Scuba Diver #49 by scubadivermag

BIMINI'S SHALLOWS

UW ESCAPE ROOM

TECHNICAL: TRUK

DON SILCOCK GETS UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH GREAT HAMMERHEADS

WE TAKE PART IN THE WORLD’S FIRST UNDERWATER SCUBA ESCAPE

PHOTOGRAMMETRY ON THE ICONIC WRECKS OF TRUK LAGOON

DRAY

VAN BEECK IN MEMORY OF THE TALENTED UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHER

#49 | £1

THE MALDIVES

‣ WRECK HUNTER ‣ UW PHOTOGRAPHY

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EDITOR IN CHIEF

Mark Evans Tel: 0800 0 69 81 40 ext 700 Email: mark.evans@scubadivermag.com

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

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Mark Evans, Editor-in-Chief

MAGAZINE

CONTRIBUTORS

Don Silcock, Mario Vitalini, Stuart Philpott, Pete Mesley, Marcus Blatchford

I think most of us would answer ‘yes’ to this question, but with foreign travel still being a bit up in the air, we are probably looking closer to home for our diving fix, and in North Wales, you can now actually take part in a Scuba Escape! Escape Rooms are immensely popular at this time, and so the people behind Duttons Divers and Palaemon Divers have combined diving with the concept, thus creating the world’s first Scuba Escape. Suitable for everyone from OW and above, there are six very-different challenges to choose from, and it represents a fun way to get into the water in this country. Check out our report on the first trial run on page 24. On a sad note, April also saw us bid farewell to a real powerhouse in the world of creative underwater imagery. Dray Van Beeck passed away on Monday 19 April after contracting dengue fever out in Indonesia, where he and his wife Karin were working managing Bali Diving Academy in Pemuteran. Tragically, he had just been on the road to recovery after cardio-pulmonary surgery. I met Dray and Karin way back in the late-2000s when I led various groups out on liveaboards in the Egyptian Red Sea, and we hit it off immediately. I will fondly remember kicking back with a beer after a great day of diving, talking about the industry in general and underwater photography specifically. Dray was an amazing underwater photographer, and in his honour one of his images graces the cover of this issue, but he was also becoming increasingly well known for his artful digitally manipulated creations. He will be sorely missed.

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PUBLISHERS

Rork Media Limited Tel: 0800 069 8140 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, England, 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 Scuba Diver is strictly prohibited unless permission is given. All advertisements of which the creative content is in whole or in part the work of Rork Media Limited remain the copyright of Rork Media Limited. is a registered trademark of Rork Media.

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BIMINI'S SHALLOWS

UW ESCAPE ROOM

TECHNICAL: TRUK

DON SILCOCK GETS UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH GREAT HAMMERHEADS

WE TAKE PART IN THE WORLD’S FIRST UNDERWATER SCUBA ESCAPE

PHOTOGRAMMETRY ON THE ICONIC WRECKS OF TRUK LAGOON

DRAY

VAN BEECK IN MEMORY OF THE TALENTED UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHER

#49 | £1

THE MALDIVES

Cover.indd 1

‣ WRECK HUNTER ‣ UW PHOTOGRAPHY

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: DRAY VAN BEECK

26/04/2021 08:48

REGULAR COLUMNS

FEATURES...

8 News

16 The Bahamas

Hire a diving motorhome this summer, seagrass planting in Plymouth Sound, Buddhist monk rescued from flooded cave in Thailand, Karen van den Oeven claims depth record, DeeperBlue Podcast nominated for Weeby Award, and the world’s youngest Junior Master Diver.

In the second of a three-part series, Scuba Diver’s newly appointed Senior Travel Editor Don Silcock ventures to the Bahamas to dive with three of the world’s most-spectacular sharks, and this time he is in Bimini to see great hammerheads.

24 Wales

The team discuss resuming diving activities after having a COVID-19 vaccination.

Scuba Diver Editor-in-Chief Mark Evans heads to Snowdonia in North Wales to take part in the world’s first Scuba Escape experience at Vivian Quarry. Everyone loves an Escape Room, right? Well now you can take the challenge underwater!

48 Divers Alert Network

30 Indonesia

14 DAN Europe Medical Q&A

The DAN Europe physicians’ field experience regarding diving after COVID-19.

66 Wreck Hunter

Jean-Pierre Nathrass showcases seven of the top dive sites in Raja Ampat, and presents a list of creatures large and small you should expect to encounter.

Mike Haigh continues his look at the use of metal detectors in diving archaeology.

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CONTENTS

...CONTINUED

GEAR GUIDE

36 Underwater Photography

56 What’s New

Clownfish are one of the most-recognisable fish on our reefs, but getting a good shot of one is not easy - Mario Vitalini offers some sage advice on shooting clowns.

Stuart Philpott does a whistlestop tour of three islands in the Maldives with Euro-Divers, beginning with Vilamendhoo.

First look at new products hitting the market in 2021, including the Diveproof pencil, 360 Observe mirror, Fourth Element Kevlar and 7mm mitt gloves, Mares metal buckle and STRAWS, Ocean Reef’s Neptune III full-face mask, Scubapro’s cold-water MK19 EVO/G260 kit, and the Surfstar SUP, for those non-diving days.

50 TECHNICAL: Truk Lagoon

60 Test Extra

40 The Maldives

Is 60,000 photographs excessive for a two-week dive trip? Not when you are aiming to record the iconic ‘Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon’ via photogrammetry, as Marcus Blatchford explains, in the first of an epic three-part series.

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Scuba Diver Editor-in-Chief Mark Evans rates and reviews the brand-new 5mm gloves from Fourth Element.

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

HIRE A DIVING

MOTORHOME THIS SUMMER

Take to the road in a diving-inspired motorhome and explore dive sites off the UK coastline

oast2Coast Motorhome Hire Ltd has introduced the Coast Diver, the UK’s first hireable diving motorhome - just in time for the forthcoming summer. The Coast Diver is the brainchild of Dave Hanlon. “We rent motorhomes, why don’t we do a ‘diving motorhome’,” said Dave. “People like the freedom to dive where they want, when they want, and I got to thinking about it while I was asleep, and when I woke up, there was the idea – let’s combine the lot, do it all in one.” But there was a more-personal connection that inspired Dave to create the Coast Diver – and it is a true Cornish shipwreck story. Dave explained: “My Dad has been a BSAC diver all his life, and one day he gave me this little book, ‘Only Five Survived’, which told the story of my dad and three other divers who dived the shipwreck of the 120-year-old Hera back in 1970. “The tale of the Hera is a tragic one. On the night of 31 January 1914, the 1,994-ton German ship was wrecked on the outer stones of Gull Rock, just off Nare Head. Only five of the crew of 24 survived thanks to the heroic efforts of the Falmouth lifeboat. Fifteen bodies were eventually recovered and are buried in Veryan churchyard, in what is the longest grave in the UK.

“My father and his fellow divers recovered a number of artefacts, including links of chain, pulley blocks and lumps of coal stamped with a crown and ‘Cardiff’, and several of these items were donated to the New Inn pub in Veryan – opposite the churchyard – for display in the bar. Incredibly, given there have been various landlords in-situ since then, when I visited after discovering this amazing story, all the relics are still there! We are now in the process of setting up a museum in memory of the Hera with these artefacts in the pub, so after people have found out the story of the shipwreck, they can head to the churchyard to see the grave for themselves.” The Coast Diver sports an eye-catching wrap, but closer inspection reveals that the shipwreck is a four-masted barque

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in the style of the Hera, and each of the four divers heading to the wreck has their initials above – the names of Dave’s father and his three friends. The Coast Diver is far more than just a straightforward motorhome with a dive-orientated wrap, though – it takes care of all of the needs of the recreational diver, boasting an on-board compressor, wet lockers, ship-to-shore radio, external equipment shower and drying rack. She is also equipped with all the usual motorhome mod-cons, including full cooking facilities, luxury shower, toilet, TV, diving DVD and book libraries. The Coast Diver sleeps up to six people, so a team of divers can easily go out on the road together. Of course, rental parties have the choice to just hit the open road, but if you are stuck for inspiration, Dave has teamed up with various campsites in the southwest that offer shore diving and boat diving in close proximity. Coast2Coast have always looked to support their local community, and every time someone books the Coast Diver, a donation will be made to the Falmouth Lifeboat, whose crew back in the day saved the lives of the five sailors. Prices start from £300 for three days in low season, which if split between a group of six makes it incredible value for money for a combination of accommodation, transport and diving base camp. Find out more on the Facebook page - www.facebook.com/coastdiver

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LARGEST SEAGRASS PLANTING EFFORT BEGINS IN PLYMOUTH SOUND Natural England and the Ocean Conservation Trust have announced that work on England’s largest seagrass planting effort is taking place from 21 April in Plymouth Sound National Marine Park. A total of 16,000 seagrass seed bags and 2,200 seedling bags are being planted as part of the LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES project being led by Natural England to help support and improve the resilience of our marine environment. The planting is being carried out by project partner the Ocean Conservation Trust. The four-year project aims to plant a total of eight hectares of seagrass meadows – four hectares in Plymouth Sound and four hectares in the Solent Maritime Special Area of Conservation. The seagrass seeds have been bagged at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth by Aquarium and Ocean Conservation Trust staff, as well as volunteers. Seedlings have been growing in the Aquarium’s special seagrass laboratory since January. ReMEDIES is funded by the EU LIFE programme and led by Natural England in partnership with Ocean Conservation Trust (OCT), Marine Conservation Society, Royal Yachting Association and Plymouth City Council/Tamar Estuaries Consultative Forum. Seagrass meadows provide homes for juvenile fish and protected creatures like seahorses and stalked jellyfish. Seagrass also has an integral role in stabilising the seabed, cleaning the surrounding seawater and capturing and storing significant amounts of carbon. It is estimated that the UK may have lost up to 92 per cent of its seagrass, so this project

is hugely important in protecting and developing seagrass meadows off our coasts. Seagrass is delicate and can be damaged by activities such as the anchoring, mooring and launching of leisure boats, as well as other shore- and water-based activities. That’s why, in addition to planting new seagrass meadows, ReMEDIES is working to protect existing ones by helping recreational users to minimise impacts on these sensitive habitats. Natural England and ReMEDIES partners plan to extend the benefits of this work beyond the UK to assist with international marine recovery efforts. Techniques and evidence gathered will be captured and shared with marine conservation organisations across Europe to allow them to learn from and replicate the work.

DIVERS RESCUE BUDDHIST MONK FROM FLOODED THAI CAVE A team of 17 divers have managed to rescue a Buddhist monk who had been trapped inside a flooded cave in Thailand for four days. Phra Ajarn Manas, who was on his annual pilgrimage to the Phra Sai Ngam cave, apparently entered the system on Saturday 3 April, but water levels rose and flooded the cave after an unseasonable amount of rain fall on Sunday 4 April. Residents in the area alerted authorities to his predicament, and after various attempts, the dive team managed to successfully reach and extract him on Wednesday 7 April. The incident is reminiscent of the rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach back in 2018 after they became trapped in a flooded Thai cave system.

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DEEPERBLUE PODCAST HONOURED AT 25TH WEBBY AWARDS DeeperBlue.com has announced that the DeeperBlue Podcast has been named a Webby Awards Honoree for Best Sports Podcast in the 25th Annual Webby Awards. Hailed as the ‘Internet’s highest honour’ by The New York Times, The Webby Awards honour excellence on the internet, including websites, video, advertising, media and PR, apps, mobile, voice, social, podcasts and games. More than 13,500 entries from 70 countries worldwide were received this year. It is one of the highest honours digital content creators can receive. The DeeperBlue Podcast is a 30-minute weekly guide to everything happening around the world… underwater. A magazine-style podcast, it will cover all the latest underwater news, trends, equipment, and events about scuba diving, freediving, dive travel, and the oceans. The team also talk to the mostinteresting people in the dive world, from world-famous underwater pioneers to fearless modern explorers. “Honourees like the DeeperBlue Podcast are setting the standard for innovation and creativity on the Internet,” said Claire Graves, Executive Director of The Webby Awards. “It is an incredible achievement to be selected among the best from the nearly 13,500 entries we received this year.” Stephan Whelan, founder of DeeperBlue.com and Host of the DeeperBlue Podcast, exclaimed: “it’s an incredible privilege to have been selected as an honouree by the Webby Awards. As a small, independent publisher competing against large internally known brands, it’s truly fantastic to see our podcast honoured at this level. I’m incredibly proud of the team behind the podcast, including Jason Elias our producer and co-hosts Linden Wolbert, Mehgan HeanyGrier, Sarah Richard and Tec Clark – all of whom have made this an amazing and fun journey – as well as the community of divers and ocean lovers that have helped make the DeeperBlue Podcast such a success. We can’t wait to see where the next season takes us.”

KAREN VAN DEN OEVER CLAIMS WOMEN’S DEEP CAVE DIVING RECORD South African technical diver Karen Van Den Oever has claimed the women’s deep cave diving record with an astonishing 236m dives into the notorious Bushmansgat Cave. Van Den Oever set the new record on 26 March, and her seven hour and 18 minute dive smashed the previous record of 221m – set by Verna van Schaik in 2004. She said: “This was a dive that I have been working towards for a long time. It was a challenging dive. You train not for the dives that go well, but for when things don’t go well. I decided to turn at 236m, as my intuition told me that this was where I needed to stop.”

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05/01/2021 18:58

SAIL THE RED SEA ON SCUBA SCENE

Introducing M/Y Scuba Scene, the diving liveaboard setting new standards for liveaboards in the Egyptian Red Sea, with regards to comfort, safety, attention to detail, honesty and transparency. Beautifully laid-out and appointed across her four decks, the 43-metre, steel-hulled Scuba Scene is both spacious and comfortable – with each cabin affording guests their own fridge, en-suite bathroom and air-conditioning. Other on-board facilities include two large ice machines, sundecks, bar, professional coffee and espresso maker, camera tables, as well as lots of international power charging stations and places to store valuables, while a washing machine and dryer mean guests can bring fewer clothes to reduce their luggage weight or bring more of their diving kit! When it comes to safety, Scuba Scene is fitted to the mostrigorous safety standards, including life jackets, life rafts, oxygen and medical first aid, as well as smoke detectors, fire alarms and fire extinguishing systems across the boat. But what really sets this liveaboard apart is the team who run it - Ahmed Fadel and Dr Elke Bojanowski. Ahmed, an experienced tech instructor up to Advanced Trimix, has been a guide on liveaboards for over 21 years and is the author of the book Southern Red Sea Dive Guide. Elke, having completing her Ph.D in marine biology, set up and now runs the Red Sea Shark Trust, which today boasts the biggest database for oceanic whitetip sharks in the world. Little wonder she is better known to many as ‘The Shark Lady’. Elke’s ‘shark weeks’ are renowned for her fascinating talks, and underwater she seems to attract the sharks and is only too happy to share her passion and knowledge. Since January 2019, all dive guides working on liveaboards in the Egyptian Red Sea have had to attend a mandatory seminar on guidelines and safe diving practices for interactions with oceanic whitetip sharks. The seminar

was written and presented by Elke and has been attended by more than 1,400 guides and other dive professionals to date. Both Ahmed and Elke will be running trips focusing on their respective specialities, tech and sharks, offering additional information and education for their guests on-board Scuba Scene. A week on Scuba Scene is about having an experience you can cherish and remember forever. Itineraries include Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone, Daedulus and St. Johns, Shark Weeks, photography weeks with Duxy, and classic North and Tiran trips. All itineraries are tech-friendly, and special tech trips are on offer. Prices are very reasonable and start from £1,000 per person for a week, including transfers to/from the airport, seven nights’ accommodation in a twin room, meals and snacks, water, soft drinks, tea and coffee, 12-litre tank and weights, marine park and port fees. Mark Murphy, the Managing Director of Oyster Diving, told us: “We are thrilled to be working with Ahmed and Elke, and Scuba Scene. We have run many trips with them over the years and customers always tell us how fantastic they are and what an amazing experience they’ve had. The fact that they now manage their own liveaboard means they can introduce all of the finer details that customers have told us they would like over the years but aren’t on existing Red Sea liveaboards. We can’t wait to start sending people on their incredible adventures so they can experience the best way to see one of the world’s greatest diving destinations”. To book a truly memorable diving holiday on-board Scuba Scene, simply visit www.oysterdiving.com. Oyster Diving are a fully bonded tour operator and can build packages from the UK, including flights and transfers. They also offer group trips, family weeks, as well as working with other dive clubs and centres. www.oysterdiving.com/trip/scuba-scene-egypt/

IN MEMORY: DRAY VAN BEECK The diving world lost a shining creative light on Monday 19 April when underwater photographer Dray van Beeck passed away at the age of 60. Even more tragic, Dray had just been on the road to recovery after cardiopulmonary issues when he contracted dengue fever, which is currently becoming increasingly a problem in Indonesia where he was based. On his Facebook page on 8 April, Dray had said ‘Ok, thanks 2021 for becoming worse by the day’ when he caught dengue, but in his own inimitable style, he added ‘Since I’m Dutch and survived much worse, it does only give me fever’. I first met Dray and his wife Karin many, many years ago when they were working in the Red Sea on a Blue O Two liveaboard, and we became firm friends after I led several groups on their safaris. He had a wickedly dry sense of humour, and we enjoyed many a cold beer sat on the sundeck chatting about diving in general, underwater photography and just putting the world to rights. He was immensely talented when shooting underwater, and some of his photographs have graced the pages of my diving magazines over many years, but more recently he had become more well known for his weird and wacky visual creations which fused many different elements. Not long ago he was awarded first, second and third places in the Creative category of the prestigious Beneath the Sea International Imaging Competition 2020. Goodbye my friend, rest easy – you will be sorely missed. Our condolences to his family, especially Karin.

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SOPHIE O’DEA BECOMES WORLD’S YOUNGEST JUNIOR MASTER DIVER Sophie O’Dea – a bit of a regular in Scuba Diver over the years – has added another accolade under her weightbelt, the title of world’s youngest Junior Master Diver. She achieved the rank at the ripe old age of 12 years and one day! Sophie, who is a Youth Ambassador for SSI, YDN and Canary Divers, falls under the ‘elite athlete’ category of the government’s DCMS guidelines, which meant that instructor Kris Fearnley from Canary Divers was able to continue her training throughout the lockdown. As Sophie rounded out her training with an arduous Stress and Rescue course, Kris said: “It was an intense couple of days, with possibly the most-challenging conditions for a rescue course (snow, very cold water, thick gloves and hood, layers of thermal protection, etc). Sophie was a trooper and ploughed through every scenario we gave her, but she found out just how hard it can be – she was shattered after carrying her step-dad out of the water and carrying out CPR on the re-sus doll!” Sophie has achieved many things since she started diving, most recently raising funds for the NHS by building a Lego airplane underwater. Lego has been in contact with Sophie and her family and is using her underwater-building exploits in a production they are currently filming. She also took part in a live dive career talk with 20 schools across the UK alongside Kris, which was viewed by over 1,000 students live, and another 15,000 plus on catch-up.

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Ask DAN DAN medical specialists and researchers answer your dive medicine questions RECOMMENDATIONS ON RESUMING ACTIVITIES INVOLVING EXPOSURE TO A HYPERBARIC ENVIRONMENT IN SUBJECTS WHO HAVE BEEN VACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19. The following recommendations reflect the position of the Belgian Society for Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine (SBMHSBVOOG) and are currently being evaluated by the EUBS, ECHM and DAN Europe. They have been compiled on the basis of data available at the moment of publication, and may be subject to further editing. We therefore recommend that you keep visiting this page for the most updated version. In the documentation provided by the European Medicine Agency (EMA), as part of the assessment process of the vaccine regarding the vaccines approved for use in Europe, it has been noted that some adverse reactions may result following the vaccination. These side effects are generally mild and usually common to any type of vaccine, e.g. headache, mild fever, nausea, pain at the site of injection, dizziness, gastrointestinal disorders, lymphadenopathy, thromboembolic events, etc. Side effects have been shown to occur mostly between 12 and 48 hours following the vaccination and, in isolated cases, symptoms may extend up to 7 days. Severe side effects such as anaphylaxis, fortunately, are extremely rare and have been observed mostly in persons with multiple allergies; they tend to appear immediately, in the first 30 minutes following the vaccination. Side effects were also reported more frequently after the second dose of the vaccine. Although the vast majority of side effects reported so far are mild and do not put into question in any way the safety of the approved vaccines, they may be further enhanced by diving conditions, such as immersion, pressure and hypoxic/hyperoxic environment. Furthermore, it is possible that some of the immunologic effects of COVID-19 vaccination may temporarily influence the risk of diving-related illness. Anecdotal cases of symptoms possibly related to decompression illness (DCI) after uneventful dives in the safe range for DCI, have caused some concern in diver communities. At this time, no evidence is available regarding the impact of diving conditions on the severity of the side effects, nor on the resulting impact on the performance of divers with regard to diving safety. Taking into account that these vaccines are new pharmacological products, and in order to ensure that the side effects described above do not interfere with the completion of any safety-related tasks, we would like to draw the diving community’s attention to information and guidelines provided by WHO, EMA, and ECDC on COVID-19 vaccination (see references), and would add the following specific recommendations for divers:

Side effects have been shown to occur mostly between 12 and 48 hours following the vaccination and, in isolated cases, symptoms may extend up to 7 days • In view of the necessity to contain or end the COVID-19 pandemic as soon a possible and because at this point, widespread vaccination appears to be the only way this could ever be achieved, it is highly recommended that all persons receive the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as vaccines become available, in accordance with the national COVID-19 vaccine roll-out plan. • Divers should consider a waiting period of minimum 7 days after each dose of COVID-19 vaccine, before engaging in compressed-gas or breath-hold diving activities. • It is advised to extend this interval to 14 days for divers a. Who have had side effects after vaccination persisting for more than 48 hours b. With personal health risk factors such as, but not limited to: Excessive body weight Chronic metabolic disease (including diabetes) Smoking Use of medication which may increase the risk of thromboembolic incidents (including oral contraceptives) Or any combination of the above c. Who wish to perform dives which require specific technical skills or which are exceeding the limits of nodecompression recreational diving (technical diving, deep decompression diving) • Divers are advised to consult with their general practitioner in case side effects of the COVID-19 vaccination persist for more than 48 hoursfollowing the vaccination. • In case any symptoms, possibly related to diving disease, should appear after seemingly low-risk dives performed in the 7-day period after a COVID-19 vaccination, consultation with a diving medicine specialist is advised. We encourage all divers and local diving federations and scientific societies to report any such incidents to the DAN Europe Medical Division at medical@daneurope.org • As a COVID-19 vaccination does not completely protect against the possibility of transmission of SARS-CoV2 virus to other persons, protective measures (distance, mask, hygiene) must continue to be observed by all divers, vaccinated or not. n

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The Great of South Bimini

In the second instalment of his three-part series about diving with three of the world’s most-spectacular sharks in the Bahamas, Don Silcock gets up close and personal with great hammerheads PHOTOGRAPHS BY DON SILCOCK

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ike a fashion model up on the catwalk, great hammerheads sashay into your field of vision and, if they were human, you would probably say they have just ‘made an entrance’. Their strange mallet-like head, robust body girth and tall sickle-shaped dorsal fin makes them well-nigh instantly recognizable and most other sharks in the immediate area spot that too and give them a wide berth. The great hammerhead has a unique and distinguished presence in the water, cautious but confident and seemingly in control of the environment. As they approach, their distinctive head sweeps from side to side, causing the rest of their body to move in an almost snake-like manner. My first close encounter with a great hammerhead shark was in the Solomon Islands and although it was fleeting, it left me thinking about how a Jamaican mate of mine used to walk into the pub back in England - dressed in his best suit, cigar in hand and scanning the room in search of a date for the evening! But like all sharks, these magnificent animals have been impacted dramatically by the seemingly insatiable demand for shark-fin soup in China, the status dish of choice at the ubiquitous celebratory banquets. That large dorsal fin, which makes hammerheads so distinguishable, is very highly prized in the Hong Kong markets that cater to the Chinese shark-fin trade. So, encounters with the great hammerhead shark are particularly rare these days – everywhere, that is, except in South Bimini where, come winter, a sizeable number of these elusive sharks aggregate around the island’s waters.

Eyeball-toeyeball

‘Doc’ Gruber picked Bimini because of its large resident population of lemon sharks that use the large, mangrovefringed lagoon system to the east of the north island as a nursery for its young, making it almost the perfect spot for research. Many academic papers have been produced from the extensive field research conducted by Gruber and his team, but what they did not tell the world about was that just off the beach, to the west of South Bimini island, is probably the best place in the world to see the great hammerhead sharks. The Shark Lab first became aware of the reliable presence of great hammerheads back in 2002, but managed to keep the news to themselves for over ten years. Word did eventually get out and without doubt, South Bimini is now firmly established as Great Hammerhead Central!

WHY SOUTH BIMINI? SOUTH BIMINI – GREAT HAMMERHEAD CENTRAL

The islands of North and South Bimini are located on the western edge of the Bahamas archipelago, just 53 miles to the east of Florida, making them very popular with well-heeled large boat owners from America’s Sunshine State. Bimini is known for a few things… it was a favorite haunt of the famous American writer Ernest Hemingway and it was also from where a great deal of rum was smuggled over to Florida during prohibition in the 1920s. But perhaps it is most renowned for its sport fishing. Less well known though is that South Bimini is the location of Dr Samuel Gruber’s Shark Lab where, for over 25 years, significant research has been conducted into sharks and rays. ‘Doc’ Gruber sadly passed away in April 2019, a few weeks before his 82 birthday after a 50-plus year career. A truly enigmatic and charismatic individual with few peers in the field of elasmobranch study and research. Idyllic Bimini topside

The Bahamas are said to take their name from Baja Mar – the Spanish term for ‘shallow seas’ - because the archipelago of 29 main islands and roughly 700 cays that form the country reside on top of two main limestone carbonate platforms called the Bahama Banks. Great Bahama Bank covers the southern part of the archipelago and Little Bahama Bank covers the northern part, with incredible channels as deep as 4,000m separating the two. The small islands of North and South Bimini sit at the north-western tip of the Great Bahama Bank, isolated from the rest of the archipelago and physically closer to Miami than the nearest Bahamian city of Freeport. Their location means that to the north, south and east is the shallow water of the Great Bahama Bank, which is typically some 10m-15m in depth, while to the west is shallow water that slopes down to about 50m before plunging down into the 2,000m deep channel between Miami and Bimini,

Feeding time!

It was with great relief when my turn came, and I produced an Olympic-like performance to get out of the water in record time! through which the rich waters of the Gulf Stream current flow north towards the Atlantic Ocean. The Gulf Stream is a profoundly important force of nature and, in many ways, can be thought of as almost a conveyor belt of warm, nutrient-rich water bringing life to the areas it touches. Rich with larvae swept up as it flows up from the Gulf of Mexico, those larvae thrive in the current and are deposited at landfalls along the way, with the islands of Bimini being the first major way-point. Bimini is uniquely placed to benefit from that life-flow as they are the only islands in the area big enough to sustain a significant, large area of mangroves and seagrass that provide the nursery those larvae need to grow into crabs, lobster and conch which, in turn, provide a source of food for the animals higher in the marine trophic food chain such as stingrays and sharks. Basically, Bimini can be thought of as a rich, self-contained, ecosystem that has benefited greatly overall from the protection the Government of the Bahamas has enacted over the years!

of the conservation movement and has suffered from overexploitation of its fish stocks over the years and periodic over-development of tourist resorts in ecologically sensitive areas. But there is no major industry in the country and its people generally have a deep and visceral understanding of the importance the health of their surrounding waters is to their long-term prosperity. Therefore, the establishment of the Bahamas National Trust in 1959 to manage the world’s first marine protected area – the 112,640 acre Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park - can now be viewed as an incredible piece of foresight! The Bahamas have since added another 26 national parks covering over 1 million acres of land and sea, together with enacting substantial supporting environmental legislation, including making Exuma Cays a no-take marine reserve. Then in 2011, the government went one step further and became the fourth country in the world to establish a shark sanctuary by formally protected all sharks in Bahamian waters.

THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT…

FACE TO FACE

The Bahamas was one of the first countries to understand the importance of sharks to their seas and fish stocks, plus the growth of shark tourism means that live ones are immensely more valuable than the dead and de-finned variety! That said, the country has never been at the leading edge

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Any encounter with a large animal underwater is an incredible mixture of fear and excitement that is at its most intense just prior to entering the water for the first time. Sure, you have read about the animal from those that went before you and the pre-dive briefings are almost always excellent.

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The hammerheads come in close

But when push comes to shove and it’s time to get in the water, I can tell you that this heart of mine is beating at an increased tempo and you could say I am focused… Hammerheads are known to be aggressive hunters that feed on smaller fish, octopus, squid, and crustaceans, but are not known to attack humans unless they are provoked. In Bimini they are tempted in close by feeding them and the whole thing is carefully organized to give the participants maximum exposure to the animals. That is done by limiting the number of people in the water at any time to six participants, one ‘feeder’ and a safety diver watching your backs. The feeder is in the middle with an aluminum bait box (to keep the sharks from getting over excited…) and there are three participants on either side who rotate positions after 15 minutes, so everybody gets a turn next to the bait box, where it can get very exciting! There are usually 12 people on a trip, so after 45 minutes you get a tap on the shoulder as it’s time to give up your place and return to the boat. The safety diver is there not because of the hammerheads who often roam around behind you, but because of the bull sharks that are also quite common in Bimini… The reality is that any real danger in Bimini comes from those bull sharks rather than the great hammerheads – hence the safety diver. All this is in about 12m of water, so air consumption is minimal, and deco is not really an issue, so the show goes on all day. But interestingly the first hammerheads only show up about ten in the morning, so it’s a leisurely start every day. During the day it is very easy to become lulled into a false sense of security as the hammerheads appear out of

The issue is then that if you are next to the bait box, the shark is chomping away right in front or on top of you – at which point you are sincerely grateful that your camera housing is made of aluminum! WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

Hammerhead approached the feeder

the distant blue, sashay in towards the baitbox where they basically take the offered bait and then exit to the left or right. After the first day or so and the initial excitement has dissipated somewhat, it all seems very predictable and seems a bit like a petting zoo – and then you do the night dive!

FEEDING TIME

The job of distributing the pieces of fish on any shark feed is clearly somewhat of a fairly high-risk endeavor, but with the great hammerheads it takes on quite another dimension! As the shark approaches the feeder it can see the offered bait and, at the last minute, the feeder flicks the bait slightly to the left or the right so that the participant at that side will get an up-close and very personal photo-opportunity. The shark sees where the bait goes and turns, but at that point the bait usually disappears under its mallet-shaped head, so it instinctively chomps away till it bites on the bait. The issue is then that if you are next to the bait box, the shark is chomping away right in front or on top of you – at which point you are sincerely grateful that your camera housing is made of aluminum! Nine times out of ten the feeder flicks the bait upwards and the shark gets it with the first chomp, but things can get a bit hectic around the bait box and when they do, you really do know it was the right decision to bring that big DSLR…

AFTER DARK

On one day we kept up the rotations till late afternoon and then after a break and change of tanks, all 12 participants entered the water together for the dusk/night dive. This time there were two feeders, but we followed the same routine of rotating positions so that everybody got a turn next to the bait box. There were two very noticeable differences from the daytime petting zoo that we had all become accustomed to. First, the hammerheads were much more active and far more aggressive at night. Instead of the slow sashay along the bottom towards the bait box, they came in quite fast and at chest height. Their body language was completely different, and I have to say it was all a bit intimidating and reinforces the fact that you are interacting with wild animals and you are completely in their space! Secondly, while we had been repeatedly warned about bull sharks, I don’t think any of us actually saw any during the day. That changed completely as dusk fell and we could see them cruising the feeding zone in the distance, but ominously coming closer each time. The feeders would bang on the bait box to scare them away, but within minutes they would be back doing the same thing. However, as night fell, it became harder and harder to see where the bull sharks were… and then it dawned on me that if they were sneaking towards us from the front, there was a distinct possibility they were doing the same behind us! We had been given very strict instructions that only two people at a time were to be at the surface behind the boat at any time and we were to get out of the water as quickly as possible because of the presence of the bulls. It was with great relief when my turn came, and I produced an Olympiclike performance to get out of the water in record time!

THE ETHICS OF IT ALL…

Feeding sharks as a tourist attraction is a contentious subject and there are two basic schools of thought about its overall wisdom. The nay-sayers are adamant that it induces dangerous behavioural changes in the sharks by conditioning them to approach humans for food and therefore promoting the same (potentially…) dangerous behaviour that occurs when bears, lion or crocodiles are fed. The argument goes that sharks will be unable to differentiate between an encounter where they will be fed and one where they won’t – thereby greatly increasing the risk to humans. The counter argument being the benefits that flow to local communities from tourism revenue and lack of any substantial evidence of behavioural change. Incoming! There is no real data to support either case, so we are firmly in the realm of anecdotes and opinions… However, given that his life’s work has been the study of sharks, the opinion of ‘Doc’ Gruber deserves to be heard and it is very clear. “The relative risks are nil, and the relative benefits are great” is how he describes it, while conceding that there is some behaviour alteration, it is not significant and normal patterns of migration are not impacted. In other words, the availability of food in South Bimini during the main great

DON SILCOCK

In more normal times, Scuba Diver’s Senior Travel Editor Don is based from Bali in Indonesia, but is currently hunkered down in Sydney… His website www.indopacificimages.com has extensive location guides, articles and images on some of the best diving locations in the Indo-Pacific region and ‘big animal’ experiences globally. hammerhead dive-tourism season does not change the way that the sharks behave overall. They turn up at the feeding stations for a snack, but continue to do all the other things they normally do. All that said, perhaps the biggest impact from these quite unique in-water encounters is that virtually all of the participants leave the Bahamas as confirmed shark ambassadors, which has to be a good thing given the ridiculous and irresponsible media coverage given to sharks generally! Sharks have an incredibly significant role to play in the ocean. Without them the dead, the dying, the diseased and the dumb of the oceans can pollute and degrade the health of those ecosystems and the genetic quality of its inhabitants. The many species of sharks are there for a reason and they have evolved superbly, in true Darwinian fashion, to execute their mission. Remove the sharks and disruption occurs, something marine scientists refer to rather prosaically as ‘trophic cascades’ – think of the shark as the first in a longline of finely balanced dominos and if it is tipped over, the rest start to go down as well. The impact of shark finning in the Caribbean illustrates the impact of such cascades extremely well, for when the shark population declined it removed one of the natural limitations on the number of grouper in those waters. As the number of sharks declined it allowed the number of grouper to increase, who subsequently consumed a disproportionate number of reef fish, which meant that the naturally occurring algae was no longer being consumed and so the reefs started to die. There is no quick fix for these events because sharks grow slowly, mate intermittently, have long gestation periods and do not mass produce their young. But all that gets lost in the hype that sharks generate and the only way to really put it back in perspective is to see them in their own space. Simply stated, South Bimini is the best place to do that with the very special creature that is the great hammerhead! n

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Divers of all levels who want to test their mettle underwater can now head to North Wales for Scuba Escape – the world’s first scuba escape room! Mark Evans went along to see what all the fuss was about… PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK EVANS

scape Rooms are all the rage right now. All over the world, people are willingly being locked into rooms or buildings and then set missions, quizzes and puzzles to find all the necessary answers and make good their escape – or not, as the case may be. The last 12 months or so might have seemed like one big Escape Room, what with COVID-19 and repeated lockdowns, but now, as we head towards the summer and increasingly relaxed restrictions, there are another set of escape challenges on offer – only this time with a watery twist. In the midst of North Wales’ picturesque Snowdonia National Park, you find the quaint village of Llanberis, and it is here – surrounded by mountains – that you find Vivian Quarry, the home of the world’s first Scuba Escape. Vivian Quarry will be familiar to regular readers, as it is the main testing site for Scuba Diver’s hardy Test Team, but for anyone who has never been here, it is a truly stunningly beautiful location. You venture through a short tunnel, seemingly in a sheer rock face, and when you emerge from the other side, you can feel like you have entered Middle Earth. Towering slate cliffs reach up into the sky all around Mark and Dave with Brad the pirate and the mermaids

Dave with precious ring and skeletal hand!

you, and the inviting body of water is surrounded by trees and the remnants of quarrying days of old. It is a fitting setting for a whole host of escape challenges. It definitely has that Hollywood appeal – Guy Ritchie shot some scenes here for his recent reimagining of King Arthur. Scuba Escape is the brainchild of Clare and Jean Dutton, founders of Duttons Divers – which is actually based at Vivian Quarry – and Leanne Clowes, who is in the process of opening a new dive centre in Warrington called Palaemon Divers. The innovative trio saw a gap in the market and, with Vivian Quarry offering the perfect Escape Room – two big red doors can lock off the entrance to the site, making it one big ‘room’ effectively – they set about dreaming up different challenges that would incorporate all of the things that

This particular game tested your navigational skills, and as in the deeper parts of the quarry it was a murky green, you had to rely on your compass skills as you couldn’t really use natural navigation 25

Skull and cross bone flags were much in evidence

Gemma looks happy to locate a bottle containing a clue

Once these are locked shut, the game begins, and the teams have to work together to find the clues, solve the game and make good their escape people love about landlocked Escape Room games, but with an added scuba element. Importantly, they wanted the different missions to be all-inclusive, and with Vivian having a maximum depth of 18m, anyone who is an Open Water Diver or above (or equivalent) is able to take part. Maximum number of divers is normally six, but for dive club and centre bookings, they can facilitate up to 12 people. The participants are given a thorough briefing by the game hosts, and then they head through the red gates. Once these are locked shut, the game begins, and the teams have to work together to find the clues, solve the game and make good their escape. The Scuba Escape team have come up with six different games, all with very different themes: Gold coins litter the bottom

Operation Z – ‘There has been an incident at the local viral testing facility, there are two surviving scientists that we must rescue, a cure to search for… oh, and a horde of living dead to contend with. Do you have what it takes to survive and save the world from the outbreak?’ Countdown – ‘There has been a landslide at the nuclear testing facility, we have a nuclear bomb at this site and it’s been activated in the shake. You have 1.5 hours to find the code and put it in the correct sequence to stop the bomb from going off. The countdown has begun…’ The Treasure of the Syreni – ‘A pirate treasure offering a life of eternity can you use your navigation skills to find the items to open the chest? It won’t be an easy quest, legend has it that the treasure is guarded by the mermaids of Syreni and won’t let it go without a fight.’ Money Heist – ‘Pablo has stolen £1m from the Bank of Llanberis! He’s stashed it in Vivian Quarry. Pablo was the king of covering his tracks, but the police divers are on the way and we must get the stash before the police, or we will be behind bars in no time. We have a map and a clue, the rest is up to you!’

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Mark and Dave made good their escape!

Murder Mystery – ‘We have the five suspects in for questioning, we need to figure out who did it before they get released. We have clues, case files, interviews and a woman with a serious second life! Can you figure it all out in time?’ Save Vivoria! – ‘The evil King Snowdon has captured our Princess and locked her in the tower, we must rescue her so we can take back our land.’ They have sought to bring in many different dive skills, from search and recovery, use of lift bags, diver propulsion vehicles, navigation and much more, so as well as having fun, divers will also be brushing up on existing, or trying out new, dive skills. Clare – a PADI Course Director – is even getting it signed off that completion of the different Scuba Escape missions can count towards the PADI Master Scuba Diver certification, and certain dive elements can be put towards the full PADI Specialty in that particular area.

WILL WE ESCAPE FROM VIVIAN?

I headed up to North Wales at the end of April to take part in Clare, Jean and Leanne’s first-ever Scuba Escape session. They were wanting to see how a game ran, and get feedback from actual participants, so I was joined by Gemma Thompson from Dive Proof, who are well as making nifty logbooks and associated goodies, is also responsible for the printed elements of Scuba Escape; Katie Broadley from Bolton Area Divers; and Dave Keany from Canary Divers. Also along for the ride was Tamara Hinson, a freelance journalist there on behalf of the Metro newspaper, who was a recent PADI Open Water Diver and would be making her first foray into UK waters! We were going to be doing The Treasures of the Syreni game, and without giving too much away, it basically entailed crusty pirates (well done Brad, for stepping in at the last

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minute to ‘play pirate’) and ravishing mermaids, treasure hunts for precious gems, golden coins, priceless rings and necklaces, and search and recovery missions amid rum bottles, skeletons and more. Clare, Leanne and Jean had really gone to town on the props, and right from heading through the red gates at Vivian you were ‘in the zone’. Now, as with anything of this ilk, be that a ‘normal’ Escape Room experience, a zombie apocalypse event or whatever, you have to fully immerse yourself into the whole thing. If you come into these with a ‘it’s not going to be real/fun’ attitude, then you won’t enjoy it, but tap into your inner adventurer and open your mind to a bit of fun with a side-serving of diving and you will have a blast. Our group boasted everyone from a novice PADI Open Water Diver right up to people with thousands of dives and high-level instructors, and all agreed it was an enjoyable experience. This particular game tested your navigational skills, and as in the deeper parts of the quarry it was a murky green, you had to rely on your compass skills as you couldn’t really use natural navigation. Then throw in a bit of search and recovery as we rooted around to find clues and the necessary items required to open the treasure chest, all while maintaining good buoyancy to avoid kicking up the thick silt on the bottom of the site. We only did the one dive with a few items to find as a trial, the full game involves two dives and more clues/items, but as it was, let’s just say that some of us escaped… and others didn’t…

CONCLUSION

Clare, Jean and Leanne were unsure of how the Scuba Escape would be received, but they have been inundated with requests for more information, and have already got a plethora of bookings. “We thought it would be most popular with buddy teams wanting to do something different,” said Clare, “but we have actually had lots of interest from dive centres and clubs wanting to bring groups along.” The games can be tailored to the participants, and some of them lend themselves to a more-competitive element, so if buddy pairs within groups want to take on one another, that can be arranged. There is even talk of a tournament and a leader board! As you do each game, you get a sticker to go into your Scuba Escape logbook, and the first people to complete all six will win a prize! n

MAKE A WEEKEND OF IT!

Maximise your dive time and see what else North Wales has to offer. Scuba Escape has teamed up with Duttons Divers, which has dive centres at Vivian itself and in Pwllheli, and they can put together bespoke packages combining Scuba Escape, shore and/or boat dives. www.scubaescape.org 27

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Q&A: PATRICK WIDMANN CARIBBEAN SHIPWRECKS

PART TWO OF A WHISTLESTOP TOUR AROUND SOME OF THE CARIBBEAN'S BEST WRECKS

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WE CHAT TO THE RENOWNED NICK LYON TELLS DIVERS TO £50 CAVE DIVERSOCO AND RRO INSTRUCTOR MASK TAKE A LONG, HARD LOOK AT OVER SQ&A: PASC AL VAN SUPERB ERP RATES TO DIVE TEAM ABOUTKEPIC EXPEDITIONS THEIR FITNESS TEST THE WE TALK TECHNICAL DIVING SILCOC DIVES THE RICH

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The currents of

Adrian Stacey waxes lyrical about the adrenalinefuelled drift dives that can be enjoyed in the wild waters of the Komodo National Park PHOTOGRAPHS BY ADRIAN STACEY

THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS

he outboard motor on our speed boat wined in protest as a furious current tried its best to thwart us from reaching our destination. The texture of the water was another clear indication that this dive was going to be far from sedate. Resembling a fastrunning river rather than an ocean, in some parts the sea seemed to boil and performed an agitated little dance, in other areas whirlpools drifted along the fast-moving surface. In contrast, different sections of the sea were as flat as glass and, for a split second, we were afforded a brief glimpse of the utter mayhem below. Our experienced driver dropped us a little way in front of the reef, to give us some hope of reaching our target. We aimed to get down to 20-25m as fast as possible and to find a good place to secure a reef hook before the current swept us off the dive site. With this feat completed, it was now time to watch the show. Immense schools of fusiliers and yellow-masked surgeonfish had congregated where the current first hit the reef, known as ‘the split’. They, in turn, attracted the unwanted attention of a whole host of predators. Huge gangs of the thuggish-looking giant trevallies casually mingled with the fusiliers, grey

The US Virgin Islands are made up of four main islands - St Thomas, St John, St Croix and Small Water Island. St Thomas has some really nice wrecks but is not often visited by UK divers. Choices are limited to a handful of dive centres, including JJ Divers and Coki Dive Centre. Blue Island Divers has just closed down. Originally owned by a Brit, Aitch Liddle, they ran a friendly, professional service at the Crown Bay Marina Suite. In all there are 40 sandy beaches. Accommodation varies from selfcatering apartments to resort hotels. Dive centres usually offer pick up from hotels with water frontage, otherwise for all other accommodation it’s best to hire a car. There are more than 20 wrecks scattered along the south coast. Most are at a depth of around 30m and no more than 5km offshore (35 minute boat ride). Some even have portholes and brass fittings still attached. The WIT Shoal II is probably the best wreck dive on St Thomas. The 99-metre-long LST (Landing Ship Tank) was built in 1943 by Kaiser Co Inc. She saw intense action in the Pacific during World War Two and was involved in a number of the infamous beach landings. By the early 1980s she had become a non-functioning derelict and was sunk during Hurricane Klaus on 6 November 1984. She was re-floated in order to be scrapped but sank while being towed to her final destination. She now lies at a max depth of 28m, just 3km outside of St Thomas harbour. There are five deck levels to explore. The engine room is well worth a visit, although finding a way in can be quite tricky. The stern, wheelhouse and crane are the best areas. Two knot currents are quite common, but diving with some water movement does have its advantages. Monotone bulkheads transform into a blaze of colour when thousands upon thousands of tiny orange cup corals open up to feed. This wreck is perfect for night dives.

Stuart Philpott has dived around many Caribbean islands, and he has trawled through his archives to bring this round-up of some of the best shipwrecks in the region PHOTOGRAPHS BY STUART PHILPOTT 22

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Byron Conroy heads to the Maldives in search of big-animal encounters – and he is not left wanting

have always wanted to visit the Maldives for its pure beauty of white sand, blue water and magical sunsets. Also, just hearing someone mention the Indian Ocean makes me start dreaming of a tropical underwater paradise. When starting to do some research on this place, I quickly found out that shark fishing has been completely banned in all Maldivian atolls since 2010, and ray fishing since 2014. I suddenly got even more excited for our trip. My partner and I arrived at the Dhigali resort in a tiny propeller-driven seaplane, some 45-minute flight from Male international airport. The island is located in the Raa Atoll in the northern part of the Maldivian archipelago. We got a warm welcome and a useful orientation briefing by manager Kate. My first impression of Dhigali was that the island was very green and jungle-like, creating an authentic and exciting atmosphere. The island is one kilometre long, which is quite big compared to many other resorts with similar guest capacity. This, together with the owner´s intention of keeping as much natural vegetation as possible, has created a very lush, genuine environment.

DOING THE JUNGLE WALK

While exploring the island, we stumbled upon the ‘jungle walk’. Here, 80 percent of the vegetation is preserved and joined by little wooden signs with interesting facts about the wildlife and the plants found here. As we continued along the jungle walk, a group of flying foxes landed in a fruit tree just in front of us. We could also hear many different species of birds around us. On the ground, a small lizard made its way into the bushes.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY BYRON CONROY

The

However, the next moment I reminded myself that I actually get up at 6am every morning just to fit in three or four dives a day, and I suddenly felt a lot better! 28

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winter waters of the Arctic that even in midwinter the area can support the food-webs necessary to sustain a complete marine ecosystem. So, while the rest of the North Atlantic is practically barren at that time of the year, the Gulf Stream creates rich upwellings around the mountains and seamounts of the Azores that become fertile oases to which the large pelagic animals of the region aggregate. Come spring and rising temperatures, the Azorean waters burst into life with huge planktonic blooms and krill spawning events, creating the perfect feeding conditions for the hungry great whales of the northern hemisphere as they migrate to their Arctic summer feeding grounds.

THE GREAT WHALES OF THE AZORES LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION…

Swept by the warm tendrils of the southern Gulf Stream, rich in tropical nutrients and dissolved organic nitrogen, the Azores archipelago is far enough south from the frigid

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The deep waters, undersea mountains and overall ecosystem of the Azores make it an almost perfect location for sperm whales - deep-diving animals that hunt and feed on the giant squid that abound in the depths around the archipelago.

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Jill Heinerth waxes lyrical about the underwater delights that lie in store for adventurous divers off the coast of Newfoundland around the picturesque Bell Island

n the pale light of a wintery Canadian dawn, the Arctic blast persuades me to snug my hat securely down over my ears. Emerging from the neck of my parka, my muffled voice emits curly wisps of white vapour into the cold air. A barrel-chested John Olivero vaults clear of his truck in a long-sleeved T-shirt loudly announcing ‘let’s go diving!’ My sturdy Canadian resolve cannot hide my disbelief. “First, we have to get out of the driveway, Johnny!” I mumble. “No problem!” he smiles backs. “We have a secret weapon!” Who would have imagined that a diving expedition would require a snowplow? On this day, we need it to move the metre-deep snow that has accumulated overnight. But the list of necessary tools is even more peculiar. For months, John Olivero and Ocean Quest Adventure Resort (www.OceanQuestAdventures.com) owner Rick Stanley wrangled volunteers, convincing them to heft pickaxes and shovels to prepare for our visit. The group of selfless volunteers moved tons of iron ore, built decks and benches, and installed critical lighting in preparation for us to dive into the depths of the Bell Island Mine. February never deterred their dedication. On the contrary, there is plenty of time in the winter for projects and diversions. In Newfoundland, summertime is an orgy of outdoor activity – 18-hour days crowded with whales, World War Two wrecks, beach picnics and icebergs, leaving little room for manual labour. Winter is work time. Summer is for play.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JILL HEINERTH WWW.INTOTHEPLANET.COM

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ention the words ‘wreck diving’ on a club RIB or a dive charter boat and it’s guaranteed to get a reaction. In the UK, wreck diving is king. Who doesn’t enjoy exploring shipwrecks? Some get their kicks from the historical aspect, while others are attracted by an oasis of marine life. There is another contingent I would describe as ‘trophy hunters’, but the shallower wrecks were stripped yonks ago, leaving only the sub-50m tech wrecks laden with brass. Back in the good old days, every wreck diver was tooled up with a lump hammer, chisel and lifting bag. I would like to think that today’s discerning wreck diver has a moreconscientious approach, with thoughts more on preservation rather than plunder, but I’m sure there are still a few divers out there that would disagree! Our whole coastline is littered with tens of thousands of shipwrecks at varying depths to suit every level of recreational and technical diver. The English Channel alone has more than 40,000 recorded wrecks! The Dorset coast has its fair share and, fortunately for me, this has been my stomping ground for many years. I have explored most of the favourites in the 0m-40m range and taken a few reasonable pictures along the way. There are far too many amazing wrecks to mention in detail, so I have skimmed across the surface, detailing a selection of the very best. Except for the Royal Adelaide, Nor and Landing Craft wrecks lying off Chesil Beach, all of the sites I’ve mentioned are boat dives.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DON SILCOCK

Sat as they are, roughly halfway between the edge of southern Europe and the tip of North America, the nine islands of the oceanic archipelago of the Azores offer the only shelter from the notorious seas of the North East Atlantic. Underwater, that archipelago sustains an incredible ecosystem because those nine visible peaks are just a fraction of the 100-plus underwater mountains and seamounts that are both a beacon to marine life and a catalyst for the interaction between the many pelagic species that aggregate there.

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Don Silcock made the long haul from Australia to the Azores in search of some big-animal encounters – and he was not disappointed

ike the tips of icebergs, the islands of the Azores archipelago are just the visible peaks of a remarkable chain of underwater mountains that rank among some of the highest in the world. They rise up from the Azores Platform, a huge area of nearly 6 million km2, which in itself is just a small part of the incredible Mid-Atlantic Ridge, that runs the complete length of the Atlantic Ocean - from the far north and the Arctic Ocean, to the deep south and the Southern Ocean. The Azores Platform is some 2,000m below the ocean surface, but the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is grounded on to the seabed another 2,000m below that, while the tip of Pico (the tallest island of the archipelago) is 2,350 metres above sealevel, making the mountain that is Pico about 6,500 metres high in total elevation.

Up currents, down currents, washing machines, currents that do not go in the direction they are supposed to, and currents that just come out of nowhere, can all be encountered in the national park

These sites are well protected from rough weather which means virtually guaranteed diving throughout the year

It is also one of the few places in the world where, under a special permit from the Regional Environment Directorate, it is possible to be in the water with those sperm whales – which is what convinced me to undertake the marathon journey from Sydney! September is the optimum month as it has the best visibility, reasonable water temperature, most tourists have departed and it’s the end of the calving season, with the highest chance of curious juvenile sperm whale encounters. I based myself in Madalena, the main town of the picturesque island of Pico in the central Azores, which is dominated by the Mount Pico volcano - the highest point in the archipelago and in all of Portugal. Thankfully dormant since its last eruption in 1718, a drive up to the flanks of Mount Pico affords a view that seems to stretch to eternity and puts into perspective the sheer isolation of these islands. It is that very view, combined with the nature and tenacity of the Azorean people, that allowed a shore-based sperm

Stuart Philpott takes a whistlestop tour of some of the most-popular wreck dive sites along the South Coast PHOTOGRAPHS BY STUART PHILPOTT

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Jean-Pierre Nathrass showcases seven of the top dive sites in Raja Ampat, and presents a list of creatures large and small you should expect to encounter PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRANDON CELINE

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hile the Last Paradise is an incredible tropical destination, with many white beaches lined with coconut trees and blue waters, it is underwater where Raja Ampat really comes to life. Known as the most-diverse marine ecosystem in the world, these warm tropical waters offer the best diving experience for divers of all levels. The waters of the Dampier Straits that separate the islands of Waigeo and Bantana are where you will find over 100 of the world’s best dive sites. From gentle slope dives, incredible walls, and unique jetty dives, Raja Ampat has it all. These colourful dive sites are home to at least 75 percent of the world’s known coral species, where over 1,000 species of fish and 700 species of molluscs make their home in these nutrient-rich waters and dense coral formations. From the incredibly rare and small pygmy seahorse that can be spotted by the eager eyed and patient to the majestic oceanic manta rays that dance and glide over the shallow reefs in the summer months, divers who visit are treated to a diving experience that is unrivalled. Raja reefs are vibrant and colourful

Shoal of snapper

Some sites can be snorkelled

TOP DIVE SITES

Raja Ampat is known for its incredibly diverse marine life and the large number of dive sites the area has to offer. While every dive site has unique attractions and worth the visit, we have compiled a list of our favourites. Melissa’s Garden - Near the Fam Islands in the West of Raja Ampat, three inconspicuous islands give no indication that below is one of the most-biodiverse dive sites in the world. Melissa’s Garden is a shallow large pinnacle with gentle slopes that stretch between the above islands. The fields of coral that grow on the reef are hugely impressive. A sea of colours as far as the eye can see. With groups of the same colour growing together it is easy to think that these corals were planted. Among the colourful hard coral growth thousands of fish swim. Divers often comment that when diving Melissa’s Garden there is too much to see and take in. This site is all that makes Raja Ampat the best diving destination in the world. Sauwandarek Jetty - This is an utterly unique dive site. From the large schools of fish that are found under the jetty to the massive turtles that make their homes in the sloping reef, Sauwandarek Jetty is an easy dive site to navigate and boasts some of the most-impressive coral growth and marine life that makes your jaw drop. This dive site is part of a coral regrowth programme and many wire structures, including an airplane can be seen near the jetty sporting new corals. This is the perfect dive site for divers and snorkellers to experience masses of fish on the colourful shallow reefs. Mike’s Point - A single uninhabited island marks this incredible dive site, that is found in the centre of the Dampier Strait. This pinnacle has a unique topography found on a dive site. One side of this pinnacle is home to a wall that stretches into the depths and is lined with overhangs, small caverns, and large boulders where large groups of grouper and sweetlips can be found. On the other side the reef gently slopes where fields of colourful coral are home to smaller schooling fish and macro marine life. This is a dive site that cannot be described in words but rather needs to be experienced. Neu Reef - A relatively undived reef, Neu Reef lies in a massive reef system with many different dive sites. What sets Neu Reef apart from the rest is the incredible diversity that can be found on this slope dive. When dived in stronger

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Divers exploring the reefs

When dived in stronger currents, the reef is home to thousands of schooling fish, from fusilier, snapper and barracuda that can be seen hovering above the soft coral growth

Blacktip reef sharks

Sponges and corals brighten up the reef

MERIDIAN ADVENTURE DIVE

Situated in Raja Ampat, Indonesia, Meridian Adventure Dive is a PADI five-star Resort and winner of the PADI Green Star award. Scuba divers enjoy the professional service that has become synonymous with both the PADI and Meridian Adventure names. The sweeping spine of Indonesia’s archipelago is an underwater treasure trove, and the Raja Ampat Islands are often overlooked. Raja Ampat is one of Indonesia’s most captivating diving grounds and is truly a paradise on earth. WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

As you make your way between these pinnacles you can expect to see barracuda, wobbegong sharks and many reef sharks

Raja Ampat’s reefs are world famous

currents, the reef is home to thousands of schooling fish, from fusilier, snapper and barracuda that can be seen hovering above the soft coral growth. While on the slack tides, the reef is perfect to hunt for countless macro creatures, from the tiny pygmy seahorse to the blue ring octopus. One totally unique sighting that divers can look forward to are the garden eels that are found int the sandy patches between the slopes of Neu Reef. Mayhem - Do not let the name fool you, the dive itself is an easy pinnacle dive, the mayhem is in the masses of marine life that converge on this dive site. Mayhem is home to masses of reef sharks and the occasional manta sighting. Mayhem is the perfect dive site to just. Relax and look at all the life around you. Citrus Ridge - Tucked away in the Yangelo area, Citrus Ridge is found in the channel that runs through the islands of the region. The stronger currents that flow through this cut brings masses of fish that group together between the citruscoloured soft coral growth that is found on the pinnacles that gives the site its name. As you make your way between these pinnacles you can expect to see barracuda, wobbegong sharks and many reef sharks. End of the dive in the shallows in the clear waters of the mangrove forests that line the coastline of this area. Cape Kri - This might be one of the most-famous dive sites in Raja Ampat. This slope dive is found by the island of Kri and the reef stretches for hundreds of metres. The deep waters off the slope and the location of the island are the perfect combination for large game fish sightings. The stronger currents that flow around this dive site attracts large numbers of tuna, giant trevally, and reef sharks. For those who prefer pelagic life. This is the dive for you.

sizes, with most not being much larger than the size of your pinkie nail. These seahorses will spend their entire lives on the same patch of coral but are still incredibly elusive. Sea turtles - of the seven species of sea turtles, four of which can be found in Raja Ampat. Green, hawksbill, leatherback and olive ridleys all call the region their home. These turtles can be found on many dive sites in the area and often more than one will be seen on the same dive. Some are also known to make nests on certain dive sites and have grown to very impressive sizes. Epaulette shark - The epaulette shark also known as the walking shark is part of the carpet shark family and a unique sight to see. These small sharks are found on shallow reefs in the area where the hide from predators while feeding on smaller fish and molluscs in the tidal pool. Once the water level drops, these sharks are found walking on land. These unique sharks can survive on land for a few hours on end and make use of their long tails and pectoral fins to move around. Blue-ringed octopus - This tiny and highly toxic octopus is found in the shallow reefs of Raja Ampat. This octopus has distinct vivid blue rings that decorate their bodies, but do not be fooled by their impressive looks. These tiny creatures are highly toxic, and their venom can kill 26 human adults in minutes. While this octopus is incredible to observe to keep your distance when you spot one. Dugong - While not a common sighting, Raja Ampat is home to a unique marine mammal. The dugong can be found in the shallow seagrass areas found in many bays in Raja Ampat. The mammals are related to the more common and well-known manatees. The dugong has been given the nickname of mermaids by the local community. These incredibly shy animals can grow up to two metres and 300kg in size, but are gentle when encountered.

CONCLUSION

With the incredible marine diversity and dive sites that cater to all levels of divers, Raja Ampat must be a visit destination for all those who want to be truly surrounded by the underwater world. n

TOP SIGHTINGS

The most-biodiverse marine ecosystem in the world. On your visit to Raja Ampat keep an eye out for some of the most unique and rare creatures in the world. Manta ray - Mantas can be seen in numerous diving destinations, but Raja Ampat is the only place in the world were the oceanic and reef mantas can be seen interacting on the same reefs. These mantas can be found during the summer months on popular dive sites like Blue Magic and Manta Sandy. Pygmy seahorse - Raja Ampat is home to hundreds of macro marine creatures. One of the rarest is the pygmy seahorse. These tiny seahorses come in many colours and

Snorkelling on the reef

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UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY SHOOTING A CLOWNFISH IS NO

LAUGHING MATTER Clownfish are one of the most-recognisable fish on our reefs, but getting a good shot of one is not easy – Mario Vitalini offers some sage advice on shooting clowns PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARIO VITALINI

member of the damselfish family, clownfish come in many sizes and colours. In the Red Sea, you will see only the Red Sea anemonefish, however, in places such as Indonesia and the Philippines, you can find many species on a single dive. They may look a bit different from each other, but will all be living in their anemone and behave in a similar way. Clownfish, or anemonefish, are one of the mostphotographed inhabitants of the reef. You will find them on most dive sites around the Indo-Pacific and the Red Sea. Made incredibly popular by the movie Finding Nemo, just about everyone with an underwater camera will try to take a pic at some point or another, but unfortunately, for many, the end results are not always worth sharing - I’ve taken plenty of clownfish tail pics in my time! Here are my tips and tricks to get the best shot of a clownfish, so you can have the last laugh!

Maroon clownfish can be very aggressive and will chase you away from their anemone

THE CHALLENGE

Perhaps the biggest challenge is how fast these little guys move! Clownfish are very territorial and constantly protect their anemone, darting in and out of the tentacles as you get close. When you get too close, they tend to retreat hiding between the anemone tentacles. Establishing eye contact and filling the frame can be tricky. Be careful too of getting your hands too close. They do bite and some species, in particular, seem especially aggressive… I’ve even been chased away from an anemone by a clownfish that just would not give up.

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SUCCESS

As I mentioned, these little guys don’t stay still, you will need some patience for this job. Wait it out. Be willing to spend

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After waiting for some time near the anemone, theses little fellas let me get close enough to take this shot

ten to 15 minutes studying your subject, they do get used to your presence. I do think they have a very bad memory because after a while they seem to forget you are there, it’s like you have become part of their reef. Once they have calmed down you will be able to approach the fish without spooking it. Use that time to study the way the fish moves, clownfish tend to swim in a predictable pattern. I have never had success chasing them around and take a decent photo, they are way too fast for most cameras. Instead, start by composing your shot - get the anemone positioned how you want it, make sure the background is not distracting and looks good, then take a few test pics to get the exposure right. Always aim to get a fast shutter speed so you can freeze the movement, you may have to compromise a bit by increasing your ISO, but most modern cameras can deal with the digital noise this creates very well. If you are using strobes, check the position and ensure you do not have hotspots or backscatter. Once you have prepped the scene and your camera is set, just wait for the clownfish to swim into your shot. You may have to take several pictures but do not despair, patience will be rewarded. Unless you are using a DSLR camera with an optical viewfinder, your camera will have a very small delay while the image is rendered on the screen, for this reason, I do not trust 100 percent what I see on the LCD, as it is not real-time image. Instead, I frame my shot and then look at the scene

Good eye contact is probably the most important rule you need to follow when photographing not only clownfish but any fish

over the camera and only take the shot when I see the subject in place with my eyes and not through the camera screen.

COMPOSITION

Never forget one of the most-important rules of underwater photography – eye contact. Establishing good eye contact will help your picture to pop and stand out. Try to get as low as possible and wait for the clownfish to swim toward you to get the best eye contact. Because fish can move each eye independently, frontal shots can be a bit tricky as is unusual that both eyes will be looking at you. Try instead to frame the fish so only one eye is fully visible. You need to pay attention to the negative space (ie the background), you can use the anemone tentacles to frame and complement your subject. Avoid distracting surroundings such

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UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY I the bright green tentacles give a hint of colour to the otherwise completely black background of this lovely Skunk clownfish

A diver in the shot can balance your scene very well, make sure the diver eyesight is directed to the subject and not to the camera

as rocky backdrops. Anemones come in many different colours, from soft pastels such as yellow and orange to dramatic reds and purples. Theses colours can make for a gorgeous backdrop for your fish subject.

LENS CHOICES

Using a wide-Angle I was able to complement the anemone with the beautiful sunbeams Using a wide-Angle I was able to complement the anemone with the beautiful sunbeams

Wide-angle or macro? Good question! In practice, both options work very well. Use your macro lens to get one or two clownfish as your main subject with a hint of tentacles. Or your wide-angle to show the anemone in its natural surrounding area and why not consider also include a diver in the shot.

LOOK OUT FOR! If the clownfish are especially aggressive, they can be guarding eggs. Look carefully under the anemone and you may find them. They can be a very interesting subject if you have a good macro lens. If you travel to the Far East to places such as Indonesia or Malaysia pay close attention to how the clownfish behave. Some will constantly open and close their mouth, have a closer look and you may be in for a surprise. Some clownfish are unfortunate to have parasites in their mouth. This little bug will attach to the fish’s tongue. You can see their eyes peering out at you! They make for a very unusual pic. Clownfish are not the most exiting subjects and many divers disregard them preferring to look for more ‘fancy’ creatures. I do, however, think these little chaps have tons of character and I will always stop to take a shot or two when I see one. And after a long year without diving, I cannot wait to get in the water and start looking for these gorgeous little guys. n

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F O UR T H E L E M E N T . CO M

The South Ari Atoll offers all of the usual marine life sightings, but the biggest attraction is undoubtedly the year-round whalesharks and mantas (slight blip in December and May)

ell-known brand Euro-Divers are located at many of the best diving destinations. I had visited Cala Joncols in Spain and Stara Baśka in Croatia and was impressed with the set up and the diving. Manager/owners Jan Boelen and Kai Behrend were absolute legends. This time around I was thinking more exotic, so packed my bags and headed for the Indian Ocean. Euro-Divers (www.euro-divers.com) are well established in the Maldives, offering scuba diving at 12 different resort islands. Regional manager Thorsten Antons said in 2022 they would be celebrating 50 years since opening their very first dive centre on Kurumba. I won’t dwell on the dreaded ‘C’ word, but due to travel restrictions, there were quite a few hoops and hurdles to negotiate. I’m sure Phil at Dive Worldwide had a few kittens along the way! After numerous postponements and rescheduling of flights, accommodation and transfers, I eventually booked a direct flight to Malé. For decades, the Maldives was known purely as a diver’s destination. But these days most of the resorts are focusing on the luxury holiday market. Personally, I’m quite happy to mix a little luxury with my diving, even if it does mean spending a few more £s. Altogether there are 1,192 islands in the sprawling archipelago and a fair number are now populated with four- and five-star resorts. Underwater-wise, the scenery and marine life encounters do vary from north to south. I won’t deny that for the ultimate diving experience, it’s probably best to book a liveaboard, but there are certain advantages with a land-based holiday, especially for non-diving partners, families with children and fitness types. With this in mind, Euro-Divers selected three different resort islands for me to visit on a whirlwind two-week tour.

Sea fan

Stuart Philpott does a whistlestop tour of three islands in the Maldives with EuroDivers, beginning with Vilamendhoo

Friendly turtle on the reef

PHOTOGRAPHS BY STUART PHILPOTT Manta cruising over snapper

The diving dhonis

My first stop was Vilamendhoo, located in the South Ari Atoll. This four-star-plus, 194-room resort is extremely popular with scuba divers and snorkellers. After five days, I transferred over to the four-star, 284-room Meeru Island resort in the North Male Atoll, which has good facilities for families and outdoor sports enthusiasts, and then finished off my trip with three days half board at Kagi, a brand-new five-star boutique-style spa and wellness resort located a 45-minute speedboat ride away from Meeru. All three resorts are owned by Crown and Champa, who offer a wide selection of accommodation from affordable to uber-luxury. The excitement didn’t really kick in until I peered down at Vilamendhoo from the seaplane window. Swaying palms, white sandy beach and crystal-clear blue sea was exactly what the doctor ordered. After six months out of the water,

I was keen to get started. The South Ari Atoll offers all of the usual marine life sightings, but the biggest attraction is undoubtedly the year-round whalesharks and mantas (slight blip in December and May). I was greeted by dive centre manager Manuel at the jetty and introduced to AJ. Mauritian-born AJ usually worked at reception, but had been temporarily re-assigned to Scuba Diver magazine’s underwater photography dept. Her pink-skirted mask would definitely brighten up my pictures! We made plans to dive at all the popular sites, including a full-day manta safari. I passed on the whaleshark tour as they are rarely seen on scuba, mainly when snorkelling. My first dive was at Khudarah Thila, which is probably the most popular reef site. Yellow snapper are by far the predominant species. Thousands upon thousands were

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Manta rays have often been spotted leaping out of the water like flying pizzas. But the reasons for this behaviour is still a mystery to scientists. Some theories have attributed the behaviour to mating rituals, communication and removal of parasites.

Sweetlips

schooling in tight shoals. AJ had already told me they were relaxed around divers, so I managed to get in really close. Strong-ish currents caused a few problems with positioning, but otherwise I spent most of my time drifting in and out of a dense fish ball snapping away with my camera. We were dived bombed by friendly batfish at Reethi Thila. AJ hovered around so I could take a few shots and then we headed for a garden of pink gorgonian sea fans which blended in perfectly with her mask. I spotted the odd reef shark lurking in the background on most dives, but they were too far away for me to take a reasonable quality picture. Brightly coloured sweetlips hogged the reef wall in shoals of between 10 and 30. They were also quite relaxed and allowed me to take some nice diver/fish compositions. We finished off our dive with some more sea fans.

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Euro-Divers at Vilamendhoo has four dive boats offering a selection of morning and full day trips. The morning boats are a good option for divers with families or non-diving partners. I mainly chose the two-tank morning boats followed by a single-tank afternoon dive so I could take advantage of the superb buffet lunch back at the resort. Packages are available for five, ten, 15 or no limit diving and PADI training courses are always on the schedule. There are 70 full sets of Aqualung kit for hire if divers don’t want to bring their own equipment. Cylinders are normally 11-litre (larger ones are available on request) with DIN or A-clamp, and nitrox is no extra charge. Free orientation dives are offered on the house reef. Qualified divers can dive unguided or with a free guide depending on availability. I counted 50 dive sites on the map, including four manta cleaning stations. Boat journey times are between five and 40 minutes. Thorsten said they don’t offer scooter dives just yet, but they will be coming soon. Several years ago I had a memorable night dive on the 52-metre-long Kudhimaa wreck. Sights included free swimming morays, coral grouper, frogfish, triggerfish and sleeping

Sweetlips

parrotfish all highlighted on a background of orange cup corals. But my afternoon dive turned out to be quite disappointing. Visibility was a milky ten metres and there was a large group of divers swimming in and out of every hole. My best lost opportunities were a circling shoal of barracuda and a nurse shark hiding under some wreckage. In hindsight I should have used a macro lens and focused on the smaller creatures. Manuel joined me on day two at a site called Coral Hills. He wanted to show me the abundance of healthy hard and soft corals. The current was quite strong so apart from taking a few coral shots, I only had enough time for a well-positioned anemone and resident clownfish family. I mentioned to Manuel that I hadn’t seen any turtles, so we ended up at Nu Giri for our second dive. The very instant I hit the water a hawksbill turtle popped up in front of me. And then turtles kept appearing one after the other as we finned around the wall. I recorded a total tally of eight for the whole dive. Most weren’t bothered by our presence and just kept on nibbling through the corals. I quickly settled into a daily routine of diving, eating, drinking and sleeping. I began with breakfast at 7.45am (the restaurant opens up early for divers) then left the jetty at around 8.30am bound for the dive sites. After two dives the boat returned for lunch and then left again around 2pm for an afternoon dive. At the end of the day all my dive kit was washed out and hung up to dry. I just had to look after my wetsuit. There was just enough time for a stroll around the island (at 900 metres by 250 metres, it roughly takes 20-30 minutes, which was long enough after a hard day’s diving!) and then enjoyed a cocktail or two at the appropriately named Sunset Bar while watching the glorious sunset. I heard that some ex-pats had been staying at the resort for two to three months! I really don’t understand what the attraction was… Manuel’s favourite dive site was called Lucky Hell. It probably got its name from a huge wall densely packed with orange cup corals. The dive began with a batfish fly by. I stopped at another gorgonian garden to get some shots of AJ and then we drifted on towards the all famous wall. Unfortunately for once there was very little current, which meant the cup corals were closed up, resulting in a very bland-looking wall. Lucky Hell hadn’t been lucky for me!

As a consolation I spent another ten minutes with AJ and the batfish. The plan at Vilamendhoo Thila was to head straight for the sleeping whitetip lying on the seabed and then slowly close in for a picture of AJ plus shark. We tried for a good 15 minutes but just couldn’t quite get close enough for a shot. I got within two metres but in my camera lens, the sharks still looked like pin pricks in the distance. That’s the problem with using a 16mm fisheye. Manuel said they had recently been visiting a cleaning station at Moofushi situated on the western outskirts of the South Ari Atoll. Usually three or four mantas turned up on every dive. The boat journey was roughly one-and-a-half hours each way, so this would be a full day trip. Huge shoal of snapper

Large sea fan

Now that is relaxing!

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Massive fish shoals are a staple in the Maldives

The Vilamendhoo team

I mainly chose the twotank morning boats followed by a single-tank afternoon dive so I could take advantage of the superb buffet lunch back at the resort Two full boats left the jetty at a slightly earlier time than usual en-route to the dive site. Sighting a pod of bottlenose dolphins was hopefully a good omen. I carefully listened to Pierre’s briefing, taking note of any dos and don’ts, which also included no camera flash. The cleaning station was about 15m deep, but divers had to stay around the outside perimeter several metres deeper so as not to disturb the mantas. When we settled on the bottom there were no mantas to be seen. We waited 15 minutes and still no mantas. Just as everyone was getting ready to go, a solitary manta made an appearance. I didn’t dare take any pictures in case I scared it away! After a one-hour surface interval we returned for a second dive. This time we saw three mantas circling and then a fourth appeared several minutes later. Two had huge wingspans of nearly four metres. I tried to get some pictures of yellow snapper in the foreground with the mantas flying over the top of me but without flash and visibility reduced to ten to 15 metres, it was not easy. The mantas ended up

staying around for the entire dive. At least there were two boat loads of happy divers on the return journey. My stay at Vilamendhoo absolutely flew by. With regards to the standard of accommodation, food, diving and service, I’m struggling to find any fault. My beach villa, located just a few metres from the sea was clean, comfortable and included open-air bathroom, air-con, TV and fridge. Wading just ten metres out from the shoreline and the sandy seabed dropped off vertically to around 12m. The wall, covered in corals and teeming with reef fish, was perfect for snorkelling and right on my doorstep. The choice and quality of the food was excellent. Everyday there was a good variety of cuisines to suit all tastes. And finally, the dive centre ran as smooth as clockwork. There were no safety issues or problems with the boats or the kit, in fact they couldn’t have looked after me any better. My only complaint is that I didn’t get a picture of AJ kissing a tiger shark! n

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Game Changer

They said the only way to stay warm when diving was with a wetsuit. Then we developed Chillproof and changed the thermal protection market with a revolutionary tri-laminate fabric essentially re-inventing the 3mm wetsuit. Now after years of development and testing we have created Titanium Chillproof, the next level of watersports protection. SHARKSKIN Titanium Chillproof features a new fabric that will revolutionise the way you dive.

Ryan Roberts Cave diving in Tulum, Mexico - 9 days of diving in 25 degrees c with an average of 3 hours underwater each day. “SHARKSKIN Chillproof Titanium kept me warm and very comfortable compared to my colleagues diving 5mm neoprene. Titanium Chillproof is a game changer!”

Powered by titanium nanotechnology to enhance warmth, increase circulation and improved metabolic function. Titanium Chillproof thermal properties are equivalent to 4.5mm to 5mm neoprene due to unique titanium nanotechnology that captures the bodies far infrared radiation to generate and retain your bodies heat. Neutrally buoyant, windproof, breathable, flexible, lightweight and antimicrobial – Titanium Chillproof is a Game Changer!

WWW.SHARKSKIN.COM

DIVERS ALERT NETWORK: EUROPE DAN Europe is an international non-profit medical and research organisation dedicated to the safety and health of divers. WWW.DANEUROPE.ORG

DAN EUROPE PHYSICIANS’ FIELD EXPERIENCE REGARDING DIVING AFTER COVID-19

here is still much we do not know about COVID-19, and information about the virus and its impact on divers is still evolving. For that reason, in addition to republishing the consensus medical recommendations compiled by the various diving and hyperbaric medical associations, we reached out to a number of DAN Europe physicians and asked them about their experience in the field dealing with divers wanting to return to diving after having had COVID-19. Specifically, we queried the following physicians; Oscar Camacho (Portugal), Peter Germonpré (Belgium), Ole Hyldegaard (Denmark), Jacek Kot (Poland), Anne RäisänenSokolowski (Finland), Adel Taher (Egypt), Ulich van Laak (Germany) and Jürg Wendling (Switzerland). These doctors have each treated from two to 20 divers who suffered COVID-19. Dr Germonpré has only treated military divers, while Dr Camacho has treated commercial as well as recreational divers. Here is what they had to say. DAN Europe: What has generally been your experience with those wanting to return to diving after having had Covid-19? Oscar Camacho (OC): All the commercial divers during the acute disease were asymptomatic or with innocuous symptoms as anosmia/dysgeusia (the loss of smell and taste). Regarding the recreational diving, two divers were very sick. Both were hospitalized. One was admitted to a normal ward with noninvasive ventilation. Another was six weeks in the intensive care unit. All of the divers (commercial and recreational) were very concerned about their lung capacity to ability to return to diving. The two recreational divers that were hospitalized had lung scans with suggestive images of bilateral fibrosis and tired easily, so I excluded them from returning to dive and will evaluate them again after six months.

Peter Germonpré (PG): All were subjected to the medical examinations as per military medical requirements (i.e, exercise test with SpO2, pulmonary function test, cardiological examination and pulmonary CT scan). Some were ‘grounded’ for three more months before being allowed to resume diving. Ole Hyldegaard (OH): No problems or major respiratory issues. Jacek Kot (JK): I acted as a medical consultant for a single individual wishing to return to diving. Anne Räisänen-Sokolowski (ARS): All of them had had mild cases and were very eager to get back in the water as soon as possible. Adel Taher (AT): Most of them appeared to be clinically free with good air entry on both sides. The history taking would reveal that they suffered COVID-19 or they would know and declare it up front. When in doubt I would ask for CT-Lungs. In several cases where the infection occurred less than two months ago, Ground Glass Opacifications (GGO) would appear, mostly basal. A follow up after a period of four and six months following the initial infection, showed resolution of the GGOs. Ulich van Laak (UvL): Reluctant to follow the consensus recommendations in all three cases; they were seeking ‘quick’n’dirty’ permissions. Jürg Wendling (JW): Most of the recreational diver and

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All of the divers (commercial and recreational) were very concerned about their lung capacity to ability to return to diving

some professional divers followed our recommendations. All of our patients with mild to severe symptoms during acute COVID-19 had no signs of sequelae in the examinations according to the Swiss flowchart (we conducted a symptom limited stress test with pulsoxymetry/body plethysmography and DLCO). I would like to note that my comments here are a compilation of experience from the most active diving medicine physicians of the Swiss Underwater And Hyperbaric Medical Society (SUHMS) who report monthly at online meetings about their experiences. Any potential problem areas that divers should be aware of? PG: We haven›t seen ‘curious’ instances of DCS (after ‘innocent’ dives), but this is probably because of the restrictions we imposed early on (the Dutch Society of Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine (DSDHM) guidelines were already published as early as April 2020). OH: Testing of lung function recommended (as a minimum) before resuming to diving if COVID-19 infection caused signs of pulmonary symptoms. JK: Permanent changes to lung tissue (lower compliance) and lower exercise capacity ARS: Lungs can be problematic. AT: Oxygen saturation on exertion! Apparent changes on the spirometry results. A second opinion of a pulmonologist could be requested. UvL: Published concerns like the Belgium Society of Diving & Hyperbaric Medicine (BSDHM) and others are not widely accepted or understood among the sport diving community. It’s quite different in scientific diving abd military diving. JW: There were no surprising experiences. Divers are

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informed about potential hazards that mostly manifest themselves through reduced physical performance. We share the alerts of the BSDHM group. What should divers look out for and or be concerned with before returning to diving? OC: Pulmonary function! PG: I think it is safe to say that the current guidelines are capable of preventing divers to return to diving with significant pulmonary/cardia damage. Whether the guidelines are too strict is difficult to say. OH: It depends on the severity of their COVID-19 infection. JK: Exercise capability (physical power), decreased spirometry, changes in radiological studies i.e., Highresolution computed tomography (HRCT) ARS: The diver’s physical condition needs to return to preCOVID levels. AT: A gradual return to their ‹normal› level of physical fitness, which can often take longer than anticipated. UvL: Physical and psychological fitness as before COVID to confirmed by a medical performance analysis (by sports medicine, cardiology, and pulmonary specialists) JW: See our updated flowchart of the Swiss Underwater and Hyperbaric Medical Society (SUHMS). n

DAN MEMBERSHIP

Join DAN to get a number of benefits, including answers to all your diving-related medical questions: www.daneurope.org

BEYOND TECHNICAL

www.narkedat90.com

Project Baseline

Truk Lagoon

Being a self-funded project, it became very clear that there was a huge difference between the wish list for kit and the cost of extra baggage with the airlines - I really would have to take only the essentials for the project and, if weight allowed, then add some clothes and personal items

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WRECK HUNTERS SEASON ONE 2021 Barefoot luxury in the heart of Indonesia

Calling would-be undersea detectives! A unique opportunity to take part in the beginning of a diving archaeology programme is opening up in the summer of 2021* on the Caribbean island of Utila. The Wreck Hunters project is offering a onemonth, limited availability window for divers to be a part of the Season One team. The focus this year is about getting to the heart of the story of a wreck called ‘The Oliver’, its rich history and the life of 18th Century mariners. Learn the skills of undersea archaeology, from traditional to cutting edge techniques. If you’re a relatively experienced diver with skills or experience in drawing (artistic or technical), surveying, photography or in construction work this could be just what you’re looking for (See website for full details). Project Director Mike Haigh’s ideal candidates have a ‘good sense of humour’ and enjoy teamwork. Check out www.wreckhunters.co.uk Or Telephone: 0117 9596454

Bunaken National Marine Park

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

www.wreckhunters.co.uk 0117 9596454

info@wreckhunters.co.uk

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

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

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COMPUTERS • O2 CELLS • GAS ANALYSERS CABLES & CONNECTORS • REBREATHER PARTS PATHFINDER STROBES •view SENSORS all products online www.narkedat90.com TOOLS • SOLENOIDS

s I am sure all wreck divers can appreciate, the wonderful hunks of metal we spend our time swimming around are forever changing, rusting and degrading as Mother Nature takes them back. After 76 years, the Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon is no different. With technological advancements and one man’s dream, I have been lucky enough to be assisting in spearheading a huge project - a project to scan, survey and capture the Ghost Fleet, so it may last forever. For many years, Pete Mesley has organised and lead trips to this Mecca for wreck divers. Over the years, Pete has seen the wrecks evolve as they decay. This visible change combined with seeing first-hand the illegally salvaged missing wrecks in the Java Sea sparked the idea to capture the Chuukese wrecks in a way that will last for eternity. With recent advances in technology, namely photogrammetry, the time had come to start the process to capture and document. With my experience in photogrammetry, desire to push the technological boundaries and knowledge of the Ghost Fleet, I was invited to play a part in the project - very excited at the opportunity to be part of such a prestigious project, on the outside I tried to stay calm and composed as I said ‘okay’. With the project evolving from an idea to reality, now the hard work of planning had to begin. How could we do it? How much could we achieve on the first trip? What kit was required and how was I going to get it there? What would be the optimal method of scanning? How would I process, and to what level? Being a self-funded project, it became very clear that there was a huge difference between the wish list for kit and the cost of extra baggage with the airlines - I really would have to take only the essentials for the project and, if weight allowed, then add some clothes and personal items. So what would be required? • Basic dive kit – mask, fins, wetsuit, DSMB • Life support - rebreather, two sets of bailout regs • Photographic equipment - camera, housing, arms, lighting • In-water propulsion - DPV/scooter • Processing hardware – Top-spec MacBook Pro, back-up hard drives • Ancillary cables and chargers for above

The Aikoku Maru is encrusted with marine growth

All of the this weighed in at around 120kg - far too much both financially in excess luggage and physically for one person to navigate four different airports with! After a lot of whittling down and ‘do I really need this’ conversations with myself, I finally managed two 23kg bags, one 32kg bag, carry-on bag and laptop bag - I even managed to pack some clean clothes!

The Betty Bomber

The Amagisan Maru

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COMPUTERS • O2 CELLS • GAS ANALYSERS CABLES & CONNECTORS • REBREATHER PARTS PATHFINDER STROBES • SENSORS TOOLS • SOLENOIDS iously Photogrammetry is ser labour-intensive

The Gosei Maru

So how did I plan for us to scan the wrecks? With Pete having to do his ‘day job’, the majority of the scanning was down to me. With the camera mounted to the front of my scooter, I estimated I should be able to scan around 10,000m2 per hour. During the hour, the camera would capture 3,600 photos or one every second. Those 3,600 images would equate to around 128GB of data. A decision I had to make at home was whether to use strobe or constant lighting. I would have used both if I had enough weight allowance - they each have their own advantages and disadvantages. The strobes offer more light power (albeit in very short flashes) for the weight, however, video lights don’t have a recharge time between flashes but are heavy. Ultimately the weight allowance made my choice for me - strobes it was. My scooter, the Dive-Xtras CUDA 400 has a runtime of 120 minutes. To make the most of the scooter runtime, my camera would require two 128GB cards and my strobes may be asked to fire up to 7,200 times on a dive - this certainly wasn’t going to be a holiday for me or my kit! How much did I think we could achieve on the first trip? From the very beginning I was aware that there wasn’t enough time to recharge scooters between dives, so I planned it likely to do a scooter dive in the morning and swim in the afternoon. As well as the strain on the kit, I had to consider my own wellbeing. Taking into account the theoretical 10,000m2/hour and keeping run times within 150 minutes using a 50/70 gradient factor, all going well I assumed two scooter dive hours per wreck should be enough for complete scans this was of course assuming visibility, currents, equipment and personal health were playing ball. Based on 12 dive days, I estimated six models should be achieved over the course of the trip - more if Pete was able to assist with the scanning. n

NB: Find out how the scanning mission went in part two next issue. Side view of the Gosei Maru

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Here at Mike’s Dive Store we are offering FREE replacement parts for 10 years on any BCD or regulator purchased from us! We can arrange courier/collection for all your servicing needs.

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Ready to jump back in? Let our expert team of divers get you kitted out and ready to get back in the water with the help of free live-streaming video calls, huge stock choices and click and collect on all orders from our London store (if delivery isn’t an option).

020 8994 6006 support@mikesdivestore.com www.mikesdivestore.com

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What’s New

360 OBSERVE MIRROR (SRP: £25)

MARES STRAWS (SRP: £53)

The 360 Observe is a small convex mirror than can be worn around the wrist or on the hand, enabling divers to effortlessly maintain eye contact with other divers, their equipment and surroundings. There are a multitude of situations when the 360 Observe comes in handy, from dive guides keeping an eye on a group, to doing a bubble-check on your valves or CCR, to using as a signal mirror on the surface. The new version of the 360 Observe comes with elastic bungee cord, which can be adjusted to fit around your hand. www.facebook.com/360observe

DIVEPROOF BUNGEE PENCIL (SRP: £4)

These pencils are made from recycled CDs, so not only are they great for the environment, they won’t split when they get wet. With a handy 40cm bungee on the end, they are perfect to attach to your wetnotes, logbook or binder. www.diveproof.com 56

Mares has released the STRAWS – Single Tank Removeable Additional Weight System. It is, as the name suggests, a removable additional weight system for single tanks consisting of a simple, durable, lightweight pocket that can easily be mounted on tank straps. The diver may choose to mount a single system on the back of a single tank, or better, two systems, one either side, as additional weight. The additional weight can be between 2kg-6kg in the case of a single system, or up to 12kg in the case of a double one. The use of this important accessory offers various advantages - significantly improved trim and the possibility of fine-tuning it due to the position of the weights, noticeably superior back comfort due to the absence of, or significant reduction in weights on a belt and, a last advantage, this additional weight system stabilizes the tank for a more pleasant, safe dive. www.mares.com

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SURFSTAR FLIGHT INFLATABLE SUP (SRP: €499) Need something to keep you occupied when you are on your surface interval or having a non-diving day at the coast? Or how about something for the kids while you are submerged? The 10ft 6inches Surfstar Flight inflatable SUP could be just the ticket. This board has a unique square-shaped tail and round head shape with slightly upward angle, which makes the board easy to cut through the water while maintaining balance for beginners. This inflatable board is very durable and suitable for use in the ocean, on freshwater lakes, and on rivers. The soft anti-slip EVA deck is super comfortable to stand on, easy for additional rider or pet, and the bright colour and sporty design make it popular among different age groups. It can be blown up and deflated within five to ten minutes, weighs only 18.8lbs when inflated, and along with all accessories can be packed in the one backpack that comes with it. The package comes with all must-have SUP accessories, including comfortable quality backpack, inflatable paddleboard, adjustable three-piece aluminum paddle (that stays afloat), coiled safety leash, hand pump, fin, and a waterproof bag for phone and keys. An extra elastic bungee cargo system adds room for you to store essentials. Get ready to enjoy your SUP trip! www.liquid-sports.de

What’s New

FOURTH ELEMENT GLOVES

Fourth Element have redesigned their glove range, providing improved fit, comfort and flex, and the addition of a hydrolock seal in their 5mm and above thickness gloves reduces water ingress and maximises thermal protection. The seams are blind-stitched and fused to ensure they are watertight, and thermal linings further improve protection.

FOURTH ELEMENT 7MM HYDROLOCK MITT (SRP: £99.50)

Fourth Element’s warmest wet glove has been redesigned to enhance fit and dexterity. With three fingers of each hand in a single compartment, the hands remain warmer as a result, while the index finger and thumb are free for manual operations. The flexibility of the back of the glove is maximised, reducing fatigue during a dive. www.fourthelement.com

FOURTH ELEMENT 5MM KEVLAR HYDROLOCK GLOVES (SRP: £109)

Made from 90 percent neoprene and ten percent nylon, these gloves combing 5mm Kevlar reinforced fabric across the palm, fingertips and thumb with 5mm stretch neoprene across the back of the hands, producing a remarkably comfortable and durable glove. www.fourthelement.com

MARES METAL BUCKLES (SRP: £35-£44) Mares have released a pair of special buckles, made to military standard, for 50mm webbing, straps and harnesses. With a range of uses, they can also replace weightbelt buckles, and are able to support around 500kg. The use of these special buckles means safe, quick and easy harness opening. This characteristic allows for not only simple, quick donning, but also notably increases safety, as it greatly facilitates removing the harness in a time of need thanks to two quick-release points. These two points are part of a safe system in which both must be pressed in order to release the buckle, thus preventing any unplanned opening. The metal buckles are available in two models: - Black Aluminum (SRP: £44) - Stainless Steel 316 (SRP: £35) www.mares.com 58

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SCUBAPRO MK19 EVO/G260 COLD-WATER KIT (SRP: £1,060) The MK19 EVO was designed to be the ultimate first stage for cold water or contaminated diving conditions, and its design makes it substantially smaller and lighter than the original MK19. The air-balanced diaphragm delivers consistent and effortless airflow, regardless of depth, tank pressure, or breathing rate. An environmentally sealed system prevents water and pollutants from fouling the inner mechanism. Its dry chamber is equipped with a double spring, making it more compact and reliable.Two opposing high-pressure ports allow the first stage to be positioned either up or down, plus provide for an optimum hose/transmitter layout. Swivel turret comes with four High-Flow LP ports plus one axial Super High-Flow LP port to maximise hose routing options. With its compact size, light weight, and superb breathing performance it continues the best Scubapro regulator tradition. It is the ideal first stage for recreational, technical, professional, and military divers. The G260 is the optimal combination for the cold-water set, as it has numerous components made of seawater-resistant solid brass, which ensure excellent heat exchange and thus optimise the cold-water property. The air-balanced valve smoothes out the inhalation effort at varying depths and supply pressures, the super-flow hose features an oversized bore that allows more air to flow on each inhalation. The High-flow exhaust valve reduces exhalation for better overall breathing comfort. Its nylon fiberglass design features Scubapro’s biggest second stage casing and diaphragm for the ultimate in breathing sensitivity, regardless of position

in the water. A diver-adjustable inhalation effort knob finetunes air delivery to suit changing depths water conditions and personal tastes. A reversible hose attachment allows to easily adjust hose routing for tech diving configurations. All those components make the G260 a first choice for technical divers around the world. The Scubapro cold-water kit contains two MK19 EVO DIN 300 first stages, two G260 second stages, and two ND hoses (1 x 64cm and 1 x 210cm). www.scubapro.eu

OCEAN REEF NEPTUNE III IDM (SRP: £924) Full-face mask specialists Ocean Reef have released the Neptune III, the third incarnation of their popular Neptune series. It extends field of vision considerably, removes impediment in lateral movement and features a double-coated visor certified as a system to new EN250 standards. The new second stage is now fully and easily detachable (only level one service training required) for quick servicing and easy swapping. The SAV has a new design, better grasping surface and an internal valve. The mask will not fog when not connected to the cylinder, and water will not drip in if forgotten to open underwater. The Neptune III offers a new visor geometry and new orinasal pocket which is the most-anatomically designed on the market for minimal dead air space and internal volume – it is 13 percent less than the Neptune Space, and 24 percent less than competitor masks. The mask also offers a 20 percent wider field of vision than the Neptune Space, and far more WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

than a conventional mask. The new design quick-release tabs increase the surface to grasp, and also include accessory one-hand removal handle to remove the IDM while carrying equipment in the other hand. The Neptune III comes standard with a Neptune III backpack, and is available in black and white, in two sizes – S/M, and L/XL. www.oceanreefgroup.com

FOURTH ELEMENT 5MM HYDROLOCK GLOVES | SRP: £87.90 Mark Evans: As you will have seen in the What’s New section, Fourth Element have completely redesigned their glove range, and have added a new-look three-finger mitt and a neat Kevlar glove. I have used their 5mm neoprene glove for many years, and I was interested to see how different the new 5mm neoprene glove was, so when a pair arrived in the post, it was time to brave the cold waters of Capernwray and see how they performed. Both the 3mm and 5mm neoprene gloves have been given a makeover, with the biggest differences being an improved fit and flex, mainly from the use of superstretchy neoprene with minimal prints on the back of the hand, and an articulated print on the palm. The difference between the old and the new 5mm variants was immediately apparent – I was able to slip my hand quickly and easily into the new gloves, the stretchy neoprene making it a simple matter to slide them on. No more struggling and cursing at the water’s edge! Even on dive two, when my hands were wet and cold, I had no difficulties pulling the gloves on. In the water, the addition of that Hydrolock seal on the cuff, effectively a smoothskin strip that seemingly welds itself to your drysuit wrist seal, along with the blindstitched and fused seams reduces water ingress, and what does get in there can’t get out easily, which makes them extremely warm. Thanks to the thermal linings, which further improved the exposure protection, I didn’t even feel the chill in my fingertips until nearing 45 minutes in 6 degree C water. The new prints on the fingers and palms are not restrictive at all, and I had plenty of feel and dexterity in my fingertips to be able to operate my underwater camera system without any issues.

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There are many moments like this in the future.

EUROPEAN MADE

www.xdeep.eu

FOURTH ELEMENT 5MM HYDROLOCK GLOVES | SRP: £87.90

These were one of the warmest pairs of wet gloves I have used, and while they are never going to be able to offer the thermal protection afforded by dry gloves, they still kept my hands far toastier than I thought they would, especially after repeated long dives. The 3mm version (SRP: £77.50) have much the same design as the 5mm version, but they do not have the Hydrolock seal. What they do have is a longer-length cuff that can then be cut down by the user to their required length. www.fourthelement.com

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AMBER OCEANOGRAPHER

D420 REGULATOR

“RELIABLE, NATURAL BREATHING AND EASY TO MAINTAIN.”

DEEP DOWN YOU WANT THE BEST

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BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

KENT

SCUBADUCKS DIVE CENTRE LTD

KENT SCUBA LTD

t: 01296 317787 e: u2scubaducks@gmail.com a: 34 Edison Road, Rabans Lane Ind. Estate, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP19 8TE We pride ourselves on being the most professional and friendliest dive centre. and club around. www.scubaducks.co.uk

t: 01843 621188 e: dive@kentscuba.com a: 23 Maple Leaf Business Park, Manston, Ramsgate, Kent, CT12 5DG Scuba is our passion and we want to share that by enabling others; turning your dreams into realities. www.kentscuba.com

DORSET UNDERWATER EXPLORERS t: 01305 824555 e: info@underwaterexplorers.co.uk a: Unit 1, Maritime Business Centre, Mereside, Portland, Dorset, DT5 1FD Leading Dorset dive centre stocking all major brands, air, nitrox, trimix fills, rentals and servicing beside Portland Marina and across from Chesil Beach. www.underwaterexplorers.co.uk

ESSEX BESPOKE SCUBA DIVING LIMITED t: 01708 837032 e: contact@bespokescubadiving.co.uk a: Becontree Heath Leisure Centre, Althorne Way, Dagenham, Essex, RM10 7FH Our mission is to provide quality & professional scuba training in a relaxed friendly environment. www.bespokescubadiving.co.uk

BLACK WATER DIVING t: 07841 561680 e: info@blackwaterdiving.co.uk a: 18 Lower Park Road, Loughton, Essex, IG10 4NA PADI Dive training focussed on beginners. Try Scuba Diving for £20. Private swimming pools. Learn to scuba dive with 1:1 instruction at Blackwater Diving. www.blackwaterdiving.co.uk

DIVERSE SCUBA t: 01375 892444 e: info@diverse-scuba.co.uk a: Ye Old Plough House Motel, Brentwood Road, Bulphan, Essex, RM14 3SR Diverse Scuba are one of the leading 5 STAR PADI IDC dive centres in the UK providing scuba diving courses and services to the Essex region. www.diverse-scuba.co.uk

ORCA SCUBA DIVING ACADEMY t: 01268 520111 e: info@orcascubadivingacademy.co.uk a: 17 Repton Close, Burnt Mills Estate, Basildon, Essex, SS13 1LN Established in 2007 the Academy a vision of Gary to deliver the very best Scuba Diving School in Essex. www.orcascubadivingacademy.co.uk

KENT BLUE OCEAN DIVING t: 01622 212022 e: scuba@blueoceandiving.co.uk a: West Park Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 7AF 5* PADI scuba diving courses and training, organised diving trips and events, scuba equipment and friendly advice based in Maidstone. www.blueoceandiving.co.uk

KENT TOOLING DIVING PRODUCTS t: 01227 700374 e: sales@divingproducts.co.uk a: Windgates, Church Lane, Waltham, Near Canterbury, Kent, CT4 5SS Kent Tooling Diving Products produce the widest range of rebreather and diving supplies and accessories in Kent and the UK. www.divingproducts.co.uk

HARROGATE DIVESHACK UK t: 07779 605863 e: tim@diveshack.uk.com a: 17 Station Parade, Harrogate, HG1 1UF Harrogates number 1 dive store. www.diveshack.uk.com

PLYMOUTH AQUANAUTS t: 01752 228825 e: info@aquanauts.co.uk a: 88 Vauxhall Street, The Barbican, Plymouth, PL4 0EY Waterfront full service centre with direct access to the best wreck and reef diving the UK has to offer. www.aquanauts.co.uk

ROTHERHAM DREAM DIVERS LTD t: 07976 526050 e: info@dreamdiversltd.co.uk a: 18-20 Greasbrough Rd, Parkgate, Rotherham, S62 6HN PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Centre based in Parkgate, Rotherham. Our instructional team has been teaching PADI courses together in the Rotherham, Barnsley, Doncaster, Sheffield and surrounding areas of South Yorkshire since 2005. www.dreamdivers.co.uk

SHROPSHIRE SEVERN TEC DIVING

LANCASHIRE CAPERNWRAY DIVING AND LEISURE LTD e: info@dive-site.co.uk a: Jackdaw Quarry, Capernwray Road, Over Kellet, Lancashire, LA6 1AD The UK’s finest inland dive site... Welcome to Capernwray, the beautiful diving venue on the edge of the Lake District. www.dive-site.co.uk

MILTON KEYNES MK SCUBA DIVING t: 07957 710334 e: contact@mkscubadiving.co.uk a: Unit 50A, I-Centre, Howard Way, Newport Pagnell, Milton Keynes, MK16 9PY Friendly, professional and patient PADI, SDI and TDI scuba instructors, we proudly offer you high quality service, equipment and facilities. www.mkscubadiving.co.uk

NORWICH CHRISTAL SEAS SCUBA LTD t: 01603 485000 e: info@scuba4me.co.uk a: 62 Whiffler Road, Norwich, NR3 2AY We are Norfolk’s Premier dive centre with our own on-site swimming pool and well stocked shop with the latest equipment. www.scuba4me.co.uk

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE GO DIVE t: 01332 665353 e: sales@godive.net a: Nottingham Road, Spondon, Derby, DE21 7NP Take your diving to the next level with GoDive, the UK’s first fourth element concept store. Start shopping with us today! www.godive.net

t: 01939 291303 e: severntecdiving@gmail.com a: The Glyders, Church Road, Baschurch, Shropshire, SY4 2EG We are a Scuba Diving Training Center with over 20 years experience with a multi-agency approach to scuba diving. www.severntecdiving.com

SOMERSET DIVE ACADEMY t: 01935 353525 e: info@dive.academy a: Unit 7-8 Boundary Avenue, Commerce Park, Yeovil, Somerset, BA22 8UU Somerset’s Premier. Scuba Diving Centre. Book a lesson. www.dive.academy

STAFFORDSHIRE SCUBA COURSES t: 07743 719172 e: info@scubacourses.co.uk a: Trent House, Trent Walk, Joiners Square, Hanley, Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire, ST1 3HE Offering a full range of training, servicing and expert advice. www.scubacourses.co.uk

SUSSEX OYSTER DIVING t: 0800 699 0243 e: info@oysterdiving.com a: Maritime House, Basin Road North, Portslade, E. Sussex, BN41 1WR PADI 5-star IDC centre in London and S.E. Holidays around the world, active club and local dives. Exclusive lake in Surrey. www.oysterdiving.com

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SUSSEX PLANET DIVERS t: 07889 883232 e: info@planetdivers.co.uk a: Planet Divers, The Angling Club, Royal Parade, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 7AA A Friendly Crew, Great Diving all year round. Excellent, Fun trips UK & Abroad for all levels, non-divers welcomed. www.planetdivers.co.uk

WEST MIDLANDS AQUASPORT INTERNATIONAL t: 0121 706 6628 e: info@aquasportonline.com a: The Dive Centre, 50 Lincoln Road, Olton, Solihull, West Midlands, B27 6PA The only purpose built diver training centre and dive shop in the West Midlands and the only PADI Dive Centre in the whole of Greater Birmingham and Solihull. www.aquasportonline.com

YORKSHIRE DIVEWORLD t: 01142 332995 e: info@learn2dive.co.uk a: 185 Holme Lane, Hillsborough, Sheffield, Yorkshire, S6 4JR Welcome to Diveworld, dive school, dive club, dive retail and servicing, dive travel and more, the complete scuba package. www.learn2dive.co.uk

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WILTSHIRE DM SCUBA TRAINING t: 07920 556116 e: instructor@hotmail.co.uk a: Filton leisure Centre, Elm Park, Fiton BS34 7PS DM Scuba hold pool training sessions in Bristol, Swindon and Bath giving you plenty of choice. www.dm-scuba.co.uk

BAHAMA SHARKFEST

Don Silcock rounds out his three-part focus on sharks in the Bahamas, diving with tiger sharks off Grand Bahama.

Q&A WITH BEN SARINDA

We chat to UW shooter Ben Sarinda, who went from being a gardener to a dive guide to a world-class underwater photographer.

OWNING YOUR OWN DIVE KIT

We look at the reasons why owning your own diving equipment makes a lot of sense, and talk about what to look for first.

MEERU IN THE MALDIVES

Stuart Philpott continues his whistlestop tour of the Maldives, this time heading to the island of Meeru.

PROJECT BASELINE: TRUK

Part two as Marcus Blatchford and Pete Mesley showcase the wrecks of Truk Lagoon as never before using photogrammetry.

GEAR GUIDE: TEST EXTRA

Editor-in-Chief Mark Evans and the Test Team get stuck into a raft of new products coming on to the market in 2021.

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THE USE OF METAL DETECTORS IN DIVING ARCHAEOLOGY, PART TWO By Mike Haigh, Project Director, Wreck Hunters

o, what has been found using these instruments? We must here differentiate between the activities of what we would term ‘treasure hunters’ and archaeological investigation. Of course, it is the discovery of treasure that © Aquascan / Mario Arina of Global Under water Explorers hits the headlines, such as the exploits of Greg Bounds off Key West, Florida, and the location and salvage of the 1715 Treasure Fleet by Brent Brisben. On the latter site, $4.5 million worth of gold coins were recovered on one day. In terms of diving archaeology, metal detectors have had a positive contribution for longer than many would expect. In the case of the Kyrenia ship, dated to approximately 300BC, the lead sheathing of the vessel was located by a metal detector survey. Other electronic survey methods had missed this – which could have led to the destruction of this key find when the remains of the ship were recovered. This survey took place in 1970. Moving closer to the present, in 2019 a team of Italian Navy Divers located a Roman wreck at 90m and using Aquascan AQ1B units recovered swords and other artefacts. The image shown in this article, courtesy of Aquascan and Mario Arina of Global Underwater Explorers, shows a diver It was by using a metal detector, on loan to the project, using an underwater metal detector on the deep-water site. that the team were able to locate metallic fragments of the Perhaps the best example of how metal detectors can vessel. So, what was then the oldest shipwreck in the world locate ancient wrecks comes from a site I came to know well, was rediscovered by using a tool more normally thought of by the Giglio Etruscan wreck. When Mensun Bound and Reg many as for use in finding sunken gold! Valentine were searching for the site, some 20 years after Next time, we be looking at the use of photomosaics in its original discovery by Reg himself in 1961, no signs of a wreck site investigation. ‘shipwreck’ could be found. www.wreckhunters.co.uk

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THERMIQ CARBON CORE RASHGUARD

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