Scubashooters net e mag issue n39 may 2018

ISSUE

N°39

M A Y 2018

Portfolio

by Lorenzo Terraneo

Travels

by D. Boschi & R. Sgorbani

Marine biology

by Stefan Follows

Contest

Review

Travels

by Sergio Riccardo

Per Aspera Ad Astra

Anilao UW Shootout Registration Open

100 Minutes On The Million Hope Hugyfot Hugyfloat System

Marine Conservation In Thailand

Diving in Micronesia

Poly World Trade Center The most professional diving resort and travel expo JOIN US

New Product Showcase. Ocean Gallery Freediving Seminar. Scuba Diving Seminar Kids Zone. Underwater Photography Seminar

www.guangzhoudiveexpo.com

Dear friends.

Deepvisions has just ended.

This was the third edition of our international contest and despite a slow start, Deepvisions 2018 have been characterized by a bursting last days with lots of entries from all over the globe.

So I want to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to all the contestants and another big thank you to our sponsors that made this event possible offering great prizes, worth well over 60000 USD .

Now our jury is facing a really though job as they will have to sort out the winners of the eleven categories and I can tell you it’s going to be really hard as this year we have many many amazing photos.,great quality!

So my personal wish for a good job goes to the Jury, we will all expect great results from your work ! Lastly, we will prepare a special issue of the magazine after the winners and runner ups will be announced, so stay tuned for some great stuff coming next month!

Marino Palla Owner and Founder Scubashooters Network

Cover image by: Lorenzo Terraneo

3

CONTENTS March 2018 3

EDITORIAL by Marino Palla

8 TRAVELS The Lagoon Of Palau

by Sergio Riccardo

40

DAN EUROPE - Loss After Trimix Dive

46 REVIEW Hugyfot Hugyfloat system

52 TRAVELS 100 Minutes on Million Hope

by Boschi, Sgorbani and Peluso

4

74 PREVIEW Hollis Light Travel System

80

108

112

PORTFOLIO: Lorenzo Terraneo Per Aspera Ad Astra

CONTEST - Anilao UW Shootout- Registration Open

MARINE BIOLOGY: Marine Conservation In Thailand

by Stefan Follows

126 REVIEW Inon Stick Arm Modification

V erein S cubashooters - 8952 S chlieren G raphic

5

E ditor : F abio S trazzi - S witzerland 38668878

design and supervising :

S ilvia B ogni L ayout : S ilvia B ogni , E lisa F urlani T ranslations : P iera P irini

TRAVELS Micronesia The Enchanted Lagoon Of Palau Words and Pitures

Sergio Riccardo

9

Micronesia is an archipelago of over 2,000 islands and coral atolls located in the Northwest Pacific, between the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer.

This includes the Marianne Islands, with Guam and the US Commonwealth of Mariana Island (Saipan, Tinian and Rota), the Carolinas with the Republic of Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia (Yap, Truk, Kosrae, and Pohnpei), the Marshall, Nauru and Kiribati. The is-

lands that form the archipelago of Palau, traditional name Belau, in Micronesia, represent a unique ecosystem, consisting of 700 different coral species, 1,500 species of tropical fish, more than 30 salt lakes, ships and aircraft wrecks to witness conflicts of World War II. The capital Koror, situated northeast on the homonymous island, is also the economic and administrative center where live 2/3 of the archipelago population.

A world that words find difficult to describe, where the feeling you get 10

11

follows the path of mangroves: are born from the sea and grow toward the sun. The nature is competing with itself and with the human imagination as to shapes and colors.

You can move around and dive in a unique ecosystem made of two hundred small emeralds, with 700 coral species, 1,500 kinds of tropical fish and more than 30 magical salt lakes.

The most enchanting view of Palau, an intricate maze of islands enclosed in a picturesque Micronesia archipelago, appears from the plane shortly before landing.

The emerald green of the dense forest that covers every square centimeter of any outcropping land shines above 14

15

the azure and opalescent blue sea.

They are green, still waves. Curves that surround white foam rings and chase them in the vastness of the sea, like a dream that repeats but you cannot identify.

Rock Islands The Rock Islands are a true wonder of nature. More than 200 of these lumps of limestone covered with jungle dot the waters for a strip of 35 km south of Koror.

Their foundations, having been consumed by the action of tides and from grazing of marine creatures, are narrower than the upper part making them look like emerald-green fungi rising from a turquoise sea. From above they offer a spectacular panorama and it’s worth, if only for the sight, take a flight from Koror to Angaur or Peleliu. Inland, you can find 35 ponds and some islets are surrounded by white beaches as soft as baby powder.

18

Some of them, the “Seventy Islands�, are protected marine area, where turtles nest undisturbed.

Describing just with words the emotions that these spectacular backdrops offer is not easy: here, reality exceeds any possible imagination.

Palau offers to scuba divers and snorkel enthusiasts attractions that cannot be compared to anywhere else in the world.

On the surface, Palau is a constellation of islands covered by dense jungle, floating on the green crystalline waters of the ocean.

Under the surface, appears an in19

credible world, with its seabed among the most beautiful and unspoiled of the whole Pacific.

Spectacular walls, often beginning a few centimeters below the surface to fall for hundreds and hundreds of meters in depth, provide

exciting emotions. These vertical descents are located along the outer edges of the reef and the barrier islands, rich in all forms of life and color such as the giant sea fans jutting out into the blue, as if to imitate the big branches of a tree.

Palau, for its geographical position, is characterized by three current streams that converge in these waters, carrying a variety of fish.

Sharks, turtles, barracuda, tuna, eagle rays, manta rays, small colorful fish, lobsters, anemones, sponges, and nudibranchs: everything you want to see underwater, in Palau you may come across.

The beauty of this wonderful destination is that diving is not only vertical walls, but can be diversified. Here, in fact, the diver can dive into simple caves where to admire stalactites and stalagmites, be en20

chanted by a long, dark descent into the famous “blue holes”, or be fascinated by memories of the past, going to visit one of the about 50 Palau’s wrecks.

Palau has also another special attraction: the brackish lakes. In the Rocks Island of Palau, there are about 30 salt lakes. These are true

oceans in miniature, lying in the middle of the jungle.

These lakes are isolated from each other and from the ocean, then each of them generated a unique ecosystem and different from other lakes, with organisms that differ between them.

For example, in a lake lives a certain seaweed and a type of crustacean, in another lake a kind of fish, in another just jellyfish, and so on.

Many lakes do not host some predators, and animals have adapted to this, like the “Mastigias” jellyfish did in the “Jellyfish Lake”.

Palau is the kingdom of drift diving, especially at “Blue Corner”.

21

22

23

Nothing to worry about: on the plateau, in fact, are positioned some buoys that the local guides will choose according to the current direction, with ropes where sticking for help during the descent.

The key issue is to remember, whenever instructed during the “brief-

ing” before each dive, that when you jump from the boat you have to do it resolutely, your BCD completely deflated, regulator in your mouth and without pausing at the surface, heading straight down to the bottom by pushing along the rope tied to the aforesaid buoy.

Once at the bottom, the current will not give big problems and might even disappear altogether.

However, if you wish to remain still, “anchored” to the bottom in the presence of strong current, it is sufficient to pull out from the BCD’s pocket the “Reef Hook”, a kind of grappling hook provided by the local diving.

An invention of Palauans, which is no other than a steel hook pro24

vided with a strong string to hold in your hands. You may fasten it to your jacket through a carabineer so to have both hands free for photographing or filming, yet remaining firmly anchored to the seabed, thus preventing the current from transporting you away.

The reef hook is mandatory for some dives such as Blue Corner, Ulo-

ng Channel and Peleliu. You can rent it at the Diving at the price of USD 4 per day.

A personal marker buoy is also mandatory.

PALAU’S MOST BEAUTIFUL DIVES Blue Corner One of the most fascinating dives in the world, which alone is worth the whole trip. Here the ocean current carries many microorganisms, the base of the food chain, pushing them towards the wall. There, as staple of all corals and small reef fish, they become food.

And the small fish are food for larger fish. That’s why the show that 25

appears in the eyes of divers is truly unique: tropical snappers, manta rays, barracudas forming real walls, white tip and gray reef sharks with their pilot fishes swim around undisturbed, along with eagle rays, tunas and Napoleon wrasses.

Even bull sharks and hammerhead sharks have been sometimes spotted here.

The diver, safely anchored with his current hook on the coral plateau at about 25 meters, should simply look in the blue the continuous passage, from side to side of the reef, of these many “lords� of the sea.

Chandelier Cave A stunning cave despite its simplicity. The access entrance is a big vault just below the surface, at about 5 meters deep. Immediately we are in a large underwater space going down up to about 10 meters.

Going upwards, when you see the water above your head wrinkling, then it will be clear that you are in close proximity to a room locat26

ed only about 3 meters deep. There you may remove your regulator and breathe the air that, through some micro cracks, filters within the cave. Enlightening the interior of this room with the flashlight, you will give color to the crystal walls and stalagmites in the first room.

Continuing inland, passing through a bottleneck, you will reach another room, far more beautiful than the first. Returning to dive down the flooded cave, you will find another passage that will bring you in a third room where again you could remove your regulator and breathe.

While admiring the room full of stalagmites, the blue of the entrance will always remain visible, offering an incredible emotion!

Virgin Blue Hole Fantastic dive into a tunnel that starts a few inches below the water surface, among the hard corals in the middle of Ngmelis Reef, between the “Blue Corner” and the “New Drop-off”.

27

Once arrived at the sandy bottom, you are in a large cave with the exit on the wall at about 30 meters, where it’s easy meeting sleeping whitetip reef sharks and, occasionally, also leopard and nurse sharks.

Generally, the dive continues on the right wall, where the spectacle offered by the soft corals of thousands of colors is unforgettable.

Eagle rays, scorpion fishes, tropical croakers, nudibranchs and many other forms of life, make this dive very interesting for photography lovers.

German Channel In the early ‘900, German ships used this channel to carry their load of sulfates from the island of Anguar to the port of Koror. Today, divers use the channel to reach the Manta Ray Cleaning Station, the hat of a reef about 20 meters large, where the manta rays regularly pass always looking for plankton and, almost in a kind of circular dance, await that 28

small cleaner fishes free them from parasites. Schools of barracuda are also often present.

Ulong Channel It’s an exciting drift dive, west of Ulong Island.

The dive begins according to the tides and currents.

Usually, we enter this sandy channel at about 15 meters deep, to exit at its end toward an incredible vertical wall, ending on the sand at 40/50 meters depth, rich in sea fans and colorful soft corals, ideal for photos, where it is easy to find gray sharks resting.

While carried by the current inside the channel, the encounters are amazing: giant clams, turtles, white tip sharks hunting, barracudas, tunas, but 29

the unforgettable show making it a worthwhile experience is given by the long wall on the left side of the channel, full of leaf corals, within which a multitude of fish species live, protected from predators.

As we approach the end of the channel towards the wall, the current

increases dramatically, making the diver a slight be at the mercy of nature’s forces.

Clam City It is easy to meet the giant clams while diving in Palau, but the most populated area by these big bivalves is Clam City. Within the lagoon, just off the “70 Islands”, there is a wonderful dive site, only about twenty meters deep. It starts with a white sandy plateau where, at only about six meters deep, we can already meet some clam of gigantic size.

Suddenly, the backdrop becomes steeper and there are tens and doz30

ens of giant clams, close to each other, with different green, turquoise, light brown colors, offering a truly unique show in the world.

Peleliu Corner Peleliu Corner represents, along with Peleliu Expressway, one of the most challenging dives, but perhaps among the unforgettable ones of Palau. The dive, located on the outside of the Peleliu reef, is reserved only to experienced divers, because here the sea current is really strong.

Surely, during this dive, like at the Peleliu Expressway, divers will have to use their “reef hook� to make it easy to stop on the plateau and watch the show around them, like in an aquarium. Here, the encounter with a multitude of sharks is guaranteed.

Peleliu Expressway A beautiful dive located at the southern wall of Palau, in open ocean, 31

restricted to the most experienced divers due to the strong current that can sometimes exceed the four knots.

That’s why it is advisable to stay close to your buddy and follow the divemaster’s guidelines since, in case of separation, it would be very difficult being able to get back together.

The dive begins with the wall, rich in thousands of colorful corals, to the right. Encounters with various species of sharks are almost assured and, looking into the blue, you will also see tunas and many other great pelagic species. Continuing to look at the wall while carried by the stream, you’ll meet many parrotfish, small groupers and many other reef species.

WRECKS OF WORLD WAR II Before and after World War II, Palau became a strategic Japanese naval base. On March 30 and 31, 1944, the American Navy started an operation called “Desecrate I”, which ended with the sinking of more 32

than 60 ships and planes of the Japanese and American fleets. The wrecks remained unexplored for over 40 years because a local government ban prevented diving. During the last 20 years, it is possible to dive on what are considered real tombs of water and sheets and scuba divers, visiting these sites, can relive the dramatic events of that terrible battle Iro Iro is a Japanese tanker, sunk on March 31, 1944, probably by an American submarine traveling from the Philippines to Palau. The ship sank straight and it still is in the sailing position, with its bow about 20 meters deep, while the stern rests on the backdrop at about 40 meters.

The whole ship is covered with soft corals of thousands colors, hard corals and sponges, large oysters, whips and tube corals.

The wreck also offers a safe haven for a variety of fishes: bat and butterfly fishes, box and angelfishes, tropical snappers, and it’s also easy to encounter some small turtles.

33

Jake Seaplane Seaplane from the Japanese Navy, sometimes used as a bomber or for “kamikaze” attacks.

The wreck is positioned on a madreporic bottom at 13 meters deep, about a kilometer north of Meyens Island, and is almost intact in all its parts.

Fuselage, propellers, wings, the cockpit, everything seems still working.

Almost as time had stopped, for a moment you almost got the impression that it must rise up in flight at any moment!!!

Around, among the large umbrella-shaped corals, radio parts, bombs,

etc. Beautiful dive, easy and without current.

Helmet Wreck Wreck of a transport ship 58 meters long. The bow is at about 15 meters, while the stern drops to 35 meters deep.

Discovered at the end of the 80’s, it still preserves many evidences of its load: wine bottles, pots, rifles, ammunition, gas masks, and earthenware bottles for saké.

There are still three well-preserved aircraft engines inside the big car34

go hold.

Clouds of glassfish inhabit the interior of the wreck, while scorpion fishes, angelfishes, butterfly fishes, tropical groupers and many other species of small fishes surround the ship’s sheets, making the scenario of an unbelievable beauty.

Amatzu Maru It is a tanker, the largest wreck present in Micronesia, belonging to the Japanese navy fleet.

Many black coral branches and a wide variety of sponges cover the ship, which surroundings are is rich in fish.

It is an excellent wreck for penetrating the internal spaces.

Chuyo Maru Large Japanese army transport ship, about 100 meters long, sank west of the island of Malakal.

It lies at a depth of 35 meters with the deck, the engine room and the cannon at the stern still intact.

Here, there are many lionfishes, encrusting sponges and large shells.

In an upright position, allows divers to penetrating for exploring the interior.

35

Leo3 Plus

Leo3

Leo3 Wi

MAKE IT EASY

Leo3 Smart

Explore Cape Town’s top dive sites

Macro Life

Kelp Forests

Beautiful Reefs

Nudibranchs

www.indigoscuba.com

info@indigoscuba.com

+27 (0)83 268 1851

DAN EUROPE Loss After Trimix Dive November 2015, Italy. Gabriel**, an experienced Spanish diving instructor in his forties, traveled to Italy with his friends by car. He is enjoying his first dive of the day using a closed-circuit rebreather. He is on trimix (oxygen, helium and nitrogen) and wears a Petrel dive computer.

By the end of his dive, he clocks up a total bottom time of 95 minutes at a depth of 40 meters (with 45 meters at maximum). His dive was uneventful but during his ascent he felt a muffled sensation in his right ear which did not disappear right away. This was not the first time he experienced something similar - so he didn’t worry too much about it. He assumed the sensation will clear up during the forthcoming hours, as it always has. However, thirty hours go by – without any improvement. Unfortunately, Gabriel felt worse.

Two days later, he realised he can’t hear anything from his right ear after trying to use his mobile phone. He started to get worried and also experienced some postural vertigo. Gabriel felt miserable and wanted to go home. He decided to return to Spain the following day and seek medical treatment there.

Back in Spain, Gabriel stopped at the ER of a hospital. The doctors there believe it is an ear barotrauma and recommend some ibuprofen. Being an experienced diver and instructor, Gabriel tried to explain he believes it is not a “common” ear barotrauma. Unfortunately, the doctors simply recommended for him to come back the following day for a more detailed ENT check. At that point it was already late in the evening. What is he supposed to do? So he returned home.

The next morning, Gabriel decided to get a second opinion from doctors specialized in diving- related illnesses and hyperbaric treatment at another hospital. He was not at all surprised when he received a new diagnosis: sudden deafness. The doctor explained the sudden deafness in a diver is not a sequel of decompression sickness but the result of a problem with the stato-acoustic sensorineural nerve that causes a sudden loss of hearing. It’s not necessarily a dive-related condition. Anybody, even non-divers, can get it. But due to the pressure changes, it can happen to divers, too.

40

The hyperbaric doctor prescribes him 20 sessions of hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT). He also explains that it cannot be treated with classic ENT treatments but sometimes improves or even recovers completely with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Improvement will never happen only after one HBOT session but good results have been produced by proceeding with the treatment for 3 weeks. Sometimes there is sudden restitution towards the mid or the end of the treatment period. So they start Gabriel on the HBOT. What is sudden deafness?

In sudden sensorineural hearing loss or sudden deafness the stato-acoustic sensorineural nerve is affected for some unexplained reason and causes rapid loss of hearing—usually in one ear—either at once or over several days. If it occurs, it is of paramount importance for patients to see a doctor immediately. Delaying diagnosis and treatment may decrease the effectiveness of treatment outcome. People often notice the hearing loss when they try to use the deafened ear, for example, when they use a phone. Dizziness and/or ringing in the ears (tinnitus) can be accompanying symptoms. Typically adults in their 40s and 50s are affected. About 50% of the cases recover their hearing spontaneously usually within 1 to 2 weeks. 85% of patients receiving treatment recover some of their hearing. In about 15% of the cases the cause can be identified as an infectious disease, head injury or brain trauma, an autoimmune disease, drugs that harm the sensory cells in the inner ear, blood circulation problems, a tumor on the nerve that connects the ear to the brain, neurologic disorders like multiple sclerosis, or disorders of the inner ear.

The condition means complete and permanent hearing loss and therefore impairment for the majority of activities in life. Although it is a rare problem, it has been known in the diving field for many years. As mentioned earlier, it’s not a condition specifically in divers. Anybody, even non- divers, can get it. However, in divers it may be triggered by pressure changes whereas in non- divers the trigger factor can be something else (see mentioned above).

How to treat sudden deafness?

A proven and promising treatment is hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT). Another common treatment in the non-diving world is with corticosteroids. They reduce inflammation, decrease swelling and 41

help t h e b o d y to fight illness.

Steroids can be t a k e n orally or can be directly injected behind the eardrum into the middle ear (intratympanic corticosteroid therapy). Additional treatment may be needed if an actual underlying cause is discovered.

Infections, drug allergies or autoimmune disorders can cause the immune system to attack the inner ear. Antibiotics, immune system suppressiva or other drug treatments may help.

How is sudden deafness diagnosed?

A hearing test called pure tone audiometry is the method of choice. It helps to determine whether the hearing loss is caused by sound not reaching the inner ear because something obstructs the way, or by a sensorineural deficit, meaning that the ear cannot process the sound.

The diagnosis is positive if the test shows a loss of at least 30 decibels in three connected frequencies.

When in doubt, remember that the DAN Europe medical team is always at your disposal to give medical advice via its 24/7 emergency hotline. Just reach out for help. As an active member, always keep DAN emergency numbers close to you.

Unfortunately, we heard from Gabriel that, despite the HBOT treatment, his hearing hasn’t returned yet. We wish him the best and hope his hearing will eventually recover. ** name changed by the editors 42

A New Partnership PADI and

We’re excited to be collaborating with

PADI to help share your incredible imagery with more divers across the globe!

43

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.

www.fishermenscove.com

.

+63 917 533 2985

.

info@fishermenscove.com

REVIEW Hugyfloat Neutral buoyancy redefined What it does ...

The HugyFloat system creates a 100% neutral buoyancy for your camera or video equipment. This innovative system is adjustable on-thespot (at the start of the dive) and will guarantee a neutral buoyancy - due to its constant volume - throughout the dive at any depth.

46

How to use ...

Push the red button to open the valve while descending (at shallow depth). Water will enter the tube and will reduce the air chamber volume. Fine-tuning: push the red button and go up a bit to increase lift or go down a bit to decrease lift. Once 100% neutral buoyancy is obtained, release the red button to close the valves. The HugyFloat system comes in three sizes.

Depending on the how much lift is required, the L350, L310 or L220 tubes are to be used.

47

www.revistaaQua.com • aQua #18

free download

aQua magazine

www.revistaaqua.com

UNDERWATER HOUSING

FOR DIGITAL REFLEX CAMERAS AND MIRRORLESS CAMERA

MADE IN ITALY

www.gio-sim.com

Located in the center of the Gulf of Kvarner - Croatia, our diving center is in the ideal location for countless different dive sites.

Three wrecks, colorful walls and ideal sites for macrophotography.

We offer the opportunity to dive for every level.

From our beach, with our boat... ...come with us and enjoy your dive!

www.diving-marcopolo.com

TRAVELS One Hundred Minutes Inside The Million Hope Words and Pictures

Davide Boschi Rino Sgorbani Pierpaolo Peluso

Even today, the sea does not want to listen to reason. The Tiran Channel’s rolling, mighty waves crash strongly onto the outcropping sections of the great wreck, while our little dinghy and we float like corks toward its rusty, sharp and ghostly remains.

We were waiting since days, weeks, for the right moment to dive on the Million Hope, but since it did not come, we chose a bad one whatever. Under these conditions, it would have been too difficult and

dangerous to reach the site by sea starting from the Sheikh Coast; therefore, Pierpaolo opted for an approach by land, relying then on the assistance and the dinghy of a local diving center for the actual dive.

Now, surrounded by the cobalt blue of the waves, by their incessant splashing and the swinging turquoise of a cloudless sky with no horizon, we hear rising from the sea that same force which, perhaps, pushed the steel ship to crash onto the reef. It seems vibrating also through the floats’ canvas, like the breath of an immense and omnip 54

55

otent creature. Or maybe it was really and only the smoke of the fire, burst aboard a few hours before, to cause the route’s loss to the Million Hope helmsman, but the Channel allows no mistakes, and that was enough for it to go banging its 25,000 tons of tonnage onto corals.

The crew was immediately rescued while the cargo, consisting of phos-

phates and potassium, was recovered more calmly later. The ship had sailed the day before from the port of Aqaba, in Jordan, and was 56

bound for Taiwan when, on the morning of 20 June 1996, it stopped in Egypt forever, against the Nabq coral reef.

The Million Hope was a cargo ship 175 meters long and 25 meters wide; it was equipped with four large central holds and a fifth, smaller one, at the bow.

Four independent cranes, aligned centrally along the major axis of the

hull, served all holds. Perpendicular to the axis, instead, there were the colossal pedestals above which the arms were operated, placed 57

transversely over the bulkheads between the major holds.

This configuration made it completely independent in the loading and unloading maneuvers, at any port.

Launched in Japan in 1972 under the name of Ryusei Maru, it changed hands for the last time in the same year when it stopped staying afloat, right here, in Nabq, becoming first Cypriot for a few months and then “Egyptian� forever. Today, it lies on this 25-meter seabed with the starboard side almost resting on the reef. The hull, aft, would seem almost entirely intact, if only it wasn’t amputated of the rudder and of the large bronze propeller.

Then, beyond the half-ship, it breaks and reclines towards the opposite side, until it bumps into its own bow bent at ninety degrees and poured with the keel to the sea. There is no way or time to mention any briefing: we hardly can set us up for the dive.

This wave is twitching us like beasts of burden and those who must prepare their cameras or REB, like Rino and Pierpaolo, is entitled to 58

swear. However, the cursing cease immediately after entering the water: Below is fantastic!

The visibility is amazing and the show is one of those that strucks you dumb. Yes, I know you do not talk under water, but it is different when also your mind hushes-up...

Despite the size of the wreck, perhaps the largest of the entire Red Sea, we can enjoy an almost total overlook.

The eye runs a bit everywhere, without knowing well where to rest,

because here, really, there is no shortage of cues. In addition to the sunken ship, there are schools of fish such as to steal the scene. Among many other things scattered on the seabed, it strikes immediately a large metal structure, asleep a few tens of meters from the stern of the wreck.

This is a crawler crane, armed with a huge pylon, facing the sky.

59

Soft corals and benthic life encrust it so much that its shapes are barely recognizable. The most colorful and non-migratory fishes, typical of these waters, elected it as their dwelling and surround it densely, in a large cone, so that the lights of my buddies

make it look an enlightened Christmas tree. Alone, this tracked vehicle could be the subject of an entire dive.

However, it was not part of the Million Hope equipment, but it fell into the water falling from a barge set up during the recovery operations, perhaps of the propeller, the rudder or whatever. They left it here at the bottom, like everything that hadn’t enough value to be recovered.

However, the hull of the big cargo beast is very long to cover completely, and we cannot tarry too much on something so marginal and alien to the wreck. Even when the first fractures appear, in the starboard side, which seem to inviting us to enter the belly of the ship...

Pierpaolo makes me sign that it is better to continue.

In the scouting of the external part, we are equally caught by surprise 60

by what we bumped into at the bow: the entire fore is twisted, almost torn from the rest of the ship body and the huge base of the last crane seems to be a curtain for the show that is about to open up in front of us. Just around the corner, in the full light of the sea, a large

school of rainbow-colored Platax appears looming, sliding in front of our mask’s glass.

A meter before, you could not see one. What’s more, the school of batfish is scattered by the arrival of a fast “swarm” of huge unicorns, which rush against the tilted deck in hundreds, like a wall. They look like a greenish flooding river from the unceasing flow, banging on the steel of this deck, suddenly diverting its course.

A little further up I see some jackfish coming, silvery and shimmering, almost as if some invisible and mysterious bait lured all the fishes of the sea here.

Turning to look at them, I also see a squadron of long barracudas, frowning and severe, which I discover immediately being a part of a 61

62

63

more extensive and numerous conical formation, not far away.

In a matter of seconds I realize I have seen more fishes here than in a dive at Ras Mohammed. I did not expect it.

Nevertheless, not even in this whirlwind of spectacular life we can linger more than we should, since the phase of the wreck’s penetration awaits us, from the stern castle, which already appears subject to an important undertow. Backwards, we retrace the entire length of the

great hull, this time above the deck, flying and swaying, from starboard to port, up to the quarterdeck.

The undertow here, a few meters deep, is definitely the dominant force: the one to keep at bay. To enter from the ports, the hatches and through the internal passages we must take aim, synchronize with the waves’ motion and, where necessary, help us with our hands if we do not want to crash.

64

In a chasm opening at the prow of the quarterdeck, among a myriad of scrap and other structures, the rocker arms’ valves of one of the engines are easily distinguishable. It seems that the Million Hope had two engines, both connected to a single tree and a single propeller, although the position of this head seems very central to imagine another diametrically opposite.

Maybe there were two aligned engines, either it’s my perception of position to betray my sense of direction, darkened by the never-ending rocking we are hostages hereof.

We get in from a large lateral fracture in the midst of this turmoil of twisted steel, and begin to search the maze of interiors as if it was an alien building fallen on earth, indeed, in the sea. Pierpaolo leads us through the narrow rooms and corridors that tangle in the belly of the ship, swinging up and down like a drunk who struggles to maintain a decent posture. We mimic him.

His figure is illuminated, at times, both by the reflection of the strobes 65

of his camera and by the continuous light beams coming from Rino’s headlights that, pray to the undertow’s grip, glimmer here and there like strange explosions in the dark.

Attached to the ceiling I see layers of material with a well-defined, regular thickness, resembling polystyrene sheets stacked and pressed at the top by the hydrostatic thrust. However, to the touch I find them slightly more fibrous and compact than any polymer I have ever touched. I just cannot explain what they are.

We proceed. Pierpaolo approaches a trapdoor on the floor, enlightening it through his camera’s focus light. We can glimpse immediately a descending handrail showing the presence of a service ladder, whose state of preservation we cannot care less since we will not have to step on it.

The passage is narrow and not devoid of roughness, even for those moving on three dimensions and in the absence of gravity like we are 66

now, and the same applies to the environment to which the ladder leads.

A large reservoir, almost intact, occupies almost entirely the space in the very low hold. Pierpaolo tries to spell-out the name among the bubbles, moving his regulator: DE-A-I-NA-TO. Encrusted pressure gauges and valves on a plant the size of a few inches suggest that he must have pronounced the word “desalinator”.

Below, the undertow is almost imperceptible, but another wave, just as aggressive, keeps our alert level high. It is a sound wave. It is a loud, bleak noise, a rhythmic, dull thud pervading all the water around, making rattling not only our eardrums’ membranes, but also the whole body and its senses.

It seems like a big heavy metal sheet at the undertow’s mercy, slamming to the wave’s rhythm against who knows what. Who knows where.

67

even the most experienced, but it is advisable performing it in two separa we leave the tangle of metal sheets, following the natural light blades slipp ready marks 99 minutes of dive time.

I have no decompression, since we spent the last half hour between 15 and line I’m launching, before I can regain the dinghy-boat amidst the waves an 68

As is well known to divers, the sound waves traveling in the water propagate much faster than in the air, preventing the human brain to determine the direction and the origin of the sound, and therefore the source of the perceived noise and its real intensity or, at least, the one it would have if we hear it in the air. This noise is not the most comforting, especially when perceived being buried in the narrow belly of a wreck in an advanced state of deterioration.

The mind runs by itself to browsing through the images seen little before, of pipes and structures detached from the bulkheads and ceilings, heavily fallen on the bridges and on floors... I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.

The exploration of the Million Hope is an exciting experience for any diver, ate dives, and under weather and sea conditions absolutely optimal. While ping between the hatches and larger cracks, I notice that my computer al-

d 6 meters deep and I just need to ascend gently along the safety sausage’s nd ... before we can tell our 100 minutes on the Million Hope wreck.

69

Enjoy you We make i

ur passion. it possible.

Via Milano 177/B 37014 Castelnuovo d/G Verona - ITALY 0039 45 6450480 info@isotecnic.it

REVIEW Hollis Light Travel System

The L.T.S. Light Travel System is our latest warm water solution for traveling divers and destinations where weight restrictions are limited.

Incorporating key features from our popular HD200, the LTS is a weight integrated back inflation design with 30 lbs (13.6 kg) of lift, suitable for single AL80’s and steel 85’s. Its simple, non-modular design stows easy and weighs only 5 lbs.

74

It’s ideal for travelling divers because it weighs only 5 lbs (2,27kg).

30 lbs (13,6 kg) of lift capacity.

Confortable backpad.

Chest and hip d-rings for accessories or sling bottle.

Rugged 1000D nylon outer cover with 420D internal bladder.

5 lbs dumpable integrated weight system.

Available in four sizes: SM, MD, LG, XL. Limited lifetime warranty.

More info at:

www.hollis.com

75

80

PORTFOLIO Lorenzo Terraneo

81

Lorenzo Terraneo, from Milan (Italy) class 67, works in the world of communication and web marketing and is a journalist enrolled in the Register. In 2010, he joined the strong passion for the sea and diving with the one for photography that always accompanied him since his first analog SLR Nikon, purchased during high school.

Passionate about marine and terrestrial biology, he is always looking

in his photos to recreate the magical meeting between the wonders of nature and human emotions aroused by unusual shapes and colors.

Therefore, not naturalistic photos in the strict sense, but moments of artistic beauty according to the human canon, which nature expresses incessantly.

He prefers his own sea, the marvelous Mediterranean Sea, as a set.

Passing on Saturday in Noli (SV), you can easily find him in the water with its bulky Nikon gear housed Ikelite, with macro or fish eye lenses, two flashes, additional macro lenses, lamps and snoot.

82

83

84

85

Among the countless awards received over the years in national and international naturalistic and / or underwater photography competitions, the following stand out: Asferico; Oasis; Neapolis; Ocean Art (USA); Tipoty - Travel photographer of the year (UK); Golden Turtle (Russia); Pictures of the year - Ocean Geographics Society (Australia); National Wildlife Federation annual photo contest (USA); Sea international photo contest NCUPS (USA); Ocean of life (South Africa).

His works have been exhibited both in Italy and abroad and published in various magazines. His recent solo exhibition in Pavia entitled “Wonders of the un

87

derwater world” inaugurated with great success a new exhibition space at the Broletto, the historic Municipality building, receiving excellent feedback from public and critics.

People says of him and his pictures: “... photography is a precious tool that can act as a guide on a path allowing us rediscover the pleasure of a feeling that is not always considered as it deserves: the wonder. Lorenzo Terraneo thus becomes our guide to approaching that elusive reality, even if very close to us, which is that of the underwater world. He does not go searching for distant places, nor goes chasing exotic life forms, but simply shows us the beauty of everyday life to discover. Thanks to a very refined technique and a great knowledge of the animal world, he pursues tiny beings in their amazing movements, patiently waiting for them to widen gills, lengthen tentacles, roll up on themselves or stretch their bodies, set traps or try to escape them. Using the technique of macro photography, Terraneo highlights tiny details thus showing the extraordinary beauty of beings that take on the appearance of flowers, the cautious movements of some, the chromatic characteristics in a succession of yellow, orange, blue of others. “- Roberto Mutti, Photographic critic, journalist and independent curator

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

“I enjoyed looking at your pictures, which overall provide an intriguing and fresh perspective on the wildlife photography. The most of your pictures show wildlife as abstract creations and make them appear slightly mysterious; undoubtedly they capture the viewer’s imagination.” - Lens Culture review “This is probably the finest worm picture I have ever seen, and the way it has been executed by the photographer it is a fine piece of art” - Emory Kristof, chief editor OCEAN GEOGRAPHIC “Fascinating patterns and excellent macro photography. This composition drew me in right away and had me wondering what could this possibly be? Great focus brings out the texture and patterns in these tentacles.” – Editor’s Note – Aya Okawa – NAT GEO

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

103

104

105

CONTEST

Anilao Underwater Shootout

The stage is set for the 6th edition of the Anilao Underwater Shootout happening on November 27 - December 1, 2018.

Registration is now open! Stay tuned for exciting updates http://anilaoshootout.ph/ https://www.facebook.com/anilaounderwatershootout/ https://www.facebook.com/DOTdivephilippines/ https://www.instagram.com/anilaoshootout/

108

Crystal Blue R

Dedicated to Underwater P • • • • • • • •

Nitrox 32 Chef Prepared Meals On-Sight Photo Pro Camera Room Workshops Highly Skilled Spotters 4:1 boat loads Rental Gear

Cont Mike@Dive

saltwaterphot

Resort~Anilao

Photographers Worldwide

tact eCBR.com

to@live.com

112

MARINE BIOLOGY Marine Conservation In The Gulf Of Thailand Words and Pitures

Stefan Follows

113

The Gulf of Thailand is weird little bit of water. It constitutes only 0.001% of the Pacific Ocean, but is feeding millions of peo-

ple in Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand by providing food and income through tourism. It’s also very young.

It was formed roughly 10,000 years ago, when water from the receding glaciers filled the Chao Prayah river basin. It’s shallowness and influx from rivers create an environment of low salinity and high nutrient levels, with very little water exchange to the South China Sea. Despite all of this, the Gulf has been incredibly fertile for coral reefs, with an estimated species richness similar to the Andaman sea, and an abundance of fish providing food for countless generations.

Because it is shallow, it responds very quickly to a warming atmosphere. Frequent bleaching events in Thailand’s coral reefs show that we are close to the threshold of what the ecosystems can bear. Since the introduction of industrial fishing techniques in the 1970’s, the 114

overfishing has become to severe that government had to impose fishing bans for extended period.

CORE SEA, an independent marine research and conservation field station, was established in 2011 on Koh Pha Ngan, just after the coral bleaching event that devastated the majority of reefs in South East Asia and Australia. Together with volunteers, Thai-, and international researchers, we were able to monitor the recovery of key areas, and the factors that influence them the most.

115

In 2013 a series of artificial reef structures was installed in the Samui Archipelago, to reduce stress on natural reefs, and revitalize the fish population.

The ‘rigs to reef’ project, which converted parts of gas drilling rigs to artificial reefs, did not only attract a lot of pelagic fish, but also make quite an exciting dive.

So far, things are looking surprisingly good, given the state of global coral populations. Some local reefs have made an astounding recov116

ery, with high healthy coral cover and robust fish stocks – pointing to effective management strategies and good resilience of the ecosystem. The Marine Protected Areas of the Gulf, Mu Ko Ang Thong and Mu Ko Chumphon, with high hard coral cover and high fish diversity are shining examples of marine reserves.

But with the current El Niño’s elevated sea temperatures just on the doorstep of the Gulf, there is still a lot of work ahead for marine conservation in the Gulf of Thailand.

117

118

119

120

121

122

123

REVIEW Inon

Stick Arm Modification

INON INC. announces modification of Stick Arm products to use them as legs for upcoming underwater tripod system.

Stick Arm XS-T --Release date : May 24th, 2018 Stick Arm SS-T --Release date: May 24th, 2018 Stick Arm S-T --Release date: May 24th, 2018 Stick Arm M-T --Release date: Earl June 2018 126

127