Scuba Diver ANZ #41

WORLD’S BEST?

DOES THE SS YONGALA DESERVE A SPOT ON THE TOP 10 GREATEST WRECKS?

TECH: SILENT DIVING

WHY YOU SHOULD DO A CERTIFICATION COURSE ON THE MARES HORIZON

AWESOME OKINAWA

WE SHOWCASE SOME OF THE AMAZING DIVE LOCATIONS IN JAPAN

DON SILCOCK GOES IN SEARCH OF GREY NURSE SHARKS THE PHILIPPINES

UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY ISSUE #41

EDITOR IN CHIEF Mark Evans Email: mark@scubadivermag.com DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGER Matt Griffiths Email: matt@scubadivermag.com CONTRIBUTORS Nigel Marsh, Deborah Dickson-Smith, Roni Ben-Aharon and Nicolas Remy PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Ross Arnold Email: ross@scubadivermag.com BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Penney Evans Email: penney@scubadivermag.com

AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND AND SOUTHEAST ASIA TEAM 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

MAGAZINE 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

Times are changing and to keep the magazines 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. Your continued support is most appreciated.

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Looking forward to a positive 2022!

Welcome to 2022. It is time for a fresh start, to look forward to a year full of possibilities. Whether planning your dream dive trip or doing your bit for the environment, 2022 should be a year of action. If the past two years have taught us anything it is don’t put off to tomorrow what you can do today.

In the first issue of the year, we have a great selection of articles. Nigel Marsh has been to the iconic SS Yongala and is pleased to report that it is as stunning as ever. While down the road in New South Wales, Don Silcock has been diving with endangered grey nurse sharks at Magic Point. With international travel now back on the cards, Deborah Dickson-Smith takes us on a journey to Okinawa in Japan, which boasts some fantastic diving and is rich in history and culture. Staying in the East Asia region, Roni Ben-Aharon extols the virtues of diving at the world-renowned Puerto Galera in the Philippines. This destination is not to be missed with stunning corals, great macro life, and even a few wrecks thrown in for good measure.

This month in our regular Tech article, Nicolas Remy shares his experience of the Mares Horizon SCR, what the training consists of, the unit’s ease of use, and the benefits and drawbacks of the system. We also have our usual columns on Conservation, Underwater Photography, Dive Medicine from DAN and new to 2022, a regular column about dive training from SSI. Plus, a great new product from Sealife and our usual equipment testing section.

Here’s to a positive 2022. Happy diving!

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

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WORLD’S BEST?

DOES THE SS YONGALA DESERVE A SPOT ON THE TOP 10 GREATEST WRECKS?

TECH: SILENT DIVING

WHY YOU SHOULD DO A CERTIFICATION COURSE ON THE MARES HORIZON

AWESOME OKINAWA

WE SHOWCASE SOME OF THE AMAZING DIVE LOCATIONS IN JAPAN

DON SILCOCK GOES IN SEARCH OF GREY NURSE SHARKS THE PHILIPPINES

UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY ISSUE #41

PHOTOGRAPH © DON SILCOCK

Regular columns

Monthly features...

8 News round-up

20 Australia

16 DAN Medical Q&A

28 Japan

The Maldives plans one of the world’s largest coral nurseries, new liveaboard for Ningaloo, Brand-new dive centre in Adelaide, and diving for the disabled.

The Divers Alert Network discusses ‘immature blood cells’ and their impact on scuba diving pursuits.

38 Divers Alert Network: Asia-Pacific A DAN member recounts his experience of a bend in Cozumel despite a conservative dive profile.

66 Conservation Corner

PADI and National Geographic Pristine Seas partner together to protect at least 30% of the ocean by 2030 via MPAs.

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Nigel Marsh is left awe-struck by the SS Yongala, which he believes rightly deserves its place in any top 10 shipwrecks of the world.

Okinawa boasts spectacular coral reefs, reliable aggregations of reef mantas and hammerheads, and a fascinating history. Diveplanit’s Deborah Dickson-Smith explains why you should add it to your dive bucket list.

34 Underwater Photography

If you want to get an impressive wide-angle photo, there are a few compositional elements you can always rely on. The Snell’s window is one of them, but what is Snell’s window?

Mario Vitalini explains.

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...continued

Gear & testing

40 TECH: Mares Horizon

60 What’s New

Experience rebreather diver Nicolas Remy explains what it is like getting to grips with the innovative Mares Horizon SCR on a certification course.

46 The Philippines

There is an amazing diversity of diving at Puerto Galera in the Philippines, as seasoned traveller Roni Ben-Aharon explains.

54 Australia

Scuba Diver’s Senior Travel Editor Don Silcock heads for Magic Point in Maroubra in search of the impressive grey nurse shark.

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Scuba Diver Editor-in-Chief Mark Evans takes a look at new products coming to market, including a brand-new colour scheme for the handy Fourth Element Storm poncho, and a way to take your phone with you when you are diving, in the form of the SeaLife SportDiver housing.

61 Test Extra

Scuba Diver Editor-in-Chief Mark Evans rates and reviews the Paralenz Vaquita action camera, and takes the Avatar drysuit and undersuit for a spin.

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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/news

MALDIVES PLANS ONE OF THE

WORLD’S LARGEST CORAL NURSERIES

Soneva has launched an ambitious programme to restore coral reef systems and create a coral hub for the Maldives

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partnership between the Soneva Foundation, the Swiss environmental organisation Coralive and the global ecosystem restoration organisation Ark2030, the project aims to protect and regenerate this vital marine habitat, which has been decimated by rising sea temperatures, ocean acidification, El Niño events and ocean pollution.

The coral restoration programme, located onsite at Soneva Fushi in the Baa Atoll, is the largest conservation initiative to be supported by the Soneva Foundation.

Founded in 2010 by Sonu and Eva Shivdasani, this UKregistered charity builds on their belief that a business must have a purpose beyond profit and invests in the development of global projects that have a positive environmental, social and economic impact.

“With the global warming crisis, the Maldives has little influence over the actions of the big greenhouse gas emitting countries. We can’t bet our future on a wish and a prayer that the big countries decarbonise their economies in time to halt climate change before it wipes out our coral

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reefs. We need a back-up plan. When finished, the coral farm at Soneva Fushi will be one hectare in size – one of the largest coral farms in the world – and in the ensuing years it is our goal to cultivate one hectare of coral each year at each of our resorts. This is the scale that is needed to have a meaningful impact and it also represents a huge opportunity for the Maldives to become a global leader in an activity that will likely have considerable future demand,” said Sonu Shivdasani, CEO and Co-Founder of Soneva.

Coral reefs are among the most-biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, providing habitat for a quarter of all marine life, as well as protecting coastal communities from storms and erosion, with an estimated half a billion people worldwide reliant on reef systems for their livelihoods. Over the last three decades, more than half of the earth’s corals have died, with scientists predicting that up to 90 percent of all reefs will be lost over the next 20 years if decisive action is not taken.

The large-scale, in-situ restoration programme at Soneva Fushi aims to restore coral habitats and improve the

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resilience of the marine ecosystem around the Baa Atoll resort, with the longterm goal of becoming a coral restoration and knowledge hub for the Maldives and beyond. Following a two-year study to define the most suitable restoration techniques for the Maldives’ unique marine environment, it will become the largest Mineral Accretion Technology (MAT) coral nursery in the world. Once fully operational, the nursery will cover one hectare of ocean and propagate 50,000 coral fragments every year. The ultimate aim of the programme is to regenerate the reef back to the state in which it existed 25 years ago, covering out-planted corals across 40 hectares over the next decade.

Channelling low voltage electricity through metal structures placed underwater, MAT creates the ideal environment for corals to grow – as the electrons flow, calcium carbonate (CaCO3) deposits begin to accumulate on the structures, the same mineral that forms the skeleton of most hard and some soft coral species. Corals that have been placed on MAT structures have been observed to grow up to four times faster than other propagation methods, as well as having significantly higher survival rates during bleaching events. At Soneva Fushi, the nursery will be cultivated from ‘corals of opportunity’ – rather than being harvested, these are corals that have been broken or damaged due to storms, waves or human activity.

Located at the outer edge of the house reef, the coral nursery at Soneva Fushi will comprise 432 table structures, arranged in three circular clusters.

The project is divided into three distinct phases: the initial installation phase, where the tables and nursery infrastructure will be placed into the water, expected to take up to three months; a two- to three-month population phase, which will include scouting for donors and creating a detailed database to record taxonomy, growth and survival rates; and the third, ongoing maintenance and monitoring phase to ensure the health of the corals, monitor predation and verify that the MAT equipment is fully functional. Each table structure will be given its own unique code, where coral growth rates and health are recorded twice a year. The restoration site at Soneva Fushi will be constantly monitored via an Aqualink Smart Buoy, which records temperatures at both the surface and the ocean floor, with all data accessible through the cloud. In phases two and three of the project, guests at Soneva Fushi will be invited to join in the restoration efforts themselves – a unique opportunity to be part of this ground-breaking project. www.soneva.com

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Dive Ningaloo is excited to announce the arrival of Ningaloo Liveaboard Diving Trips, a unique liveaboard dive experience to the World Heritagelisted Ningaloo Reef. Explore pristine reefs and world-class diving, onboard the new, purpose-built vessel Lady Ningaloo, offering up to 18 guests luxury, well-appointed accommodation with modern, state-of-the-art functionality.

What better way to experience the amazing marine life of Western Australia’s Ningaloo Reef than in luxury and style.

Based in Exmouth, Western Australia, Dive Ningaloo are a well-established scuba diving company with 20 years of experience diving on the Ningaloo coast. They provide unique scuba diving experiences and their extended overnight packages are an exciting opportunity for all passionate divers.

The Ningaloo Reef has numerous dive sites with a wide variety of topography and depth range. The liveaboard expeditions will be travelling to two different areas of the Ningaloo. These are the ‘West Side’ and the ‘Muiron Islands’. The West side is situated on the western side of the Cape Range peninsular and is exposed to the ocean swells that travel from South Africa. The west side is where the whalesharks, humpback whales, manta rays, dugongs, spinner dolphins and orcas are usually sighted. The reef here is mainly made up of hard corals, which are formed into large impressive structures and surge channels.

The Muiron Islands are located on the edge of the Exmouth Gulf. The Gulf is located on the Eastern side of Cape Range peninsular, and water flows into and out of the Gulf past the Muiron Islands. This means there is an abundance of food in the water that makes the islands a soft coral paradise. The Exmouth gulf and the Muiron islands are predominantly known for the soft coral gardens and micro fauna such as nudibranchs, however humpback whales and manta rays also use the protected waters to rest and feed.

Having these two areas separated by a peninsula means they can pick and choose the best dive sites depending on weather, currents and visibility. If one area is less favourable then they can travel to the other in a few hours. www.diveningaloo.com.au

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GOLD COAST DIVE TRIPS Join the Adreno Gold Coast team on scuba diving trips that will blow your mind! The experienced team of passionate divers will take care of all the planning so you just need to book & show up!

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MIKE BALL LIVEABOARD DEPARTING CAIRNS - 5 Nights - All meals inc snacks between dives - Dive with up to 100 Sharks at once - 18 Dives - Tanks, Weights, Airfills Provided - Professional dive guides - Reef Ecology Programme - One way transfer post trip to Cairns City or Airport Spend 5 nights all inclusive, diving the Coral Sea. Including the world famous Cod Hole where numerous Potato Cod visit regularly. A highlight will be to dive Osprey Reef where you can see up to a hundred sharks on any one dive! Alladins Cave and Pirates Cove abound with mantas, eagle rays, tuna and barracuda and other pelagics.

For more info, please contact our trip leader James at james@adreno.com.au or (07) 3391 2299.

FOR ALL UPCOMING TRIPS & COURSES VISIT OUR WEBSITE OR VISIT US INSTORE AT 3-9 RAWLINS ST, SOUTHPORT QLD 4215

Follow us on our various social media @scubadivermag

NEW DIVE CENTRE OPENS IN ADELAIDE

Adelaide has gained a new dive centre with the opening of Scuba Courses in Stirling, but its origin begins in the muchcolder and less-exotic Stoney Cove quarry in the UK. Simon Bowen took his first finsteps into the world of diving at this well-known freshwater site in England more than two decades ago, while he was living in the UK and recovering from serious health problems that had threatened to derail his life.

He wanted a constructive pastime that would get him outdoors and using his body, and so he dipped his toe into diving, completing his Open Water and Advanced Open Water courses over two consecutive weekends.

However, it was a trip to the Egyptian Red Sea shortly afterwards that completely sold him on scuba diving. He has since completed more than 3,600 dives all over the world, including the Maldives, Portugal, PNG, the Solomons, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tahiti, Indonesia, the Philippines, and of course, the Great Barrier Reef.

As his passion grew, so did his idea of setting up his own dive centre in Adelaide, his home town – and now it has come to fruition with the opening of Scuba Courses.

Located just a short drive from the city and the underwater wonderland of Gulf St Vincent and the clear waters of the Adelaide mid-coast and the Fleurieu Peninsula, Scuba Courses boasts a well-stocked shop, and will be offering the usual tank fills and rentals alongside courses with a strict four-to-one ratio.

Bowen has also partnered with Dive Adventures to offer trips to premier overseas locations and around Australia. www.scubacourses.com.au

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PADI TEAMS UP WITH PATRIOTS FOR DISABLED DIVERS

PADI members around the world are helping veterans heal, both physically and mentally, through the techniques learned in the PADI Adaptive Support Diver and Adaptive Techniques Specialty courses.

“We are committed to increasing access to the underwater world for everyone and believe that the transformational power of learning to dive can benefit the emotional and physical well-being of all humanity,” says Kristin Valette Wirth, Chief Brand and Membership Officer of PADI Worldwide. “Promoting health and wellness through diving is a key focus area of PADI’s People and Humanity Pillar of Change, with the primary objective to remove barriers and increase access to diving for all.”

According to the World Health Organisation, there are around one billion people on the planet who are living with some sort of disability, mental or physical. PADI’s courses have always allowed and encouraged adaptive techniques, but with the launch of PADI’s Adaptive Techniques Specialty Course in 2018, the inherent flexibility of PADI courses for people with disabilities was better highlighted.

This has helped instructors learn how a simple technique change can allow more divers to meet performance requirements and earn a PADI certification.

Instructors learn how to implement techniques to leverage the strengths of their students and help each one overcome their unique challenges, thereby providing greater access to diving for all.

This summer, PADI teamed up with Patriots for Disabled Divers, a nonprofit organisation founded by Jeff and Merial Currer, who own PADI FiveStar Instructor Development Centre Patriot Scuba in Virginia, USA, to certify retired US Army SGT Bryan Anderson as a PADI Open Water Diver. Anderson completed his course in Catalina Island, California on the 20th anniversary of his deployment to Iraq, where he was injured by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) that resulted in the loss of both legs and his left hand.

“You always have that thought in the back of your head, ‘Well, maybe you’re not going to get there. Maybe something will limit you,’” says Anderson. “But I worked through it, didn’t panic, and being a triple amputee, I completed everything that I needed to become a certified PADI Open Water Diver. If you’ve had the thought like you might want to try diving and you’re stopping yourself because your mind is stopping you and you think you can’t, I want to show you that you can.”

Anderson’s recent journey with Patriots for Disabled Divers is just one of many around the world, with PADI Dive Centres and Resorts increasingly training their instructors with the PADI Adaptive Techniques Specialty Course and offering the PADI Adaptive Support Diver Course to those in the dive community.

“Scuba diving can have a tremendous impact on individuals diagnosed with PTSD. I see this transformation on a daily basis. Many of our PADI Pros have PTSD and there is a noticeable difference in them when they are actively diving. They have told me that when they get underwater, all the noise in their head is quieted. They are happier and more social when they get out. Scuba diving is also very freeing for our students who spend a good bit of time in a wheelchair. They get underwater and experience a feeling of freedom they haven’t felt in a long time and in some cases, ever,” says Merial Currer. “For us working with people who never thought they could dive due to a disability, has been incredibly rewarding.”

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WATER BOTTLES FOR MENTAL HEALTH

EMPEROR PRICING MEANS NO HIDDEN EXTRAS

WE ARE DIVING IN THE RED SEA AND MALDIVES NOW! Contact us for the latest updates on new flight arrivals

Contact reservations@ emperordivers.com We’re the team to help you go diving again!

Life on this planet has become hard for many people and not just because of COVID, climate change and our beautiful oceans getting polluted and ravaged, with mental health becoming a daily challenge for more individuals than ever. A new project showcases the amazing drawings of Elk Draws on a stunningly produced series of water bottles that were created to help save the environment, contribute to mental health and to be individual pieces of useful art. 50% of the profits from the sale of these products will be donated to Lifeline, who have been working hard to help people through these testing times. Every 30 seconds, a person in Australia reaches out to Lifeline for help. No one should have to face their darkest moments alone.

Call Lifeline on: 13 11 14. Each bottle is a work of art, available in three designs, and has a powder-coated matte finish. They are double-walled insulated - keep your drink hot or cold for up to 24 hours – and made from 18/8 304 food-grade stainless steel. They have a plastic-free lid and come in 500ml and 750ml sizes.

About Elk Draws

LEADING THE WAY SINCE 1992 Quality | Excellence | Service Flexibility | Value

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14/06/2021 12:51

Elk Draws is Eleanor Louise Killen - the face, mind and drawing hand behind Elk Draws -and it is her initials which spell E-L-K. Aside from being addicted to coffee and dark chocolate, eternally being late and having uncontrolled epilepsy (which she is happy to talk about if you have any questions!), she is the driver of her brand’s eco-luxe ethos. She is passionate about authentic art creation and strives to create the majority of art pieces or designs by hand. Yes, some products can’t avoid to have a digital element to them, but Eleanor strives to have pen or paint to paper involved in as much of the process as possible. Eleanor grew up in country Victoria, just when fast fashion was beginning, yet didn’t take to it and preferred to purchase long known quality brands second hand as a teenager. This strong respect for quality and longevity has stuck and she now implements it in her own products. She expects a product to last and assumes you do too. www.underwater.com.au

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Ask DAN

DAN medical specialists and researchers answer your dive medicine questions

IMMATURE BLOOD CELLS Q: My doctor said that my blood cells (white, red and platelets) are immature, and at times I have very high counts, although they are currently within the normal range. Will this condition impact my body’s ability to get oxygen to my cells and eliminate nitrogen? Will I have a higher risk of DCS or bubbles forming in my blood?

A: The condition you are referencing can be a type of myelodysplasia. The body’s long bones, including the sternum, humerus and femur, produce new blood cells.

A disruption in the bone marrow can release immature blood cells into the body.

The World Health Organisation classifies myelodysplasias into subtypes based on the types of cells involved. If two or three cell types are abnormal, it is a multilineage dysplasia. In this condition, blood cells will die in the bloodstream soon after being released or while still in the bone marrow. Over time, there will be more immature cells than healthy ones. Complications can include opportunistic infections, fatigue and abnormal or uncontrolled bleeding.

Platelets are components within our blood responsible for beginning clotting. Decreased platelets will inhibit clotting, which may lead to uncontrolled bleeding. If you have bleeding from blunt or penetrating trauma, barotrauma from difficulty equalising, or DCS, you may have uncontrolled bleeding that could go undetected for some time. Diving exposes you to bacteria and other micro-organisms in the water. White blood cells are the body’s natural defence mechanism against these contaminants. Immature or inadequate white blood cells may lead to opportunistic infection or, if your immune system is compromised, a serious illness.

Red blood cells carry oxygen and other nutrients throughout the body. Immature red blood cells are unable to meet the body’s oxygen demands while diving. This lack of oxygen may lead to fatigue, the possibility of passing out and potentially drowning.

Diving often takes place in a remote location, and access to immediate or definitive health care may be difficult. When planning a dive trip, ask the dive operator or resort about access to health care and their emergency action plan for caring for an ill or injured diver.

Some locations may have more limited medical care than others, especially if an air evacuation is involved.

DANAP.org

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Monthly round-up of news from our SSI dive centres and professionals www.divessi.com

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ongratulations to our SSI dive centres and professionals who, despite all of the challenges in the past 18 months, have adapted in positive ways to continue to grow and develop their diving business. This shows that staying connected with your customers has long-term results and creates loyal divers who support their SSI local dive centres.

Back to the water campaign

In early 2020, SSI launched the ‘Back to the Water Campaign’. This involved offering free sponsored cross-over kits to dive professionals from all agencies. Due to an increased demand for professionals globally, SSI has extended this offer until 31 March 2022.

Professionals wanting to join the ever-growing SSI family are encouraged to contact their local SSI centre or go to www.divessi.com and register themselves for this promotion.

SSI Launches Marine Guide

Dive Guides and Divemasters are the spearheads of SSI professionals when dealing with certified divers; therefore, SSI is proud to launch the Marine Guide Recognition ratings for those SSI professionals who become subject matter experts in the Ecology Programmes.

To qualify as a Marine Guide, SSI Dive Guides or higher must be in active status and qualified to teach three or more of the SSI Ecology Programmes. Here is where SSI conservation initiatives currently stand: • All physical SSI certification cards are made of environmentally friendly bio-PVC and are 100% biodegradable.

• With our free MySSI app, customers can complete their training ‘card-free’ and further their education while saving additional resources.

• SSI has set a company-wide goal to reduce plastic packaging whenever possible and find alternative environmentally friendly packaging options. Many products are packaged exclusively in cellulose packaging or paper.

• With our free Blue Oceans programme, SSI explains the importance of protecting the ocean and how anyone can quickly support this effort in their daily lives.

• Education and training are the first steps in protecting the oceans. SSI offers various ecology programs, including Marine Ecology, Shark Ecology, Sea Turtle Ecology, Fish Identification, Coral Identification, and Manta & Ray Ecology.

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SSI introduces the Non-Binary Gender Option in the MySSI System

You asked, we listened. After repeated inquiries from SSI centres and professionals around the globe asking for a third gender option within the MySSI system, we have now implemented this option when creating a MySSI profile. As of now, you may choose male, female, or non-binary as a gender option when setting up your MySSI profile. If you wish to edit your current MySSI profile to the non-binary option, please send a written request to SSI Headquarters at info@divessi.com.

SSI is very excited to include non-binary as a gender option. An organization that is constantly asking how to better improve itself is an organization poised for growth. SSI strives to be an inclusive, adaptable, and welcoming family of divers who listen to its members and respond accordingly. By adding this third gender option, we are opening the door to allow our divers to express themselves in as accurate a way as possible.

For more information on any of our programs and initiatives, please don’t hesitate to contact our SSI Team. n

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Constructed in Newcastle on Tyne in the United Kingdom in 1903, the SS Yongala was a steel passenger and freight steamer. The elegantlooking ship was 107 metres long with a 13.7 metre wide beam and had a top speed of 16 knots

The SS Yongala is protected as a historic shipwreck and marine reserve, that will hopefully preserve and extend the life of this incredible shipwreck for future generations to enjoy. The wreck is a worldfamous dive site attracting some 10,000 divers annually.

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Nigel Marsh is left awestruck by the SS Yongala, which he believes rightly deserves its place in any top 10 shipwrecks of the world Photographs by Nigel Marsh www.nigelmarshphotography.com

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t had already been a remarkable dive filled with millions of fish, sea snakes, turtles, rays and sharks. But just as we were ascending something extra special happened when we spotted a large and unfamiliar shape emerging from the blue. It was an enormous stingray, over two metres wide, being ridden by a much-smaller pink whipray and escorted by a pack of cobia. It is moments like this that seem to happen all too often at this dive site, the legendary SS Yongala.

I had never seen this species of stingray before, and considering how much I love rays I was greatly surprised that I didn’t know what it was, so I was very determined to capture an image and identify this unusual visitor. But before I could get a photograph the ray turned and glided away. Fortunately, my wife Helen, who was closer to the ray, managed to capture a few quick photos, allowing us to later identify the ray as a small-eye stingray, the world’s largest stingray species, and also one of the rarest.

This encounter, back in 2015, was the first time this species had been seen outside of Mozambique (as far as we know). Since then, small-eye stingrays have made infrequent appearances on the SS Yongala, but they are not the only rare and unusual creature that makes this dive site such a special destination.

The SS Yongala is regularly voted in the top ten dive sites in the world - and for very good reason. Not only is this historic shipwreck fascinating to dive, with an intriguing and tragic back story, but being the only solid object on a vast sandy plain, halfway between the mainland and the Great Barrier Reef, the wreck attracts marine life like a magnet making it one of the fishiest dive sites on the planet!

Due to this wreck’s protected status, access is by permit only, so make sure you use a licensed operator. That also means you are not allowed to touch or penetrate the wreck. Due to currents, this is an advanced dive.

The wreck itself is covered in the most-exquisite collection of colourful corals, including spikey soft corals, gorgonians, sea whips, sponges and hydroids A rare porcupine ray

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Inspecting a porthole

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Sea whips and schooling fish

Cracking the code...

It wasn’t until 1958 when local skin-divers Don Macmillan and Noel Cook brought back a steel safe from a wreck that the world was forced to remember the Yongala. The anti-climactic opening revealed only mud, but the safe’s serial number was traced back to Chubb in the UK, who confirmed it was installed in the purser’s cabin aboard SS Yongala in 1903.

Fish under the mast

The wreck

The ship

Constructed in Newcastle on Tyne in the United Kingdom in 1903, the SS Yongala was a steel passenger and freight steamer. The elegant-looking ship was 107 metres long with a 13.7 metre wide beam and had a top speed of 16 knots. Built for the Adelaide Steamship Company, the ship had a crew of 72 and could accommodate 110 first-class passengers and 130 second-class passengers, plus carry a range of cargo. The ship first went into service taking passengers and cargo between the gold fields in Western Australia and the ports of Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.

The ship was then used on the Brisbane to Freemantle route, before changing to the Melbourne to Cairns route in 1907. On 14 March 1911, the SS Yongala departed Melbourne on her 99th - and final - voyage.

The first part of the journey was uneventfully, stopping in Brisbane and Mackay to drop-off and pick-up passengers and cargo. Departing Mackay with 122 passengers and crew, the SS Yongala was never to arrive at her next port of call, Townsville, as she headed straight in a fierce cyclone and disappeared on 24 March with the loss of all hands.

What happened to the ship was a complete mystery. A small amount of wreckage washed up on local beaches, but the only body found was that of a racehorse called Moonshine. How the ship sank and where she sank was unknown until a minesweeper located a large wreck off Cape Bowling Green, south of Townsville, in 1943. The wreck was not confirmed as the SS Yongala until the first diver descended on the site in 1958.

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The first diver to descend on the wreck was after treasure, salvaging the safe, which was empty. Divers since then have come to explore and marvel at this world-class shipwreck.

The SS Yongala rests on its starboard side in 29m, with the highest part of the ship at 15m.

When I first dived the wreck in the 1980s, divers were allowed to penetrate all parts of the vessel, exploring the holds, engine room, cabins and long passageways. But it wasn’t exactly safe in some parts of the ship, with a thick layer of silt easily stirred up and dropping the visibility to near zero. Back then you could also see the remains of the unfortunate victims of the sinking, with bones and skulls casually passed between divers. A ban on entering the wreck was implemented in the 1990s, not only to show respect to the dead, but also preserve the life of the ship, by not allowing bubbles to dislodge rust and speed up the decay of the ship.

However, you don’t need to enter the ship to have a great dive, as swimming a lap of the wreck divers will see masts, derricks, winch gear, boilers, toilets, a bathtub and many other items of interest. But the SS Yongala is not a wreck you dive to simply explore the remains of a ship, as the main feature of the site is the incredible marine life.

Up close and personal

If you’re compelled by the story of Yongala, but not ready to dive in and see it for yourself, make your way to the Townsville Maritime Museum where discovered artefacts are on display, including the ship’s bell, glass decklight, lantern, light fixtures, crockery, bottles and brass items.

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The marine life

The SS Yongala is best described as one of the fishiest dive sites on the planet! Swarms of fish completely engulf the wreck, and at times make it hard to actually see the structure. Constantly patrolling the wreck are schools of trevally, mackerel and queenfish that are hunting the smaller residences, like the schools of fusiliers, cardinalfish and baitfish. Also seen in schools are barracuda, coral snapper and batfish. A multitude of reef fish inhabit the wrecks, including butterflyfish, angelfish, damsels, boxfish, surgeonfish, coral trout, coral cod, lionfish, wrasse and a few giant morays. But the largest reef fish seen on the wreck are the impressive giant Maori wrasse, gold-spotted grouper and the enormous Queensland grouper.

The wreck itself is covered in the most-exquisite collection of colourful corals, including spikey soft corals, gorgonians, sea whips, sponges and hydroids. And hiding among these corals are a good variety of invertebrates, such as nudibranchs, octopus, shrimps, crabs and sea shells.

Marine reptiles are well represented on the wreck, with green, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles a common sight.

However, the SS Yongala is also a great place to see sea snakes, with two species, the olive and reef shallows sea snake, encountered among the corals or hunting on the sand around the wreck.

Sharks and rays are also commonly seen on the wreck.

Sleeping inside or under the wreck are large tawny nurse sharks and the occasional tasselled wobbegong, while patrolling the perimeter of the wreck are shy bull sharks.

Rays are far more common, with large blotched fantail stingrays and spotted eagle rays cruising along the top of the ship, especially when a current is running. They are often joined by white-spotted wedgefish, broad cowtail stingrays and pink whiprays.

As mentioned in the introduction, it is unusual encounters with large marine life that makes the SS Yongala an extra special dive. Reef manta rays and whalesharks occasionally visit the wreck, as do bottlenose dolphins. But rarer visitors include smalleye stingrays, porcupine rays and even bowmouth guitarfish.

The conditions

Located 22km off Cape Bowling Green, and in the main shipping channel, the SS Yongala rests in a very exposed location in rough conditions. The wreck is also prone to strong currents, that is great for the abundant marine life, but not great for inexperienced divers. Visibility on the wreck can vary from five metres to 30 metres plus, and generally Tawny nurse shark

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Small-eye stingray

© Helen Rose

averages around 12 to 15 metres. Conditions on the wreck can also change throughout the day. On a recent trip to the SS Yongala, we started with calm seas, no current and blue water on the first two dives, but by the third dive the current had picked up, the seas were choppy and the visibility had dropped. We had to cancel the planned night dive as the current was simply too strong to safely dive the wreck.

The curse

Many divers suspect that the SS Yongala is cursed, and the passengers that travelled on her on that fateful last voyage would certainly agree. The curse is mainly linked to weather preventing divers reaching the site, as my wife Helen will attest, as it took her four attempts to dive the wreck, with rough weather and even a broken-down boat stopping her reaching the dive site.

I was not a big believer in the curse, as I had visited the wreck twice without incident. Then on my third trip something mysterious happened. This was back in the 1990s, when I was using a film camera. After two great dives on the wreck I went to change the film and discovered there was no film in the camera! At the time I had done over 1,000 dives with a film camera, and never once had I failed to load the camera with film, so I still can’t explain what happened! n

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Our experienced, professional and friendly crew work hard to ensure your stay with us is safe, comfortable and fun. Adrenalin Snorkel and Dive is committed to protecting our natural environment. Our trips are ECO Certified by ECO Tourism Australia. This involves a commitment to environmental sustainability and education of our guests.

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TOP 5 REASONS TO DIVE

OKINAWA

(OTHER THAN THE DIVING)

A

s you’ve probably already heard (see the article on P28) the diving in the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa is incredible. Pristine coral reefs, scenic swim-throughs, gullies and pinnacles, colourful soft and hard corals, and then of course there’s the underwater mystery of the Yonaguni Monument – and hammerheads.

The vis, on a good day, is upwards of 50 metres.

The water temperature rarely gets lower than 21°C, and depending on the time of year, you’re likely to see manta rays at Ishigaki, and large schools of hammerheads at Yonaguni. But these are not the only things that make a diving trip to Okinawa so memorable. Here are five more.

1. The people are friendly and helpful, and tipping is not expected

English is not widely spoken in Japan, but they will do their utmost to try and understand what you’re trying to say and help you in any way they can.

And good news for us Aussies, un-used to tipping; in Japan, it is not expected. Good manners are, however. So, remember your Ps and Qs, and bow politely when they bow in greetings to you. You won’t find it hard to remember your manners – the Japanese are so polite it’s contagious.

2. The food is delicious

In Australia we’re reasonably familiar with Japanese food but be prepared to be spoiled. For some reason, it all tastes much better in Japan. No matter the size of the restaurant or the price on the menu, from top-notch steak houses in Naha city to remote Izakaya (pubs) on the outer islands, it’s all delicious, and beautifully presented. If you’re a meat-lover, sample the local beef while you’re here. Okinawan beef rivals Wagyu in texture and flavour, so tender it melts in your mouth.

3. Everything is clean and runs efficiently

Someone once told me, that, wherever you are in Japan, if a train pulls up to your platform and its either one minute early or later than what’s printed on your timetable, don’t get on, it’s not your train. The same goes for the dive shop. If they ask you to meet at the shop in the morning at 9.15am, they mean 9.15am, not 9.16am or 9.17am. Yes, we were the only people to arrive late, to a transfer vehicle full of Japanese divers looking embarrassed for us.

4. The beer is cheap – and good. Did I mention the sake?

The Japanese take their beer seriously, most regions in Japan have a local beer, and sometimes several craft breweries as well. The local Okinawan beer is Orion, and it costs around Au$2 per tinnie. While you’re here, make at least one visit to the Okinawa Brewing Company, a local tap house that brews American-style ales, or try more-traditional Japanese brews at Helios Distillery, Nanto Craft Brewery and Miyakojima Microbrewery.

And you cannot visit Okinawa without sampling the local distilled sake. Okinawan Awamori sake is different to sake served in other parts of Japan, not simply because it’s distilled, but because a different type of rice is used in the brewing process. The Okinawans use Thai long grain rice and in fact the technique of distilling reached Okinawa in the 15th century from Thailand.

5. It’s easy to get to (in normal times)

There are daily direct flights to Tokyo from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, which take just over nine hours, with easy and efficient connections on to Okinawa, a twohour flight away.

For information on dive tours to Okinawa: diveplanit.com/okinawa/

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Snorkel in pristine waters, go for a dive, or relax with a drink and enjoy the sailing. The best memories on the reef, no filter required. www.passions.com.au +61 7 4041 1600 email: reservations@passions.com.au Departing from Cairns, Queensland

Mantas to underwater momuments

Okinawa boasts spectacular coral reefs, reliable aggregations of reef mantas and hammerheads, fascinating history, and even an underwater mystery. Diveplanit’s Deborah Dickson-Smith explains why you should add it to your dive bucket list Photographs by Pete McGee

K

nown as ‘Japan’s tropical side’ and consisting of 160 islands spread over a vast ocean area, the archipelago of Okinawa has a year-round subtropical oceanic climate. It’s Japan’s southwestern-most prefecture, stretching from the main island of Okinawa (Okinawa Honto) to Yonaguni Island – Japan’s western-most point.

Historically speaking…

For over 400 years, Okinawa was its own Ryukyu Empire, separate to Japan. During this period, the empire was a prosperous trading port connecting China and Japan with the kingdoms of Southeast Asia, which continued to trade as a prefecture of the Japanese Empire throughout Shogun rule when the rest of Japan was a ‘closed country’. It wasn’t until 1879 that Okinawa became one of the prefectures of Japan and the Ryukyu Empire ceased to exist.

This international influence has created a culture in Okinawa that is different to mainland Japan. There is a distinct Chinese influence here that can be seen in the architecture, especially in the Sho Dynasty-era Shurijo Castle in the prefecture’s capital of Naha.

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According to some, the monument is a man-made stepped pyramid.

In addition to many straight lines, some of the rocks purportedly have carvings. Nearby are other formations, suggesting a submerged ancient city estimated to be at least 5,000 years old.

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Okinawa reefs are very colourful

There are hundreds of dive sites dotted amongst the islands, including the world-famous underwater Yonaguni Monument – a site that resembles the remains of an ancient city Okinawa is, of course, also known for the role the island played in World War Two. The Battle of Okinawa was the bloodiest of the Pacific arena. You can learn something of this at the Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum in Naha as well as the old underground Navy Headquarters.

The Cornerstone of Peace monument, located on the southern end of the main island, was unveiled in 1995 commemorating the Battle of Okinawa and the role of Okinawa during World War Two. The names of over 240,000 people regardless of nationality who lost their lives are inscribed on the memorial.

It is not hard to see why the myths of this being manmade came about

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The diving

The West Coast of the main island is dotted with white sandy beaches, with diving at several locations including Maeda Point, but the more-popular diving destinations are in the islands that stretch from the main island, southwest to remote Yonaguni Island.

The closest (and most popular) group of islands are the Kerama Islands, a 50-minute ferry ride from Naha, within the Kerama Shoto National Park. Of the outer islands, the most popular for diving is Ishigaki, famous for its blue coral and manta rays, and Yonaguni, for its underwater ruins and hammerhead aggregation. Across all of Okinawa’s islands, the water rarely gets below 21 degrees C, and is at its warmest between July and November – 28 to 29 degrees C. Okinawa’s large main island can be divided into four areas: the Motobu and North Area, the West Coast, the East Coast, and the South Area with Naha City. Some of the mostspectacular dive sites can be found on the West Coast, near Onna and Yomitan Villages, and in the north.

On the popular West Coast, there is a great selection of resorts on the white sand beaches, with excellent diving in Cape Zanpa, Cape Maeda, Manza and Seragaki areas.

Around Cape Hedo at the northernmost point of the island, there are magnificent dive sites such as Cape Hedo Dome, an underwater limestone cave, or the Cape Hedo Canyon, great for pelagic action.

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The famed ‘monument’

Dive into Kerama Blue Waters

Vibrant wildlife await with only a 40-minute boat ride from Naha to the breathtaking Kerama Islands National Marine Park. No less than 248 species of corals and a variety of marine wildlife can be witnessed with up to 40 metres of visibility. There are 60 dive spots to choose from which allows beginners as well asseasoned divers to hop to spots perfect for their levels. Dive trips include two dives and transfers from your Naha accommodation. www.seasir.com/lang/en/

Colourful crinoids on the reef Vibrant giant clam

Kerama Shoto National Park

The Kerama Shoto National Park is an island-dotted marine park west of Naha. There are four main islands: Tokashiki, Zamami, Geruma and Aka Island. It’s a popular destination for day trippers, being only a short ferry-ride away from the main island. The islands are surrounded by beautiful coral gardens, walls and pinnacles, including stand-out sites such as Kuba West and Triple Stones where you’re likely to see huge seafans, pretty soft corals and abundant marine life.

Between January and April, the surrounding waters become breeding grounds for humpback whales and all year you’ll find Kerama deer wandering around most of the islands.

Stand out dives here include Kuba West, a tall coralcovered pinnacle that drops down to about 40m, with the top sometimes piercing the surface, depending on tides.

Yonaguni

Diving Yonaguni Island, famous mainly for the mythical underwater ruins, you’ll find plenty of awesome drift dives and in season, large schools of hammerhead sharks. The water here is among the clearest you’ll see anywhere in the world.

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Main Island Diving Experiences

With pick up available from central Naha, Honu Honu Divers provides you with the best diving locations dependent on your level, season and weather.

Accompanied by bilingual instructors, Honu Honu offers half-day and full-day dive tours as well as a dive tour to a desert island located just off the coast of Naha. There is also the iconic Ao No Blue Cave Tour, which is perfect for beginners and experienced divers alike or a visit to the Motobu Area for some diving among some stunning coral scenery. www.hhdivers.com/en/

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A ‘sea’ of anemones and their attendant clownfish

Drop down to about 25m where you’ll likely find a couple of pygmy seahorses hiding in giant pink sea fans This is the most remote island in the Okinawa archipelago.

Roughly 80 minutes flight from Naha, the western-most point of Japan where, on a clear day, you can see Taiwan.

There are close to 70 dive sites around the island, and with both a summer and winter harbour, the local dive centre, SouWes Diving, can usually find a sheltered dive site even in rough conditions. The main feature of all these sites is the incredible water clarity, at least 50 metres, so clear you can look up from a depth of 30m and see the dive boat.

Some sites are undulating fields of coral, interspersed with the occasional sharp drop-off or rivers of white sand.

Others are a series of large boulders, caverns and swimthroughs with pebbled floors and walls covered in large colourful fans. Expect to see lots of butterflyfish, yellowstriped snapper, turtles, moray eels and anthias.

The mythical Yonaguni Monument is the main draw card for divers at Yonaguni Island. Discovered in the mid-1980s by local diver Kihachirou Aratake, who runs the dive shop on the island with his son Shorty, this enormous underwater structure looks like an ancient monument.

The entrance is via a small tunnel through the rocks, which opens onto a large flat area. As you emerge from the tunnel, you’ll see two tall identical, perfectly formed columns.

From here, you swim at a depth of 15m along a wide ‘road’ to a set of steps up to the main stage area of the monument.

The ‘stage’ looks out onto a wide valley and drops down at a perfect 90-degree angle. There are several flat levels at the top, each with stairs, and over to the right, a large rock

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formation that looks very much like a turtle.

Between November and March, large schools of hammerheads aggregate, on a drift dive in the blue, managed with impeccable safety by SouWes Diving.

Ishigaki

Ishigaki is one of Okinawa’s most-popular dive destinations and can be accessed via direct flights from international airports at Osaka as well as Naha, the capital of Okinawa, on the main island. The fringing reefs here are spectacular, but it’s most famous for manta encounters which happen year-round, with the largest aggregation between May and November, in manta hotspot Kabira Bay. There are, in fact, four manta ray sites around Ishigaki Island - Kabira Ishizaki Manta Scramble, Manta City Point, Yonara Channel and Panari Big Corner. Kabira is the oldest, discovered in the 1980s by diving guides from the Kabira Area, while the newest aggregation discovered is Panari Big Corner, found in 2016.

Between November and April there is a higher probability of pelagic encounters, including schools of hammerhead sharks in the Takomi Island area. n For more information about diving Okinawa visit Diveplanit.com/destination/Okinawa

Mantas and The Yaeyama Islands

Prime Scuba Ishigaki offers full day dive cruises around the Yaeyama Islands on their 18-metre diving cruiser Blue Swan. Known as the mecca of scuba diving in Japan, Ishigaki Island is not only best known for the highest encounter rates of manta rays, but also offers a wide variety of diving points such as corals, white sand and reefs which are scattered around the Yaeyama Islands. Accompanied by bilingual instructors, dive sites are decided based on the sea conditions of the day as well as guestsʼ skill level and requests. www.primescuba-isg.com/

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DIVE

OKINAWA HONU HONU DIVERS https://www.hhdivers.com/en/

Main Island Diving Experiences With pick up available from central Naha, Honu Honu Divers provides you with the best diving locations dependent on your level, season and weather. Accompanied by bilingual instructors, Honu Honu offers half day and full day dive tours to a desert island located just off the coast of Naha. There is also the iconic Ao No (Blue) Cave Tour which is perfect for beginners and experienced divers alike or a visit to the Motobu Area for some diving amongst stunning coral scenery.

MARINE HOUSE SEASIR https://www.seasir.com/lang/en/

Dive into Kerama Blue Waters Limpid waters and vibrant wildlife await with only a 40 minute boat ride from Naha to the breathtaking Kerama Islands National Marine Park.

No less than 248 species of corals and a variety of marine wildlife can be witnessed with up to 40 metres of visibility. There are 60 dive spots to choose from which allows beginners as well asseasoned divers to hop to spots perfect for their levels. Dive trips include 2 dives and transfers from your Naha accommodation.

PRIME SCUBA ISHIGAKI https://www.primescuba-isg.com

Mantas and The Yaeyama Islands Prime Scuba Ishigaki offers full day dive cruises around the Yaeyama Islands on their 60ft diving cruiser - Blue Swan. Known as the mecca of scuba diving in Japan Ishigaki Island is not only best known for the highest encounter rates of manta rays, but also offers a wide variety of diving points such as corals, white sand and reefs which are scattered around the Yaeyama Islands. Dive sites are decided based on the sea conditions of the day aswell as guests’ skill level and requests.

DIVE IN OKINAWA BROCHURE DOWNLOAD

VISIT OKINAWA JAPAN

SNELL’S - A WINDOW TO THE SKY

If you want to get an impressive wide-angle photo, there are a few compositional elements you can always rely on. The Snell’s window is one of them, but what is Snell’s window? Mario Vitalini explains Photographs by Mario Vitalini

S

nell’s window is an effect caused by light from the sun being refracted when it passes through the waterline and the underwater scene being reflected on the surface.

It is named after the Dutch mathematician Willebrord Snellius, who discovered the refraction law we know today as Snell’s window. When underwater, if we look upwards, we will see a circle of light with darker sections on the sides.

Effectively what our eyes see is a 180 degrees image of the surface, the brighter area. The darker edges are the reflection of the bottom.

How to achieve a Snell’s window

The most-important tool you need to achieve a perfect Snell’s window is a fisheye lens. In order to get that circle of light, your lens needs to cover a very large angle of view. A 15mm fisheye lens on a full-frame or an 8mm on a micro 4/3 (mirrorless) camera will do a perfect job.

If you point the camera directly to the surface you will get almost a complete circle, however you can get partial windows by shooting at a lesser angle. The closer to the vertical axis you aim your camera the greater the section of the circle of light you will get.

Exposure considerations

The surface conditions are also important. When there are a lot of waves, most of the sunlight will bounce on the surface limiting the available light underwater. If the conditions are calm and the seas are flat, the results are great. Technically you want the sea to be as flat as possible however I do prefer when there are a few ripples to add some texture in the background.

You will be shooting upwards and will see the sky, for this reason, I prefer to shoot Snell’s windows when the sky is clear and there are some fluffy clouds.

Diving considerations

When framing your shot bear in mind you will have to look to the sky, and this creates a series of problems. A well-fitted mask will solve the first one. By tilting your head up, you will force any water in your mask into your nose and eyes. Make sure you clear it properly before you compose.

Is also a good idea to think about your breathing.

Shooting upwards will get your bubbles on the frame.

Always time your breathing so your bubbles have reached the surface or are out of the picture.

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Technical considerations

Another issue you will have to deal with is the fact you are likely to be shutting towards the sun and therefore will need to deal with an incredibly bright background.

To reduce the risk of overexposure you can use a very high shutter speed and a small aperture but you may end up making the rest of your shot very dark. I do prefer to cover the sun with a subject, it can be a fish, a boat, or a diver, to create a striking silhouette. Just ensure the subject is in the middle of the Snell’s window and no parts go over the edge of the circle.

Composing for Snell’s window shots

You do not have to point the camera straight up in order to benefit from a Snell’s window in your composition. An angle of at least 45 degrees to the surface will be enough to get a fraction of the circle in your frame.

I particularly like to use the Snell’s window when shooting table corals. If you plan to give this a go, please do pay attention to how you position yourself, and under no circumstances try it if you can’t get the shot without damaging other corals around.

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To get a good Snell’s window you will be shooting upwards and that means you will have a huge amount of ambient light getting into your lens Once you have tried this, why not try to get your dive buddy to pose next to the coral? The result can be an interesting play of curves. When trying to compose shots with multiple subjects you need to be very careful, if you do not position them properly in your frame you may end up with a slightly busy and cluttered picture.

Lighting your Snell’s window picture

To get a good Snell’s window you will be shooting upwards and that means you will have a huge amount of ambient light getting into your lens. Controlling the exposure is key and the situation normally calls for a fast shutter speed and a small aperture to expose for the bright background. If you decide to shoot using only ambient light then you can push the shutter speed, if on the other hand, you want to use strobes, you need to pay close attention to the subject distance. Because you will be using a small aperture you will have to crank up the power on your flashguns, but if you are too close to your subject, you may overexpose it.

Next time you find yourself on a dive with a fisheye lens on your camera have a look at the sky and start practising some Snell’s windows shots, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. n

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DIVE SMARTER GET YOUR EXACT PRESCRIPTION TODAY

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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IT CAN HAPPEN

TO ANYONE

As international borders slowly start to re-open, DAN Member Brad Wall shares his story and provides a timely reminder that accidents can happen

I

first became certified a long time before diving became a big part of my life. Since associating myself with a local dive shop in the early 1990s, I became a Divemaster and instructor. I usually take two dive trips a year with my wife and sometimes our son, who are both experienced divers. We almost always go to Cozumel, Mexico, which is where I first experienced decompression illness (DCI).

I was 68 years old and had completed more than 900 dives when we travelled to Cozumel. On the first full day of diving, we started in the morning with a 29-minute dive to 25m with a one-hour surface interval before a second, uneventful dive. The following day we were ready for my favourite site, Santa Rosa Wall. After descending to the sandy bottom around 15m, you drop another 9m or so to move northward along the wall. Large swim-throughs dot the house-sized boulders as you drift beside the reef.

When it was time to end the dive, my buddy and I ascended to 6m for our safety stop. Everything was normal, as was the rest of our ascent. As soon as we surfaced, I thought I saw the boat moving away from me, but quickly realised I was disoriented, and the boat wasn’t moving. It felt like vertigo, but I managed to get on board the boat.

I removed my gear and was talking to my buddy when I started involuntarily leaning forward until I lost my balance and collapsed face-down on the deck. The problem was in my spine, and I felt paralysed and couldn’t get up.

Our Divemaster immediately gave me 100 percent oxygen and notified the captain. We quickly returned to the resort dock. At some point during the ride back they had called to shore and contacted DAN, who seamlessly arranged for everything that I needed. When we arrived at the dock, a paramedic was waiting to transport me to the local hospital, which was only a few minutes away. They had to drag me off the boat, with one person under each arm, because I could not walk. We arrived at the hospital where they did an echocardiogram, then after performing a neurological assessment to rule out an embolism, they admitted me to the hospital and determined that I had decompression illness (DCI).

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I removed my gear and was talking to my buddy when I started involuntarily leaning forward until I lost my balance and collapsed face-down on the deck The first US Navy Table 6 chamber treatment did some good, but I was hospitalised overnight and spent almost five hours in the chamber for the same treatment again the next day. After that recompression, I didn’t pass the walking test, so the doctors determined the DCI wasn’t fully resolved.

I spent another two hours in the chamber that day and another two hours on the third day, receiving IV fluids and rest after each treatment, but no other procedures were necessary. The doctors finally released me after four long chamber rides over three days, and I walked out of the hospital without any assistance.

DAN made all the arrangements for my care behind the scenes. I was grateful that I didn’t have to worry, especially since I probably wasn’t fit to have those discussions anyway.

I’ve been a DAN member for more than 20 years, and my membership and dive accident insurance were vitally important on this trip. Even when you are well-trained and conscientious and you do everything right, you can still get bent at any time.

After reviewing my dive profile from my dive computer, I concluded that I had done nothing wrong — no fast ascent, no missed safety stops — but I got DCI anyway.

My experience taught me that whether you’ve made nine

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or 900 dives and whether you’re a beginning diver or a Divemaster, you need to be prepared for anything to happen. The final hospital bill for my treatment was more than USD$22,000, but I never had to pay a cent.

When I was cleared to fly, I returned home and met with my cardiologist to review the images from my stay in the Cozumel hospital and to take some additional tests. I didn’t have a PFO, and later that year I was cleared to return to diving.

I had DAN dive accident insurance coverage for a long time before I needed it, and even if I never need it again, it has more than paid for itself. As I continue to dive for as long as I am able, I will never be without DAN. 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

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beyond technical

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Because rebreathers require specific skills not taught during traditional scuba courses, you must get certified before diving one Instructor Chris demonstrating skills

Over the Nicolas Remy explains what it is like getting to grips with the Mares Horizon SCR on a certification course Photographs by Nicolas and Lena Remy

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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

T

he Mares Horizon is an innovative semi-closed rebreather (SCR), which I found safer, simpler and cheaper to use than established CCRs (closed circuit rebreathers), while providing more bottom time and safety than traditional SCRs. In this article, I will report on the Horizon certification programme, which I think is a good next step if you’re interested in this rebreather, but not quite sure about owning one (another option is to book a try dive).

For further details on how the Horizon compares to traditional scuba and other rebreathers, read my initial review (Scuba Diver Magazine ANZ 39). It has been a few weeks since I got certified myself, so I will complement this report with some longer-term observations on the Horizon, having spent 26 hours diving it so far.

Courses offering and where to get trained

Because rebreathers require specific skills not taught during traditional scuba courses, you must get certified before diving one. Since every rebreather is different, they all have a specific training programme: being certified on rebreather A doesn’t let you dive rebreather B (although you can ask for a quicker ‘cross-over’ course for rebreather B).

For now, SSI is the only training agency certifying divers on the Horizon. I know of three dive centres who offer Horizon trainings on the Australian East Coast (I got certified at Windang Dive and Spearfishing, NSW), but there are options in many countries, including some liveaboards offering both trainings and rentals. SSI offers two courses: SCR diving and SCR Extended Range. The former certifies you to dive the Horizon down to 30m depth, within no-decompression limits, and you need to have 24 logged dives plus be Nitrox certified and Deep certified before taking the course. The Extended Range (XR) course adds decompression diving (up to 25 minutes safety stops), lets you dive deeper (40m), and use a second ‘deco’ tank (carrying a higher oxygen nitrox, to optimize decompression).

The first course takes three days, and most divers choose to do both courses in a row, which takes a total of four days.

The courses’ objectives are to understand how the Horizon works, how to plan your dive with it, and the safety procedures if any equipment failure occurs underwater.

This happens in two steps: a self-paced online learning, and the inperson training.

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view all products online

www.narkedat90.com The self-paced online learning

Student Ben performing a loop-clearing drill

Once you enroll, a very comprehensive online course is made available to you, covering the history of rebreathers, the physics behind decompression, the risks and conditions that can occur (decompression sickness and others), how the Horizon works, and dive planning. That last section is longer if you take the optional XR course to do decompression dives, as you will learn how to calculate gas consumption when you switch from rebreather to standard open-circuit diving (bailout).

I have found the materials clear and enjoyable to study, with a good mix of text, visuals, videos, and many short quizzes.

What’s more, you can choose to study on a computer or a smartphone (MySSI app), and switch from one to the other as you’re pleased. I started on my laptop, and surprisingly found myself liking the app better and then using it extensively: lessons are bite-sized so can study on the go (even without an internet connection), bookmark any page, and even annotate (e.g. note a question to ask your instructor later). The app also includes all your SSI digital C-cards and air/nitrox decompression tables, plus all your training materials, which remain available to consult anytime.

All-in-one, this online learning is pretty comprehensive, Instructor Chris presenting the Horizon’s components

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and your knowledge will be tested in a final exam, so do not rush it to the last minute. It took me around a week to complete the online part, studying a bit every day.

The in-person training

After the online learning comes the actual in-person training, where your instructor will deliver a mix of theory and practical training, both in the classroom and in-water.

The theoretical part essentially revisits concepts from the e-learning, a good chance to ask questions, make sure all is clear, and do some exercises around dive planning.

Importantly, the instructor presents in detail the various parts of the Horizon, and teaches you how to assemble, disassemble, rinse and store it. If you’re still on the fence about owning a rebreather, this is a good step to understand how much time you would be spending caring for your unit. Personally, I found the Horizon quicker and easier to maintain than the three CCRs I have used.

The in-water practice starts with two pool dives or confined water dives (max 12m), where you get used to diving the unit and practice skills (such as bailing-out), swapping masks, reacting to various types of equipment failures, or assisting an unconscious Horizon diver. On this note, I found the ‘gag strap’ (which keeps the mouthpiece in place) makes it less stressful to assist someone. Also, the breathing loop volume is constant for the assisted diver, so a controlled ascent is easier to achieve, another safety advantage I noticed vs full-blown CCRs. The SCR Diving course concludes with another two dives: one to 20m and the second one to and 30m depth. During these deeper dives, the drills are repeated, with a focus on buoyancy control, at depth and during ascent, simulating safety stops, including deploying an SMB multiple times.

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w w w.s i l a d e n.c o m

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Computers • O2 Cells • Gas Analysers Cables & Connectors • Rebreather Parts PathFinder Strobes • Sensors Tools • Solenoids Divers hanging together during the 25 minute decompression stops (Extended Range programme)

The optional Extended Range certification adds another two dives, to 30m and 40m, with 25 minutes of decompression. This involves preliminary dive planning, noting the planned decompression stops and their duration on a slate, and following that plan, ascending on a SMB.

Longer-term considerations

Reflecting on the last few weeks I have been using the Horizon for, a few considerations came to mind. Due to Covid, I have essentially dived the Horizon in and around Sydney, from the shore. This means I thought twice about carrying the optional deco tank, considering the walks and stairs standing between the me and the ocean. In most dives, I now take a single tank, a seven-litre steel 232 bar tank, which suffices for a 200-minute dive, but weighs only 7.6kg.

This gets me to weighting and balance: it will take a few dives to get it right, but it’s well worth the effort, granting you the super-stability which rebreathers are known for.

My first confined water dive was very uncomfortable. I struggled to stay horizontal and had to keep waving arms around to do so. This is because I had too much lead in the top compartment of the Horizon. In my next dive I took these weights off, put them in pockets attached to the bottom of my tanks, which straight away fixed my balance, and I started enjoying myself. Whenever I changed tanks or moved from drysuit to wetsuit, I check my balance and do small adjustments. For example, when I carry a single tank on the left side, I will slide my weight belt to the right, to Rebreathers are popular with photographers

offset that tank weight, and avoid rolling side-ways.

The Horizon will consume three to eight times less gas than traditional scuba. Choosing the right Nitrox mix and setpoint helps getting the best gas efficiency. As an example, if you carry a Nx45 tank but want to breathe Nx40, with moderate exercise the Horizon will consume around 11 litres/minute (at any depth). With the same tank if you change your setpoint to breathe Nx35, the gas consumption will reduce to 5.5L/minute. If you do want to breathe Nx40 but aren’t diving deeper than 22m, get a Nx50 fill instead of Nx45, and your consumption will be down to 5L/minute (again, whatever the depth).

Whether or not you need the Extended Range (XR) course depends on your planned dives - will you go deeper than 30m, and if so, will those longer dive times get you into decompression? Simply refer to Nitrox tables to find out: usually you will breathe a Nitrox mix 5-10% lower than your tank’s Nitrox mix. Most of my recent dives were shallower than 25m dives), and the SCR Diving certification would suffice for these. Let’s consider one of my recent dives as example: with a Nx45 in my tank, I setup Horizon to breathe Nx36, and dived three hours between 16 and 10m, over one seven-litre tank. If I were on a 60-minute boat dive, I would setup my breathing gas a bit higher (Nx40) and could spend 50 minutes at 25m, then multi-level dive for the last few minutes, still with no deco. The Extended Range certification is very valuable if you often do square profiles (can’t wait to take the Horizon wreck diving!), go deeper than 30m, or want to spend longer at depth.

All-in-one, I found the Horizon training very enjoyable to do, and I would recommend it to anyone considering this machine but not sure yet about acquiring one. If you do take a Horizon rebreather home, you will experience a new type of diving, but give yourself a few more dives to arrange your weighting, balance, and fully enjoy the ride… n

Nicolas and Lena Remy

For more images from Nicolas and Lena visit their website, https://nicolaslenaremy.com/ or follow them on Instagram and Facebook @nicolaslenaremy

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18/08/2021 07:27

Puerto There is an amazing diversity of diving at Puerto Galera, as Roni BenAharon explains

Photographs by Simon Lorenz, Ary Amarante & Allan Piccinin

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nown for its white sandy beaches and pristine blue water, Puerto Galera is a village located in the north tip of Mindoro, the Philippines’ seventh largest island. Other than a relaxed beach vacation, it offers incredibly diverse diving in the heart of the Coral Triangle.

Just across the Isla Verde passage from Anilao, independently famous for macro diving and nudibranchs, Puerto Galera offers over 40 dive sites just along its coast, with healthy coral reefs and an abundance of fish. Many divers attribute strong current to the area, and think of it as advanced diving in terms of dive skills, but that is only partially true - stronger currents depend on lunar calendar and in certain dive sites, occur two weeks of each month, with especially crazy drift dives four days after the new moon.

Puerto Galera has several inner bays, with no current, shallow coral gardens and sandy patches that are ideal for courses - Open Water students can immerse in skill learning while actually seeing some marine life! Puerto Galera also offers relaxed critter spotting dives (heaven for photographers!), interesting underwater topography and a couple of wrecks for the rusties.

The Spaniards discovered Puerto Galera in the early 16th century as a safe haven for their trade ships during heavy squalls and typhoons.

Legend has it that once sailors arrived on the island; they never wanted to leave without a promise to come back!

Coral Triangle bubble

The Coral Triangle is the habitat for 76% of known coral species in the world, 52% of Indo-Pacific reef fishes and 37% of the world’s reef fishes. Diving here offers the highest diversity of coral reef fishes in the world - more than 3,000 species of fish, and you can also find here six out of the seven species of marine turtles! The Coral Triangle estimated annual fishing export revenue is $3 billion USD – the same amount as the annual income of tourism! By diving the Coral Triangle, divers support local communities, and helping them build a sustainable income that supports conservation.

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Puerto Galera has several inner bays, with no current, shallow coral gardens and sandy patches that are ideal for courses Open Water students can immerse in skill learning while actually seeing some marine life!

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Galera Detective Diving

Diving a macro site? Bring a magnifying glass!

Many little critters come to life once divers get a chance to have a closer, bigger look, especially in sites with no current, focus on a single critter and examine color patterns, distinguishing factors and more. Cameras with a macro lens can offer the same results, but in lack of sophisticated electronic equipment, buy a regular, handled magnifying glass and get a small hole through it with a gentle drill. Jewellers and hardware stores would likely have such tools. Pass a cord through it and clip to your BCD.

Critter Diving

Puerto Galera is an excellent place for critter diving!

Blue ring octopus, pygmy seahorse and mandarinfish are awaiting divers in easy, no-current, sandy slope and grassy dive sites, while dozens of nudibranchs species are easily spotted.

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Couple of dive sites worth visiting include Giant Clams, a protected area in Puerto Galera bay with clams hundreds of years old which can be one-and-a-half metres wide. Sloping down, into the sandy grass bottom, this is a popular site for spotting hairy frogfish, mimic octopus, wonderpus and flamboyant cuttlefish. Less known dive sites with excellent macro include Montani and Shipyard.

Coral Cove is an excellent macro site, with a sloping reef filled with nudibranchs, ribbon eels, pipefish, frogfish, seahorses, and orangutan crabs. Sinandigan Wall is a 30m deep wall with a blanket of nudibranchs on its sandy, bouldered bottom. This is a great place to spot leaf fish, frogfish, crocodilefish, various anemones, and plenty of small shrimp residing in the mushroom corals.

Wreck Diving in Puerto Galera

Divers can get a glimpse into wreck diving experience in Puerto Galera’s one proper wreck and a few smaller wrecks.

Instructors can teach wreck specialty here, and true rust fanatics can continue from Puerto Galera to Coron Island, the wreck mecca of Philippines.

Alma Jane – Alma Jane is a 60-ton, 32-meter steel-hulled Filipino cargo vessel built in 1966 in Japan. She was stripped of dangerous objects and intentionally sunk in 2003. She sits upright on the sandy bottom, well within recreational limits, at 20-30m deep, with its upper deck at 22m.

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Encrusting corals add plenty of colour Anthias bring vibrancy to the reef

Barrel sponges on the reef

She decayed rapidly, and looks older than her 14 years underwater, mostly due to the warm water of the area (about 30 degrees C during summertime). On the upper deck, divers can get a view of Alma Jane’s original timber deck lines, which are now rotten. The upper deck is bountiful of hard and soft corals, shrimps, crabs and macro life.

Swimming through with its wide beams schools of fish swim along, while light rays entering from various skylights create a beautiful scenery. Moray eels reside in the metal structure, while the mast on its bow now houses oyster clams and hard corals. Diving on the sandy bottom offers excellent view of the ship’s silhouette. You can expect to meet snapper, sweetlips, batfish, rabbitfish, scorpionfish, pufferfish, lionfish, trumpetfish, frogfish, octopus and cuttlefish.

Dive tip – bring a torch and a good dive guide to point out everything.

Vast shoal of jacks

St Christopher, also knows as Anton’s Wreck, this 18-metrelong wooden boat was sunk by local dive operators in 1995 to create an artificial reef. At 20-24m deep, swim alongside large snapper, while spotting juvenile and adult frogfish and sergeant major (a type of damselfish) guarding their purple eggs. Diving St Christopher at night, the sandy bottom crawls with dozens of crabs and shrimps, on the wreck itself or in the soft sponges around it. Snapper, batfish and frogfish are regulars on this dive site. St Christopher can

How To Get to Puerto Galera

Puerto Galera is accessible by ferry via the public port in Batangas, 110km south from Manila. Several resorts like Atlantis offer private transportation from Manila for its guests, which shortens trip time by half.

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have moderate to strong current during tidal changes; it’s best to dive it at slack tide, and use is as a starting point to explore the reef in Small Laguna Beach.

Dive tip – bring a magnifying glass and good guide to spot macro life.

There is also wreck diving for the metalheads

Sabang Wrecks – A set of three small sunken vessels, a small steel yacht and two wooden boats, are a haven for macro diving and photography, with eels, scorpionfish, stonefish, lionfish, flounders, pipefish, frogfish, ghost pipefish, ornate ghost pipefish and various nudibranchs.

Cruising along on top the decaying vessels, present a highly diversified residence of marine life, where divers can see dozens of species within metres.

Dive tip – bring a pointer stick (to place in the sand for staying put), a torch, and a magnifying glass.

Topography Diving

Canyons – A set of three canyons to the northeast side of Puerto Galera, right at the tip of the island, on the Verde Island passage. This dive site is like Snakes and Ladders for divers - the canyons are 20-28m, and stages one after the other, from the shallower to the deeper.

Jump in and swim on top of the first canyon, then through a narrow drop down and rise up again.

Puerto Galera has optimal conditions for certifications – learn to dive while experiencing the marine diversity of the Coral Triangle.

Pinnacles dive site takes its name after the rocky pinnacles that rise from over a hundred metres deep to kiss the surface on the east side of Verde Island Reefs are pristine and healthy

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Turtle chilling on the reef Photographers love the Philippines

Corals and sponges attain huge sizes

Being located on the passage exposes this site to strong currents, which means rich in nutrients, which draws schools of fish, like giant trevallies, sweetlips and snapper.

Located an hour boat ride away from Puerto Galera, Verde Island offers great topography diving in one of Philippines most diverse marine environments.

Scorpionfish and other bottom dwellers can be found

Where To Stay and Dive

Atlantis Resort on Sabang Beach offers hillside Flintstonelike accommodation in an all-inclusive dive vacation format, with excellent meals at Toko’s restaurant and up to five boat dives a day. Small dive groups, climatecontrolled camera room, and new boats.

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Pinnacles – ‘If Yosemite Park were a reef, it would look like this’ said the editor of Undercurrent magazine. Pinnacles dive site takes its name after the rocky pinnacles that rise from over a hundred metres deep to kiss the surface on the east side of Verde Island. Hard and soft corals have grown all over the rocks, shaping a vertical reef with massive gorgonian fans and sponges. Butterflyfish, juvenile angelfish, schools of the small, dark redtooth triggerfish, sea snakes, frogfish and some large pelagic schools can be easily spotted here.

Dive tip – look into the blue to look for the occasional rays and tunas.

Washing Machine – watch your bubbles go round and round on a series of seven shallow gullies where, on strong current days, you’d be thrown around like on a rollercoaster. Dropping and passing through each canyon in a slalom, the rocks that once formed the canyons are all covered in colourful hard and soft corals. On a slow to no current day, take your time and gracefully drift with thousands of orange anthias who emerge and enter their coral shelter in an endless cycle, moorish idol and banded sea snakes. n

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The Australian

GREY NURS SHARK L

arge enough to get your complete and undivided attention is the best way I can describe an encounter with a grey nurse shark (Carcharias taurus). Big and fierce-looking, with a set of prominent sharp teeth, grey nurse move through the water in a slow but determined manner that creates a physically intimidating presence guaranteed to raise the blood pressure of the uninitiated observer.

My first such encounter was many years ago at Flat Rock near Stradbroke Island in Queensland - I was diving the shark gutters on the northeast side of Flat Rock, where grey nurse gather from June to October each year.

Although well-briefed on what to do, I have to admit I was more than just a little concerned when I saw the first shark heading in my direction. We had been told not to obstruct the shark’s path, stay calm and just let them swim past and sure enough the large three-metre-long female did exactly that - completely ignoring me!

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Since that first encounter, I have been fortunate to spend a significant amount of time underwater with grey nurse sharks here in Australia, at the Protea Banks in South Africa and in Japan’s remote Ogasawara Islands.

And, in all those encounters, I can honestly say that I have never once felt threatened or in any real danger. So why is it that in just 40 years the grey nurse went from being one of Australia’s most-common sharks to an endangered species when it is not even a dangerous shark?

A bad case of mistaken identity

The 1960s was a time of increasing prosperity for our ‘Lucky Country’ with the urban population increasingly using the sea for sport and recreation. Surfing, spearfishing and game fishing became increasingly popular, and the macho image of these watersports suited the times well.

Marine science was also in its infancy, with very little known about the inhabitants of our coastal waters. Sharks

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SE were generally considered to be dangerous creatures and large sharks like the grey nurse were automatically assumed to be man-eaters. Just as today’s Australian tabloid media automatically assign a shark attack to the great white, back in the 1960s, the grey nurse was the ‘usual suspect’. Catching one of these supposed man-eaters was considered a heroic act and guaranteed a big crowd back on the beach - when the dead shark was hoisted up for all to see.

Although predominantly solitary in nature, grey nurse sharks gather together at certain times of the year to mate and such aggregations created the perception that the locations were ‘shark infested’. Aggregating together in such a predictable way meant that grey nurse were relatively easy to catch or spear and the sentiment of the times was the only good shark was a dead one…

The 1960s was really a bad time to be a grey nurse as later in that decade saw the introduction of the explosive underwater powerhead, which tilted the odds well away from the grey nurse in favour of the many spearfishermen

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Underwater encounters with large creatures are always exciting and the size of grey nurse sharks, together with their physical presence, makes interacting with them a truly memorable experience

Scuba Diver’s Senior Travel Editor Don Silcock heads for Magic Point in Maroubra in search of the impressive grey nurse shark Photographs by Don Silcock

using them and resulted in hundreds of sharks being killed.

The impact of that widespread slaughter was two-fold initially decimating the grey nurse population on the east coast of Australia, but in the longer term it had a dramatic compounding effect.

It takes six to eight years for grey nurse to reach sexual maturity, and once they start breeding the reproductive rate is a maximum of two pups every second year, meaning that the population grows slowly even when things are normal.

The widespread slaughter of so many mature and

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Don Silcock

Scuba Diver’s Senior Travel Editor, in more normal times, Don is based on Bali in Indonesia, but is currently hunkered down in Sydney rediscovering Australian diving.

His website has extensive location guides, articles and images on some of the best diving locations in the IndoPacific region and ‘big animal’ experiences globally. wwww.indopacificimages.com

The distinctive teeth of a grey nurse shark

sexually active grey nurse sharks in the 1960s and 1970s basically threatened the very survival of the species on the east coast of Australia. That reproductive rate is nature’s way of maintaining Grey nurse are the fine balance required to sustain a healthy impressive animals population and the carnage inflicted on the adult sharks tipped the balance towards extinction. All the signs indicated that the sheer number of adult sharks The film broke new ground as it was the first to really explain taken meant that it was mathematically almost impossible the grey nurse and challenge the perception that it was to restore the overall population. It really is incredibly ironic a dangerous creature. The fight to protect the grey nurse that what we now know as a quite docile shark could be from extinction was helped by numerous other people, hunted to the verge of extinction in such a way. many of whom went to great lengths, and in 1984 a major breakthrough was achieved when the state government of New South Wales formerly declared the grey nurse as Turning the tide Perception, as they say, is reality and to change the public’s ‘vulnerable’ - making it the first protected shark in the world. widely held belief that large and intimidating grey nurse The lead of NSW was eventually followed in Queensland, sharks are really no more than the labradors of the sea Western Australia and Tasmania with fisheries legislation to requires exceptional effort. To get politicians to do anything protect the grey nurse, and then it was listing as ‘critically is even harder, but the latter is virtually impossible until the endangered’ under Commonwealth legislation. wheels start to turn on the former. Australian diving icons Ron and Valerie Taylor were among the first to recognize that Face to face with the grey nurse the grey nurse should be protected. Ron, who sadly passed Underwater encounters with large creatures are always away in 2012, was a former world spearfishing champion who exciting and the size of grey nurse sharks, together with first started spearfishing back in the late 1950s. their physical presence, makes interacting with them a truly At that time both he and Valerie were convinced that grey memorable experience. nurse sharks were man-eaters, but over time as they moved more into scuba diving, they came to understand that in They can often be found hanging out in caves and reality they were basically harmless and by the mid-1960s under overhangs were actively campaigning for them to be protected.

Ron highlighted two key events that helped to turn the tide of opinion – the first was enlisting the help of Australian game fishing legend Peter Goadby, who added significant weight to the conservation argument by confirming that the grey nurse was not a game shark at all. Game fishermen at that time were not exactly known for their environmental or conservational predisposition… so having such a well-known personality as Goadby on the side of the grey nurse was a huge coup. The second being the Taylor’s 1973 film The Vanishing Grey Nurse - which went to air as part of a series of 13 30-minute documentaries made for Australian TV called Taylor’s Inner Space.

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04/11/2021 07:23

Here in Sydney, we are very fortunate to have an annual winter mating aggregation at Magic Point in Maroubra - just round the headland from the famous Bondi Beach.

Magic Point is a really great dive when the conditions are good and is typical of the other aggregation locations I have dived in South Africa and Japan in that it provides a protected area for the sharks during the day. Grey nurse mainly hunt at night, which means they are at their most active when we have no real way of observing them.

Instead, we encounter them during the day when they like to hang out in gutters, caves and overhangs to shelter from prevailing currents and potential predators.

Observed this way they seem completely docile and almost kind of dumb as they patrol slowly round and round in an apparently aimless fashion. But the reality is they are resting and have slowed their metabolism right down to conserve energy - basically they are almost sleepwalking, or should that be sleep-swimming? It is really important not to stress the sharks by getting in the way or harassing them and you will be rewarded for that as they get used to your presence.

Personally, I always find a good spot for photography and then settle down and wait for the sharks to come to me.

As you do that you will notice that those apparently aimless swimming patterns are actually not random at all.

The patterns are all about maintaining a degree of ‘personal space’ between the sharks and the amount they need seems to be a function of whether they are stressed or not.

Signs of stress are gaping of their mouths, indicating an increased breathing rate, together with the speed at which they flick their tails. The two are linked because an unstressed grey nurse will swim in a relaxed manner at a rate that provides enough oxygenated water passing

through its mouth and over its gills. A stressed shark on the other hand has to move faster to increase the flow of water through the gills, and initially ‘gapes’ its mouth to boost the oxygenation effect. So, it’s very much in the sharks and your interest to let them settle and come to you!

In summary

Sharks are a greatly misunderstood animal in general and the grey nurse is possibly the most misunderstood creature in Australia, and it paid a heavy price for that misunderstanding! While there are some positive signs with the overall population health of the grey nurse, it is still critically endangered on the east coast of Australia and there is a long way to go…

The basic fact is that as divers we are extremely luck to be able to see these wonderful sharks in their natural environment and we owe it to them to respect them for the magnificent creature they are. n

Where to dive with the grey nurse

New South Wales Solitary Islands near Coffs Harbor, Julian Rocks near Byron Bay, Green Island near South West Rocks, Fish Rock near South West Rocks, The Pinnacle near Forster, Big Seal and Little Seal at Seal Rocks, Little Broughton Island near Port Stephens, Magic Point at Maroubra, Bass Point near Shellharbour, Jervis Bay, The Tollgate Islands at Batemans Bay, Montague Island near Narooma.

Queensland Wolf Rock near Rainbow Beach, Flat Rock near Stradbroke Island.

Grey nurse shark

Grey nurse sharks are also known as ragged tooth sharks and sand tiger sharks.

The two are linked because an unstressed grey nurse will swim in a relaxed manner at a rate that provides enough oxygenated water passing through its mouth and over its gills 58

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AVATAR Drysuit NO. 101.

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Each issue, the Scuba Diver test team bring you the latest product and equipment releases from the dive industry. Cannot wait for the next edition? Keep up-to-date with all the latest gear news and reviews by heading over to the Scuba Diver YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/ScubaDiverMagazine

FOURTH ELEMENT STORM PONCHO | SRP: AUD$250 This all-weather poncho is warm, fast-drying and packs down small, enabling you to take it anywhere. Throw it on to get changed into your wetsuit at the beach or on the boat. Use it to warm up after a session in the water, or to cover up between dives.

The waterproof, fleece-lined fabric is lightweight, cosy and manufactured using an environmentally friendly, fluorine-free waterproofing treatment. With side vents secured by poppers, getting changed is simple, with generous hand warmer pockets adding to the comfort factor when warming up. The adjustable hood features a peak, providing excellent protection even in the worst of weather, making this a piece of gear you’ll never want to be without.

Using fabric manufactured according to the Bluesign standard, the Storm Poncho is produced using innovative, resource-conserving and environmentally friendly techniques. The fleece backing contains 37% recycled yarn with S.Café technology, derived from post-consumer plastic bottles. The S.Café process embeds coffee grounds into the recycled yarn surface, changing the characteristics of the filament and provides faster drying times along with increased odour resistance and enhanced reflection of UV rays. The existing burgundy and black versions have now been joined by an eye-catching blue colour scheme. www.fourthelement.com

SEALIFE SPORTDIVER UNDERWATER SMARTPHONE HOUSING | SRP: AUD$459 Experience unforgettable underwater adventure with your smartphone and the SeaLife SportDiver housing. Ergonomic design and intuitive controls makes it easy-to-use, producing amazing results, and it works with most Android models and iPhone 7 and up. There are large shutter and control buttons for easy operation, and dual leak alarms continuously monitor waterproof seal.

The SeaLife SportDiver app allows you to control advanced camera settings, like Zoom, Lens selection, Exposure, Focus, White Balance, Tint, RAW capture, Live Photo and Background Blur, as if you were using a moresophisticated underwater camera, and Bluetooth wireless technology controls the camera at depths down to 40m. It comes with an external underwater colour-correction filter.

The heavy-duty housing is constructed of polycarbonate, stainless steel, aluminium and opticalgrade glass. And while the SportDiver housing is ‘heavy duty’, it is not heavy, weighing less than 641 grams, so is lightweight for travelling and offers almost neutral buoyancy in water, depending on which smartphone model is used. This is also available as the SportDiver Pro 2500 Set ($949), which includes the Sea Dragon 2500F Photo-Video Light, and is accompanied with a grip and tray for smooth, steady imaging.

Sold in Australia by underwater.com.au

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Each issue, the Scuba Diver test team bring you the latest product and equipment releases from the dive industry. Cannot wait for the next edition? Keep up-to-date with all the latest gear news and reviews by heading over to the Scuba Diver YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/ScubaDiverMagazine

AVATAR DRYSUIT | SRP: AUD$2,195 Mark Evans: Avatar might be a new brand name for many people, but the heritage of this suit is plain to see just by even a cursory glance. This suit comes from the same stable as the iconic line up of Santi Drysuits, so its lineage is not in any doubt. However, Avatar is its own brand and own suit, and for anyone in the market for a keenly priced membrane drysuit, which is light enough for travel but durable enough for local cold-water diving, then it is well worth checking out.

So let’s get the core elements out of the way first. The Avatar is constructed using advanced ergonomics which eliminates four-way seams in the crotch and under-arm areas, giving unparalleled range of movement.

The Avatar I had on test fit rather snugly over the Avatar undersuit, but I still had the full range of movement both topside and underwater and not once did I feel overly restricted. It is a telescopic torso design, with a crotch strap and cross-torso front-entry plastic zipper, and inside, it has internal braces to properly support the suit.

The Avatar has a subtle but effective colour scheme, with the blue-grey of the main suit contrasting nicely with the black Oxford nylon reinforcements on the knees and elbows/forearms, and on the crotch pad, which also provide extra abrasion resistance. The four-layer membrane material of the suit has a weight of 200g/m2, which means the entire suit weighs in around 3kg, making this ideal for taking on a plane. The suit has latex neck and wrist seals, and there is a neoprene neck warmer to help retain heat.

Down at the business end, the Avatar has 3mm neoprene boots, with a rubber sole that extends up the heel and over the toes. There are also Velcro straps around the ankles to help prevent excessive air migration into the feet. I found these boots extremely comfortable, and they fit well with a thick undersuit sock on your feet, so I was never cold. I did find the sole thinner than some other membrane and

trilaminate suits I have dived recently, though, and could feel some of the sharper terrain through them.

There are spacious cargo pockets on both thighs, complete with bungie loops inside to secure accessories.

The large Velcro-closing flap can easily be opened thanks to the design featuring a solid bar across the bottom.

The Avatar comes complete with swivelling Apeks inflator valve and a high-profile Apeks exhaust valve. These are branded up as Avatar, and work well, as you’d expect from a tried-and-tested design such as Apeks. The Avatar is supplied with a compact drysuit bag, and a neoprene hood.

Conclusion

I was impressed with the Avatar drysuit. It is lightweight for a membrane drysuit, so ideal for the travelling diver, but it is robust enough to handle regular diving. I wouldn’t suggest using the Avatar for hardcore cave diving or wreck diving, but for general recreational diving, it would more than suffice. I would just like to see slightly thicker soles to ward off particularly sharp rocks when on rougher terrain. www.avatarsuits.com

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Each issue, the Scuba Diver test team bring you the latest product and equipment releases from the dive industry. Cannot wait for the next edition? Keep up-to-date with all the latest gear news and reviews by heading over to the Scuba Diver YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/ScubaDiverMagazine

PARALENZ VAQUITA | SRP: AUD$1,199

Mark Evans: Underwater action cameras are becoming an increasingly familiar sight at dive sites around the world.

GoPro – and the myriad cheapo versions available – have made it a relatively cost-effective way to be able to record your underwater adventures and show them to your friends and family. But if you are happy spending a bit more of your hard-earned dosh on an action camera specifically designed for use underwater, as opposed to needing to go into a housing, then the Paralenz Vaquita could be going on your wish list.

The original Paralenz was a great bit of kit, but it struggled to gain traction against the likes of GoPro due to its price point and the fact it lacked a screen, and so on. The Vaquita may still be quite pricey when lined up alongside the latest GoPro, but it has now got a dinky OLED screen on the back so you can ensure you capture the perfect footage instead of having to point-and-hope as before. It has a wide-angle lens, so once you get the hang of it, you can get the shots you want without having to check the screen, but it is a nice feature to have. Like the original, it is constructed from marine-grade aluminium so it exceptionally durable and more than able to handle being battered about by the average diver – we know how we sometimes treat our kit! It is depthrated to a staggering 350m! Three O-rings keep it watertight.

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The Vaquita can be mounted on your mask strap, you can hold it in your hand, or you can attach it to the top of your camera housing so you can simultaneously record stills and video. There is even an optional selfie stick with floatation devices that holds the Vaquita so you can ‘tow’ it behind you and record effectively a third-person view of your diving adventures. When it comes to capturing high-quality imagery, it is all about 4K these days, and despite its compact size, the Vaquita is capable of 4K recording, as well as 2.7K, and 1080p or 720p. You can choose what size Micro SD card to use, depending on how much and how highquality footage you want to collect.

The major difference between the Paralenz and its competitors is the Auto-DCC, which stands for Auto Depth Controlled Colours – the Vaquita automatically adjusts the white balance relative to your dive depth. So forget having to attach different filters to the front of your housing. The DCC works down to a depth of about 25m, depending on how bright the surrounding conditions are, and beyond this you will need to use a video light, but for recreational dives above 20m, it is exceedingly good at putting the vivid colours back into the footage/images.

Like the original Paralenz, the Vaquita is very easy to use.

Even wearing drygloves or thick neoprene gloves, you can easily turn the selector ring, or push the activation switch.

One thing I really liked was the vibration feature – when you take a still photo, or start/stop a video, the Vaquita vibrates to tell you it has completed what you told it to do. You can

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feel this through even 5mm thick gloves. There are photo and video modes, as well as two custom settings.

Another neat feature is the ability to set it to auto-record – you dial in the depth you want it to turn on and record at, and then off you go on your dive. If you have it mounted on your mask or on your camera housing, it is just one less thing to worry about when you go diving.

One major difference between the Vaquita and its rivals is the fact that every time you dive with it and use it to record footage, you can help contribute towards protecting our fragile ocean environment. The camera is equipped with a unique set of sensors that track valuable data, including location, water temperature and depth, and you can connect your Vaquita to the free Paralenz App, which lets you log all of your dives and share them via TheOceanBase.

Paralenz has an ever-growing list of partner organisations it is sharing this data with from users’ dives, including Project Baseline, National Marine Sanctuaries, Beneath the Waves, Save the Med, The Reef-World Foundation, Coral Restoration Foundation, ZuBlu, Ghost Diving and Divers Alert Network Europe. The Vaquita comes with a USB-C charging cable, spare O-rings, and a mounting clip.

Conclusion

I liked the original Paralenz, and the Vaquita solidly builds on this foundation. The addition of the screen is a major improvement, and it is still just as straightforward and easy to use as the first incarnation. Yes, it is expensive compared with the latest offerings from GoPro and the like, but this is

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a robustly constructed, purpose-built diving action camera.

It has a nice heft to it – it oozes build quality – and with that phenomenal depth rating, I doubt anyone is going to push its limits! So far, due to restrictions on travel due to COVID-19, I have only been able to use it on a few UK dives when the vis has been shall we say, less than ideal, but looking forward to trying it out once the colder waters usher in better visibility, and when I am able to escape to the sunshine abroad! www.paralenz.com

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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

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 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

SOUTH AUSTRALIA SCUBA COURSES PTY LTD t: 0407 580 580 e: simon@scubacourses.com.au a: 1/83, Mount Barker Road, Stirling, SA 5152 PADI Dive Centre, Open Water through to Assistant Instructor courses, and specialties. Tank fills and shop. PADI MSDT, experienced instructors. www.scubacourses.com.au

WESTERN AUSTRALIA OCTOPUS GARDEN DIVE CHARTERS t: 0438925011 e: kimroyce@gateway.net.au a: Casuarina Boat Harbour, Bunbury, WA, 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, WA, 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

OCEANSUITS t: 03 9702 4993 e: sales@oceansuits.com.au a: Unit 3, 101 Wedgewood road, Hallam, Victoria, 3803 Australia’s foremost authority on wetsuits and drysuits. Manufacture custom wetsuits. Miraculous repairs service all brands, styles for over 30 years. www.oceansuits.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

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NEW ZEALAND SOUTHLAND

AUCKLAND AQUATECH

WAIHEKE DIVE & SNORKEL

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

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

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

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

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS HERE NEXT ISSUE! Contact Adrian on +61 422 611 238 or email adrian@scubadivermag.com

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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

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

THE ULTIMATE DUO

WE LOOK AT WHY CCRS AND PHOTOGRAPHY GO HAND IN HAND

COZUMEL CALLING

ROWLEY SHOALS

TECH: SWEDEN

EPIC INDONESIA

JEAN-PIERRE NATHRASS EXPLORES RAJA AMPAT IN THE OFF-SEASON

MEXICO IS ONE LONGSEX ON DESTINATION THE REEF WORTH HAUL FEEL THE FORCE THE ANNUAL AT LOOKING MASS CORAL BYRON CONROY JUMPS ON SPAWNING ON THE GREAT BOARD BLUE FORCE ONE BARRIER REEF IN THE MALDIVES

WHY THIS REMOTE DIVE SPOT DEMANDS YOUR ATTENTION

TECHNICAL SHARKS WHITEGURU GREAT DIVING PHIL SHORT GETS UP SILCOCKLYRICAL DON WAXES MINE AT LANGBAN’S ABOUT AND PERSONAL CLOSE THE NEPTUNE ISLAND

THE BALI EXPERIENCE

DON SILCOCK PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF THE DIVING OPTIONS ON BALI

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

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

The seals of

Cleaning up our MONTAGUE ISLAND OCEANS WHY NAROOMA SHOULD BE ON

YOUR

‘MUST-DIVE’ LISTFOCUS ON

NICOLAS REMY EXPLAINS WHY

THIS HOME-GROWN

PROJECTS CONSERVATION HOTSPOT SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED

THROUGHOUT MALAYSIA

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

‣ DAN COLUMN ‣ WRECK HUNTERS WRECK HUNTER

#38 | $1 DONATION

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ISSUE #39

• NEWS • HINTS AND ADVICE • IN-DEPTH TRAVEL • INTERVIEWS • GEAR • PHOTOGRAPHY *All subscriptions auto-renew. Subscriptions can be managed online at www.scubadivermag.com.au.

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PADI and National Geographic Pristine Seas join forces

P

ADI and National Geographic Pristine Seas have partnered together with the goal to protect at least 30 percent of the ocean by 2030 through the creation of new marine protected areas (MPAs).

In 2020, Enric Sala, founder of Pristine Seas and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, approached PADI with the idea to join forces to protect the ocean, combining his vision and proven track record of successfully creating MPAs with the global footprint and extensive reach of the PADI community around the globe. PADI dive centres and resorts are critical stakeholders in their local economies and their leadership, together with the influence and expertise of Sala and his team at National Geographic Pristine Seas, can be a catalyst for lasting change for a return to a healthy ocean and balanced marine ecosystem.

“Ocean conservation benefits everyone, especially the diving sector. We are excited to partner with PADI and all their dive centres worldwide to foster the protection of popular dive sites all around the world,” said Sala.

Initiating this partnership is a global Dive Industry Economic Evaluation Survey to measure the economic benefits of the dive industry on local communities, using data from PADI dive centres and resorts in 186 countries.

In co-operation with researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Simon Fraser University, this analysis will be used to inform governments how the creation of MPAs can create jobs and produce important economic outputs locally.

PADI will engage its Mission Hubs, the 6,600 dive centres and resorts who are the heart of the organisation’s ‘save the ocean’ mission, in a survey to provide the data necessary to complete this study. The information gathered through PADI Mission Hub will be an integral component of the study that will be used to influence local and national governments to establish marine protected areas and protect marine environments for divers and other stakeholders.

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© Courtesy of Pristine Seas, National Geograp

hic Society

Over the last 12 years, Pristine Seas has completed 32 expeditions around the world and helped inspire the creation of 24 marine reserves “PADI Mission Hubs play a critical role in our Blueprint for Ocean Action and are key stakeholders in the push for increased protection measures for the underwater world,” says Drew Richardson, President and CEO of PADI Worldwide. “Each PADI operator brings unique insights, local expertise, community leadership and passion for our ocean.

By coming together as a unified force, the PADI community in partnership with National Geographic Pristine Seas will provide an unprecedented global voice to influence longterm ocean protections.”

Over the last 12 years, Pristine Seas has completed 32 expeditions around the world and helped inspire the creation of 24 marine reserves, protecting over 6.5 million square kilometres of ocean — an area more than twice the size of India. They work with local communities and governments to survey their environments, identify their goals and protect vital ocean areas. n To learn more about PADI’s Blueprint for Ocean Action and other ways you can join the community of PADI Torchbearers in protecting the ocean, visit: padi.com/conservation

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