Scuba Diver Destinations #2

BOUNTIFUL BONAIRE WHY THIS IS THE SHOREDIVING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

KIT MAINTENANCE

WHAT SHOULD YOU BE DOING TO YOUR CAMERA PRE- AND POST-DIVE?

CRITTER CRAZY!

DISCOVER WHAT WEIRD THINGS ROAM AROUND BLUE HERON BRIDGE

Greenland’s ICEBERGS BYRON CONROY BRAVES THE COLD TO EXPLORE THESE FLOATING LEVIATHONS

INDONESIA

THE PHILIPPINES

PALAU

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MEET THE TEAM

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mark Evans Email: mark@scubadivermag.com EDITOR-AT-LARGE (North America) Walt Stearns Email: walt@scubadivermag.com DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGER Matt Griffiths Email: matt@scubadivermag.com ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIP Ross Arnold Email: ross@scubadivermag.com CONTRIBUTORS Michele Westmorland, Martyn Guess, Richard Stevens, Hailey Elizabeth, Byron Conroy, Lena Kavender

MAGAZINE To stock Destinations in your dive center or store, email: subscriptions@scubadivermag.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS Annual (4 issues) - USA = $25, Canada = $30, RoW = $70 (All prices in USD).

PUBLISHERS Rork Media Limited 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, United Kingdom, WC2H 9JQ

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 Destinations 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.

ISSN: 2633-3902

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Dive now... die later...

I

t’s on my ‘Bucket List’. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard that phrase spoken by fellow divers — especially when I have attended a trade show like Beneath the Sea in Secaucus, NJ, or at the Scuba Show in Long Beach, CA. It’s often uttered while passing a booth representing some far-off and exotic locale.

I get it, but I also think the idea of a ‘bucket list’ is overrated, a bit dismissive and lacking in any sense of urgency. When I hear someone mention their bucket list, I usually just let it go, but once in a while my more-facetious side comes out.

“Oh, I am so sorry to hear that, how much time do you have left?”

I’ll ask. Which, of course, usually triggers a shocked response. “No, I’m not dying!”

“So what are you waiting for?”

I’ll reply.

Do we really have to wait until we are actually staring our encroaching mortality in the face to get properly motivated for some fun? In life, we are only granted one time around with no chance for a redo. And life can be short, as I was painfully reminded when my stepbrother passed away without warning at the age of 64 early last year. He was not much older than me.

If you’re passionate about diving and travel, whether near or far, the time to go is now. And that’s what Destinations is all about. Our mission is not only to inspire but also to inform, providing the details and specifics needed to get you packing.

In this issue, Rose and Udo Kefrig bring us an overview of Palau, a fan favorite destination for its magnificent reefs and marine life, while Byron Conroy takes us a bit out of our comfort zone and into the frigid waters of Greenland to see what dwells under an iceberg. Lena Kavander and Bryon Conroy share their recent experience during a stay at Siladen Resort as they dive the renowned Bunaken National Marine Park in Indonesia.

Richard Stevens and Hailey Elizabeth find Magic Island and Magic Ocean resorts make more than an agreeable pairing for serious diving in the Philippines, and Michele Westmorland tells us about the treats of doing a Cocos Island liveaboard adventure onboard the Okeanos Agressor II. Closer to home, Pierce Hoover shares his experiences shore diving on the island of Bonaire, and we give you the lowdown on Florida’s own famous macro dive, Blue Heron Bridge.

We hope you enjoy reading about these destinations, but more importantly, we hope you are inspired to start planning your visit to these and other extraordinary dive destinations, turning your ‘bucket list’ into a ‘to-do’ action plan.

Walt Stearns Editor-at-Large (North America)

WWW.SCUBADIVERDESTINATIONS.COM

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For some, adventure is sharing space with jungle cats on a safari, or passing time in the midst of the largest Asian elephant gathering in the world. For others, it’s diving crystal blue waters watching rays glide among rainbow coral or getting up close and personal with a giant whale shark.

However you define adventure, let Aggressor take your expedition to the next level. Small groups, decadent meals, luxurious accommodations and amazing service are what sets our journeys apart and helps you create an experience you’ll never forget. Whatever your destination, choose your adventure with Aggressor!

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AGGRESSOR LIVEABOARDS

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OF

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AGGRESSOR RIVER CRUISES

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800-348-2628 · +1-706-993-2531 · info@aggressor.com · www.aggressor.com · Bahamas · · Belize · · Cayman Islands · · Cocos Island, Costa Rica · · Cuba ·

· Dominican Republic · · Egypt · · Galapagos · · Hawaii · · Indonesia ·

· Maldives · · Mexico · · Oman · · Palau · · Philippines ·

· Red Sea · · Roatan · · Sri Lanka · · Thailand · · Turks & Caicos ·

BOUNTIFUL BONAIRE WHY THIS IS THE SHOREDIVING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

KIT MAINTENANCE

WHAT SHOULD YOU BE DOING TO YOUR CAMERA PRE- AND POST-DIVE?

CRITTER CRAZY!

DISCOVER WHAT WEIRD THINGS ROAM AROUND BLUE HERON BRIDGE

Greenland’s ICEBERGS BYRON CONROY BRAVES THE COLD TO EXPLORE THESE FLOATING LEVIATHONS

INDONESIA

Cover & Spine.indd 1

THE PHILIPPINES

PALAU

SCUBAPRO HUD

15/02/2020 09:46

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: LUIS LOURO / MATTHEW CLEMENTE

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NEWS IN BRIEF

THEN LOG ON TO THE WEBSITE: WWW.SCUBADIVERDESTINATIONS.COM

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COSTA RICA

You’ll find all the latest diving news from around the world, in-depth travel reports, unbiased and comprehensive equipment reviews, hints and advice on diving techniques, underwater photography and videography, insights into diving medical issues, articles on conservation initiatives, Q&As with industry icons and legends, exciting competitions, and much, much more

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GET ONLINE! CAN’T WAIT FOR YOUR NEXT ISSUE OF SCUBA DIVER DESTINATIONS?

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The Bahamas introduce a single-use plastics ban, the Greek government discusses opening up the Britannic shipwreck, an earthquake strikes the Caribbean, and the diving industry mourns Carla Hanson and Wayne Hasson.

Michele Westmorland joins the Okeanos Aggressor II to make the epic trip to the legendary Cocos Island. This iconic dive site is known for its sharks and other big pelagics, but will it live up to the hype? Michele finds this is one location that more than delivers.

BONAIRE

The tiny island of Bonaire is heralded as the ‘shorediving capital of the world’, and as Pierce Hoover and Walt Stearns explain, this ability and freedom to dive where and for as long as you want, without being tied to dive boat schedules, has a lot going for it.

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

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THE PHILIPPINES

Richard Stevens and Hailey Elizabeth are smitten by the Philippines, in particular the Magic Islands and Magic Oceans resorts and their surrounding dive sites, and here they reveal why the location is such a diving paradise.

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UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY

Photo pro Martyn Guess explains how we can all improve our macro photography by paying close attention to the background, or negative space, and then joins fellow professional snappers Paul Duxfield, Mario Vitalini and Anne and Phil Medcalf to offer sage advice about what routine maintenance/care they carry out on their gear both pre- and post-dive trip.

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FLORIDA

Walt Stearns waxes lyrical about the weird-andwonderful creatures that can be encountered at the Blue Heron Bridge, a dive hotspot that is undoubtedly one of the best critter-hunting locations in the entire United States of America. If you have not dived this location before, he gives you all the inside info to get this on your to-dive list.

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PALAU

Rose and Udo Kefrig are left flabbergasted by the stunning topside and underwater scenery in this Micronesian wonder, and as well as the usual wartime wrecks, sharks and reef dives, they also get involved in a spot of fish sex.

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INDONESIA

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GREENLAND

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GEAR TEST EXTRA

Byron Conroy and Leva Kavender finally get to tick the Bunaken Marine Park in North Sulawesi, famed for its dramatic walls and superlative soft corals, off their bucket list.

Diving in freezing cold water alongside gigantic icebergs might not seem the epitomy of ‘fun’, but as Byron Conroy explains, this is true adventure diving.

Mark Evans rates and reviews the innovative Scubapro HUD dive computer, and xDeep’s robust NX Zen backplateand-wing system.

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“Simply put you can’t have a better experience! Everything is about service and maximizing your diving and snorkelling. The dives were amazing, and all the staff are first class. At Wakatobi they will accommodate any request, but you hardly need to make any since they have thought of essentially everything.” ~ Dr. James and Laurie Benjamin

An experience without equal Two-bedroom pool villa

Pelagian master suite

www.wakatobi.com

At Wakatobi, you don’t compromise on comfort to get away from it all. Our private guest flight brings you directly to this remote island, where all the indulgences of a world-class resort and luxury liveaboard await. Our dive team and private guides ensure your in-water experiences are perfectly matched to your abilities and interests.

Your underwater encounters will create vivid and rewarding memories. While at the resort, or on board the dive yacht Pelagian, you need only ask and we will gladly provide any service or facility within our power. This unmatched combination of world-renowned reefs and first-class luxuries put Wakatobi in a category all its own.

NEWS IN BRIEF

TSUNAMI WARNINGS FOLLOW POWERFUL EARTHQUAKES IN THE CARIBBEAN Tsunami warnings were put in place for countries including Belize, Cuba, Honduras, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica after a powerful 7.7-magnitude deep-water earthquake followed by a 6.1-magnitude ‘aftershock’ two hours later – at the end of January.

Thankfully, the warnings from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) about potentially hazardous waves threatening coastlines within 186 miles of the earthquakes were later withdrawn when they said the ‘tsunami threat had now largely passed’. The earthquake was described as a ‘strike-slip’ quake, where tectonic plates slide against each other, which limits the threats of tsunamis.

DIVING INDUSTRY MOURNS DEATHS OF CARLA HANSON AND WAYNE HASSON Aggressor Adventures’ Wayne Hasson The diving world has been rocked by the passing of one of the industry’s longest-standing and most-influential figures – Aggressor Adventures’ President Wayne Hasson.

Wayne, who sadly passed away in January after a prolonged battle with renal cell cancer, will forever be associated with the global Aggressor brand, after spending 35 years connected with the company, but before he became a part of the diving fraternity, he was a United States Marine. He discovered the joys of the underwater world during off-duty passes, scuba diving in Vietnan, Japan and North Carolina.

He had been honoured with numerous awards for his contributions to the scuba industry.

AIDA International President Carla Hanson Carla Hanson, the President of AIDA International, has died in California following a short battle with cancer.

Affectionately known as ‘Madame President’, Carla had been President since 2016 and was widely regarded as an iconic figure in the freediving community. She passed away on Thursday 6 February in hospital surrounded by her family.

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THE BAHAMAS INTRODUCES THE 4BIDDEN FOUR PLASTICS BAN The Bahamas Ministry of Environment and Housing implemented a ban on the importation of single-use plastics nationwide on 1 January. The purpose of the ban is to reduce plastic consumption in order to reduce plastic pollution across the country. Reducing the proliferation of plastic in the island communities will create a healthier environment that will serve to prevent massive landfill fires, reduce litter on the streets and beaches, and improve the general health of the nation.

The Commonwealth of the Bahamas is blessed with some of the clearest water in the world, making it especially attractive for snorkellers and divers exploring the abundant marine and coral life. The low-lying islands of this archipelagic nation are, however, especially vulnerable to climate change and the plastic ban is part of the government’s response to the global phenomenon that is devastating the environment by shifting weather patterns and creating monster storms like Hurricane Dorian. The goal is to improve the country’s survival rate by reducing the likelihood of these types of storms, rising sea levels, and other challenges that the small-island state faces as global climate changes at an unprecedented rate.

By acting today, the Bahamas aim to reduce the potential risk, cost, and devastation that all could face tomorrow. It is hoped that the plastic ban will play a key role in conserving the health of the world’s third largest barrier reef and its marine life.

The ban is being implemented in phases to allow the public to make a smoother transition to life without the ‘4Bidden Four’ single-use plastic products, which are: • Single-use plastic bags • Plastic utensils • Plastic straws • Styrofoam containers and cups www.bahamas.com

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NEWS IN BRIEF

BRITANNIC AND OTHER WARTIME WRECKS WILL BE OPENED TO DIVERS

A ‘BOULDER’ APPROACH TO REEF RESTORATION In an exciting first for the Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire (RRFB) and the island of Bonaire, the RRFB has started growing three species of boulder corals in its nurseries.

These three coral species are among the most-common reef-builders that make up Bonaire’s reefs – lobed star coral (Orbicella annularis), mountainous star coral (Orbicella faveolata), and great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa).

Since 2013, Reef Renewal Bonaire has primarily focused its restoration work on two branching coral species as these corals have experienced a drastic decline in population since the 1970s. However, over the last decade, in Bonaire as well as throughout the greater Caribbean, other coral species, like boulder corals, have experienced a significant loss in cover.

After recent developments in Florida have led to breakthrough methods of propagating boulder corals via fragmentation in both land-based and offshore nurseries, Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire was eager to incorporate these techniques to expand its restoration effort with a focus on the importance of species diversity. Using a recently installed, modified coral tree nursery, Reef Renewal has populated the four trees with 300 coral fragments. www.reefrenewalbonaire.org

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Wartime wrecks in the Aegean, including the Britannic – the sister ship of the Titanic – could soon be open to divers, under new legislation being discussed by the Greek government.

The proposals will be voted on shortly, and could see an end to the currently exhaustive rules surrounding this famous wreck and other sunken vessels and airplanes, which are off-limits to divers unless a – rarely granted - permit is granted.

The new legislation would permit diving on wrecks sunken between 1860 and 1970. As well as the Britannic, this would include a Junkers Ju 52 aircraft that crashed off the coast of Paros in 1943, and the World War Two British submarine HMS Perseus, which sank after hitting a mine in 1941 and went down with 60 of its 61 crew members still inside. Shipwrecks from before 1860 would still be protected by the existing laws.

US NAVY DIVERS ASSIST STRICKEN LIVEABOARD IN CHUUK LAGOON US Navy divers recently stepped in to assist the liveaboard SS Thorfinn, which had run aground in the famous Chuuk Lagoon during a fierce storm.

The salvage ship USNS Salvor was in Chuuk’s Weno Harbor conducting salvage training, but headed out in response to distress calls from the SS Thorfinn, which had run aground on a reef in the lagoon.

After ensuring everyone on board the Thorfinn was safe, divers from the Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit-1 (MDSU-1) worked with the Salvor’s civilian mariners to refloat the stricken Thorfinn and get the charter boat to a safe anchorage.

Captain Robert Williams, commodore of Military Sealift Command Far East, commented: “It was a great example of what we can accomplish when we work together as a team.”

This is not the first time that the US Navy stationed in Micronesia have offered assistance. Back in September 2018, US Navy sailors from the Underwater Construction Team-2 (UCT-2) joined local fishermen to rescue passengers from an Air Nuigini 737 passenger jet that crashed in a lagoon.

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Cocos Island is often spoken of in hallowed terms, and as Michele Westmorland found out during a liveaboard adventure on the Okeanos Aggressor II, this is one dive location that truly delivers Photography Michele Westmorland and Walt Stearns

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The hammerhead sharks form the family Sphyrnidae, so named for the unusual and distinctive structure of their heads, which are flattened and laterally extended into a ‘hammer’ shape called a cephalofoil. On average, great hammerhead sharks are about 11 feet long.

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C

ocos Island is one of those destinations you will find near the top of every scuba diver’s bucket list. If it is not at the top of yours, it should be. Isla del Coco, as it is known in Spanish, was named by navigator Juan de Cabezas. He discovered it in 1526 while surveying the vast waters of the Pacific. Its lush and verdant forest draped over the rocky shoreline must have looked like heaven to him and his crew when they spotted it on the horizon. They quickly discovered it was also host to many species of flora and fauna that evolved in isolation for thousands of years.

The first question divers on board the Okeanos II ask is ‘How will our crossing be? Shall I strap my equipment down as well as myself inside the cabin?’ The crossing from Costa Rica covers 332 miles of open ocean and takes 36 hours. The remote location of Cocos has fueled many stories of pirate treasure being hidden upon its shores. For divers, the bounty is actually located in the waters surrounding the island, in what is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site established in 1997.

We were fortunate. The seas were on our side for the crossing and presented us with a calmness that was much appreciated. Our adventurous group, made up of Americans and Spaniards, was able to wander the boat setting up camera equipment, read a book in the salon and have a true meet-and-greet event to get to know each other. About halfway through the crossing, the captain announced a large pod of spinner dolphins was at the surface. The beautiful marine mammals had absolutely no interest in our boat. They were too busy jumping, slapping their tails, and herding a baitball of fish to fill their stomachs.

After eating a good meal and getting a good night’s sleep within the gently swaying vessel, we arrived at the island with another pod of dolphins. These were the larger cousins of the previous day’s sighting, known as the bottlenose dolphin. They stayed with us all the way into Wafer Bay as a playful escort. The welcome just made the divers even more excited about reaching the lonely outpost. Everyone ate their meal as quickly as possible to go prepare for our first dives.

We first submerged ourselves at a rocky outcropping called Manuelita, which has both a deep wall and a shallow sloping side. This gave us a wide variety of terrain and the possibility of many different experiences. I swam along the sloped wall first and although the visibility was not crystal clear, within seconds there were half a dozen hammerheads in view just ahead of me.

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Okeanos Aggressor II Length: 120 feet | Beam: 27 feet Passengers: 22 | Staff: 9 Trip length: 10 days Cabins: Owner Stateroom 2 Master Staterooms 8 Deluxe Staterooms Large salon and dining area.

Spacious sundeck. Two tenders for all diving activities and shore excursions.

LIVEABOARD LIFE The newly designed Master Staterooms on the Okeanos Aggressor II are large and luxurious.

The incredible food served by the talented chefs in the dining area was excellent. Captain Mauricio is a pleasure to be around, and with his never-ending smile, is happy to make sure you have the best diving opportunities based on weather and current conditions. Providing the additional GPS device to each and every diver is a bonus for safety purposes.

The Okeanos Aggressor I and II offer itineraries year round to Cocos Island. www.aggressor.com

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A glance downward revealed sleepy whitetip sharks and the shadow of a tiger shark. The deep wall side of Manuelita also is one of the prime areas for spotting sharks, so of course they were there too, swimming in unison in a slow and cautious manner. All around the small island, we discovered massive schools of blue and gold snapper, and could approach and even swim through them with ease.

During the week, a favorite location emerged named Dirty Rock. While the name may not be glamorous, it is fitting because of the complete guano coverage from nesting booby birds. Below the waterline, the sightings of predators never let us down.

At Dirty Rock there is a cleaning station where the hammers come in close to be picked and cleaned by the barberfish. Providing the current is not too strong,

TOP LEFT The Okeanos Aggressor II TOP RIGHT Fresh fruit - with a twist CENTER, FROM LEFT Salon, tasty dining, and a spacious stateroom LEFT Dessert and a glass of wine at sunset

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PLAZA BEACH & DIVE RESORT BONAIRE Indulge all your senses at Plaza Beach & Dive Resort, where luxurious amenities and an unforgettable oceanfront location beckon you to forget your cares. Take a dip in our therapeutic magnesium swimming pool. Savor gourmet cuisine. Scuba dive and snorkel in the crystal clear turquoise Caribbean Sea. We’re redefining what it means to escape to the islands.

Cocos Island possesses an extremely wet climate along with a scenic ocean beauty which is unparalleled by other islands in the region. Cocos Island is said to be in possession of an ‘ecological character’ that is not shared by any other island, no matter how popular it might be.

ABOVE Inquisitive octopus at Puntamaria LEFT Spotted eagle ray BOTTOM LEFT Hammerheads shoaling in the blue RIGHT Vast shoal of jacks

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Chatham Bay

Wafer Bay

Dirty Rock

THERE BE TREASURE HERE‌

Cocos Island is reputed to hold three of the largest treasure troves of all time. From pirates to the entire horde of Lima, which was hidden there from Simon Bolivar and his troops in 1821.

Alcyone is a deep platform of sheared rock the size of a football field. It can only be accessed in the right conditions as the currents are so strong they can sweep you further into the Pacific hanging around the device placed by researchers for gathering shark counts is the best spot to observe and photograph this underwater spa and barber shop. Just breathe slowly was our motto, so as not to disturb the styling process going on before our eyes.

We alternated the groups of divers to keep the bubble noise to a minimum. Whether it was the group I was diving with or the others, each surfaced with stories and sightings of marble rays, spotted eagle rays and numerous free-swimming morays.

Since the water conditions surrounding the island were quite calm, the divers were scheduled for three night dives. Manuelita Shallows is the site generally used for the dark hours and it is easy to understand why it is the hot spot. After about 15 or 20 minutes in the water, our lights bring out lots of action among the whitetip sharks. During the day, they can generally be seen sleeping on the bottom, which is not very exciting. The feeding frenzy that starts after the night

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hours set in is exhilarating in comparison. Not a single one of us was worried about being too close to these hunters. The sharks were more interested in finding smaller fish tucked into the nooks and crannies of the stony coral outcroppings. By the third night, divers were wishing for something new and they found it in two bright orange frogfish, who could care less about the frenzy going on around the corner. Frogfish patiently wait for a passing morsel then in a lightning fast gulp, dinner is served.

Okeanos II moved from Wafer to Chatham Bay so that the pangas (skiffs) had easier access to one of my personal favorites – Submerged Rock. Here there is a small archway to swim through that exits looking out into the blue. Schooling snapper are gracious enough to escort you through the doorway. A much-larger arch at Dos Amigos Grande is a spectacle of schooling fish, and the floor of the arch is lavishly decorated with red-jeweled starfish. Although the current can push a

TOP LEFT Manta ray gliding TOP RIGHT Turtle flypast ABOVE Hunting whitetip sharks

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The renowned Cocos Island Marine Park was established in 1978. In 1994, after several return visits to the island, Jacques Cousteau pronounced Cocos Island “the most beautiful island in the world”. In 1997, UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site.

ABOVE Refreshing swim in the waterfall TOP RIGHT Idyllic beach scene FAR RIGHT Booby birds RIGHT The trek is hard work, but worth it

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diver through quickly, it is more than manageable.

Puntamaria is not as action packed as some of the other sites, but I found it to be a nice break and rich with curious creatures. Not only were the octopus inspecting us instead of us inspecting them, the giant morays were not the least bit concerned with our presence while out on their daily hunt.

Since my last visit, the dive site that has always remained in my memory as one of the best in the world is Alcyone. Bajo Alcyone, as it is also known, was originally discovered by Jacques Cousteau. He named it after his signature expedition vessel, whose moniker was derived from Greek mythology. In 1987, the Cousteau Society’s expedition ship Alcyone first visited Cocos, discovering a seamount that would eventually become the legendary site. Because it is so far offshore, Alcyone offers incredible pelagic action.

Alcyone is a deep platform of sheared rock the size of a football field. It can only be accessed in the right conditions as the currents are so strong they can sweep you further into the Pacific. Not the best way to get to Japan! The good news is that the Okeanos

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Raja Ampat – Indonesia www.papuaparadise.com

North Sulawesi – Indonesia www.ganggaisland.com

Bali – Indonesia www.lotusbungalows.com

Cocos Island

Cocos Island has more to offer than what is in the water.

Take a hike! Visiting the ranger station near the shore is a must before setting off to hike from one side to the other.

The steep trail to the top of the mountain is rewarded with spectacular views, not to mention trekking through the lush jungle is an excellent way to view some of the endemic species of birds, such as the Cocos Cuckoo, finch and flycatcher, which all reside here. It is also common to see great frigate birds, terns and booby birds. Our group of enthusiastic hikers took a rest at the abandoned ranger station to take in the majestic view from the top. The trip down to the shoreline was much easier but it was the waterfall at the end that was most appreciated.

Lombok – Indonesia www.almarik-lombok.com

LotusHotels--US.indd 1

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17/02/2020 07:06

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A much-larger arch at Dos Amigos Grande is a spectacle of schooling fish, and the floor of the arch is lavishly decorated with red-jeweled starfish

The islands took their current name from Portuguese sailors in the 16th century, ‘coco’ being the Portuguese word for the coconut.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Cocos Island Costa Rica

II provides appropriate safety equipment with GPS for each and every diver, just in case you need it. Knowing the difficulty of this location, the device gave me a sense of security but did not lower my safety standards in the least. Once to the top of the rocky platform, it is best to tuck into a crevice. This provides a great way to remain stable while the sharks come in for some cleaning. Even though there were not the hundreds of sharks I’ve seen in the past, having even one of these beautiful animals right in your face is breathtaking.

Our remaining days included a repeat of Alcyone, Dos Amigos Grande and Pequena. There was a surge that brought in more hammerheads, four very large Galapagos sharks and two graceful spotted eagle rays. On our way to DA Grande, several divers had the opportunity to jump in the water to snorkel with a beautiful manta ray right at the surface. Too soon, it was time for the journey home.

We all hoped the conditions would stay calm so that we could pack, look at our photos and graze on more of the tasty food served on board. Our wish was granted in spades. The mirrored-over conditions allowed every diver to relax into the memories of diving Isla Del Cocos – one of the wonders of the world. n

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TOP LEFT It’s not all big stuff at Cocos, there are tiny critters too, such as this goby ABOVE Bluestriped snapper escort a diver through a swimthrough LEFT Whaleshark

GETTING THERE You need to fly into San Jose and stay overnight in a hotel, and will then be transported by minibus to the port of Puntarenas the following day.

WHEN TO GO You can dive at Cocos Island all year round. The dry season runs from December to May and has the best sea conditions. However, the wet season, which is June to November, has rain and rougher conditions, but is also the peak time to see hammerhead sharks, whalesharks and manta rays.

CURRENCY Costa Rican colon, but US dollars are accepted on the boat, which will also accept credit cards.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS A valid passport, with at least six months left to expiry, and a return flight ticket.

ELECTRICITY The supply is 110 volt for North American two-pin plugs.

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Bonaire is well known as the Caribbean’s shore-diving capital, but as Pierce Hoover explains, there is much more to this little island than that well-deserved accolade Photography Walt Stearns

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Anda, Bohol

SPEAK LIKE A NATIVE

Moalboal, Cebu

Papiamento - a Spanish-PortugueseDutch-English dialect - is the native language, though almost everyone speaks English and Dutch.

www.magicresorts.online info@magicresorts.online

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Most dive operations stage tanks close to the entry point, and after entering the water you can go left or right along the slope that parallels the shore, swimming at any depth from 30ft to around 95ft

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ive boat? You don’t need no stinkin’ dive boat! Not if you are on the island of Bonaire.

True, there are times where a boat might be desirable, but more on that later. For now, let’s talk about why Bonaire is the undisputed shorediving capital of the Caribbean.

By the numbers, this quiet island offers some 60 dive sites that can be reached simply by wading in and finning out. And you won’t have to swim far. In some cases, coral formations begin right at the waterline, while many more sites are reached after a short swim across sandy shallows to the edge of a coral and sponge-encrusted slope. Finding these sites is not a problem either, as parking and entry points are clearly marked by a collection of iconic yellow-painted rocks, each bearing the site’s sometimes whimsical name.

There’s also no need to brush up on your surf entries for a Bonaire shore dive, as many sites are millpondcalm, and the worst you may have to deal with is a mild groundswell and perhaps a few calculated steps over the rocks. Once in, the dive is all yours, where your time constraints are dictated by the numbers on your SPG and not someone else’s watch.

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ABOVE The Salt Pier is a popular site LEFT Shoal of snapper under a pier

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RIGHT Bonaire’s reefs are extremely healthy and diverse FAR RIGHT Vibrant vase sponge BELOW Coral nursery BOTTOM Pick-up trucks are the vehicle of choice on Bonaire

Still the same “It was really something back in the day.” This isn’t something you’ll hear from long-time visitors to Bonaire. I first came to the island in the early 1980s while boat-hopping my way through the Caribbean.

At that time, the Bonaire National Marine Park was only a few years old, but the reefs had enjoyed some form of protection since the prohibition of spearfishing in 1971, and a ban on coral harvesting in 1975. I wasn’t aware of these measures, I just remember the diving being quite good.

Fast forward a decade, and as the editor of newly minted Sport Diver magazine, I was back for the first of many trips to Bonaire. Thanks to an expense account and warm welcomes from the resorts, I was able to explore the full range of the island’s underwater riches.

These riches were protected by Stichting Nationale Parken Bonaire, aka STINAPA, a non-governmental, non-profit foundation established to manage Bonaire National Marine Park and the Washington Slagbaai National Park. The marine park circles the island with a

no-take zone that included some 6,700 acres of coral reef, seagrass and mangrove habitat. Per park rules, all divers are asked to pay a modest entry fee, and to begin their dive vacation with a check-out dive to fine-tune their buoyancy and water skills. A portion of revenue from this program goes towards maintaining the extensive network of moorings that further protected corals from anchor damage.

Now, looking back at some 35 years of diving Bonaire, what seems most remarkable is how little has changed. Reefs and fish life continue to thrive under marine park protection, and the island retains its relaxed way of life, free from large-scale development and high-rise hotels. The waterfront resorts still put divers first, and a number of these properties benefit from recent upgrades and renovations. These are the things that keep divers coming back year after year, but don’t worry, if you are new to Bonaire, you haven’t missed the ‘good old days’, because the diving experience today is every bit as rewarding as on my first visit.

Keep driving south and you’ll see fewer and fewer pick-ups parked by yellow rocks, and by the time you get to the island’s southwest corner, you will likely have sites like Red Slave all to yourself SHORE-DIVING WORDS OF WISDOM Shore diving in Bonaire is pretty straightforward, but there are a few pointers I’ve picked up over the years.

• Scout the entry point before you gear up to identify the easiest route to the water.

• Invest in some thick-soled dive boots and bring open-heel fins, as many sites require you to walk over coral rubble and rocks on the way to the water.

• Use the truck’s tailgate as a staging area, but never leave an unattended tank standing horizontal.

• Enter the water as a buddy pair if possible so that you can brace each other when negotiating any tricky bits over the rocks.

• Leave the mask on your head or around your neck when entering to maintain full peripheral vision.

• Slide your fin strap over your wrists to keep hands free, and to prevent dropping a fin if you lose your footing.

• Wade out to at least waist-deep water before donning mask and fins.

• Swimming on the surface to the edge of the reef saves air and provides a chance to practice relaxed breathing provided you don’t hurry the swim.

• Ditch the snorkel for the surface swim, as it will just make you top-heavy as you swim face down with the tank on the surface. Instead, swim face-up with BCD fully inflated.

• Pack a jug of water in the truck to rinse up after the dive.

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Bonaire’s airport is called Flamingo Airport – that’s because the island is home to more than 10,000 of the pink birds, and there is a sanctuary for them in the southern part of the island. The Flamingo Sanctuary is one of only four areas in the world where Flamingos breed.

Sorting the sites There are around 60 dive sites on Bonaire that can be reached from shore. If you are staying at a waterfront dive resort, your first immersion will likely be right out front. This is where you’ll make the requisite check-out dive. And after getting things sorted in the shallows, you are just a few yards from the slopes, where you can spend the rest of that initial dive among the corals and fish. Bonaire’s house reefs are not just stopovers for buoyancy checks. Sites like Buddy’s Reef, La Machaca, Sara’s Smile, Calabas, and Eighteen Palms just happen to be in front of a resort and are definitely worth more than one dive.

Most dive operations stage tanks close to the entry point, and after entering the water you can go left or right along the slope that parallels the shore, swimming at any depth from 30ft to around 95ft. It’s an ideal opportunity for long multi-level profiles. You’ll also want to make at least one-night dive on the house reef, and possibly revisit favorite areas for some marine life viewing or photo ops.

There’s a lot to be said for immediate convenience of a resort’s house reef, but there’s a lot more shore to explore. And all you need to reach most every site around the island is a set of wheels. The nearubiquitous choice for Bonaire shore diving is the

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Yellow painted rocks on the side of the road or along the coast mark the dive sites on Bonaire, but they can also indicate ‘do not enter’. This is because, for example, it is a marine reserve that does not allow snorkelers or divers, or because birds lay eggs in that area and you are not allowed to enter.

ABOVE Iguana sunning itself you will get used to seeing these Bonaire residents

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compact four-door pick-up. You’ll see these utilitarian vehicles parked all along the coast, with divers gearing up on tailgates. Many resorts offer drive-and-dive packages that include a truck and unlimited tank swaps.

So, where do you start? A quick glance at a map of Bonaire’s dive sites shows that the vast majority are located on the western side of this boomerangshaped island, sheltered from prevailing easterly trade winds and swells. With most resorts sitting mid-island, near the waterfront town of Kralendijk, the choice when hitting the road is to head south or go north. If you opt for the southern route, the landscape turns flat and the low-lying shoreline offers easy walk-in access across a mixture of sand, rubble and limestone. Sites such as Alice in Wonderland offer a double reef line that rises offshore of the initial drop, and this area is also home to two of Bonaire’s most-popular sites - the wreck of the Hilma Hooker, and Salt Pier. Keep driving south and you’ll see fewer and fewer pick-ups parked by yellow rocks, and by the time you get to the island’s southwest corner, you will likely have sites like Red Slave all to yourself.

North of the resorts, Bonaire’s landscape becomes increasingly hilly, with the island’s highest peak rising to almost 800 feet. The shoreline follows topographical suit as the Queen’s Highway skirts a series of low bluffs. There are breaks in the cliffs where divers can park close to shore, but some sites will require a bit of uphill and downhill walking. You’ll be pleased to know that at the site known as Thousand Steps, there are actually only 64 steps to negotiate. Further to the north, the sandy mid-depth shelf that’s a signature of many west coast dive sites narrows, and corals encroach on the shore. By the time you reach Karpata, which is the northernmost site accessed from the Queen’s Highway, the coral formations begin right at the entry point in less than 15ft of water.

But wait, there’s more. The park entry fee required of all divers also gives access to Washington Slagbaai National Park, which covers the northern third of the island. Tucked into the rugged coastline that skirts the park are small coves known as bocas, which provide access to dive sites that don’t see much diver traffic.

If you are planning to visit the park, plan to spend the

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BONAIRE OFFERS SCUBA DIVING 24/7, 365 DAYS A YEAR and in a pristine underwater environment with access to many locations for shore and boat diving, it is an award winning diving destination that accommodates every skill level, from beginner to advanced diver. There are 63 official dive sites on Bonaire and 26 more on Klein Bonaire, of which 54 are shore dive sites.

Bonaire is an underwater paradise that awaits you, with more than 350 fish species and 57 species of soft and stony coral.

For more information on the Bonaire Marine Park visit www.tourismbonaire.com

Direct flights to Bonaire from Houston, Newark, Atlanta and Miami.

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Boka Bartol

WASHINGTONSLAGBAAI NATIONAL PARK Nukove

Karpata

Mi Dushi

Forest Bonaire International Airport (BON)

Hilma Hooker

Cai

Red Slave

Plaza Resort Bonaire Located just five minutes from the airport, Plaza Resort Bonaire offers all-inclusive holidays in well-equipped junior and grand suites in an enviable location on a long beach fringed with palm trees. The on-site PADI five-star dive centre Toucan Diving offers dive courses and dive trips for qualified divers, and can organise shore-diving and boat-diving packages. The Plaza Resort is currently being radically updated. The stunning Magna Pool opened on 15 December, closely followed by the new beach bar. The second phase has started, and in a year there will be a beautiful new building with various new facilities, such as a wellness centre, casino and even an entire shopping street!

www.plazaresortbonaire.com

ABOVE Cleaner shrimp ABOVE RIGHT Many shore dives lie right in front of the resorts RIGHT The Hilma Hooker wreck

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better part of a day. Though Bonaire looks small on paper - just 24 miles north to south - you can’t rush when negotiating the park’s winding dirt roads.

A final shore-diving option that very few visitors attempt are entries along the island’s surf-washed eastern shore. These sites aren’t for everyone, as some will require a full-contact entry through the surf, while others are performed as drift dives that begin with a tall giant stride from a limestone bluff, followed by a drift into one of the bocas to exit. If you are contemplating one of these wild-side excursions, it’s best to go with one of the local guides who specializes in eastern shore dives.

It would take you weeks to hit every shore-diving site on Bonaire, but you still wouldn’t see all the island has to offer. There are another 30-plus sites that can only be reached by boat, or more easily reached from water than land. The most obvious of these are the

26 sites that ring the uninhabited limestone plateau known as Klein Bonaire, which sits a half-mile to the west of the main island. Fortunately, the same resorts that support drive-and-dive programs offer daily boat trips, giving divers the best of both worlds.

One of my favorite itineraries when visiting Bonaire is to begin the day with a morning boat trip, then plan one or two additional shore-based dives after lunch.

Of course, there are also some days when I’d rather sleep in a bit, fire up the laptop and use the WiFi to catch up on some things, then stroll down to the docks for a mid-day tour of the house reef.

And that’s what is wonderful about diving on the tiny island of Bonaire. With plenty of both land and boat-based options awaiting, and some of the most vibrant reefs in the Caribbean just a few fin kicks away, it’s easy to create the ideal dive trip on your own terms. n

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Bonaire

FUN FACT!

There is a ‘flip-flop tree’ on Bonaire that has at least 150 flip-flops on it.

GETTING THERE Bonaire is an extremely popular destination for North American divers, so there are plenty of flights into the country from hubs such as New York and Miami.

WHEN TO GO Bonaire sits outside the Caribbean hurricane belt, and you can visit any time of the year as the climate is tropical marine with little seasonal temperature variation.

‘Rainy’ season last from the end of October to the end of January, but is still relatively dry.

CURRENCY The currency on Bonaire is the US dollar, but resorts and many bars/restaurants will accept major credit cards, though American Express and Diners Club are not as popular as Visa and Mastercard.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS US and Canadian citizens must have a valid passport and a return or ongoing ticket. International departure tax is US20 per person, payable upon departure.

ELECTRICITY Bonaire’s electricity is slightly different to North America – most North American devices function without a transformer, but some older ones may run warm, or burn out if left plugged in for a long time.

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W W W. FA M I LY D I V E R S . C O M

803 - 419 - 2556

K I D S @ K I D S S E AC A M P. C O M

20 years of creating memories that will last a lifetime

By Margo Peyton

The first Kids Sea Camp trip memories are easily conjured in my mind as if they were created just last summer.

20 years ago at the very first KSC week in Curacao, my son Robbie, was only 6 and my daughter Jen, was just 4. I was a single mother and wanted to spend more time with my kids and be able to show them a world far beyond the one they knew.

I wanted them to experience different cultures, different ways of life and share with them something I never had. I wanted to create a living classroom for them to learn and meet other likeminded kids that embraced adventure. I wanted them to meet new people, experience new places and try new things.

It was 1999, when my close friend, Carolyn Pascal, then publisher of Skin Diver Magazine and I were sitting on a beach in the Bahamas during another work trip. We were discussing how much we missed our kids and how amazing it would be to find a way to bring them on our dive trips. Right there in that moment so long ago we started creating a vision that would become one of the greatest ideas of my life. Carolyn had the media and I had PADI dive resorts.

Together we pooled our resources and the first KSC week took place in Curacao with Ocean Encounters at the Curacao Sea Aquarium in 2000, with just 7 families. Nolo & Monica the owners of Ocean Encounters became the first dive operators to join our KSC family.

Now 20 years later, Jen will be turning 24 and Rob 26.There have been 7,600+ kids that have become certified divers over those years.

Robbie, Jen and myself are PADI instructors, and we travel with approximately 350 + families per year to 13 countries over 20 weeks, including

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GIVE THEM A WEEK THEY WILL REMEMBER FOREVER liveaboards and land-based resorts around the world.

I’m so very proud and grateful to our dive industry.They have supported my vision and cocreated little gear, kids dive courses, shared the stories and listened to me and all those little voices.

PADI created the courses for kids age 4 -18 and they have always supported me in making diving safer for kids. Tradeshows, like DEMA and Beneath The Sea plus PADI connected me to operators around the world. The dive media: Skin Diver, Sport Diver, Scuba Diving, Dive Training, DAN and Diver magazines, run the stories that share the voices who tell the world about Kids Sea Camp.

SCUBAPRO was the first to create SASY gear, little tanks, fins, masks and tiny wetsuits.They outfit the kids with sponsorships every year.

SEALIFE, has given KSC cameras every year to teach and photograph 20 years of underwater memories.

Our partners believe that kids are the future and have continued to support our vision.

I have personally chosen each PADI resort that is a member of our KSC family, because they are dive resorts that I can trust to keep kids safe above all things.They are family-owned, family-friendly and family operated.They have put up with me, and

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803 - 419 - 2556

continue to believe in me. They proudly celebrate our brand together as a team.

When I ask families why they choose us, they say, “Because time is the most important thing in life Margo! Time with our kids and our grandkids is priceless. Making memories that will last a lifetime is exactly what you and Tom do.“ This little company has grown in so many ways.

KSC is a safe, fun, educational and an authentic family vacation.We focus on the underwater world and the human experience. It’s a family vacation where kids and parents unplug from their virtual worlds and reconnect to each other.

In 2006, My best friend and husband Tom Peyton, with Robbie, Jen and I became a family.Tom left the news industry and joined the KSC dive team.

We are celebrating 20 years of success this year with 20 KSC group trips and three “Empty Nesters weeks” “Empty Nesters” are dive trips for those parents like Tom and I that have grown kids, and still want to travel with us.

And to the worlds best dive team: Thank you for keeping kids safe and for being so much fun. You are the worlds best dive team:Woody,Aly, Olivia, Jen, Rob, Josh, Sven, Brad, Jesse, Patric, Holly, Max, Sophie, Fraser, Conrad, Kendal, Evan, Ellen, Kylie, Keone, Jacob and Linda Sue. Come celebrate 2020 with us!

MARGO PEYTON:

CEO Kids Sea Camp Inc. & Ocean Wishes Foundation, PADI Elite MSDT instructor, “Diver Of The Year” Education, at the 2019 Beneath the Sea . Women Divers Hall of Fame, SCUBAPRO Deep Elite Ambassador, PADI Ambassadiver, PADI 25 yr Award of Excellence in training & education. The Family Travel Association’s 2016 Person of the Year Award, The Seiko 2017 Sea Hero Award, DEMA’s Hall of Fame & “Reaching Out” Award 2018 and Wyland Icon Award nominee 2015, FTA Board of Directors 2019.

K I D S @ K I D S S E AC A M P. C O M

FAMILY DIVE ADVENTURES

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Magical

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The national symbol of the Philippines is the critically endangered Philippine, or monkeyeating, eagle. It is the largest of all eagles, and was declared the national bird in 1995. It stands over three feet high and has a wingspan of almost seven feet.

Richard Stevens and Hailey Elizabeth from Black Manta Photography are smitten by the Philippines, in particular the Magic Islands and Magic Oceans resorts and their surrounding dive sites, and here they explain why the location is a diving paradise Photography Black Manta Photography/ www.blackmantaphotography.com

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I

f you were to view the Philippines from the air, you would be blinded by the most neon of blues and fluorescents of green, with specs of brown and white the only giveaway to the collection of islands below. Our first trip the Philippines was in 2017, when we ventured far and wide across the archipelago, covering Tubbataha, Bohol and Malapascua. It’s long been the dive destination of the moment, alongside its neighbor Indonesia, offering some of the best diversity in the coral triangle.

We desperately wanted to return to Bohol, to the friendly and homely dive resort at Magic Oceans, and we were lucky to be able to make it a twin-centre trip starting at their original, smaller resort in Moalboal, Magic Islands.

Magic Island, Moalboal Fourteen years have passed since Desiree and Arie took that tentative step in transitioning from the corporate world in Holland to owners of a dive resort on the southernmost tip of Moalboal, on the island of Cebu, Philippines. Talking to them about the changes they’ve implemented since day one, and how they learnt as they went along, is pretty awe-inspiring - it almost made us feel like we should be selling up at home and doing the same!

What they have created is a ten-room, selfcontained resort that offers not only a high quality of accommodation, but also a tightly knitted team across all areas from hospitality to dive guides.

Along with Concheng (resort manager) and Jamie (dive centre manager), they have built a real family atmosphere that we just weren’t expecting, and for us is one of the stand-out attributes of the resort. This probably explains why their repeat customer rate is just so high, and why so many new customers are flocking to experience some of their magic.

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“…there must be only a handful of dive sites in the world where you can be looking at a nudibranch the size of your little fingernail one moment, and spot a whaleshark cruising by in the shallows the next

AVOID THE NUMBER 13

Some Filipinos are wary of the number 13, and will avoid having 13 people at a table. Also, steps to the main entranceof a household should not fall on a number divisible by three.

Talking of magic - let’s move over to the diving. The dive center sits underneath the resort, and resembles something that wouldn’t be out of place in a Batman movie. It has that ‘secret cave’ feel about it, and being situated right on the water’s edge you couldn’t be closer to the three ‘Magic Islands’ branded boats moored out by the house reef if you tried! Some dive centers in the area are spoilt with stunning house reefs, or close proximity to amazing dive sites - Magic Islands, however, has both in abundance!

The house reef is teeming with life from an array of nudibranchs in all shapes and sizes through to the many types of fish calling it home, and it’s impossible to venture across the house reef without coming face to face with a turtle. However, it will come as no surprise to the eagle-eyed diver that the resort logo is a mandarinfish. This is no ironic joke - oh no!

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TOP LEFT Seahorse ABOVE Mandarinfish FAR LEFT Pygmy seahorse LEFT Dive boats at anchor

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Tryng new foods is one of the joys of traveling. If you want to try something unique to the Philippines, sample camaro – field crickets cooked in soy sauce, vinegar and sugar – or papaitan, which is a goat or cow innards stew flavored with bile.

The reef wall has an abundance of hard and soft corals in some stunning colors, and appears to be the home of every frogfish in the Philippines - I think we saw more of them on the two dives at Pescador than we have in the rest of the Philippines combined!

ABOVE Popcorn, or so-called ‘sexy shrimp’ TOP RIGHT Crinoid crab RIGHT Goby on bubble anemone BOTTOM RIGHT Anemonefish FAR RIGHT Cleaner shrimp perched in an anemone

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As the sun starts to set and dusk draws close, these incredibly vibrant-colored fish climb higher in their stag coral metropolis and become far more active.

Then as the light is just starting to fade your patience is rewarded with pairs of mating mandarinfish, riding high from the coral - interlocked and spiralling to a climax before parting and heading back to the safety of the reef. We’d seen mandarinfish before, but never seen the mating process, nor had we seen them in these numbers - they were everywhere, then just like someone hitting a switch it stopped. The incredible thing is this happens every night like clockwork. In fact, we were so sure, we headed out in the shallow water ourselves one night unguided, and had the entire show to ourselves - a moment we won’t forget in a hurry.

Because of the location of Magic Islands, you are in easy reach of some of the best dive sites that Moalboal can offer. A short ride along the coast and you’ll find yourself at Panagsama - world famous

for the sardine shoal that appears like clockwork every day on the same stretch of reef. Millions of fish swarming back and forth along the reef with a rhythmic and hypnotic sway is one of the mostmesmerising sights we’ve experienced, and the feeling of being encompassed by the sardine ball to the extent that the surface light and any reference point around you disappears really does make you realise how insignificant we as a human race can be at times.

Other highlights include the dive sites on the island of Pescador, which is just a short boat journey away.

The reef wall has an abundance of hard and soft corals in some stunning colors, and appears to be the home of every frogfish in the Philippines - I think we saw more of them on the two dives at Pescador than we have in the rest of the Philippines combined!

It will always stand out in memory as the dive site where we witnessed a male frogfish flirting and chasing his prospective female lover around the reef

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- unfortunately for him, she wasn’t entirely impressed!

Another reason to visit the island of Pescador is to see the ‘skull’ on the west side of the island. Before you all get in a panic, this is nothing to do with anything sinister, oh no, it’s merely the shape a huge cathedral-sized cave takes when peering from the inside out. Top tip venture here with a camera, but make sure you have a buddy or two with torches. Ask them to kindly position themselves in the ‘eyes’ of the skull - gives a great effect!

There are so many adulations we could add to describe Magic Islands, and our first visit to dive the waters of Moalboal was an absolute dream. The reefs are stunning, all adorned with some of the cutest critters around, from candy crabs to hairy squat lobster, and there must be only a handful of dive sites in the world where you can be looking at a nudibranch the size of your little fingernail one moment, and spot a whaleshark cruising by in the shallows the next. We were so lucky to have seemingly always be in the right place at the right time - either that, or this truly is one of the greatest places for underwater adventures!

Magic Oceans, Anda, Bohol After an amazing week at Magic Islands, it was bittersweet to head to Magic Oceans for the second part of our trip. However, on arrival, we were met with so many familiar faces who all greeted us like long-lost friends. From the resort manager, Eef, to the kitchen and office staff and dive guides, who all seemed to remember who we were and genuinely pleased to see us return. We headed straight to the bar for a refreshing drink and snack (one of our best memories from the last time was the tasty spring rolls we had on arrival). After a quick briefing and catch up, we were led to our room, one of the bungalows at the rear of the resort surrounding the pool. All the rooms at Magic Oceans are slightly larger than Magic Islands and have been decorated in a more-contemporary style, each with their own terrace and ensuite bathroom.

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Magic Oceans boasts 16 rooms, but the high standards and perfect layout of the resort tell you that Desiree and Arie took everything they learnt from growing Magic Islands over the years, putting only the best of their experiences into Magic Oceans. Created in 2014, Eef was integral in using his construction background to build the resort from an area full of trees and grass to the what you see today.

After unpacking our bags for the next eight days, we took our dive gear down to the dive center to get ready for the diving delights we had longed to return for. The dive center is of a very high standard – large, with plenty of open space, huge rinse tanks for dive gear and camera kit, walls covered in dive site maps and high-quality images of the residents on the reefs, but importantly for us, Magic Oceans has camera stations with high-pressure hoses for removing any water residue from your camera housing.

Magic Oceans is equipped with three dive boats, but the difference compared to the vessels at Magic Islands is the size. The boats here are much larger and provide toilet facilities, areas for seating under cover from the sun as well as lots of space for soaking up some sun rays. There’s a large storage area for cameras and bags keeping everything safe and out of

the way of divers kitting up for dives, too.

All of the dive sites at Magic Oceans are magical, but there are a few real standouts for us that we loved so much we went twice! A recent addition to their itinerary, Secret Place offers the perfect site for muck diving, a relatively shallow sandy bottom is home to critters of all shapes, colors and sizes, from flamboyant cuttlefish to Ambon scorpionfish leaving us truly in awe.

But the star of the show was a beautiful and shy seahorse. It’s well known that seahorses don’t much like light or cameras in their faces, so on this dive we decided to backlight one with a softer light so as to not disturb or scare away. As it happened, a small current was sprinkling soft delicate grains of sand in the water column, catching the light and making it look like it was snowing. Sometimes you plan how a photo will turn out and if you get lucky, it meets your expectations, other times the experience itself is what makes you lucky, a small seahorse showing off its natural beauty just for us.

Then there’s Wonderwall, situated in the mostbeautiful cove and a short boat ride along the shoreline from the resort. This dive site was most likely the house reef of the long-deserted resort White Coco Beach, which now lies in ruins and acts as the perfect fishing

GOOD TO KNOW!

The Philippines has the highest rate of discovery of new animal species, with 16 new species of mammals discovered in the last ten years.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW spot for the locals. This wall dive offers stunning coral as well as a seafan filled with plenty of pygmy seahorse (we spotted five on one seafan), hairy squat lobster hide among large barrel sponges, pipefish swim in and out of the coral and tiny crabs have made anemones their home. There is so much to see on this dive, I don’t think we covered even half of it, even after two dives!

If you’re looking for something really special, then there is Lamanok - the furthest away from Magic Oceans, and the most temperamental due to its location. Lamanok is situated on the corner of a reef wall where currents converge and depending on the wind, has some surface waves. You can have a great dive here or the visibility can ruin it - nevertheless, the small island outcrops sitting among the brightest turquoise ocean make for a stunning surface internal.

Conclusion We had the most-amazing two weeks at the Magic resorts, so much so, we have booked to go back in 2021 for a third time with a larger group. If you are looking for outstanding food and a stunning setting with lots of variety (muck, macro, wide angle), then both resorts offer plenty on their own, but it’s the combination of the two that makes for a seriously special trip! Our list of species is endless - our eyes were hurting from seeing so much. Word of advice bring plenty of memory cards for your camera, you’re going to need them! n

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ABOVE Proflific marine life under a jetty LEFT One of the Magic dive boats

The Philippines GETTING THERE Cebu City has an international airport, and it is then just a ferry and/or taxi ride to the resort. You can also get to Cebu airport via Manila.

WHEN TO GO Moalboal and Bohol, like the rest of the Visayas region, predominantly have good weather conditions most of the year, and therefore you can dive there all year round.

CURRENCY Peso, though many resorts will accept credit cards.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Valid passport, with at least six months left to expiry, and a return flight ticket.

ELECTRICITY 220 volt, but within the resort are sockets for both North American and European two-pin plugs, but bring an adaptor if you need 110 volt (although at Magic, there is a 110-volt charging station in the restaurants).

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DIVERS ALERT NETWORK

DAN is an international non-profit medical and research organisation dedicated to the safety and health of divers.

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DROP YOUR WEIGHTS, INFLATE YOUR BCD:

OVERCOMING PANIC MAY BE EASIER SAID THAN DONE

During a spearfishing trip in the Florida Panhandle, a novice diver’s lapse in judgement in low-visibility conditions spiralled into full-blown panic Photography Stephen Frink

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or his tenth dive, a diver decided to go out spearfishing with a group of experienced friends. The novice diver was excited to get back in the water and try out his new wetsuit, new BCD and new speargun. For these dives he borrowed an old regulator and SPG, wore 30lbs of weight and used a steel 100.

Upon reaching the site, a wreck with its top deck in about 40ft of seawater, the divers backrolled into murky, green water. The visibility was poor, and within the first few minutes of the dive, the novice diver and his buddy became separated. The diver searched frantically for his buddy and fortunately spotted him just over the wreck. Once he made it back, he looked at his SPG and discovered he had 600 PSI remaining.

The novice diver signalled to his buddy that he was low on air, and his buddy signalled for the novice diver to ascend without him. Once the novice diver ascended to about 20ft, he felt some breathing resistance, much like that he had felt just a few weeks before when his instructor shut off his cylinder during pool training to simulate what running out of air felt like. He continued to ascend, felt the air in his hoses stop and kicked upward, continuously exhaling until his head broke the surface.

Once there he took a breath and began to orally inflate his BCD. Kicking vigorously, the diver struggled to keep his head above water, even though he was managing to inflate his BCD. It seemed to provide almost no lift. In the struggle, the diver frantically reach around for the red handle that would release his weights. Unfortunately, he had never practiced ditching his own weights from the BCD, so he was unable to find the handle. This failed attempt to release his weights sent the struggling diver into full-

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blown panic. Fortunately, two divers were already on the boat and the diver was still able to call for help.

Once they realized he was struggling, the divers were able to retrieve him and get him back to the boat just before he blacked out. On board, the diver breathed emergency oxygen, but was feeling well enough to drive home by the time they reached the dock. Luckily for this diver, the outcome of this incident was a good one, however, if not for the proximity, alertness and quick action of his fellow divers, this mishap could’ve ended as a fatality.

If you take nothing else away from this article, know that this incident was entirely preventable. Knowing how to release your weights should be second nature before you ever wear a BCD into open water.

For more safety tips and lessons learned, visit: DAN.org/Diving-Incidents

ABOVE Drop your weights when on the surface!

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A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE You are far from home and have nowhere else to turn. That’s when DAN dive accident coverage can help.

DAN.org/Join-DAN

DCS in Maldives

A couple injured in Maldives relied on DAN’s Guardian Plan to cover 100% of their claim. See the full story at DAN.org/Claim-Stories/.

Medical Center & Hyperbaric Chamber (Husband)

US $

18,475

Extra Meal Cost (Both)

US $

687

Extra Hotel Stay (Both)

US $

1,763

Medical Center & Hyperbaric Chamber (Wife)

US $

15,222

Total Expenses Covered by DAN Guardian Plan

US $

36,147

Total Claimed US

$36,147

The scenario summarized above is offered only as an example. Coverage depends on the facts of each case and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy. Coverage may not be available in all states or outside of the U.S. Visit DAN.org for complete details.

BACKGROUNDS OR NEGATIVE SPACE IN MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY Seasoned photo pro Martyn Guess provides some tips on how we can all improve our macro photography by paying close attention to the background, or negative space Photography Martyn Guess

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n any type of photography, we need to be aware of the background behind the subject – the picture of the lamp post behind your loved one’s head comes to mind! It is important that we deal with the background behind the subject, in a positive and creative way, and to take control.

The background or negative space behind the subject can make the picture a good picture or a bad one (see picture of the Rosie Frogfish in image 1, where the subject is blending in with the background and the picture is a little confusing). The common mistake is to capture the image with the camera pointing towards the reef and to light the whole scene. A distracting background like this overpowers the image and dilutes the impact of the subject. Separating the subject from the background will make it stand out and lift the image (Image 2 - see the image of the same frogfish as in image 1, but this time lit carefully with a snoot (narrow beam of light) to hide the complicated reef background).

There are many lighting techniques we can use to achieve this separation.

These include: Snoot lighting – where a snoot is attached to the strobe and a very narrow beam of light is emitted – more on this later.

Cross lighting – where the strobes are pointed at each other in front of the camera to cut out light hitting the background and also help to create texture as it is a fairly harsh directional light (see image 3).

Inward lighting – an extreme version of cross lighting with the strobes pointing back towards your head on longer strobe arms and out of the field of view.

This is useful where the background is very close to

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LEFT Rosie Frogfish with unsightly and confusing background ABOVE Same Rosie Frogfish Snoot lit giving the image impact OPPOSITE TOP Whip Coral Gobie – Cross lit

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BIOGRAPHY MARTYN GUESS

Martyn has been diving for over 30 years and taking underwater images for over 25 years. He has been very successful in National and International competitions and regularly makes presentations to Camera and Photography clubs and Diving 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 underwater photography courses, he leads overseas workshop trips for Scubatravel.

Check out his IG account at martynguess_photography.

the subject as only the edge of the beam is used – I remove the strobe diffusers to help give a sharp edge to the beam.

Back lighting – where the light source is placed behind the subject and blacks out the background (see image 4) and is very useful where the subject is right on the bottom. This technique will create memorable and sometime abstract images, and work best with closed apertures and faster speeds.

We can also take control of the color of the background water column. Pointing upwards into the water column and using a fast speed will help to darken the background and slowing the speed right down to say 1/60th second will help you achieve a blue background (Image 5). I keep reducing or increasing the speed until I get the desired color background. A very good method of separating the subject from the negative space behind is to use lower apertures and create a pleasing Bokeh or blurred background (see image 6). There are subtle differences between apertures, so try a few different settings on

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each subject until you get the effect you require by reducing the aperture a step at a time. Beware that as the aperture opens, the depth of field reduces and with a fully open aperture, the choice of focus point is critical – often the eye of the subject or the rhinophore of a nudibranch, for example. As the aperture opens the amount of light hitting the sensor increases, so control this by reducing strobe power and /or ISO or increasing the speed.

I sometimes use artificial creative backgrounds such as sparkly Perspex (Image 7) or even metallic scouring

ABOVE Blue background behind Weedy Rhinopias created by using low speed LEFT Back lit Seahorse hiding messy background

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pads. These can only be used where it is safe to hold them behind the subject and not to touch or disturb the critter, such as a whip coral gobie with plenty of open water behind the whip coral.

Artificial backgrounds work best with relatively open apertures. Moving the background closer or further apart will create a different look. Reflections are also a wonderful background if you find a subject close to the surface.

When shooting be aware of the background behind the subject and look for interesting and uncomplicated negative space. I often swim around the reef looking for an interesting background color – often a sponge - and then wait for a critter to appear to set it against. Sometimes by simply changing the angle of the shot you can find a moreinteresting background or lose something which will overpower the image so look carefully around the subject to get the best angle of view. Coming back to snoot lighting, this is in my opinion one of the easiest techniques to use to hide a difficult background. A dive guide can hold the snooted strobe for you and direct

the beam of light onto the subject. If using a buddy, reciprocate for them. The Retra LSD snoot is one of the best that I have used, and it is easy to see where the strobe light will hit the subject as the in-built spotting light in the strobe shines through the tube and this can then be accurately directed. I set the strobe power to about 3/4 and then change the exposure by adjusting the ISO leaving the aperture fairly closed at say F22 and the speed at the maximum the camera will sync at – in my case on a Nikon D5, 1/320th. I start with a lowish ISO and increase as needed. Check the Histogram after every shot to make sure that highlights haven’t been blown, as the snooted light is both bright and harsh. An interesting snooting technique is to lower the speed so that the background is darkened, but not entirely black (image 8) - this will give you a slightly different image.

Generally, the snoot is pointed straight downwards for portraits of critters and will give great separation from the bottom where the subjects live. Remember, snoot light is very harsh as it is not diffused so is great for showing off texture, such as the skin of frogfish.

When you next dive with a camera think about backgrounds and try some of these techniques to help your images stand out. n

TOP LEFT Open aperture used to blur background and create Bokeh ABOVE Snoot lit Wunderpus Octopus with low speed to show background BOTTOM LEFT Black sparkly Perspex used for background

Escorted trips. Want to learn how to take or improve your underwater images? Why not come on a photo specific trip? These trips are meticulously planned to the best destinations at the best time of year where the conditions should be perfect for building a portfolio of great images. The workshops, which are for all levels of experience but mainly aimed at people with a few trips under their belts, include classroom sessions and presentations as well as in-water help and guidance, all done in a relaxed and non-competitive friendly environment.

There is a Northern Red Sea Relaxed trip in July 2020, where the emphasis is on an open-deck policy with time spent on the same sites .There are also trips to Atmosphere Resort, Dauin Philippines in May 2020 and Lembeh Resort and Murex at Bangka in September 2020. Please contact the Scubatravel team or check out their website: www.scubatravel.com

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Image by Alfred Minnaar

fourthelement.com |

#EquipmentForAdventure

#OceanPositive

This month, we ask our panel of experts what routine maintenance/care do they carry out on their precious, expensive camera gear both pre- and post-dive trip Photography Paul Duxfield, Mario Vitalini, Martyn Guess, and Anne and Phil Medcalf

Always a hassle when I get home from a trip, but as soon as practical, I make MARTYN myself take everything out from the GUESS various bags. Don’t leave equipment in your bags for weeks before you do this, as corrosion sets in quickly, even if equipment is rinsed on location. I make a list of anything that I didn’t use to help plan for the next trip, or anything that will need replacing or repairing.

I reassemble my housing without camera and also my strobes and everything that I used on the trip, make sure it is all waterproof and place everything in a large ice cooler (the biggest container I have). You can, of course, use your bath but I tend to leave my equipment soaking for several days. I fill the ice cooler with fresh water and a couple of 500ml bottles of distilled vinegar, which helps get rid of the salt. I leave it for several days and then empty and fill again

with freshwater for another day or so.

When everything is dry, all O-rings are re-greased and then stored, loose, in the housing and the battery boxes of my strobes. Don’t leave O-rings in place for months at a time. The housing and ports are polished and everything else is re-assembled. Strobe arm clamps are taken apart and sprayed with silicone and then stored in a clean bag. The strobes are tested to make sure they are working okay and then everything is stored, safe in the knowledge that it is all clean, lubricated, free of salt and working – that is until the camera cupboard gremlins get to work! When going on a trip, everything is reassembled, tested, fired and practice shots taken so that any problems can be resolved before departure.

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Ok, how do I care for my photo kit and make sure it’s all tickety boo before and PAUL a trip? Pre-trip, as hinted at on the last DUXFIELD after Shoot Like A Pro, I put all of my kit together before packing as if I was going on an imminent dive. I even go as far as taking a couple of shots with both wide-angle and macro lenses so that I know ahead of time that nothing in the chain will let me down. This allows me to see if I have any problems with things like fibre-optic cables, loose clamps, worn O-rings, etc.

I will then grease all the O-rings, not forgetting the lessobvious ones like the ones on the strobes that are for the lessfashionable electronic synch. As these rarely get used, there is a tendency to forget about them, but a regular peek and a regrease will keep them in tip top condition.

Don’t forget vital stuff like battery chargers - on my last trip I found out that one of my chargers had given up the ghost, I have a spare, but it was best to know in good time.

Check your memory cards too, they can fail, so make sure you’ve got back-ups, and free up enough space on your hard drives so that you don’t run out mid-trip. Upon my return, all the waterproof stuff gets a thorough rinse. I fill up the bath and leave it all to soak for a few hours, pressing all the buttons periodically.

I then put it on the draining board to air dry, before putting it all away ready for next time once it’s completely moisture-free.

And so as not to waste water and use the time more effectively, after I’ve removed all the camera kit from the bath, I’ll put all my dive kit in the bath water too so it can get rinsed.

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Our underwater photography professionals have, between them, literally thousands of hours of dive time and countless hours spent traveling the world shooting underwater images and teaching workshops. If you have a question you’d like them to address, email: mark@scubadivermag.com

From our experience as dealers of underwater photography equipment, one ANNE the best bits of advice we can suggest MEDCALF of is, weeks before a trip, set your camera rig up. Check that everything is functioning properly and that nothing is missing or broken. Underwater photography equipment is very specialist, manufacturers often only produce small quantities at a time and because of the diversity of items, dealers and importers don’t hold large stocks.

This means if you order at the last minute, you may not get what you need before a trip.

We keep all our kit as organised as possible in a set of labelled boxes when we aren’t diving. This is a necessity for us given how much equipment we take on a trip. It saves the stress of hunting around for things and reduces the chance that something will get left behind.

We also use a lot of equipment that has been loaned to us by manufacturers and importers to try out. Keeping track of what came from who and when it needs to be returned is a job in itself. All this gear gets carefully checked and cleaned before it hits the water along with our own. The last thing you want when someone lends you some shiny toys is for it to be flooded for the sake of a bit of time cleaning an O-ring. If you do borrow or rent equipment, do the same, don’t presume the last user put it away ready to use.

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Lists play a big role in how we get things done on a diving trip. As we mentioned PHIL last month we try and have a list of MEDCALF everything we take somewhere with us so we can make sure it all makes it back home at the end. Providing replacements for lost equipment is a small but significant portion of our sales business. Common things left behind or mistakenly picked up by other divers include batteries, chargers and housing port covers.

Create a checklist before you pack everything and make sure it is all still there when you pack to come home. This will at least give you the chance to search the boat or resort before the journey back. During the trip, you’ll likely discover a few things that you should’ve brought - bung these on the list for the next expedition.

The other list we put a lot of thought into when prepping for a trip is our ‘shot list’. This is a plan of what pictures we want to get while we are diving somewhere.

For us it’s a mixture of test shots using different equipment, and images we need for blogs, talks and workshops. But it also includes any funny ideas we have along the lines of ‘I wonder whether this will work?’. Look at what pictures you want to achieve and put it on the list. Planning like this can really help to take your photography up a notch.

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Some of the best photo locations are far away and there is nothing worse than to MARIO arrive to your destination after hours of VITALINI traveling and realise that you left a key piece of equipment behind. To avoid this, I always recommend checking all your photo equipment before you start packing and, more important, assemble everything at least once, If you are planning to use different lenses make sure you set up your kit in every configuration you intend to use to ensure you have all the bits you will need and making sure everything is working. After this I normally take everything apart, add any spares I may need such as O-rings, grease and my housing maintenance kit, and put it in a box so is all together for when I start packing.

Rinsing your camera kit after every dive is always a good practice and helps to prevent any problems. At the end of the trip, after the last dive, a more-thorough rinse is not a bad idea but when back at home, reassemble the housing and ports and give it a proper soak in a big plastic container or in the bath with lukewarm water. Work all the dials and buttons to ensure you rinse out all the salt and plankton. Sometimes, especially if I’ve been diving in particularly salty environments such as the Red Sea or in sandy spots like Lembeh, I leave my kit in water for a couple of days.

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Use a micro-fiber towel to dry ports and domes to avoid watermarks. I then remove all the O-rings, grease them as when I use them in the housing, and store them in a plastic bag. I then store the housing ports and strobes in a cotton bag inside a cardboard box ready for my next trip. n

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West Palm Beach’s Blue Heron Bridge might not seem like a diving hotspot, but as Walt Stearns reveals, it is a goldmine for all sorts of weird-and-wonderful marine life Photography Walt Stearns

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Calling a hairy frogfish beautiful, or even handsome, is a bit of a stretch, but their cute factor is hard to ignore WWW.SCUBADIVERDESTINATIONS.COM

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FUN FACT!

Palm Beach County boasts nearly 50 miles of shoreline, offering access to more than 20 reef systems for snorkelers and divers.

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he dive was not going as planned. Fifteen minutes of meticulously scanning the bottom yielded a few interesting subjects like a male pike blenny taking on a territorial stance with its dorsal fin fully erect, and its brilliant neon-bluelined throat pouch extended. But this was not what I had come for this day.

I was on the hunt for another beauty - a striated frogfish (Antennarius striatus). Based on intel from a friend in one of the local dive shops, I hoped to find a resident pair of these elusive and sedentary stealth hunters. A member of the anglerfish family, striated frogfish display a variable range of colors from greenish gray, tan, brown to black, to even a few different shades of yellow and orange. In addition to elongated blotches and stripes running across the body — hence the name — there is the ‘hairy factor’.

These fish are generally covered with numerous filaments and tabs across head, body and fins, which gives rise to their other name - the hairy frogfish.

In short, I am hunting for a little lumpy-shaped fish

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smaller than my fist that looks like it’s dressed in a sniper’s ghillie suit.

Calling a hairy frogfish beautiful, or even handsome, is a bit of a stretch, but their cute factor is hard to ignore.

Funnier still is that striated frogfish are not a particularly rare species around West Palm Beach’s Blue Heron Bridge. The problem is, they are gifted with superb camouflaging – thanks to the ghillie suit that helps them blend almost seamlessly into the background.

But for a diver with a keen eye, sometimes all it takes is spotting one in the act of fishing. Like other members of the anglerfish family, the hairy frogfish has a small appendage on their forehead that resembles a worm on the end of a small rod. If you can spot that lure, the jig is up. The other way they will reveal their presence is when the lure draws in a potential meal, at which point the frogfish will make a huge yawning burp that sucks the prey into a gaping mouth. It was one of these big burps that not only revealed one frogfish to me, but also his adjacent buddy. Sorry fellows. You are about to be paparazzied!

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The hairy frogfish is covered in spines which resemble strands of hair hence the name - which allow the animal to camouflage itself against coral and seaweed. Found mostly in warm waters around the world, they can also change color to blend in with their surroundings.

Not much for scenery, but the locals are awesome!

As a Palm Beach resident, I can affirm that to really enjoy diving the Blue Heron Bridge is to understand it.

The aquatic treasures that await can be rewarding, but finding them can be challenging, and will require a bit of finesse, as the bottom is comprised largely of sand and silt, which can easily get stirred up. To the untrained eye, this ‘mucky’ type of bottom will appear deceptively lifeless. Then you might happen on something that makes you think you are seeing things, like a rather macabre face in the sand that’s looking back up at you. It’s probably a northern stargazer.

Bottom-dwelling predators in this region rely on camouflage to avoid advertising their position as they lay in wait to ambush passing prey.

As you move about, further discovery among the sand and rubble reveals more signs of life. Elements such as the occasional empty bottle provide shelter for small octopus or blenny. And then there are the rock piles. In 2012, the city of Riviera Beach placed

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TOP LEFT There are two small boat wrecks at the bridge FAR LEFT Aerial view of Blue Heron Bridge ABOVE LEFT Banded coral shrimp LEFT Reef module now swarming with marine life ABOVE Hairy frogfish with jaws agape

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more than 600 tons of Anastasia rock boulders in varying sized piles 25 yards out from the beach area at Phil Foster Park, which is the starting point for Blue Heron Bridge diving. Created as a snorkeling trail spanning some 250 yards long in the 6ft-8ft-deep shallows, these structures give divers who are less interested in scouring the sand bottom an alternative, as the rocks host a bevy of fish and invertebrate life.

Several years later, the snorkel trail was expanded with the placement of several artificial reef modules.

Adding more interest are a pair of small boats that sank at anchor near the bridge. Having been abandoned by their owners right where they sank, they have become foundations for marine growth and habitat for small fish and invertebrates.

Swimming beneath the bridge that connects the West Palm mainland to Singer Island creates a completely different diving experience, as the supporting columns are covered in a hodgepodge of brown, pink and orange-hued sponges, along with patches of bright orange cup corals. Here, divers and snorkelers will find a variety of small crustaceans like arrow crabs and banded coral shrimp, while schools of grunts, immature snapper and spadefish move about feeding in the current.

Taken together, the varying microcosms hold a staggering list of fish and invertebrates. It is for all these reasons that the Blue Heron Bridge is a big draw to underwater macro photographers, to the point of it being regarded as one of the tropical Atlantic’s top-shelf muck-diving destinations. The bridge area is also a protected zone, prohibiting the collection and possession of marine life within the park and surrounding waters. The only activity currently not

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NOT JUST LITTLE CRITTERS

While Blue Heron Bridge is rightly famed for its smaller residents, keep an eye out for flypasts from spotted eagle rays, or an encounter with a manatee.

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prohibited is recreational hook-and-line fishing from the fishing pier that was the original Blue Heron Bridge.

As a Palm Beach resident and frequent bridge diver, I can attest that since the ruling went into effect, success rates on hunts for unique cryptic subjects have gone up. Even more noticeable is the increased presence of juvenile French, grey, blue and queen angelfish, which are found among the bottom’s scattered debris, on lone rock croppings and around bridge pilings.

Ins and Outs of Diving the Bridge The bridge is part of Blue Heron Boulevard, which connects the city of Riviera Beach with Singer Island.

Divers coming from the north or south on I-95 should take exit 76 for Blue Heron Boulevard and head east and over the first (larger) span of the bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. On the backside of the larger span is a lighted intersection where drivers will make a left turn to the entrance for Phil Foster Park.

The park is a small island comprised largely of a parking lot with a boat ramp and docks on the north side, and a small beach on the south side. The mostconvenient spots for accessing the water are along the base of the bridge’s larger span, which is on the southwestern side of the Park.

While parking is free, getting the choicest spot close to the water is a first-come, first-served thing. I can stress the importance of getting there well ahead of your planned dive on weekends and holidays, as the increased number of general beach goers can make finding prime parking more challenging. The entire diveable area of the Blue Heron Bridge is large enough to make it impractical to attempt to cover

Force-E was founded in 1976 by Skip Commagere, Scuba Centers and now has three locations in South Florida - Pompano Beach, Boca Raton, and Riviera Beach - which offer superior service to locals and visitors alike, with gas fills, equipment sales and service, and certification courses available across all three stores. Conveniently located less then a mile from the Blue Heron, Force-E Riviera is an easy stop on the way to site.

They have a friendly team of knowledgeable locals behind you to ensure you experience some of the best scuba diving in South Florida. Force-E regularly hosts local events including famous Blue Heron Bridge night dives, Gear Demo’s, underwater cleanups, kids events, seminars, fundraisers, parties, and more. www.force-e.com

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TOP TRIO (LEFT TO RIGHT) Support pilings; juvenile French angelfish; bluespotted sea robin FAR LEFT Hairy frogish BOTTOM MIDDLE Shortnose batfish

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While parking is free, getting the choicest spot close to the water is a first-come, firstserved thing

has more growth on the pilings than the larger bridge, and it also features the two boat wrecks.

Timing is Everything

TOP Common octopus ABOVE Decorator crab

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it from end to end in the span of one dive. From a logistical standpoint, the bridge can be divided into three zones.

The first zone covers the region in the shadow of the larger span from the entry point towards the center point of the bridge. This area also includes a section of the original Blue Heron Bridge, which now serves as a local fishing pier. Zone two is the area out front of the beach, which is all flat sand bottom with small grass beds before meeting the Phil Foster Park Snorkeling Trail 25-yards out. To the east towards the small bridge span connecting Phil Foster Park with Singer Island is the third and final zone. This smaller bridge generally

During most hours of the day, the waters around the foot of West Palm Beach’s Blue Heron Bridge don’t look very enticing, having a muddy-brown hue that is typical for most of Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway.

When these conditions prevail, underwater visibility is better measured in inches rather than feet. But, when the incoming tide starts to pour through the Lake Worth Inlet, a transformation takes place and the water becomes clearer and far more inviting. This tide change is the engine that drives the abundance and diversity of marine life found around the bridge, while also providing the best visual window of opportunity.

During the final two hours before the peak of the hightide mark, underwater visibility can jump as high as 40 to 50 feet. To know exactly when will require consulting the local tide chart.

Diving anywhere within these three areas could not be easier as the depths never exceed 18ft, but there are a few important things to consider. During the middle phase of the rising tide, it is wise to hold off venturing around the bridge’s pilings under either span as the current can be quite strong. The best time for diving around the bridge pilings is half an hour before the apex of the rising tide, when the current is easier to handle. Timed right, you will be able to enjoy an additional half hour almost current-free before conditions change as the tide reverses course, bringing with it the dirtier waters of the Intracoastal. n

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Scuba Centers “WORLD FAMOUS”

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Force-E Riviera 155 East Blue Heron Blvd Riviera Beach, FL 33404 (561) 845-2333

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As Rose Kefrig discovered, Palau has a lot to offer - sun, good hotels, excellent diving, currents, lots of wrecks, sharks, manta rays and a fair amount of historical stuff. The fact that ‘sex’ also comes into play was a new one to her!

Photography Udo Kefrig / Team Oceanpics.de

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The archipelago is known to be one of the most-popular diving destinations in the world due to the biodiversity of the marine life and the pristine condition of its reefs. It’s not all just coral, though - there are several caves, tunnels to explore, not to mention wartime wrecks.

ABOVE The Jake float plane TOP RIGHT Palau is renowned for its soft corals RIGHT Gorgonians brighten up a swim-through

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E

very island has its own shape and unique characteristic. Situated between Guam, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea, the 434-miles-long archipelago of Palau, with its Rock Islands, boasts some of the most-unique natural wonders in the world. It is home to spectacular dive sites, wrecks, history, rich coral life, mass spawning, a rich diversity of fish, especially of the large predatory kind. And it has an unbelievable legend. Allegedly, Palau is made up of body parts - this is unthinkable!

Legend has it that a woman on the island gave birth to a son named Chuab, who was so hungry the people of the island struggled to satiate him. But the more they fed him, the greedier and quicker he grew. Soon, he was taller than the palm trees and turned into a giant. The food was slowly running out and to make sure that the villagers could survive, an awful decision was made to kill the boy in his sleep.

While the young lad was sleeping, they set him on fire. Incredibly, his body exploded, and his limbs flew in all directions. Out of his head emerged the island of Kayangel, Babeldaob out of his trunk, Peleliu out of his legs, Angaur out of his feet and the little Rock Islands

out of his fingers and toes. As the islanders had fed the young boy well throughout his young life, they settled on the islands and were convinced that the boy would henceforth feed them. This is only a legend, but from above, Palau does look like a magical place. There are about 500 uninhabited green islets of coral limestone rising out of the turquoise blue waters, and it has the most-rigorous Micronesian nature conservation policy to protect its unique fauna and flora.

Palau Diverse language and cultural traditions meant that, despite intensive western influence in recent centuries, Palau was able to retain its independence. Which is why there are many reasons you should visit Palau; be it the exciting history, the unique dive sites in the area, or maybe you are fascinated by the many legends?

It may be a long way from home, but Palau is easy to reach by plane and there are great deals on dive packages.

The history of the island It was somewhat more difficult to reach Palau for the

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Spaniard Ruy Lopez de Villalobo. Searching for sea routes to eliminate his Portuguese competitors in Asia, he was the first European to reach the island state in 1543. But let’s fast-forward the history of the island.

There is evidence that it has been inhabited since 1,000BC, although the origin of the first inhabitants is not known. It is suspected from Australia, Indonesia or Polynesia. Palau’s traditional form of society was a complex matriarchal system; the traditional belief Modekngei still exists today alongside Christianity. In 1783, the English captain Henry Wilson was stranded with his crew and unseaworthy ship Antelope in Palau.

They soon settled, became merchants on the islands and introduced weapons. Soon, the locals used them in fierce disputes against each other and the village wars only stopped when the island was officially awarded to the Spaniards in 1885. However, after the Spanish-American War, war-torn Spain sold the island.

This is how the German Reich acquired its ‘place in the sun’ between 1899 and 1914. The number of indigenous inhabitants was severely decimated at that time due to imported diseases. The Germans initiated numerous infrastructure projects, built coconut plantations and improved medical care. The island of Angaur, which lies outside the reef, was diligently exploited for rich phosphate mines and shipped to Koror. At the beginning of the 20th century, to shorten the transport route, a passageway was blown through the coral reef from Angaur Island outside the reef to the north-eastern port of Koror. Nowadays it is known as the ‘German Channel’, a kind of sea motorway which shortens the way for divers to well-known places like Blue Corner and the renowned Blue Holes in the south-western outer reef. But it is not only the corals, fish, manta rays and sharks that attract diving tourists.

Numerous warships and aircraft wrecks rest as silent witnesses on the sandy seabed.

ABOVE The Jake float plane LEFT Manta ray

Testimonials of today On the little island of Ngermeaus, a stone path leads past old Japanese cannons and destroyed relics.

Despite nature taking control, there are signs of a time when Palau came under Japanese control in 1914, where phosphate continued to be exploited and the island was used as a military hideout.

Despite an agreement, from 1933 Japan began to massively expand Palau as a military fort because of its sheltered location as a base both for the air force and navy and as a supply base. These included two airfields, one on Peleliu in the south and another on Babeldaob, the largest island in the archipelago, where today’s capital Melekeok is located. It was also designed for long-range aircraft; in addition, there were landing facilities for seaplanes, piers for submarines, anchorages for ships of all kinds with

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It’s a bit kinky watching a massive fish gang-bang and I felt like a ‘Peeping Tom’ observing the masses of silvery, glistening bodies rub against each other and releasing clouds of sperm and eggs into the water WWW.SCUBADIVERDESTINATIONS.COM

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Sam's Tours

Among other things they offer scuba diving, snorkeling, Rock Islands tours, as well as shore excursions and kayak tours. The full-service dive center offers both beginners and professionals unique diving experiences as well as training according to PADI standards up to diving instructor. Certified divers receive nitrox up to 32 percent for free. Sam’s Tours is a pioneer in the introduction of Black Water Diving in Palau and a leader in the scientific exploration of mass spawning phenomena that guests can experience in small groups during the Unique Dive Expeditions. Sam’s Tours is also the only dive centre in Palau to receive the ‘Partner in Conservation 10 Year Award’ from the Palau Conservation Society.

www.samstours.com

appropriate fire-fighting facilities, communication and repair facilities, fuel and weapons depots. During the Palau battles of 1944, no less than 60 Japanese ships and over 200 aircraft were destroyed by the end of the war. The Americans lost a minesweeper, 40 aircraft of various types, 50 Corsair aircraft and eight B-24 bombers. The Battle of Peleliu and Angaur Island in 1944 is known in history as one of the bloodiest of the entire Pacific War. Many of the ships that were sunk were salvaged due to a shortage of raw materials, however several remain as great diving attractions.

They include the Iro, Buoy Nr. 6 Wreck, Chuyo Maru, Helmet Wreck and Jake Float Plane.

Diving on Palau

We visited the world-famous Jellyfish Lake on the uninhabited limestone island of Eil Malk. The jellyfish that normally populate it have no poisonous tentacles, so snorkelers can swim safely through the ghostly animals. You must also check out the imposing Chandelier Cave, a tunnel system under the tidal zone that leads to the interior of an island. It consists of four chambers, and in some, you can breathe freely.

We then headed off to a dive site called Blue Corner.

This spot promises a lot of variety, especially when the current is ripping. Almost as if on command, countless reef sharks and gray reef sharks with impressive proportions gather at this spot. And, if all that doesn’t take your breath away, sit back with a sundowner and enjoy the stunning sunsets at the Bottom Time Bar and Grill, with specially designed tables and fresh local food. We too enjoy the culinary delights and I make my way to the bar to order a drink. There, I notice a

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TOP LEFT Huge gorgonian seafans ABOVE Turtle chilling on the reef LEFT Turtle skeleton in one of the caves

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOVE Stalactites and stalagmites inside Chandelier Cave

somewhat glum-looking chap staring forlornly into an empty beer glass. With a polite ‘hello’, I ask what seems to be troubling him. Like a shotgun, he answers ‘Porno’! This was not the answer I expected and felt myself blush. But then he gave a big grin and said: “Actually, fish porn, I’m Paul and we run Unique Dive Expeditions at Sam’s Tour and offer divers special events like the red snapper spawning, which you are doing tomorrow”.

Tantric love ritual “When I say dive, you dive, no time to hang about. No extras for the photographers, we are not waiting for you” - Welshman Paul Collins barks his orders. It’s a straight descent but everything goes smoothly, and everyone assumes a position in a dreadful current.

What the hell are we here for? Oh yes! Raw ‘fish sex’!

Within seconds, thousands of red snapper hang over our heads. It’s a bit kinky watching a massive fish gang-bang and I felt like a ‘Peeping Tom’ observing the masses of silvery, glistening bodies rub against each other and releasing clouds of sperm and eggs into the water. We are not the only ones observing this spectacle. Gigantic bull sharks prey on the sex-mad fish. Time and time again they shoot into the ball of fish, disrupting their pleasure for a mere minute. The current is pumping, and I find it totally exhilarating. Palau has many fantastic dive sites, is rich in adventure, fauna and flora - you simply must do the out-of-the-ordinary to experience the extraordinary and visit this magical Eden of Palau. n

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Palau GETTING THERE There are various routes to get to Palau from the US and Canada. You can come in via Honolulu, with hopper flights through Guam and Yap, or via connecting flights from Seoul in Korea, from Taiwan, or from Manila in the Philippines.

WHEN TO GO Micronesia and Palau have a hot and humid but balanced maritime climate with little seasonal variation in temperature.

The driest months are February to April. During the monsoon season (July to October), heavy rainfall is possible in the morning and evening.

CURRENCY The currency is the US dollar, though resorts will take credit cards.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS A valid passport and one flight ticket for departure. If you want to stay longer than 30 days in Palau, you need an extension permit. Airport tax on departure.

ELECTRICITY The supply is the same as the US and Canada, so no needs for adaptors.

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Siladen Island is known as a quiet tourism island; the perfect hideaway for those who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. On this island, there is a catamaran (glass bottom), diving center, cottages, and food stalls to complete your holiday.

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Lena Kavander and Byron Conroy had always longed to pay a visit to the renowned Bunaken National Marine Park, but would it live up to their expectations?

Photography Byron Conroy

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I highly recommend doing at least one night dive at one of the muck sites - you will see an abundance of freaks and geeks in the dark

ABOVE Looking for critters in a seafan TOP RIGHT Anemonefish amd their host anemone FAR RIGHT Shrimp nestled in a bubble anemone RIGHT Back on the surface after an awesome dive

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n the heart of the Coral Triangle lies the Bunaken National Marine Park. Well known for its clear turquoise water, warm tropical climate, pristine coral reefs and vast marine biodiversity, this place is nothing short of a diver’s paradise. My partner Byron Conroy and I have wanted to experience diving in this marine park for a long time, and we are certainly not the only ones to have this destination on our bucket list.

We arrived at Manado airport in North Sulawesi after quite a few hours traveling from Iceland, where we are based. Our friendly local driver Michael from Siladen Resort and Spa greeted us with a smile. During the short drive to the jetty, we found out that Michael had been with the resort for five years, and many of his colleagues for well over ten years, thanks to the great working environment.

Next we boarded one of Siladen’s comfortable, spacious wooden boats. Just 30 minutes later we arrived at Palau Siladen, the smallest of the five islands situated within the Bunaken National Marine Park. This small island is built up by limestone and sits right between the impressive Manado Tua volcano and the picturesque North Sulawesi coast. This unique location offers not only world-class diving but

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also some staggering views from the island and the resort itself, in particular during the evenings as the sun sets over the volcano. Luxury with a home-awayfrom-home atmosphere, Siladen Resort and Spa is an exclusive yet relaxed boutique dive resort in a lush environment surrounded by numerous fantastic dive sites.

It’s built on flat land with rich vegetation providing lots of shade, making it convenient and easy to move around the resort without getting overheated by direct sunshine.

Guests have the option of Deluxe bungalows featuring a private outdoor bathtub and secluded beach area, Beach bungalows or Garden bungalows, all which are spacious with high comfort and are serviced twice daily.

Upon our arrival, we were greeted and shown around the grounds by resort managers Ana and Miguel, and dive managers Romina and Galen. We already got the sense that our stay here was going be a very personal and inclusive experience. It was like we were already part of the Siladen family, despite it being our first day. This welcoming and embracing atmosphere is what really makes Siladen stand out. The whole team is incredibly friendly and makes you feel at home. It goes without saying that Siladen has a high percentage of repeat guests, many who come back several times a year. John and Tia, a lovely couple we got the pleasure to meet during our stay, travel from California to Siladen three times a year, spending a total of six months each year at the resort. That’s what you call a real ‘home away from home’!

The abyssal walls around the Bunaken Marine Park are one of the star attractions for divers, and the deepest water lies between Manado Tua and Montehage some 4,400ft deep!

NOW WE’RE COOKING!

When you aren’t diving, you need something to occupy yourself – so why not sign up for a cooking class at Siladen and learn how to prepare a variety of famous Indonesian and traditional Minahasan dishes. You’ll even take home a fantastic collection of recipes to wow your friends with!

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Relax & dive Sorido Bay Resort Raja Ampat A real home far away from home. One of Indonesias most remote & comfortable dive resorts.

Sorido Bay resort is for the discerning traveler. It is not just another dive resort. The resort offers a selected and personalized service and is nestled in the lush green jungle overlooking a kidney-shaped lagoon, meters away from the world’s most famous dive site ‘Cape Kri’.

Here you will meet people with a passion for Raja Ampat and a passion for sharing it with the most important person of all: you, our guest.

Book your holiday today

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Wonderful walls and magical muck Surrounded by over 40 world-class dive sites, you would think that evolution had divers in mind when creating this area. The islands of Bunaken provides great reef walls ideal for wideangle photography. All dive sites are easily accessible from Siladen by one of the resort’s four private boats, all locally designed and purpose built for diving. Each boat has a shaded seating area, toilet, sun deck and hot- and cold-water station.

We did the first dive with our private dive guide Erin at a site called Negri, next to the Manado Tua volcano. We were lucky, there was literally zero wind, no current, the water was blue and 84 degrees F warm, and visibility exceeded 100 feet. In other words, perfect conditions. It is not often you can look up from 65ft depth and see white fluffy clouds in the sky above you. The wall itself blew our mind with the variety of colorful sponges, gorgonian fans, soft and hard corals, anemones and tunicates. An enormous school of yellow pyramid butterflyfish were swimming below us. Towards the end of the dive we spotted two giant yellow frogfish sitting at the top of the reef at 15ft – a great place for a safety stop.

In addition to the fantastic wall dives, this area offers some excellent muck diving full of fascinating macro life. We visited Bolung and Tiwaho, two dive sites just off the North Sulawesi mainland coast. The macro life here is astonishing and all a macro lover or macro photographer can ask for. I could hardly count the number of juvenile frogfish spotted during a single dive here, along with pink and yellow leafy scorpionfish, Ambon scorpionfish, ornate ghost pipefish, bobtail squid, long-armed octopus and much more. Our guide Erin was born and raised on Siladen island and amazing at spotting the tiniest critters for us, even at night time.

Guests at the resort have the option of doing up to four dives a day. Two morning dives with a surface interval on the boat and snacks, fruits and hot or cold drinks provided between the dives, an afternoon dive, and a night dive or mandarinfish dive. I highly recommend doing at least one night dive at one of the muck sites - you will see an abundance of freaks and geeks in the dark. Great subjects for macro photos, or just for the pure entertainment of watching the nocturnal critters come out to play.

TOP LEFT Frogfish MIDDLE Tiny bobtail squid LEFT Minute crab filter-feeding

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Surrounded by over 40 worldclass dive sites, you would think that evolution had divers in mind when creating this area. The islands of Bunaken provides great reef walls ideal for wide-angle photography

Bunaken Marine Park was established back in 1991, and was among the first of Indonesia’s ever-growing system of marine parks. It is claimed that this park has more than 70 per cent of all the known fish species of the western Indo-Pacific in its waters.

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FUN FACT!

The name Sulawesi probably origins from ‘sula’, which means island, and ‘besi’, which means iron (there are rich sources of iron near Danau Matano).

Food on the beach

Another dimension of relaxation

I think all divers can agree that doing up to four dives a day makes you feel hungry like nothing else, and the food at Siladen is worth a section of its own. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks are included for all guests staying at the resort. Meals are served buffet-style, with a selection of food exceeding our expectations.

With an Italian and a local Indonesian chef running the kitchen, you will have a selection of both Western and local dishes to choose from.

The dinners have different themes each night over a 14-day period. Every other Saturday, it’s pizza night, a favourite for many of the return guests (the perks of having an Italian chef). Other themes during our stay was BBQ night, sushi and sashimi, pasta night and local cuisine. The selection of tropical fresh fruits with every meal was phenomenal. Mangosteen, passionfruit, mango, dragonfruit, kiwi and watermelon, just to mention a few. Food is served on the beach just feet from the sea, a really nice setting.

A few days and many dives into our stay, I was more than ready for a visit to the Siladen Spa. As I arrived at the spa, I got to smell samples of massage oils and chose the delightful mango and passionfruit oil. The local therapist trained in Bali delivered one of the best massages I have ever experienced. The spa itself was beautiful and the air-conditioned treatment rooms were tastefully designed with peace and relaxation in mind.

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LEFT Giant frogfish ABOVE Aerial shot of Siladen Dive Resort

The joy of giving

The island of Palau Siladen has a population of just over 300 people, of which 70 are employed by the resort. The resort takes great pride in working together with the local community through educational, clean up and recycling projects. For example, school books and educational material are provided for the local kids, and every month a beach clean-up is organised.

All electricity on the island is provided by the Siladen resort’s four generators, which each day is

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RIGHT Octopus BELOW Bunaken Marine Park is famed for its walls

connected to the local village. What a way to bright up everyone’s evening!

It is clear that the locals have a true passion about conserving their unique environment, although they were still happy to share it with us. Refreshingly, the dive guides are not afraid of taking action if divers are seen being disrespectful to the reef or the marine animals.

The resort is, each year, providing free dive training from Open Water to Rescue Diver for a number of people from the island. Some ambitious and motivated individuals have been provided with Divemaster and Instructor courses as well and are now working at the resort.

We don’t say goodbye, but see you later

During our stay at Siladen, we had the pleasure of experiencing the very best of what Bunaken National Marine Park had to offer, both from a wide angle and macro perspective. I would highly recommend this destination for any diver thanks to the fantastic biodiversity. In just a few days of diving, we saw

ON A LARGE SCALE...

The reefs and walls around Bunaken Marine Park are rightly world famous, and they can take your breath away.

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Thresher Shark Divers The pioneers of diving in Malapascua

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Siladen Island North Sulawesi GETTING THERE There are direct flights from Singapore to Manado International airport four times per week (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat) with Silk Air, the regional carrier of Singapore Airlines.

There are also several daily non-stop flights from Jakarta and a daily direct flight from Bali. A member of staff from Siladen meets guests at the airport and provides a private transfer to the resort.

ABOVE Highly territorial anemonefish guarding their host anemone

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everything from juvenile frogfish, ornate ghost pipefish and seahorse, to reef sharks and probably close to 100 turtles. Worth noting is that some dives might turn into drift dives as the currents can pick up.

Therefore, it helps if you are comfortable with drift diving, or have some previous experience in diving with currents.

We came to Siladen for diving, but actually got so much more. We made several new friends thanks to the genuine and friendly atmosphere. The food and the spa treatments added another dimension to the whole experience. When leaving Siladen, we didn’t say ‘goodbye’, but ‘see you later’. A big thank you to the whole team, and a special thanks to Ana and Miguel, who made us feel at home in their paradise.

We will be back. n

WHEN TO GO Located a few degrees above the equator, the area enjoys constant temperatures all year round. The dry season lasts from April to November, while occasional rains characterize the remaining period.

CURRENCY Indonesia’s currency is the Rupiah, but resorts accept payment by credit card.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Visitors from North America can get a 30-day travel visa on arrival, you just need to have a valid passport with at least six month remaining, and a return air ticket.

ELECTRICITY The resort is equipped with European two-pin sockets and the voltage is 220, so North American visitors will need to bring adaptors.

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Cold-water-diving expert Byron Conroy left his adopted home of Iceland to explore the freezing waters of Greenland and its ‘population’ of monstrous icebergs Photography Byron Conroy

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Every year, the sun does not set from 25 May to 25 July, and it stays visible throughout the entire day and night. This phenomenon – called the ‘midnight sun’ in Greenland– needs to be experienced by everyone at least once in their lifetime.

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To be next to an iceberg that’s bigger than a multi-storey apartment block was quite thrilling – plus we knew it could tip over at any time and create a big tidal wave!

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have lived in Iceland for many years, so cold-water diving is very comfortable for me. I regularly dive in water as low as 33 degrees F and also dive under the ice in the winter here in Iceland. However, when an offer for a trip to Greenland with Blue Green Expeditions came up, I couldn’t say no to taking coldwater diving one step further.

Greenland is the world’s largest island (which is not a continent) at 836,000 sq miles, and with a population of just 56,000, you know that it’s going to be quite remote. Some 75 percent of the island is also covered by the only permanent ice sheet outside of Antarctica.

During the winter, much of the sea around Greenland is covered in pack ice. Our trip took us to Scoresby Sund, on the east side of Greenland, during September when the pack ice has melted, leaving behind an incredible fjord filled with huge icebergs that have calved from the glacier. We departed from Akureyri in North Iceland and began the 24-hour journey onboard our home for the week, Plancius. It was built as an oceanic research vessel and now runs

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The Greenlandic language is an interesting language, with a long history, and it’s closely related to the Inuit languages in Canada. ‘Kayak’ and ‘igloo’ are Greenlandic words that have been adopted directly by other languages.

trips to the Polar regions. The boat has 53 cabins and can accommodate 108 guests, and it also features some wonderful home comforts, such as a fine-dining restaurant and a bar.

In order to join a diving trip to Greenland, a good amount of serious cold-water diving experience is required. A minimum of 50 logged drysuit dives is needed, and I would highly recommend that as many of these are conducted in less than 50 degrees F as possible. Also, all your own personal equipment is needed, including drysuit, undergarments and two independent first stages that are environmentally sealed.

All dive tanks here have two valves on them due to the risk of first-stage freezing and freeflowing regulators.

We boarded at 3pm local time and settled into the boat for the overnight trip to Scoresby. Dinner on board was served and everyone began talking about the excitement of diving in Greenland. The diving here is mainly unexplored, and there are no dive site names or itineraries - this is true exploration in the Arctic.

During the first night on-board as we crossed the

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Denmark Strait to get to Greenland, we were able to see the Northern Lights from the viewing deck an incredible sight for all of the participants and an amazing start to the trip. To be able to stand under the glowing lights and know we were heading for unexplored diving and pristine seas created a real buzz among the travelers.

The following day we awoke to rough seas and experienced the power of the northern seas, with big swells all around us for most of the day as we continued north. In the late afternoon we entered the fjord and began to see the first small icebergs on the edge of the fjord, and as the sunlight retreated, we were again treated to another incredible Northern Lights show. The diving began the following day.

We were blessed to be greeting by perfect seas and mirror reflections the next morning, and as I made my way to the sundecks, I saw the first glimpses of the inner fjord. There was not a breath of wind, and the icebergs were as large as multi-storey buildings, perfectly reflected in the mirror-like surface of the fjord.

TOP LEFT Majestic Greenland fjord ABOVE When was the last time you got to hug an iceberg?

LEFT Now that is what you call icy-cold diving conditions

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It is hard to describe the majesty of cruising slowly through the ice field, the icebergs are so serene and calm, yet hold thousands of years of history within them. The icebergs are simply beautiful. Also, knowing that usually around two thirds of the ’berg is actually underwater with only one third breaking the surface got us all excited for the diving.

We sat down for the morning dive briefing with the dive leader onboard, Henrik Enckell. Henrik has been diving for over 25 years in the world’s most-difficult conditions in both the Arctic and Antarctic, and is also a technical and rebreather instructor. He has a very calming voice and is a strong leader, which gave us great confidence heading in to dive unexplored waters.

Henrik discussed with us the safety risks with extreme cold-water diving, freeflowing regulators, shutdown drills, drysuit flooding, hypothermia, etc, and set the tone for the group to realise this was serious cold-water diving.

We decided upon a shore/wall dive for the first dive. We loaded all the gear into the zodiacs and then headed down to meet them as they used a crane to lift them from the top of the ship. After rolling into the sea and being sharply woken by extremely cold water hitting our faces, we began the dive. The water here is around 33 degrees F and yet it was teeming with unexpected life. There were many colorful sea anemones, nudibranchs, jellyfish and sea stars - a perfect macro divers heaven.

For the afternoon we conducted a wall dive. On the wall we could see the basalt columns that we had seen above land also underwater, and were able to really study the geology of Greenland from the unexplored dive sites. The wall was covered with

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FUN FACT!

Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark.

Drinking gin and tonics with ice cubes thousands of years old, it was amazing to reflect on the real exploration we had conducted on our visit to Greenland beautiful anemones and all sorts of macro subjects, such as shrimps and sea slugs surrounding them.

After a few nice easy dives on day one, we settled in for the day two dive briefings with Henrik. Now it was time for what we all came for - diving under icebergs!

Henrik guided us through the safety procedures, and also explained that the icebergs are made from fresh water and the sea is salt water, so as you approach the iceberg being weighted for salt, you then get around three feet from the iceberg and enter the area in which the ’berg is melting. This area is now fresh water, so as you approach if you don’t adjust your buoyancy, you will begin to sink underneath the iceberg! There are also sometimes caves within the icebergs which we were forbidden to enter. We also discussed the very real possibility of an iceberg flipping over during the dive.

We began the dive by rolling off the zodiac and

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breaking through the pancake ice on the surface. This is a thin layer of glass-like ice that floats all over the surface when the sea is flat calm. As we descended to the iceberg, we were greeted by good visibility at around 50ft. The iceberg was incredible to see underwater - the surface reminded me of a golf ball being dimpled.

To swim away from the ’berg and see it all was amazing. The texture and the shape, and also the fact that this was melting and in just a few weeks, this iceberg and dive site that was thousands of years old would no longer exist. We would be both the first people ever to see this underwater, and also the last.

Later in the day we crossed the fjord and ended up in Jytte Haun for a real expedition dive to a place where nobody had been recorded diving before.

The dive site was a wall with a slight current, and enabled us to do our first drift dive in the Arctic. We drifted along the healthy wall and were amazed by

ABOVE You know it is cold when ice forms in your mask!

TOP LEFT Diving under the ice MIDDLE LEFT Alongside an iceberg LEFT Off on a shore excursion

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While only 20 per cent of the land isn’t covered by the ice sheet, the remaining land lives up to the country’s name. The south of Greenland is technically at a lower, warmer latitude than Iceland, but unlike Iceland it doesn’t sit on the Gulf Stream.

the abundance of life in this inhospitable place. There were lump suckers, anemones, jellyfish and many other fish and nudibranch species I had not seen before, even after years of diving the North Atlantic in Iceland.

We also managed to take a zodiac trip around the fjord. This enabled us to get up close and personal to the iceberg and take some amazing photographs. To be next to an iceberg that’s bigger than a multi-storey apartment block was quite thrilling – plus we knew it could tip over at any time and create a big tidal wave!

For day three of the diving, we headed towards Rode Island, where there was an iceberg graveyard.

We were joined by some snorkelers and we went to explore an iceberg. This ice was different to the other ’berg we had dived, being completely see-through.

With great visibility, it was possible to see divers through the ’berg on the other side - and also to see the rocks that had been frozen in time with the ice.

Our final days diving would just be one dive in the morning. After such a great day with the icebergs previously, we decided to conduct another wall dive with amazing macro photography options.

In the afternoon we made a land excursion to the local town of Ittoqortoormiit… not the easiest town name I have ever heard! We were given the opportunity to stroll around this small settlement ourselves and enjoy the local town. It was great to be

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FUN FACT!

Greenland got its name from Erik the Red, an exiled Icelandic murderer, who called it ‘Greenland’ in hopes the name would attract settlers!

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Greenland GETTING THERE Commercial airlines served by airports in Denmark and Iceland are the only way for travellers to get to Greenland – unless you arrive on a cruise ship or liveaboard.

met by a local team member, who was able to stamp our passports with a Greenland stamp.

That evening we boarded our second home Plancius and began the cruise back to Iceland. The seas were more forgiving for the ride back and we were able to enjoy the home comforts of the boat.

The guests were able to order drinks with ice cubes chipped away from a small iceberg that had been fished out of the sea. Drinking G&Ts with ice cubes thousands of years old, it was amazing to reflect on the real exploration diving we had conducted.

Greenland diving is not for everyone. The seas can be harsh, the temperatures extreme and the conditions tough, but the rewards of stunning topside scenery and the chance to be able to explore new dive sites and see icebergs that only you will ever see is quite appealing to the more-serious cold-water diver. n

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TOP LEFT Inside a gigantic ice cave TOP RIGHT An iceberg buddy ABOVE Happy divers back in the RIB LEFT Vibrant anemones add a splash of color

WHEN TO GO The summer – the season of the Midnight Sun - is the optimum time to experience Greenland on both land and water, as the climate is generally mild and the weather can be fine for long spells.

CURRENCY Greenland is part of the Danish national community, and so the currency used is the Danish krone. Credit cards can be used at many hotels, restaurants and shops.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Travelers from the US and Canada just need a valid passport with six months left to expiry.

ELECTRICITY The standard voltage on Greenland is 230V, so visitors from the US and Canada will require a power-plug adaptor and a voltage converter.

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| Mark Evans takes a look at the new SCUBAPRO GALILEO HUD DIVE COMPUTER SRP: $1,399 COMPUTER-ONLY / $1,699 WITH TRANSMITTER Mark Evans: There has often been talk about fighter-pilot-style head’s-up displays for divers, but for a long time, it was just that - talk. Then Oceanic launched the Datamask, which was marketed as a HUD mask, but was more an ‘eyes-down-to-theright’ mask, with a small screen mounted into the bottom righthand side of the mask, so you needed to angle your eyes down to the right to look at it.

Things went quiet in the world of HUD, until the launch of the innovative NERD by Shearwater Research. Originally designed for use with CCRs, a second-gen model was released that could be mounted on a second stage regulator. Thanks to clever technology and design, a small screen that was located in front of the right lens of the mask appeared as a much-larger display a couple of feet away when you focused on it, but when you looked ‘past it’, as it were, it all but disappeared. The NERD II was essentially the company’s Perdix AI in a smaller form, so it was a well-specced computer in its own right, but with the advantage of being a genuine head’s up display computer. The only downside was being mounted on the regulator - fine when you are shore-diving or off a hardboat, but if you are in a RIB and need to de-kit for reboarding, you didn’t really want to see your computer disappearing beneath a pile of cylinders.

Now mainstream manufacturer Scubapro has got in on the act, with the Galileo HUD dive computer. The Galileo series of computers was well received when they first came on the scene, and later generations - such as the G2, currently in our longterm test stable - were equally welcomed with open arms by the diving fraternity. So the functionality was there, Scubapro just decided to engineer that into a head’s-up display product.

Like the Shearwater Research NERD, the Galileo HUD features a small OLED screen suspended in front of your right eye, which when you focus on it, essentially becomes a larger screen in front of you because of the precision near-eye optics. When you look ‘past it’, it all but disappears from your line of sight. However, the big different here is that the Galileo HUD mounts directly on to the mask itself, not the regulator. Because of the way it attachs to the central section of the mask, it can literally be swung up and completely out of sight, if so desired. A series of spacers lets you align it from side to side in front of your eye easily.

The Galileo series were among the most-simple computers to navigate around the menus, thanks to the screen displaying what the buttons did at any given time, and with a push-wheel knob, the HUD is almost as straightforward. A short push takes you to the next stage in the menu while a long push takes you back a step (and it tells you this at the bottom of the display),

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and by dialling the knob you can scroll up and down the menu.

It doesn’t take long to get the hang of it and, because of a neat design, it is easy to operate even wearing thick neoprene gloves.

It is not only easy to use, it is also very well-specced. It has four modes - scuba, gauge (for tech diving - it is depth-rated to over 390ft), apnea and CCR - and it has two algorithms to select from. You can go for the Predictive Multi-Gas Buhlmann ZH-L16 ADT MB PMG, or the ZH-L16 GF. The predictive algorithm programmes up to eight selectable gases, including nitrox and trimix, in scuba mode, plus two set points for CCR diving.

To further personalise its functionality, you can incorporate microbubble levels and Profile Dependent Intermediate Stops (PDIS) into the algorithm. Via hoseless air integration with a transmitter, the HUD can monitor your tank pressure, and also show your true remaining bottom time (RBT).

The Galileo HUD also features a 3D full-tilt digital compass, which allows you to store three pre-programmed headings, and the 2GB memory means it can store 10,000 hours of dive profiles, so you’ll never have to worry about running out of space! When you do want to download your logbook, you can do this either using a USB cable or wirelessly via Bluetooth.

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| Mark Evans takes a look at the new SCUBAPRO GALILEO HUD DIVE COMPUTER SRP: $1,399 COMPUTER-ONLY / $1,699 WITH TRANSMITTER You never have to worry about running out of battery, either, as the HUD has a rechargeable battery, and fully charged, this will give you some 20 hours of dive time.

A compatible mask mount is included in the box, and several existing Scubapro masks can be retro-fitted to hold the Galileo HUD, such as the Zoom Evo that came for the test. The brand-new D Mask has been designed from the outset to work with the HUD. However, the HUD will also work on many other brands of mask, so you might not have to dump your ‘oldfaithful’ to be able to wear the computer.

So what is it like in use? Well, first off, it is very lightweight, and while visually it might look quite large sat on top of the mask, in reality you hardly notice it is there, especially once you are in the water. There is no real drag or heavy feeling.

It was quite handy being able to swing the HUD completely up and out of the way. When it is in place, it isn’t too noticeable, until you want to read your computer, but when I was taking photographs, I sometimes found it was easier to do this with the HUD flipped up out of the way .

I had no trouble using the control knob to dial through the menu. It is a decent size, and I had zero issues finding and using it wearing 3mm gloves, 5mm gloves and even drygloves with a thick under-glove. As stated before, it is relatively simple to get to grips with the HUD, and the screen display is very clear - all I had to do was raise my view point slightly and then the computer screen came into sight. This was literally a slight tilt of my eyes upwards.

All of the prominent information is well displayed in the default setting. You can tweak the layout but I actually found the default setting was perfect for me. The green digits appeared nice and

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bright underwater and on the surface, and I liked how warnings came in orange and red - for instance, as you ascend, a green line extends up the side, but if you go too quickly, it goes orange, and if you continue to accelerate towards the surface, it goes red. No way you will miss that! I think that the NERD II had the edge in terms of sharpness of screen display, but the HUD is still very easy to see, and easy to control/use, and I like how it is actually mounted on your mask rather than on your reg. You can detach it quickly and easily from the mask, and it comes in a neat case along with the charging cable, transmitter (if you opt for the full set) and mask mount. n

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| Mark Evans checks out the XDEEP NX ZEN BACKPLATE-AND-WING XDEEP NX ZEN | SRP: $599

www.xdeep.eu Mark Evans: xDeep is a Polish brand which has cemented a reputation in the diving world - especially among technical divers - for producing some of the most-robust, well-built diving equipment out there.

The company’s range of wings - for single cylinder, doubles and sidemount - have constantly garnered rave reviews, as have the xDeep mask and fins, and the soon-to-be-released regulators are set to do the same. The NX Zen backplate-and-wing has some design details that sets it apart from the competition, not to mention the undoubtedly solid build quality and superior materials.

For instance, that eye-catching backplate is not just a work of art in itself, it is that shape and design for a reason - xDeep have sought to achieve better weight distribution, removing some of the load from the lumbar region.

A 3D-mesh pad on the upper part of the backplate ensures it is comfortable even if you are just wearing a rash guard.

That backplate design also comes into play when you are putting the rig on and off. xDeep reckon that when the harness is unfastened, the shoulder straps are some 20 per cent longer than they would be on a classic harness. When you tighten up the waist strap, it pulls the shoulder straps snugly down, bringing the whole BCD close to your body. Another advantage of this is that there is no need to faff with your harness when swapping from wetsuit to drysuit. The NX series is also equipped with an innovative V-shaped crotch-strap. xDeep say the V-shape is more comfortable than the single-strap design, and with dual cargo D-rings mounted on either side, it is easier to attach and detach clipped-off gear.

The double-shell Cordura wing has been designed with a narrow shape, so it nestles either side of your cylinder. This not only reduces drag, but aids the user’s buoyancy control.

Despite its compact dimensions, it still generates nearly 42lb of lift.

Then there is the location of the power inflator hose.

Instead of being mounted over the left shoulder as is

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| Mark Evans checks out the XDEEP NX ZEN BACKPLATE-AND-WING XDEEP NX ZEN | SRP: $599

www.xdeep.eu

the norm, this one comes out from the top centre of the bladder. This means that it can be routed over either shoulder if you so wish, but more importantly is ultrastreamlined to reduce resistance as you glide through the water. This central location also aids with trim position, as when gas is injected, it is distributed evenly to both side of the wing.

I had been looking forward to getting this unit after briefly trying one in the Bahamas last year, and it did not disappoint. It is very comfortable and performs well, but perhaps most importantly, it looks the business. Look at the construction of that backplate, for instance - it is like a piece of modern art. You could hang that on your wall as a discussion piece. The workmanship is simply second to none.

The xDeep NX Zen has some nice accessories that can be fitted if you so desire. We got the integrated weight system, which neatly attaches to the backplate for security and slots over the waist webbing strap. I hate wearing weightbelts, and only need a couple of pounds when in warmer waters anyway, so compact pockets like these are perfect. They come in various sizes, and you can get non-dumpable trim pockets too, so this would cover you for temperate water diving in a drysuit as well.

If down the line you venture into the world of technical diving, just swap out the wing for a larger unit and you can use your NX Zen backplate and harness with doubles.

You will see the ‘European made’ slogan several times on the NX Zen, and the team at xDeep are justifiably proud that their robust and well-constructed products are made in their native Poland and not farmed out to some cheap factory in the Far East. The feeling of high quality is hard to ignore or mistake.

The NX Zen is named for a reason - that feeling of being ‘at one’ with the world that diving brings. I have to say it is one of the most-comfortable backplateand-wings I have dived, and I was truly impressed by the almost over-engineered construction of the harness, backplate and bladder. It effortlessly holds you in a solid trim position while diving, yet once on the surface it maintains a stable upright position. Take my advice and put a little ‘Zen’ into your dive life. n

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YOUR DIVE DATA’S NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD.

NEW

GALILEO® HUD™ HANDS-FREE COMPUTER

Introducing the revolutionary mask-mounted, hands-free dive computer with a virtual, floating heads-up display, giving you more freedom to experience your dive. scubapro.com

This picture is for illustration purposes only. Actual product may vary due to product enhancement of the dive mask paired with the Galileo HUD hands-free dive computer.