Scubashooters net e mag issue n44 apr 2019 by Scubashooters Underwater Photography

David Salvatori

Portfolio

issue nÂ°44

- Apr 2019

Travels: Macromania - Puerto Galera

Review: Nauticam 45Â° Viewfinder

Travels: Sardine Run

Interview: Ellen Cuylaerts

Biology: the Peacok Wrasse

Monthly Contest: December - January

Dear readers, It out of question that social medias have disclosed unforeseable possibilities in nearly the totality of human knowledge fields and industries. Marine biology and scuba diving not excluded. I remember that at the time of Scubashooters.net facebook group foundation, the three bigger groups, altogether counted less than 10000 members. The same groups altogether now counts around 100000 members and many others have been founded rising the number easily to around 200000 and counting. Not to talk about fanpages; Scubashooters.net fanpage counts on its own 415000+ followers and together with some other majors the number easily goes over 1000000. If we consider that scuba diving is a niche market and in this niche market UW photography is a niche too we can easily understand what a chance of expansion for the diving industry and ocean protection social medias are. We know that only a small amount of the people following us is a scuba diver and even less is an underwater photographer, but this means that among our audience there , for sure, future scuba divers and uw photographers attracted to this wonderful and fragile environment called Ocean , by the beauty of uw photos daily shared on our network and other groups on facebook. This is how important it is to share our photos for the world to see and understand. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not a gambler but I bet that smartphones will play an important role in the uw photography development in the near future. Long time snubbed for their relatively low quality images, have made impressive improvements recently raising them to real cameras in your pocket, so why not underwater too?

Marino Palla Owner and Founder Scubashooters Network

Cover image by: David Salvatori

Contents

Issue

nÂ°44 - April 2019 pag. 20

P ortfolio David Salvatori

Editorial: by Marino Palla

Monthly contest: December - January Couples, Supermacro

pag. 3

Travels: Sardine Run by: Marco Calvani

Contest: Italian Photographer Of The Year pag. 60 D. Salvatori and F. Iardino

pag. 8 Review: Nauticam 45Â° Viewfinder

pag. 58

Review: Behind The Lens by: Francesco Pacienza

pag. 66

Travels: Macromania 2018 by: Lorenzo Terraneo

pag. 70

Biology: The Peaccock Wrasse by: Michele Solca

pag. 16

Interview: Ellen Cuylaerts by: Ivana Orlovic

pag. 92 DAN Europe: How I Learned To Be My Doc

pag. 44 4

pag. 102

Chief Editor: Leonardo Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Imporzano Editor: Fabio Strazzi Assistant Editor: Isabella Maffei Scubashooters - Via Barucchi 37, 37139 Verona Graphic Design and Supervising: Silvia Bogni Layout: Elisa Furlani, Silvia Bogni, Alessandra Suppo Translations: Piera Pirini

Travels

Sardine Run 2018 and whales’ migration

by: Marco Calvani

t happens all the time when you meet a friend and you tell him: “I am going for the Sardine Run”. It happens all the time, again, when you say that you are going to see the Sardine Run to a friend of yours, who does not know pretty much anything about diving in general. It happens all the time to find yourself explaining what the Sardine Run really is, and why you chose to book for it, making the best description you can, yet knowing that it will never be enough. The truth is easy: nobody knows what this marine event is, till the moment you get on board, early morning, when it is chilly and, after a cruise that can be hours, days or weeks long, the skipper and the Dive Master together say: “GO”! So, here is the main, simple, hard-to-answer question: what is the Sardine Run? Looking at what Wikipedia says about that, shortly is: “The sardine run of southern Africa occurs from May through July when billions of sardines […] spawn in the cool waters of the Agulhas Bank and move northward along the east coast of South Africa. Their sheer numbers create a feeding frenzy along the coastline. The run, containing millions of individual sardines, occurs when a current of cold water heads north from the Agulhas Bank up to Mozambique where it then leaves the coastline and goes further east into the Indian Ocean.“

Basically, this means that every year, during winter austral time, along the South African coast from south-west to north-east there are shoals of sardines to be sighted by humans and hunted by dolphins, sharks, penguins, cape fur seals and, obviously, whales. Meanwhile, pods of humpbacks and -rare yet possible- orcas are migrating too and the chance to witness to a couple of breaching is not uncommon.

Travels

Now, being honest, according to Wikipedia statements not many people would be interested. Not many, but scientists are. For us, “common” persons, it is a matter of patience during the cruise, waiting to have good news from the Skipper who is in contact with the “eye in the sky”: the microlight.

It is all a matter of experience, instinct and “nose” for the action.

Point number one: it is chilly. Indeed it is. Having during a normal day, in June-July, a daily air temperature excursion of about 20 degrees Celsius, waking up early in the morning with no more than 8 degrees Celsius, might make quite offensive thinking that an adult, mentally sane, pays to be ready for this adventure. Yet it warms up quickly during the day and, having a bit of luck, the weather can let the sun shine until it reaches 28 degrees Celsius.

Then, the whole group of participant, helped by the operator’s assistants, turn the boat from the backside to the front, while the swell pushes the inflatable away and sometimes pushes it against yourself. Finally, only when the skipper finds the right direction, upon his experience, everybody can jump (literally JUMP) on board, wearing lifejackets. From now on, the rollercoaster goes on. Depending on the sea conditions and the height of the swell, going off shore can be either a quite smooth launch or a throttle bumping against every wave.

So let’s step back to the human point of view, because seeing this wonderful, mesmerizing, crazy underwater madness is not easy.

Point number two: the boat launch. People who never came to South Africa can barely imagine what preparing the launch means. First, the inflatable gets off the trailer, sliding on the shallow water.

Point number three: being at sea. Finally, we are all cruising for finding marine activity to watch underwater, when it is

about 8 a.m. The temperature rises as well as the sun (if it’s not cloudy), warming us up. Just remember that you’re staying on board the whole morning, often until the early afternoon, and the sea might be a little rough, to use an euphemism!

In case you suffer from seasickness, you’d better think about taking the appropriate medications…

Travels

Let’s go back for a while to the opening topic: “I am going for the Sardine Run”.

just one huge whiff. At the end, it’s an emotion. Or rather, this is THE emotion. The one that any common diver has on his bucket list. The ultimate emotion that any “normal” adult may remember, such as his wedding day, or when children are born. Such as any very natural, beautiful thing that happens in Life.

What is the matter pushing somebody to make this effort? It’s probably the hope to jump into the ocean for swimming with dolphins, or maybe the will to cruise with whales while they are migrating and sliding smoothly on the surface, for getting a close “eye to eye”, or even to get the emotion of the rush of a baitball, which comes closer and closer while gannets, dolphins and sharks are feeding frantically.

The author:

The emotion to feel that frenzy life and listen to this particular “marine ballet”, in a kind of “Broadway of the Ocean”. The emotion of being in front of a baitball hunted by dolphins and sharks, and being mesmerized by the shining of the sardines’ bodies. The emotion to hear the cape gannets splashing into the water like bullets and flying till the depth of more than 20 meters, and finally emerging with a prey in their beaks. The emotion to have a whale coming at the very last moment, making confusion in a confusing while and getting a free meal in

Marco Calvani was born in Civitanova Marche (ITALY) on the 20th of August, 1983. He started diving in 2005. After more than a decade working as a TV producer and photographer, in 2014 he decided to move to South Africa, where he lived for the next three years. From there, he started to organizing safaris and underwater expeditions in South Africa like: the Sardine Run; the Tiger Shark Week -at the Aliwal Shoals-; diving in False bay and Walker bay, for sighting the Cape fur seals and the Sevengills sharks around the Kelp forest.

He also organized free diving weeks in Norway, to see Orcas at about 300 km from the polar circle.

Now, Marco lives in Italy with his wife Anna, but continues to take people all around the world, under and above the water.

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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Review

Nauticam

45˚ Viewfinder

Website: www.nauticam.com

RUGGED CONSTRUCTION The casing is made of anodized aluminum and all lens elements and prisms in the viewfinder are precisely ground and multi–layer coated to ensure optimum light transmission and no distortion.

he Nauticam enhanced 45° angled viewfinder is the perfect addition to your housing as it provides a bright, clear and undistorted 1:1 image of the camera’s viewfinder as well as a 45º viewing angle. The viewfinder can rotate to any angle, essential when shooting vertical orientation images. The 45º viewfinder also provides more clearance for your regulator allowing for more a more comfortable viewing position.

INSTALLING THE VIEWFINDER With Nauticam housings, it is simple to switch between the standard 0.66x and the Enhanced 45° viewfinder, in most cases with no tools or adapter necessary. It can also be adapted to be used with Ikelite, Aquatica, Sea & Sea and Nexus housings with optional adapter kits.

LONG SIGHTED OR SHORT SIGHTED? The viewfinder features an external knob for eyesight compensation; hassle-free dioptric adjustment can now be easily performed even when you are underwater, no disassembly of the viewfinder is necessary.

Portfolio

David Salvatori

“the-Sea-is-me”

Website: www.ilmaresonoio.com

Portfolio

youthful romantic in perfect synthesis.

ater symbolizes my personal dividing line between my first and my second life. It was the conduit for introspection that led me to renew and become aware of the true and balancing essence of my soul when, in 2008, the passion for diving exploded inside of me; the romantic, utopian dreamer of my youth came alive again.

Taking underwater photographs immediately revealed to me, a lover of the visual arts, a suitable way to show my new balance; photography and diving was at first a catharsis and affirmation, and then became the tool to profess my infinite love for the Sea and the creatures that inhabit it.

Modern life, the “real” world that lies between science and rationality, exposes us to constant wear and tear and to a process of alienation that causes a distorted view of reality, making us lose our balance. At a certain point of my existence these missing pieces became intimately and subconsciously unbearable, and my encounter with water saved me.

My main interest today is around nature photography and conservation issues, to which I devote my travels around the world together with my wife Cristina. As an amateur, I spend all of my time off planning and realizing photographic expeditions to raise awareness on some of the most endangered species of the planet. I also love writing articles on my trips, collaborating with well-known underwater magazines around the world. In 2015 I published my first photographic book, “Reflections from the Past”, a physical and personal journey to tell a story about my life experience with water.

Water allows me, each and every time, to leave the daily masquerade behind, to live; the moment I enter the water I become my true self, and each time I am able to understand that the aquatic environment envelops me in its welcoming embrace for who I am, providing me the ability to return to that

Portfolio

My website is http://www.ilmaresonoio.com. A note about my website’s name: “Il-maresono-io” literally means “the-Sea-is-me”, this is loosely based on a sentence from great diver Jacques Mayol that once said, “I have The Sea inside me...I am The Sea”. In this way I wanted to express what being in the Sea really means to me: becoming for a moment a part of the Sea itself, a small part of a whole which is constantly changing but at the same time in constant equilibrium. I think the “the-Sea-is-me” is the mantra that everyone should recite. If you want to understand the Sea we must try to “become” the Sea, to fully understand that each of us are an infinitesimal part of all. The Sea needs our love!

Portfolio

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Interview

Ellen Cuylaerts

Underwater & Wildlife photographer

by: Ivana Orlovic

nderwater & Wildlife photographer Co-Owner Ascension Island Adventures Curator World Ocean Day by United Nations Image Competition Explorers Club fellow International Member of the Flag & Honors Committee Explorers Club Master in History & Education Inductee Women Divers Hall of Fame 2019 Ellen Cuylaerts relocated from Belgium to the Cayman Islands in 2009 with her family. Having a master degree in modern history and education but ended up working in IT until she decided to home school her 2 gifted teenagers, relocating and taking up scuba diving in June 2011. Soon she became a Master Scuba Diver and combined it with photographing the wonders of the underwater world. Her main drive is shooting images that draw the viewer in so an emotional bond is established between marine life and people that might not have a link with the underwater world. By creating an image that captures how she feels rather than what she sees, Ellen hopes to get people involved in protecting our blue planet.

and second in the United Nations’ World Oceans Day Photo Competition (which she now curates.) Those competitions have helped her to make her voice in conservation louder and also to mentor more people to use their images to contribute to education, preservation and awareness.

Ellen received many awards for her pictures and was the 2013 World Champion in the yearly online underwater photo competition ‘underwaterphotography.com. June 2014 & again 2015 she became first

Ellen’s work can be seen in exhibitions in Paris, St. Petersburg, Valencia, Marseille and New York.

June 2017 she addressed heads of State on World Oceans Day at the General Assembly of the United Nations highlighting the plight of photographers and filmmakers engaging in protection of the oceans.

constructive way to ‘be the change you want to see’. March 2019 she’ll be inducted in the Women Divers Hall of Fame, Class of 2019.

As a Fellow Explorer International Ellen became a member of the Flag & Honors Committee of the Explorers Club, hence having a front seat at future explorations! She try to bring people together to work in a

Interview

are so close to such imposing creatures, even if diving conditions are tough?

1. Sometimes, people need decades to achieve what you did in just 7 years! Since your very first “flip of the fin”, until today, when you are the awarded professional photographer. What is your motivation and inspiration?

Hard to believe but whales and more in general cetaceans are more tricky to dive/snorkel with than sharks. Their high intelligence makes them less predictable. After watching them for a while it’s hard to find a pattern, certainly when you approach them. You are as interesting to them as they are to you. The observation is mutual and

My motivation is the power but also the vulnerability of nature. From my first contact with the ocean I remember a healthy fear of the elements, I felt her power and it took me a while to recognize my fears were rather a recognition of

an outcome of an encounter is hard to predict which makes photography of whales, dolphins, belugas, orcas…harder than shark photography. When in the water with them I feel vulnerable and I keep my distance until I feel something like acceptance, when they start doing their own thing, not bothered by me, allow me to swim with them and take images. That does not happen often but when it does I’m humble and grateful and despite keeping up with these amazing animals and being exhausted after hours in the water it fills my heart and body with energy and more determination. I wish I can be their voice. Sharks are very close to my heart because they are misunderstood and face many challenges contributing to their decline, while a healthy ocean needs sharks to keep the balance. When you learn about the behavior of specific species (which you should always do, it will contribute greatly to your photography

the force or nature and that we, humans, are just puny in the universe. Sadly humans are disturbing the whole balance in the oceans and on earth and we’re getting to a pivotal point causing trophic cascades of whole food chains and no way to recover. The situation is so complex we need big changes but also everyday changes to stop the decline in the health of our oceans. I feel like people think it’s far away from them, I wanna show the soul of ocean creatures in my images, so viewers would connect and care and act now to be the change they wanna see. We made a movie about my fears and motivation called Epiphany http://epiphany.movie/. It was released on iTunes in 2016 and will be available free for everyone to watch the next months2. You have dived with whales, sharks, seals… which of these animals left you completely breathless, and what is the feeling when you

and in case of sharks it’s a must in regard of safety) and understand their movement, their life cycles, how, where and when they feed, and you’re in control of your dive skills, it’s quite easy to have great comfortable dives with sharks and take good images. Be focused at all times, don’t treat them like in-

nocent puppies because… they are not. They are sharks and should be respected. Seals… ahhh, I just love seals, I love flippers and whiskers and even though some of my most rough dives and snorkels have been with seals in the Arctic, Canada and UK, those

Interview

are so close to such imposing creatures, even if diving conditions are tough?

Interview

It gives me much satisfaction when viewers let me know my images opened their eyes to the beauty of the oceans and to the complexity of all life on earth, creating room for a dialogue and hopefully ignite more awareness and preservation.

dives are simply relaxing. Instant happiness after water time with seals is the reward for being cold, ands being at the mercy of the elements, haha! Their curiosity and in some areas (Farne Islands, UK) melts my heart and sometimes a bit of seal time is all I need to keep going! 3. Creativity is a thing that connects all your photos, alongside with the wish to transmit your love towards oceans and its inhabitants. What is the possibility of telling your story with photographs and making the observer the protector of the blue planet, as you are yourself? I strive to take images that capture my experience, how I feel during an encounter, my mood, my whole being should be reflected in the image. Those pictures caught the eyes of some art galleries and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m lucky to have my work in exhibitions worldwide. That my images are not limited to a certain audience by appearing only in dive magazines, gets them viewed by people that sometimes think they have no connection to the ocean nor itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creatures (while we all have a connection, oceans sustain all life).

Interview

4. When you descend and find yourself in an entirely different dimension, without traffic, phones, internet…what inspires you the most and dominates your work? The feeling I have when I’m immersed is one of an enormous warm (or cold at times) crib where I feel safe, where I feel I heal from the things that are thrown at me in life. Because I’m so grateful for that feeling the sea and all creatures in it give me, I want to give back by trying to contribute to conservation. 5. Being born in Belgium, it was very brave to, at some point of live, move to Grand Cayman, and dedicate yourself to diving, underwater photography and exploration of seas and oceans. What would happen if there was a possibility of something even further, like moving to the bottom of the ocean? Would you accept it? I decided one day to live to the fullest for all those that can’t because they go sick, or because they physically can’t or because they did postpone their dreams until it was too late. It got me to do things I never thought I would.

But the drive to contribute to creating awareness and the late discovery of my talents, made me jump into a big unknown and I never looked back. Even recently I was certified as a full cave diver because I want to tell the story about

the importance of water and legacies not bound by time nor place. I don’t know what’s next but I do know there is still lots of work on the surface for me. I love meeting new people that have the same drive and passion as I have and connecting the right people to make greater things happen. So I don’t think I would move to the bottom of the ocean yet, but spend some time there if I was invited….yes, why not ;-)! 6. Nowadays, more and more people are turned to ecology and saving the blue planet, despite having done a lot of damage and still doing it. You hold lectures, presentations, write a blog…what would be your loudest message to the underwater world lovers? Lead by example, be an ocean ambassador, be genuine and live and breathe your mission but leave room for compromise. It does not help to see everything black or white and create deadlock in situations we need urgent progress. Even a small change initially can lead to bigger changes when the decision makers see the benefits. Be the change you want to see, in every small thing.

Don’t ever think your action has no results. And stay polite but determined. Even if you’re just 5 feet 3 ;-)!

Interview

Monthly contest

December - January

Couples - Super Macro

Website: www.scubashooters.net

IRST PLACE

RUNE EDVIN HALDORSEN

ECOND PLACE

MAURIZIO LANINI

HIRD PLACE

NICK POLANSZKY

IRST PLACE

PIERRE RIBOULON

ECOND PLACE

OKSANA MAKSYMOVA

HIRD PLACE

PIERRE RIBOULON

Contest

Italian Photographer

Of The Year 2018 Website: www.scubashooters.net

IRST PLACE (JURY VOTE) DAVID SALVATORI

Contest

IOtalian ctober Photographer -N ovember

Of The Year 2018 Website: www.scubashooters.net

IRST PLACE (POPULAR VOTE) FABIO IARDINO

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Review

Behind The Lens

The New Book By Francesco Pacienza

be able to create photographic images capable to “speak” to those observing them.

uring the next edition of the Eudishow, the new book by Francesco Pacienza published by Magenes editor, entitled Behind the Lens, has been its national premiere.

The ZEN monks teach their students that it is necessary to learn an art (technically) well enough to be able to forget how to do it! However, technique alone is not enough if you do not have the ability to put your emotions into the visual element to photograph.

This is not one of the usual underwater photography books but, as Francesco Pacienza writes in his premise “... this publication is not a course, it is not a manual, it is not a compendium but it is probably a combination of all these things trying to create a distinct literary identity.”

Only an excellent technical knowledge, together with an emotional sensitivity, allows the photographer to creating a communicative code with the subject to be photographed, thus succeeding in transmitting his own sensations to the final observer.

An identity that has always characterized the author’s photographic production, as amply highlighted by the prefaces to the monographic volume “Scatti sommersi”, published by Magenes, and presented during the last edition of the Eudishow in Bologna.

In this book, I wanted to summarize all my knowledge about the various photographic techniques, the possibilities of intervening on the photos taken directly in the camera and the macro photography’s special techniques.

The great acceleration given by the advent of digital, accentuated even more by the proliferation of the various social networks, contributed to the production of many images that, often, remain such without becoming real photographs.

A publication where philosophy meets and merges with photography and vice versa: indeed one of the definitions of philosophy is that of “autonomous spiritual activity that interprets and defines the ways of thinking, of knowing ...”, “... analysis, systematic reflection on the reality that surrounds us, or on some aspects of it ...”

The history of photography is full of talented people who became Masters, thanks to the education of this innate gift through the knowledge and mastery of photographic techniques, also managing to create new techniques still applied today.

Photography is certainly one of the activities through which we interpret what is revealed before our eyes in a continuous becoming of moments.

If talent cannot be learned, the photographic technique can, and is necessary in order to

much to be used in a natural and non-forced way because constitutive essence of every photograph taken.

This book is a compendium using a different language that, although technical, can be used by novices to experts, as well as updated on some techniques that are â&#x20AC;&#x153;trendâ&#x20AC;? in the overseas world.

The volume consists of 224 pages, 35 drawings with lighting schemes, over 150 photographs accompanied by biological and technical captions.

In short, technical knowledge must become an integral part of the photographer, so

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Travels

Macromania 2018

Fishermenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cove - Puerto Galera Words and pictures: Lorenzo Terraneo

Travels

or my first 50 years, I decided to finally give me a trip completely dedicated to underwater photography and to my great passion, macro photography. The choice could only be Macromania. The event, held every May in Puerto Galera on the island of Mindoro in the Philippines, is organized by the Institute for Marine Studies and Philippines Diving Dream in collaboration with Fisherman’s Cove Dive Resort.

I was thrilled to finally be able to go to one of the most famous “biodiversity hot spots” in the world, but above all to do so led by experts underwater naturalistic photographers and tropical marine biologists, with the invaluable assistance of the best local guides. The event formula immediately seemed to me special and interesting, either for the photography workshops held by the talented Pietro Formis, whose photographic style I like very much, or the marine biology workshops held by Emilio Mancuso, who I have been following for years, always precise and interesting to listen to, or for the impromptu photography contest among the participants, which would surely add some “pep-

per” to our week. Sadly, the morning of the first day was a dramatic moment because, just before I embarked, I realized that unfortunately my camera housing arrived broken. The flashes weren’t working and, for the type of gear I had, there was no way to fix it on the spot. What could I do? I could abandon myself to despair or, as I then decided, force myself not to lose heart and make the most out of this experience. At the beginning it was difficult: I was ready to give up the first dive, but then I decided to do it without my camera, which I didn’t do since many years.

Travels

Wow!

I think it was at that moment that I earned the happy ending I will tell.

Immediately afterwards, I remembered not having my trusted camera in my hands so my mood dropped sharply, until the next encounter, in an endless up-and-down.

However, it’s time to go in the water: the temperature is perfect for a 3 mm wetsuit, the visibility is excellent and ... a wonderful world opens before my eyes.

What I remember most were the hundreds of tiny yellow sea cucumbers, as I later learned, thanks to Emilio. I didn’t know that and, at first I confused them with nudibranchs, given the size and the strange morphology.

I remember as if it were now that, at every bright-colored nudibranch I saw, for the first time finally live, I was excited like a child.

I must say that, at the end of the event, I fortunately managed to dive in the same place with my camera, but let’s not reveal the story. During the exit on the beautiful and comfortable Fisherman’s Cove’s support boat, the friend and part of the event staff Marco Maccarelli, from that day on nicknamed by everyone “Mac Gyver”, took my situation to heart.

Travels

He started to disassemble the housing for trying to understand where the fault was, for which the shooting button signal did not reach the external flashes. Although I had to, or rather, wanted to do the second dive anyway using, as an alternative to flashes, a powerful underwater torch 6,000 lumens, which allowed me to bring home some interesting shot, as soon as we returned to the resort has unleashed a race of solidarity for lending me backup equipment - which Mac assembled that afternoon with patience and wisdom - reflecting the climate of complicity born immediately among all the participants. During the second day, dedicated to an enjoyable full day in the black sandy seabed of Anilao, extremely rich in life, I still had problems with my equipment and had to use a backup camera, kindly provided by Scippi. Given the amount of interesting situations

Travels

found in diving, I managed to make many good shots, including a small seaweed filled with dozens of really minuscule shrimps, which made me deserve the “best of show” in the final contest. The days followed one another with a really remarkable pleasantness and intensity. A full immersion into macro photography, both mentally and physically, given the fast pace between boat trips, workshops, photographic discussions before, after and during any moment of the day, equipment checking and viewing of the photos taken. Seen this way, it may seem to have been even tiring, but amazingly it was not. The pace was intense but pleasant and the impeccable organization took away any “distractions” or waste of time, running

everything perfectly as a Swiss watch. As soon as we were back, we always found excellent meals - just prepared - waiting for us, while the staff disembarked our gear from the boat. The Fisherman’s Cove’s owner, Giuseppe (Beppe for friends), really did not miss anything to us, even making us the surprise of an unscheduled cocktail on the beach at sunset, al-

ways being present but, as they say, never intrusive. Returning to the underwater world, biodiversity and wealth of these waters have not betrayed their reputation. So much so that the problem, in my opinion, is the incredible presence of subjects to shoot, which forces you to think and try to stop and spend a few additional minutes to the best situations, to achieve quality shots without jumping from one subject to another, with the urge to photograph all the wonders you see only turning your look around As an underwater photographer who practices mainly in the Mediterranean, I am used to looking for the subjects myself, but during the event we were helped by the large group of Fisherman’s Cove’s impeccable guides and by the event’s staff members, starting with the “President” Paolo Bondaschi. Thanks to their great experience, they could see and find hairy shrimps, nudibranchs of the costasiella genus and other virtually invisible organisms, so much tiny to make me doubt, sometimes, that they were really pointing at something to photograph. In addition to the daily and nightly feast of frog fish of all possible colors, shrimp and nudibranchs of all species, clown fish and anemones of different colors and shapes, skeleton shrimps, gobies and hundreds of other inhabitants of these areas, on sandy bottoms or unexpectedly on hard rocks covered by sponges and corals from the classic tropical colors, the novelty introduced this year to Macromania by Bondaschi were the black-dives. For those who do not know, black-dives are a type of night dive completely different from the usual, made in open water having as a reference only a line to which, at various depths, are fastened powerful flashlights. The first impact is remarkable: we find ourselves in a “new world”, made up of tiny un-

known organisms floating in the current, which we have to photograph quickly and very differently from how we are used to. As anticipated, the icing on the cake of the event was the final contest among all participants. The penultimate evening we were invited to present our top eight shots of the week, which were judged by a double jury, one of

Travels

which Italian of great prestige and experience, composed by Marco Colombo, David Salvatori and Mimmo Roscigno in touch via the internet. So, before our departure, there was the official award ceremony. Personally, given the initial situation and the risk of not being able to take pictures throughout the event, I’m really satisfied with winning the contest and also the “Best of Show”, but I have to say that any other result would have been equally appreciated, because it was nice to seeing the others’ shots, talking about it, confronting us in a brotherly climate and yet having a final target to deal with for the whole event. So, in case you decide to attend the 2019 edition, you will find me there having won a week-long stay, dives included, offered by the Fisherman’s Cove.

I’ll be ready to challenge you, probably with a new equipment, this time more reliable having received, for the “Best of Show”, a discount coupon for a Nauticam housing put at stake by Pietro Cremone. I hope to see you there!

Biology

Symphodus Tinca

The Peacock wrasse

Words and pictures: Michele Solca 92

he Peacock wrasse (Symphodus tinca) is a sea fish belonging to the order of Perciformes, to the family of Labridae and to the subfamily of wrasses.

Fishing doesn’t threaten it too much as the meat is not much appreciated although it may incur incidental catches due to its curiosity.

The Labridae family is extremely common in the Mediterranean Sea: all the representatives show fleshy and protruding lips and a long dorsal fin; in addition, they swim using the pectoral fins. In almost all the wrasse species there is a marked sexual dimorphism, that can be accompanied, in the course of their life, by sexual transformation and - in some species - by hermafroditism.

It frequents shallow coastal waters, living among the rocks on rocky seabeds mixed with seagrasses of Posidonia oceanica or however in areas rich in sedimentation, up to 50 meters depth, even if the young specimens are usually found in a few meters of water (0-15 meters). It’s a species that can live also in brackish waters; very active during the day, when they show interspecific and intraspecific gregarious behaviors (especially in the juvenile phase), at night we can meet them while they sleep on their side.

We can find the Peacock wrasse in Mediterranean Sea, in the Black Sea and in the eastern Atlantic ocean, from Morocco to the Bay of Biscay. Common in Italian seas, it is not a threatened species and there are abundant and well distributed populations throughout the range. IUCN evaluation is “LC” (Less Concern), because of its wide distribution and because there are no specific threats or changes in the demographic developments.

Peacock wrasse has an oval body, slightly compressed laterally and covered with fairly large scales. The head is longer than the height of the body, the front part is prominent, the mouth small and the lips full, with very evident folds at the corner, sharp and very developed. It has caniniform teeth very

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Biology

powerful and strong, partially hidden by the gengival tissue and lips. The operculum is covered with scales and the preoperculum has a serrated edge. It has a long dorsal fin (it almost reaches the tail), lower and supported by strong rays in the front part, higher but formed by soft rays in the back. The caudal fin is spatulated, with a rounded back edge. The color is very different depending on gender and age. The standard and feminine livery have basic color from beige to brownish-gray, with three distinct dark longitudinal bands, lighter belly and whitish lips; they have a V-shaped stain on the muzzle and often a small spot on the caudal peduncle and above the pectoral fin.

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Juveniles (transient livery) are often of an uniform grey-beige color (without longitudinal lines), sometimes with a dark caudal fin. There are almost no difference in color between immature male and mature females.

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The males in terminal livery, on the other hand, are more flamboyant, with a bright yellow background color (especially in the mating season), olive or blue-green, with darker vertical stripes, a purple-black spot above the pectoral fins and numerous red and blue dots on the muzzle and on the back.

25). The sexual maturity range settles around 12/15 cm and the growth rate of each individual is slow. It is the longest-running Symphodus and can reach 15 years of life! It feeds on various benthic invertebrates, sea urchins, annelids, serpentine stars, crustaceans and bivalve molluscs. To feed, it sucks the bottom sediment with its lips and retain the food particles by spitting out the non-digestible materials.

The pectoral fins are usually yellow, the ventral ones blue or orange. When laid on the bottom (at night or even during the day), the livery has definite irregular marbling. The peacock wrasse is the largest among the congeners found in Mediterranean Sea and can reach about 45 cm in length (on average

The species is protogynous hermaphrodite, so all the young members are females who,

changes. In the reproductive period (April / May), we can often notice the male intent to prepare a nest of seaweed (such as Dictyota dichotoma) specially torn in the neighboring areas. In this way, it delimits an area in which one or more females lay eggs spherical in shape, which the male will watch until hatching. Subsequently, it will be possible to admire the parental care in the weaning of the offspring. Peacock wrasse has a behavior that tends to be indifferent - or a little curious, at most towards the divers, so individuals can easily be approached; if we dive during their reproductive period, we will have a good chance to take pictures of the males, as they are intent on taking care of the nest, so we can make really interesting shots!

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During night dives, however, we will notice the peacock â&#x20AC;&#x153;snoozingâ&#x20AC;? leaning on one side, so we could capture interesting details. The photos of the article were taken in Ligurian Sea (Portofino M.P.A. and Saint Stephen Shoal) and in the seas around the Elba Island: there are no different attitudes between specimens encountered in the Marine Protected Area or not, as instead we can observe for other fishes, like brown meagres (Sciaena umbra) for example. The curiosity, the apparently frivolous but amused movement and the bright colors of the livery, make the peacock wrasse an excellent ambassador of a sea - the Mediterranean - too often seen and perceived as cold, bare, inhospitable. The hope is that the contemplation of this kind of beauties will increase the empathy with the Sea and a desire to understand more deeply the complex gears that regulate life underwater, pushing us to have a greater protection towards her. Connection with aquatic habitats is a fundamental part of the human soul: by compromising them, we put at risk ourselves, our health, our deepest identity.

Img .6 upon reaching the third year of age, will have a sexual inversion thanks to hormonal

Love, Learn, Respect, Protect

Biology

Captions 1, (first image of the article) 2. An adult male tries to hide himself in one of his favorite habitats, a seagrass of Posi-

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vators, who can bring precious food other wise hidden in the sediment. 4. The damage of abandoned fishing nets is

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Img .9 absurd: they endanger the lives of various marine animals without any advantage for the fishermen. Greater control would lead to greater protection of the ecosystems with which we come into contact. 5. In comparison, a specimen with male liv-

donia oceanica. 3. Juveniles often show gregarious behavior: between individuals of the same species when they are very young, with other species when they reach larger dimensions: in this case, following mullets means being able to take advantage of their role as exca

ery and one in female livery behind him: size, shy behavior and soft colors make identification easy. The v-shaped stain on the snout, much more pronounced at a young age, is yet another marker of a fairly thorough sexual dimorphism. 6. The female livery has a beige to brown/greyish background color, with three distinct longitudinal stripes and a lighter colored belly. 7. One of the color variations of the male livery: the green-blue color allows to see more easily the spot above the pectoral fin, not always so accentuated. 8. Typical livery of the super-male during the mating season: note the red dots scattered along the body, the yellow color of the pectoral fin (whose intensity increases with the age of the fish) and the very evident fold of the lips. 9. The elongated shape of the lips and the radius pectoral fins are well highlighted thanks to the particularly curious attitude assumed by this model, which gave me some shots from an extremely close position. 10. The curiosity of the males sometimes allows particularly funny portraits! 11. A male tears algae that will lead to the place where he is building the nest. 12. Male specimen in its typical habitat (an area rich in sediment surrounded by Posidonia oceanica seagrasses), in the act of delimiting the nest area (on the right) on which one or more females will lay a lot of eggs: he will then watch over them until the time of hatching.

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Biology

䈀漀爀渀琀漀琀栀攀䰀椀最栀琀

building the nest. 12. Male specimen in its typical habitat (an area rich in sediment surrounded by Posidonia oceanica seagrasses), in the act of delimiting the nest area (on the right) on which one or more females will lay a lot of eggs: he will then watch over them until the time of hatching. Conclusion Diving Bird’s Head Seascape is a wonderful experience, both above water and below it. The photographic opportunities are truly remarkable, from schooling fish to amazing coral bommies and everything in-between. It’s a destination that begs to be re-visited. Take it to the next level. Trial and error is intrinsic to improving photography skills. Learn from mistakes. It may require many captures and discards before the next print-worthy image is created. Be a visionary - if you see it, you can shoot it!

Via Miliscola, 163 80078 Pozzuoli (NA) - Italia Cell.: +39 3292155239 - tel./fax: +39 081 853 1563 from Tuesday to Sunday from 9.00 a.m to 8.00 p.m.- (monday we’re close) Email: info@centrosubcampiflegrei.it 99 Web site: www.centrosubcampiflegrei.it

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DAN Europe

How I Learned To Be My Own Doctor

Website: www.daneurope.org

In situations like these, you have to react straightaway. Although John, my buddy, was older and more experienced, I felt responsible for him. I was lucky I had remained calm and decided to take the lead.

ETTING LOST AT SEA: NIGHT DIVE IN THE GALAPAGOS So we surfaced. And it was pitch black. My buddy and I were 3 miles out at sea, at night, in the Galapagos - an unfamiliar territory to us, subject to rough currents, sharks...

I immediately asked him to switch off his torch to conserve our lights and to be prepared to ditch all his equipment so we could swim as fast as we could. But even that was a no-no if you have a 5 knot current taking you out.

What happened was, I relied too much on our boat diver even though my instincts told me otherwise. We went out to dive in this reef without a dive buoy and before jumping into the sea, I asked: “How is the boat going to follow us?”

“I think the choices you make before a dive are fundamental to the consequences that might arise.”

The Ecuadorian boat driver reassured me he’ll see our lights underwater and I trusted him. Even though I knew this was a crazy idea, I didn’t question. “Over the years you sort of learn to never take anything for granted.”

Eventually I got my photography strobe light and lifting it over my head, I drew a circle — hoping it would grab someone’s attention and the guys on the boat would see us. Luckily, they picked it up.

So we went for the dive. We did about 35 minutes underwater, which is quite a decent period. And during that entire time, the boat had lost us straight away.

We had been lost in the water for 15 minutes, but it felt as if it were forever. In the end it was a happy ending, but living it was scary. Over the years you sort of learn to never take anything for granted. I think the choices you make before a dive are fundamental to the consequences that might arise.

You know, the boat was driving around in circles, speeding, seeing a light here, there... So surely enough, by the time we surfaced, we didn’t see anything except darkness.

Ultimately, we weren’t designed to live underwater — so we need to make sure we have all the right equipment, done all the checks, respect the elements, know what our abilities are and when

We were lost. In the distance we could make out the lights of the Galapagos but next stop would have been Antarctica with all the currents pushing and pulling beneath us.

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to say “no, this is too much for me” and also ask the right questions.

Different people do things differently, so being your own doctor is crucial to understanding how your body will react in different situations. Personally, I’m very active — I do a lot of sports, including open-water swimming, so I am very comfortable being in water and I’m in tune with my body. However, I still do a full medical check-up once a year.

DON’T TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED Basically, the more you know before your dive, the easier it is to factor in the possibility of what could go wrong. I always do the standard checklist as part of my preparation. I start by making sure I have the basic things: my own mask, regulator, fins and that all my dive gear is in order. Using equipment you’re already comfortable with makes your underwater experience and safety so much easier!

Being your own doctor means understanding your physical ability and knowing your physical restrictions. It is crucial to be in tune with your body. This makes it easier for you to react if something doesn’t feel right underwater.

As a precaution, I always like to make sure I’m using equipment I’m comfortable with. If you’re going on a dive and trying something new, there will always be that element of surprise. So it is crucial to be wearing something you have been trying on and practicing with. Knowing what works for you also comes with experience.

That way, you can be conscious of your limits. For instance, if you’re out diving, taking pictures, and you’re carrying lots of equipment you need to be sure you can react quickly in case something goes wrong. Ultimately, it’s important to feel comfortable underwater, to be aware of your limits and to dive in territory you know and are familiar with.

Physically, it’s also important to be selfaware and acknowledge when something doesn’t feel right. It pays to listen to your body. Whether it’s an earache, sinuses or bad stomach you need to gauge to what extent this would impact your dive and ultimately your health.

Avoid getting lost and increase your chances of getting found. As part of its mission to promote diving safety, DAN Europe is currently running an awareness campaign to help divers reduce the risk of getting lost at sea.

It’s one thing having an injured finger, but a bad leg means you probably won’t be able to fin properly.

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Crystal Blue Resort~Anilao

Dedicated to Underwater Photographers Worldwide • • • • • • • •

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

Contact Mike@DiveCBR.com saltwaterphoto@live.com

We are located exactly 74 km far from Trieste, near the small town of Kantrida, which is about 5 to 6 km before downtown Rijeka. Our Diving Centre is right under the swimming pools area, directly in front of the open beach. On one side, we are overlooked by Mount Major (Ucka) and on the other, we face the beautiful islands of Krk and Cherso: in brief, we are right inside the Kvarnaro Gulf. Our flagship is wreck diving by boat: three wrecks situated at different depths, each one no farther than maximum 20 minutes boat ride. And there’s more! Our shore dives directly from our Center’s beach offer an easy and colorful training ground for any kind of diving courses. Finally yet importantly, our diamond tip dedicated to macro photography lovers: a wide variety of critters to increase the pleasure of diving.

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

www.diving-marcopolo.com

Indonesia MOYO ISLAND

See it, Dive it, Love it A top natural wonderland A place where the beauty of nature exceeds expectation. An exotic and luxuriant island paradise. An extremely peaceful place where you can relax in tranquility. A world-class diving destination.

info@bluemoceanresort.com www.bluemoceanresort.com +62 813.3794.6294