Scuba Diver ANZ #28

Q&A: WAYNE B BROWN

SUDAN ODYSSEY

GEAR GUIDE: MASKS

WE CHAT TO AGGRESSOR ADVENTURES CEO ABOUT LIVEABOARD LIFE

EXPLORING THE REMNANTS OF COUSTEAU’S PRECONTINENT II EXPERIMENT

THE TEST TEAM RATE AND REVIEW A RANGE OF DIVING MASKS

DISCOVERING WHERE SMALL THINGS ROAM IN THE PHILIPPINES

Over the

RAINBOW

Exploring New Zealand’s Rainbow Warrior wreck

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF ADRIAN STACEY HEADS OUT ON A DAYBOAT TO THE ICONIC REEF

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West New Brit

E R O H S A THINGR THE REMOTE REACH FO

ADVENTURE ACROSS REMOTE ISLANDS As the world starts to slowly reopen, and as travellers make more conscious decisions about where they want to travel to next, we pose the following question – how about travelling to Australia’s closest neighbour, a mere 150km to the north of Cape York?

Remote natural beauty and rich diverse culture abounds right on your doorstep. Have you added Papua New Guinea to your 2021 bucket list yet?

Find your remote at www.papuanewguinea.travel

EDITOR’S NOTE CHECKING OUT THE LOCAL DIVE HOTSPOTS

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

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Mark Evans Email: mark.evans@scubadivermag.com

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

CONTRIBUTORS

In the COVID era, I think that it is important to look for the silver lining. So, although at the time of writing this editorial, Europe is once again going into lockdown, and the USA, like many other countries in the world, are far from finished with their troubles, it does look like our small corner of the planet is tentatively moving in the right direction.

Victoria is once again coming out of lockdown, as it appears to be winning the battle against the spread of the virus. Queensland is beginning to ease its border restrictions with our NSW neighbours. Also, flights from New Zealand are again allowed into Australia. There is positive talk of travel between some of the Pacific and Asian nations that have fared well in their battle with the pandemic. Many of these nations have had very few, if any, cases. They have, however, been crippled by the lack of tourists on which their economies rely. For them, the sooner the borders open, the better.

As we come into summer, more people are looking visit the scuba hotspots around this glorious country that we call home, and it is fair to say that we are spoiled for choice when it comes to our favourite pastime. I am visiting the diving mecca of Cairns, and over the next couple of issues we will be taking a look at how this once-vibrant town has coped with COVID-19.

New Zealand is home to many magnificent wrecks, but perhaps one of its most-famous is the Rainbow Warrior.

In this issue we find out more about this historic wreck.

Further afield we take an in-depth look at blackwater diving in Anilao, Philippines, with the master of this dark art, Mike Bartick, while for those dreaming of destinations even further away, Nicolas and Lena Remy take us on an unforgettable journey to Sudan to visit the country’s impressive reefs and wrecks.

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

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

Martyn Guess, Nicolas and Lena Remy, Luke Colmer.

Paul Lees Editorial Manager (Southeast Asia) Email: paul@scubadivermag.com

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MAGAZINE

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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.

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Q&A: WAYNE B BROWN

SUDAN ODYSSEY

GEAR GUIDE: MASKS

WE CHAT TO AGGRESSOR ADVENTURES CEO ABOUT LIVEABOARD LIFE

EXPLORING THE REMNANTS OF COUSTEAU’S PRECONTINENT II EXPERIMENT

THE TEST TEAM RATE AND REVIEW A RANGE OF DIVING MASKS

ON THE COVER

DISCOVERING WHERE SMALL THINGS ROAM IN THE PHILIPPINES

Over the

RAINBOW

Exploring New Zealand’s Rainbow Warrior wreck

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF ADRIAN STACEY HEADS OUT ON A DAYBOAT TO THE ICONIC REEF

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‣ CONSERVATION ‣ UW PHOTOGRAPHY

#28 | $1 DONATION

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IMAGE COURTESY OF: MIKE BARTICK

REGULAR COLUMNS

FEATURES...

8 News

18 Australia

Reef and beach clean-up mission in Malaysia, hat-trick of awards for Bunaken Oasis, jellyfish as a food source, epic reef survey in Palau, a fresh new way to test cylinders, 2021 calendar from Blue O Two, SSI celebrates its 50th anniversary, the Sir David Attenborough sets off on its sea trials, a tragic shark attack in Egypt, and renewal deals from PADI to help cope with COVID-19.

16 Medical Q&A

The experts at Divers Alert Network Asia-Pacific discuss burst eardrums, seasickness and dealing with DCI.

66 Conservation Corner

Conservation projects in and around Australia, New Zealand and SE Asia - this issue, turtle conservation at Lissenung Island Resort, PNG.

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In the first of a two-part feature, Australia and New Zealand Editor-atLarge Adrian Stacey heads north to Cairns to see for himself how the tourist hotspot has coped with the COVID-19 pandemic, and goes out on dayboats to the Great Barrier Reef to see how the iconic structure is holding out against climate change.

26 The Philippines

Acclaimed underwater photographer Mike Bartick takes us on a trip into the darkness, as he waxes lyrical about the attraction - and challenges of shooting photographs while blackwater diving.

32 Q&A: Wayne B Brown

We chat to Aggressor Adventures CEO Wayne B Brown about the pressures of running a fleet of luxury liveaboards around the planet, the reasons behind the addition of land-based operations and river cruises, and his love of underwater photography.

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CONTENTS

...CONTINUED

GEAR GUIDE

36 Underwater Photography

54 What’s New

Underwater photography guru Martyn Guess offers some hints and advice on the best ways to capture grey seals on camera, tips which also work well with seal lions and fur seals.

40 New Zealand

Luke Colmer explores the iconic Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior, which gained international notoriety when it was first sunk in 1985 by French agents, and is now an artificial reef teeming with life.

46 Divers Alert Network

This month, the DAN column looks at a diver who experienced symptoms that could have been due to DCI, dehydration or a cardiovascular event.

48 Sudan

Nicolas and Lena Remy head into the Sudanese Red Sea to explore the remnants of Cousteau’s Precontinent II experiment, the Umbria shipwreck, and go in search of hammerheads.

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Round-up of new products, including the Mares Avanit HC Pro full-foot fin, Fourth Element’s latest collection of apres-dive wear, the Dive Pro S40 hand-held dive light, Sea Life’s Sport Diver housing for the iPhone range, and the Garmin Descent MK2i dive computer.

56 Group Test

This issue Editor-in-Chief Mark Evans and the test team rate and review a range of dive masks priced under $150.

59 Test Extra

Editor-at-Large (Australia and New Zealand) Adrian Stacey reviews the Ocean Pro Corsair BCD, and a Prescription Dive mask and lenses.

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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

BACK TO WORK WITH

CONSERVATION ‘Back To Work With Conservation’ is a fundraising initiative that helps get local people in Malaysia back to work, saves marine life and cleans up ocean trash PHOTOGRAPHS BY RICHARD SWANN OF DOWNBELOW MARINE & WILDLIFE ADVENTURES

C

reated by Downbelow Marine & Wildlife Adventures S/B, a PADI five-star IDC Career Development Centre and travel company based in Sabah, Borneo, to help raise much-needed funds for conservation work that was previously funded by travel sales revenue. The concept is a win/win for the environment and the community.

Since 2004, Downbelow Marine & Wildlife Adventures have used company profits and resources to fight the evergrowing problem of ocean trash through beach clean-ups and underwater gill net removals. To date, they have educated over 3,000 people to become torchbearers in reducing plastic waste, collected more than three tons of ocean trash, removed more than 400 abandoned gill nets snagged on coral reefs, and saved thousands of marine lives that would have otherwise perished.

The COVID-19 pandemic has bought worldwide travel to its knees. Malaysian borders have been closed and will remain closed until 2021. Currently the dive centre operates with only local divers, at weekends and one or two extra days of the week. Not being out diving everyday with several boats of divers means they are not finding the gill nets quickly enough and they don’t have the revenue to conduct non-profit charitable work to the same degree as pre-COVID. The objective of the appeal is to raise enough funds to complete several projects over the next few months.

WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS PROJECT?

Twenty five workers and their families, plus their extended families. Local families usually have one main income earner with many generations of families living in the same household. There has been some government support during COVID-19 but people are already struggling. Raising money for these conservation projects means the local team have work

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on the conservation days which will help substitute the loss of full-time income.

Marine life such as turtles, sharks, coral reef fish and crustaceans will benefit. A rogue fishing net, colloquially termed ‘ghost nets’ because it continually fishes even after being discarded, can be up to 100 metres long and 30 metres wide. While they are left on the reef, unsuspecting marine life gets snagged in them, struggle for their freedom and often larger fish will feel the vibrations of the injured creature and become snagged themselves - and the devastation continues.

Everything from crabs, clownfish, snapper, turtles and sharks entangle in the net, often still alive and waiting to be saved. If the ghost net is not removed, it will smother the living coral and the coral will also die.

Beaches, mangroves and coral reefs will also benefit. Beach clean ups are a routine job for the island team. Sadly, ocean trash is an increasing problem worldwide, the plastic tide is seen daily. More than eight million tonnes of plastic is thrown away each year and washed out to sea. It takes centuries to

break down. It’s eaten by marine creatures and it’s in our food chain. Scientists can’t say how dangerous plastic is to human health, but it’s clear the effect on wildlife is devastating. Fish, whales, dolphins… hundreds of species have eaten plastic.

Prior to COVID-19, Downbelow Marine & Wildlife Adventures conducted regular ‘Beach & Underwater Clean-ups’, inviting the local community to take part - the conservation days were educational, encouraging people to become ‘Ocean Heroes’ and torchbearers by reducing their own waste products.

HOW ARE THE FUNDS BEING USED?

Historically the team conducted one Ghost Net Search & Recovery and one Beach & Underwater Clean Up per week at an approximate cost of MYR 5,150 per week.

So far the appeal has raised enough money to complete two projects, which is fantastic and both projects have been uploaded to the company’s YouTube channel. Company Director Joanne Swann has also set up a fundraising page which is regularly updated.

What’s great about this fundraiser is supporters can be virtually involved and see for themselves the project being completed. Every project is documented and supporters can share the results of their support on their own social media.

Companies can support an entire project as part of their own CSR commitment.

To get the latest news on the project status and to donate, visit: www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-get-back-to-work-with-conservation

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HAT-TRICK FOR BUNAKEN OASIS AT WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS Bunaken Oasis, the award-winning destination on Bunaken Island, North Sulawesi, was recognised as Indonesia’s Leading Dive Resort for the third consecutive year at the World Travel Awards 2020.

The World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. Today, the World Travel Awards brand is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence.

For a resort that opened just four years ago, winning the World Travel Awards three times in a row is an incredible achievement.

Under normal circumstances, the gala dinner to announce the winners is a grand ceremony in a five-star hotel, attended by hundreds of people. This year, however, with the travel and hospitality sector having been so badly hit by the pandemic, the ceremony has been refashioned to an online platform.

With the World Travel Awards being recognised globally as the travel industry’s ultimate hallmark of quality, owners Elaine and Simon Wallace are thrilled to have won for the third year in succession.

Bunaken Oasis Dive & Spa Resort is situated on Liang Beach on the edge of Bunaken’s National Marine Park, which is an underwater paradise for divers and snorkellers alike.

The luxurious resort prides itself on being an ecotourism destination, with a zero single-use plastic policy, and are proud in the extensive infrastructure that they’ve installed to minimise impact on the environment, and to enhance the island and wider Bunaken National Marine Park.

Offering 12 sumptuous cottages, all with spectacular ocean views and a long list of amenities, including beautiful traditionally handcrafted four-poster beds and organic shower products, as well as the latest in-room tablets and coffee makers, it is no surprise that Bunaken Oasis has been recognised as leading the way. www.bunakenoasis.com

JELLYFISH – THE ULTIMATE SUSTAINABLE FOOD SOURCE? Researchers at the University of Queensland have offered up jellyfish as the ultimate sustainable food source, taking pressure off threatened fish stocks.

During studies, the team discovered that some 92 endangered and 11 critically endangered species of seafood were caught around the world – and that some were served up to diners merely classed as ‘fish’, ‘flake’, or ‘cod’.

Senior research fellow Dr Carissa Klein explained that Australia’s food labelling laws allowed restaurants and take-away food outlets not to specify the type of fish you were buying when getting fish and chips, which she said was wrong. “If you were eating meat, you wouldn’t just order ‘meat’, it would be beef or chicken.” she said.

Now according to Professor Kylie Pitt from Griffith University’s School of Environment and Science, one sustainable option is jellyfish – or in particular, blue blubber jellyfish, which wash up on beaches across Southeast Queensland – which are fat-free, protein-rich and ‘really slimming’.

Marine biologist Lisa-Ann Gershwin said that people had been eating jellyfish for thousands of years, and in some countries it was considered a luxury. However, it was the nutritional value that made them stand out. Dr Gershwin explained: “They are a really slimming diet food. They only have about 36 calories in a 75g serving.”

The downside to jellyfish as a food source? Dr Gershwin said that the jellyfish have a surprising texture, like a cross between cucumbers and rubber bands, and that ‘she did not care for it’.

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YAP

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DOMINICA

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PALAU CORAL REEFS A JEWEL OF THE OCEAN © Keith Ellenbogen/iLCP

international team of scientists and local experts spent nearly a month at sea surveying coral reefs in ten states across the country. Working together, they conducted over 1,800 standardized surveys of the benthic and fish communities on coral reefs in Palau.

They found Palau’s coral communities to be in excellent condition compared to other reefs in the region. The average live coral cover recorded in Palau was over 45 percent and reached 60 or © Keith Ellenbogen/iLCP 70 percent in some marine protected areas. This coral cover is very high, even among the world’s The latest report from the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans best coral reefs.

Foundation finds Palau’s reefs had the highest coral cover “Palau’s coral cover is truly exceptional,” said Alexandra observed on the Global Reef Expedition - the largest coral reef Dempsey, the Director of Science Management at KSLOF and survey and mapping expedition in history. one of the report’s authors. “It indicates a robust benthic coral Scientists at the Khaled bin Sultan Living reef community with high coral cover and species diversity.”

Oceans Foundation (KSLOF) have released their findings These coral reefs have likely benefited from Palau’s efforts on the state of coral reefs in Palau. Their research, based on to conserve their natural marine heritage. Palau has a long extensive underwater surveys, found Palau’s reefs had the history of marine conservation. Key is the traditional policy of highest live coral cover of all the reefs studied on the Global ‘bul’ - a moratorium on catching particular species or fishing Reef Expedition, a scientific research mission to assess the on certain reefs to protect habitats that are critical to the health and resiliency of coral reefs around the world. community’s food security. Conservation of the country’s reefs Published in October, the Global Reef Expedition: The was further boosted in 2015 by the establishment of the Palau Republic of Palau Final Report summarizes the Foundation’s National Marine Sanctuary, which delivered one of the world’s research on the status of coral reefs and reef fish in this largest protected areas of ocean. island nation and provides conservation recommendations “Unsurprisingly, this long-term commitment to marine that can help preserve these outstanding coral reefs for conservation has delivered some of the most-vibrant reefs the generations to come.

Foundation encountered on its Global Reef Expedition,” said Over the course of five years, KSLOF’s Global Reef Dr Sam Purkis, KSLOF’s Chief Scientist as well as Professor Expedition circumnavigated the globe collecting valuable and Chair of the Department of Marine Geosciences at baseline data on coral reefs to address the coral reef crisis. the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and In 2015, the Global Reef Expedition came to Palau, where an Atmospheric Science. “Given that Palau’s efforts are yielding tangible conservation results, the country might serve as a role model to other countries in the South Pacific and beyond.”

Although several years have passed since the expedition, data from this research mission will be critical for monitoring changes to the reefs over time and help managers identify priority sites for conservation action. The Living Oceans Foundation has shared copies of the report with government officials, conservation organizations, and marine managers so that these findings can aid in ongoing coral reef conservation and management efforts in Palau.

Copies of the report are available at: www.livingoceansfoundation.org © Keith Ellenbogen/iLCP

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CYLINDERBOSS COMES TO AUSTRALIA

Easy, paperless cylinder inspections

CylinderBoss is a paperless productivity app designed by and built for cylinder testing stations and dive stores. Running on Mobile and Desktop, it helps save time and improve customer service by reducing manual data entry and automating repetitive tasks.

The CylinderBoss App was developed out of frustration for the paper-based test sheets that were being used in New Zealand and were time-consuming to fill in. What started life as a simple digital replacement for the hand-written carbon copy test certificates, developed into a fully integrated cylinder testing tool that takes care of the test certificates as well as communication with clients, and data integration with other systems such as EVE or Xero.

After a quick demonstration of the system, well-known Sydney dive shop owner Dennis McHugh of Frog Dive concluded: “You’d have to be stupid not to use it”. Dennis offered to help develop the Australian version and provided invaluable input about the subtle differences between the two neighbours. Frog Dive went live with CylinderBoss in February 2020 and has since completed hundreds of cylinder inspections with CylinderBoss.

Benefits for Cylinder Test Stations •Reduce admin overheads •Digital archive of cylinder

inspections •Automated notifications and reminders for clients •Increase customer service

Benefits for cylinder owners • Receive reminders about upcoming test dates • Receive electronic test report as soon as inspection was completed • Receive safety alerts about discovered safety issues with a cylinder type • Browse the inspection history for any cylinder • Browse safety alerts and notifications Benefits for cylinder test stations • Reduced administrative overheads • Digital, searchable archive of cylinder inspections • Increase through traffic of cylinders with pick-up reminders • Automated reminders to clients when cylinder inspection is due • Avoid accidental testing of withdrawn cylinders • Avoid duplicate data entry • Import and export data from/to your in-house software • Increased service levels Test stations can check out the app and start a free 15-day trial at www.cylinderboss.com. There they will find instructions and videos on how to get set up and start using CylinderBoss.

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Scan to start your free 15 day trial

info@cylinderboss.com

CylinderBoss.com Untitled-1 1

27/10/2020 13:33

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SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH EMBARKS ON SEA TRIALS The impressive polar ship Sir David Attenborough has left its Birkenhead, UK, shipyard and embarked on a series of sea trials.

The mighty AUD$360 million vessel – which was going to be called Boaty McBoatface after a public vote, before sensibly being named after the great TV naturalist – left Cammell Laird’s wet dock on 21 October, but only ventured a short distance, to the cruise ship dock in Liverpool.

A couple of days later, the 129-metre-long, 15,000-ton Attenborough – which has taken four years to construct – sailed across the coast of North Wales to the port of Holyhead, on Anglesey, which will be its home base for the next couple of months as it goes through a series of stringent tests.

Engineers need to give all of the equipment and systems on board a thorough shakedown before it can head off to the Arctic and Antarctic to work with scientists.

The Sir David Attenborough is the largest commercial ship built in the UK in 30 years. Cammell Laird’s David McGinley said: “The RRS Sir David Attenborough is the single biggest and most-ambitious build in the history of Cammell Laird, and it’s an incredibly proud moment to see her embark on sea trials.”

BLUE O TWO ANNOUNCE DIVING LIFE WINNERS Blue O Two has announced the winners of its firstever Diving Life photography competition. The Diving Life competition showcases the best amateur scubadiving photography from around the world.

The overall winner received a liveaboard trip to Egypt, the title of ‘Diving Life Photographer of the Year 2020’ along with an assortment of Blue O Two goodies. All category winners received a copy of their photograph printed on canvas, a copy of the calendar and a selection of branded goodies.

And finally the runners up had their image printed in the calendar, and received a copy to keep for themselves.

A spokesperson for Blue O Two said: “We hope you are ready to be blown away – because we truly have been! We would like to thank everyone who entered. Especially during these strange times, seeing every image has really given us a boost and reminded us just how beautiful the world is.

“We would also like to extend a special thanks to Dr Alex Mustard MBE, who judged the competition for us. Without

further ado, we’ll let him announce the overall winner…”

Alex Mustard said: “Special congratulations to the overall winner, Masayuki Agawa, from the USA, whose white-knuckle image Hammer River will immediately transport anyone who has dived with hammerheads in the East Pacific back to those dives.”

SSI CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Scuba Schools International is offering a free online course to its members about the history of diving.

The course is available to anyone with a MySSI. com account, and shows how the sport has evolved over time, from the growth of certification cards in the 1970s, to the explosion of the industry in the 1980s as the sport became much more mainstream, through the halcyon days of the early 1990s and into the future. www.divessi.com/en-IC/highlights/50years/

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TRAGIC SHARK ATTACK IN EGYPT A tragic shark attack in the Egyptian Red Sea at the end of October saw a 12-year-old boy lose an arm and a local tour guide lose a leg.

The incident happened in the popular Ras Mohammed National Park, off the tip of the Sinai Peninsula to the south of tourist hotspot Sharm el Sheikh.

A Ukrainian mother and son were snorkelling with an Egyptian guide when the attack took place. It is suspected that the attack was carried out by a two-metre oceanic whitetip shark. The area of the marine park was closed off.

A statement from the Egyptian Environment Ministry said ‘the minister has decided to suspend all human activities in the vicinity of the attack in accordance to present global practice in shark attacks on humans’.

The ministry also said that video footage captured underwater at the attack location showed the shark had been acting abnormally and had been hostile towards humans. Thankfully, shark attacks globally are very rare, and there have been few such incidents in the Red Sea. When there have, there have often been exacerbating circumstances, such as feeding.

The oceanic whitetip shark is one of the most-majestic sharks in the ocean, and is one of the species most sought after by divers, as its inquisitive nature will mean it will approach quite closely, allowing them to get phenomenal images, such as this shot from underwater photographer Dray van Beeck.

Barefoot luxury in the heart of Indonesia

PADI OFFERS COVID-19 RELIEF RENEWAL PLAN PADI is offering a 2021 COVID relief membership renewal plan to best help PADI members overcome the unique hardships they are currently facing as they move into the year ahead.

“In these unprecedented times when diving activity is down, providing needed relief and unsurpassed support to loyal PADI Members is job one,” says Drew Richardson, President and CEO of PADI Worldwide. “The PADI staff and I understand that every member’s story differs across 182 countries, and we are listening and adapting to demonstrate solidarity and togetherness as we go forward into recovery.”

PADI is extending various COVID relief options for 2021 PADI Membership renewal, and all existing benefits, services and support PADI Members have come to expect are in place and upheld. www.padi.com

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Bunaken National Marine Park w w w.s i l a d e n.c o m

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MEDICAL Q&A New South Wales Abyss Scuba Diving

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Perth Scuba

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Southcoast Diving Supplies

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PARTNERS 16

The Divers Alert Network (DAN) is the diving industry’s largest association dedicated to scuba-diving safety. Serving divers for more than 30 years, DAN provides emergency assistance, medical information sources, educational opportunities and more. www.danap.org

FROM THE DAN MEDICAL LINE DAN® medical information specialists and researchers answer your dive medicine questions DIVING AND SEASICKNESS

Q: Every time we go on diving trips, my girlfriend has to take anti-seasickness pills to avoid vomiting during boat rides. These pills cause drowsiness and I was wondering if it is safe to dive under such conditions? Most doctors in clinics tell me that she should avoid heavy work because she is feeling drowsy. Is it dangerous to go diving when feeling drowsy? If not, what are other options available to present seasickness?

A: Seasickness is a great menace, especially for scuba divers. Diving demands a clear head and feeling nauseous in the water is distracting and unsettling.

Vomiting causes dehydration, which increases fatigue and the risk of decompression illness. Vomiting in the water with a regulator in the mouth can result in blockage of the regulator, inhalation of water and anxiety, which can lead to panic. It is advisable not to go diving if suffering seasickness.

To avoid seasickness I recommend taking promethazine, a sedating antihistamine, the night before diving. Its anti-nausea effects last longer than the sedative effect. On the morning of diving, I then recommend taking hyoscine an hour before going out on the boat. This is generally well-tolerated but can cause drowsiness, dry mouth and blurred vision. It is important for each diver to trial these medications well before going on a diving trip to ensure that one’s individual reaction is not excessive.

Any diver using these medications should avoid deeper diving as such medications can enhance the effects of nitrogen narcosis. It is important to be aware of this, and ascend to shallower depths if narcosis becomes apparent.

BURST / PERFORATED EAR DRUMS

Q: Do burst or perforated ear drums heal?

A: Yes. Burst eardrums usually heal within a few weeks although in severe cases surgery could be required to repair a badly damaged eardrum. The diver should have the ear checked by a doctor before returning to diving.

CARING FOR A DIVER WITH DCI

Q: Should you keep a diver suffering DCI warm or cold?

A: A diver suffering from DCI should be kept at a comfortable temperature. Divers should avoid having hot showers soon after diving as the heat can cause nitrogen to be eliminated more rapidly and occasionally can precipitate DCI. The studies dealing with survival in cold temperatures are unrelated to DCI management.

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PART ONE

In the first of a two-part article, Adrian Stacey heads north to Cairns to find out for himself how the dive tourism hotspot is coping with COVID-19 PHOTOGRAPHS BY ADRIAN STACEY

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My first outing to the reef was on board the superb Passions of Paradise, and I have to admit that the quality of the day diving surprised me a little bit. I thought the reefs that were in reach of the day boats would not be in a very good condition

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Sweetlips sheltering under table coral

Pristine patches of hard corals await

T

he city of Cairns is synonymous with the Great Barrier Reef and as such, this beautiful tropical destination relies heavily on tourism. So, it is no surprise to hear that this regional city in Northern Queensland has felt the impact of COVID-19 more than most.

A recent survey showed that nine out of ten businesses had been adversely affected by the effects of the pandemic, and the region expects to take a $1 billion hit this year alone. Once a thriving city, it was reduced to a ghost town in the months after international and state borders closed, decimated by the lack of tourists.

Even before the pandemic, Cairns had to contend with a reputation, rightly or wrongly, as a rowdy mecca for backpackers, as a poor-quality dive factory, and for being a little on the expensive side. Plus, a considerable amount of negative publicity about coral bleaching on its most-prized asset, the Great Barrier Reef. So, when the opportunity arose for me to visit the beleaguered city, I was curious to see how businesses were coping with the ongoing struggle against COVID-19. I was eager to asses for myself if the rumours were correct. Or if its reputation is undeserved, and the demise of the reef has been greatly exaggerated.

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On my arrival, I had expected to be greeted by tumbleweed blowing down the streets and shops boarded up, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this was not the case. Not all the bar and restaurants were open, but several were, and there was a good buzz to the city.

The plan for my ten-day trip was to spend the first five days experiencing what the area has to offer in terms of land-based activities, along with a couple of visits to the reef on day boats. The second half of my trip was going to be spent out in the Coral Sea and Ribbon Reefs with Mike Ball Dive Adventures on the legendary Spoilsport, but more on this trip in the next issue of the magazine. For my initial stint, on dry land, I was based at the Shangri La hotel. A better location I could not have hope for - the hotel overlooks the marina where the boats depart from, and it is conveniently located close to numerous bars and restaurant.

My first outing to the reef was on board the superb Passions of Paradise, and I have to admit that the quality of the day diving surprised me a little bit. I thought the reefs that were in reach of the day boats would not be in a very good condition. Happily, I was wrong - very wrong, as it turns out.

The topside scenery is stunning

Cuttlefish

There is undoubtedly pressure on this fragile ecosystem, but the perception that this staggering marvel of nature is entirely dead is simply wrong Anemonefish

Magnificent hard corals

The gateway to the GBR

The two-hour motor out to the impressive Milne Reef was spent relaxing in the comfortable and spacious surroundings of the upper deck lounge. This large catamaran has been adopted by the locals and is very much a social event on water, with the boat also boasting a well-stocked bar for a very civilised après-dive beer on the journey home. There was plenty of space onboard, and although due to COVID restriction we were at half capacity, it was easy to imagine there would still be ample room if the boat were full.

The first dive site we visited was called Club 10. The visibility was exceptional, and the coral coverage was impressive, to say the least. Massive table-sized Acropora corals played host to colonies of damselfish, impressive thickets of staghorn corals covered large areas of the sandy ocean floor, and the reef exhibited the hustle and bustle of a healthy ecosystem. But it was the shallows in particular that caught my attention, large bommies proudly displayed layer upon layer of hard coral growth, staghorn gorals providing a stark contrast to the smooth-looking Porites corals. Considerable table corals provided shelter for oriental sweetlips, big-eyed bream and diminutive damsels. An encounter with two cuttlefish intent on displaying their full range of colours and camouflage techniques rounded off an excellent dive.

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The second dive boasted more gin-clear water. Three large coral pinnacles give the dive site its name, The Three Sisters.

These impressive monoliths were covered in hard corals, various soft corals of the Alyconiidae family, sponges and a generous sprinkling of large sea fans. A huge school of black and white snapper swirled over one of the sisters joined by barracuda and bluefin trevallies, while dozing whitetip reef sharks relaxed on the sandy seabed. The coralcovered summits of these fantastic pinnacles also providing safe anchorage for carpet anemones and their aggressive guardians, the uncompromising clownfish.

For my second day of diving, I was on aboard the luxurious Evolution, looking more like a superyacht than a dive boat.

There was plenty of room on the boat and back dive deck, and they even have a VIP area which we were granted the use of something I could get used to! A helipad that is situated just off Hastings Reef offers the opportunity for a spectacular view of the Great Barrier Reef from a more-elevated vantage point.

Like the Passions of Paradise, this is a professional, sleek

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operation with excellent crew and fantastic food. The day was well run, with particular emphasis on safety, and we even had enough time for three dives without feeling rushed.

The first dive was at Saxons Reef, and for the second and third dive, we relocated to Hasting Reef. While the water clarity was not quite as good as my previous day of diving, these sites more than made up for it with the animal interactions we experienced. Unfazed by our presence, a large barramundi grouper posed patiently for the camera, giant trevallies, twin spot snapper and numerous fusiliers were all eager to photo bomb whenever they could. Anemones housing families of anemonefish and a huge nudibranch lurching across a massive brain coral provided more excellent subject matter for the camera. Hard coral bommies played host to nervous shoals of chromis that would dart into the folds of the reef whenever a perceived threat would venture to close.

Cleaner wrasse flitted back and forth over the reef eager to service the sweetlips and coral grouper that waited patiently for their turn. Another excellent day on the reef. With regards to land-based activates, there are a surprising amount of options to choose from - 96 in fact, including 4x4 driving tours, bungee jumping, canyoning, jet boat rides, quad bike tours, mountain bike tours and water-skiing, to name just a few.

On one of my dry days, I was taken to Kuranda. This charming little town is a 30-minute drive from Cairns and is nestled in the hills of the rainforest. Home to a butterfly sanctuary, a bird sanctuary and with plenty of little cafes to relax in, it is an excellent place for a family outing. A short drive away is the rainforest station. Here we were treated to a tour through the rainforest and along a river in an old army amphibious vehicle, after which there was a local indigenous dance followed by the opportunity to hone my boomerangthrowing skills.

Back in Cairns, I had the surreal experience of visiting an animal park in a vast dome that sits on top of the casino.

The star attraction - a giant four-metre crocodile that was rescued after it had made its home close to a residential area. Ziplines and rope bridges zig-zag the glass dome, and for the adrenaline seekers, one of the zip lines even takes you directly over the croc enclosure.

My other dry day was spent visiting the stunning beaches that fringe the coastline on the beautiful scenic drive up to Port Douglas, stopping for lunch in the small town of Coral Cove with a palm-fringed beach for a view.

The hard corals are in great condition

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Far from been beaten by the virus, the city of Cairns and its residents have adapted and are using this time with reduced tourist numbers wisely to improve the city’s infrastructure Anemonefish on the GBR

Far from been beaten by the virus, the city of Cairns and its residents have adapted and are using this time with reduced tourist numbers wisely to improve the city’s infrastructure.

New roads are being built, hotels are getting updated, and more family-friendly pedestrianised zones are being created to accommodate newly refurbished restaurants. Cairns is still clearly suffering in the wake of the pandemic, but they are surviving and are determined to come back bigger and better than ever.

The owners of both the Passions of Paradise and Evolution are a great example of how the people in this struggling community have come together in an attempt to get through this difficult time. Along with Ocean Freedom, another locally owned vessel, they have agreed to venture out to the reef on different days, so they are not all competing for the significantly reduced number of tourists who are coming to Cairns. So to answer my earlier questions, is Cairns simply a backpacker haven? At the moment definitely not, but no doubt these nomadic travellers will return to the city when borders reopen. However, even when this eventually happens, the city has a vast amount to offer families, couples and groups of all ages, even if they are not all interested in diving.

Is this a dive factory that churns through as many tourists as possible? From what I experienced, I would say absolutely not. Okay, there are not very many tourists in Cairns at the moment, but from what I witnessed both on the Passions of Paradise and Evolution was a crew that love their job and have a passion for the reef. The vessels that took us out to the reef were comfortable, relaxing and well run, and I doubt that this would be any different if the boats were running at full capacity. It is easy to see visiting the reef in a sustainable, eco-friendly way is of paramount importance to these local operators.

Expect large shoals of fish

Is Cairns too expensive? Well, this is a very subjective issue. It depends what the services here are being compared too, yes staying in Cairns is more expensive than spending a week in a beach bungalow on an island in Thailand. But then the same could be said for most of the major cities in Australia and even Asia. I do, however, think that you get great value for money here and if comparing like-for-like services, it is comparable with many other destinations both at home and abroad.

As for the coral bleaching, it is important to put things into perspective. The Great Barrier reef stretches for over 2,300km; it covers an area of approximately 344,400 sq km, is visible from space and is the largest living organism on the planet.

There is undoubtedly pressure on this fragile ecosystem, but the perception that this staggering marvel of nature is entirely dead is simply wrong. On my two day trips out to the reef, I saw little or no signs of bleaching. That is not to say that parts of the reef have not been affected, they most certainly have, and global warming along with many other environmental issues do pose a real threat, to not just the great barrier reef but to all reefs around the world. But vast areas of this reef are clearly in excellent condition, teeming with life and encrusted with a variety of stunning corals. n The hard corals are thriving

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01/11/2020 20:00

I

t’s late in the evening, our gear is set and our dive team is getting ready to pull away from shore. Most of the folks in our local community of Anilao are sleeping by now, but were just getting started. Blackwater diving keeps us up most nights running a reverse time cycle for weeks at a time. Departing well after sunset, we plan to hit the proper tidal flux in hopes that Mother Nature will reveal some of her best-kept secrets to us tonight as we drift the currents in the black night sea.

Blackwater diving is unlike regular night diving for many reasons. The dives take place offshore in open ocean, often over very deep water where we free drift in the current using a lit downline to attract the various creatures of the night.

This fact alone is usually enough to repel most divers from even considering blackwater dives, as the fear of some toothsome creature will suddenly lurch from the dark.

However, this fear is immediately overcome by curiosity once a diver sees the magic happening with their own eye’s.

The obsession for BW diving begins with the idea of being able to witness nature in its purest and most raw form. The chance of seeing something that no one else has and, of course, the opportunity to observe and photograph what we see. So for weeks on end, we happily endure the reversed time cycles and daily cat naps with baited anticipation.

Over time, our dive team has developed a downline of lights which serves as a beacon for the divers to keep up and as a safety feature for the topside support team to follow.

We attach the downline to a brightly lit orange buoy on the surface that we’ve named ‘The Pumpkin’, which gives our boatmen a direct line of site to our location at all times. With safety procedures in place, divers can concentrate completely on the dive and shooting photos while we leave the rest to the topside dive team.

The target subjects for blackwater divers are generally plankton, but not all planktons are small gelatinous creatures. Imagine, every single organism in the ocean with the exception of mammals, sharks and rays, spend a period of time developing in the water column prior to ‘settling’.

Octopus, crabs, shrimps, snails, anemones, crinoids, sea cucumbers and of course fish, to name a few, will all spend a portion of their early life drifting, feeding and gaining strength before moving into their next stage of life either on the substrate or in the water column itself.

The strategy of the lights is to create a plankton cloud which eventually draws in our target subjects and the predatory animals that feed on them. Hunting along the outside edge of the light seems to work really well for finding light-sensitive subjects, while many others are attracted directly to the lights themselves. Oddly enough, many of the subjects that are initially attracted to the lights, do everything they can to get away from them once they are there. Shooting photos of these unpredictable creatures is comparable to photographing a butterfly while running down the sidewalk at night. Some of the creatures’ movements are erratic and unpredictable and extremely fast, while others are not. Some are drifting and spinning or pulsing up and down, some so delicate that a mere fin kick will destroy them while others are robust, flying by and snatching fish small bait fish right before your eyes.

Mike Bartick showcases some of the incredible imagery he has collated while blackwater diving – and urges divers to delve into this kind of diving PHOTOGRAPHS BY MIKE BARTICK

26

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06/11/2020 12:34

Argonaut on Purple Jelly Fish

Darkness rules the night and transparency can go a long ways when it comes to protecting yourself if you live in this environment. It’s incredible to think that anything could survive such a gauntlet, but it does - nature is on full display here so keep your eyes open.

THREE BASIC TIPS FOR BLACKWATER DIVING

Dive skills – Safety first for BW diving. Be sure to have great buoyancy skills before venturing out. During the dive try to move slowly without flailing your hands, excessive finning and movement creates pressure waves that will disturb your subjects. Each movement creates turbulence and many of the delicate creatures could be destroyed outright or sent spinning away, curl up or dash off. Pay close attention to what your ears are telling you as depth changes occur quickly. Invest in a computer that is always backlit and can be read without pressing any buttons.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Developing an eye for small subjects first is encouraged as the larger stuff will always avail itself. ‘Look small and find big’ is one of my favorite mantras. Many of the small subjects have a huge story to tell and by paying close attention to the smaller creatures, the larger picture begins to crystalize more and more. Anything white or opaque is worth investigating.

Drifting garbage, pyrasomes, salps and salp chains, sea grass, bamboo, etc. I basically investigate everything I see and it hasn’t failed me yet.

Heterpods, or subjects with a single foot like this sea elephant are gelatinous, and seem to swim upside down. They often times have a small shell at the tail, and in some cases will also carry eggs there.

Pterepods are subjects with two feet and quite often have a more-advanced design including some kind of casing.

Pterepods make great platforms for male nautilus and small octopus as well as salps and salp chains.

Snail veliger’s are named for the velum or foot that extends out like a satellite dish. They have a cute little face and the velum refracts light from the strobe flash.

Jellyfish are some of the most-interesting animals on the planet and slip into place very easily as we advance along the spectrum. Jellyfish are the oldest recorded organisms on the planet with some that can actually live forever. The immortal jellyfish can reach sexual maturity then revert back to the benthic polyp stage. There are jellyfish that pulsate and jellyfish that use cilia to ambulate falling into the comb jelly category.

It’s no secret that jellyfish can sting, in fact some can even kill humans. For that alone, I think many people have grown to dislike jellyfish without any further investigation. Jellyfish are incredibly beautiful animals that seem to lack certain things like a brain and a heart. However, they are perfectly equipped to survive and thrive.

Some jackfish develop a symbiotic relationship with jellyfish starting at a very young age, growing with the jellyfish over an unknown period of time. The jackfish will select the jelly, then subject itself to the stinging tentacles to develop an immunity to the toxins.

Pterepod

Photo skills – Many of the subjects are fast and reflective, yet timid. I suggest the following as your jump settings: ISO-400; ƒ-stop 18 and higher to dampen reflectivity; shutter speed 1/250 or at the fastest synch speed for your strobes; focus light with an adjustable beam and a soft broad cast of light, this will assist your autofocus. I prefer at least 3,000-plus lumens, in case I want to shoot video.

Hunting skill – Hunting for your subjects in the water column during your BW dive is a skill that most of us don’t have initially, but develop pretty quickly. Using a torch with a tight beam will allow for better water penetration, even if the water is turbid. Using the torch in my left hand, I’ll search for subjects then work myself to it, at which point I allow my focus light to take over.

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Edgar & Jelly

Cotton Mouth Jack and Jellyfish

Squids are incredible creatures capable of great speeds, colour changes and are masterful hunters that work in packs.

Their bodies seem to be made of rubber and like octopus, have eight arms, plus the added weaponry of two elastic tentacles used for striking their prey. Squids use several distinct inking patterns in different ways. Ink puffs to escape and evade, roping to confuse and distract, mantle inking to mask their presence and ink clouds for hunting are the most common. On most dives, we will see the ink of the squid long before we ever see them hunting around us.

The diamond squid is an incredible deep sea squid that comes to the shallows during certain times of the year, perhaps to mate. They can reach upwards of 30kg, but as a smaller squid are quite ornate.

The pelagic octopus know as the A.hians AKA paper nautilus were another one of the hidden treasures of Anilao that we uncovered. These gnome-like creatures are super cute, fast and very interesting. My first sighting of a large female riding a jellyfish was beyond anything I had ever seen at the time and I did everything in my power to remain calm, focus and shoot while swimming straight down as fast as I could.

The stacking behaviour is seen during the spawning season when females stack themselves into chains. The male is only the size of a garden pea, but the female can reach the size of a baseball. She also produces a shell to protect her eggs which gives the Argonauta hians her nickname of paper nautilus.

CONCLUSION

Swimming with the jellyfish the jack pushes the jelly through the water, which in turn creates better water contact for the jellyfish and increasing its ability to feed. The jack feeds on the stunned fish and gains shelter in return. Other smaller fish might use the tentacles of jellyfish as a way of hunting by swimming in and out of the tentacles, attracting predators that are then stung.

Other subjects like ribbonfish, pompano and soapfish to name a few have elongated appendages and pennants and are said to mimic the tentacles of jellyfish or even siphonophore’s to gain a little edge on surviving.

The Wunderpuss, now one of the iconic subjects that makes BW diving in Anilao so popular, are a calm and cool customer. Their siphon is nearly transparent with the pigment of forming chromatophores just beginning to take form. Their eight arms stretch out once relaxed and have become one of the most requested subjects for our guests to see and photograph.

Blackwater diving is an incredible experience that promises a world of adventure for divers and a world of possibilities for photographers. Be sure to include blackwater dives on your next dive trip, or join us at Crystal Blue Resort for one of our Blackwater Safari weeks and learn the natural history of what is happening every night, just offshore. n Diamond Squid

MIKE BARTICK

Mike Bartick is an award-winning photographer, international public speaker, writer, educator and explorer, and admits that the next best thing to having the experience is sharing it. Mike is based in Anilao, the birthplace of diving in the Philippines and is a leading light in the discipline of blackwater photography.

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Q&A: WAYNE B BROWN

Scuba Diver chats to Aggressor Adventures CEO Wayne B Brown about the challenges of running an international company of liveaboards, safari lodges and a river cruise, what the future holds post-COVID, and find out why he loves underwater photography PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF WAYNE B BROWN / WWW.AGGRESSOR.COM & MICHELE WESTMORLAND

Q: How did you get into diving in the first place?

A: When my son turned 15, I was concerned that by 16, he would be off spending the majority of his time with friends. I wanted to find an activity we could pursue together. I passed a scuba diving shop on my way to the office every day and asked my son about that. We agreed to try it and fell in love with scuba diving.

Q: You are a renowned underwater photographer with an obvious passion for capturing stunning images. When did you get into underwater photography, and why does it mean so much to you?

A: I had always enjoyed topside photography and experimenting with light and shadows, many times trying to mimic the great black and white photographer Ansel Adams. When I started scuba diving, I quickly realised the importance light and shadow had on bringing out the best in an underwater photograph. I started with film, as many did, and you had to quickly learn how to shoot well with only 16 chances on a dive to get a great shot. Once digital became available to underwater photographers and the ability to not only shoot as much as you want, but to immediately see the results, it opened the door for all the amazing photographs you see today. Whenever I ask one of our guests what was the draw for a particular destination, the answer always starts with the spectacular photographic library we have of it.

Q: You are the CEO of Aggressor Adventures, but you were originally a guest on some of their liveaboards. How – and why – did you make the transition from ‘guest’ to ‘CEO’?

A: When I transitioned from day boats to liveaboards, I knew this was the kind of diving I could enjoy for a week or more at a time. I have always been a huge proponent of businesses that offer exceptional customer service.

When I stepped onto the Galapagos Aggressor in 2005, I was instantly a fan of their five-star level of

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service and the commitment of each staff to their customers’ enjoyment. In 2006, I was on the Belize Aggressor when in a conversation with the captain found out the owner had passed away a couple of years earlier and the company was for sale. After my due diligence ensuring I was buying a profitable business with good growth potential and not a hobby, I completed the purchase in April 2007. It has been an incredibly fulfilling journey being able to build upon our fivestar service for our guests every year.

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Q: You ‘host’ trips on some of the Aggressor Adventures liveaboards periodically through the year. What do you like best about getting ‘out in the field’ with your customers, and why do you think this is sort important?

A: I have always been very hand’s on with all my businesses knowing that without being intimately involved in all aspects, I would not be able to make the best decisions for our guests and my company, no matter how great my surrounding staff were. I have always been a people person, so getting to an adventure with all-new guests is incredibly enjoyable for me. I also get to understand who our guests are, what makes them happy about our service and adventure, and hearing their direct feedback is critical to any companies success.

Q: Aggressor Adventures is a global brand, with yachts dotted around the planet. You are bringing on new yachts and destinations all the time – what is your criteria for new yachts and locations, and what do you strive to bring your customers?

A: I have a very long list of future destinations. However, it takes the right local owner that meshes with our service philosophy as well as the asset of yacht or lodge that can offer the level of amenities our guests expect. The local environment, of course, has to offer a week of incredible adventure. But we also evaluate the ability to source ingredients that our chefs can create five-star food service coupled with local trades that can offer repairs when equipment calls for it, as well as readily available parts. If any of these are missing, we put it on the back burner until they are.

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Q: Aggressor Adventures now has the land-based Aggressor Safari Lodges in Sri Lanka. You are well known for your ever-expanding fleet of luxury liveaboards, but are more land-based resorts on the cards down the line?

A: Absolutely. The ability for us to grow and add value to our brand and our local owners is to build as large of a customer base as possible. The safari and river cruise market is vastly larger than scuba diving and allows us to cross promote for everyone’s benefit. We have several safari and river cruise destinations in the pipeline, with a Costa Rica safari lodge starting out next fall.

Q: Aggressor Adventures has a huge amount of return clients. What do you think keeps them in the ‘Aggressor Family’ and booking with you time and again?

A: There are really two things that have to happen to keeping return clients. The first is offering the level of adventure and service they are looking for, and then second is delivering on this commitment every day at every destination.

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Q: As we always do in this Q&As, what is your mostmemorable diving moment?

A: I was diving off the coast of Costa Rica and this large oceanic manta kept circling the divers. We realised it had a large fishing lure hanging off a wingtip. The manta would swoop in close with that wingtip beside a diver and sit for a few seconds. One of the divers reached out and removed the fishing lure. The manta immediately started looping over and over, which must have been painful when the fishing lure was on that wingtip, and you got the feeling it was extremely grateful.

Q: On the flipside, what is your worst diving memory?

A: As with every underwater photographer, it is flooding a camera! I have been lucky that the three floods I have had have been at the very end of a charter, so I did not miss out on at least bringing back some memories.

Q: COVID-19 has thrown the entire dive industry through the wringer, but we are starting to see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. What does the future hold for Aggressor Adventures?

A: I challenged my staff early on to see how many ways we could come up with to keep all of our customers engaged during a shutdown and quarantine. We came up with so many great ideas that were given high praise from our guests that a lot of them have been incorporated permanently into our business model. Now that destinations are reopening and our loyal customer base is eager to get back to travel, it has reenergised all my staff to ensure their trip delivers the ‘Adventure of a Lifetime’. n

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UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHING

GREY SEALS

Following his last article on photographing sharks and other larger subjects, Martyn Guess provides some insight into, and also tips on, photographing grey seals (with advice that also applies to fur seals) PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARTYN GUESS

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n these surreal Covid-19 times, I have not been able run my normal overseas photographic workshops and all of them have been postponed until 2021, when hopefully safe travel will be back on the agenda and my students and I can once again dip our toes in warm water.

As a result, at the beginning of the summer I made a conscious decision, that as soon as the green light shone and we were able to travel around the country and as diving opened up again here in the UK, that I was going to spend as much time as I could under the surface of British waters. Safe to say that the summer window of relative freedom, before the regional restrictions that we are currently in the middle of arrived, enabled me to do more UK diving than I have ever done in one summer. I was able to travel to some great diving locations, and in particular I found myself in the sea around Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel for five days of diving in July and then in early September at the opposite end of the country at the Farne Islands, off the coast of Northumberland, for a couple more days in the water. 2020 has given me seven full days of diving with, and photographing, the grey seal colonies that live in these locations and experiencing possibly the best way of getting up close to these amazingly friendly and photogenic animals.

The conditions that I experienced in these locations were at opposite polls, with relatively dark light and poor visibility at Lundy and bright sunshine and very clear visibility in the Farnes. I therefore had to use different photographic techniques to get some images that I am happy with, and thought that I would share them with you.

The majority of the seal interactions that we have in the UK are in relatively shallow water around the rocks where the seals haul themselves out onto at low tide (image1). Being shallower means photography is a little easier, as the ambient

Best of Bunaken

Inquisitive seal pup, well-lit in the shallows

light tends to be brighter. My first piece of advice is to take yourself closer to the shallows when you are diving with seals, so that at least you have the light advantage. It is then in the lap of the Gods, whether the seals are going to be interested in interacting with you or not. The locations with the seal colonies are not zoos and they are of course wild animals and their behaviour can change from day to day. When the presence of seals and close interactions are a little slow, don’t be tempted to chase the opportunities because they just won’t happen in my experience. My friend Alex Mustard adopts a technique of actually ignoring the seals and not even looking at them. When the action was slow when we were diving together in the Farnes, he appeared to look the other way when the seals passed in the distance. Of course, he was actually looking at them out of the corner of his

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eye! Grey seals are incredibly curious animals and if nobody is paying them attention, they will want to come in closer to see why you aren’t interested. Take your time and don’t immediately start shooting as this will probably frighten them away. Eventually they will come in really close and even start mouthing your camera or your fins and slowly you can start to take some pictures.

When we arrived at the site we were going to dive at the Farnes, there were loads of seals around at the surface, but frustratingly they just disappeared when we were diving. We were not sure why – some thought that there was a large shoal of herring offshore and they had gone off to hunt. We persevered and while in only 3.5m of water I swam around not seeing many seals. Eventually the odd individual came into the middle distance. I ignored them and hey presto after a few minutes, one pup came in closer to look at me. It seems that I was right by his favourite scratching rock – the place he loved to come to and rub his body against the smooth rock.

I just stayed still occasionally looking at him and taking the odd shot until he was entirely comfortable with me being there. After a few minutes of scratching he would dash away or up to the surface but quickly return and on each occasion, he got more confident and even closer (Image 2). I had 45 minutes with this little chap until I had to return to the boat.

The main reason I believe the interaction went on for so long was very fortuitus for me. I was having a problem with my flash trigger and the only way I could shoot was with ambient light. Being a bright sunny day and only in 3.5m of water the conditions were ideal to shoot only with natural light. I didn’t even have my strobes attached. Most of the time as photographers we tend to have our strobes attached and ready for use and it is not often that we try ambient light only dives. I can totally recommend you try. I set my camera up to shoot silently and on continuous shutter release - the little guy didn’t even know I was taking photographs!

In a situation like this, it is important to get the sun on your back as being so shallow the subject will be fully lit. You don’t have the ability to flash fill shadows, so it is important to get in the right position and shoot slightly downwards, so that you are not shooting into shadow areas. I also got the Seal pups will come right in close if you are patient

Seal in the middle distance showing off its habitat

In shallow water try to get reflections or the surface texture in your image to add interest

background water colour just how bright I wanted it by adjusting the camera speed. As I was shallow and conditions were bright, I needed to shoot with a faster speed to darken the water colour and this speed was faster than the maximum speed my strobes would normally sync to (1/320th Sec), so shooting without strobes I was able to set the speed at what I needed, which was 1/500th of a second. I was using the Nauticam WACP (wide-angle corrector port) so could happily shoot at F8 or even more open and get good corner sharpness, but anything from F8 to around F14 would work okay behind a dome port. The focus was set to full auto, which on my camera gave me 153 focus points and all the images I took were sharp.

Most photographers with a seal as the main subject will try to get as close as possible. While these are great portraits to take and the audience definitely will engage with a close up, try to balance your portfolio of seal images. You should try to have some wider shots with the seal maybe in the middle ground showing off its habitat (Image 3). This is so much easier in bright conditions as due to the nature of the subject being further away you can only use ambient light as flashlight falls off quickly underwater. Being shallow also provides great opportunities to show off the underside of the surface and also reflections (Image 4).

When I went to Lundy Island the sun decided not to come out and it was raining for some of the time we were diving.

The conditions were totally different from the Farnes. This time, luckily, my strobes were working fine! As the water background was really dark it was necessary to get very close to the seals and use strobes to light them. I remembered a similar situation whilst diving with Caribbean reef sharks in the Bahamas when it was very overcast at the surface and relatively dark underwater. We used the opportunity to try very slow shutter speeds to try and get some movement blur into our images. I loved the look of the images I took in the Bahamas - they are some of my favourite shark shots, so I decided to try this technique on the seals. I set the camera speed to 1/8th Sec then an aperture of around F8 and selected an ISO to give me a good exposure (Use the Histogram in your camera to make sure the exposure is correct). As you

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UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY Slow motion panning showing off movement and speed

are shooting with a slow speed you need to be careful of the power that your strobes are set to and the amount of strobe light hitting the subject, so again check histograms to make sure the underbelly or top of the head of the seals are not burnt out. If so, dial down the strobes. With motion blur on potentially fast subjects like seals, set your camera to front curtain sync. This fires the strobe at the beginning of the exposure and then pan your camera through the subject, eventually overtaking it. The image will show streaks of movement behind the subject emphasizing the speed it is moving at (Image 5). If the subject is not moving very quickly then set to rear curtain sync and hold the camera still while the subject moves through the frame. When panning I tend to shoot from the hip as it were – it’s a bit hit or miss, but when you get the whole of the subject in the frame with some movement streaks it will give a different look to standard seal images (Image 6). This technique is possible with most camera types, as long as you can use manual exposure mode and select front or rear curtain, so check out your camera manual. Shooting from the hip while panning is best tried with a wide -angle lenses or your zoom lens set to wide if Slow shutter speed 1/8th Sec and Front curtain sync helped show the spiraling of this dive-bombing pup!

using a compact.

Remember when shooting close up shots of seals, that as you get closer remember to move your strobes closer to the housing.

If you are lucky enough to get the seal nibbling your dome port, then unless your strobes are really close in you risk underlighting the main part When the seals come of the subject’s really close, move your strobes close to the face, leaving it in housing to light shadow (Image 7). all of the face The underbellies of seals are normally quite light so set your strobe positions in a 10 and 2 (like a clock face) position to avoid burning out the whitish fur. As with all animals and fish, it is important where possible to get good eye contact as this will help people looking at your images to engage with the subject and makes for a more memorable shot.

Next time you are lucky enough to enjoy what is probably one of the best reasons to dive in UK waters (which hold a significant part of the world’s grey seal population), try some of these techniques and I guarantee they will help your images. n

BIOGRAPHY: MARTYN GUESS

Martyn has been diving for over 30 years and taking underwater images for nearly as long. He is a well know and successful underwater photographer with many successes in National and International competitions and regularly makes presentations to Camera and Photography clubs and Dive shows as well as The British Society of Underwater Photographers (BSOUP) and other underwater photography groups. Today he shares his passion and knowledge - As well as teaching personalized underwater photography courses he leads overseas workshop trips for Scuba Travel and his articles regularly appear in Scuba Diver Magazine.

Book your holiday with the award winning dive experts at Scuba Travel!

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AUSTRALIAN MADE DIVE COMPRESSORS & HOOKAH DIVE COMPRESSORS

WRECK HUNTERS SEASON ONE 2021

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Great tuition from beginner through to instructor training for family groups, small groups and one-to-one training. We are a PADI 5-Star IDC centre and offer 18 PADI Specialty course options on our Master Scuba Diver program.

Make an appointment for our personal fitting service, great for anyone wanting to get kitted out with scuba. We specialise in divers under 55kg and over 100kg with options to make you comfortable under water. 40 unique brands to choose from, we fit divers of all sizes.

A unique opportunity to take part in the beginning of a diving archaeology programme is opening up in the summer of 2021* on the Caribbean island of Utila.

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

This all-inclusive package (prices to be announced on the website) is about getting to the heart of the story of a wreck called ‘The Oliver’, its rich history and the life of 18th Century mariners.

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

If you’re a relatively experienced diver (PADI Advanced Open Water with at least 30 dives), or equivalent (See website for full details), this could be just what you’re looking for.

Project Director Mike Haigh’s ideal candidates have a ‘good sense of humour’ and enjoy team work.

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

www.wreckhunters.co.uk 02 96891389

judith@scubawarehouse.com.au

www.scubawarehouse.com.au 1/50 George Street Clyde, Sydney, NSW 2124

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0117 9596454

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

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10/11/2020 15:20

Having heard the history of the wreck before diving it, the spookiness was amplified upon seeing what probably was natural decay of the ship’s steel construction

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ust before midnight on 10 July 1985, members of a relatively obscure environmental organisation were on board their flagship vessel, Rainbow Warrior, sat tied to Marsden Wharf in Auckland harbour. The organisation, now known as Greenpeace, started as an anti-nuclear movement in 1969, protesting US nuclear testing in Amchitka, Alaska.

Sixteen years on, and with a newly minted flagship at the forefront of their anti-nuclear movement, it was the French who drew the attention of Greenpeace leadership. On their vessel, painted with a rainbow peace dove, the crew of the Rainbow Warrior were preparing a voyage to Mururoa Atoll in French Polynesia to protest French nuclear testing at the site.

As the crew slept, or sat quietly sharing a beer, a limpet mine exploded on the port side hull, strategically placed outside the engine room. The crew felt the shudder, as the lights extinguished, and they could hear a sudden rush of water.

Despite the confusion that ensued, all members of the crew evacuated the vessel onto the wharf. Except one. Amid the chaos, Portugese-Dutch photographer Fernando Pereira went to retrieve his camera equipment. Tragically, a second mine then exploded. It was placed above the propeller - and right underneath Pereira’s quarters. The photographer died inside the vessel, as it was inundated and sank to the bottom.

The visuals that were beamed across New Zealand, and the world, were stunning. The peace dove painted on the hull of the Rainbow Warrior, barely visible above the water line. The Greenpeace flagship sat partially submerged, masts strewn across the wharf. Details would emerge slowly at first, and

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more rapidly once two French agents were caught returning their campervan at Auckland airport. The picture painted one of the most-brazen acts of espionage perpetrated by a foreign government in New Zealand territory. The political fallout led to fervent anti-nuclear and anti-French protests in New Zealand and abroad, while the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior became a pivotal moment in the government’s ‘Nuclear-Free New Zealand’ policy, which persists to this very day. Greenpeace were shattered with the senseless loss of life. Ironically, however, the coverage propelled the organisation into a global spotlight. One they were able to use to shed light on their causes, particularly their antinuclear protests.

Once the Rainbow Warrior was re-floated and the investigation was complete, Greenpeace faced the difficult decision of what to do with their once-prized vessel. Eventually a decision was made that she would remain in New Zealand, and would become an integral part of the environment she sought to protect. The Rainbow Warrior would become an artificial reef and dive site. Through negotiations with local Māori iwi Ngāti Kura and Ngāti Rehia, the final resting place of the Rainbow Warrior was chosen to be the picturesque Cavalli Islands. On 12 December 1987, 17 months after her first sinking, the Rainbow Warrior was scuttled off the coast of Matauri Bay to live in perpetuity as a dive site and memorial.

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Luke Colmer explores the iconic Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior, which gained international notoriety when it was first sunk in 1985 by French agents, and is now an artificial reef teeming with life PHOTOGRAPHS BY CRAIG JOHNSTON AND BERKLEY WHITE

Just over 250km north of Auckland, in the beautiful Bay of Islands, lies the quaint coastal town of Paihia. It is here that our journey to dive the Rainbow Warrior starts. Meeting at Paihia Dive shop in the centre of town, we travel the windy, but scenic, 56km to Matauri Bay by road. As we round the escarpment, the postcard beauty of the Cavalli Islands comes into view.

Looking down we see a campground fringed with white sandy beach and rows of Norfolk pines. The bluff at the end of the beach shows glimpses of the memorial to the Rainbow Warrior, built by local artist Chris Booth and incorporating the ship’s propeller.

Once our equipment is set-up and our eight-metre RIB is prepared, we launch off the beach using a rustic ex-farm tractor. Within ten minutes we are hooked up to the mooring line that is anchored to a mooring block, ten metres behind the wreck. Through the dive briefing we learn that the wreck

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sits in 26m of water and lists slightly towards its starboard side. At 40 metres long and, with masts removed, standing only eight metres tall, the Rainbow Warrior is not the largest of wrecks. This bodes well for seeing the majority of the wreck in a single dive. We are informed of the potential penetration options and respectfully, the part of the wreck we are asked not to enter. This, of course, being the room where Fernando Pereria lost his life.

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The wreck is covered in marine growth

As we descend the mooring line, it is clear that the surface currents have positioned our dive boat so as to prevent an early glimpse of the wreck. Arriving at the mooring block at 25m, we turn towards the shadow that betrays the wrecks’ position. First encountering the stern of the Rainbow Warrior, we are immediately faced with the propeller shaft.

The knowledge that this is the area where a limpet mine exploded and took the life of Pereria lingers, despite little evidence of a blast hole being visible. Soon, however, another realisation dawns. After 33 years sat below the waves, the hull has been colonised by another rainbow of sorts. Encrusting invertebrates have completely covered the starboard side of the wreck, aided by the shade generated by the gentle list. Jewel anemones, encrusting sponges, bryozoans, hydrozoans and tube worms form the colourful playground for nudibranchs, triplefins, blennies, molluscs and reef fish.

As we travel along the starboard side exploring the macro life, we happen upon three rectangular holes in the hull. Too regular to be blast damage, we are later told these were the holes cut in the hull for the purpose of scuttling - a process that took two and a half hours, as water was slowly pumped into the vessel. Greenpeace were understandably loathed to use explosives on the Rainbow Warrior. As we poke our head inside the wreck, two large kingfish (Seriola lalandi)

It is hard to see where the ship ends and the life begins Launching the RIB ready for the dive

The open beams of the bow sprit form a sharp focal point, the underside of which are again covered with encrusting invertebrates 42

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Scorpionfish

bee-line for the exit above, apparently more frigid than the grey moray eels (Gymnothorax nubilis) that were seemingly guarding the entry to the wreck. From here, heading off the starboard side of the wreck we encounter a small debris field. This makeshift cleaning station is serviced by crimson cleaner wrasse (Suezichthys aylingi), combfish (Coris picta) and juvenile sandagger’s wrasse (Coris sandageri). The neverending stream of customers jostling for position comprising two-spot demoiselles (Chromis dispilus), pigfish (Bodianus unimaculatus), snapper (Chrysophrys auratus), parore (Girella tricuspidata) and porae (Nemadactylus douglasii).

Approaching the bow of the wreck, we are prompted to swim further out in front and turn to look back. What a majestic sight we are faced with. The Rainbow Warrior, in all her glory, seemed as though she were crashing a wave and bearing down on us, as if we were driftwood, bobbing directly in her path. The open beams of the bow sprit form a sharp focal point, the underside of which are again covered with encrusting invertebrates. This area of the wreck seems to be a great place to find the shy but curious and very-photogenic crested blenny (Parablennius laticlavius). With a body enclosed in its barnacle hideaway and only its head showing, the crown-like filaments above each eye make it a wonderful macro subject. A little further along the foredeck we encounter the dazzling pink of a Jason mirabilis nudibranch,

perched high up on his hydroid food source. A great opportunity for a lovely blue or black-backed photograph.

Around the foredeck area, we took the opportunity to swim along an open passageway on the starboard side. We spotted both yellow (Gymnothorax prasinus) and grey (G. nubilus) morays, northern scorpionfish (Scorpaena cardinalis), dwarf scorpionfish (Scorpaena papillosa) and the as-yet undescribed New Zealand half-banded perch (Hypoplectrodes sp.). The passageway ended with an open-door leading to a room - one that we would not enter out of respect.

What a majestic sight we are faced with. The Rainbow Warrior, in all her glory, seemed as though she were crashing a wave and bearing down on us, as if we were driftwood, bobbing directly in her path Marine life softens the outline of the vessel

PAIHIA DIVE

Paihia Dive has been operating in The Bay of Islands since 1978, and is the only dive operator running regular trips to the Rainbow Warrior. www.divenz.com

The railings play host to a rich coating of marine growth

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Massive gem nudibranch

Glassfish in the interior

Rounding the stern and heading along the sunny port side of the wreck, the ecklonia kelp strands swayed with the movement of the water. Craig, our eagle-eyed guide, spotted a small piece of broken-off kelp and got quite excited. Of course, this perfect mimic was not kelp at all, but the elusive crested weedfish (Cristiceps aurantiacus). Fortunately, the audacious little guy sat up proudly for a single photo before disappearing without a trace.

As we arrived back at the foredeck, just forward of the bridge, we entered inside the Rainbow Warrior for the first time. Having heard the history of the wreck before diving it, the spookiness was amplified upon seeing what probably was natural decay of the ship’s steel construction. Low-hanging pipes and piles of rubble, easily imagined as after-effects of purposely-detonated explosives. Passing along the internal corridor towards the aft, we were able to peer into the room where a number of the crew were sitting sharing a beer when the first explosion detonated. A quick tip of the hat (or hood as it were), and we exited the wreck through an opening in the corridor ceiling. Finishing the dive exploring the top deck and snapping off a couple of pics of the lovely gem nudibranchs (Dendrodoris krusensternii), we ascended back up the mooring line. Not before a final treat of a huge school of sweep (Scorpis lineolata) surrounding us on our safety stop.

Our day continued with lunch and coffee on the hot pebble beach of Shag Bay before a lovely reef dive at Seal Bay. And yes, the namesakes of the dive-site paid us a visit. Returning to Matauri Bay beach, we ended our trip with a final view of the impressive Cavalli Islands and Matauri Bay before driving back to Paihia for a well-earned cold beer. The Cree Indian prophecy from which the Rainbow Warrior took her name predicts: ‘When the world is sick and dying, the people will rise up like Warriors of the Rainbow…’

While I don’t know if our world is sick and dying, I do know that the people of New Zealand, particularly local Māori iwi, have risen to give this vessel a beautiful final resting place.

From here, she can continue her mission to provide life and protection to the wonderful creatures in our oceans. This dive is an absolute must-do, among a list of must-do dives in New Zealand’s far north. n

Launching the RIB

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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.

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DCI, DEHYDRATION OR A CARDIAC EVENT?

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hile on a diving holiday in Papua New Guinea, a diver experienced symptoms that could have been due to DCI, dehydration or a cardiovascular event. The diver had completed one dive the previous day without issue and three dives on the day of the incident: • Dive 1: 30m for 30 minutes with a 40-minute surface interval • Dive 2: 22m for 65 minutes with a 2-hour surface interval • Dive 3: 20m for 50 minutes.

Time at the maximum depth was minimal on all dives, with most of the time spent at 10m-12m. Safety stops were completed on all dives. Upon surfacing from the second dive he developed a headache but did not say anything. However, upon surfacing from the final dive he looked and felt unwell.

He reported a headache, tingling in his arms and hands, dizziness and haziness.

He was placed on oxygen on the boat and immediately taken back to the resort, where he continued breathing oxygen via a non-rebreather mask at 12 litres per minute in a reclined position. When attempting to go to the bathroom he collapsed due to weakened legs and appeared to be in a semiconscious state. At this time, DAN was called.

Based on the information provided to the DAN medic regarding the dive profiles and the diver’s medical history, the diagnosis was not clear. The diver’s symptoms could have been attributed to DCI, dehydration, or a cardiovascular event.

Due to the seriousness of the symptoms, DAN commenced emergency evacuation procedures.

While the evacuation options were being investigated the diver was instructed to continue breathing oxygen in a reclined position and to receive fluids. The operator was asked to monitor the weakness in the diver’s legs to ensure this did not evolve into paralysis and to ensure the diver could continue to urinate.

The plan was to evacuate the diver to Townsville Hospital (QLD) for evaluation and possible chamber treatment — at this stage, it couldn’t be confirmed whether the incident was diverelated or a non-diving medical situation.

Upon arrival at the hospital the diver underwent neurological tests, of which all were unremarkable except for the sharpened Romberg test. This test involves the patient standing upright with one foot in front of the other (heel-totoes) and with the arms folded across the chest. The diver is then asked to close his eyes. A loss of balance is interpreted as a positive Romberg sign, although several attempts may be made. Ideally, the diver can maintain the position (albeit with some wobbling!) for one minute.

TREATMENT

Based on these test results, the diagnosis was DCI, and the diver received a U.S. Navy Table 6 treatment. Afterward the results of further Romberg tests improved significantly.

He was discharged from the hospital the following day with no residual symptoms and was asked to wait several days before flying home, given the severity of his symptoms.

Happily, he made a full recovery.

EVACUATION COST: AUD$57,000.

DAN COMMENT

Although he described himself as very fit and reported going to the gym five times a week, the diver’s medical history included a triple heart bypass. Thus the DAN medics could not rule out a cardiac event when assessing his initial symptoms.

While waiting for the evacuation to be organised, DAN’s preferred option would have been to move the diver to a clinic to receive IV fluids and to have a urinary catheter inserted if that became necessary. However, the local clinic was very basic, and it was decided that the diver would be more comfortable where he was, and that he was receiving better oxygen first aid at the dive resort than would be available at the clinic. Fortunately, this turned out to be a good decision.

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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KEEPING DIVERS SAFE AROUND THE WORLD

SAFETY MATTERS

JOIN DAN + + + + +

24/7 Emergency Medical Services

Emergency Medical Evacuation Assistance Membership & Assistance Coverage First Aid Training Online Dive Safety Resources

DANAP.ORG

Nicolas and Lena Remy head into the Sudanese Red Sea to explore the remnants of Cousteau’s Precontinent II experiment, the Umbria shipwreck, and go in search of hammerheads PHOTOGRAPHS BY NICOLAS AND LENA REMY/ WWW.NICOLASLENAREMY.COM

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

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T

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Lena diving deeper down in the engine room

temperature in the first 20m was between 29-30 degrees C, and still a balmy 27 degrees C at 40-50m depth. Hammerheads like colder water, which meant we had to go deeper than 35-40m to see them. Since everyone on the boat was keen to have as many encounters as possible with these mighty sharks, we followed a consistent dive plan on most days.

We would jump on a RIB for the first dive of the day, have a negative entry nearby a reef wall (including another side of Sha’ab Rumi, Shab Jibna, and Sanganeb), and drop down to 20m, as quickly as possible. Once there, we would follow our guide along the wall, towards the tip of the reef, and then move away from it towards the deep blue, as the hammerhead sharks would not be visible from the reef. Our guides would then make noises pressing empty plastic bottles, which seemed to get the schooling sharks a tad closer. At times we had maybe 20-30 sharks in sight, a mesmerizing experience!

I noticed though the sharks stayed at a distance, and I didn’t experience close-up encounters during this trip (might have to do with the flu, which saw me stay in bed for two days!).

Given the depth and potential currents closer to the reef walls, our group would stay a few minutes with the sharks, and then follow the guide back towards the reef. Then we would all enjoy the lively and colourful reefs during the rest of the dive, then throw an SMB for the moving RIBs to pick-us up at the end of the dive. Lena and I usually separated from the open circuit divers on this second part of the dives, simply because we didn’t have to ascend to the shallows as quickly as our open circuit buddies. Also, since we never were short on gas, we were allowed an extra 15 minutes in the water (on top of the regular 60) by jumping in with the first RIB, returning with the second.

Most days the second dive followed exactly the same plan as the first one, for extra chances to encounter hammerhead

BLUE FORCE FLEET

Blue Force Fleet has more than 20 years of experience in diving safaris in the Red Sea. Sudan is an amazing destination, and Blue Force Fleet operate in this region with the brand-new and spectacular Red Sea Blue Force 3, making it easier to dive into the best and most-inaccessible reefs of the Sudanese waters, with the guarantee of a reliable and experienced operator. www.blueforcefleet.com

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The stern on the Umbria wreck

sharks. Given these intense dive profiles, the plan was only two dives per day, with ample time to relax in between.

Although we very much enjoyed ourselves, some divers may prefer to not go so deep or spend more time enjoying the colorful reefs in shallower depths, which I am sure the dive operator could accommodate.

Our liveaboard had kept three excellent dives for the very end of our trip, as we made our way back towards Port Sudan, and these were all in and around the Umbria wreck.

After changing hands a few times, the Umbria had become a cargo ship under Italian ownership, and its last journey was a secret mission to supply the Italian troops in Eritrea (then an Italian colony) with war equipment, as Italy was about to join World War Two alongside Germany. The Umbria was heavily loaded, mostly with weapons (6,700 tons of bombs, detonators and various firearms) but also with 2,000 tons of construction equipment, and three Fiat cars. It also loaded 1,000 tons of coal and water, to try and hide its military objective. During its journey through the Red Sea, the ship

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Soft corals closer to the surface

The underwater scooter garage

The famous Fiat cars

The so-called ‘Urchin’, a garage for the exploration submarine, still there on the 10m plateau, 53 years later, it can be penetrated by divers

Hammerheads like colder water, which meant we had to go deeper than 35-40m to see them

was under close scrutiny from the British Royal Navy, and on 10 June 1940, the Umbria’s captain saw no other option than to scuttle the ship, to ensure its precious cargo wouldn’t fall into Allied hands. Indeed, Italy had just joined World War Two, with a radio announcement by Mussolini on that same day.

The Umbria is an amazing wreck to dive, with great photography potential: it is 153 metres long, with its deepest part at 38m (the bow), but most of the interesting artefacts were between 12-27m.

This includes the impressive propeller, gangways, huge engine room, kitchen, canteen, corridors, and several of the holds, where various cargo can be seen, in 10-15m of water. Given the sheer size of the wreck, it deserves three to four dives to visit everything. I recommend refraining from penetrating the kitchen and some of the corridors on your own, unless you are an experienced cave diver, trained in using a guideline to find your way out. Indeed, the wreck is silty, and lies tilted at about 45 degrees, making it easy to get disorientated. However, our experienced guides made it safe

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for all, taking turns with small groups of four, to avoid crowding restricted areas. Some of the holds though have wide openings and are easy to visit again on your own, including the one with the three Fiat cars.

What’s more, with the rebreathers and our boat being stationary for three dives, the guides let us stay 30-45 minutes extra per dive, meaning we spent a total of five hours on the Umbria, including two hours with the wreck all to ourselves.

This allowed for more-productive photography, as there were no other divers popping in the photo or stirring up sediment.

All-in-one, the size of the wreck, its historical significance, abundance of visible artefacts, and the various penetration options are all reasons why the Umbria is considered in the top-ten wreck dives worldwide. If you are into wrecks, it would probably justify a trip to Sudan on its own.

Even if wrecks and historical sites like Précontinent II aren’t your thing, the reefs off Sudan’s coast boast healthy hard and soft corals, paired with abundant fish-life, and there is potential for amazing pelagic encounters. n

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What’s New

SEALIFE SPORTDIVER HOUSING

Apple’s iPhone is one of the mostsuccessful product ranges on the planet – and now SeaLife is introducing a compact, lightweight underwater housing for many of them.The new SeaLife SportDiver housing will allow divers to take photos and video with their iPhone down to 40m – and it can encase iPhone 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, X, Xr, Xs, Xs Max, 11, 11 Pro Max, and SE (2nd Gen) models.

The heavy-duty housing is constructed of polycarbonate, stainless steel, aluminium and optical grade glass, but it weighs in at less than 641g, so is ideal for travelling.

The SportDiver is easy to hold and use and offers a large shutter lever and rear control buttons for easy operation, even with dive gloves. Snorkellers and divers can get more creative with their photos or video shot by using advanced camera

DIVE PRO S40

At 4,200 lumens, this is the most-powerful handheld torch on the market - designed for the diver that wants the maximum light output, but still in handheld light format.

At full power, it has a run time of 50 minutes, but there are two other output levels - 2,100 lumens and 420 lumens, which have run times of 100 minutes and five hours respectively - giving the diver enough options to get the optimum run time and output for the dives they are doing.

Given this flexibility, it’s an excellent choice for anything from pretty much any type of dive, including wreck diving, cray hunting, reef diving and night diving. Despite its high output, it is still easily held in the hand, but also has an optional quick-release Goodman glove.

It comes with a rechargeable battery, charger, wrist lanyard and is backed up by an impressive two-year warranty. www.divelightshop.com.au

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settings – Adjust Zoom, Exposure (EV), Auto/Manual Focus, White Balance, Tint, Lens selection, RAW+JPEG mode, Live Photo and Background Blur (on available iPhone models). www.sealife-cameras.com

MARES AVANTI HC PRO

The tried-and-tested Avanti fin is back, in HC Pro guise – it has a soft ergonomic foot pocket with lateral inserts, overmoulding on the back rib which further optimises thrust and performance, and ridges on the back of the blade which reinforce it while optimising pivoting geometry.

During the kick cycle, the blade bends in a spoon-like shape that creates greater thrust with less effort. www.mares.com

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GARMIN DESCENT MK2/MK2I DIVE COMPUTERS Garmin has launched the Descent Mk2 and Descent Mk2i dive computers, its nextgeneration suite of dive products packed with features for both underwater and on the surface.

In addition to a larger display, leakproof inductive button technology, customizable indive data fields and more, the Descent Mk2 and Descent Mk2i feature Garmin’s most-soughtafter everyday smartwatch features, making it one of the most sophisticated and connected watch-style dive computers on the market today.

The Descent Mk2i dive computer can simultaneously monitor tank pressure from up to five paired Descent T1 transmitters (each sold separately) via the SubWave sonar data network, so that divers can view tank pressure, air time remaining, gas consumption rate and monitor other divers or additional tanks within a ten-metre range.

The Descent Mk2 Series support multiple dive modes for single and multiple gas dives (including nitrox, trimix and 100 percent O2), gauge, apnea, apnea hunt and closed circuit rebreather. This data is all viewed on a crisp 1.4-inch sunlight-readable colour display, which is 36 percent larger than the Descent Mk1.

On land, the Descent Mk2 and Mk2i double as a premium multisport GPS smartwatch with multi-GNSS support and wrist-based heart rate monitoring plus multiple sports

profiles including golf, with full-colour mapping for over 41,000 courses worldwide. Other smartwatch features include notifications for calls, texts and calendar alerts and more, right on the wrist - Garmin Pay for contactless payments, music storage with compatible service support, and a Pulse Oximeter for blood oxygen monitoring. www.garmin.com/dive

FOURTH ELEMENT WINTER 2020 COLLECTION

Fourth Element has launched its winter 2020 lifestyle collection of T-shirts and hoodies.

A spokesperson said: “Our women’s offering this season diverges from our usual classic fits, into a range more relaxed and modern with simple designs that are wearable not just in a dive environment. In our men’s range we have incorporated some more heavyweight, relaxed styles and the addition of a pocket design and polo shirt. You’ll also find the addition of

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new colours and textures, keeping the range fresh and modern.

“As with each of our lifestyle collections, our designs are printed in water-based inks, these are free from harmful chemicals and therefore more gentle on the environment.

Each T-shirt in this collection is made from 100% organic cotton; traceable from farm to factory, GMO-free and grown without the use of chemicals. www.fourthelement.com

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THIS ISSUE: MASKS UNDER AUD $150 Each month, the SCUBA DIVER test team assembles to rate and review a selection of dive equipment from a range of manufacturers. Products are split into price categories and are then evaluated for performance, comfort, ease of use, build quality, looks and value for money. The Test Team comprises Editor in Chief Mark Evans and a squad of volunteers, whose dive experience ranges from a couple of hundred dives to well over 6,000.

ON TEST THIS MONTH: • MARES JUNO/JUPITER • OCEANIC SHADOW • SCUBAPRO ZOOM EVO

Location: Tested at Moreton Hall

www.moretonhall.org

Date tested: 19/10/20 | Water temp: 30 degrees C

MASKS UNDER AUD $150 Masks are a vital piece of your diving gear arsenal, as without one, you are not going to be seeing much underwater! A well-fitting mask will make all the difference to how relaxed you are underwater, as dealing with constant leaks, etc, is just frustrating and can take your mind off far more important issues.

However, masks are a very personal piece of diving equipment, and finding one which suits your face is the goal of all divers.

These three relatively budget-priced masks were looked at for fit, comfort, ease of clearing, range of vision, and price.

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MARES JUNO / JUPITER | SRP: AUD $89.99 The Juno is a frameless single-lens mask, which has soft but firm silicone skirt, clever plastic mounts for the swivelling strap buckles which hinge, so it can fold flat - if, for example, you wanted to tuck it in your drysuit pocket as a spare mask.

The release buttons on the swivelling buckle have a nice, tactile feel, and are easy to locate and operate even with thick gloves on. The strap itself is well shaped, and ‘cups’ around the back of your head well. The Jupiter is essentially the exact same design of mask, just with a larger skirt, for bigger faces. Both the Juno and Jupiter are exceptionally comfortable, with the skirt being soft enough to mould to the contours of your face, but stiff enough to maintain the shape of the mask. It is a delicate balancing act, and Mares have nailed it. They are low profile, offer a decent allround field of vision, and are easy to clear when flooded.

The Juno is available in blue and white, lime green and black, pink and clear, red and white, white and clear (great for underwater models!), white and black, white and blue, and red and black.

The Jupiter is available in black and white, blue and black, red and white, and white and black. www.mares.com

TECH SPECS & VERDICT TYPE: Frameless | STRAP: Silicone | VERDICT: The design of the Juno and Jupiter is pleasing to the eye, and they both come in a wide range of colours.

They are comfy, easy to clear and well priced.

SCORE

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OCEANIC SHADOW | SRP: AUD $119.99 The Oceanic Shadow has been around for many years, and it has proved a firm favourite with the Test Team over this time. The Shadow is a frameless, single-lens mask, and the 100 percent liquid silicone is very comfortable, effortlessly moulding to your face. The plastic buckles are attached directly to the silicone skirt, which means that the Shadow can fold flat, if you wanted to use it as a back-up mask, stored in a BCD or drysuit pocket.

The actual buckle itself works fine, but is quite a dated design.

However, it doesn’t matter, as it comes with an eye-catching and efficient neoprene strap, so once you have got the mask fitted properly the first time, you will likely never touch the buckle again anyway. The ‘stretch’ in the neoprene can handle the move from bare head in the tropics to hooded head in colder conditions.

The Shadow boasts a wide field of vision, and is easy to clear when flooded because of its low profile. This Shadow came in colourful Sea Blue, but there are myriad other colours available, including classic black, pink, white, yellow and clear, which is ideal for use with a model if you are an underwater photographer. These are also available as the Shadow Mini, to fit smaller faces. www.oceanicworldwide.com

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TECH SPECS & VERDICT TYPE: Frameless | STRAP: Silicone | VERDICT: The Shadow has been in the Oceanic line-up for a long time - for good reason. It is comfortable. wellequipped with a neoprene strap, and looks great.

SCORE

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SCUBAPRO ZOOM EVO | SRP: AUD $143 The Scubapro Zoom is another mask that has been around for a while, and this is the Evo version.

The quite-traditional style of the Zoom Evo has been around for a long time, but it works well. The twin-lens are mounted into a frame on a low-profile skirt, and it has a reasonable all-round field of vision.

The buckles have a large lever to release the strap, which is easy to find with a gloved thumb, but if you want to swap out the silicone strap for a Scubapro Comfort Strap, it is simply a case of pressing a couple of buttons and it is off. You can get other optional accessories like a HUD dive computer mount adapter, and colour kits to match BCDs, fins and clothing.

In use, the Zoom Evo is comfortable, and easy to clear. Because of the framed design, it will not fold flat.

The Zoom Evo is ideal for those who might need prescription lenses, as the originals can be easily replaced with everything from -1.0 to -8.0 (in .5 diopter increments) by yourself, without any tools, in less than a minute. It comes in a range of colours, from military-style all-black and silver and black, to eye-catching spray-painted blue/silver, black/yellow, red/black, pink/black, turquoise/black, blue/silver, and black/purple, on a black skirt. www.scubapro.com

TECH SPECS & VERDICT TYPE: Frame | STRAP: Silicone | VERDICT: The Zoom has been around for a long time, and the Evo version is comfortable, looks good - in a traditional style - and has user-changeable prescription lenses.

SCORE

••••••••••

VERDICT Masks are a very personal item, and often you will find divers who are using a mask that they have had 15-20 years because it is just so comfortable and familiar.

The Scubapro Zoom Evo is more of a traditional-style of mask, with its framed twin-lenses, but it stands out from the crowd thanks to its wide range of bright and colourful frame options, with the spray-painted fade finish being very eye-catching. It is also the ideal choice for those divers who need glasses, or who find their eyesight deteriorating over time, as they can swap out the original lenses for presciption lenses themselves without any tools. A neat idea.

The Oceanic Shadow has been around for years, but it is a great frameless mask. It is exceptionally comfortable, offers a wide range of vision, comes with a nice neoprene strap, and is available in a range of colour schemes.

The Mares Juno and Jupiter are a similarly frameless design, with a neat folding buckle system.

Again, very comfortable, good field of vision, and a huge selection of colour schemes. You won’t go far wrong with any of these masks.

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OCEAN PRO CORSAIR BCD | SRP: AUD $569 Adrian Stacey: Ocean Pro are an Australian-owned manufacturer of scuba equipment with a reputation for high-quality products and a real passion for sustainability.

No plastic packaging is used for their products, and my BCD arrived in a material drawstring bag. I was going to be diving with the new Corsair BCD, which is a rear-inflation unit with integrated weights.

I personally prefer a rear-inflation unit as it does not restrict movement or cause any discomfort when inflated.

I also prefer integrated weights, as I find them easier and quicker to use than a weight belt, so the Corsair was off to a good start.

I used this excellent BCD on a recent trip to the Great Barrier Reef, so luggage space and more importantly, weight, was at a premium. In this day and age when baggage allowances on flights are forever shrinking, and excess baggage cost are almost as much as the plane ticket itself, it is important to count your kilos. The Corsair weighs in at a very reasonable 3.55kg, so it is lightweight enough not to take up too much of your valuable allowance while also not compromising on features and comfort.

The Corsair feels well-made and durable and I found it to be extremely comfortable both in and out of the water.

The backplate is well padded, as are the shoulder straps and neck. The elasticated cumber band is a revelation, especially on a liveaboard when the dive directly after lunch calls for a forgiving material around the stomach area.

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OCEAN PRO CORSAIR BCD | SRP: AUD $569

The design is unfussy and functional. To keep the weight down and to reduce its size, the Ocean Pro, Corsair has only one pocket, which can be rolled up and secured with Velcro when not in use, which I thought was a great comprise. Other features that show a lot of thought has gone into the creation of this BCD is the use of removable D-rings on the shoulder strap, and plenty of places on the BCD to secure them. I tend not to like to have to many accessories dangling from my BCD as I find they can get caught up in my camera rig, so the option to remove or reposition D-rings was a great feature. The inflator has a fast fill speed and there are additional dump values for fast deflation on the shoulder and lower rear position.

I found the Corsair to be a superb BCD to dive with. It is extremely comfortable and this well-made, sturdy offering from Ocean Pro feels like it was built to last. www.oceanprosports.com

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DIVE SMARTER GET YOUR EXACT PRESCRIPTION TODAY

MADE IN AUSTRALIA

PRESCRIPTION DIVE LENSES AND MASK | SRP: AUD $225-$305 (mask not included) Adrian Stacey: Prescription Dive are an Australian-owned company that provide prescription lenses for dive masks.

They will fit lenes to your existing mask, or you can choose one from the range of popular makes and models that they stock. They offer three types of lens - gauge reader, single vision and bifocal - which are all made to your exact prescription at their factory in Adelaide.

The cost of having your own mask fitted with bifocal lenses is $305, for gauge readers it is $225, and for single vision $250 if, like me, you had the lens fitted to a brandnew mask supplied by Prescription Dive. You also have to factor this cost in, but really this is not nearly as expensive as I expected.

The process is very simple. You choose a mask from their website, or send your own, you choose which lenses you need, and you send your prescription - that’s it. Within two weeks you will have your prescription mask, although it only took a few days for mine to arrive.

I had my mask made in time for a recent trip to the Great Barrier Reef and I cannot believe that it has taken me so long to take the plunge and use a prescription mask.

The difference it made to my diving was breathtaking. I need bi-focals and while the improvement to what I could see at distance was significant, it was the improvement that wearing a prescription mask made to my close-up vision that really made the biggest impact.

As a photographer I have always been drawn more to wide-angle subjects, but as my eyesight has deteriorated macro photography has been all but impossible for the really tiny creatures like pygmy seahorses or squat shrimp. Now I am once again able to see these spectacular creatures in all of there glory.

In addition to making a difference to what marine life I can see both at distance and close up, it has made using the controls on my camera much easier and faster.

I now longer need to spend valuable time squinting at the display or hoping that a subject is in focus. Likewise reading my dive computer is a much-simpler task and I now no longer need to wear a larger device with big numbers to be sure that I am diving safely. Other benefits of the mask that I did not even consider before I got one were buddy checks were made easier, and simply enjoying the view above the water on the dinghy ride from the boat to the dive site was much more enjoyable.

I have needed glasses for some time now, but I have put off getting a prescription mask because I thought it would be a lot more complicated than it actually was. Dealing with Prescription Dive was convenient, fast and professional.

Wearing a prescription mask has been a revelation, and has increased the enjoyment of my diving significantly. www.prescriptiondive.com.au

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GARRETT DIVEMASTER

HYDROS X JACKET

“EASY TO GET ON, HUGS YOUR BODY AND STAYS IN PLACE”

DEEP DOWN YOU WANT THE BEST

OAHU, HAWAII

AUSTRALIA NEW SOUTH WALES

QUEENSLAND

FEET FIRST DIVE

MANTA LODGE AND SCUBA CENTRE

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

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

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

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

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

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

QUEENSLAND 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

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

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

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

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

VICTORIA ALL ABOUT SCUBA

PASSIONS OF PARADISE

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

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

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

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

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

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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

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Dive into A PNG wesome

ANILAO Don Silcock waxes lyrical about Papua New Guinea’s underwater WHY THIS DESTIN ATION IS SUCH delights

A DIVING MECCA

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65

Turtle conservation at Lissenung Island Resort, PNG

P

apua New Guinea is regarded by professional divers as one of the best dive destinations in the world. Home to pristine reefs, countless plane and shipwrecks, and hundreds of untouched atolls, its islands and coastal regions are a divers’ and snorkellers’ paradise.

Lissenung Island Resort is one of Papua New Guinea’s true gems set among this breathtaking paradise. Not only is it a striking, private-island accommodation option providing easy access to some of the world’s best wall and muck diving, wrecks and beautiful reefs, the resort also runs a very important turtle conservation programme each year to help protect the local hawksbill turtle population.

Lissenung Island Resort owners, Dietmar and Ange Amon, established the resort’s turtle conservation programme back in 2013, after seeing firsthand the dangers posed to the local turtle population by poachers who used the turtle eggs for food (just like we eat chicken eggs, the locals were eating turtle eggs).

Ever since then, from mid-September till the end of March, the team at Lissenung Island Resort has travelled daily to the neighbouring islands, Ral and Edmago, to beat the locals to the nests, and protect the eggs.

After rescuing as many eggs as possible, the team then head back to Lissenung Island Resort, where the eggs are safely rehomed in a similar nesting environment until they are ready to hatch (following a safe incubation period of 60 days), and the baby turtles ready to be released off the resort beach.

To date, Lissenung Island Resort has rescued and released a staggering 16,320 hawksbill turtles.

Guests of Lissenung Island Resort may volunteer their time to assist with the conservation programme, both in locating and relocating news nests, plus the release of the hatchings off the beach.

The resort team also uses the conservation programme to educate fellow villagers and school children on safeguarding ocean wildlife and encourages their involvement in beach clean-ups as a way to educate them on the damage nonorganic disposal can have on the environment.

ABOUT LISSENUNG ISLAND RESORT

Lissenung Island Resort is located on a small, private, tropical island surrounded by some of the world’s best coral reefs, as well as white sandy beaches, tall palm trees and magnificent sunsets. Accommodation consists of four private bungalows, built using traditional building materials to ensure minimum impact on the environment as well as to blend in well with the landscape and local culture.

Diving includes wall and muck diving, wrecks and reefs. The resort also offers free shore diving on its house reef, with morning boat dives.

Water temperature in this area ranges from 28-30 degrees C all year round and underwater visibility from 20-40 metres on most dives. You can go out on boat dives and also dive at the house reef, which is perfect for night dives!

For further information, visit: www.lissenung.com

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