Scuba Diver ANZ #43

GREAT BARRIER REEF

DEBORAH DICKSON-SMITH DODGES WEATHER PATTERNS TO DIVE THE RIBBON REEFS

SUPER SIPADAN

WHY THIS MALAYSIAN DIVE SITE IS CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE WORLD’S BEST

TECH: TRUK LAGOON

SECOND IN THE SERIES ON PHOTOGRAMMETRY ON THE TRUK LAGOON WRECKS

DON SILCOCK LISTS HIS TOP 10 BIG ANIMAL DIVES AROUND THE WORLD DAN COLUMN

GIANT CUTTLEFISH

Q&A: MIKE MASON ISSUE #43

EDITOR IN CHIEF Mark Evans Email: mark@scubadivermag.com DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGER Matt Griffiths Email: matt@scubadivermag.com CONTRIBUTORS Deborah Dickson-Smith, Pete Mesley, Marcus Blatchford 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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Give support to your hard-working dive staff While the start of the year has been a positive one for many, there are still challenges to face on the road to recovery. Now it would appear the biggest problem is not a lack of tourists, but a lack of staff. With COVID cases increasing due to border restrictions been lifted, many people are having to isolate, meaning insufficient numbers of staff are available to run dive shops, boats or resorts. It is perhaps worth bearing this in mind and having a little bit more patience with the overworked staff that are left - they are usually trying their best as dive operators tentatively try to get back on their feet.

In this issue of the magazine, we have a great article from Deborah DicksonSmith about the recently relaunched Spirit of Freedom and how even after a cyclone had passed through, the Great Barrier Reef still offered some amazing diving. Don Silcock takes us to the other side of Australia with a terrific piece on the giant cuttlefish of Whyalla in South Australia. Don also shares his ten best big animal encounters from around the world. We then have another contribution from Deb Dickson-Smith, this time from the stunning waters of Sipadan in Malaysia.

For the Tech section there is the second in the four-part Truk Lagoon mapping series, and we have a very-interesting Q&A with Michael Mason of The Human Diver, a must-read if you want to learn more about improving your dive safety and enjoyment.

As usual we have our inspiring Underwater Photography column, DAN, SSI and DivePlanit Columns, plus the latest must-haves in What’s New, and in Test Extra, I review the latest offering from Seiko’s Black range of watches.

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

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GREAT BARRIER REEF

DEBORAH DICKSON-SMITH DODGES WEATHER PATTERNS TO DIVE THE RIBBON REEFS

SUPER SIPADAN

WHY THIS MALAYSIAN DIVE SITE IS CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE WORLD’S BEST

TECH: TRUK LAGOON

SECOND IN THE SERIES ON PHOTOGRAMMETRY ON THE TRUK LAGOON WRECKS

DON SILCOCK LISTS HIS TOP 10 BIG ANIMAL DIVES AROUND THE WORLD DAN COLUMN

GIANT CUTTLEFISH

Q&A: MIKE MASON ISSUE #43

PHOTOGRAPH © CRAIG LAMBERT

Regular columns

Monthly features...

10 News round-up

22 Australia

Coral restoration on the GBR, a ‘fever’ of devil rays showcases Sabah’s biodiversity, Richard Cullen appointed to RAID board, and the dive industry mourns Tom Mount.

18 DAN Medical Q&A

Diver Alert Network’s medical experts answer your diverelated queries, including ‘Little Ear’ and atrial fibrillation.

40 Divers Alert Network Asia-Pacific

The DAN Asia-Pacific team explain why Divers Alert Network does not share chamber locations or availability.

74 Conservation Corner

This month’s column is focused on a successful coral farming operation in Fiji.

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Fast-moving weather patterns and the looming threat of Omicron made for an interesting itinerary on a recent liveaboard trip on Spirit of Freedom, writes Diveplanit Travel’s Deborah Dickson-Smith.

30 ‘Big animal’ encounters

Scuba Diver Senior Travel Editor Don Silcock lists his top 10 big animal encounters from around the world.

36 Mustard’s Masterclass

First in a new underwater photography series, in which world-renowned, multi-award-winning shooter Alex Mustard will be passing on hints and advice to help you improve your underwater photography techniques.

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...continued

Gear & testing

42 TECH: Truk Lagoon

66 What’s New

Second of a four-part series looking at photogrammetry on the iconic shipwrecks of Truk Lagoon.

48 Q&A: Mike Mason

We chat to Mike Mason about The Human Diver, his love of wreck diving, and why sharks got him back into diving.

54 Malaysia

What makes a world-class dive site like Sipadan? Usually it is location, location, location, but protection is a big factor too.

Deborah Dickson-Smith explains what makes it so special.

Scuba Diver Editor-in-Chief Mark Evans looks at the innovative Scout mask from Fourth Element - the company’s first foray into diving hardwear - and showcases the SeaLife SeaDragon 3000SF Pro Dual Beam video light.

68 Test Extra

Scuba Diver Australia and New Zealand Editor-at-Large Adrian Stacey rates and reviews the Seiko Prospex Black Series ‘Monster’ limited-edition dive watch.

60 Australia

Scuba Diver Senior Travel Editor Don Silcock goes in search of the giant Australian cuttlefish.

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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

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TOURISM OPERATORS KEY TO LARGE-SCALE CORAL RESTORATION

arge areas of damaged coral reefs across the length of the Great Barrier Reef could soon be restored thanks to a unique partnership between scientists and tourism operators in the Whitsundays.

Coral restoration efforts have so far only been conducted on a small scale, but a new project has expanded the programme to partner with tourism operators to deploy an innovative technique to grow baby corals and settle them onto damaged reefs. The technique, successfully pioneered on the Reef by Distinguished Professor Peter Harrison working with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, is known as Coral IVF. Hundreds of tourism operators and citizen scientists could soon learn how to use it to help restore large areas of damaged coral reefs.

This month, four Whitsunday tourism operators joined researchers on the Reef for the annual coral spawning event, when corals release trillions of eggs and sperm into the water in a mass breeding phenomenon. They learned how to collect the spawn and grow baby corals in special floating nurseries. Great Barrier Reef Foundation Managing Director Anna Marsden said operators worked hand in hand with scientists to collect the spawn using specially designed larval pools that are small enough to be controlled by their boats.

“This is a critical next step in reaching kilometre-scale coral restoration by working with the hundreds of tourism operators and citizen scientists who are passionate about helping save our Reef,” Ms Marsden said.

“Right in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, the Whitsundays is a critical sanctuary for the Reef’s diverse marine life. However, like the rest of the Great Barrier Reef, it’s also an area that needs our help to recover from the effects of climate change such as coral bleaching and increasingly severe cyclones. “Innovations like Coral IVF bring us hope for the future of the Reef, but we were previously only able to do it on a small scale. “Through our Reef Islands Initiative, researchers have been upskilling local tourism operators to ignite a local reef restoration movement that is grounded in science and is scalable.”

Southern Cross University Distinguished Professor Peter Harrison said the coral larval restoration technique known as

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© Johnny Gaskell / Reef Catchments

Coral IVF harnesses the immense natural abundance of coral spawn after mass spawning events.

“By collecting small amounts of the spawn slicks from the sea surface we can maximise the rates of cross-fertilization and genetic diversity among the breeding corals, and rear many millions of coral larvae in larval nursery pools directly on the Reef. Once the larvae are ready to settle we than deploy large numbers of larvae onto degraded reef sites, and then monitor their survival and growth until they grow large enough to start breeding” said Prof. Harrison.

Australian Institute of Marine Science Principal Systems Engineer Dr Mark Gibbs said: “we are harnessing the power of the local community, their boats and expertise, to overcome one of the greatest challenges in reef restoration, which is to help reefs at a larger scale.

“The floating nurseries we are moving are large, and carry precious coral cargo, so it’s important we develop a routine approach that is as safe and as effective as possible.”

Whitsunday Reef Islands Initiative Coordinator Johnny Gaskell, of Reef Catchments, said “limited coral recovery at some tourism sites has highlighted the need to pilot new approaches to reef restoration. The key to a sustainable approach is the development of programmes that are driven and led by local tourism, community and Traditional Owner partners.

“To guide site selection, baseline maps that integrated current and historical distribution of reef habitats, their environmental regime and exposure to stress, as well as local coral connectivity patterns were created by University of Queensland as part of the Whitsunday Reef Island Initiative,” Mr Gaskell said.

Whitsunday Charter Boat Industry Association (WCBIA) Secretary, Adrian Bram said: “Marine Tourism operators in the Whitsundays generally view themselves as guardians of the Reef and for many years have committed time and resources to Reef Preservation.

“Participating in this Reef regeneration programme is something done willingly and with enthusiasm by the participating Operators and their Crews.

We applaud and support the contribution of WCBIA Operators - Ocean Rafting, Red Cat Adventures, SV Whitehaven, Southern Cross Sailing, as well as Daydream Island and the scientists leading this important trial,” Mr Bram said.

This trial is part of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation’s Reef Islands Initiative, the largest reef island habitat rehabilitation project of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. The Initiative is supported by funding from Lendlease, the Australian Government’s Reef Trust, the Queensland Government and the Fitzgerald Family Foundation.

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MALDIVES

‘FEVER’ OF RARE DEVIL RAYS FURTHER SHOWCASES SABAH’S BIODIVERSITY

THE DIVER’S CHOICE FOR 30 YEARS AWARD WINNING SERVICE SINCE 1992

Emp2022_thirds.indd 1

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20/01/2022 10:21

The shortfin devil ray, listed as Endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, is a rare sight in our world’s oceans, yet divers and scientists have worked together to document groups of the rays at Pulau Si Amil, right off the coast of Sabah.

This occurrence has now been published in the prestigious journal Pacific Conservation Biology, formally recording the presence of the species and highlighting Sabah as an area of interest for shark and ray researchers.

“We are so happy that Sabah has once again been noted for the occurrence of rare marine animals,” said David McCann, lead author of the paper. “It was incredible to witness this first hand, an amazing experience for all of the divers with us. There aren’t many divers in the world who have had this experience.”

As close relatives of manta rays, devil rays are less commonly seen by divers underwater, due to their elusive behaviour and, normally, more pelagic nature. However, they are noted for swimming together in aggregations known as fevers, which can number in the hundreds. The shortfin devil ray (Mobula kuhlii) is one of the smaller species of devil ray, with a wingspan of only 135cm max – shorter than an average door.

At Si Amil, the rays were first seen by recreational divers with Scuba Junkie, the award-winning PADI five-star IDC centre. Encouraged by this, the dive professionals adjusted their approach to diving the site and were rewarded by regular sightings of devil rays, including some amazing and remarkable schooling behaviour – up to 100 rays at a time, as well as the occasional manta ray and even the deep sea marlin! The sightings and numbers seen were collated from the divers’ logbooks and passed on to marine biologists at University Malaysia, Sabah (UMS), along with photos and videos of the rays, to further the scientific understanding of their distribution.

Experts identified the rays as the shortfin devil ray (Mobula kuhlii) from photographs and video stills, with spectacular video footage showing the schools of devil rays from a diver’s viewpoint.

“The presence of devil rays at Si Amil provided a unique opportunity for divers to contribute to citizen science efforts, as well as giving them a most memorable experience,” said Dr Mabel Manjaji Matsumoto, Associate Professor at Borneo Marine Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). “The video footage and numbers collected were invaluable for our records, and were used to produce the scientific paper, and set the baseline for further studies in this area.”

“Currently, it is not known why the devil rays school at Si Amil, or for what they use the area. Schooling behaviour is normally associated with safety, reproduction, socialising, cleaning or feeding. It could be a combination of these drivers too. It would be fantastic to carry out research in the area to find out more,” said Dr Gonzalo Araujo from Marine Research and Conservation Foundation. “From a threatened and little-known species perspective, Si Amil is definitely an area of interest.”

The publication states that further research would also enable the development of effective management plans to conserve the species and local population of rays.

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RICHARD CULLEN APPOINTED TO RAID BOARD

Dive RAID International has announced that there will be a special focus on their adaptive training programme, as Richard Cullen joins the agency staff.

Cullen, well known to Scuba Diver readers as one of the founders of Deptherapy, has been appointed Director Adaptive Training and joins the agency immediately.

Deptherapy develops and delivers specially designed scuba-diving programmes for seriously injured veterans and serving personnel of the British Armed Forces. The Deptherapy programme has helped men and women deal with post-trauma mental and physical challenges following all manner of injuries suffered while serving in the military.

In his new role as RAID’s Director Adaptive Training, Cullen will take over product-development responsibilities for the RAID Adaptive Diver programme. Working with RAID’s VP Training, PJ Prinsloo, Cullen will be rewriting both student manuals, creating new instructor materials inline with RAID’s instructor playbook format. Cullen will also work on related support materials, and new standards promoting what he called a ‘neglected but highly rewarding aspect’ of

DIVING WORLD MOURNS TECH PIONEER TOM MOUNT

The diving world is mourning the death of Tom Mount, who founded the renowned International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers (IANTD) and is credited as being one of the pioneers of technical diving as we know it today.

Tom did much during his long life – he was a US Navy Diver, a NOAA Aquanaut and saturation diver, was one of the four founding members of the USA’s first cave diver training agency (NACD), and wrote many books that are considered ‘go-to’ diving literature, including the Technical Diver Encyclopedia, Exploration and Mixed Gas Diving Encyclopedia and Tek Closed Circuit Rebreather.

XDEEP ISSUES RECALL ON NX700 REGULATORS

Polish dive equipment manufacturer XDEEP is renowned for its robust, well-made products, and its innovative NX700 regulator caused quite a stir on its launch. While there have been no failures of the reg, XDEEP discovered some unexpected signs of wear during routine checks, and as a precaution, have issued a recall notice: Safety is most important. Although we haven’t noticed a single failure caused by this, we decided to recall our NX700 regulators and update them to the newest version.

Our NX700 regulators are made for us in Italy, by a renowned manufacturer with many years of experience in this type of product. Before market launch, we have extensively tested them during many months of rigorous tests in extremely demanding conditions. Unfortunately,

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diver training. Cullen said: “I am honoured and humbled to become RAID’s Director Adaptive Teaching. I hope to bring to RAID the knowledge and experience we have gained over the years in Deptherapy developing an innovative approach to adaptive teaching. My aim is to make RAID the go-to diver training agency for knowledge and advice regarding adaptive teaching.”

He went on to explain that adaptive teaching in most diver training agency has been stagnant for many years and the changes he plans will benefit the community with the development and innovation a major agency brings to the ‘poolside’. “Our new approach at RAID, will make scuba diving accessible to those within our communities who have mental and physical challenges,” he said.

Steve Lewis, RAID VP Marketing, said: “We are excited about Richard joining our training team because he brings to RAID a wealth of knowledge developing teaching strategies and hands-on experience working with people with all manner of different challenges (both physical and mental).

That deep knowledge gained from years with Deptherapy will be invaluable for RAID Dive Centres and instructors who are interested in working with and offering scuba instruction at all levels to divers of all abilities.”

Many people are referred to as ‘pioneers’, but Tom Mount truly encapsulated the meaning of this word when it came to diving.

He was at the forefront from the early cave and deep air diving days, through the introduction of mixed gas diving to the recreational market, continuing on to formulate many of the original concepts now widely accepted in closed-circuit rebreather diving.

Tom received diving’s most-prestigious award, the NOGI (for sports education), as well as numerous other awards.

He was also an accomplished martial artist in multiple disciplines, and was a three-time inductee to the United States Martial Arts Association Hall of Fame. Not to mention a pilot, and a boat captain. during routine periodical maintenance servicing of some NX700 1st stages, in singular cases, we have detected some traces above-standard signs of the wear of the membrane.

We have not detected nor received any notifications about any failure or abnormalities caused by this potential wear. Nevertheless, we have decided to update all existing NX700 first stages to the newest available version, where any chances of the mentioned abnormalities have now been completely eliminated. If you are an owner of an NX700 1st stage, please stop using it immediately and contact the dealer where you’ve purchased the regulator, or us directly.

Please follow this link to get full information about details of this action. To compensate for the inconvenience caused to our clients, we have also decided that every NX700 set owner will get a free XDEEP Signature Hoodie in the chosen size and available colour. www.xdeep.eu

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MIKUMBA LAUNCHES NEW LIVEABOARD

Jelajahi Laut was designed from the keel-up by divers for divers, and the Mikumba team are sure everyone will love her. Her name in English means ‘Explore the Sea’.

She was built in Bulukumba, Bira, in South Sulawesi – this is the land of the Bugis traders, Indonesia’s fearless sailors who have sailed the seas for hundreds of years using only wind for power and the stars for navigation.

Completed in 2021, her deck is made of solid teak wood planks from Kalimantan, with the hull being made of iron wood. She features three front sails, two top and bottom sails from the centre mast, and two sails from the rear mast – making the perfect background for drone shots and Instagram stories. The maximum boat capacity is 14 guests for most trips, and for full boat charters it can take 16 guests. Communal spaces include a large sun deck, home theatre in the living room and an indoor dining room.

There are two sea-view cabins with double beds on the top deck, private balcony, and amazing views, and en-suite bathrooms with hot water and AC; two deluxe cabins with one double bed and one single bed, with en-suite bathrooms with hot water and AC; and two standard cabins with three single beds, and shared bathroom with hot water and AC. The Jelajahi Lau is the prefect liveaboard to explore some of Indonesia’s best diving and land hotspots. www.mikumbadiving.com

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HEALTH PROTOCOLS FOR INDONESIAN DIVE INDUSTRY

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The Raja Ampat Marine Park Authority has created a handbook on cleanliness, health, safety and environmental sustainability guidance for Indonesia’s dive industry for the ‘new normal’ post-COVID-19 scuba-diving practises.

Here is a summary of some of the main practices to be implemented to ensure that international standards of cleanliness, health, safety and environmental sustainability are met.

Diving tourism facilities

• Handwashing facilities and hand sanitizers are easily available and accessible.

• Infrared thermometers for temperature checks are provided and do not require direct physical contact.

• All staff wear PPE including masks, facial covering, and latex gloves.

• Frequently touched surfaces are properly disinfected at minimum three times per day.

• Cashless payment systems are implemented throughout the resort.

• Briefings on COVID-19 risk prevention are given to guests partaking in any diving or recreational activity.

• The swimming pool water is routinely disinfected and the pH’s levels are tracked and displayed.

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• The boat and dive crew, and guests must wear masks before and after diving.

• The boat and dive crew wash their hands with soap or use a hand sanitizer and must wear clean latex or rubber gloves before touching diving equipment or while giving any service to guests.

• All diving equipment must be fully assembled before being loaded onto the boat.

• All divers must use defogger liquid and are prohibited from using saliva to defog their diving masks.

• Divers must maintain physical distancing of at least one-metre while on the surface and adhere to all guidance issued by DAN. • Dive crews and dive guides must adhere to recommended safe diving and safe protocol briefings to reduce virus contamination risks, and must consistently implement these protocols.

• All cylinder filling facilities and infrastructure, storage rooms, and the cylinders themselves are routinely and properly cleaned and disinfected before and after using or at least 3 (three) times a day in accordance with recommendations by DAN. Please visit their website for more information: www.rajaampatmarinepark.com

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GO DIVE BRISBANE IS ON THE MOVE! WE ARE MOVING... BUT WHERE TOO? STAY TUNED ONLINE

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Ask DAN

DAN medical specialists and researchers answer your dive medicine questions

Little Ear

Q: Can someone be certified to dive if they were born with ‘little ear’ — where the ear wasn’t fully formed in the womb and the canal didn’t open?

A: It seems like you are referencing both microtia and aural atresia. Microtia ranges from minor changes in the outer-ear shape to a very small external ear, possibly with no external canal or eardrum. Anotia is the complete lack of any ear structure, and aural atresia is the absence of an ear canal.

Your physician may not necessarily restrict diving.

The concern would be making sure your anatomy allows for proper equalisation of your Eustachian tube and any potentially remaining gas in a vestigial middle ear. If equalisation is impaired with gas still in the ear, you could risk barotrauma (a pressure injury) on your functional internal ear. If this is not an issue, then the risk would be severe barotrauma on the other fully functional ear, which could cause deafness in rare cases.

A physician might suggest you avoid diving if your hearing is already unilateral, since a dive injury to the functional ear could result in bilateral hearing loss. Consult with your ear, nose and throat specialist to discuss your ear anatomy and determine if diving is possible.

Atrial fibrillation

Q: I have a history of atrial fibrillation (AFib) and had a cardiac ablation to restore my heart’s normal rhythm.

My recovery went well with no complications, and I have returned to normal activity. Is it safe for me to dive now?

A: Opinions vary in the dive medicine community about AFib and medical fitness for diving. Some physicians completely recommend against diving, while others are more permissive. Respected dive medicine cardiologist Dr Douglas Ebersole believes that AFib alone, with an otherwise structurally sound heart (confirmed through treadmill stress testing and an echocardiogram), should not prevent diving. As long as you control your AFib with medication and have proper exercise tolerance, you should be able to dive.

Your successful ablation has resolved the dysrhythmia issue of AFib, but it raises another concern. The ablation procedure may have required a transseptal puncture to get the catheter from the right atrium into the left atrium.

This puncture results in an atrial septal defect, which will generally heal without any intervention over time.

Unfortunately, there is no clinical definition of how long that time is. Although the hole is typically small, depending on

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the exact procedure (some catheters are larger than others), you would be at risk for bubbles shunting from the right to left atrium until the hole has completely closed.

The best recommendation is to wait for confirmation from your cardiologist that the hole is closed before you return to diving. An echocardiogram with a bubble study is usually the procedure to determine the hole closure.

DANAP.org

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DIVERS CHOOSE DAN There are so many reasons divers choose DAN + Over 40 years managing diving emergencies worldwide

+ Dive accident insurance plans designed for divers

+ Dedicated medical information line and 24/7 emergency hotline

+ Worldwide emergency medical evacuation coverage

+ Wide range of online health and safety resources

+ First aid training for divers and professionals

DANAP.org

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

SSI PARTNERS WITH VDI GAMING APP DIVING SIMULATOR

S

SI is continually looking at ways to connect with our customers and divers by finding new and innovative ways to reach our diving and nonpublic. The partnership with Virtual Divers International (VDI) is one of these initiatives.

Using the VDI App, SSI divers can perform virtual skills like mask clearing, regulator removal and assembling their equipment as part of a game. This is a great way to introduce new divers to our sport! There are two primary sections to the diving simulator: The first is a training module that simulates a training section with an instructor. You will practice actual diving skills the same as you would learn in a classroom.

The other section is more like a traditional game, but you get to perform many of the same virtual activities you would perform on an actual dive, there is an element of gaming with gold coin collection you can use to buy equipment in the virtual store. There are two difficulty levels within the game. The first is Easy Mode which allows you to cruise around discovering new parts of the reef and finding new marine life.

The Pro Mode level is more difficult and includes many real-world skills like controlling buoyancy and equalizing your ears. Control your buoyancy, equalize, monitor your computers gas, depth, and time diving in real conditions.

Like a lot of traditional games, you can explore, collect gold, and get points. There are additional skills and fun like a swim-through ‘the rings of destiny’.

There are literally hours of fun and education for the whole family. VDI has multiple courses due for release soon where you can explore options for future real certifications.

Ensure that you as an SSI Diver enter the referral code of ‘SSI’ to become a part of the ‘first-to-launch SSI virtual dive team’, forever.

SSI Divers will always be given first preference to all benefits from VDI and SSI partnership such as: 1. New equipment and styles for your virtual diver, first, forever.

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2. Special access to courses and SSI training specific skills and animations.

3. Added value via real-world benefits.

4. A part of the world leaders in future technology of scuba diving training.

5. VIP entry and benefits to SSI’s virtual dive store in Diveland.

6. VDI Foundation Membership, coupled with ‘First-ToLaunch’ SSI code referral to introduce the VDI App, we have a one-time introductory offer of just $35 USD (normally $49 USD) including all features and updates for next 12 months.

Simple steps for download of VDI Dive Training App/ Diving Simulator: Go to the App or Play Store, where you can approve to download your personal copy and annual membership to VDI. Download, install, and open the diving simulator like any other app or game. Enter ‘SSI’ as your referral code after the introduction screen. This will ensure all future benefits for you in the VDI system, forever, as long as you are a member under our banner. n

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The best of the

RIBBON Fast-moving weather patterns and the looming threat of Omicron made for an interesting itinerary on a recent liveaboard trip on Spirit of Freedom, writes Diveplanit Travel’s Deborah Dickson-Smith Photographs by Deborah Dickson-Smith and Adrian Stacey

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N REEFS

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The reefs are swarming with marine life

The reefs are truly spectacular Anemonefish

With almost 3,000 individual reefs, 900 islands, and stretching for 2,600km, there is no denying the Great Barrier Reef is massive. If you want to get an idea of size, then imagine the country of Italy lying just off the coast of Australia!

In shallower water, from around 15m, you find yourself surrounded by colourful anthias, bannerfish and damsels, while clouds of glassfish hug the reef

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he weather was looking ominous when I arrived in Cairns, with a tropical low weather system moving exasperatingly slowly from the Gulf of Carpentaria to the Coral Sea. I half-expected the trip to be cancelled, but our experienced skipper Tony Hazel was determined. After studying the weather patterns and wind movement for over a week, he devised a route north that avoided the worst of the wind and swell.

Tony has worked on the Great Barrier Reef for decades and appears to know all its secrets. He chooses a route north, hugging the coast, that delivers smooth seas and glass-out days. He calls it an ‘Almost Far North Exploratory’ itinerary. We forgo the usual day one checkout dives on the Agincourt Reefs, and head straight for Ribbon Reef 3, enjoying a glorious sunset along the way.

Flare Point to Challenger Bay

Our first dive is a cruisy swim through the very pretty coral gardens of Flare Point, through fields of blue, green and purple staghorn corals, huge boulder corals and bushy

acropora. We pass butterflyfish, parrotfish, sweetlips, trumpetfish, a large grouper, Maori wrasse, giant clams and a sleepy whitetip reef shark. Under the overhangs, there are gorgonian fans and clouds of glassfish. Dive number two is a cracker. Seriously. Cracka Jack is a tall pinnacle in the middle of the channel between Ribbon 4 and Ribbon 5, descending to the sea floor at around 30m. At around 25m-30m, you’ll find huge gorgonian fans and bright red whip corals, while out in the blue, schools of fusiliers, jacks and barracuda.

In shallower water, from around 15m, you find yourself surrounded by colourful anthias, bannerfish and damsels, while clouds of glassfish hug the reef, every now and then clearing to reveal lurking coral trout looking for lunch. In the nooks and crannies, we find mantis shrimp, pipefish and banded cleaner shrimp so I treat myself to a manicure.

Our third dive is the oddly named Google Gardens, shallow coral gardens with massive coral formations, large forests of staghorn coral, enormous boulder corals and fields of bushy corals, some with clouds of purple anthias and bright blue juvenile reef fish.

Shoal of striped snapper

Expect to meet massive grouper

Glassfish sheltering in a swim-through

Challenger Bay is our base for the next two dives, a section of the Great Barrier Reef that suffered significant damage by Cyclone Nathan in 2016 but has now recovered remarkably, with lots of healthy coral outcrops scattered throughout the bay, each one teeming with colourful reef fish, including Maori wrasse, sweetlips, titan triggerfish and the odd reef shark. I manage to find a few tiny critters as well nudibranchs, hermit crabs, file fish - and Spirit of Freedom’s Master Reef Guide Michelle Barry finds us a true macro prize: a pair of ornate ghost pipefish – a rare find. Challenger Bay at night is one of the Great Barrier Reef’s more-exciting night dives, with plenty of shark action watching the resident whitetip reef sharks hunting for dinner.

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Pixie Pinnacle to Cod Hole and the Snake Pit

Pixie Pinnacle is possibly the highlight of this dive trip for me. I would happily dive this site many times over. It encapsulates everything I love about diving coral reefs; the vibrant colours and teeming marine life – my happy place.

This tall pinnacle on Ribbon Reef 10 descends to around 30m. In deeper waters, there are enormous gorgonian fans, soft corals and dozens and dozens of crinoids. Michelle manages to find a leafy scorpion fish for us before we spiral the pinnacle to shallower depths. The shallower parts of this pinnacle are even prettier. We’re surrounded by clouds of orange and purple anthias, bright yellow damsels, glassfish, coral trout and anemones.

Our next two dives are at Cod Hole. The first, a little meander through this site where giant grouper aggregate, where we find plenty of friendly (enormous) potato cod, a few whitetip reef sharks and a rather shy grey reef shark as well as countless other reef fish and the odd moray eel hiding under a rock. For the second dive, our Master Reef Guide Michelle has prepared a few Scooby snacks for the dominant resident potato cod, Spot. Dive boats have been visiting this site for many years, so the potato cod are completely unfazed by human interaction, and in fact Spot responds to simple hand gestures in the same way a dog would for a few snacks. It makes for a few great photo opportunities with these gentle giants.

Gorgonian seafan

Glassfish around a coral head

Spotted eagle ray

Snake Pit is our destination for an afternoon and night dive.

Called ‘Snake Pit’ because at some point someone found a few olive sea snakes here, but when briefed, we’re told to expect ‘anything really’. Normally sleepy turtles resting in the coral gardens on the plateau, eagle rays, mantas and reef sharks gliding by and in the nooks and crannies, morays, mantis shrimps, flatworms, and nudibranchs. We do, in fact, spot most of these creatures, with the highlights for me being buzzed by a beautiful spotted eagle ray and almost headbutting a green turtle.

This slightly adapted three-day itinerary was a great demonstration of how flexible an experienced crew can be in the face of challenging weather, finding us the best dive sites (as promised) according to the prevailing conditions. n

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What you need to know before you go…

Thailand has trialled a few entry programmes in the past few months, with Phuket opening first in July 2021 to fully vaccinated international visitors under the ‘Sandbox’ hotel quarantine programme. In subsequent months, borders were open gradually in several regions and then on 1 November 2021, ‘Exemption from Quarantine’ was announced for eligible countries. Now, from 1 February 2022, fully vaccinated travellers from any country around the world can apply for a Test & GO Thailand Pass up to 60 days in advance.

Requirements for Test & GO Travellers

From 1 February 2022 fully vaccinated travellers who are travelling by air will not be required to quarantine. With the Test and Go programme, you need to be tested upon arrival at your SHA+ hotel, and once you receive a negative result, you can go wherever you like. However, you must return to the SHA+ Hotel for the second COVID test on Day Five.

You are still required to show required documents to Thai authorities to be granted entry in Thailand. Here are the requirements:

Thailand Pass QR Code

You will need to obtain a QR Code that can be downloaded after successful application for a Thailand Pass. Provide all the necessary details and upload documents that are asked and wait for confirmation or approval for you to receive a QR Code which will be scanned upon arrival in Thailand. tp.consular.go.th

Certificate of Vaccination

You will need to obtain an internationally recognised Certificate of Vaccination. Know that the certificate of vaccination will only be accepted if the vaccines you have received are approved by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) or by the World Health Organization (WHO). And it must be dated at least 14 days before your scheduled travel date. Children that are under the age of 18 are not required to be vaccinated as long as their parent or guardian is vaccinated and has a certificate of vaccination.

Medical Certificate for COVID-19 Test Result

To enter Thailand, you are required to have a negative RTPCR test result. The result must be issued within 72 hours of the travel date. If you have recovered from COVID-19, you will need a Certificate of Recovery. It will serve as proof that you have recovered from COVID-19 for at least three months.

COVID-19 Insurance

You will have to purchase travel insurance that covers the costs of COVID-19 related incidents in case one gets infected during the stay in Thailand. The COVID-19 insurance must have a minimum coverage of $50,000.

Confirmation of Pre-paid Accommodation in an AQ, ASQ, or SHA+ Hotel

You are required to book a hotel for at least one night for Day One and another one night for Day Five and provide proof of your booking at check-in on your departure, and at Immigration on arrival to Thailand. Your Diveplanit Travel Voucher will cover this requirement.

MorChana App

You must download and install the MorChana application and always keep it on for updates on any required COVID-19 precautionary measures and to record your Day Five result.

Practice D M H T T A Precautions • D – Distancing • M – Mask wearing (in public spaces) • H – Handwashing • T – Temperature check • T – Testing for Covid-19 • A – Alert Application

Packages for Test & GO Travellers

Since the introduction of the Test & GO programme, approved Alternative Quarantine (AQ) and SHA+ Hotels have added Test & GO Packages to cater for guests. The Test & GO Package covers: • RT-PCR COVID-19 Test • Accommodation for at least one night for Day One and Day Five.

• Transport to transfer from the airport to your designated hotel.

More information

thaiembassy.com/travel-to-thailand/test-and-gothailand-quarantine-free-hotels Ask us about including a Test & GO Package with your next Thailand resort or liveaboard trip. Diveplanit.com Email: enquire@diveplanit.com Phone: 1800 607 913

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T

here really is something quite unique about an eyeball-toeyeball underwater encounter with a big animal. You are but a temporary visitor to their domain – one they may not be the absolute master of, but are far more in control than you can ever hope to be. So, the first thing to understand is that the encounter will take place on the animals’ terms.

You can (and I have…) travel half-way around the world, at not inconsiderable expense, to get the opportunity to be in the water with the specific animal, only to discover they just are not interested in any kind of interaction. The second thing about big animals is that no matter how big the animal actually is, the ocean is much, much bigger and, because it’s a three-dimensional medium, there are multiple directions for them to disappear into that endless blue!

But all that said, when the creature does interact with you it’s hard to describe the sheer intensity of the experience – a unique mixture of fear, incredible excitement, and absolute wonder.

Here are the 10 best such experiences I have had over the last five years or so…

Great white sharks

Great whites have an ‘image problem’ and are widely demonized as ruthless man-eaters responsible for the deaths of numerous surfers, swimmers and divers. And while it is true they are superbly evolved apex predators, they are not the fiendish killer they are made out to be.

There are over 400 species of sharks and they have a specific role in the oceans – removing the dead, the dumb and the dying - and are a key part of how nature keeps the world’s marine ecosystems healthy, vigorous and balanced. To understand how the great white fits in that process you need to see them underwater and the only way you can really do that safely is in a cage…

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Scuba Diver Senior Travel Editor Don Silcock lists his top 10 big animal encounters from around the world Photographs by Don Silcock

Great white sharks are the world’s biggest predatory fish, measuring on average around four-and-ahalf metres in length. The largest recorded is thought to be around seven metres and weighing in at an incredible two-anda-half tonnes.

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Great white shark cage diving was pioneered in South Australia and is one of only four locations where you can do it globally – the others are Guadalupe Island in Mexico, Gansbaai in South Africa, and Stewart Island in New Zealand. For more information on South Australia, Google ‘Australian Great White Sharks - The Complete Guide’ for all you need to know on these incredible creatures.

Humpback whale

Humpback whales

The ‘Tonga Tribe’ is one of six southern hemisphere humpback whale populations and every autumn, they embark on a 6,000km-long migration from their Antarctic feeding grounds to the Tongan archipelago. They make that epic journey to mate and allow pregnant females to birth and nurse their calves in the warm waters of the archipelago.

Tonga is one of a few locations where limited numbers of people can enter the water and the encounters possible across the archipelago could fill several bucket lists!

The incredible bond between mothers and their calves will pluck all parent’s heartstrings, while dropping into the path of a large female and entourage of competing male suitors during a ‘heat run’ is potentially heart-stopping!

The restricted number of operators means that availability is limited, so do your research and be prepared to book up to a year in advance. Google the ‘Complete Guide to the Humpback Whales of Tonga’ for comprehensive insight to the annual aggregation in the Pacific.

Oceanic manta ray

Tiger sharks

Tiger sharks are just below the great white on the apex predator index with a reputation for being dangerous and unpredictable. They are pelagic, open water animals and encounters can be quite rare, apart from at Tiger Beach on the western end of Grand Bahama, which has become the tiger shark capital of the world. Being in the open water with tigers is a life-changing experience as their intense physical presence and size is, shall we say, somewhat intimidating!

While there have been ‘incidents’, given the number of divers who have experienced Tiger Beach, the encounters are remarkably safe – largely, it seems, because the rich waters of the Bahamas mean the sharks are very well-fed.

The season is from October through to May and Google ‘Is Tiger Beach Safe’ for more details on this amazing location.

The largest fish in the sea appears to move through the water at a leisurely pace, until that is you are swimming alongside one and desperately trying to keep up

Tiger shark

You might assume that the tiger shark and the sand tiger shark are cousins, but the latter is more closely related to the great white than it is to the tiger shark.

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American crocodile

American crocodiles hunt by remaining completely motionless in the water.

When prey is close they attack, grabbing the animal and drowning it with a manoeuvre referred to as the ‘death roll’.

American crocodiles

Oceanic manta rays

Oceanic mantas are true giants with a seven-metre wingspan - yet despite their size and rather sinister sobriquet of ‘devil ray’ are totally harmless to humans.

Plankton feeders with few natural predators, they spend their life in the open ocean and so encounters with them are unusual, but absolutely enchanting, as they are social animals with large brains and are known for their intelligence. The only reason for oceanic mantas to come to you is curiosity - something their intelligence has given them in spades – and when you look in their eyes, you can sense that inquisitiveness as they check you out!

The best place to see them is Mexico’s Revillagigedo Archipelago, where significant numbers of oceanic mantas aggregate together. Known as the Mexican Galapagos, the UNESCO listed archipelago is 450km southwest of Cabo San Lucas on the tip of Baja California, and also known as the Socorro Islands. Google the ‘Diving Socorro Indopacificimages’ for an in-depth insight into the Revillagigedo Archipelago.

Sperm whales

The ocean’s largest toothed predator, sperm whales are elusive creatures probably best known as the rogue albino whale Moby Dick in Herman Melville’s famous book. Another true pelagic, they hunt for the much-feared giant squid in depths in excess of 1km for up to an hour at a time.

The underwater mountains of the North Atlantic Azores archipelago are one of the few locations they gather regularly. Similar to the matriarchal groups formed by female elephants, female sperm whales form pods with their calves, while the male bulls live apart. September is the end of the calving season and the optimum month for a ‘Holy Grail’ encounter with a pod of females socialising at the surface.

Google ‘Sperm Whales of the Azores’ to understand more about these incredible creatures and the Azores archipelago.

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American crocodiles are cousins of the hyper-dangerous saltwater crocodile, but unlike ‘salties’ are not considered aggressive towards humans. They are found from the Florida Everglades, throughout Central America and into South America, but by far the best place for encounters is Banco Chinchorro, in south-east Mexico.

Chinchorro is one of the largest coral atolls in the northern hemisphere and the crocodiles are resident at Cayo Centro, the atoll’s main island. Being in the water with any big animal is an exciting experience, but American crocodile encounters take that to a higher level as they are large, powerful creatures that sit watching like a coiled spring - full of intense kinetic energy. It’s 35km from the town of Xcalak and the only accommodation at Cayo Centro are the palafito fishermen’s huts in the lagoon. In a word, it’s basic… Google ‘Chinchorro Crocodiles’ for details of these exciting encounters.

Great hammerhead sharks

Large solitary animals great hammerheads are extraordinarylooking creatures that sashay towards you as their large hammer-like head and wide-set eyes sweep from side to side.

Nomadic in nature, they prefer the deeper waters along continental shelves, making encounters almost impossible to predict and when one occurs, it’s typically brief and fleeting.

Except in the shallow waters off the west coast of South Bimini in the Bahamas, where they gather during the Great hammerhead shark

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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 Indo-Pacific region and ‘big animal’ experiences globally. www.indopacificimages.com

Sand tiger shark or grey nurse Giant Australian cuttlefish

Whaleshark

With a reputation for aggressive hunting, but rarely towards humans, the daytime encounters with great hammerheads in Bimini seem almost choreographed - until the night dive, but that’s another story… winter months. The annual aggregation was discovered by the Bimini Shark Laboratory, who managed to keep it quiet for ten years - but the word is out and South Bimini is now Great Hammerhead Central! With a reputation for aggressive hunting, but rarely towards humans, the daytime encounters with great hammerheads in Bimini seem almost choreographed - until the night dive, but that’s another story… Google ‘Bimini Great Hammerheads’ for more!

Whalesharks

The largest fish in the sea appears to move through the water at a leisurely pace, until that is you are swimming alongside one and desperately trying to keep up.

Whalesharks roam the world’s tropical seas in search of their food of choice – plankton and small fish they filter feed through their huge mouths - but will gather in significant numbers when nature creates an opportunity for them to gorge, such as the annual coral spawning at Ningaloo in Western Australia.

By far the biggest event is the Afuera north of Isla Mujeres near Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, where every August some 500 of these giant creatures gather for the massive spawning of little tunny fish eggs. Google the ‘Whalesharks of Isla Mujeres - the Afuera’ to read more.

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Ragged tooth sharks

‘Big enough to get your undivided attention’ is how an encounter with South African ragged tooth sharks was once described to me. Large creatures with an impressive set of teeth, their size and appearance instil an irrational fear in the uninitiated as they patrol the caves they hang out in.

One of the best-known aggregations of ragged tooth sharks is at Protea Banks, about 130km south of Durban on South Africa’s east coast. Every year, come winter, hundreds of ‘raggies’ gather at Protea to mate - providing a wonderful opportunity to get up-close and personal with them.

Giant Australian cuttlefish

It has been called the ‘premier marine attraction on the planet’ where every May, giant Australian cuttlefish arrive along a stretch of coastline near Whyalla in South Australia’s Spencer Gulf. And, by the mid-June, some 100,000 of these wonderful creatures will have gathered to mate. It’s a fascinating experience to observe the tricks used by the males to get the female’s attention.

Google the ‘Complete guide to Australian Giant Cuttlefish’ to understand more about the cuttlefish and their unique annual aggregation, or turn to page 60 for a full article on this incredible encounter. n

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24/01/2022 07:40

Mustard’s MASTERCLASS First in a brand-new column by underwater photography guru Alex Mustard.

This issue, Alex outlines who he is, and what he aims to achieve in the coming months Photographs courtesy of Alex Mustard / www.amustard.com

H

ello! I’m Alex. I’m new to the magazine as a ‘regular’, but not new to underwater photography. I’m a diver and occasional freediver, although you won’t find me doing either of those without a camera.

My passion for the sea has been lifelong. I took my first underwater photos when I was nine years old and gained my first dive qualifications a few years later. Since then, my life has always been connected to water. I have a Ph.D. in marine ecology, and after a further four years working as a marine biologist, I turned my underwater photography hobby into my job.

I have logged 4,870 dives with a camera - I have kept logging my photo dives, so I can trace all my photos back to exactly where they were taken.

it. This is my motivation to help others take better pictures underwater. I’ve been sharing my ideas and techniques through workshops, talks, articles and books for more than 25 years.

Many of my photos have enjoyed a life of their own, becoming well known in prominent books and magazines, in the mainstream media or in highprofile photography awards. They have won multiple categories in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year and British Wildlife Photography Awards. I was named European Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2013, and remain the only underwater winner of that title. My coffee-table book on coral and climate change, Reefs Revealed, was named the best book of underwater pictures for 2007. The obvious gap in my contest

I’m proud to have been awarded the ADEX Award for ‘Extraordinary Contribution to Underwater Photography’ and to have received the rare Golden Trident award from the International Academy of Underwater Sciences.

And it was very special to be awarded an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II for ‘services to underwater photography’ People correctly assume a marine biologist has a tremendous advantage for underwater photography.

It means you know what you are looking at, where to find interesting species and gives you a sixth sense for capturing natural behaviour. I’d encourage any diver learn a bit more about underwater life, whether you take photos or not. It is not about knowing dry Latin names or tongue-twisting technical words, but real-world experience of how underwater animals live their lives. Knowledge is always faster than reflexes for a photographer.

My scientific background has shaped my photographic career as well as my pictures. As a scientist you learn knowledge isn’t to be hoarded - there is no point in earning it if you don’t share

CV is not having any awards from the prestigious Underwater Photographer of the Year contest. My excuse is that I am a founder and chair of the judges for that one, which prohibits me from entering.

I’m proud to have been awarded the ADEX Award for ‘Extraordinary Contribution to Underwater Photography’ and to have received the rare Golden Trident award from the International Academy of Underwater Sciences. And it was very special to be awarded an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II for ‘services to underwater photography’.

So as an underwater photographer who has been around the block, it makes sense for me to aim this column at you enthusiastic shooters. I hope to pass on valuable insights, gleaned from being out there in the

TOP LEFT Photographing a dugong in Egypt

© Sarah O’Gorman

TOP RIGHT Alex and his wife Eleo at the Wildlife Photographer awards 2021 BOTTOM LEFT Alex with his MBE at Buckingham Palace BOTTOM RIGHT Alex and Kay Burn Lim photograph and film, respectively, a blue whale in the Indian Ocean (taken under licence)

© Eric Goh

Finishing a house reef dive in Laamu, Maldives.

November 2021

It is a tough life in the field, Indonesia

Climbing back on a diveboat in the Cayman Islands.

January 2022

Diving in Plymouth.

June 2021

ocean shooting. I won’t be covering the very first steps of underwater imaging here, but I know the magazine will regularly run standalone features on getting started in underwater photography. And I am sure I will contribute to them. I also want this new column to romp widely, and I hope to share my experience on all aspects of underwater photography. We’ll talk techniques, lighting, composition and equipment, naturally. But I plan to cast my net wider and cover detailed photographic tips for destinations and popular species, as well as other topics of interest, like advice about photo contests and getting published.

To continue my introduction in photo-speak, I currently shoot with Nikon SLR cameras (Nikon D850 and D5 to be specific) in Subal housings. I also own a Mirrorless Olympus system in a Nauticam housing, but I am yet to take the Mirrorless plunge for my primary system. But it is clear it is the future. I am regularly asked to review new cameras and get the chance to get to know most systems intimately through my workshops, which also account for most of my diving.

I have an unhealthy fascination with light underwater

and think that most other underwater photographers are too obsessed with cameras and not enough with their flashes. My strobes are from Retra and Seacam.

I also enjoy available light photography and more than 15 years ago now, invented the Magic Filter for working without strobes, which I still use.

My other obsession is underwater optics, which I think is the most-exciting current frontier of progress in underwater photography equipment. It has always been possible to design lenses to work specifically in water, but very few bothered. The advances in computer-aided optical design, capitalised on by intelligent engineers like Edward Lai and motivated companies like Nauticam, have been rewriting the rules over the last decade. For underwater photographers, the digital revolution has been followed by the optical revolution. Today we’re blessed with an ability to shoot types of images, and with a quality that has never been possible before. When it comes to making images underwater, this is a time of ever-expanding possibilities. In short, we’ve never had it so good, and I look forward to helping you make the most of it. n

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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.

WWW.DANAP.ORG

WHY DAN DOESN’T SHARE CHAMBER LOCATIONS OR AVAILABILITY

D

AN frequently consults on the care, transportation and hyperbaric treatment of injured divers. However, DAN does not generally provide information about the location or availability of chambers. This is because injured divers with suspected decompression illness (DCI) need to be evaluated at a hospital or emergency clinic first.

Divers have driven past healthcare facilities to get to a recompression chamber, believing a chamber was the solution for just about any malady or injury. Even when divers surface with symptoms of an apparent arterial gas embolism, the best course of action is to have the diver assessed at the closest medical facility. An urgent care clinic or a hospital’s emergency department is better than a dedicated chamber facility.

• The closest recompression chamber might not be the most appropriate.

• A chamber’s operational status can change.

• Chambers may close for scheduled maintenance or staff holiday’s or may have limited staff available because of a high daytime patient load.

• The chamber you are driving to may not be available.

• Prior notification from an evaluating facility is usually necessary to begin the call-in procedure to staff a hyperbaric treatment.

• Most hyperbaric facilities have regular daytime business hours and are not staffed in the evenings or on weekends.

Some chamber facilities choose not to staff their unit after hours. Others simply do not treat divers.

Recompression treatment

• Unlike most freestanding hyperbaric facilities, hospital settings have advanced diagnostic capabilities.

• A multidisciplinary setting ensures proper diagnosis and a stable patient before recompression therapy.

• Hospitals and urgent-care facilities have a virtually unlimited supply of oxygen, intravenous fluids and medications.

The best option for an injured diver is always to use the best locally available medical services.

• A differential diagnosis comes first. Not everything that can happen to a diver warrants hyperbaric treatment.

• A physician needs to rule out illnesses such as heart attack and other neurological and musculoskeletal injuries that could be confused with decompression illness.

• Advanced diagnostic procedures will rule out complications (such as a collapsed lung) and other additional factors that could make recompression therapy inappropriate or dangerous.

• A physician needs to make sure the patient can withstand recompression therapy.

Chamber capabilities

• Not all hyperbaric facilities are capable of dealing with all cases.

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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Hospital capabilities

Transportation

• A critically ill patient needs to be stabilised before and during transport to a chamber and should be transferred under medical supervision.

• Transporting a diver without a proper evaluation may adversely affect the diver’s health and treatment outcome.

When in doubt, call DAN

DAN maintains a database of hyperbaric facilities willing to and capable of treating divers. It is challenging to ensure this database is current, as most chambers do not routinely report their status to DAN. Once you have begun administering first aid and activated local emergency medical services (EMS), DAN can help you and EMS determine the best course of action for the case as reported. If the need for recompression therapy seems obvious, DAN can confirm chamber availability with the closest facility. The nearest medical facility will not necessarily have hyperbaric medicine but is still the

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Divers have driven past healthcare facilities to get to a recompression chamber, believing a chamber was the solution for just about any malady or injury preferred option. Once the diver becomes a patient, transportation will move quickly and efficiently.

DAN is not the only resource for chamber information for travel abroad. Your dive operator should be able to give you this information before arrival.

Dive-related injuries

If you suspect a diver has a dive-related injury and needs evaluation, you should: • Monitor their airway, breathing and circulation.

• Provide 100 percent oxygen if you are a trained oxygen provider.

• Call local EMS for transportation or assistance with the transportation of the injured diver to medical care.

• Call the DAN Emergency Hotline: 1800 088 200 (Within Australia) or +1 (919) 684-9111 (International).

Did You Know?

All divers can call the DAN Hotline for advice; however DAN can only arrange an emergency medical evacuation and pay for associated transport and medical costs for current DAN Members, within the limits of their coverage option. If you travel overseas to dive this year, ensure your DAN coverage is up-to-date: Visit DANAP.org

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beyond technical

www.narkedat90.com

Project Baseline Truk Lagoon Marcus Blatchford continues his epic adventure on a mission to capture several of the iconic Truk Lagoon fleet via photogrammetry Photographs by Marcus Blatchford and Pete Mesley / www.petemesley.com

There are many ways to fly from the UK to Chuuk, however all routes must go via either Guam or Honolulu. My journey ironically started on Remembrance Day and was London Heathrow - Inchon (Seoul) - Guam - Chuuk taking around 40 hours

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Photogrammetry is the technology of obtaining reliable information about physical objects and the environment through the process of recording, measuring and interpreting photographic images and patterns of electromagnetic radiant imagery.

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he data capture is only the first of many steps to create a 3D model. For every hour of data capture, there could be a week or more of computer processing - far more than could be achieved while on the trip!

Thankfully, the processing divides into stages. I knew it was crucial to start the processing while there as it would be too risky to collect only data while there and do the processing at home. I knew I would have to complete the first two stages of processing on a day-to-day basis so I could see if any mistakes had been made or if I had to return to any parts of the wrecks in particular.

Foreseeing the huge workload, I bought a brandnew top-spec MacBook Pro which would be pushed to its limit for the entire trip. The first two processes are basic image processing and converting the files from RAW to jpeg, followed by image alignment. Basic image processing for a simple photo dive can be very quick, however when dealing with 3,600 or more images per dive, just transferring the files from cards to computer can take an hour.

Once the images had transferred, I performed slight colour correction and some exposure correction then exported to jpeg format. Many hours later, once the images were exported to jpeg, I was able to start the image alignment. To align the images, the processing software looks at every image for defining points (default is 40,000 per image), it then compares the defining points of one image with the defining points of the other images attempting to find matches. Once the defining points are found and matched, a very low-resolution 3D sparse point cloud is created. It is now possible to see how successful the process has been. Generally, the sparse cloud would complete during the morning dive the day after it was collected and the processing began.

All was going brilliantly until 80 minutes into the dive my scooter stopped with what felt like a depleted battery

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Using DPVs on the wrecks

Photogrammetry of the IJN Oite

Photogrammetry of the Nakajima

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The journey there

There are many ways to fly from the UK to Chuuk, however all routes must go via either Guam or Honolulu. My journey ironically started on Remembrance Day and was London Heathrow - Inchon (Seoul) - Guam - Chuuk taking around 40 hours. In Guam I met up with other members of the trip, which included Emmy-award-winning underwater camera operator Becky Kagan Schott. Although not part of the photogrammetry project, I would be boat-sharing with Becky’s group and some of them would even end up modelling for me.

The descent into Chuuk is a truly mesmerising experience if you have a window seat, dark blue Pacific Ocean lightens to azure and turquoise with small linear specks of land making the outer reef. The small specks of land grow in size and are covered with a canopy of trees. On final approach you are low over the water, so low you feel like you could almost touch it. Then the water turns to tarmac and the plane touches down on terra firma.

Photogrammetry of the Myrt

Having just put our bodies through 40 hours of travelling and the trip doctor arriving later in the week, it was decided we would start things slowly. Our first shakedown dive was the much-loved and truly iconic Rio De Janeiro Maru. The plan was for me to do laps with the scooter scanning in bulk and for Pete to concentrate on the finer details of the iconic twin propellors and stern gun. All was going brilliantly until 80 minutes into the dive my scooter stopped with what felt like a depleted battery. This was strange as I knew I had charged it fully.

The next day’s scooter dive, the scooter again stopped but at 75 minutes this time. I started to wonder if the 110v mains power meant the charge wasn’t as good but couldn’t see how that could be the case - the scooter is American and the charger is a multi-voltage charger. When I returned to Blue Lagoon, I took the scooter apart and removed the battery - it felt like it was as hot as the surface of the sun!

I then realised what was happening - both the water and air temperature was 30 degrees C, and both charging and discharging the battery causes the battery to heat up. I had also been charging the battery inside the scooter nose, so the heat was unable to escape. That night I charged the battery out of the scooter and in front of a air-con blower.

The next day performance improved greatly, still not the 120 minutes I achieve at home, but a respectable 105 minutes. n NB: Tune in next issue for the final segment of Marcus’ article, as he dives on more of the Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon.

Having just put our bodies through 40 hours of travelling and the trip doctor arriving later in the week, it was decided we would start things slowly

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MIKE MASON

We chat to Mike Mason about being the only instructor for The Human Diver programme in the Asia-Pacific region, how his role in the RAAF aids his teaching, his love of wreck diving, and why grey nurse sharks got him back into diving.

Photographs courtesy of Mike Mason

Q: What attracts you to the oceans?

A: I enjoyed snorkelling as a child but always wanted to spend more time down deeper in among all the coral and fish. I first learned to dive back in the late-90s in the Caribbean. I didn’t dive again for a few years after that until a friend of mine in Australia told me about the grey nurse shark sanctuaries near where I now live. I saw his pictures of these magnificent creatures and had to see them for myself - and have been diving regularly ever since!

As well as big marine life, a big attraction for me is the adrenaline rush I get when going down a shotline to a wreck. Whether it’s a new wreck for me or one I’ve done before, when I get halfway down the line so that the surface is out of sight and the line is stretching off into the blue, I can’t help asking myself ‘what’s down there?’

Mike is happy wet or dry diving

Q: What is The Human Diver and how did you become involved?

A: The Human Diver was founded by Gareth Lock, who is passionate about diving and safety. He has a great deal of experience educating individuals and teams about the benefits of applying Human Factors to diving to make it safer and more enjoyable. I have lived and breathed Human Factors throughout my professional life in the military and when I came across The Human Diver website and Facebook page, it instantly resonated with me as something I wanted to be part of to improve my own diving as well as that of people diving with me. I started discussing some ideas with Gareth and am now part of The Human Diver instructor team.

Grey nurse sharks got Mike back into diving

Q: How will The Human Diver Programme benefit divers?

A: ‘Apply Human Factors, master the dive’ is The Human Diver’s core statement. Most accidents and incidents are not down to equipment failures or poor technical skills, they are down to things like complacency, communication breakdowns, lack of situation awareness, poor teamwork and/or leadership. These are all part of the world of Human Factors and The Human Diver offers courses, training and support that is focused on learning about and embracing Human Factors within the context of diving with the ultimate aim of making it safer. It doesn’t matter if you’re a brandnew Open Water student, you teach people to dive with rebreathers in caves or you’re somewhere in between, The Human Diver has something for you.

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I saw his pictures of these magnificent creatures and had to see them for myself - and have been diving regularly ever since!

Off on a boys dive trip

Mike and fiance Amanda

Q: What are your plans for The Human Diver here in Australia?

A: Currently, there are nine instructors globally who provide training for The Human Diver. I am the only one based in the Asia-Pacific region so have a fairly big catchment area!

My intention is to run the Level 1 webinar-based courses at a sensible time for our timezones and also the Level 2 face-to-face classes. I want to help people get more out of their diving and, as such, am totally happy to provide presentations to clubs or dive groups either online or in person. I can be contacted via The Human Diver website if anyone wants to get in touch.

Q: How are the skills from your current job in the RAAF transferable to The Human Diver?

A: One thing you realise when you study Human Factors

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is that they’re relevant to everything we do. Human behaviour is largely the same regardless of the context - we’re only human, after all! The world of aviation was probably the first industry to really explore why humans behave the way they do and how Human Factors are involved when things go wrong. It makes sense that aviation has done this given the potentially serious consequences of Human Error. I’ve been involved professionally with military aviation for over 20 years and, during my career, have done multiple courses focused on leadership, teamwork and Human Factors. I’m also a qualified flying instructor and experienced supervisor and have deployed multiple times on high-tempo exercises and operations all over the world. I believe that all my training and experience in military aviation makes me qualified to teach others about Human Factors as I’ve lived and breathed them for a long time. By combining that qualification from my professional life with my experience as an active diver and part time Dive Master, I think I offer a good level of credibility as an instructor for The Human Diver.

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

A: I’ve been lucky enough to have experienced a fair variety of diving in many different countries. To pick the mostmemorable moment is tough! Probably the most-memorable actual dive I’ve done was a night dive with manta rays in

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In the Silfra Rift in Iceland

When my buddy and I went down the shotline, we discovered that we’d missed the wreck and the shot was being dragged across the muddy sand. Vis wasn’t that good and it was pretty dark. I couldn’t really focus on anything Hawaii with my fiancé, Amanda. We were the last group in the water which meant that to start with, we were sat on the seabed about six to eight metres from the main source of action (lots of manta rays doing their feeding acrobatics).

However, as the other groups ran low on gas, our torches became the only source of light to illuminate the plankton and I actually had to move my torch out of the way to make sure the mantas didn’t swim into it! Absolutely awesome.

The most-memorable specific moment in diving was on the wreck of the Bianca C off the coast of Grenada. Up until that point, all the diving I’d done had been in water where I could see the seabed from the surface. This was my first proper dive into the deep blue. We rolled off the boat, got to the shotline, dumped all the air from our BCDs and down we went. The line stretched off into the abyss but the image of the wreck gradually coming into view was something I’ll never forget. As I mentioned earlier, the gradual emergence of a wreck is still something I really enjoy whenever I’m going down a shotline.

Wreck diving is one of Mike’s obsessions

Blue or green water, it doesn’t matter to Mike

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

A: Fortunately, there aren’t many of these to choose from. I was in Scotland a few years ago diving the wreck of the San Tiburcio, which lies in about 38m, although the top of the wreck is at about 25m. When my buddy and I went down the shotline, we discovered that we’d missed the wreck and the shot was being dragged across the muddy sand. Vis wasn’t that good and it was pretty dark. I couldn’t really focus on anything. I started to see stars in my eyes and began to panic that I might be about to pass out, which wouldn’t have been ideal at 38m! I quickly got my buddy’s attention and gave him the hand signal that I wasn’t ok.

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Mike on his closedcircuit rebreather

To be fair, there is a great deal of Australia that I am yet to explore in terms of diving but so far, the best dive site I’ve been to is Fish Rock, which is just off South West Rocks in NSW We made our way back up the line and I quickly felt back to normal. To this day I’m not sure exactly what caused the stars in my eyes. My equipment and gas were checked to be all ok. I think it was just because there was nothing for my eyes to focus on.

Now, when in similar conditions, I will regularly look at my computer or hand in front of my face to ‘recage’ my eyes and, so far, I’ve never experienced anything similar. It’s not a nice feeling thinking you might be about to pass out underwater.

some of the amazing wildlife both above and below the surface.

Q: Which international destinations are top of your wish list?

A: Chuuk Lagoon is probably at the top of the list. I’m working towards getting trimix qualified on my CCR and am very keen to get to Chuuk and explore the wrecks there. I did Scapa Flow (which was epic) when I lived in Scotland and I think Chuuk will be similar with the bonus of warmer water and better vis. Chuuk is also a lot more accessible now that I live in Australia!

A real mecca for deep CCR diving are the wrecks off Malin Head in Ireland. I have a long way to go in terms of technical training and experience before I can dive there with any degree of competence, but it is definitely on my bucket list.

I’d also like to visit the Galapagos Islands one day to see

Q: What does the future hold for Mike Mason?

A: There are a few things on my to-do list in the short to medium term. In no particular order: As mentioned, I’m looking to get qualified with trimix on my CCR. I’m saving up for my own boat that I can take offshore with mates to dive some of the deeper wrecks along the NSW coast. I would like to do more diving with Amanda and my stepdaughter but they aren’t too keen on cold water! I really want to build my reputation as an instructor with The Human Diver. In the long term, Amanda and I have a plan of buying our own yacht and spending a few years sailing around the world.

It would certainly be a good way of getting to isolated dive destinations… n

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Q: Where is your favourite place to dive in Australia?

A: To be fair, there is a great deal of Australia that I am yet to explore in terms of diving but so far, the best dive site I’ve been to is Fish Rock, which is just off South West Rocks in NSW. It has a huge variety of life - grey nurse sharks, wobbegongs, rays, turtles, lobster, inquisitive grouper, to name a few. Plus, the cave swim-through is really interesting.

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What makes a world-class dive site like Sipadan? Usually it is location, location, location – but nowadays protection is a big factor too. Diveplanit Travel’s Deborah Dickson-Smith explains what makes Sipadan so special

Diving Sipadan you will almost certainly encounter turtles resting, grazing and swimming, as well as a host of golden batfish, a tornado of barracuda, a valley of whitetip reefs sharks, and a herd of bumphead parrotfish

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Diving at Sipadan Island can be done throughout the year as there is no real low season. During the months of January to March, weather can sometimes be a bit unsettled, so divers can expect more currents during their dives.

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How Sipadan became world-renowned

Although far from the first to visit the island, the popularisation of Sipadan as one of the world’s premier diving spots will forever be associated with French marine explorer Jacques Cousteau.

Cousteau initially brought his team to the area in search of a mythical ‘scarlet octopus’ that was said to protect the islands. However, after conducting several dives in the area, Cousteau and his team soon realised the incredible richness and variety of the site.

Although the abundance of turtle eggs on the island and the common sightings of turtles in the sea may have hinted at the wonders of the aquatic world below, Sipadan was originally identified as a haven for birdlife.

One of Sipadan’s famed turtles

J

ust off the northeast coast of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo is Sipadan, an island made famous by the legendary Jacques Cousteau in his documentary Ghosts of the Sea Turtle in 1989 – ‘I have seen other places like Sipadan, 45 years ago, but now no more.

Now we have found an untouched piece of art’.

Sipadan is an oceanic island located off Sabah’s continental shelf in the Celebes Sea, the top of an extinct volcano rising 600m from the seafloor, fringed with a natural hard coral reef. The reef provides the lower links of a food chain which runs up through reef fish of all sizes from tiny damsels and basslets to pelagic fish including schools of barracuda and bumphead parrotfish, and larger pelagics such as hammerhead sharks that come cruising by from deeper waters in this ancient ocean basin. It also lies almost at the centre of the Coral Triangle, known for its massive marine biodiversity.

Just a few hundred metres across, it is also an ancient turtle-nesting ground supporting between 200-300 nesting turtles at any given time. Diving Sipadan you will almost certainly encounter turtles resting, grazing and swimming, as well as a host of golden batfish, a tornado of barracuda, a valley of whitetip reefs sharks, and a herd of bumphead parrotfish, very much akin to a herd of bison, which seem to be forever stampeding round and round the island.

Add to this the coral reefs and a plethora of larger reef fish like unicorns, surgeons and six bar angels and you’ll

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Vast shoal of jacks swarms above the reef

Locals live a simple life

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Anemonefish

Diver with whitetip reef shark

“I have seen other places like Sipadan, 45 years ago, but now no more. Now we have found an untouched piece of art” Jacques Cousteau know why even four dives a day is simply not enough.

Its location at the centre of the Coral Triangle does make it very special, but what keeps Sipadan extra special is the protection it is now afforded by the Malaysian Government.

In the years since its discovery by Jacque-Yves Cousteau in the late-1980s, dive tourism almost ruined Sipadan. There was once a dive resort on the island, as well as hordes of divers from surrounding resorts visiting it daily. But it all got too much and in 2004 a decision was made to close the resort and to limit the number of divers to just 120 per day. Now a permit system is in place, with each local dive operator given enough permits to fill just a small boat each day, and the places are allocated to dive guests on the basis of their stay’s duration. For example, you might stay five days at a resort and get two days diving Sipadan.

So, what happens on the other days, I hear you ask? Well, even without Sipadan, the east coast of Sabah is a great place to dive.

The two islands closest to Sipadan (just 30 minutes by boat), Mabul and Kapalai, sport a number of resorts and also

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many natural and artificial reefs. The artificial reefs are well worth a visit in themselves – some absurdly constructed as some sort of adventure playground that you might find in a monkey exhibit in a zoo rather than in an underwater setting (I guess it’s hard to ask a fish how they would like their artificial reefs designed). Either way, they do attract all manner of marine life.

Mabul is also famous for muck diving, home to several natural reefs with names like Froggy’s (where you might find frogfish), Ribbon Valley (ribbon eels!), Stingray City (you guessed it!), Eel Garden (another giveaway) and finally

How to book your holiday

For information on how to book a dive holiday to Malaysian Borneo and Sipadan, contact the experienced travel consultants at Diveplanit Travel.

Email: enquiries@diveplanit.com Phone: 1800 607 913 Diveplanit.com

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Top Tip: Remember to book well in advance (at least six months) to lock in your dive days on Sipadan

Jacks shoal near the surface Bumphead parrotfish

Lobster Wall (actually no! No lobster but lots of morays.)

Mabul and Kapalai are great islands to base yourself for easy access to Sipadan and great diving on their own fringing reefs. On Mabul you will find a range of resorts to suit most budgets, including Borneo Divers, Scuba Junkie, Mabul Water Bungalows, Sipadan Mabul Resort and on Kapalai, Sipadan Kapalai Resort.

There is also the Seaventures Dive Rig – a repurposed oil rig that stands in about 24m of water about 1km off Mabul. It is probably the only dive resort in the world where you take a lift down to the House Reef.

You don’t need to stay on Sipadan’s doorstep to dive there, other options to grab a couple of days on Sipadan are the mainland port of Semporna, and some of the luxury resorts on the islands just north of it. Obviously, the commute to Sipadan is longer, but the accommodation options are much wider in Semporna, especially at the budget end.

So yes, Sipadan is a very special place that will give you a very special dive experience and hopefully one that will stay that way for a long time. The whole area deserves a place high on everyone’s bucket list.

In terms of marine conservation, Sipadan is a success story. It shows you can stop the clock and even start to wind it back. But it requires bold decisions and commitment. n

In 2002, after decades disputing its ownership with Indonesia, Malaysia acquired sovereignty over Sipadan, and ordered resort operators to leave the island.

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ACTIONS S H OTS Mabul Island, Sabah

T

he first ones start to appear in early May, as the southern hemisphere autumn fades away and the winter months loom. Initially they just blend in with the abundant seagrass and, to the casual observer, there is little to indicate what will happen over the next three to four weeks…

But as June approaches and the water temperature drops below 17°C, things change rapidly as the full aggregation is triggered. And, by the middle of month, tens of thousands of Sepia apama will have gathered in the only known ‘dense aggregation’ of spawning cuttlefish in the world. One that has been called the ‘premier marine attraction on the planet’.

And this all happens just off from a rocky beach, in an area of about 1km², on the western side of South Australia’s Spencer Gulf. Various scientific studies indicate the ‘density’ in that small area can

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reach as high as one giant cuttlefish per one square metre!

It certainly is unique, and at a personal level, is probably my favourite marine animal aggregation in the world and this year was my sixth trip there. It is that special, after all… where else can you shore-dive in less than 8m of water with tens of thousands of incredibly photogenic creatures all completely focused on one single thing – sexual reproduction.

The giant Australian cuttlefish

Sepia apama is the world largest cuttlefish and when fully-grown can reach up to half a metre in total length and weigh in at up to 11kg. Solitary animals, they are found all around the coastline of southern Australia – from Central Queensland on the east coast, right around the bottom of the continent and up to Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia.

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They are truly fascinating creatures and have an amazing ability to instantaneously change their colour and skin texture - a skill they use to great effect as camouflage when they are hunting or being hunted, to communicate with other cuttlefish and as part of the amazing displays they use to great effect during the mating season. Giant Australian cuttlefish are also remarkably intelligent and are said to have the largest brains of all marine invertebrates.

Both male and female cuttlefish have relatively short life cycles of between one and two years and interestingly, Sepia apama are polymorphic…

Which means they

Scuba Diver Senior Travel Editor Don Silcock ventures off South Australia in search of breeding aggregations of giant Australian cuttlefish Photographs by Don Silcock have two alternate development cycles, with the first cycle using a ‘growth spurt’ over their initial seven to eight months to reach maturity by the end of their first summer and be ready to mate at the start of winter.

The second cycle involves much slower growth where they don’t reach maturity and mate until they are in their second and final year.

Although not scientifically proven, the most-probable reason for the alternate cycles is that it is nature’s way of hedging bets. So that if a catastrophic event occurs one year, there is a backup population that can still breed the following year.

They are truly fascinating creatures and have an amazing ability to instantaneously change their colour and skin texture - a skill they use to great effect as camouflage when they are hunting or being hunted

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Nature’s swingers…

Come winter, most of the cuttlefish abandon their solitary lifestyle and aggregate together to mate in small groups of up to ten individuals, with females greatly outnumbered by the males who have to compete for her attention.

Outside of the winter mating season the ratio of males to females is around 1:1. Why it changes so dramatically when they do mate is not known, but the end result is one of the reasons the Spencer Gulf aggregation is so spectacular.

The correct term for cuttlefish mating is polyandry – which means that each female cuttlefish will have multiple male partners to ensure better genetic variability of the species.

All of which makes sense from a somewhat dry scientific perspective. But when observed in practice with so many cuttlefish gathered together and the females outnumbered by as much 11 to one, it takes on a completely different dynamic. ‘Spectacularly promiscuous’ would probably better describe the almost-wanton behaviour!

Adding to that dynamic is the fact that those mature bull males in their second year of life will be dead by the end of the aggregation. Whether they know that is not clear, but they certainly act like they do!

I know you should never assign human characteristics to animals but, as a male who has much less time in front of me than is behind, I cannot help but to watch all this interaction with a deep sense of irony…

The cuttlefish are impressive creatures

…the young males take advantage of their similar size to the females and use the Cephalopod equivalent of cross-dressing by changing their displays to look like a female Cuttlefish mating dance

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In the midst of the action

completely ignore you! So fixated are they on the task in hand and dealing with the numerical imbalance between them and the females.

For the females, the somewhat-promiscuous nature of polyandry makes it all rather easy. They have their choice of the males and will often swap partners and engage in a ‘quickie’ with a new arrival!

Cuttlefish eggs

Immersion

Unless you are lucky enough to know someone locally with a boat, all dives with the cuttlefish are from the shore, which involves entering the water from the rocky beaches of the area. Typically, you will be in a drysuit, because of the cold water and long dive times - so fully weighted up... Add a big camera and the usual struggle to get your fins on can make it all a bit challenging. But once you are in the water, all is forgotten because within ten metres of entering you will see the first cuttlefish and by about 30 metres from shore you will feel that you have stumbled on the underwater version of Sodom and Gomorrah! Sepia apama seem to be everywhere and it quickly becomes very clear they all have the same thing on their minds…

Settle in, get comfortable and you will soon be drawn into what is evolving if front of you. For me, the most amazing thing about it all is the way the male cuttlefish almost

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Strategy and tactics – cuttlefish-style!

The intense competition created by up to 11 males chasing one female produces some wonderful strategies among the various cuttlefish. Being almost completely ignored, while able to observe and photograph it all so closely, is the really amazing thing about the annual aggregation.

For the older, fully mature, male cuttlefish – the bulls – their basic strategy is to impress with their size and ‘displays’. If it works and he has an interested female, the bull will try and keep her out of sight from all the other males which, when successful, makes the pair look like a bit like a happily married couple content in their own company.

But when other males do come calling, the bull has to judge the situation and respond in a way that intimidates the challenger and sends him on his way. That usually leads to both males engaging in quite spectacular ‘face-off’ displays of aggression, with rapid changes of colour and body movements that are believed to send specific messages.

These ‘bouts’ can go on for up to 20 minutes or so, but while they appear hostile and violent there is rarely any real physical contact.

Stony Point is the best entry point

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Love, cuttlefishstyle

Cuttlefish posing for a portrait

HMAS Whyalla is a land-locked museum ship

They have their choice of the males and will often swap partners and engage in a ‘quickie’ with a new arrival!

It seems to be more like a cross between shadow boxing with a bit of mild wrestling and I sometimes wonder if the real purpose is to impress the female!

Often the confrontation will attract other mature males who will make their presence felt but rarely enter the fray and it does seem like they are just trying to catch the female’s attention. All of which brings another wry smile to my face as my memory drifts back through time to my teenage years in the northwest of England, but the less said about that the better…

Where does it all happen?

The annual aggregation is concentrated along a 6km long stretch of the eastern Spencer Gulf generally called Point Lowly. However, because over a third of that area of the coast is occupied by a gas treatment plant and out of bounds, the 3kms between Black Point and Stony Point is where all the encounters take place.

The easiest access point is at Stony Point, which is usually referred to as the Fence Line because of the boundary fence to the gas plant. To make it all much easier for visiting divers, the local council have built a car park with a nice area to kit up and a very welcome toilet facility. They have also created a much safer pathway down into the water so there is much less chance of stumbling and falling.

The nearest town is Whyalla, which is a 25-minute

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drive to the south and has lots of options for food and accommodation. The local dive shop, Whyalla Diving Services, is very well equipped for tank rental and fills, plus anything else you might need. And the owner Tony Bramley has done a tremendous amount of work to raise the overall awareness of just how special the annual cuttlefish aggregation is.

Final words…

South Australia’s annual aggregation of giant Australian cuttlefish is truly unique… Being able to shore dive in about 8m of water with so many interesting, photogenic and totally committed creatures is really pretty special and something that will stay with you for a long time afterwards.

It happens at Point Lowly like it does because the substrate and sea grass provide the perfect place for the females to safely deposit their eggs. But cuttlefish are a valuable commodity and it’s not that long ago that greedy fishermen almost wiped out the aggregation. It now looks like the wheel has turned and the incredible value of so many wonderful creatures gathering has been finally been recognized!

Each year, more and more people come to Point Lowly to see the aggregation, which should keep the local and state governments engaged and protect the event.

Let’s hope so – it’s very special! n

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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 SCOUT | SRP: AUD$149.90 How we perceive the underwater world is largely determined by what we see, and the mask we use is therefore the most-important piece of equipment for most, if not all, scuba divers. Diving in caves is a different experience from snorkelling in tropical seas. Likewise, diving in lower visibility, temperate waters is different from the near-unlimited visibility of some blue water locations.

Fourth Element’s lens system in the Scout dive mask - the company’s first foray into diving hardware - is designed to deliver an optimised experience for different conditions when diving, whether for underwater photographers looking to maximise the light transmission, or wreck divers needing to enhance their perception of dimly lit surroundings.

The Scout is a single-lens frameless mask that has an angled profile to maximise the field of view, and a soft silicon skirt for optimized comfort and fit. It also comes with an elastic strap made from recycled materials.Building your Scout mask couldn’t be easier. Use the lens guide to choose the right lens to suit your dives, then use the online mask builder to preview and select the skirt and strap that creates the style you love. There are four lens to choose from: Shield – Anti-UV and Anti-Glare Inspired by the gold visors of NASA astronauts, the Shield lens provides UV protection and reduces glare, making it fully suited to tropical and warmer water environments for shallower diving and snorkelling in bright conditions. UVA and UVB radiation is reflected by the lens, reducing the exposure of the eye to potentially harmful rays.

Clarity – Pure clear lens Maximising the amount of transmitted light, without any tint from impurities in the glass, the Clarity is the ideal lens for night divers and photographers. It is also the perfect lens for teaching, allowing students and instructors to clearly see each other’s eyes. The Clarity lens is manufactured with the highest level of purity to deliver maximum visual acuity during a dive.

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Contrast – Anti-UV Filtering out some of the mid-range wavelengths of light in the visible spectrum, the Contrast lens has a green appearance. Particularly when diving in temperate (green) waters, images seen through the lens show and increase in contrast, accentuating brighter and darker areas, increasing the perception of visual acuity. The Contrast lens provides full UVA and UVB protection from harmful ultraviolet.

Enhance – Anti-UV, Anti-HEV Filtering ultraviolet and HEV (High Energy Visible) radiation, the Enhance lens is designed to protect the eye and enhance the visual experience. It is well known that UV has a damaging effect on the eye, but it has also been shown that HEV light can interfere with the lutein proteins in the eye and alter them, so filtering out this High Energy radiation can help to preserve optical health.

Then there is the mask strap to choose – there are various colour options of an elasticated strap that is made using rubber and recycled nylon, with clips made using recycled waste ABS plastic from the automotive industry.

The clips have also been designed so that they will fit most mask buckles. The Scout comes in a mask box that is designed to replace the plastic boxes that are supplied with so many masks. Low profile and protective, this case will protect the lens thanks to its cushioned half shell, without creating bulk, meaning it can fit in the foot pocket of most fins for convenient transport. www.fourthelement.com

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MARES POLYGON | SRP: AUD$1,099 The limited-edition Mares Polygon buoyancy system joins the elite range of Mares techreational diving product line, assisting divers to push their personal limits and be stylish at the same time.

Grab one of these limited-edition Mares Polygon designed backmount units, which weigh just 3.1kg, now before they disappear!

This complete limited-edition mounted set includes a 16-litre polygon single-tank donut, 3mm black aluminium backplate, 6mm silver aluminium D-rings, silver stainless steel waist strap buckle, standard webbing harness, inflator with metal buttons, two tank straps with silver aluminium buckles, and black flat-head bolt screws. www.mares.com

SEALIFE SEADRAGON 3000SF PRO DUAL BEAM | SRP: AUD$699 The compact SeaDragon 3000SF Pro Dual Beam PhotoVideo light has a large COB LED, delivering 3,000 lumens in an even 120° wide beam. The light offers an impressive 90 CRI (colour rendering index) with a proprietary COB LED array that replicates natural sunlight (A CRI of 100 would be just like natural sunlight). With a simple one-button push, the underwater photographer can switch from the wide 120° beam to a narrow 1,500 lumen 15° spot beam. For imaging, the spot beam offers many creative opportunities, such as to create a narrowly focused snoot or stage spotlight effect.

The narrow beam feature has a long effective range, making it useful to see in dark areas and discover hiding fish.

The SeaDragon Pro Dual Beam also offers two 180 lumen 88° red LEDs. Red light won’t affect your own eyes’ night vision or scare-off light-sensitive sea creatures, a simple push on the feature button shifts the light from red to the wide beam at 3,000 lumens. You are ready in an instant to capture still or video images. The feature control button easily switches to the most popular functions – 3,000 (Lumen) Flood > 1,500 Flood > 750 Flood > 1,500 Spot > 750 Spot > 180 RED Flood > Repeat.

The SeaDragon Pro Dual Beam light includes a Flex-Connect Single camera tray, Flex-Connect Grip, Sea Dragon EVA Travel case, adapter for GoPro cameras, Li-ion battery, AC Charger, and international plug adapters.

Part of the SeaDragon’s impressive performance is its powerful 25Wh 3400mAh Li-ion rechargeable battery pack, that runs the light for 60 minutes at full (3,000 lumen) power. The full Sealife range is exclusively distributed in Australia by underwater.com.au - dealer enquiries welcome. 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

SEIKO PROSPEX BLACK SERIES SRPH13K1 ‘MONSTER’ LIMITED-EDITION | SRP: AUD$825

Adrian Stacey: Seiko first began producing watches in 1881. Some 84 years later, in 1965, they launched the diver-specific Prospex range. Since then, Seiko has been synonymous with quality dive watches and has released a stunning array of timepieces. The watch I was asked to review was the SRPH13K1, also known by the somewhatcatchier name, the ‘Monster’. The Monster is part of the latest in the Black Series range of watches, which also includes the Samurai and the Tuna. Only 7,000 of the limited-edition Monster have been produced.

This reassuringly chunky watch feels solid, well-made and durable. The stainless-steel case is matt black and has been treated with a super-hard PUV coating. The dial, bezel and silicon strap are also matt black and have a feel of hardwearing quality about them. The hands, indexes and luminous bezel markings offer a stark contrast to the overall matt-black finish of the watch, making it easy to read and adding further credence to its nickname. Water-resistant to 200m, this watch is suitable for most recreational and even tech divers. Other features include a magnified date window and a screw-down

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crown, which is located in the 4 o’clock position instead of the more-traditional 3 o’clock position. Many Seiko watches adopt this position for the crown, and I must admit I prefer this configuration as it is less likely to get caught on straps when donning and removing dive equipment.

The Monster gained its nickname from the jagged angles of the bezel, which resemble the mouth of a monster. It is most definitely a striking watch and looks like it belongs on the wrist of a Navy SEAL or some other special forces operative. While I was most definitely not taking the Monster on a covert mission, it did perform admirably on my diving and snorkelling adventures at Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef.

A dive watch invariably takes a few knocks through the course of a day, and the Monster felt like it was more than capable of handling the rigours of life on a dive boat. A cyclone had passed close to the island a week or so earlier, and the usually crystal-clear waters of Heron Island were murkier than usual. However, I still found the watch easy to read and a good back-up timer to have.

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I was also pleased with how the watch performed while I was snorkelling in the shallow sandy waters surrounding the island. While trying to get some good shots of the turtles, sharks and rays that inhabit these waters, no sand got stuck between the bezel and the watch, and the Hardlex screen remained scratch-free.

This Seiko Prospex watch comes with an automatic mechanism. I found it kept the time very well, and I never needed to adjust it in the test period. I found the Monster pleasingly chunky, and I liked its rugged looks. The watch is comfortable to wear and easy to read, whatever the conditions - underwater, at night or in bright sunlight. With its distinctive and somewhat jagged look, this watch will not be to everyone’s taste. Still, if you are looking for a reliable, durable and aggressively stylish-looking divers’ watch, then the Monster is most definitely for you. www.seikowatches.com

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AUSTRALIA NEW SOUTH WALES

QUEENSLAND

DIVE EDEN

SOUTH WEST ROCKS DIVE CENTRE

LADY ELLIOT ISLAND ECO RESORT

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: +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

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

DIVE IMPORTS AUSTRALIA t: (+61) 24 367 5512 e: info@diveimportsaustralia.com.au a: Shop 5/188 The Entrance Road Erina 2250 Central Coast NSW The Only PADI 5 STAR IDC Centre in Central Coast and Closest Dive Shop to dive ex HMAS Adelaide which located at Terrigal. www.diveimportsaustralia.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

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

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

OCEAN HUT FISHING AND DIVE t: 02 4476 2278 e: darryl@oceanhut.net a: 23 Graham Street, Narooma, NSW, 2546 We are a PADI retail outlet for most diver requirements including hire and air fills. www.compleatanglernarooma.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

SCUBA WAREHOUSE t: 61 2 96891389 e: info@scubawarehouse.com.au a: 1/50 George Street, Clyde NSW 2142, Sydney We are a PADI 5-Star IDC centre that specialises in personal tuition courses and outfitting divers in all things scuba. www.scubawarehouse.com.au

SHELLHARBOUR SCUBA & PHOTOGRAPHY t: 02 4296 4266 e: info@shellharbourscuba.com.au a: 41 Addison Street, Shellharbour, NSW, 2529 Free guided shore diving at Bass Point reserve.

SDI/TDI scuba training. Dive photography & travel.

Retail Sales, hire & servicing. www.shellharbourscuba.com.au

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QUEENSLAND AQUA ADVENTURES PTY LTD t: 07 55917117 e: info@aquaadventures.com.au a: 95 Marine Parade, Southport QLD 4215 Padi 5 Star Instructor Development Centre, oldest and most experienced operating dive company on the Gold Coast. www.aquaadventures.com.au

BLUE DIVE PORT DOUGLAS t: 0427 983 907 e: info@bluedive.com.au a: Port Douglas – Please call 0427 983 907.

Superb private guided dives on the best Agincourt Reefs. Private multi-day dive charters. www.bluedive.com.au

BUNDABERG AQUA SCUBA 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

KPT DIVING & MARINE SERVICES t: 07 4783 1519 e: info@yongaladive.com.au a: 36 Braby Street, Alva, QLD, 4807 We provide unique trips, including a beach launch & a fast, exhilarating ride to the dive site! www.yongaladive.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 IQ t: +61 (0)404964878 e: info@scubaiq.com.au a: PO Box 588, Port Douglas, QLD 4877 PADI & TDI/SDI Dive operator. Courses for all levels – Guided Diving – Liveaboards to the Ribbon Reefs, Coral Sea + more. www.scubaiq.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

SUNREEF t: 07 5444 5656 e: info@sunreef.com.au a: 11-12/123 Parkyn Parade, Mooloolaba, QLD, 4557 World class dive sites & first class service. Dive the HMAS Brisbane Wreck, Stunning Flinders Reef or Swim With Whales! www.sunreef.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

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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

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 BATAVIA COAST DIVE & WATERSPORTS t: 08 99214229 e: info@bcda.com.au a: Batavia Coast Dive, 118 Northwest Coastal HWY, Geraldton, WA 6530 We are a PADI 5 Star dive centre and THE local experts when it comes to oceanic adventures. www.bataviacoastdive.com.au

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

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VICTORIA EXTREME WATERSPORT t: 03 5982 3432 e: info@extremewatersport.com.au a: 621/1623 Point Nepean Rd, Capel Sound, VIC 3940 Full sales, equipment servicing, training, rental, and Air fill services available onsite. On the water of below it you can’t go past Extreme Watersport! www.extremewatersport.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

OCEAN DIVERS t: 03 9579 2600 e: info@oceandivers.com.au a: 223a East Boundary Road, Bentleigh East Ocean Divers is a PADI Five Star Instructor Development Centre and a Scubapro Platinum Dealer. www.oceandivers.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

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

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

AUCKLAND 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

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

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

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

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NEW ZEALAND 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

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

WAIKATO

SOUTHLAND

DIVE ZONE WHITIANGA

DESCEND NZ – MILFORD SOUND

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

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

TAURANGA

WELLINGTON

DIVE ZONE TAURANGA

DIVE WELLINGTON

t: 0064 7578 4050 e: info@divezonetauranga.co.nz a: 1213 Cameron Rd, Tauranga, New Zealand Join our friendly crew for a great day out exploring the dive sites of the Bay of Plenty, you will be well looked after onboard our comfortable Dive Boat Ruku Moana. www.divezonetauranga.co.nz

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

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DESERVE A SPOT ON THE TOP 10 GREATEST WRECKS?

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DON SILCOCK GOES IN SEARCH OF GREY NURSE SHARKS THE PHILIPPINES

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

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JUST JETTIES

WHY VICTORIA’S PIERS ARE THE CHALLENGES OF A HAVEN FOR BOTH PHOTOGRAMMETRY WORLD’S BEST? TECH: SILENT DIVING DOES THE SS YONGALA DIVERS AND FISHWHY YOU SHOULD ON THE TRUK WRECKS DO A

GET INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT THAT IS HELPING SAVE THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

DAN COLUMN

UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY

CONSERVATION

ISSUE #41

ISSUE #42

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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 takes care of all the planning so you just need to book & show up.

WE’VE GOT TRIPS PLANNED TO:

STRADBROKE ISLAND

COOK ISLAND

WRECK OF THE MARIETTA DAL & SMITHS ROCK

GOTHAM CITY

FLINDERS REEF

CEMENTCO WRECK

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

FREEDIVING COURSE Learn to dive on one breath and move freely beneath the waves with Australia’s premier freediving training centre.

OUR LEVEL 1 FREEDIVING COURSE CONSISTS OF 3 MAIN COMPONENTS: 1) Knowledge development and theory 2) Pool sessions and training techniques 3) Open water sessions On completing the course, you will have the skills and knowledge to freedive to depths between 10 and 20 metres, in the most relaxed and safest manner possible.

Courses available from Brisbane, Sydney, Gold Coast, Perth and Melbourne megastores.

CONTACT TAYLOR@ADRENO.COM.AU TO SECURE YOUR SPOT OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE VIA THE QR CODE TO LEARN MORE.

Successful coral farming in Fiji

R

eef Explorer Fiji is a Fijian-owned and operated research and development company established in 2006 to support community-based resource management and marine conservation efforts in Fiji.

They primarily work with local communities and other stakeholders along Fiji’s Coral Coast to reduce and mitigate for local impacts to coral reefs so that the reef ecosystem can be as productive and as resilient as possible given increasing impacts from global climate change. They do this primarily by:

1

Assisting communities to develop, implement, evaluate, and revise their marine resource management plans.

2

Building local management capacity by conducting educational programmes with local communities and stakeholders so that they can better understanding management issues and strategies employed to address them.

3

Assisting communities with the development of nonextractive uses of marine resources and development of terrestrial resources that allow them generate income and derive economic benefits with minimal impact to the reef ecosystem.

Corals are the keystone species of tropical reefs and also the research focus of Reef Explorer Fiji’s founder, Victor Bonito, thus many of their programmes focus on corals.

Currently, key focal areas of their collaborative research include revising Fijian coral taxonomy, better understanding heat tolerance in corals, and examining interactions between corals and algae. The development of coral restoration efforts is one of the activities that Reef Explorer has been assisting district villages with since 2006.

This initiative began largely as an educational and economic tool but has evolved to become an integral and growing part of management activities, particularly as a climate change adaptation strategy. In 2016, Reef Explorer established a coral nursery in partnership with Diveaway Fiji at their Big Foot dive site.

The nursery was damaged during a recent cyclone but will soon be re-established. Currently Reef Explorer maintains four coral nursery sites along the Coral Coast where 10,000+ corals are propagated and transplanted back onto the reef each year. You can learn more about their coral restoration efforts here: www.reefresilience.org Reef Explorer also conducts a range of ecotourism activities for both tourists and study abroad student programmes to help generate financial support for their coral restoration and marine management activities while providing economic benefits to local communities.

These activities include guided snorkelling tours of the coral nurseries and restoration sites, custom marine education programmes for families or small groups, as well as village homestay programmes. n

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