X-RAY Magazine :: Issue 26 :: October

GirlDiver: Girls On Speed—Scooter Dive British Columbia Thetis Island 330m Deep GLOBAL EDITION Pascal October 2008 Number 26 Bernabé India Bangaram Island Portfolio Stéphane Braud

DOMINICA • ST LUCIA • ST VINCENT Night Photography Caribbean Islands Kurt Amsler 1 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 cover photo by kurt amsler 2 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 DIRECTORY X-RAY MAG is published by AquaScope Media ApS Join Kurt Amsler’s efforts to save Indonesia’s endangered sea turtles Frederiksberg, Denmark Sign the petition & donate to the cause at: www.sos-seaturtles.ch www.xray-mag.com PUBLISHER SENIOR EDITOR Diver inspects reef coral and sponges, Dominica, Caribbean. Photo by Steve Jones & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Symes Peter Symes [email protected] [email protected] SECTION EDITORS contents PUBLISHER / EDITOR Andrey Bizyukin, PhD - Features & CREATIVE DIRECTOR Arnold Weisz - News, Features Gunild Symes Catherine Lim - News, Books [email protected] Simon Kong - News, Books Mathias Carvalho - Wrecks Associate editors Cindy Ross - GirlDiver & representatives: Cedric Verdier - Tech Talk Americas: Scott Bennett - Photography Arnold Weisz Scott Bennett - Travel [email protected] Fiona Ayerst - Sharks Michael Arvedlund, PhD Russia Editors & Reps: - Ecology Andrey Bizyukin PhD, Moscow [email protected] Correspondents Robert Aston - CA, USA Svetlana Murashkina PhD, Moscow Enrico Cappeletti - Italy [email protected] John Collins - Ireland Marcelo Mammana - Argentina South East Asia Editor & Rep: Nonoy Tan - The Philippines Catherine GS Lim, Singapore [email protected] Contributors this issue Kurt Amsler ASSISTANT editors Fiona Ayerst & representatives: Bill Battan Malaysia Editor & Rep: Scott Bennett Simon Kong, Kuala Lumpur Pascal Berbabé [email protected] Andrey Bizyukin, PhD Stéphane Braud Canada/PNW Editor & Rep: Aurelie Brun Barb Roy, Vancouver Francois Brun [email protected] Mathias Carvalho Ralph Hagen GirlDiver Editor & PNW Rep: Laura James Cindy Ross, Tacoma, USA Steve Jones [email protected] Millis Keegan Simon Kong ADVERTISING Andy Lamb International sales rep: Catherine GS Lim Arnold Weisz Michel Ribera 27 47 56 61 79 plus... [email protected] Cindy Ross Ca r i b b e a n Is l a n d s : Ba n g a r a m Is l a n d Conservation : Th e t i s Is l a n d De c o n s t r u c t i n g a 300m EDITORIAL 4 Barb Roy Dominica, St Lu c i a , In d i a Pa y & Pl a y British Co l u m b a Wo r l d Re c o r d Di v e NEWS 6 Asia-Pacific rep: Charles Stirling & St Vi n c e n t b y Ch a r l e s Stirling b y Ar n o l d We i s z b y Ba r b Ro y b y Pa s c a l Be r n a b é Simon Kong (Malaysia) Gunild Symes WRECK RAP 18 [email protected] Michael Symes b y St e v e Jo n e s EQUIPMENT 4 4 Peter Symes French speaking territories: Cedric Verdier TURTLE TALES 71 Mathias Carvalho Arnold Weisz BOOKS & MEDIA 59 [email protected] BUSINESS DIRECTORY 90 Marketing Manager: Not yet subscribed to Canada Yann Saint-Yves Wendy Jankovic [email protected] columns... X-RAY MAG? Sign up now! [email protected] Further information: contacts It’s FREE! QUICK! EASY! page at www. xray-mag.com 41 74 84 91 click here... Gi r l Di v e r : Sh a r k Ta l e s : UW Ph o t o & Vi d e o : Po r t f o l i o : SUBSCRIPTION Gi r l s On Sp e e d Bi t s & Bi t e s Ni g h t Ph o t o g r a p h y St é p h a n e Br a u d X-RAY MAG International Edition in English is FREE —Sc o o t e r Di v e e d i t e d b y Pe t e r Sy m e s b y Ku r t Am s l e r e d i t e d b y Gu n i l d Sy m e s To subscribe, go to: www.xray-mag.com b y Ci n d y Ro s s COVER PHOTO: Manta Ray, recently photographed in Komodo by Kurt Amsler who said it was the most beautiful manta he had ever seen, Photosub.com (Continued on page 4)

3 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 Amsterdam Barcelona Cape Town Copenhagen Kuala Lumpur London Moscow Orlando Oslo Paris Ravenna Sao Paulo Singapore Vancouver Warsaw Editorial When is ‘safe’ safe?

So, this is the level diver certica- groups to make another dollar down that it now virtually lies flat tions has sunk to: An aquarium is doing this great sport a huge on the ground is taking the proc- diver c-card. What’s next? disfavour. ess of debunking old diving myths Jacuzzi skindiver? C’mon... Don’t get me wrong... I do not too far. long for the days when even the the great irony is—considering I appreciate that recreational entry level diver certification was that this is all about marketing— diving should not be made any like going through military boot- that over the years, these efforts more complicated or inacces- camp, and the instructor was just have also made diving look so sible than a reasonable level of out to get you to see if you could ordinary and non-challenging, safety dictates. It is not rocket stand up to the pressure. When that diving ultimately became science, but a recreational pas- I took my advanced course un-cool and boringly old-folksy. time. (CMAS*** actually) 20 years ago, We all know that we can break Yet, it is not completely without I had to perform a complete a leg going skiing, and we have risk, as the current trends in dive equipment swap in near-freezing to stay alert in traffic, if we take marketing seem to our car for a spin. We ignore. accept this and take these latest c-card our precautions. So, in level, and some of our daily lives, we are no the statements made strangers to managing risk in the Be A Diver and acting within limits campaign, cause me of safety according to great concern. Pro- what (hopefully) we were claiming that diving is taught. as safe as bowling is so, why do we go like comparing ap- about diving in a differ- ples to oranges. Or ent way? Diving is indeed have I missed some- a quite safe recreational thing—can bowling activity—and, to a large also lead serious injury degree, we can thank the and even death? steady improvements in Stating that one does Get your organic Diving Granny T-Shirt or calendar diver training for that—but not have to be fit in by Ralph Hagen at The X-RAY MAG Store where a per- if we fail to instill a proper order to dive and cent of all sales goes to ocean conservation! Find more appreciation and recog- directing unfit divers great gifts at: www.cafepress.com/xraymag nition of the inherent risk to consult with their elements in new divers by local dive instructors and retailers waters on a silty bottom of an luring them through marketing is reckless. Excuse me, but what industrial harbour with three-inch that is borderline misleading, they kind of medical qualifications do viz. It was extremely uncomfort- could be lulled into a false sense these good hard-working people able, very challenging and, in of security, ultimately putting possess? hindsight, quite dangerous. That them at real risk. Glazing over the sometimes was way over the top, and I am Diving is accessible for most inconvenient truth that accidents only glad that the bar has been people, but not everyone should do happen and sweeping it in lowered significantly, and that far dive. ■ under the marketing rug for the more people can enjoy diving. — Peter Symes sake of raking in the last marginal but lowering that bar so far Editor-in-Chief

4 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Because you can’t stay underwater forever... Join the World’s Largest Online Diving Community and you will never be without a buddy again.

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X-RAY MAG X-RAY MAG is distributed Unsolicited manuscripts, is a founding seven times per year on photographs and illustra- member of the the Internet. © 2004-2008 tions should be emailed Underwater X-RAY MAG. All rights to: Network reserved. [email protected] Underwater Material in this pub- X-RAY MAG accepts no Network.com lication may not be responsibility for unsolic- Editorial statement regarding reproduced, modified or ited materials sent to its News from NAUI in X-RAY transferred electronically office, nor is it liable for MAG: This issue of X-RAY MAG in any form without writ- loss or damage to such and others include news and ten permission from the materials. press releases from NAUI in X-RAY copyright owner. sections designated by the MAG is a X-RAY MAG observes a NAUI logo. While the page design is done by X-RAY MAG member Views and information strict privacy policy. No of Diving as an integrated part of the expressed in articles are personal or private infor- magazine, these news stories Equipment those of the individual mation will be shared & Marketing are brought to you by NAUI at author and are not nec- with a third party without Association: NAUI’s discretion. essarily representative the written permission of Dema.org of views held by X-RAY the owner. MAG or its affiliates.

5 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED NEWS

News edited by Peter Symes & Arnold Weisz Red fluorescence in Reef fish A novel signalling mechanism?

At depths below 10m, reefs It has been reported recently, in BMC been supplemented by observations and spectrometry in one fluorescent goby, Many of these species show quite cryptic are dominated by blue-green Ecology 2008, 8:16, however, that at least measurements on fish in the laboratory. Eviota pellucida, showed a long-wave colouration in other parts of the visible 32 reef fishes from 16 genera and five the data indicate that red fluores- sensitivity that overlapped with its own spectrum. High inter-specific variation in light because seawater selec- families show pronounced red fluores- cence may function in a context of intra- red fluorescence, indicating that this spe- red fluorescence and its association with tively absorbs the longer, ‘red’ cence under natural, daytime conditions specific communication. Fluorescence cies is capable of seeing its own fluores- structures used in intra-specific signalling wavelengths beyond 600nm at depths where down-welling red light is patterns were typically associated with cence. further corroborate this view. from the down-welling sunlight. virtually absent. Fluorescence was con- the eyes or the head, varying substan- It is shown that red fluorescence is these findings challenge the notion firmed by extensive spectrometry in the tially even between species of the same widespread among marine fishes. Many that red light is of no importance to Consequently, the visual pig- laboratory. In most cases, peak emission genus. Moreover red fluorescence was features indicate that it is used as a marine fish, calling for a reassessment of ments of many reef fish are was around 600nm and fluorescence was particularly strong in fins that are involved private communication mechanism in its role in fish visual ecology in subsurface matched to shorter wavelengths, associated with guanine crystals, which in intra-specific signalling. Finally, micro- small, benthic, pair or group-living fishes. marine environments. ■ which are transmitted better by thus far, were known for their light reflecting proper- water. Combining the typically ties only. poor long-wavelength sensitivity the purpose of the study of fish eyes with the presumed was to see “with our own eyes” whether there is lack of ambient red light, red indeed a lack of red light light is currently considered at depth in the euphotic irrelevant for reef fish. However, zone during daytime and previous studies ignore the fact to identify the observed sources of natural red that several marine organisms, fluorescence in fish in par- including deep sea fish, produce ticular. This work combines their own red luminescence and results from several studies are capable of seeing it. carried out on coral reefs in the Red Sea and the Great Barrier Reef and has

6 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED news Sustainable Sushi Guide How to pick Ocean-Friendly Sushi

Blue Ocean Institute, Envi- caught or farmed in ways that No-nos come from abundant, well- to consumers now has a very ronmental Defense Fund, harm the ocean or pose a For sushi aficionados, that managed fisheries or—in the clear picture of what one’s Marine scientists filming in one of health risk to people. means both pleasant surprises case of scallops—are raised sushi choices mean for ocean the world’s deepest ocean trench- and Monterey Bay Aquari- “For the first time, sushi lovers and some disappointments. using sustainable aquacul- wildlife.” um collaborate to promote have tools that enable them Popular items like Bluefin tuna ture methods. All three guides All three guides incorporate es have found groups of highly ocean-friendly selections. to join the growing movement (hon maguro/kuro maguro) offer a substantially consist- human health recommen- sociable fish swarming 7,700 metres of those making ocean-friend- and freshwater eel (unagi) ent message about the best dations from Environmental beneath the surface. On October 22, three leading ly choices that protect life in are firmly on the “red” list, selections, as well as the fish to Defense Fund, and fish that ocean conservation organi- the seas now and for gen- as is farmed salmon (sake). avoid when choosing sushi. contain levels of mercury or Scientists filming in zations—Blue Ocean Institute, erations to come,” said Julie These species are either over- “While we consider similar PCBs that may pose a health “More fish than we one of the world’s Environmental Defense Fund and Pareles, executive director of fished, farmed with aquac- factors in assessing each fish- risk to adults or children are or anyone in the deepest ocean the Monterey Bay Aquarium—will Blue Ocean Institute. ulture methods that pollute ery, we each tabulate the flagged. Fisheries research- world would ever trenches have make available to the public, “These new guides not the ocean, or caught using environmental information in ers from the Blue Ocean found groups of color-coded consumer guides only enable sushi lovers to methods that destroy ocean slightly different ways,” said Institute and Monterey Bay have thought possi- highly sociable snail- ranking popular sushi selections choose fish that are caught habitats or kill large amounts of Kate McLaughlin, Blue Ocean Aquarium evaluated the sea- ble at these depths.” fish swarming over based on whether they are pre- or farmed responsibly, they other sea life. Institute’s Seafood Program food species included on the —Dr Alan Jamieson their bait, nearly five pared using seafood that are also highlight selections that Director. “That results in sub- guides. The Monterey Bay miles (7700 metres) are healthy for them OK tle variations for a handful of Aquarium seafood rankings beneath the surface and their families,” Items like wild-caught Alaska rankings.” are the basis for items selected of the Pacific Ocean. This is the first time said Tim Fitzgerald, salmon (sake), farmed scallops “The differences are minor,” by Environmental Defense cameras have been sent to this depth. marine scientist (hotate) and Pacific halibut Bowman said. “Regardless Fund for inclu- for Environmental (hirame) are more sustainable of which sushi guide people sion in its sushi “We got some absolutely amazing foot- Defense Fund. “The choices, in part because they rely on, everyone from chefs guide. ■ age from 7,700 metres. More fish than we reality is quite simple,” or anyone in the world would ever have said Sheila Bowman, Sushi choices by individual con- thought possible at these depths,” says Seafood Watch project leader Dr Alan Jamieson of the outreach manager sumers have an impact on the University of Aberdeen’s Oceanlab, on at the Monterey future of the ocean. board the Japanese research ship the Bay Aquarium. “If Hakuho-Maru. you care about the future of the oceans, “It’s incredible. These videos vastly exceed you’ll avoid red-listed all our expectations from this research. sushi.” We thought the deepest fishes would be motionless, solitary, fragile individuals eking out an existence in a food-sparse environ- ment,” said Professor Monty Priede, director Avoid red-listed of Oceanlab.

Sushi “But these fish aren’t loners. The images show groups that are sociable and active— possibly even families—feeding on little shrimp, yet living in one of the most extreme environments on Earth. ■

Read the full story and watch the video on our website 7 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED news

Edited by Michael Symes Snapping shrimp

Explorers find hundreds of undescribed species on Australian reefs The Census of Marine Life. Hundreds of un-described cor- • Dozens of small crustacean spe- als and other species have been cies—and potentially one or more This is a global network of found on familiar Australian Reefs, families of species—likewise thought researchers in more than 80 for example, tongue-eating isopod unknown to science; parasites on fish. These new kinds • A rarely sampled amphipod of nations engaged in a ten- of animal species surprised inter- the family Maxillipiidae, featuring year initiative to assess and national researchers systematically a bizarre whip-like back leg about explain the diversity, distri- exploring waters off two islands on three times the size of its body. Only bution, and abundance of the Great Barrier Reef and a reef off a few species are recorded world- northwestern Australia. wide; marine life in the oceans— the expeditions, affiliated with the • New species of tanaid crusta- past, present, and future. global Census of Marine Life, help ceans, shrimp-like animals, some The network will release mark the International Year of the with claws longer than their bodies; the first Census of Marine Reef and included the first system- • The beautiful, rare Cassiopeia jel- atic scientific inventory of spectacu- lyfish, photographed upside down Life in 2010. However, some lar soft corals, named octocorals for on the ocean floor, tentacles wav- initial results and stunning the eight tentacles that fringe each ing in the water column—a posture images from their landmark polyp. that enables symbiotic algae living Discoveries at Lizard and Heron in its tentacles to capture sunlight for four-year effort to record Islands (part of the Great Barrier photosynthesis; the diversity of life in and Reef), and Ningaloo Reef in north- • Scores of tiny amphipod crus- around Australia’s renowned western Australia, included: taceans—insects of the marine reefs have recently been world—of which an estimated • About 300 soft coral species, up 40 to 60 percent will be formally released. See also www. to half of them thought to be new described for the first time. coml.org. to science;

8 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Preparing for future discov- Islands. Creatures that move into live fish. Most infamous of the news eries, the divers pegged these Autonomous Reef Monitoring parasitic isopod are cymot- several layered Structures (ARMS), which provide shel- hoids—the “tongue plastic struc- ter designed to appeal to a variety of biter”—so tures—likened to sea life, will be collected over the next called because empty doll one to three years. they invade a houses— previous studies have uncovered nate fish and eat its for large differences in the biodiversity at some tongue off, the Great Barrier Reef’s Lizard Island areas essentially and, further south, Heron Island, studied, covering up to replacing which had 30 percent more hard 25 percent of the ocean the tongue by Researchers marine corals and 40 percent more fishes. floor. They also provide attaching to the host’s mouth. believe life to col- Ningaloo Reef appears to be the important habitat for other still more discoveries between one- onize on least biodiverse of the three sites species. Other major finds included many the ocean studied, which may be related poten- tially new polychaetes, a third to half floor at to its comparative isolation from class of marine ani- of the hun- Lizard other reef systems. The cause of mals known as dreds of soft and Heron such gradients in species diversity is “bristle corals found poorly understood, but species rich- ness in the region tends to decrease are species with distance from the equator. new to expeditions to the same three sites science will be repeated annually over the next three years to continue their inventory and measure impacts of climate change and other processes over time. Vultures worms,” a of the sea relative of leech- es Soft corals Researchers were and earth worms. Up to two-thirds on Barrier Reef intrigued as well by discov- of species found at Lizard Island alone The expedition marks the first census of eries of various isopods, often referred are thought to be un-described. soft corals, named octocorals for the to as vultures of the sea, because the scientists’ studies also included eight tentacles that fringe each polyp. some feed on dead fish. Of the many seaweeds, urchins, and lace corals. The addition of perhaps as many as isopod species collected dur- More formally known as Bryozoans, 150 new species to the global invento- ing the first two lace coral colonies consist of ry of soft corals is a major addition to expeditions, asexually budded (and therefore the knowledge of this group which, approxi- genetically identical) individu- despite its high distribution world- mately 100 als. Colonies form large intricate wide, remains one of the most are not yet structures that bear no poorly understood groups. described resemblance to Researchers believe in the sci- the struc- between one-third to entific lit- ture of the half of the hundreds erature. individual. of soft corals found some the are species new isopods new to science. are para- While these sitic and animals are not burrow Australian reef builders, into the expeditions reveal they domi- flesh of how far we are from

Cuttlefish Pseudocodium 9 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED knowing how many species live in coral scattered throughout the world, and to Hawaii’s French Frigate Shoals in 2006 reefs around the globe. Estimates span strengthen tropical taxonomic expertise. discovered more than 100 potential news the huge range from one to nine million. Researchers adapted sampling meth- new species and/or location Even at the low end of this range, we ods and applied these in a wide range records and advanced must wonder why nature of habitats, including sampling diversity understanding of has evolved such pro- in dead coral heads—the skeleton of marine biodiver- lific diversity on coral a coral emptied of the fleshy animal sity in the reefs. While they are that once lived inside. Samples were Hawaiian icons of diversity, the obtained by enveloping small dead processes that coral heads in a bag and carefully have generated chiseling off the base to capture all of and maintained the animals inside. A single dead coral reef coral head can yield more biodiver- than 150 individual sity are still crustaceans, unknown. molluscs, and echinoderms. Worldwide, these dead coral heads host many thousands of species CoML and their use is emerg- Census ing as an important tool for of Coral assessing coral reef biodiversity. Reef the biodiversity data gener- Ecosystems ated will be made publicly (www.creefs.org) available through the Ocean Coral reefs are highly threatened Biogeographic Information System repositories of extraordinary biodiver- (OBIS) (www.iobis.org), an initiative of the sity and therefore have been called Census of Marine Life. “the rainforests of the sea,” but little Archipelago. is known about the ocean’s diver- Hawaiian reefs An interna- sity as compared to its terrestrial A three-week tional counterpart. The Australian CReefs expe- team of expedition is just one dition to taxono- part of an unprec- mists edented global census and of coral reefs, CReefs, crew collected one of 17 Census and photographed of Marine Life several potentially new projects. species of crabs, corals, sea cReefs cucumbers, sea quirts, worms, aims to sea stars, snails, and clams. Many other census life species familiar in other ocean areas had in coral never been recorded around Hawaii. reef eco- systems, Elsewhere to consoli- Meanwhile, US and Mexican researchers species), reflecting greater-than-expect- date and have chronicled a century of research ed biodiversity there. improve on 46 named coral reefs of the southern the chronicle (www.tamu.edu/upress/ access to Gulf of Mexico. The chronicle links to BOOKS/2007/tunnell.htm) reveals that coral reef GulfBase (www.gulfbase.org), a data- reef condition is better further offshore, ecosystem base listing species inhabiting southern away from population centers, and in information Gulf reefs (2057 species) and islands (298 areas of low rainfall and runoff. ■

10 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED news

Inverted solitude was created by Jason Taylor (below) using cement, fibre- glass, and steel plate. Dimenions: 2500mm x 700mm. Depth: 2.5m

   UK artist-diver sinks more sculpture           Inverted solitude by Jason Taylor is a lone figure hang- sculpture from initial casting to installation. ing upside-down underneath a floating platform in When the sculpture is viewed from below, a figure The National Diving & Activities Centre, Chepstow, UK. is seen standing on the platform staring down into the With depths of over 80m, the site—located in what deep. A mirror image of the figure is reflected onto was once a stone quarry—is the deepest inland body the surface of the water. SeaCure™ Custom Mouthpiece of water in the UK. The sculpture is permanently fixed taylor said in a press release: “Inverted Solitude aims is moldable and remoldable. to a pontoon currently to explore reflection, space, isolation and extended used for national free being... The inverted and lonely demeanour of the Created by an orthodontist, diving competitions and figure also shows a man distanced from society. Arms SeaCure is designed to fit training. folded resolutely, he is left to reflect on a life in which your mouth, teeth, and the sculpture, which is pride and self obsession have created an impenetra- gums . . . PERFECTLY. constructed from cement ble barrier.” and fibreglass, was cast taylor gained international recognition for the crea- Available at your local dive center. from BBC presenter Mike tion of the world’s first underwater sculpture park in Fishetti and filmed for the Grenada, West Indies. Designed to create artificial BBC network as part of a reefs for marine life to colonise and inhabit, his under- production for SMART Art. water sculptures embrace the transformations that re- Due to be aired early next sult from ecological processes, celebrating the regen- year, the programme doc- erative powers of nature and the potentially positive www.seacure1.com uments the creation of the effects of human intervention. ■

Jason Taylor source: underwatersculpture.com all images courtesy of Jason taylor 11 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Ocean energy is “probably the last Ocean buoys could provide of the large natural resources not Enjoy pure ease yet investigated for producing elec- news tricity in the United States,” accord- 10 percent of US energy ing to a report from the nonprofit Electric Power Research Institute. Roger Bedard, the EPR institute’s ocean energy expert, believes that the potential for hydro electricity generation is “significant.” In fact, he believes it could generate up to 10 percent of America’s power needs, accounting all current ineffi- ciencies and practicalities. Perhaps, in the future, that 10 percent could grow as power grids change and adapt to handle the sometimes irregular influx of power generated from wind, solar and water. Europe is already well ahead of the US in terms of ocean technology. Only recently did a wave farm begin operations in Portugal, and a giant underwater turbine is currently Ocean Power Technologies PowerBuoy wave generation system uses a “smart”, under installation off the Scottish ocean-going buoy to capture and convert wave energy into low-cost, clean elec- coast. ■ tricity. A 10-Megawatt OPT power station would occupy only approximately 30 acres of ocean space PIXEL QUARTERLYWET

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PRINTED IN CANADA Sales : Service : Rentals : Travel : Education VISIT OUR FORT LAUDERDALE SHOW ROOM! US$15.99 / CAN$17.49 PRINTED IN CANADA 12 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Jellyfish research leads to news Nobel prize For isolating and developing the green fluo- rescent protein from a jellyfish, the 2008 Nobel How the jellyfish prize for chemistry has been awarded jointly to two Americans and one Japanese scientist.

Jellyfish will glow under blue and ultraviolet light got its sting This is because of this protein, referred to as GFP, in their tissues. Jellyfish may thank a humble bacte- described a few times in animals. would be so well-trav- how jel- rium for their ability to sting. Scientists “This mechanism is often neglected, elled. lyfish, mice The protein fluoresces green when exposed to have found that bacteria have gene and could sometimes be more impor- scientists are finding and bacteria blue light, and the gene that makes it has been similar to the one responsible for the tant than we thought” said Nicholas that horizontal gene added to organisms as diverse as bacteria, jellyfish sting. This suggests the ances- Rabet. transfer, once thought got all yeast, insects and even humans, to prove that tors of jellyfish picked up the gene the gene in question appears in all to be the domain of mixed up “alien” genes can be inserted, expressed and from microbes. The research is pub- known genomes of creatures from single-celled critters, passed on. lished this week in Current Biology1. the phylum cnidaria, which includes is not uncommon in the find came as a great surprise to jellyfish, anemones and corals. Rabet the animal world, says Osamu Shimomura, of the Marine Biological research team lead by developmen- and his colleagues found that the cni- Michael Syvanen, who Laboratory, Woods Hole, Martin Chalfie tal biologist Nicolas Rabet. This is an darian gene fits well into the bacterial studies compara- of Columbia University, New York, example or what is called horizontal family tree. They also showed that the tive genomics at the and Roger Tsien of the University gene transfer. Unlike vertical gene gene turns on in at least one jellyfish, University of California, of California, San Diego, share transfer from parent to off- Clytia hemisphaerica. Davis. “Horizontal gene the prize. spring, the horizontal variety the same gene pops up in certain transfer with the animals happens between organ- sponges, worms and fungi, suggest- is going to turn out to be more wide- Shimomura made the isms, or even between ing it jumped between species more spread than anybody believes now. first critical step, isolat- different species. than once, the scientists say. It is not When that realization comes down, it ing GFP from a jellyfish Common in microbes, yet clear how the transfer might have will definitely change the way people (Aequorea victoria) it has only been occurred, or why this particular gene think about evolution.” ■ found off the west coast of North America in 1962. He made the Aequorea victoria connection also with ultraviolet light.

Chalfie routinely receives letters describ- Jellyfish Help Fight Terrorism Too ing potential uses of GFP, one of the most bizarre Anthrax, plague and small pox are some of the possible pathogens terrorists could being a way of using GFP- use against us; but now, researchers say jellyfish are helping to prevent these kinds of labelled bacteria to locate attacks. mines in minefields.

An innovative biosensor, which is currently under development by scientists and engi- GFP has been used in dozens of applications, neers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will be able to identify from searching for a cure for deafness, to mak- harmful bacteria or viruses in the air in less than two minutes by using jel- ing ANDi, the first genetically modified primate, lyfish DNA inserted into mouse cells. The presence of a targeted pathogen now being used to develop treatments for makes the mouse cell glow. A device called the Panther containing 16 cham- Huntington’s disease. ■ bers pulls air through the disk to collect and test any pathogen that might be in the air. If a dangerous pathogen is detected, a sensor looking for the Mouse with GFP gene from emitted light goes off—alerting anyone who could be in harm’s way. ■ jelllyfish glows green. Click on mouse to watch movie

Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute 13 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED French sea-architect and visionary Jacques Rougerie recieves prestigeous award Twenty years after The French Institute Fine Arts adventure of underwater Cousteau, another Academy has elected French habitats. In 1974, he creat- DIVE INDONESIA sea-architect Jacques Rougerie ed the Centre for Sea and underwater hero is under its dome on the 25th of Space Architecture, later IN A NEW LIGHT! honoured under June. This award honours the work labelled Space and Sea the dome of the of the architect himself, as it also Association. French Institute. reflects onto the entire com- he specifically worked munity of sea and underwater on technical and scientific NEW! world passionate for which he projects that would lead has so often dedicated his him to his first underwater work. houses (Galathee in 1977, born in 1945, Hippocampe, Aquabulle, OUR MAIN DESTINATIONS Rougerie graduated Aqualab, etc) and under- Komodo with a degree sea observation boats Alor & Flores in architecture and vessels (Aquaspace, Maluku and oceanog- Aquascope, etc). Raja Ampat raphy. An archi- An experienced diver, Cendrawasih Bay tect in 1972, he he his much involved with started his children and education Manado & Lembeh own com- and considers teaching about the Togian & Banggai pany and wonders of the underwater world Rougerie’s vision for an Underwater Wakatobi initiated a key to building tomorrow’s soci- Taka Bone Rate & Selayar marine ety. He is therefore the architect Museum in Alexandria gets the go- architec- of the main Sea Centres in France ture projects (Nausicaa in Boulogne sur Mer, ahead from United Nations as he Oceanopolis in Brest) as well as DIVE THE CENTRE OF BIODIVERSITY WITH began with the Culture and Science Museum Cleopatra’s palace aid the design process with the ARENUI the great abroad (Sea Pavilion in Osaka). sank long ago into the Egyptian government. The Boutique Liveaboard Nowadays, Rougerie still If built, the museum could spends a lot of time creating Mediterranean in the display treasures and monu- sea-related projects. He is cur- harbour of Alexandria, ments of her palace, which rently working on the Underwater Egypt, but visitors may once stood on an island in one Archaeological Museum of eventually view the of the largest human-made Alexandria (Egypt) and on the bays in the world but were sub- City in The Ocean project in Abu complex’s remnants via merged by earthquakes from Dhabi, a marine city with under- the world’s first underwa- the fourth century A.D. onward. water park and housing. ter museum which the cleopatra’s palace was still much involved with space UN plan to establish in built on an island in one of the adventure, he participates in the largest human-made bays in underwater training program for the port. the world. Earthquakes unfor- NASA astronauts (Neemo) with The proposed underwater tunately submerged her opu- his friend Bill Todd. A synthesis of museum in Alexandria, Egypt, lent lair until the 1990s when all his work and experience, the came closer to reality in archaeologist-divers found the SeaOrbiter project combines September 2008, when the UN thousands of precious objects. underwater observation, scien- established a committee to ■ tific monitoring of the ocean and human and scientific adventure through the main oceans of our planet. ■

14 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Training PADI in a Bottle Why should you New certification: Open Water read this book? bulletin Because you are not a fish! Edited by Diver – Controlled Environment Mathias Controlled environment diving is some- Carvalho times the only option presented to many divers located in areas where access to the sea isn’t at hand. Those man-made structures may include aquatic parks, specially designed oversized swimming Have website, pools, massive indoor tanks and large- scale aquariums. While not quite giving the same experience provided by open will dive water dives, these environments do offer good visibility, interesting and often origi- PADI has been around for a certain Unfortunately, it came nal features, and constant warm water number of years now, and so has on too early, when online conditions, something that some divers their website—the same old one, budding wasn’t an issue prize above all others. I mean. Okay, perhaps I am not yet and, later on when it being fair. It is a fairly good web- was a big deal, it didn’t Thousands of new divers begin their site, but in today’s lightning-paced evolve in the same man- scuba training in these controlled sites, online rat race where everything ner as today’s better many becoming certified as PADI Scuba you see today is gone the next known online communi- Divers. It means that, while certified for moment you glance back, it took ties. I see more divers open water conditions, they can only us a while to see their new and exhibiting (and actually dive under the direct supervision of a improved online face. But it finally using) their online profiles PADI professional.  Understand your land-orien- tated reflexes. did happen. in several popular online community websites, PADI now offers a new certifica-  Beat your subconscious fears. PADI will launch it’s new and such as MySpace, Orkut, tion: Open Water Diver – Controlled improved version on October 22, Facebook and LinkedIn, Environment, that allows for unsupervised  Learn how to breath in a and I was given the preview tour than on PADI’s. Again, I dives within the confines of controlled natural way. on a web-based seminar this last am not being fair, I don’t environments.  Make the most out of your dive week. think PADI could ever in a relaxed manner. beat them; no other dive agency doing what it does best, only the While much larger than standard swim- Among its new features, the new could—the best strategy would be very alienated won’t at least try to ming pools, controlled environments This book is a valuable guide to PADI website will be easier to navi- to join them. Google their destination before- should not have the same unpredictable novices, as well as to experienced gate, have more online informa- hand. variables that exist in open water sites, divers and diving instructors. tion regarding training—for those But the feature that I believe will even bodies of water other than the sea Once you have comprehended your who ask themselves, “Okay, I’m make the difference is the new This time, PADI did work out a keen (such as quarries, lakes and so on). That certified, now what?”—equipment “Dive Shop Locator”. More often strategy by using Google’s best way, divers body, mind and emotions you will selection, online courses (the than not, divers need help on what- geo-locator tool, Google Maps, as won’t need feel (nearly) like a fish in the water. Advanced OWD course is now ever diving issue crushes their soul, a way for divers to pinpoint PADI to consider available online on their eLearn- and the dive shop is their promised dive centers across the globe. As these fac- The author Monika Rahimi taught ing© area), travel tips, how and land. Divers regard the dive shop almost everyone now uses Google tors in their diving for 30 years. who to “Go Pro!” with, news and as a haven for information, a truly Maps to locate places and dig dive plan- Benefit from this experience. events, and so on. reliable source for training, equip- up information, this could not be ning, a ment and travel options—or simply more user-friendly. If enough PADI characteris- To order at: In their current version, PADI had an opportunity for good ol’ chat- stores and schools take the time to tic of PADI’s www.amazon.co.uk (England) made an earlier effort to give tin’ with your friendly neighborhood update their profiles on the web- standard www.amazon.com (USA) it’s website a “2.0” feel, with the dive pro. Even dive travelers need site, maybe the world will indeed Open “My PADI” area (Wow, I haven’t to feel welcome as strangers in a become smaller and cozier. ■ Water Diver Author's E-mail: [email protected] been there in a while myself). strange land and, with the internet course. ■

15 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED news CO2 makes oceans noisier Sound now travels further through the ocean thanks to carbon emissions that have made the oceans more acidic. It is now common knowledge that oceans are becoming more acidic

because of rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere, which dissolves in seawa- ter to form carbonic acid. Less known is it that acidity can influence how far sound travels in seawater. E A whales’ calls, for example, travel further in the north Pacific than in the north Atlantic, due to differences in pH. exactly how the process works is unclear, especially at frequencies below one kilohertz, which include whale calls, crashing waves and noise from shipping. “At these frequencies, the Special Guest Speaker exact molecular mechanism is still a bit fuzzy,” said Peter Brewer of the Monterey Bay Mathematician, Philosopher, Artist, Aquarium Research Institute Dive into ocean con- in California. Concert Pianist... Visionary servation with Oceana It has been hypothesised that ion pairs of carbonate, For divers, the ocean is more bicarbonate, boric acid and than a playground. You borate are tuned to absorb understand this complex and sound wave energy of 1 kHz colorful world better than and below. The acidity of those who have never delved the water affects the bal- beneath its surface. You can ance between these chemi- recognize very quickly the cals. Remember to get your 2009 Ralph Hagen Dive signs when something is wrong: the predicted drop in Cartoon Calendar available from our webshop debris, bleached coral, fewer ocean pH by an average wildlife sightings... of 0.3 before the end of As a diver, you can make a this century would cause a 40 percent decrease in the absorption of sounds difference for the better, both below 1 kHz. “The ocean will have higher levels of ambient noise, marine in the water and out. Divers mammals will communicate at greater range, and military or industrial sounds can be monitors conducting will travel further,” Brewer said. ■ Source: Geophysical Research Letters coral reef and fish surveys, stewards keeping the oceans pollution-free, and voices for Climate zones shift south as Australia’s northern oceans warm the oceans advocating for aquatic habitats, marine wild- Since the 1950s, average sea sur- Geophysical Research Letters*, if SPONSORS life and sustainable fisheries. face temperatures in northeast and current trends continue, annual sea Join Oceana—the larg- northwest tropical Australian waters surface temperatures in northern est international organiza- have increased steadily, causing a Australian tropical waters could be tion focused 100 percent on 200km shift southwards of climate around half a degree warmer, and ocean conservation—in the zones along the northeast coast and those of more southern parts, about fight for healthy oceans. Be an expansion in the area that can two degrees warmer within the next more than a diver. Be an be designated “the tropics”. 100 years, with dire consequences Oceana WaveMaker! Sign up According to senior AIMS sci- for our coral reefs, particularly today and be the first to know entist and climate change team those in the more southerly areas. ■ when the oceans need your leader, Dr Janice Lough, who has Australian Institute of Marine Science help. ■ published her findings in the journal

16 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED A Percent for the Ocean news Seaweeds stunt coral growth Carlos Hiller is a painter of ocean light and life Seaweeds resort to chemical warfare to beat corals for the sweet spots on a reef surface. Chemicals released by the algae into appeared stressed. Larvae had difficulty the water can have a significant impact settling with a second seaweed, and a on the success of coral recovery after third produced chemicals that actually damage. Following damage to a reef, encouraged coral settlement. algae nearly always beat the corals in “On the Great Barrier Reef, we have the race to resettle the devastated area. been relatively lucky, but elsewhere, we Researchers have proved that some have seen a number of instances where seaweeds or algae produce toxic chemi- seaweeds simply took over the reef, cal signals that deter coral larvae from completely preventing the corals from settling on reefs devastated by bleach- coming back,” said McCook. carlos hiller ing, storms or other impacts. Meanwhile, “The greatest threat seems to be when coral larvae may also use algal chemi- we get thick mats of algae combined cals to find a place to settle. with sediment runoff, which smother the “Seaweeds produce a wide range of reef and stop corals gaining a foothold chemicals, some of which encourage —a serious problem for our coastal coral larvae to settle and some of which reefs,” he added. ■ repel them,” said Laurence McCook of ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. these chemical mechanisms may have important implications for the long-term survival of coral reefs globally and their ability to regener- ate after damage from coral bleaching, which is expected to become How corals react to night and day more frequent and dev- astating under climate Researchers have uncovered a gene in corals that responds to day warming, he said. and night cycles. This could lead to a better understand of how symbi- A lot then depends otic corals work together with the algae they are hosting. on which algae shallow water corals have developed symbiotic relationships with dominate the new photosynthetic dinoflagellates, which they harbour in their organisms. system, and wheth- The dinoflagellates use sunlight to produce energy for the coral, which er there are enough in turn use that energy to construct mineralized skeletons for protection. fish, turtles and other

This process, coral calcification, is synchronized with the diurnal cycle herbivores around carlos hiller through molecular mechanism, which remains unclear. to ’mow’ the weeds Aurelie Moya and colleagues have now characterized the first coral and give the corals a Buy these works of art and help save the seas. A gene that responds to the light cycle. The gene makes an enzyme chance to re-establish. percent of all sales goes to ocean conservation. that converts carbon dioxide to bicarbonate, and it is suggested that the researchers looked Find more awe-inspiring images and ocean art by it becomes more active at night to cope with acid buildup during the at three kinds of seaweeds fine artists and underwater photographers from night. and found that a green sea- around the world. T-shirts, prints, cards & gifts. the calcification process requires many hydrogen atoms, which dur- weed called Turtle Weed had ing the day, can be removed by photosynthesis. At night, however, a powerful deterrent effect on coral hydrogen accumulates, which increases the acidity of the coral, and larvae, which refused to settle and therefore, the enzyme creates extra bicarbonate as a buffer to prevent Irish moss, Chondrus crispus, a red algae acid damage. ■ that might encourage coral settilement The X-RAY MAG Store www.cafepress.com/xraymag 17 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED wreck rap Amazing finds on the bottom of the Thames

Edited by Mathias Carvalho

16th-century Portuguese treasure wreck found in Namibian sand

Off the Namibian coast, geologists pros- the shipwreck is located near pecting for diamonds stumbled upon a Oranjemund, about 160km south of a very well preserved 16th century ship- small diamond mine. Its good condition is wreck laden with treasure. Namibia’s attributed to being buried in sand, which Information Ministry announced that the preserves wood. wreck is of a 16th century Portuguese this is an important archeological find, vessel, which was bound for Asia. The since navigational instruments were also Screenshot of HMS London from BBC documentary on Thames shipwrecks. cargo included 2,000 gold coins, copper identified among the remains of the ves- London was accidentally blown up in 1665 and sank in the Thames Estuary. ingots and 1.4 kilograms in silver coins. sel. Cannons and elephant tusks also Image released into the public domain by the BBC A trident-like seal indented on the found scattered on the seabed. This find ingots reveals that they where supplied will provide scientists with a rare insight Shipwrecks found at the Thames riverbed by German merchant Jakob Fugger, a into the heyday of seafaring explorations known supplier to the Portuguese crown between Europe and the Orient. A joint operation between The Port of London Authority (PLA), which regu- during the Habsburg dynasty. there has been some initial specula- lates the river, and Wessex Archaeology, is documenting and clearing up seven shipwrecks from the Thames Estuary. These are only a few, as trade tion about the vessel been linked to and war caused roughly 1,100 vessels to go down over the centuries. Portuguese explorer Bartholomew Dias, Wessex Archaeology has been advising the PLA, since 2003, on the safe- the first European to round Africa’s Cape guard of archaeological and historical interest of these channels’ shipwrecks. of Good Hope. This was quickly dismissed The project, part of major expansion plans that include new dredging in the by archaeologists, as some of the gold existing channels, also has practical objectives, as jagged metal and debris coins found were dated October 1525, may pose a serious threat, especially to large cargo ships that can skim with- 25 years after Dias went missing. in half a meter of the riverbed. Researchers believe that this might be Among the wrecks located, researches found a warship that was blown the oldest shipwreck ever discovered off up in 1665, the trading ship Dovenby, a yacht converted to a Second World the coasts of sub-Saharan Africa. War gunboat, an unidentified vessel in which divers found a personalized A team of archaeologists and geolo- gin bottle and an amazingly well-preserved shipwreck of the HMS London, gists from Namibia, the United States, the oldest find of the lot. Over a dozen divers used 3D survey equipment to Portugal, South Africa and Zimbabwe is locate the wrecks in near-zero visibility. working on the site. As keeping the sea the British Broadcast Company “BBC2” aired a two-episode documentary at bay while the excavations are taking titled “Thames shipwrecks: a race against time”, relating the history behind place is very costly, there is great pres- the struggle over the Thames estuary and the Empire’s busiest trading and sure for the work’s completion by early shipping river. ■ October. ■

18 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED wreck rap Diva shipwreck may have been found Nancy shipwreck of 1784 is finally Aikoku Maru is one of many shipwrecks in Chuuk lagoon stemming from one of located off Scilly islands the biggest naval battles during WWII. On 17 February 1944, the Aikoku Maru was attacked by Avenger dive bombers. She was hit by two bombs in the front part of the ship, causing the Aikoku Maru to explode violently The loss of the Nancy has been sengers and Ann Cargill, an internationally dead baby, whom rescuers were unaware one of the most intriguing ship- renowned actress and opera singer who was Ann Cargill’s. She was afterwards bur- was returning to England. ied in a pauper’s grave. Only when her Chuuk Lagoon at risk from oil leaking wrecks to date, and a tale that paperwork was sent to London, did officials seems to include all elements 18th century superstar realize who she was. Soon after that, her from WWII wrecks of a romatic drama: a beautiful The 23-year-old star, a celebrity with the body was exhumed and reburied in the actress, a tragic shipwreck and same caliber as an 18th Century Madonna Sicily’s St Mary’s Basilica. Filled with shipwrecks, what used to and everyone concerned with it. (she was as renowned for her scandalous As English newspapers published the be know as “The Pacific Theater of However, what is less clear is who will a lost fortune. Now this fabled love-life as for her talent), had been per- tragic account of Cargill’s death and her Operations” in World War II, is today a take responsibility for cleaning it up. wreck may have been found by forming in Calcutta, where her latest lover ‘floating in her shift and her infant in her much valued destination for all sorts of British divers, Todd Stevens and was stationed with the British East India arms’ tale, it all grew into local legend. It diving enthusiasts, ranging from wreck Japanese and American authorities Ed Cumming, who spent a year Company. tells of her lonely spirit, which still haunts the aficionados to coral and marine still claim ownership or interest in their the star was adored worldwide by the spot where she perished, singing a ghostly life photo amateurs. Chuuk Lagoon sunken military vessels, as draining the seaching for her. late 1700s theatre audiences and charged lullaby to her child. evokes clear blue waters, colorful cor- oil from the wrecks may cost millions ‘astonishing’ fees to play in the top London als and an exuberant underwater life. but the cargo is also still worth a lot Still showing inconclusive results, the evi- theatres. Besides amassing huge fame Searches in the wrong place But many of the corroding Japanese more. ■ dence recovered so far leads them to and riches, she had also collected a series Since the 18th century, divers have been and American planes, tankers and believe it is The Nancy, a packet ship of lovers, and there were rumors she had trying to locate the wreck, but they may submarines are now starting to leak from India that, in 1784, wrecked on given birth to an illegitimate child. Not have simply been looking in the wrong toxic fuel and oil; scientists estimate the rocks off Cornwall, dooming 49 pas- unlike many of today’s superstars, her busi- place. Cumming said that a contempo- that the millions of liters still contained ness cunning made her extremely rary record of the tragedy had the ship in the wrecks could lay waste to the rich, as she often took a share of the mistakened for its survivor’s lifeboat: “It had area’s entire ecosystem. profits on top of her payment. Her been written that they ‘were driven’ onto vast personal fortune—cases of valu- Rosevear Island by the stormy sea, and The Federated States of Micronesia, able jewels—supposedly sank with most people took it to mean The Nancy. a four-island state archipelago to the vessel. According to official logs stevens added, “Doing this has been which Chuuk belongs, has tourism as in India, the wreck might contain so rewarding. We are still trying to piece its main source of income, particularly more than £200,000 worth of jewels together the human stories around the for its diving and fishing industry. An and gifts from her various scandalous wreck, but it has been a real thrill. This kind oil leakage on a scale as predicted lovers. of discovery is what you go diving for.” could create havoc to its delicate Following the accident, bodies They have “adopted” the wreck through economy, a grim perspective to the were recovered by searching par- the Nautical Archaeology Society (www. population of more than 50,000 resid- ties, including a woman clutching her nasportsmouth.org.uk), and any treasure ing in around 200 islands. will have to be logged and reported to Ann Cargill (born Ann Brown) the Receiver of Wreck at the Maritime and Three sunk tankers alone have a (1760 - March 4, 1784) was a British Coastguard Agency. combined capacity of roughly three opera diva and celebrated beau- scattered over at least 300 square quarters of the Exxon Valdez catastro- ty whose life and death were a meters, it makes diving on the site difficult phe. Dr Bill Jeffery, from James Cook sensation in London at the close of and possible only under certain weather University, believes that most will be the 18th century. On a return voy-

conditions. The two British divers, who have released in the next five to ten years, uaimage age from India, her ship wrecked and sank off the Isles of Scilly in now written a book called The Ghosts Of a certain loss to the environment February of 1784. Her body was Rosevear, have yet to discover any treas- found, dressed in a chemise, with ure on board, but plan to hand all materials Divers next to the mast of an infant clutched in her arms. over to the Isles of Sicily Museum. ■ the another wreck in Truk

Lagoon, the Unkai Maru C lark A nderson /Aq 19 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Marielle Larsson

come from examining the figure- how old the wood is. The follow- The opinion of the Maritime important historically than even head more closely, but since the ing week, the archeologists were Museum is clear: “The wreck site the world famous Vasa ship itself. figurehead was halfway buried busy working with the figurehead. is a magical, unique imprint of The Maritime Museums of Sweden and eroded, it was difficult to the lion was measured during the past, and should remain as has, since the find, worked investigate it under water. A deci- the days with an optical scanner untouched as possible, as part towards creating a one-of-a-kind sion was made to salvage it for to create a 3D computer model. of a fantastic underwater muse- Historical Wreck Park. Their vision is further documentation, but only At night, it was resting in an inflat- um,” said Andreas Olsson of the to offer guided tours to wrecks in for a few days. Then, it would be able pool to keep it from drying Maritime Museums of Sweden. the region spanning an era of 400 returned to the site. out. Thursday, 2 October, the years. That might take some time, Monday, 30 September 2008, figurehead was returned to the Underwater museum since the wrecks are protected the figurehead was salvaged wreck. The sculpture will now be When the well-preserved wreck by law, and diving is not allowed, from the deep. During the dive, a compared to Vasa’s sculptures, from the 17th century was found but progress is being made. ■ couple of planks were salvaged and there will be tests made to in 2003, the researchers were as well, which will undergo den- see if it has been painted. really excited. Finds indicated drochronological tests, to see Why return the figurehead? that the wreck could be more

Text by Millis Keegan A Symbol of Power When a lion figurehead was found imbedded in the bottom sediment next to the sensational well-preserved 17th century wreck that was discovered in the archi- pelago of Stockholm a few years back, the archeolo- gists of the Maritime Museums of Sweden had one more clue to the mystery of the ship’s origin. Niklas Eriksson During the 17th century, the lion and an escutcheon belonging was a symbol for power. A lion to a noble family in England was figurehead sent a message about found aboard, could mean that its owner’s position in society. This the ship was used for more than find, plus the fact that a canon trading. A lot of information could

20 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Re-sinking the USS Virtual dives on Spiegel Grove The USS Spiegel Grove is a Landing Ship Dock (LSD 32), which has been sunk to create Europe’s sunken wrecks an artificial reef in Key Largo

Underwater archeologi- Emulating the cockpit view of available, in order to clarify the ScubaBoard cal sites and wrecks are a virtual submarine, researchers site’s details and improve on the and DiveNav are using the software will be able whole viewing experience. commonly threathened to explore the sites and decide All elements presented in the announcing collabora- by erosion, deep-sea about future excavations without simulations are in precisely in the tion with two premier dive trawling and looting. going out to sea, a usually time- same arrangement as on the sites. shops in the Florida Keys to Now archaeologists consuming and costly venture. For accuracy’s sake, researchers develop a virtual dive site of the USS the Venus Project (Virtual conducted sonar surveys from the from 11 different institu- Exploration of Underwater Sites) surface and obtained information Spiegel Grove. tions across Europe have has, so far, developed a digital from a robotic submarine. This pro- representation of two shipwrecks: vided more detailed sonar data, as “At the time of its sinking, the Spiegel Grove was teamed up with compu- ally visit real ter experts to develop 200 AD Roman ship, located off well as clear images of the wreck the largest ship ever intentionally sunk to create the island of Pianosa, in Tuscany, itself. The simulator is currently on a new reef for divers,” said Captain Slate, owner locations. 3D models of underwa- and the Barco da Telha (“roof display at the Deep aquarium, in of the Atlantis Dive Center, “and as of today, she ter sites in an effort to tile boat”), an early18th century Hull, England. remains one of the largest ships in the world ever “The Upper Florida preserve and share this vessel that sank off Sessimbra, by early 2009, the simulator’s soft- scuttled for that purpose,” he continued. Keys is one of the top Portugal. A second Roman wreck, ware should be made available destinations in the knowledge with other located off Marseilles, is due next. at the project’s official website The USS Spiegel Grove is a Landing Ship Dock country for divers and snorkel- scientists and the gen- Another advantage of the simu- www.venus-project.eu and will run (LSD 32); she is 510 feet in length and 84 feet ers,” said Captain Gary, owner of eral public. lator is that researchers can add on standard personal computers. wide, and she now rests at a depth of 134 ft near the Conch Republic Divers. “By offering in elements that are no longer link: piccard.esil.univmed.fr ■ Dixie Shoals in Key Largo. a virtual tour of the USS Spiegel Grove, you will be able to see this massive artifi- “Once this project is cial reef and how the abundant sea life have completed, anyone now made it their home,” he continued. with a computer and access to the Internet “We are glad to collaborate with ScubaBoard will be able to vir- and with local experts such as Captain Slate tually dive the USS and Captain Gary,” said Alberto Mantovani, Spiegel Grove using president and CEO of DiveNav. “We are calling eDiving,” said Peter upon the Florida’s diving community and upon Murray, president of ScubaBoard’s members to contribute their ScubaBoard. “The USS expertise to this project, so we can make the Spiegel Grove is one USS Spiegel Grove accessible to a wider audi- of the best dive sites in ence,” he added. Florida,” he added. please check with Atlantis Dive Center or Conch Republic Divers to see how you can eDiving, developed become a part of this exciting project. by DiveNav, is the vir- tual underwater world ScubaBoard and DiveNav are planning to that allows divers, demonstrate virtual diving on the USS Spiegel snorkelers and marine Grove at the DEMA Show, booths number 2409 enthusiasts to virtu- and 4951, respectively. ■

21 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED wreck rap No Secret for Victoria!

What does a fish exporter from Norway, a Chief Information Officer and diving instructor living in the Netherlands, a renowned lawyer based in Cyprus, a Project Manager working in Sweden, and an expat French Technical Diving Instructor have in common?

By Cedric Verdier

HMS Victoria was one of Apparently nothing—except their Circuit Rebreathers and diving two Victoria-class battle- love for underwater wrecks and according to the principles set ships of the Royal Navy. their desire to explore some of forth in the DIRrebreather diving On 22 June 1893 she collid- the most famous ones all over the standards. By: Cedric Verdier ed with HMS Camperdown world. Spyrou and Verdier had been near Tripoli, Lebanon A few months ago, Per Bjorn discussing diving the HMS Victoria during manoeuvres and quickly sank, taking 358 Rakvag, Pim van der Horst, Spyros since the summer of 2007. The crew with her, including Spyrou, Henrik Enckell and Cedric impressive wreck is quite unusual the commander of the Verdier decided to go on a wreck in the sense that it stands up verti- British Mediterranean Fleet, expedition to Lebanon. The pur- cally rising up from 140m to 77m Vice-Admiral Sir George pose was to explore the HMS with her bow deeply embedded Tryon. She was the first Victoria, a British battleship that in the thick layer of sediment. battleship to be propelled went down in 1893 and now lies Spyrou contacted ambassadors by triple expansion steam a few miles off Tripoli, between and officials from Cyprus and engines and also the first Beirut and the Syrian border, rest- Lebanon to obtain all the neces- Royal Navy ship to be ing at 140m (460ft). The divers sary permissions. Soon he came equipped with a steam turbine, which was used to were equipped for the challenge in touch with Christian Francis, power a dynamo. ahead with Megalodon Closed- owner of Lebanon Divers who first

22 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Lebanon!? When you mention to someone that you are going to Lebanon, you get this same strange expres- sion back—a delicate mix of sur- prise and worry. Lebanon is any- thing but the usual, off-the shelf diving destination. After so many years of civil wars, conflicts with the neighbouring countries, and military actions against extremist groups, Lebanon is not any more the coveted and classy tourist destination that it once was. The southern border is still quite “active”, and Beirut International Airport has been closed repeat- edly in the recent years. But one has to admit that Lebanon is a beautiful country, and it is well known for its surprising nightlife, its extremely rich archaeological heritage, and the warm hospital- ity of its inhabitants. Lebanese

located the wreck. During that time, thanks to the DIRrebreather forum and its members, Verdier spoke with several experienced rebreather divers who wanted to partici- pate in this interesting project, and before long, a team was formed. However, it takes a good deal more than dedication and tenacity to get a project like this off the ground. You also need experience, and above all, financing. The plan was for the team to first gather in Cyprus a few days before the trip to Beirut, but airlines sometimes work in mysterious ways, and as a con- sequence of multiple delays, some of the participants had to go directly to Lebanon. Some of them even used a Rolls- Royce as a taxi to the airport!

23 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED In 2004 the wreck of the Victoria was discov- wreck ered by diver Christian Francis. She was found rap in 140 metres of water. The most amazing aspect of the wreck is that unlike all others she sits vertically with about two thirds of her above the sea bed. people, most of whom are multi-lingual, have also learnt to live with war and enjoy peaceful moments in their stunning landscapes. Once very westernized in their tastes, reli- gion and manners, Lebanese people enjoyed close ties to France and the UK. That is also the reason why a fleet from the Royal Navy went to anchor off Tripoli, a couple of hours north of Beirut. According to the Naval Historical Collectors and Research Association (Review Autumn 2007): “The tragic sinking of the 10,470-ton

HMS Victoria remains the Royal ted by the nearby Tower of Lions. rear gun he looked Navy’s biggest peacetime Why was the wreck so difficult at for a few minutes. disaster ... On 22 June 1893, to find? Simply because the wreck Verdier couldn’t 22 officers and 334 of her of HMS Victoria stands up verti- help but explaining crew were drowned after the cally, which her bow deeply bur- how a wreck of this HMS Camperdown accidently ied in a thick layer of mud, making kind could accom- rammed the Mediterranean flag- searches with a depth sounder modate any level of ship in an elaborate and ill-judged very difficult. Trimix Divers, ranging gle equipment failure during their fleet manoeuvre ordered by Vice- from the comfortable tour of the expedition in Lebanon. All the Admiral Sir George Tryon KCB.” Diving Victoria stern at 77m/250ft to the extreme dives were done according to Within only 13 minutes, during If you ask the five DIRrebreather exploration of the wreckage at strict DIRrebreather team proce- which most of the crew managed members who explored this wreck 140m/460ft. In other words, it looks dures, using standards mixes, set- to abandon ship, the proud battle- in April what impressed them most like Victoria’s got something for points and decompression sched- ship was pulled downward by the about this wreck, you’ll get five dif- everyone! ules. weight of 111 tons of her two for- ferent answers. None of the participants suf- ward-mounted main guns in their Spyrou will tell you that “this These five rebreather divers were fered from any sign of decompres- huge turret, while still being driven wreck is clearly like no other, as so fortunate to arrive during per- sion sickness, which is an absolute forward by her churning propellers. it’s so weird and disturbing to go fect weather conditions to explore requirement bearing in mind the After reading about a very epic down along what you are used to the whole wreck. They shot pic- remoteness of the location and court martial of the main offic- see horizontal”. Van der Horst and tures and videos, paying their price the relative lack of state-of-the-art ers involved at that time, and the Rakvag will speak about the pic- at the end of the end with long recompression chamber. many documented attempts to tures they took of the two impres- decompression stops in 18° C (64F) Apart from the trouble eat- find the wreck, Christian Francis, sive propellers pointing toward the cold water. ing the local corned beef, eve- a local Dive Centre owner, finally surface. Enckell will maybe men- Thanks to the robustness of ryone participated in a safe Blad of one of the found her resting place, exactly tion the artefacts and portholes, their Megalodon rebreathers, and extremely enjoyable deep giant propellors where the battleship was last spot- the fishing nets, and the huge they didn’t experience any sin- rebreather diving expedition. ■

24 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Global credit crunch has detrimental effect on the diving tourism industry The Best of Roatan The global credit crunch, coupled with soaring fuel costs and travel news See the Bay Islands of Honduras global economic instability, has forced one Australian tour opera- tor to cease day trips to the Great Barrier Reef. As of October 12, in comfort on our 70’ Live Aboard Dive Yacht Townsville’s Sunsea Cruises will cease trips to Kelso Reef in the Great Enjoy our seven day or three day/two Barrier Reef Marine Park. General manager Darin McDonald says Edited by night package. Fantastic diving in tun- the service is no longer viable, and cancelling it was a difficult Scott Bennett nels, walls, reefs corals and wrecks. decision. “We’ve spoken to the Members of Parliament to try and Excellent local food on-board. cough up some money to try and make this thing happen,” said Spacious accommodations and lounge. McDonald. “We’ve looked at other options of how we can save this business and make a go of it, but realistically we can’t see any Only 12 pampered guests per trip. other option but to have to close the doors.” ■ Divers At Play [email protected] Yoga and Diving Make for a Winning 011-504-9841-1779 Maldives Nature Trail Combination in the Maldives www.diversatplay.com Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and als, sea anemones, Maldives manta rays and contribute to Located in a secluded nook of the Spa, Maldives, opening in the anemonefish, clams, moray the photo database that will Maldive’s South Ari Atoll, the luxuri- fourth quarter of 2008 in the eels and the colourful juvenile be shared with other such cen- ous Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is Addu Atoll, will feature the first Oriental Sweetlips. The marine tres around the world to help encircled by some of the world’s best “Underwater Nature Trail” in the specialist has also created snor- monitor the movement and dive sites. In order to embellish the Maldives, as well as a snorkel- kel gardens close to the south- population of these sea crea- underwater experiences of its guests, ling garden “seascaped” with west shoreline of the resort. In tures. The resort will also set up the resort has teamed up with Yoga transplanted corals. As part of addition to offering a marine a programme to educate and guru Katy Appleton to offer unique the resort’s marine initiatives, adventure for less experienced encourage guests to sponsor Dive and Yoga Bliss packages from guests will also be invited to swimmers, the shallow-water the satellite tagging of sea tur- 20-30 October 2008. help track some of the archi- snorkel gardens will provide a tles and support organisations As a keen diver herself, Katy has pelago’s largest manta rays nursery for corals and reef fish. working on conservation on a long recognized the benefits of yoga found in the Addu Atoll waters. experienced divers will be larger scale. as a tool to enhance the quality of the Underwater Nature Trail, invited to participate in the this will be the first resort in her diving experiences. In conjunc- designed by the resort’s marine tracking of manta rays. Addu the Maldives to offer nature tion with the resort’s Sub Aqua Dive specialist, will lead out to the Atoll is one of the few places trails—both above and below Centre, guests will have a choice of resort’s house reef on the in the Maldives where giant water. With lush vegetation two options: Discover Scuba/Yoga for northern end of Villingili Island. manta rays with wingspans of providing the backdrop for beginners or Yoga Scuba for experi- Submerged signage will identify more than five metres can be trails through the coconut trees enced and certified divers. resident marine life along the found year-round. Divers will and ancient Banyan trees on the beginners’ course will com- way, including branching cor- be encouraged to photograph the three-kilometre-long island, mence with 90 minutes practicing guests will be able to enjoy all specific yoga techniques focusing on the natural wonders of Villingili breathing, meditation and relaxation Island, on land and sea. techniques to assist with underwater shangri-La’s Villingili Resort relaxation. A diving programme in and Spa is Addu Atoll’s first the resort’s own reef, accompanied luxury resort. Currently under by Katy and Sub Aqua Manager Alexis Vincent, will follow. development, the resort will Experienced divers can join Katy for 60 minutes of Yoga prac- boast 142 villas offering views tice, followed by a boat dive enabling participants to prac- of the ocean or the island’s tice their newly acquired breathing skills. lush native vegetation. The In addition, guests can choose from a variety of Retreat Maldives’ second international options, from spa treatments, fitness and yoga classes and airport, Gan International consultations with visiting practitioners as well as the resort’s Airport, is an eight-minute own naturopath. A Dive and Yoga Bliss session costs US$200/ boat ride away while Male GB£115. International Airport is 70 min- For additional information, visit Katy Appleton’s website at: utes by air. ■ www.appleyoga.com. ■

25 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Sabah Resort Says No to Sharkfins Dive into X-RAY MAG’s travel At least one Library of Issues! Sabah resort has taken steps to Download past issues FREE Edited by prevent sharks Scott Bennett from being cruelly mutilated for their fins. Gayana Eco Resort will now refrain from serv- Increased dive tourism ing shark fin soup at its recently is threatening reefs in refurbished Alu Alu Seafood the Red Sea Restaurant. By In a report to be soon published in the doing so, it has Marine Pollution Bulletin, a study conducted become the first tourism establishment in the state, and the Borneo coast near the city of Kota Kinabalu. Gaya by Hasler and Ott have revealed sites with perhaps all of Malaysia, to implement a federal minis- Island is one of the five coral reef islands that make up intensive diving activities bore significantly ter’s call to cease serving shark fin soup at government the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. lower coral cover than un-dived areas. functions. “Killing sharks and throwing them away just of the world’s estimated 2,000 sharks and ray spe- Studies were conducted on the reefs of for their fins is a despicable and shameful practice that cies, Sabah’s waters are believed to be home to 36 Dahab in Egypt’s South Sinai region, some must be stopped,” said Nilakrisna James, spokesperson species of sharks and 42 species of stingray. It is esti- of which receive over 30,000 dives annu- and public relations consultant for the resort. mated that 100 million sharks are killed annually for ally. Gayana Eco Resort is situated on Gaya Island, just off their fins. ■ Compared to areas with little or no dive traffic, findings indicated that reefs with intensive diving activities suffered consid- Odyssea’s Cocotinos erably increased levels of coral damage. Atlantis Hotel Dubai Resort commences Corals situated on reef crests were con- siderably more affected than those sites Opening in late September, Dubai’s latest exercise in opulence sits atop construction encompassing reef slopes, with 95 percent an immense man-made island in the shape of a palm tree. Opening in late of the branching corals broken. Some sites September, the $US1.5 billion resort, features two hotel towers linked by an arch After months of prepara- also bore the effects of sedimentation, an and boasts 1,539 rooms, 17 restaurants, spa and waterpark. tions, Odyssea Divers has indication that heavy diver traffic was stir- Situated in the main hotel, the resort’s centerpiece is the sprawling announced construction of ring up debris on the seabed. While fish life Ambassador Lagoon. Holding a staggering 11 million litres of water, the world’s their new Cocotinos Resort didn’t appear affected, third largest aquarium is home to has commenced on the a reduction in coral cover 65,000 fish. The tank’s star attrac- island of Lombok. The new may have serious repercus- tion, however, is Sheika, a four- resort will feature a total of sions in future. metre long Whale shark. Stranded 28 rooms comprising of one In order for the reefs to in too shallow waters in the Persian two-story bungalow with pri- recuperate, Hasler and Ott Gulf, the exhausted fish would have vate roof top bathing and have recommended the surely died had it not been rescued sun tanning facilities, two implementation of ecologi- by a local fisherman. suites with private splash cally sustainable dive prac- Brought to Atlantis, it received pools, four water’s-edge tices, including a reduc- treatment at the aquarium’s villa rooms, 18 garden villa tion in the number of dives own hospital and was eventually rooms and three Terrace allowed per site on a yearly released in its new home. In addi- Rooms. Although the offi- basis. Also emphasized was tion, a sister attraction called the cial opening date is not increased education of Lost Chambers is home to 21 addi- finalized, the new resort is dive guides and divers alike tional tanks, which harbor a dizzy- expected to open for busi- to help understand and ing array of sea life ranging from jel- ness in the final quarter of maintain the integrity of the lyfish to an enormous giant grouper. 2009. ■ www.xray-mag.com reef’s delicate ecosystem. ■ ■

26 X-RAY MAG : 26 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED