also revealed shrimp gobies and soles.

A large loggerhead turtle and a blotched fantail stingray joined us for a brief interlude during the dive, sending all the photographers snapping.

While it may seem that most of the marine life suited a wide-angle lens, there was also plenty for the macro photographers, if prepared to closely inspect between the corals.

Brown sweetlips at the Severance

On this dive we found octopus, nudibranchs, lionfish, pipefish and even a lovely leaf scorpionfish.

Each day we explored the bommies and coral gardens on this side of the island, with most dives completed as a drift.

At Three Pyramids we encountered a large malabar grouper and a giant moray. At Anchor Bommie we saw a tasselled wobbegong and masses of baitfish being feasted upon by trevally, coral trout and mangrove jacks. While drifting between the bommies we encountered turtles, stingrays, schools of trevally, giant Maori wrasse, spotted eagle rays, reef sharks and numerous reef fish. We also spotted a few reef manta rays on the surface, but most were busy feeding on an unseasonal abundance of plankton, so gorging themselves with food, rather than visiting the cleaning stations.

Another highlight on the western side of the island was the Severance shipwreck. This small yacht sank off the island in 1998 and is still in amazing condition. Resting in 21m, the boat is covered in lush soft corals and always swarming with fish life.

Sheltering under the fallen mast

Hawksbill turtle

SCAN ME

TO START YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE!

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we photographed schools of sweetlips, and also encountered coral trout, angelfish, grouper and coral snapper. A close inspection of the wreck revealed many smaller critters like pipefish, flatworms and shrimps.

EASTERN DROP-OFF

The more-exposed eastern side of Lady Elliot Island is only dived when conditions are calm, and our group was blessed with a day with no wind and flat seas. The reef on this side of the island drops from 12m to 20m, with this wall undercut with ledges, caves and swim-throughs.

The spectacular conditions continued below the water when we descended at The Blowhole, with the visibility over 30 metres. Swimming through this L-shaped swim-through cave is always fun, especially when you exit and get buzzed by two large silvertip sharks!

Drifting along this pretty wall, which is decorated with gorgonians and soft corals, we also encountered grey reef sharks, mangrove jacks, sweetlips, angelfish, barracuda, mackerel and trevally. This wall also hosts a good variety of nudibranchs, flatworms and even sea hares.

The dives on this side of the island finish on a vast expanse of hard corals; very healthy hard corals, including plates, staghorns and brain corals. Turtles and dozens of blue tangs kept us entered in this zone.

Eco cabins Black-spotted grouper

SNORKEL SAFARIS

Some like to call it free diving, but to me it will always be snorkelling, either way Lady Elliot Island is a great place to hold your breath underwater. As mentioned, the dive shop only schedule two dives a day, so the rest of the day is free to snorkel. All of our group enjoyed the snorkelling as much as the diving, and some of the best photos of the trip were captured in this manner. There are two places to snorkel on the island, the lagoon and the western side.

The lagoon can only be snorkelled at high tide, as at low tide it is only ankle deep. There are some lovely hard corals to be seen in the lagoon, but the wildlife, both big and small, is the main attraction. Green and hawkbill turtles are seen by the dozen here, either sleeping, cruising around, feeding or being cleaned by surgeonfish. You will also see an abundance of reef fish, include some large sweetlips and trevally. However, for me the highlight was the sharks – blacktip reef sharks, brown-banded bamboo sharks, epaulette sharks and even a large tawny nurse shark – all in less than 1m of water.

TOPSIDE ATTRACTIONS

While it would be nice to spend your entire holiday underwater at Lady Elliot Island, there are also many top side attractions to keep you busy. Seabirds are everywhere, with thousands nesting on the island, and they have almost no fear of humans. They can be a little noisy at night, so ear plugs are recommended. Over the summer months, turtles nest on the island. During our visit in March, the nesting season was almost over, but there were still tiny hatchlings emerging every night and heading to the sea.

The manta rays may have let us down, but with so much to see at Lady Elliot Island we couldn’t complain and I am already planning a return visit with another group of keen underwater photographers to this very special Great Barrier Reef island. n

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Ornate wobbegong Lady Elliot Island

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ocated along the edge of the Bismarck Archipelago, the province of New Ireland forms the eastern flank of Papua New Guinea. It is quite remote from the main island of New Guinea and the province has its own distinct and remarkably interesting traditional cultures.

It is also world renowned for its fabulous malagan carvings and tatanua masks, together with its kulap sculptures and overall, the province offers an experience that really is quite different to the rest of PNG. The province consists of the large, musket-shaped island of New Ireland, which is also known as Latangai, together with numerous other smaller islands - the largest of which is New Hanover.

The diving in New Ireland is centred around Kavieng, the main town and regional capital and also has its own distinct flavour, compared to the other main locations in Papua New Guinea like Milne Bay and Kimbe Bay. On offer is a broad smorgasbord of diving – with shipwrecks, World War Two aircraft wrecks, dramatic walls, dynamic channels, bustling reefs and schooling pelagics. Above water Kavieng is a laidback and friendly place with an interesting colonial and World War Two history that is often described as a typical ‘Somerset Maugham South Sea island port’.

KAVIENG

Mention Kavieng among any group of experienced scuba divers and you will quickly discern four key themes - wrecks, big currents, schooling pelagics and clear blue water.

A quick look at the map, combined with a basic awareness of oceanography, will tell you why… Located as it along the eastern rim of the Bismarck Archipelago, the long, thin, riflelike shape of New Ireland forms a natural barrier between the rich deep waters of the Pacific Ocean to the north and east.

And those of the Bismarck Sea to the west.

It is also very much an integral part of the Coral Triangle widely recognised as the area of greatest marine biodiversity in the world. Because of that physical location, the island’s coastline is exposed to a complex mix of oceanic, equatorial and regional currents. Kavieng’s position means that it sits on the very nexus of those powerful water flows, which circulate back and forth through the channels between New Ireland and nearby New Hanover.

Those currents and the sheer biodiversity of the Coral Triangle combine to make diving Kavieng one of the absolute must-do diving locations in Papua New Guinea. Simply stated… the area has a great combination of wrecks, reefs, coral gardens, big fish and muck diving.

TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN!

Diving around Kavieng can really be thought of as two distinct and separate areas. The first being the sites on the Pacific Ocean side of New Ireland, around the actual town, which are principally wreck sites… Mainly World War Two aircraft, but there is also the wreck of a former Taiwanese fishing boat, the Der Yang. Then there are the dive sites to the south on the Bismarck Sea side of the island and, just to keep life interesting… when one side is at its best, the other is probably not!

New Ireland

Scuba Diver Senior Travel Editor Don Silcock continues his series focusing on Papua New Guinea, in this article concentrating on New Ireland PHOTOGRAPHS BY DON SILCOCK

That is because, as those strong currents flow through the main channels between New Ireland and New Hanover, they flush out the detritus from around the islands and surrounding mangroves. So, the clear waters from one side are significantly less so when they emerge on the other side! Add to this complexity the fact that there can be up to six tides per day, and it is easy to understand the need for good local knowledge of the actual dive sites. And… most importantly – when to dive them safely at their best.

KAVIENG AND WORLD WAR TWO

When the Japanese forces invaded Papua New Guinea in January 1941, they landed first at Kavieng. And soon after at Rabaul, in nearby New Britain. The military base established in Kavieng was much smaller than the one at Rabaul, but strategically it was particularly important, as it was effectively the backdoor of the overall invasion. It was from Kavieng the Japanese guarded their rear flank as they pushed further into PNG. So, when the tide of the war in the Pacific changed in 1943, Kavieng became an important target for the Allies. These days there is little left to see above water from those offensives, but underwater is a different story!

PACIFIC OCEAN SIDE DIVE SITES

In and around Kavieng there are a total of six World War Two aircraft wrecks, ranging from the remnants of one of the RAAF’s illustrious PBY Catalina flying boats to my personal favourite the Deep Pete, the wreck of a Japanese Mitsubishi F1M floatplane. Then there is the wreck of the Der Yang, a long-line Taiwanese fishing boat that lays on its side at a depth of 30m in the clear blue waters to the north-west of Kavieng. The boat was scuttled in 1988 and is both an excellent dive and a great alternative to the aircraft wrecks.

Finally, if you have had your fill of wrecks, there is the Echuca Patch reef near the Der Yang. Plus, the interesting Nusa Blowholes site with its caves, swim-throughs and healthy population of whitetip reef sharks.

BISMARCK SEA SIDE DIVE SITES

On the Bismarck Sea side of Kavieng, there are numerous excellent sites. However, all share the common characteristic that they are at their absolute best when dived on an incoming tide, with the prevailing currents bringing in clear blue waters from the Bismarck Sea. But, with all those tides, picking the right time to enter the water requires significant local knowledge.

Three-Island Harbour - the last resting place of four Japanese World War Two vessels, all sunk by the Allied forces in February 1944, one of which is probably the best diveable and fully intact midget submarine anywhere!

Snapper shoal around the broken wreckage

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DON SILCOCK

In more normal times, Don is based on Bali in Indonesia, but is currently hunkered down in Sydney… His website: www.indopacificimages.com has extensive location guides, articles and images on some of the best diving locations in the Indo-Pacific region and ‘big animal’ experiences globally.

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The reefs are vibrant and healthy

Prop festooned with marine growth

Get that timing wrong and you will either end up with the out-going tide and all the detritus from the islands and mangroves it has swept through meaning really bad visibility…

Or you will feel like somebody pressed the spin-cycle button on you, because at their peak, the in-coming tides seem to reach warp speed!

Timed to perfection would have you in the water as the incoming tide from the Bismarck Sea has flushed away the detritus, but there is still enough current to stimulate the marine growth and schooling pelagics.

HOW TO DIVE KAVIENG

There are two land-based options to dive the Kavieng area, Lissenung Island and Scuba Ventures. Both are great operators and know the area and its sites very well. All my personal experience of Kavieng has been with Lissenung, which is run by Dietmar Amon and his wife, Ange.

Dietmar came to Papua New Guinea in 1996 in search of adventure and to escape the cold of his native Austria, but ended up buying an island… He basically lived under the stars on Lissenung Island while he built the accommodation, main lodge and established 24-hour power and running water. In between he searched for and surveyed all the sites and wrecks – it really is quite a story, and one which Dietmar tells superbly!

I like my adventure in large servings, but when I talk to people like Dietmar and hear their stories, I always feel like I have lived a sheltered life! Ange arrived in 2005 and brought many really nice touches to the resort and between them, they run a really good operation that also puts a tremendous amount back in to the local community.

Plus, they also privately fund and run a highly active turtle conservation project from Lissenung Island that involves meticulously moving newly laid eggs to safe havens so they can hatch in safety.

NEW HANOVER Expect encounters with the friendly locals

The second largest island in New Ireland province is located some 40km to the west of Kavieng. It is a volcanic, rugged and very much untamed island! Its traditional name is Lavongai Island and most divers will probably never have heard of it.

It is much better known among surfers for its waves and excellent breaks.

While anthropologists know it for some of its traditional customs, along with the interesting Johnson Cult the locals used against the former Australian colonial rulers.

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But on the north-west tip of New Hanover is Three-Island Harbour - the last resting place of four Japanese World War Two vessels, all sunk by the Allied forces in February 1944, one of which is probably the best diveable and fully intact midget submarine anywhere!

HOW TO DIVE NEW HANOVER

Although there is some exceptional diving in New Hanover, it is quite difficult to dive there because of its remote location, lack of a compressor and suitable dive boat. There is accommodation at Clem’s Place, run by Clem Anton on Tunnung Island, which is primarily focused on and caters to surfers. Lissenung Resort organises an annual expedition to New Hanover in June or July each year, which is how I got to dive the wrecks of Three-Island Harbour…

Accommodation is at Clem’s Place, with Lissenung organizing all the logistics and it is a real adventure that I would thoroughly recommend!

Massive gorgonian seafan Impressive bow section

Some of the wrecks are vast

…you will feel like somebody pressed the spin-cycle button on you, because at their peak, the in-coming tides seem to reach warp speed!

IN SUMMARY

Huge shoal of barracuda

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New Ireland’s fairly remote location on the eastern rim of the Bismarck Archipelago gives it a distinctively different look and feel to the other main diving locations in Papua New Guinea.

In a country with so many interesting cultures, New Ireland stands out for its quite unique wooden carvings and its traditional rituals and ceremonies. Underwater it is also different, with all of its excellent wrecks, superb reefs, excellent coral gardens and schooling pelagics making for some truly excellent diving.

In a country that has so much to offer the traveling diver, New Ireland is yet another of Papua New Guinea’s truly special places! n

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O’THREE 90NINETY | SRP: GBP£1,795

O’Three are renowned globally for their range of neoprene drysuits, but now they have branched out into the world of trilaminate. The 90Ninety came about from the realisation that many diving holidays are effectively mini expeditions to all corners of the globe. Thus, the team at O’Three set out to develop a suit that would be the ideal travel companion wherever your diving adventures took you, from 90,0000 N to 90.0000 S (hence the name).

The 90Ninety tips the scales at just over 4kg with 4mm neoprene Pivot Boot, or 3.7kg with soft boots. However, this lightweight does not mean O’Three have skimped at any stage. The 90Ninety is made from high-stretch, rip-stop trilaminate, in a front-entry full-telescopic torso design and with a YKK AquaSeal zip.

It features SiTech ‘Quick’ fast-replace neck ring and KUBI Dry Glove System, which are both silicone, latex and neoprene compatible, so you will never miss another dive due to a broken seal. The suit is equipped with Apeks low-profile auto dump and swivel inlet, with a carbon hose, and a pocket on the right thigh that has a built-in slate pocket, D-rings and bungee. www.othree.co.uk

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AQUALUNG SEAFLARE RANGE SRP: AUD$190-$580

Dive lights are an essential part of a diver’s kit arsenal, from a small back-up light that can live in your BCD pocket for when it is needed, to a larger primary dive torch for night dives and inside wrecks, etc.

Aqualung has got you covered with the Seaflare range, which comes in three sizes – the Seaflare Mini, Seaflare, and Seaflare Pro. All are water-resistant down to 150m, and feature an anodized finish and a hardened glass lens to protect your light against corrosion, abrasion and scratches.

Large on/off buttons made from titanium are easy to operate, even wearing gloves, and these also allow you to swap between modes (low, medium and high power). Each torch also comes with a chunky elasticated lanyard.

Uniquely, the Seaflare range features glow-in-the-dark beam deflectors. These are made of silicone, so soft and collapsible, and have numerous roles – they help protect the torches against impacts, they reduce light pollution so you can see what you need to without blinding your buddies, and they make you easy to spot on night dives thanks to the range of colours available (blue, yellow, pink or glacier). Each torch comes with all four colour deflectors.

All three torches can be used on land as well as in the water, thanks to their electronic temperature regulation system.

The Seaflare Mini has 900 lumen power, and gives a burn time of three hours on high, four hours on medium, and ten hours on low. The Seaflare has 1,300 lumen power, and gives a burn time of three hours on high, four hours on medium, and ten hours on low.

The Seaflare Pro has 2,800 lumen power, and gives a burn time of three hours on high, four hours on medium, and 12 hours on low. Each torch comes with spare O-rings, and has a two-year warranty. www.aqualung.com.au

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GARMIN DESCENT MK2S | SRP: AUD$1,499 Garmin has launched the Descent MK2Sdive computer, which it describes as ‘perfect for smaller wrists’, but just as feature-rich as the Descent MK2. The Descent MK2S features a smaller 1.2-inch sunlight-readable sapphire display, 43mm case, and interchangeable bands (as per the MK2 and MK2i). It is available in three colour schemes – light gold with light sand silicone band, carbon-grey DLC with black silicone band, and mineral blue with sea foam silicone band.

The Descent MK2S boasts Garmin’s full suite of diving features, as well as encompassing all of the company’s smartwatch and health features, including activity tracking, smart notifications, stress and energy tracking, menstrual and pregnancy tracking, and much more. The MK2S boasts superior battery life – up to 30 hours in dive mode, and up to seven days in smartwatch mode. www.garmin.com

HENDERSON GREENPRENE WETSUITS | SRP: AUD$594-$769 Greenprene is a sustainable, insanely warm, super-stretchy, ultra-durable insulating foam that provides excellent UV resistance. Greenprene is also significantly lighter in weight than traditional neoprene materials. Greenprene is 100% neoprene-free sustainable insulating foam.

It has been tested and is approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Bio Preferred programme as a USDA Biobased product. Greenprene is formulated from deproteinized natural insulating foam along with other natural additives such as sugar cane, plant oils and oyster shells. The result is a sustainable Bio Based insulating foam that is ultra-soft, stretchy, durable and lightweight.

Greenprene wetsuits will allow you to move freely without restriction while keeping you warm and comfortable in the most demanding conditions.

The recycled Aqua-Silk exterior fabric laminate is manufactured from recycled water bottles. The fabric was tested and selected for its durability, abrasion and Velcro resistance as well as its fastdrying properties. The fabric is made from 88% recycled polyester and 12% spandex, which has been tested AZO-free and Oeko-tex certified.

The recycled Bio-Span interior fabric laminate is manufactured from recycled water bottles. The fabric was tested and selected for its superior comfort, warmth and ridiculous stretch. There is simply nothing else like it in the water today. The fabric is made from 88% recycled polyester and 12% Nylon, which has been tested AZO-free and is Oekotex certified. The entire Greenprene wetsuit programme has been designed to provide a fully sustainable product lifecycle.

Greenprene wetsuits are packaged and shipped in recycled cardboard boxes. Each wetsuit is hand wrapped with recycled paper. Recycled cardboard cores are used to help prevent compression marks from folding and when in storage. All hangtags on the wetsuits are printed on recycled paper using soy-based inks. www.uwimages.com.au

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BEST DIVERS ALDEBARAN | SRP: EUR€298.50 Mark Evans: The Aldebaran sounds like some main bad guy in the next Netflix fantasy drama, or maybe that winged chap from Flash Gordon, but it is actually a 150m-waterresistant dive light from Italian firm Best Divers.

At first glance it looks like a standard anodised aluminium dive torch, with a plastic lantern-style handle, but a quick look around the front at the ‘business end’ shows where this differs from other lights. There are four white LEDs spaced evenly around the outer edge of the wide lens, but right in the centre there is a red LED. This ‘colour compensation’ is designed to bring back red shades to their original colour. Now, I have yet to dive this in the tropics, but even in the depths of Vivian Quarry, when we shone the torch on some of the encrusting growth on the slate walls, and the rusting remains of some of the mining equipment, it did indeed seem to bring back some of the rich colours. It will be interesting to see how it does with corals and sponges in warmer waters – watch this space for an update when that happens!

Regardless of that red LED, the torch is phenomenally bright, pumping out 3,500 lumens on full power via a 14 degree beam. You get around 120 minutes on full power, but can also drop this down to half power – and then fully off – using the sliding switch. This is quite small, but can be operated with thick neoprene or even drygloves.

There is a twist mechanism to lock the switch so that the torch cannot be accidentally turned on. This is mainly for during transportation, etc, anyway, but I’d advise setting this to open before diving, especially if you are going into cold water with gloves on, as this is decidedly awkward to turn once you are gloved-up.

It comes with a plastic lantern-style handle, which comfortably sits in your hand, but if you don’t want to use this, it is easily removed and you can then hold the torch itself in your grasp.

It comes in a neat bright-red padded zipped case, which holds the torch itself with its lantern handle in place, a lanyard, the two batteries, the charging station and the USB charging cable. www.bestdivers.it

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AQUALUNG SPHERA X | SRP: AUD$100

Mark Evans: You can freedive and snorkel in a standard scuba diving mask, but if you want to really enjoy the freedom that breath-hold diving affords you, then you want to be in gear that is as minimalistic as possible – and that is where the Sphera X really shines.

The first thing that hits you about the Sphera X is how small it is – it looks absolutely tiny alongside, say, an Apeks VX1 mask. And when you put it on your face, you almost feel as if you are not even wearing a mask at all! It is so lightweight, and it first so close to your face.

That ultra-low volume comes from the unique shape of the mask, which uses Curved Lens Technology to give you 180-degree distortion-free vision through the Plexisol lenses. It is astounding just how much peripheral vision you get from this mask via those curved lens.

The Plexisol lenses are reasonably robust, but these will inevitably scratch more easily than tempered glass lens, so bear that in mind if you are one of those people who flings their mask down on the beach, etc. It comes with a nifty padded zippered case to help keep those fancy lens clean and scratch-free.

The lenses have supposedly got a special anti-fog coating, but I found they still needed a bit of ‘spit and polish’, or a dab of commercial anti-fog, to keep them clear during use.

The super-soft silicone skirt – which uses AFT (Advanced Fit

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Technology) – is extremely supple and seemingly moulds into every crevice and crack on your face, eliminating leaks.

That skirt also seems capable of fitting innumerable people – it was a great fit on my face, on PADI Course Director Clare Dutton (thanks for modelling, Clare!) and on my 14-year-old son Luke.

We had this neat navy blue version on test, but it is available in black, clear glacier, white/black, white/ raspberry, and white/yellow colour schemes as well. www.aqualung.com.au

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WE PAY THE PRINTING. YOU COVER THE POSTAGE. SIMPLE. Drive Traffic In-Store

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ADRIAN STACEY CONTINUES HIS DRIVE-N-DIVE EXPEDITION - THIS ISSUE, COFFS HARBOUR

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Q&A: ARON ARNGRIMSSON

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EXPLORING THE REMNANTS OF COUSTEAU’S PRECONTINENT II EXPERIMENT

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DISCOVERING WHERE SMALL THINGS ROAM IN THE PHILIPPINES

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Exploring New Zealand’s Rainbow Warrior wreck

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THE GREAT BARRIER REEF SMALL, BUT BEAUTIFUL, ADRIAN STACEY HEADS OUT E A DAYBOAT TO THE MARINE LIFON

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Get people used to collecting Scuba Diver from your store. Let them know when the latest issue is available via your social media, and drive more foot-traffic through your door – remember, every person stopping by to pick up a magazine is another potential course or equipment sale.

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T Nicolas and Lena Remy head into the Sudanese Red Sea to explore the remnants of Cousteau’s Precontinent II experiment, the Umbria shipwreck, and go in search of hammerheads PHOTOGRAPHS BY NICOLAS AND LENA REMY/ WWW.NICOLASLENAREMY.COM

he Egyptian Red Sea holds some of the world’s most-dived and photographed coral reefs and wrecks. Many divers would instantly recognize photos of the motorbikes inside the SS Thistlegorm, the shape of the Giannis D cargo ship, and some photographers affectionally name the colour of the water you get there ‘Red Sea blue’. This has to do with the ease and affordability of travel there. Egypt has long been a very touristic destination (think pyramids, romantic cruise on the Nile river…), no wonder they have been very good at welcoming another type of tourists - scuba divers.

Inevitably, with so many divers visiting, the reefs closest to shore aren’t as pristine as they once were, and in general, I had been hearing ‘Egypt nowadays isn’t as good diving as 30 years back’. I had also heard ‘but if you are able to travel to Sudan, you will see what Egyptian diving used to be like!’.

Extra research taught me that Sudan was great for spotting hammerheads, that the relics of Cousteau’s Précontinent II experiment could be visited by divers in the Sudanese Red Sea, and that the Umbria, one of the most-interesting wrecks to dive worldwide, was only a few miles away from Port Sudan.

Needless to say, Sudan was high on my diving bucket list, and thankfully there are now a select few liveaboards which sail these rich waters.

We started our cruise with some relaxed yet fascinating diving at Sha’ab Rumi reef, 35km away from our departure port (Port Sudan). This is the

The vibrant Sudanese reef life is supposed to resemble what Egypt was like 30 years ago

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very place where the inventor of scuba regulators, Jacques Cousteau, submerged several scientific habitats and tools at various depths, creating a mini ‘underwater village’ to support the Précontinent II experiment in 1963. On the sandy plateau at 10m, Cousteau had installed a habitat called ‘the Starfish’, which slept five scientists for a month, featuring a living room and command centre, as well as four bedrooms and laboratories. Nearby there were the ‘Urchin’ (a garage, for the exploration submarine Denise), as well as a hangar to store tools and underwater scooters. Deeper down the reef, another plateau at 30m hosted the second human habitat, which housed two scientists for a week. Most of the village was removed at the end of the experiment, but fortunately a few relics can still be found - the ‘Urchin’ and underwater scooter hangar on the 10m plateau, as well as some shark cages deeper on the reef. Being able to dive this pioneer exploration of the underwater world was definitely a highlight. The ‘Urchin’ can be penetrated by divers and is in good shape, offering good photographic opportunities. Overall, the surrounding reef was very pleasant to dive too, and this part of Sha’ab Rumi was protected from currents.

After these emotion-filled, historical dives, we went on to visit several reefs, with a focus on enjoying Sudan’s abundant marine life and especially… finding hammerheads. Being further south than Egypt, it is worth noting that the Red Sea off the Sudanese coast is also warmer. Mid-May, the

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New Zealand is famous for its stunning landscapes, rugby and The Lord of the Rings. However, the world beneath the surface of this rich and diverse country is every bit as spectacular as anything that J.R.R. Tolkien could imagine

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rom the eerie stillness of Milford Sound to the worldrenowned Poor Knights, the diving experiences on offer are plentiful and varied. There are wrecks galore, including the infamous Rainbow Warrior and the huge Mikhail Lermontov. Animal encounters with seals, sharks, dolphins and a wide variety of unique sea creatures are commonplace, not to mention kelp forests, rugged coastlines and inspiring topography.

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITED AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE

BAY OF ISLANDS

The wrecks of the Rainbow Warrior and the HMNZS Canterbury are not the only reasons to dive in the bay of islands, but they are perhaps the main drawcards. The Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior is in the Cavalli Islands.

Originally sunk in Auckland harbour in 1985 by the French government, it was refloated, cleaned up and then resunk in 1987 as a memorial and dive site. Covered in jewel anemones and sponges and filled with fish life, it is now a world-class dive with a story like no other.

The ex HMNZS Canterbury is located in the Deep-Water Cove reserve, in the Bay of Islands. This Leander-class frigate was purpose-sunk in 2007 by divers for diving. It ranges in depth from 14m-36m, so suits a wide range of experience in divers. The Bay of Islands also has a vast number of reef sites to dive, ranging from shallow protected reefs to deep walls, caves and archways. It’s well worth spending a few days in this area exploring.

Paihia Dive (www.divenz.com) offer diving trips to the spectacular Rainbow Warrior and HMNZS Canterbury and the stunning local reefs.

BYRON A YB It may be the winter months, but as Simone Caprodossi explains, there are plenty of reasons to get in the water, including some cool diving at Julian Rocks PHOTOGRAPHS BY SIMONE CAPRODOSSI

Deeper down the reef, another plateau at 30m hosted the second human habitat, which housed two scientists for a week

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On a good day, you could just lay motionless at 15m for a whole dive and watch a train of grey nurse sharks swim past you non stop until 45 minutes have past and it’s time to get out

Winter diving yron Bay is synonym with surfing and chilled beach life, but not everyone knows that under its waters lies one of the best dive sites in the world. Julian Rocks, a volcanic island just a few minutes by boat from Byron Bay’s main beach, was established as a marine reserve in 1982 and, thanks to the over-35 years of protected status, it is surrounded by thriving marine life.

It recently made it to the National Geographic list of the top 20 dives sites in the world and was named among the top three snorkelling spots in Australia. Just off the most-easterly point of Australia, Julian Rocks has dramatic seasonal changes, with water temperatures ranging from 18-20 degrees C in Winter up to 26-27 degrees C in the peak of Summer.

This creates a unique level of biodiversity year round, with over a thousand cold and warm water species found at the site. Summer diving is extremely popular, as Byron Bay gets packed with tourists and divers enjoying the lovely weather, gorgeous beaches and warm water. Julian Rocks thrives with marine life, featuring one of the largest aggregations of leopard sharks in the world, and frequent visits from iconic warm water species like manta rays.

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lying into Roatan off the coast of Honduras, the reasoning behind the name of the country becomes clear. Honduras means ‘the depths’ in Spanish, and there is deep blue water everywhere you look.

Roatan and the other Bay Islands of Guanaja and Utila are part of Honduras and less than an hour from the mainland.

Roatan, once the territory of Spanish conquistadors and pirates, sits on the southernmost point of the second largest barrier reef in the world. These extensive reef systems draw in divers from all across the globe, and the islands are bustling with dive activity.

After organizing gear and getting a good night’s sleep on board the Roatan Aggressor, we made our first dive off Roatan’s far western point at a location called Eel Reef. Upon arrival at the site, I was surprised to observe a platform surrounded by several small boats. The Honduran flag was flying above the few people who were clearly preparing for an event. When I asked about what was taking place, I learned it was the Freediving World Championship. Teams and individuals from five continents were on this small island to participate in a sport that pushes the limits of the human body. I cannot imagine what it would be like to freedive to depths over 100m without fins and hold my breath for over four minutes. There is nothing like the

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thought of that to make me feel grateful to have a tank of air on my back and scuba gear at the ready. It made me smile to know that I would be able to take my time to truly soak in the reef scenes and marine life below.

WALLS, WRECKS AND REEFS Depending on the weather conditions, the Roatan Aggressor’s itinerary includes well-known sites around the island of Roatan, and then crosses to Utila, Cayos Cochinos and an extraordinary seamount just off this small island. Over the two weeks I was aboard the boat, we dodged two big bullets – Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The weather was still respectable

Michele Westmorland was captivated by the underwater delights around Roatan, in the Bay Islands of Honduras

The oceans in Kaikoura are full of a huge range of incredible marine life. Huge whales, dolphins, seals, stingrays, octopus, crayfish and many more

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BEYOND TECHNICAL

www.narkedat90.com

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHELE WESTMORLAND

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We design, manufacture and retail scuba and rebreather equipment. We have fully equipped test and certification labs, and can pressure test large items in our vacuum chambers, as well as run fully automated leak test and dive simulations down to 400m. Our EMC and EMF lab is filled with state-ofthe-art equipment for testing electromagnetic compatibility and electromagnetic fields. We also have a large in-house laser for cutting and engraving on plastics and metals. www.narkedat90.com

SULAWESI’S

SECRET

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ndonesia is well known for some of the best ocean diving in the world. I know, I have been fortunate enough to log numerous dives from East to West. But in Southeast Sulawesi, this little cave diver had her experience of a lifetime, searching for caves in dense jungle, swampy mosquito ponds, and inside local villages.

Equipped with the absolute A-team as dive buddies and surface interval entertainment, it was hard, sweaty work, but worth every second!

Over the years, I have spent much time cave diving in Florida and Mexico. All my training has been done in these caves that, between the two countries, are diverse and challenging in their own ways. Once my initial cave training was concluded, I had the pleasure of joining my husband Rasmus Dysted when he was travelling with his groups of cave diving students. And when we went for our own private ‘leisure trips’, I had the joy of joining shorter expeditions, scouting for new caves in the jungles of Mexico. I loved every dive, and every challenge the caves would hand me. And then, after eight years as a smitten cave diver, the ultimate challenge presented itself - a cave exploration expedition in Southeast Sulawesi.

It all started when a Malaysian friend invited us to come cave diving with him in Indonesia. Neither Rasmus or I had heard of any cave diving worth travelling for in Indo, but we were assured that they were ‘highly decorated, but yet, still vastly unexplored’. He said this casually, almost apologetically.

It didn’t take long before we were in contact with the instructor of our Malaysian friend, who was indeed cave diving on mainland Sulawesi and out on the island of Wakatobi. It turned out that Robin Cuesta, a French dive instructor and cave explorer, had been setting up his base on Wakatobi, and sporadically over the last few years, explored a vast number of caves that were found in the apparent area.

MEETS

Downbelow Marine & Wildlife Adventures’ Joanne Swann explores the waters of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park in Sabah, Borneo, handily located close to the capital Kota Kinabalu

ABOUT THE DIVE SITES

A crack team of cave divers embarks on an epic adventure to seek out the cave systems beneath Sulawesi in Indonesia, but as Maria Bollerup explains, just getting to the potential caves was an experience in itself PHOTOGRAPHS BY PETE MESLEY, RASMUS DYSTED AND MARIA BOLLERUP

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reef

PHOTOGRAPHS BY RICHARD SWANN / WWW.DOWNBELOWADVENTURES.COM

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ess than two minutes after take off from Kota Kinabalu International Airport in Sabah, the plane makes a sharp left-hand turn and the wing dips to reveal a bird’s eye view of Gaya Island and the surrounding sloping coral reefs of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park. The occasional small speedboat can be seen transferring island day trippers and scuba divers between the five tropical islands. Vibrant green jungle rainforest meets brilliant turquoise water - it’s quite a sight and I can’t wait to return.

There are not many places in the world that offer a bustling city full of modern facilities and then right on the doorstep, just ten minutes by speedboat from the central entertainment district, a stunning tropical marine paradise with 50 dive sites to choose from. Sabah’s capital, Kota Kinabalu, is such a place, and the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, locally known as the TARP, offers some excellent scuba diving year round.

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Named after Malaysia’s first Prime Minister, covering an area of 50km², the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park was gazetted as a national park in 1974. Consequently, the area’s fauna, flora and marine eco-systems enjoy the protection of the government appointed body, Sabah Parks.

Five islands make up the landmass with Gaya Island the largest and arguably the most interesting. Site of the British North Borneo company harbour and razed by the rebel Mat Salleh in 1881, nowadays the 15 square km island is mainly uninhabited other than the eastern shore, which is home to a community of stilt villagers.

For the past 12 years, our PADI five-star IDC Career Development Centre Downbelow Marine and Wildlife Adventures has been based here as the only operator.

Abundant wildlife thrives on the island, including the endemic proboscis monkey, macaques, hornbills, wild boars, snakes, lizards and many other tropical birds and insects.

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The remarkable biodiversity of Borneo’s flora and fauna is visible above and below water. Dive sites within the park offer some great scuba diving for beginners and experienced divers alike. Inner and outer coral reefs slope to 30m depths, while mangrove areas and sand flats provide lots of opportunity for macro enthusiasts and underwater photographers. The park is also ideal for conducting PADI dive courses of all levels from beginner to professional qualifications. With a good amount of local divers, there is a great vibe around diving, but it’s not too busy. We’re often the only dive boat on a dive site, and our guide-to-diver ratios are four divers per group.

THE INNER REEFS

Sheltered from the prevailing northeast or southwest winds, the inner reefs offer year-round diving and are a haven for macro critters. Nudibranchs are very common with many rare and varied species regularly encountered. Seahorses, ghost pipefish, frogfish, flounders, stargazers, mandarinfish, moray eels, lionfish, and many crustacean species are among the usual suspects and divers can frequently interact with

cephalopods as they slowly pulse along the reef. Although referred to as ‘muck diving’, many of these sites are in fact very pretty, with visibility ranging from eight to 20 metres.

Mid Reef is a great example. Situated in the centre of all the islands, this independent reef was probably once an island of its own. The shallow top reef, only 4m at low tide, is relatively barren with a handful of artificial coral blocks.

On the eastern side the slope descends to 20m and meets the remains of a small fishing wreck. Fish schools gather around the debris which attracts a variety of critters such as stonefish, scorpionfish and lionfish. Shrimps and crustaceans are plentiful. Moving away from the wreck and following the reef slope divers can find stick pipefish, spotted stingrays and an array of creatures confident in their cryptic ability.

A few minutes swim away and a wonderful section of shallow reef begins; layers of acropora coral bathed in filtered sunshine form a beautiful reef area at 12m. Here seahorses, cockatoo waspfish, razor fishes, moray eels, yellow-lipped banded sea krait and swaying anemones with their clownfish are often found. Surrounded by this beauty, it’s a challenge to end the safety stop and return to topside reality.

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NEWS • HINTS AND ADVICE • IN-DEPTH TRAVEL • INTERVIEWS • GEAR • PHOTOGRAPHY

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AUSTRALIA NEW SOUTH WALES

QUEENSLAND

DIVE EDEN

BUNDABERG AQUA SCUBA

t: 04 1002 6990 e: diveeden@gmail.com Guided dives of the wrecks, vibrant wharves and shoreline in Eden, Merimbula and Tathra. Scuba and Freediving courses are available. www.diveeden.com.au

t: 07 4153 5761 e: Julian@aquascuba.com.au a: 17 Walla Street, Bundaberg, QLD, 4670 Bundaberg has world class wreck diving sites, access to the Southern Great Barrier Reef and the best coral reef shore diving in Queensland. www.aquascuba.com.au

FEET FIRST DIVE t: 02 4984 2092 e: enquiries@feetfirstdive.com.au a: 97 Stockton St, Nelson Bay, NSW, 2315 SDI/TDI SCUBA, Snorkelling, & Spearfishing Retail & Training Centre. Shore dives in marine sanctuary, grey nurse shark double boat dives. www.feetfirstdive.com.au

LETS GO ADVENTURES t: 02 4981 4331 e: fun@letsgoadventures.com.au a: Shop 8W, d’Albora Marina, Teramby Rd, Nelson Bay, NSW, 2315 PADI facility Introductory dives through to Instructor Courses. Guided shore & boat trips for divers & snorkellers. Retail Sales & Servicing. www.letsgoadventures.com.au

SCUBA HAVEN t: 0407 457 542 e: info@scubahaven.com.au a: 20 Merrigal Rd, Port Macquarie, NSW, 2444 SCUBA Diving Port Macquarie and Laurieton Areas. Offering Dive trips, Courses, Introductory dives, Sales and services. www.scubahaven.com.au

SOUTH WEST ROCKS DIVE CENTRE t: +612 6566 6474 e: info@swrdive.com.au a: 98 Gregory Street, South West Rocks, NSW Australia’s best Shark and Cave dive. Family owned and operated for over 40 Years. swrdive.com.au

ST GEORGE UNDERWATER CENTRE t: 61 2 9502 2221 e: info@stgeorgeunderwater.com.au a: 1/148 Bellevue Parade, Carlton, NSW, 2218 We have been in the industry for over 62 years.

We are a TDI SDI 5 star training centre. We service, train and travel. www.stgeorgeunderwater.com.au

WINDANG DIVE & SPEARFISHING t: 02 4296 4215 e: info@windangdive.com.au a: Shop 1, 239 Windang Road, Windang, NSW, 2528 Scuba Diving Courses to Instructor. Spearfishing needs and servicing of all brands of scuba and spearfishing. www.windangdive.com.au

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LADY ELLIOT ISLAND ECO RESORT t: +61 7 5536 3644 e: reservations@ladyelliot.com.au a: Lady Elliot Island, Southern Great Barrier Reef, QLD Lady Elliot Island ‘Home of the Manta Ray’ boasts 20 incredible dive sites and is renowned for amazing marine encounters. www.ladyelliot.com.au

MANTA LODGE AND SCUBA CENTRE t: 07 34098888 e: info@mantalodge.com.au a: 132 Dickson way, Point Lookout, QLD 4183 Amazing diving all year round. Manta Rays, Sharks, turtles and whales along with a huge variety of marine life. www.mantalodge.com.au

OZAQUATEC SCUBA SERVICE CENTRE t: 07 3399 1413 e: admin@ozaquatec.com a: 4/89 Gosport St, Hemmant QLD 4171 Brisbane’s largest SCUBA servicing centre.

Servicing all brands of SCUBA gear, Air/Nitrox fills and SAI Global accredited Test Station for all your tank hydro needs. www.ozaquatec.com.au

PASSIONS OF PARADISE t: 07 4041 1600 e: Reservations@passions.com.au a: Reef Fleet Terminal, 1 Spence Street, Cairns, QLD Dive, snorkel and sail the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns onboard a sailing catamaran with locally owned Passions of Paradise. www.passions.com.au

SCUBA WORLD t: 07 5444 8595 e: info@scubaworld.com.au a: 207 Brisbane Road, Mooloolaba, 4557 QLD, Australia We create safe, comfortable, enthusiastic divers who always have a fun, personal and enjoyable experience at Scuba World. scubaworld.com.au

TASMANIA EAGLEHAWK DIVE CENTRE t: 0417013518 e: info@eaglehawkdive.com.au a: 178 Pirates Bay Drive, Eaglehawk Neck, TAS, 7179 We have world-class temperate water diving, with sites suitable for divers with skill levels from novice to advanced technical. www.eaglehawkdive.com.au

SOUTH AUSTRALIA RODNEY FOX SHARK EXPEDITIONS t: 08 8363 1788 e: expeditions@rodneyfox.com.au a: 107 Henley Beach Road, Mile End, SA, 5031 Great white sharks, SCUBA, Ocean Floor Cage, Surface Cage, Australian Sea Lions and our own wine all on the 32m liveaboard MV Rodney Fox! www.rodneyfox.com.au

WESTERN AUSTRALIA OCTOPUS GARDEN DIVE CHARTERS t: 0438925011 e: kimroyce@gateway.net.au a: Casuarina Boat Harbour, Bunbury, Western Australia, 6230 Wreck & reef diving (small groups, min 2/max 11). Photographers paradise. Hire gear available.

Prolific fish life. 10-18 metres. www.octopusgardendivecharters.com.au

SOUTHCOAST DIVING SUPPLIES t: 08 98417176 e: whale@divealbany.com.au a: 84b Serpentine Road, Albany, Western Australia, 6330 Diving Albany means diving anything from wrecks to reef, plunging drop offs to awesome canyons with unbelievable colours and fishlife. www.divealbany.com.au

VICTORIA ALL ABOUT SCUBA t: (03) 9939 4913 e: info@allaboutscuba.com.au a: Unit 17/30-34 Maffra Street, Coolaroo, Victoria, 3048 A fully equipped SCUBA service centre with a passion for servicing so we can safely explore the underwater world! www.allaboutscuba.com.au

DIVE GEAR AUSTRALIA t: 03 9702 3694 e: sales@divegearaustralia.com.au a: 11/53-57 Rimfire Drive, Hallam, Victoria, 3803 DGA is a PADI 5 star training dive store with a huge range of scuba diving, snorkelling and spearfishing gear. www.divegearaustralia.com.au

SCUBA CULTURE PTY LTD t: 03 9808 0033 e: info@scubaculture.com.au a: 117 Highbury Road, Burwood, Victoria 3125 Full service dive shop providing equipment sales, service, hire, training, dive club, dive travel and air/ nitrox fills. www.scubaculture.com.au

WARRNAMBOOL DIVING t: 03 5562 1685 e: scubaone@live.com.au a: 179A Fairy Street, Warrnambool VIC 3280 Warrnambool offer some of the best shore dives along the great ocean road with access to the ship wreck coast. www.divingandfirearms.com.au

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NEW ZEALAND SOUTHLAND

AUCKLAND AQUATECH t: +64 2156 3563 e: servicing1@yahoo.com a: 4 WOULDBANK Way, Welcome Bay Aquatech is a scuba service centre. We service scuba regulators / full face masks / oxygen regulators. Underwater Scooters. www.aquatech.kiwi.nz

WAIHEKE DIVE & SNORKEL t: +64 9217 4892 e: info@waihekedive.com a: 110 Ocean View Road, Oneroa, Waiheke Island, Auckland, NZ, 1081 NZ’s most fun little dive shop! We’re your choice for online retail, diving & snorkeling adventures – just 35 mins from Auckland CBD! www.waihekedive.com

DIVE DOCTOR t: +09 530 8117 e: info@divedoctor.co.nz a: 20R Sylvia Park Rd, Mt Wellington.

(1 min off the M’way) Scuba servicing centre – all brands. Wide range of products and hard to find items instore and online. 300 Bar fills, NITROX, O2. Quality dive training. www.divedoctor.co.nz

DIVING ACADEMY LTD (AUCKLAND SCUBA) t: +64 9478 2814 e: info@aucklandscuba.co.nz a: 49B Arrenway Drive, Auckland 5* PADI centre, beginner to Instructor courses (student loan approved), quality equipment retail, rebreathers, scooters, dive trips, servicing, air fills. www.aucklandscuba.co.nz

GLOBAL DIVE t: +64 9920 5200 e: info@globaldive.net a: 132 Beaumont Street, Westhaven, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand NZ’s Premium Dive Store. Leaders in Training, Servicing and Travel. Home of Fourth Element, OMS, Shearwater, XDeep, Light&Motion, DUI, Cinebags. www.globaldive.net

KIWI DIVERS NZ LTD t: 09 426 9834 e: info@kiwiscubadivers.co.nz a: 8 Keith Hay Court, Silverdale, Auckland, New Zealand Air, Nitrox & Trimix fills. SSI & TDI Rec, Tech & Rebreather courses. 2 dive boats. Brands: Hollis, Oceanic, Zeagle, Atomic, Bare/Stahlsac service centre. www.kiwiscubadivers.co.nz

NEW ZEALAND DIVING t: 00 64 9422 3599 e: dive@nzdiving.co.nz a: Unit 2, 23 Morrison Drive, Warkworth, New Zealand Leading dive centre offering training and charters.

Tank testing, air/nitrox fills, gear sales, service, hire.

SCUBA and Freediving/Spearfishing. www.nzdiving.co.nz

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CANTERBURY DIVE HQ CHRISTCHURCH t: +64 3379 5804 e: sales@divehqscuba.co.nz a: 103 Durham Street South, Sydenham, Christchurch South Island’s Premium Dive Centre, Specialists in Scuba Diving, Spearfishing & Freediving. Brands: Hollis, Oceanic, Atomic, Zeagle, Beuchat, Bare & Rob Allen. www.divehqscuba.co.nz

MARLBOROUGH GO DIVE PACIFIC t: 0274 344 874 e: info@godivepacific.nz a: 66 Wellington Street, Picton, Marlborough, New Zealand Dive one of the biggest cruise ship wrecks in the world, the Mikhail Lermontov, suitable for recreational to advanced technical divers. www.godivepacific.co.nz

DESCEND NZ – MILFORD SOUND t: +64 (0)27 337 2363 e: info@descend.co.nz a: Deepwater Basin Milford Sound – bookings essential Dive in the majestic and unique Milford Sound where deepwater species such as black coral live in diveable depths. www.descend.co.nz

WAIKATO DIVE ZONE WHITIANGA t: +64 7867 1580 e: info@divethecoromandel.co.nz a: 10 Campbell Street, Whitianga 3510, New Zealand Dive charters, training, service and retail store.

Many and varied dive spots. Beautiful coastal town location. Offshore islands & Marine Reserve. www.divezonewhitianga.co.nz

WELLINGTON DIVE WELLINGTON t: 04 939 3483 e: dive@divewellington.co.nz a: 432 The Esplanade Island Bay, Wellington, New Zealand Wellington’s Padi 5 Star Centre, right across the road from Taputeranga Marine Reserve.

Come and dive or snorkel with us. www.divewellington.co.nz

NORTHLAND DIVE NOW t: 09 438 1075 e: info@divenow.co.nz a: 41 Clyde St, Whangarei We’re Northland’s largest SCUBA, Spearfishing & Freedive retail store offering great deals on gear along with SCUBA and Freedive courses. www.divenow.co.nz

Q&A: WAYNE B BROWN

ROTTNEST IS CALLING WHY ROTTNEST ISLAND HAS PLENTY TO OFFER THE VISITING DIVER

SUBAQUA DIVE CENTRE t: 09 988 9508 e: subaquadivecentrenz@gmail.com a: 108 Cameron Street, Whangarei, NZ Friendliest dive shop in town. Stocker of Hollis, Ratio Dive computers, Atomic Aquatics, Bare, Oceanic and Zeagle. www.facebook.com/subaquadivewhangarei

TOP-OF-THE-RANGE RATED AND REVIEWED

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LIFE THE LIVEABOARD LYRICAL ABOUT

GEAR GUIDE: MASKS

SUDAN ODYSSEY

EXPLORING THE REMNANTS OF COUSTEAU’S PRECONTINENT II EXPERIMENT

SULTANATE OF OMAN

THE TEST TEAM RATE AND

MELBOURNE A RANGE OF REVIEW MAGIC NIGEL MARSH MASKS DIVING DIVES THE PIERS AROUND PORT PHILLIP BAY

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Dive into

PNG Don Silcock waxes lyrical about Papua New Guinea’s underwater

DISCOVERING WHERE SMALL THINGS ROAM IN THE PHILIPPINES

PAIHIA DIVE t: +64 9402 7551 e: info@divenz.com a: 7 Williams Rd, Paihia 0247, New Zealand We run daily trips to the Canterbury wreck, The Rainbow Warrior wreck and reef sites in the Bay of Islands. www.divenz.com

TO AGGRESSOR WE CHAT IN OMAN ADVENTURE GEAR GUIDE GROUP TEST ADVENTURES ABOUT WAXES STACEY ADRIANCEO REGS

delights

Over the

RAINBOW New Zealand’s Exploring Rainbow Warrior wreck

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

HOW TO COMPOSE THE PERFECT PHHEADS OUT ADRIAN STACEY DOLPHIN PHOTOGRA

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New Zealand

ON A DAYBOAT TO THE ICONIC REEF

‣ Q&A: Orkney and Shetland Charters

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Taking care of your skin - and the ocean

D

id you know that around 75 percent of the world’s coral species are found in Raja Ampat? Moreover, Raja Ampat’s waters are remote, protected, and biologically productive, making it one of the best places to encounter lush coral walls that gradually drop off from 1.5m to 275m! But it is no secret that the world’s coral reefs are in serious trouble. Scientists predict that without drastic action, nearly all these ecosystems could be gone by 2050.

to reefs and other sea life. Although no sunscreen has been proven totally safe for aquatic wildlife - wearing a rash guard or other protective clothing while you snorkel is the best choice for coral as well as for your skin - some formulas are friendlier than others.

WHY ARE CORAL REEFS SO IMPORTANT?

• Coral reefs protect coastlines from storms.

• They provide billions of dollars’ worth of food and jobs every year to people around the world.

• Coral reefs also help to improve the surrounding water quality. They act as a kind of filter that traps things floating in the water, which makes for cleaner water all around.

• Coral reefs are second only to rainforests in biodiversity of species.

• Coral reefs contain 25 percent of the world’s marine fish species.

• Reefs are where many fish and sea creatures choose to spawn. The protection of the reef means eggs will be safe from predators.

Saving the world’s coral reefs and curbing their demise, however, starts on dry land with us. You and me and the informed choices we need to make every day… One such decision is choosing reef-safe sunscreen.

WHY CHOOSE REEF SAFE SUNSCREEN?

It is estimated that globally between 6,000 and 14,000 tons of sunscreen wash off people and into reef areas each year.

And while it is agreed there are multiple factors at play contributing to the decimation, reefs around the world need to be protected. You will lessen your environmental impact by using a sunscreen that skips ingredients known to be harmful to reefs in large quantities.

HOW TO CHOOSE REEF SAFE SUNSCREEN?

Several common ingredients in sunscreens can be harmful

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CHECK LABELS ON SUNSCREEN PRODUCTS

Minerals: According to our research, the top ingredients used for ‘reef safe’ sunscreens are non-nano zinc and non-nano titanium dioxide. Nano refers to particles under a hundred nanometres and can be bad news for marine life that ingests them (shrimp, etc.)

No oxybenzone: This common UV-stopping ingredient has been the epicentre of discussion and found to help viruses damage coral more quickly. Ensure there is no oxybenzone in any products you buy. Oxybenzone is also potentially dangerous to humans. The chemical is readily absorbed by the skin and can cause hormone problems and cellular mutations, according to research by the Environmental Working Group.

Get water resistant: All sunscreens will wash off in water, but the better they are at sticking to your skin, the less of it will wind up in the ocean.

Choose lotion, not spray: Each time you use a spray sunscreen at the beach, some ends up on the sand, which in turn ends up in the ocean. Most mineral sunscreens are lotions, anyway.

No parabens: These preservatives are another virus-assisting reef-bleaching culprit. Sunscreens with parabens can be hard to identify, as parabens are often not listed in the ingredients.

If a sunscreen advertises aloe or another plant component, it likely contains preservatives needed to keep that plant fresh.

The bottom line still stands: Protect your skin - after all, it is your largest organ - but start making conscious decisions on the products you buy and start doing research on possible chemicals and effects on the ocean and environment. n https://raja.meridianadventuredive.com

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