ISSUE
N°33
N O V 2017
Portfolio by Damir Zurub
An Interview With by Isabella Maffei
Travels by L. Terraneo
Monthly Contest
Review
Marine Biology
Blue Diving Heart
Claudio Ceresi wins “Carpe Diem”
Sergio Riccardo Ocean Life Flex Arm Clamps & Arms
Similan Islands a Piece of Paradise The Cuttlefish by Ivana Orlovic
Dear readers, Today’s world is changing fast, and so does the gear we use underwater . In the past two decades we have seen a transition in the photography world; digital cameras have completely taken over the film ones. Only 20 years ago it wasn’t uncommon to see uw photographers shooting with the Nikonos 3 or 4, if you happen to stumble into one of them today you would probably think he/she is a crazy fellow using that ancient piece of technology for some weird and incomprehensible motivation as modern cameras are able to offer amazing performances compared to those offered by the old Nikonos 3. Exactly , modern cameras... wether you think about a DSLR, a mirrorless, or a compact camera they are all able to deliver amazing possibilities in underwater photography, supported by modern led lights and strobes they made possible the achievement of great results also to the average talented UW photographer, but my guess is there is another player entering the arena of today’s photography: the smartphone . With better and better onboard cameras these devices we are all familiar with and we all probably own one have seriously contributed to approach a much wider audience to the photography world. Many smartphone users around the world don’t feel the need for a photo camera anymore as they already have one with them every day, convenient, slim and offering always improving quality... let’s wait their arrival into the UW photography world. One last service communication: we are preparing Deepvisions 2018 international UW photography award, it will be an amazing edition with over 50000 USD worthed prize pane. Stay tuned for more!
Marino Palla Owner and Founder Scubashooters Network
Cover image by: Damir Zurub
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CONTENTS November 2017 3
EDITORIAL by Marino Palla
8 TRAVELS Similan Islands, a piece of Paradise by Lorenzo Terraneo
26 REVIEW Flex Arm - Clamps & Arms by Pierpaolo Peluso
32 AN INTERVIEW WITH... Sergio Riccardo by Isabella Maffei
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MONTHLY CONTEST “Carpe Diem”: the winners
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DAN EUROPE Jellyfish with Vinegar
REVIEW: Nimar Housing Panasonic DC-GH5
PORTFOLIO: Damir Zurub Blue Diving Heart
MARINE BIOLOGY: The Cuttlefish by Ivana Orlovic
V erein S cubashooters - 8952 S chlieren G raphic
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S ilvia B ogni L ayout : S ilvia B ogni , E lisa F urlani C ontributors : C hiara S crigner
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TRAVELS Similan Island Piece Of Paradise Words and Pictures
Lorenzo Terraneo
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The Similan Islands are a group of nine islands located in southern Thailand, in the Andaman Sea. In 1982, this 128-square-kilometer area was declared a National Marine Park and it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Departing from Kao Lak, on the coast, you will reach them after 1:30 hours of navigation by small, speedy boats. Daily excursions (not recommended), or cruises of two or more days, can be booked at any diving in Phuket. I was in Karon Beach, at the
Oceanic Dive Center (www.oceanicdivecenter.com), which arranges shuttles by small vans from the hotel, transfers and stay on cozy cruise boats stopping over around the islands. I went in November, which is the beginning of the dry season, lasting until mid-May: the right time to visit the Similan. The temperature was perfect, with the water at 30 ° stable, while towards the last few months of the season it could be elevated. 10
Since the rainy season had just ended, the sea was not yet at its peak, but we are still talking about a paradise for divers! Just got on the South Siam Divers’ boat (http://www.southsiamdivers.com/), the blackboard with daily programming and groups captures the attention, with a message that causes a smile: “Maximum four dives a day”. Time passes with a pleasant, intense programming but relaxing: one dive in the morning before breakfast, one before lunch, one in the afternoon and finally the night dive. Everything takes place while the boat moves from one island to another, towards new diving spots.
Among the nine islands, you can land only on one, the no. 4, where there is also a small campground with fixed tents. For those coming back, the last day offers “only” three dives. Due to lack of time, I could stay just for two days and therefore I only made seven dives among these spectacular islands. This clear and turquoise sea, among the most beautiful in the world, is home to a great variety of marine life and offers amazing opportunities to observe turtles, big tunas, big passing fish, trevally and jacks, as well as 11
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a teeming diversity of tiny marine life and a wealthy seabed covered with soft corals and giant sea fans. Diving spots are really many: those located in the eastern half usually offer peaceful coral gardens, while those in the western are more challenging and present structures that are more daring. The tour depends on the assigned local guide, who generally leads groups of 3-4 divers choosing one of the many alternative routes that every dive offers. Although I personally shot with the fish eye all the time, there are many opportunities also for macro. I made the first dive at Anita’s Reef, located at the south end of island no. 5 (Koh Ha), where the reef, from 5 meter deep, slowly sinks down up to about 30 meters out in the blue. 14
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The bottom is dotted with coral formations and rocks, with a variety of hard and soft corals, and huge sea fans. Like in all the tropical seas, corals are a shelter for clownfish, angelfish, butterflyfish and damsels, which in turn attract schools of fusiliers and snappers. Moray eels, benthic fish and blue-spotted stingrays densely populate the sand and the small rocks among the coral formations. We also met a large school of barracudas. A beautiful dive, spectacular and not demanding, as a splendid welcome to the Similan.
I particularly enjoyed the relaxing dive at “Turtle Bay”, made at night in the island no.8. The bottom, at about 10 meters, was full of small rocks and corals teeming with life: lobsters, shrimps, moray eels and fishes focused on finding shelter for the night, like the beautiful parrotfish I photographed while trying to sleep horizontally, attached below a coral formation. However, not all dives are exactly “relaxing”. On the morning of the second day, at the fascinating “Elephant Head”, between enormous and smooth granite boulders creating channels, valleys and breathtaking crossings at 25/30 meters deep, we encountered a strong current that made us prematurely burn out our air supply. 18
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This didn’t allow us seeing the whitetip reef shark and the leopard shark, which (they say) are regular of that stretch of sea. To visit at least once every dive site it would take leastwise a week: West of Eden, Breakfast Bend, Deep Six, Donald Duck Bay, Christmas Point, Shark Fin Reef, just to name a few. Unfortunately, my stay in this corner of paradise ends quickly: just when I started tasting the colors of the sea, the rich seabed and the ever-changing landscape of the small islands, uninhabited and full of vegetation, the speed-boat comes for taking me back to the coast. I will certainly return. Farewell Similan!
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REVIEW Don’t Call Me Plastic Flex-Arm clamps & Arms Words and Pictures
Pierpaolo Peluso
About three months ago, I noticed that a friend of mine was mounting some strange arms on his underwater camera. They looked really good aesthetically, but left me very puzzled... they were the “usual arms” in carbon fiber, but with a peculiarity that made me turn up my nose: both the clamps and the balls were made by plastic. That’s right: plastic. Franco, my friend, insisted that I tried them and put me in touch with the Italian company building these arms, the Flex-Arm. The conversation with Federico Amodeo, Flex-Arm’s owner, developed on a level of total sincerity.
I argued from the beginning that his arms and his plastic clamps would not survive my rough handling and my two Sea and Sea 250Pro, big and heavy. 26
Therefore, he asked me on one side to trust his product, the result of exhausting tests and studies, and on the other to test them, making me understand that if the setup wasn’t satisfactory to me, he would have been happy to accept the challenge to improve it. Within a few days, I choose the configuration for my Nauticam housing for Canon 5DMKIII: 2 beautiful 800g floating arms and 2 normal ones. After about two months of testing, where arms and clamps have accompanied me on more than 40 dives, mistreating them purposely, they are still there doing their job very well: when I tighten they block, when I release they are fluid but still gripping, despite my large and heavy flashes. How is that possible? Ok for carbon fiber, but how could all this lightweighted plastic resist my tortures? Simply because what I rightly called plastic is not that of children’s toys, but a techno-polymer. 27
As Federico explained me on Skype, with a satisfied smile, this innovative component is now commonly used in “extreme� areas such as Formula 1 and firearms production. They are replacing metallic alloys with techno-polymer for reasons of reduced weight, chemical resistance, torsion and stress resistance, ease of processing, waste management, possibilities to realize complicated shapes without expensive machining and assembling. 28
These benefits translate directly into spending cuts, in ever-faster development timelines and greater respect for resources and the environment. I cannot help but be fascinated when an object so often seen as secondary, but so important in underwater photography, is so steeped into studies and science.
Another thing we do not consider is the average weight of a set of 6 clamps and 12 metal balls, virtually cleared by the construction material of these arms, which are undoubtedly technologically avant-garde, easy-to-use and, last but not least, at very low costs compared to any other arm. More info:
www.flex-arm.com
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Puerto Galera - Oriental Mindoro - Philippines
Share your passion for diving wishlist exploring the magical underwater world of Puerto Galera. This fabulous destination offers the perfect mix of diving and culture, hiding surprises for even the most expert of divers in its unique biodiversity and colourful marine creatures. An ideal destination for macro photographers.
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“An interview with...� is a project by Isabella Maffei
AN INTERVIEW WITH... Sergio Riccardo
Let me introduce Sergio Riccardo, one of the most prolific Italian photographers. What is outstanding about his photographic production is the capability to represent such various behaviors of marine species, especially sharks. Numerous pictures collected in more than 20 years, testify the richest of planet sea, and how much is vital to preserve and protect.
1 - Tell me briefly about you as a photographer My passion for photography was born almost at the same time as my passion for the sea and diving. Already since I was 13, I used to freediving in the waters of the island of Procida (NA). At 16, I attended my first scuba diving course and took the first underwater photos with a NIKONOS III my father gave me for my scientific high-school degree, which would come after two years. By that NIKONOS, I started to photograph the seabed of the Gulf of Naples and, in March 1981, I attended a SUDAN trip organized by my scuba instructor. That journey marked me in a special way: after photographing my first gray shark, I decided that I would spend my whole life photographing underwater, especially sharks. Thus it was. Today, I have an archive of about 85,000 images made during over 7,000 dives in almost all the seas of the world, from the Arctic Circle to most remote islands of the Pacific Ocean. The Mediterranean Sea is the one I consider the most beautiful of all. 32
2 - How much did photography influence your life? In a totalitarian way. I directed my life and my entire professional career as a function of photography, particularly the underwater one: initially, becoming a PADI Instructor far in 1983 and working for a long time in the Maldives, and then opening and running for nearly 30 years a Diving Center in the Amalfi Coast. In 1990, I founded DIVING TOUR, a small tour operator specialized in diving travel and liveaboard around the world, whose aim was to offer trips dedicated to underwater and naturalistic photography, identifying a number of destinations in the world interesting, from a photographic point of view, for their uniqueness.
3 - What kind of underwater photography you prefer? The environment photography: to be clear, the “wide-angle” type is the one that I most pursue, probably because is the most difficult to achieve. Being very picky about myself, it is almost a kind of continuous challenge to the realization of the “perfect” shot that, inevitably, I have not yet attained. 33
I love naturalistic photography too: everything belonging to the animal world... therefore also macro photography. I always try to avoid or minimize the human element insertion into underwater photography. Only in case of necessity, I merely insert a figure in silhouette, just to fill and give balance to the image. I prefer representing nature in all its beauty.
4 - You’re organizing travels around the world since many years, dedicated and not to underwater photography. On what do you base the location’s choice? Give some advice to travelers, from beginners to experts. In recent years, a bit for market needs, a bit for my choice, I turned my attention to a number of particular destinations that combine the beauty of nature and the variety of animal species inhabiting them. Before proposing any new destination, I visit it personally, choosing locations and partnerships according to photographers’ needs. This doesn’t mean that these trips are only suitable for photographers, far from it. 34
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Since the latter are very demanding, even those who are not photographers can be more than satisfied. These are “wild” trips where nothing is taken for granted, but the percentage of successes exceeds those of failures and this is quite an achievement. As I always say jokingly “If you want to see wild animals at 100%, you have to go to the Zoo”... I do not allow myself to give advice to experienced travelers... To the newbies, I would suggest choosing the destination first of all on the “seasonality” of sightings: it is worthless going to places in the wrong times. Most animal species haunt, or are more numerous in a place, only at certain times of the year, and the weather often affects all activities. Finally, the most important thing is to rely on Tour Operators who know the chosen destination very well. Visiting a place only once is not enough to propose it professionally, and it’s even worse if the information were taken from the Internet or by hearsay. Moreover, always remember to request the release of the “travel contract”, a tool that protects everyone, seller and buyer. 36
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5 - After so much wandering around the world, is there a place in your dreams drawer, which you still want to visit? 2018 is pretty much already planned, with some new destinations even for myself: The Okavango Delta and NAMIBIA in August, the COCOS Island in November. For 2019, together with a BBC Team, we are already working on two fronts: PANTANAL in Brazil to search for the anaconda and BUFFIN ISLAND, in Canada, for beluga and Narwhals.
6 - Ocean life, your first book is being reprinted... a confirmed success. Tell us about it: structure, choice of images, message, to who it is aimed... Ocean life represents the dream of a lifetime: a real tour of the world underwater, realized through 35 years of experience and 6 months of traveling, photographing both below and above the sea surface. Introductory texts on the various Geographic Areas and various scientific captions accompany the images. Dr. Francesca Romana Reinero, researcher and passionate about sharks took care of those texts. Almost 2,000 copies sold all over the world, a success beyond my expectations that I would never believe. Selecting the photos to publish was perhaps the toughest undertaking, engaging Antonio Bergamino, a graphic designer friend of mine, and me for more than 8 months, forcing us to postpone the printing process from time to time. 40
After an umpteenth postponement, the publisher constrained us almost forcibly to the publication, which took place in June 2016. The book is not just a collection of images but a useful guide for those who are passionate about underwater photography and travel and wish to have an idea of marine species that best identify a destination. 41
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7 - Tell us about its backstage, peculiar episodes, encounters and people involved. Peculiar episodes and anecdotes would be endless to tell. What I remember more clearly in details took place at SVALBARD, during the shooting at a large colony of walruses. We were on a beach when a large male specimen entered the water, stopping a few meters from the shoreline. My friend Marco Bebi and I wore our dry suits and entered the water to photograph it, getting very much close to it, careless of the risks. After a series of shots both over and under the surface, the walrus began to show clear signs of discomfort, until it almost completely exited out of the water in an attempt to assault, with its huge fangs, our housings. We were forced to a frantic escape, in dry suit and with our housings, chased by the walrus. Everything was recorded by the photo and video cameras of our fellow adventurers, remained on the beach and at a safe distance. It was not an act of courage, just a little reckless...
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8 - Do you remember a particularly strong episode in the bundle of your experiences? The face-to-face meeting with a Tiger Shark during a night dive at Tiger Beach in the Bahamas. At some point of the dive, as I was busy photographing the many lemon sharks, it suddenly appeared in front of me from the darkness. Using the housing as a protective barrier, I could photograph its mouth with wide-open jaws, just a few centimeters from the porthole. It went on turning around me for the remaining dive time, despite some “gentle” invitation by my housing to get it out of the way.
9 - Speaking of sharks, I know you’re working on a new project Exactly. Always together with researcher Dr. Francesca Romana Reinero, specialist in white and bull (a.k.a. Zambesi) sharks biology, I’m working on a second book titled “SHARKS”. A collection of images of various species of sharks, but mostly extensive scientific descriptions about their characteristics, habits and behaviors in interaction with humans.
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Sharks, due to overfishing, are animals at high risk of extinction and the main objective of this book is to dispel the false taboos that identify it as one of the main men’s predators, ignoring the fact that it is precisely sharks who are victims of the cruelty of humankind, as well as many other animal species.
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10 - An advice to those approaching wildlife photography, especially that of large animals (killer whales, sharks ...) One above all: respect towards them, their habits and territoriality. Let us remember that the only living being that kills for the sake of it is Man.
Everyone else is doing it for feeding or defending themselves. 46
More info: http://bit.ly/2hDpIJM
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Enjoy your We make i
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MONTHLY CONTEST Carpe Diem
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DAN EUROPE Jellyfish With Vinegar In the fictitious American movie “The Heartbreak Kid” the famous Hollywood actor Ben Stiller anecdotally encounters a stinging, jellyfishlike marine creature. Stung by the feared Portuguese man o’ war (which is not really a jellyfish, but a colonial organism called “siphonophore”), Stiller is seen screaming on the beach during his Mexican honeymoon, and the only life-saving remedy is: fresh urine from his wife. Ugh! No wonder the world of divers and swimmers is yearning for another treatment. The Portuguese man o’ war is a colonial organism made up of a myriad of specialised minute individual organisms, while a jellyfish is a single multi-cellular organism. What these two have in common though is their stings. And this is what this article is all about... Jellyfish carry cells on their tentacles that can effectively fire microscopically sharp harpoons filled with potent venom at whoever comes too close to them. To a water sports enthusiast, this means uncomfortable pain and skin rash (erythema) — for the jellyfish, it is a survival mechanism. Luckily, warm urine is not the only treatment for jellyfish stings and the like. Different jellyfish fire different venom, thus effective treatment may differ as well. In fact, research scientists at the Division of Emergency Medicine from the Department of Surgery of Stanford University School of Medicine have recently investigated which treatments are best suited to different stings. 54
A good treatment of jellyfish stings would effectively relieve pain, reduce and inactivate the discharge of venom and prevent skin inflammation. Unfortunately, being on a dive boat sometimes offers a limited range of options for emergency treatment. Most rescue and first-aid courses encourage deactivating the venom by washing the affected area using vinegar of 4% or 6% acetic acid solution, followed by hot water immersion. If hot water doesn’t reduce the annoying sting, we are recommended to use cold water, alcohol, papain meat tenderiser or sodium bicarbonate. Lidocaine – a local anaesthetic, cortisone – an anti- inflammatory drug or sterile saline solution — a liquid similar to seawater, could also work. If none of the above remedies work, use the same medium the jellyfish lives in! Seawater. Any change of osmolarity can trigger a discharge of nematocysts. In order to avoid this, saline solution might be a good replacement for seawater, while freshwater can be replaced by tap water. The good news is: it’s just first aid – back on land we will be in healthcare heaven. Then we can see a doctor who will eventually give us the real stuff – painkillers, antibiotics, disinfectants, and anything else you might need. The risky part to first-aid treatments on board is, if you use the wrong treatment, you might trigger the discharge of not yet fired little harpoons still sticking on your skin. And then the pain will start all over again. Ouch! 55
F E E L THE DIFFERENCE
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REVIEW Nimar Housing Panasonic DC-GH5
NiMAR was established in the ‘80s by leading-edge company in the field of plastics. The passion for photography and underwater video shooting helped NiMAR to become one of the leading Italian manufacturers in this field. Thanks to the use of high quality materials and a permanent customer service, NiMAR’s items have always been reliable working tools for photographers and camera operators. NiMAR’s mission is to continue to invest in innovation and research, to develop pioneering solutions because customers’ satisfaction is NiMAR’s best reward.
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SPECS • Depth Rating: 197ft (60m) • Made from corrosion-resistant Bayer Makrolon polycarbonate, which is clear to allow you to monitor camera and waterproof seal • Mechanical controls provide access to virtually all camera • 4xLatches with safety clips: aisi 316 stainless steel • Accepts optional, interchangeable bayonet-mount ports for a broad array of wide-angle, fisheye, macro, and zoom lenses • 5-pin connector enables the attachment of optional external strobes via sync cords • Removable optical viewfinder with 1.5x magnification • Moisture alarm alerts you in unlikely event of a breach in waterproof seal, giving you time to prevent damage to your camera and lens • Buoyancy: Slightly positive, Actual buoyancy may vary depending on choice of lens and port • Dual ergonomic grip handles offering improved balance and Tmounts for connecting optional lighting arms • Limited 2-Year Warranty DIMENSIONS Overall dimensions with handles, eyepiece and eyepiece guard: 13.39”x6.69”x5.90 (34x17x15cm) Weight with grip handles: 5.35lb (2.43kg) IN THE BOX WITH THE HOUSING • 2xRemovable side grip handles with aisi 316 s/s fastening eyelet • Spare main seal • Rubber eyepiece guard • Bayonet protective cover • Soft bag • Protective rubber tips for controls
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Tool kit Silicon grease Camera insert slide Silica gel bag Test certificate and warranty User manual
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PORTFOLIO Damir Zurub
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Damir Zurub was born in 1976 in Zagreb as a typical Aries: always looking for new adventures and challenges. His diving career began in late 2007 and he started with underwater photography in 2011 with a small Fuji compact camera with which he was occasionally taking pictures. All this eventually became a passionate hobby and after only four years Damir collected a large number of medals and awards from different national and international competitions, as well as the festival of underwater photography. The highlight of his career came in May 2015 as captain of the Croatian national team, when he won the world title at the 15th CMAS Underwater Photography World Championship as best all-round photographer, winning the gold, silver and bronze medal in 3 categories (Macro, Close-up with a theme and Wide angle with model).
He is currently working as SSI diving instructor, educating, meeting new people and travelling the world capturing amazing underwater moments. His photos have been published in magazines, newspapers and websites around the world. 66
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As founder and president of the diving club “Roniti se mora” he initiated several diving projects. The first was the ecological project “Think Green”, the “Underwater Photo Marathon”, an online and live competition in underwater photography, as well as the project “Blue diving heart for the SOS Children’s Village Croatia”. In all these projects he is collaborating with National Geographic Croatia and its editor-in-chief Hrvoje Prćić. He is very proud of his latest project “Blue diving heart”, organized in cooperation with Mares and SSI, for children without proper parental care, which are being educated all the way to the Divemaster category, giving them the opportunity to continue their young lives as independent and successful people in the diving industry. At the end of 2016 he became ambassador for Mares and this is just another acknowledgment for everything he has done for underwater photography, as well as the development of diving through underwater photography. The last couple of years he is collaborating with the Fototeh Group using Nikon cameras and currently he is capturing underwater moments with a Nikon D810 camera.
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His main interest lies in wide angle photography with model and it is through this photos he loves to show all the beauty of the underwater world and everything he is encountering on his travels. Countless times he has been diving in Egypt in the Red Sea, all over Indonesia, Papua, the Bahamas, the Maldives, the Azores etc., and he also likes to dive in Austrian lakes, as well as cave-diving in various springs and caves. With time diving has become to Damir more than a job, it has become a lifestyle and knowing his incredible positive energy, the question is only how much more we can expect from Damir through all his projects and photographic creations. 73
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DISCOVERNOWTHE WINTERSPECIALOFFER2017/18 VALID FROM 1 DEC 2017 THROUGH 28 FEB 2018
CelebesDivers-NorthSulawesi-Indonesia:www.celebesdivers.com
MARINE BIOLOGY The Cuttlefish
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Words and Pictures
Ivana Orlovic
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Cuttlefish or cuttles are marine animals of the order Sepiida. They belong to the class Cephalopoda, which also includes squid, octopus, and the nautilus. Cuttlefish are truly amazing marine creatures. This alien-like animal has eight sucker covered arms and two tentacles growing out of its well-developed head, three hearts pumping blue-green blood, and a highly complex brain. Their eyes have W-shaped pupils that give them a wide range of vision, enabling them to almost see behind themselves. Even though they are colorblind, cuttlefish are able to see polarized light. Despite their name, cuttlefish are not fish but molluscs. They have a bone in the middle of the body, known as “cuttlebone� which is filled with gas, and just like divers, they can control their buoyancy using it. To avoid predators they can change both the colour and texture of their skin instantaneously. 96
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Using jet propulsion, they can swim at great speed over short distances, and may release an ink cloud to confuse predators.
A new study revealed that cuttlefish also respond to predators by freezing, and dramatically reducing the electrical signals emitted by them that might give away their presence. These unique abilities place them amongst the best camouflage experts in the marine world. Cuttlefish feed on smaller animals such as crabs, shrimp, fish and small molluscs. It is fascinating how they turn their bodies into pulsating light and color in an attempt to hypnotize their potential prey. This intelligent creature lives 1 to 2 years and the females die shortly after spawning. They are usually 15-25cm long, and 3-10 kg weight. Generally speaking these molluscs are not high on the list of endangered species. 101
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