X-Ray Magazine Issue 20

Holiday Shopping & Stocking Stuffers for Divers Equipment: Lamps Pearls of the Mediterranean Russia

GLOBAL EDITION White Sea Dec :: Jan 2008 Number 20 Science Osmosis Portfolio Micheline Hadjis Conservation Bali Sea Turtles INDONESIA Norway Lyngstølsvattnet cover photo by andrea ferrari Raja1 X-RAY MAG : 20 : 2007 Ampat DIRECTORY X-RAY MAG is published by AquaScope Media ApS Holiday Shopping & Stocking Stuffers Frederiksberg, Denmark www.xray-mag.com For Divers... page 63 Shark MASCOT costume with Motorized Fan installed free! on sale for US$936.17 from www.costume-shop.com PUBLISHER CO- EDITORS & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Andrey Bizyukin - Features Peter Symes Arnold Weisz - News, Features Anemone. Photo by Peter Sutter [email protected] Willy Volk - News, Interviews PUBLISHER Millis Keegan - Opinions, contents & CREATIVE DIRECTOR Brian Keegan - Equipment Gunild Pak Symes Michael Arvedlund - Ecology [email protected] Tony White - Photography PUBLISHER Scott Bennett - Travel HARALD APELT Edwin Marcow - Sharks [email protected] Correspondents Associate editors John Collins - Ireland & representatives: Enrico Cappeletti - Italy USA: Millis Keegan Gary Myors - Tasmania [email protected] Marcelo Mammana - Argentina Russia: Andrey Bizyukin Svetlana Murashkina - Russia [email protected] Barb Roy - WA, USA Robert Aston - CA, USA South East Asia Rep & editor: Nonoy Tan - The Philippines Catherine GS Lim, Singapore [email protected] Contributors this issue Kurt Amsler ADVERTISING Urs Anliker Coordinating sales manager: Harald Apelt Millis Keegan (US) Andrey Bizyukin, PhD [email protected] Peter Collings Andrea & Antonella Ferrari International sales rep: Christoph Gerigk Arnold Weisz (Americas+Asia) [email protected] Micheline Hadjis Jason Heller International sales rep: Steve Jones Harvey Page (Europe & Africa) Jan Jorgensen [email protected] Millis Keegan

International sales rep: Catherine GS Lim Geoff Mellard (Europe) Inger Lise [email protected] Edwin Marcow Wolfgang Pölzer 25 37 47 57 60 plus... Espen Rekdal Ra j a Amp a t Wh i t e Se a Eq u i pm e n t : Sc i e n c e Pe a r l s o f t h e EDITORIAL 3 SENIOR EDITOR Yann St Yves In d o n e s i a Ru s s i a La mp s Os m o s i s Mediterranean : In t r o NEWS 4 Michael Symes Peter Sutter b y An d y Fe r r a r i b y Pe t e r Sy m e s b y Ha r a l d Ap e l t b y Mi c h a e l Sy m e s b y Ha r a l d Ap e l t [email protected] Gunild Symes DEMA REPORT 11 Michael Symes EQUIPMENT 13 ONLINE EDITOR Peter Symes MORE NEWS 15 Willy Volk Cedric Verdier 63 67 77 92 WHALES&DOLPHINS 55 [email protected] Ho l i d a y Sh o pp i n g Co n s e r v a t i o n : Re p o r t : Wo r l d Fe s t i v a l Po r t f o l i o : Further info see: BOOKS & MEDIA 72 & St o c k i n g St u f f e r s Ba l i Se a Tu r t l e s o f Un d e r w a t e r Im a g e s Micheline Ha d j i s Marketing Manager: BUSINESS DIRECTORY 91 Yann Saint-Yves contacts page: e d i t e d b y Gu n i l d Sy m e s b y Ku r t Am s l e r b y Ha r a l d Ap e l t e d i t e d b y Gu n i l d Sy m e s www.xray-mag.com [email protected] Not yet subscribed to SUBSCRIPTION columns... X-RAY MAG? Sign up now! X-RAY MAG International Edition in English is FREE It’s FREE! QUICK! EASY! To subscribe, go to: www.xray-mag.com 65 74 80 86 Sh a r k Ta l e s : Te c h Ta l k : UW Ph o t o & Vi d e o : Un i q u e Di v e Si t e : click here... COVER PHOTO y n g s t ø l s v a t t n e t o r w a y Sweetlips in the Current, Raja Ampat, by Andrea Ferrari Bi t s & Bi t e s Re b r e a t h e r Re s c u e Mo d e l s L , N (Continued on page 4) e d i t e d b y Ed w i n Ma r c o w b y Ce d r i c Ve r d i e r b y Ku r t Am s l e r b y In g e r Li s e

2 X-RAY MAG : 20 : 2007 Amsterdam Barcelona Cape Town Copenhagen Hamburg London Miami Moscow Oslo Paris Ravenna Singapore Sharm El Shiekh Sao Paulo Warsaw Editorial Wow, another year has already gone by and what a year! Are orcas We would like to thank all of you for remaining true to X-Ray- Magazine. And, as a very per- able to cry? sonal gift to all of our readers, we decided to increase our efforts to present in 2008 more interesting It may sound like a dumb question. But is I came to ask myself if there was really stories, new and brilliant pictures Because you can’t stay underwater forever... it now? It has come to haunt me since any animal on the planet, which fancied and the “crème de la crème” I recently went on a trip to southern playing the clown in front of an astonished of underwater photographers France. audience scooting across an aquarium Join the World’s largest Online Diving Community from all over the world. And, the carrying a neoprene coated coach on most important information: we I don’t have the answer. I have been the back. I don’t think any animal will find and you will never be without a buddy again. are planning to publish next year diving since 1982, but it took me 25 years a deep fulfilment doing things like that. A eight instead of six issues of X-Ray Imagine a resource that will answer are looking for. It’s free, it’s huge, it’s before I came to see a small group of glance into the bright and happy eyes of Magazine. For your entertainment almost every question you ever had ultra friendly and we are waiting for orcas. However, I didn’t see them in the children in “Marineland” showed me and joy and still free of charge! about diving: photography, gear, you to show up! ScubaBoard.com the wild, as I would have wished for, that the kids weren’t troubled by any such physics, flora, fauna, destinations, is the ultimate place to begin your but in “Marineland”, some kilometres reflections. But is this enough justification to The X-Ray-team has worked quite wrecks, technical diving, and then research and to find a host of dive outside of Antibes, on the French Cote sanction what in my opinion is a shady form a lot during the last weeks to fulfil imagine this resource is but a click buddies all around the world with a d’Azur. I was there to participate in the of entertainment? this important step to more qual- away. What would you call it? Well, common goal: to share our under traditional “Festival Mondial de l’image ity and professionalism. We will we call it www.ScubaBoard.com water heaven in a safe and friendly sous-marine” – the world festival of Also, is such a location the right place to keep you well informed and we atmosphere! See you on the ‘Board underwater pictures. For 34 years, the hold a festival for divers? One cynical point hope to welcome you next year Join over 75,000 users, including 1200 tonight! international “crème de la crème” of view was proudly presented by a quite again as readers and members Scuba Instructors, hundreds of manu- of underwater photographers and well known photographer: “Well, let’s see in the continuously growing com- facturers and so many dive experts filmmakers has gathered to watch or it this way,” he said, “This quartet should be munity of X-Ray Mag fans. We in the World’s largest Online Scuba participate in the international contest for happy being here in Marineland. Out in the would like to thank all our support- Community and find the answers you the “Palme d’Or”. And for the first time, wild they would have to take care each ers and contributors whose work the festival was held in this marine park. second not to end up in the holds of a and engagement makes X-Ray (Find a report on the festival on page 78) Japanese whaling trawler.” No comment! become reality. You can look forward to the upcoming issues, X-RAY MAG is distributed six views and information X-RAY MAG accepts no responsi- The “Marineland” has a large saltwater- It is my belief that if these orcas were given because we are proud to present times per year on the Internet. expressed in articles are those bility for unsolicited materials sent aquarium with a huge oval tribune. a choice, they would have moved to some new first-class-photogra- © 2004-2006 X-RAY MAG. All of the individual author and to its office, nor is it liable for loss or In the five segments of this basin, four Norway for mating, to meet their peers or to phers and their amazing stories in rights reserved. are not necessarily repre- damage to such materials. Orcas are cavorting for the amusement have a pork fest in the tremendous herring next year’s magazines. Material in this publication sentative of views held by of the visitors. It is quite a show with a schools. From this point of view, I do believe may not be reproduced or X-RAY MAG or its affiliates. X-RAY MAG observes a strict lot of stunts they and their trainers put that orcas are able to cry—perhaps very We welcome in our publishing- transferred electronically in Unsolicited manuscripts, privacy policy. No personal or on. At first, I was fascinated, because I quietly and below the surface, so that we team Wolfgang Pölzer from any form without written per- photographs and illustrations private information will be shared have never seen any of these fantastic won’t see their tears! Austria, Darek Sepiolo from mission from the copyright should be emailed to: with a third party without the writ- animals in reality. For some moments, I Poland, Noam Kortler from Israel, owner. [email protected] ten permission of the owner. came to think of Porter Ricks, Sandy and Ralf Kiefner and Andrea Ramalho- Bud and of course Flipper! When Kiefner from Germany/Brasil, Steve Editorial state- I was a child, I loved to see Jones from Great Britain and Jeff ment regarding the adventures of Flipper on News from Yonover from USA. TV and was amazed by its NAUI in X-RAY intelligence. MAG: We wish all our friends from all over the world a Merry Christmas This issue of X-RAY MAG and others includes news But then, and all of a and a successful and Happy New and press releases from NAUI in sections designated sudden, this deep sadness by the NAUI logo. While the page design is done by Year 2008. crept over me, making me X-Ray Magazine is a member of X-RAY MAG as an integrated part of the magazine, leave the show after Diving Equipment & Marketing these news stories are brought to you by NAUI at Harald Apelt 15 minutes. Association: www.dema.org NAUI’s discretion. Publisher

Jaime Ramos, U.S. Antarctic Program 3 X-RAY MAG : 20 : 2007 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED There is also evidence the corals control the algae’s output, suggest- ing that the corals are farming divorce, and the corals starving them- selves to death. their captive plants. “An example of the challenge we face is the gene which is expressed the 2002, and eight major bleaching epi- most when Symbiodinium is stressed. It’s sodes have been reported worldwide obviously important, but at this stage News edited in the last 30 years due to warming sea we have no idea what it does. It is even by Peter Symes & water. stranger when you consider that this Catherine GS LIm “Our aim is to identify the genes that gene was originally acquired from a bac- make the symbiotic plants susceptible terium,” Prof Yellowlees said. NEWS to these stresses, and lead to the coral So far, the team has identified about expelling them,” Dr Leggat says. 4500 genes in Symbiodinium, compiling An Australian team of coral In experiments at Heron Island them into the world’s first gene expres- Research Station, they exposed corals to sion library for this symbiotic organism. It researchers has taken a major They have different step towards understanding the various stresses associated with climate is hoped this will have value for under- photosynthetic machin- change and then analysed the gene standing other symbiotic relationships in inner workings of the mechan- composition in the symbiotic algae. nature. ■ ims that drive coral reefs. ery from all other light Another team analysed the effects in Source: ARC Centre of Excellence harvesting organisms. corals. Using the powerful micro-array It is a tiny symbiotic algae Symbiodinuim They have 100 times technology, the researchers that feeds the corals, which means that more DNA than we do hope to assemble a picture it is the primary energy source for the of the “chemical conver- whole reef ecosystem. sation” that goes on This organism not only dictates the fate than we do, and we have no between the of the world’s coral reefs, it also plays a idea why such a small organism corals and significant role in soaking up carbon diox- needs so much. They really are its symbi- ide from the atmosphere in turning it into like no other living creature we otic plants nourishment for the corals and powering know.” that leads calcification. to a break- Symbiodinium is part of a larger group Stressed out down in the of organisms called dinoflagellates which The researchers have focused relationship, a together process about one third of all A view of a coral polyp using fluorescense particularly on understanding CO2 entering the oceans, and are thus show the Symbiodinium algae (green) the biochemical relationship between vital players in helping to remove CO2 Symbiodinium and corals when they are from the atmosphere. Its decline would Unlike any other life form stressed by heat, light, increased CO2 not only kill the reefs but accelerate CO2 Like other plants, Symbiodinium uses sun- levels and pollutants from land run-off. buildup. light to convert CO2 into carbohydrates These stressful conditions cause cor- Understanding how they function will upon which the corals feed. als to “bleach” by expelling the help fill in one of the critical gaps in our “But these microscopic algae are quite Symbiodinium and—if they do understanding of climate change—how weird and unlike any other life form. They not recover them within a much CO2 the oceans can trap and how have different photosynthetic machinery few days—the corals this will ultimately affect climate change. from all other light harvesting organisms”, die. Large-scale explains professor David Yellowlees, bleaching struck ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef half of the Great Studies. “They have 100 times more DNA Barrier Reef in Weird Engine of the Reef Revealed?

4 X-RAY MAG : 20 : 2007 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Images: Fisheries & Oceans Divers Find New Species in Aleutians Canada Deep Sea Discoveries Off Canada’s East Coast Two of the species are sea anemones, the kind of A survey of unexplored Platform for Ocean Science), ner universities. The role of the newly sea anemones that drift across the seafloor as they depths of Nova Scotia and they collected samples and discovered species in the marine feed. They range from the size of a softball to the Newfoundland has revealed images at depths of 2,500 metres food chain will be one of the prime size of a basketball. that life in these waters is and transmitted live underwater areas of study; findings could also The third one is a kelp or brown algae, dubbed much more diverse than video footage to researchers at have implications for conservation “Golden V Kelp”. Measuring up to ten feet long, previously realized. During various land locations. efforts and medicine. ■ the kelp may represent a new genus or even a a recent three week mis- Deep water corals were a pri- new family of the seaweed. It was discovered near sion, researchers from mary focus of the survey, which thermal vents. Fisheries and Oceans was conducted onboard the The three species were discovered by a team Canada and Memorial Canadian Coast Guard Ship of scientific divers from the University of Alaska University of Newfoundland Hudson. Research based on the Fairbanks. According to Stephen Jewett, a profes- captured over 3,000 high mission’s findings will continue sor of marine biology and the dive leader, the sci- quality photographs that dis- for the next year at the entists are reasonably sure that the kelp is a new spe- played this diversity, including Bedford Institute of cies, while more work needs to be done to confirm an octopus with large fins near Oceano​graphy that the sea anemone species are completely new its eyes, known as “Dumbo,” a in Dartmouth, potentially new species of scal- Nova lop, and a single-celled organism Scotia File shells from the Sable Gully. This previously unknown in this region. and its This Dumbo Octopus species was previously unknown in Using an underwater robot known part- from the Sable Gully received its this region and may be a new spe- as ROPOS (Remotely Operated name because of the large fins located cies to science on either side of its head

One of the newly discovered sea anemones. Photo courtesy of Stephen Jewett

An octopus from the to science. Stone The organisms were found while surveying more Fence than 1,000 miles of rarely-explored coastline, from Attu to the Tigalda Islands. Logging more than 300 hours underwater, the divers collected hundreds of water, biological and chemical samples over 440 dives. Armed with underwater cameras and video cameras, they took hundreds of photographs and dozens of short movies of the creatures that inhabit the coast of the Aleutians. “Since the underwater world of the Aleutian Islands has been studied so little, new species are being discovered, even today,” said Jewett. He adds that even more new species may be revealed as samples collected during the dives continue to be analyzed. ■

5 X-RAY MAG : 20 : 2007 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED More underwater sanctuaries to come in California         news In a drive to expand a California state law to create more underwater sanctuaries, environmentalists are pushing hard for the next northern      phase of California’s Marine Fisheries Protection Act. This phase will Edited by include the Farallons, Point Reyes Headlands, areas along Mendocino Peter Symes and the Sonoma coast. These protection areas up and down the coast would form a chain of safe havens where marine wildlife thrive SeaCure™ Custom Mouthpiece and multiply. Scientific studies show some benefits to such zones, at least for fish that do not migrate. ■ is moldable and remoldable.

Source: ABC7 SE Farallon Island NOAA / J an oletto R Created by an orthodontist, SeaCure is designed to fit your mouth, teeth, and New Species Found in Philippines Philippines ban 57 New freshwater fish gums . . . PERFECTLY. U.S. and Philippine scientists may have discovered new marine spe- fishing to revive species found in Europe cies in the world’s most biologically diverse region. biggest reef Available at your local dive center. Dr. Larry Madin, who led the Inner Space Speciation Project in the Celebes Sea south of the Philippines, said that scientists went to one Europe’s rivers and lakes boast at least 57 more of the world’s deep ocean basins in search of organisms that may The Philippines have tightened freshwater fish species than previously thought, sci- have been isolated there for millions of years. The deepest part of laws banning fishing and col- entists have announced. the Celebes Sea is 5,000 meters. The team was able to explore to a lecting of species on the coun- The new species were discovered during a depth of 2,800 meters using a remotely operated camera. try’s largest coral reef in order seven-year assessment of the conservation status www.seacure1.com Madin said they collected about 100 different specimens, includ- to help it recover from near of freshwater fish in Europe that was conducted in ing several possibly newly discovered species. One was a sea destruction. The 27,400 hec- collaboration with IUCN, the World Conservation cucumber that was nearly transparent, which could swim by bend- tare Apo Reef off the coast Union. ing its elongated body. Another was an unusually black jellyfish that of Mindoro island was almost The findings lengthen Europe’s list of freshwa- was found near the bottom of the sea. But the most striking creature drained of life by heavy fish- ter fish to 522 species, and the study authors say they found was a spiny orange-colored worm that had 10 tentacles ing, including by dynamite and many more undescribed fish have been found or like a squid, he said. ■ cyanide, which left only a third are suspected to exist, potentially taking the total of coral cover by the early number of confirmed species to 600 or higher. ■ 1990s. ■ Source: Reuters Source: National Geographic News PH OTO

H UNG SUNG- WU O F C OURTESY New species of sea slug found off Taiwan

A stunning new species of sea slug has “little strawberry,” was a new discovery and been discovered off the coast of Green a species belonging to the Tritoniidae. Island by Taiwanese marine biologist Chen chen and his team were commissioned Ming-huei. It has been temporarily nick- by the Taiwanese Coral Reef Society to named “little strawberry” until an official investigate the marine life in the area to name can be determined. Richard Willan, determine whether Green Island should be the curator of molluscs at the Northern included in the Construction and Planning Territories Agency’s plan to establish a marine park The new species of slug Museum in along the Dong Sha Atoll. has been temporarily nick- Darwin, Australia, chen reportedly set a new record by named “little strawberry” and expert on finding more than 30 species of sea slugs until an official name can sea slugs has native to Green Island during his survey. ■ be determined confirmed that Source: Taipei Times

6 X-RAY MAG : 20 : 2007 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Avoiding Red Snapper Join NZ Mercury in your Unsustainable List seafood. The Green List New Zealand— The red snap- from Oceana is per is one of seven species a list of which added to the list of species stores that considered environmentally hang signs to unsustainable in the latest edi- inform you about tion of Forest & Bird’s Best Fish which species Guide. The other species are are safe to eat moonfish, striped marlin, blue shark, mako shark, porbeagle shark and lookdown dory. Is your seafood safe? forest & Bird conservation advocate, Kirstie Knowles, said Now you can ask your cell phone on a more positive note, kina, anchovy, pilchards, sprats and For the sake of our health, most of us should eat more fish. It blue mackerel had come within is good protein, and the fish oils are good for our hearts. But 1-2 points of making it into the it is not without issues. One, is whether your choice is endan- green list of fisheries, which are gering the environment by depleting or harming our ocean- sustainable. “Again, no species ic populations. The other, is it’s hard to know which fish have are ranked as sustainable, but been over exposed to pollutants and contain harmful toxins. with improvements to fisher- Enter the FishPhone. It is a new website and—in the ies management, we could US—also a text-messaging service, which enables restaurant potentially see some fisheries patrons, supermarket shoppers and chefs to make healthy, be ranked in the green list in NOAA informed and sustainable choices when deciding which fish future,” she said. ■ to choose. According to Blue Ocean, the marine conserva- Source: New Zealand Herald tion organization behind the new initiative, information is available for over 90 species and includes an alternative choice for fish with significant environmental concerns. Red Snapper American consumers can text 30644 with the message FISH and the name of the fish in question, and within sec- US federal fish- ing regulations) extends nine Peter S ymes onds, FishPhone will text back with Blue Ocean’s envi- eries officials ask nautical miles into the Gulf of ronmental assessment. Or, you can visit Fishphone.org, a Texas fisheries managers Mexico, with federal regulations mobile phone formatted web page where you can easily in effect beyond that point. scroll through the color-coded info. Fishphone.org ■ to tighten limits on red The National Marine Fisheries snapper and sharks Service has asked TPWD coastal fisheries officials to change its Currently, Texas allows year- fishing regulations covering red round harvest of red snapper snapper and sharks to mirror caught from state waters, with federal rules. a four-fish daily limit. Federal current federal proposals regulations, on the other hand, are to cut the recreational allow recreational anglers to season even further, with the take no more than two red 2008 recreational snapper sea- snapper per day—and only son proposed to run only 122 during what has become an days—June 1 to Sep. 30. The increasingly brief open season. two-snapper limit would remain. This year, federal regulations Texas and Florida are the only allowed recreational harvest Gulf states that don’t set their of red snapper from April 22 to red snapper regulations for state Oct. 31. water to mirror those of federal Texas’ jurisdiction (and its fish- water. ■ Source: Houston Chronicle

7 X-RAY MAG : 20 : 2007 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Sara Campbell set 65-year old retired triple freediving record commando soldier in Dahab swims underwater from the Black Sea to At the international competi- tion in Dahab, Triple Depth, the Marmara Sara Campbell accomplished Namık Ekin, retired SAT com- three new world records. In mander at the age of 65, has Free Immersion the NEW record broken a record by swimming is 81 meters, the old record from one sea to another. Ekin was 80 meters held by Natalia swam five and a half meters Molchanova. In Constant Weight below the surface across the the new record is 90 meters and Bosporus to reach the Mar- the old record was 88 meters mara Sea. Due to the tide, held by Mandy-Rae Krack the expected 18-hour journey (Cruickshank), and lastly, 56 only took 13 and a half hours, meters in Constant Weight with- a record which previously out fins. belonged to a 28-year-old herbert Nitsch also accom- American swimmer. ■ plished a new world record in Constant Weight without fins, 83 meters is the new number. It South African shark H o lg e r Gö b e l is one meter more than the old expert signs up with Christian Redl record held by William Trubridge. ■ Source: AIDA Discovery Channel

Craig Ferreira has landed Christian Redl set another freediving record the star role in a lucrative Sixty meters in one minute 46 seconds is what it took Austrian freediver Discovery Channel documen- Christian Redl, 31, to reach the bottom of the cenote Angelita on tary screened to a massive Yucatán while holding his breath, a press release informs. US TV audience last month. In September 2006, he set another world record in dynamic free Now, the TV channel wants diving through a cave when he reached 101 meters going through to immortalise Ferreira’s bid a cave in Mexico. “That dive was not easy,” Christian Redl recalls, to dive with all of the world’s “not of the depth, but in this cenote you find at 30 meters a mystical dangerous sharks in a multimil- hydrogen sulphate layer that looks like a huge cloud with trunks and lion-dollar 12-part series. ■ branches reach- ing through it. The first 30 meters are New World clear fresh water, Freediving Record the last 30 meters are salt water and On Sunday 11th of November, its dark there! The Anders Larsson together second problem was with his team members of the last 30 meters, Freediving Team Åland, set a because the rope new world record in DNFNA was not straight to (DNF No Arms). The new the bottom but in a record is 120 meters, which 30 degree angle to is six meters longer than the the bottom the total previous record, performed distance was not 60, by the well known freediver, Foukal but 70 meters one William Winram of Canada. ■ way.” ■ Source: www.freedivingteam.com J aromir

8 X-RAY MAG : 20 : 2007 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED WET PIXEL QUARTERLY ISSUE #1 WELCOME Y QUARTERLY

PORTFOLIO: NORBERT WU | CONTESTS: DEEP INDONESIA & OUR WORLD-UNDERWATER | SHARK FINNING: PROTECTING THE PREDATOR

news L

Edited by R Peter Symes E T www.wetpixelquarterly.com R ISSUE #1 US$15.99 / CAN$17.49 PRINTED IN CANADA Cover image © Magnus Lundgren Cover A

Over the years I have concentrated onQuartertly cine and video. Your remarkable almost over- U whelming portfolio of still photography makes me realize what I have missed. e impact, range of subject, color saturation and virtually all other visual factors transcends

any range I can now create with video. And the collection in one publication of World Q Class stills is unprecedented. Keep up the ow of pure gold. Your beautiful publication is an honored keeper in my library.

P.S. And the above is no B.S. Amos Nachoum at the recent DEMA show Stan Waterman Pioneer underwater lm producer and photographer Amos Nachoum wins Wildlife Join Wetpixel at the Digital Shootout Bonaire 2008

( ) PORTFOLIO: NORBERT WU PORTFOLIO: NORBERT WU PORTFOLIO: NORBERT WU ruthlessly edit your images and Diver explores the wreck of a WWII Corsair aircraft. San Clemente Basin, California Photographer of the Year contest show only your very best images. Solomon Islands some examples of images that are my favorites, and even tell you why they are my favorites. For example the cardinalfish shot (pg 11); I saw that these Banggai cardinalfish were at Lembeh (Lembeh Straits in Indonesia), so I made a special detour to go back through there to shoot them back in Jan 2005 after coming back from

where I knew a certain subject was All images above ©Norbert Wu there and spent several days trying US-based photographer Amos cally to target seals, which the Underwater photo and video workshop to get the perfect shot. (pg 10) was a difficult shot because of the dusk light. Luckily, a relatively high ISO and Ikelite TTL electronics made this shot possible. In the past, if you bumped up your ISO by using fast film in low-light conditions (or by setting the ISO higher on a digital camera), your Nachoum spent almost two years sharks ambush from below. These in Bonaire, June 7-14th, 2008 flash units would overpower the flash, which as far as I know is only offered by Ikelite at this time for digital cameras (this was shot this with a Nikon D200 in Ikelite housing).

Lots of planning went into the Antarctic shot of the grounded Underwater observation chamber, McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Originally used to allow biologists to waiting for the perfect shot of a attacks are “always unexpected observe Weddell seals in their natural habitat, the (Chauliodus spp.) chasing Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) (Sternoptyx spp). chamber has been used more recently to observe the travel towards their spawning grounds. Lembeh Strait, Sulawesi, Indonesia diving behavior of emperor penguins. British Colombia ClipboardPageNumber WETPIXEL ClipboardPageNumber WETPIXEL WETPIXEL ClipboardPageNumber breaching great white shark. But and over in less than a second,” Join Eric Cheng (Wetpixel), Berkley ClipboardPageNumber WETPIXEL WETPIXEL ClipboardPageNumber ClipboardPageNumber WETPIXEL All images above ©Norbert Wu his patience finally paid off when Nachoum said in a statement. White (Backscatter), Dan Baldocchi OUR WORLD-UNDERWATER: WIDE-ANGLE TRADITIONAL OUR WORLD-UNDERWATER COMPETITION 2007 DEEP INDONESIA 2007: REEFSCAPES In late 2006, Wetpixel.com and DivePhotoGuide.com teamed up again 1ST PLACE: JOIN US at Wetpixel Quarterly, the new with Our World-Underwater to celebrate the beauty and delicacy of the marine environment with the 2nd annual international underwa- Gary Tan Yew Hin ter photography and video competition. Esteemed judges Stephen “The Ray of Life” Frink, Dr. Alexander Mustard, Tony Wu and and Eric Cheng selected winners. Raja Ampat, Indonesia Nikon D100, Aquatica housing, Ikelite SS200 The competition included a category for images that focus on conser- strobe; f5.6, 1/60s, ISO 200 he captured this powerful image competition judge, Rosamund (Light & Motion), and Mary Lynn taken by compact digital cameras. print magazine devoted to high-quality Winners were announced on stage at the 2007 Our World-Underwater We would like to thank the following sponsors. Without them this competition would not have possible.

Dive South Africa Oceanic www.divesouthafrica.co.za www.oceanicworldwide.com Solmar V Live Aboard Diving Canon www.solmarv.com www.canon.com of the apex predator attacking Kidman Cox, praised the winning Price (DiveFilm) for the Bonaire Digital Kararu Dive Voyages Ikelite www.kararu.com www.ikelite.com underwater photography. Top Dive Group Fantasea www.topdive.com www.fantasea.com Sunset House Wyland www.sunsethouse.com www.wyland.com Quasar Expeditions Scubacore www.quasarnautica.com www.scubacore.com Bilikiki Cruises Nocturnal Lights www.bilikiki.com www.nocturnallights.com Minahasa Lagoon Backscatter www.minahasalagoon.com www.backscatter.com Lembeh Resort Ultralight Control Systems www.lembehresort.com www.ulcs.com Manta Ray Bay & Yap Divers a decoy that was being towed photo for displaying “the incred- Shootout 2008! From 7-14 June 2008, www.mantaray.com Cocos Dive & Cocos Castaway www.cocosdive.com Stuart’s Cove Dive Bahamas www.stuartcove.com

1ST PLACE: Carlos Villoch

Palau 2ND PLACE Nikon N90s, Ikelite housing, Dual Nikonos Giordano Cipriani we’ll work with you to improve your Each quarter, we pack the pages of our 105 strobes; f16, 1/150s, ISO 200 behind Nachoum’s boat off the ible power, size and streamlined Anthias over coral , Red Sea Nikon D2X, Seacam housing, Sea & Sea strobes ; f13, 1/100s, ISO100 publication with brilliant underwater ClipboardPageNumber WETPIXEL coast of South Africa. efficiency of a top predator—and underwater photo and video skills. Image above ©Carlos Villoch Images above ©Gary Tan Yew Hin (left) The area is known as the Ring it’s pin-sharp, too, which is amaz- Learn the latest digital imaging tech- imagery from both professional and and Giordano Cipriani (right) of Death and surrounds Seal ing when you realize the speed at niques from some of the industries amateur photographers around the Island in False Bay, South Africa. which the great white is exploding top professionals while diving the rich world. Great whites come here specifi- out of the water.” ■ waters of Bonaire. www.wetpixel.com To subscribe, visit www.wetpixelquarterly.com, or call +1-415-449-1456

9 X-RAY MAG : 20 : 2007 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Earth’s water did News from NAUI not come from & Pressreleases space

Prevailing theories on how oceans appeared after the Earth formed NAUI is excited to sponsor around 3.8 billion years the Team Scuba’s ago suggests that millions NASCAR Grand of water-rich comets and National Division asteroids bombarded our racecar and host planet. it’s unveiling at the Most scientists used Dive Industry Bash to think the water in the this year. It was Earth’s oceans came Say ‘Hi’ to Robo Ray encouraging to from water-rich aster- see the grassroots oids and comets raining Aqua Ray is a remote-controlled either from two ribs connected by industry-wide sup- down on the planet in its fish, the shape and movements of rigid links or by extruding profiles port build throughout youth. which have been based on the out of semi-rigid elastomer. the week. Along with But now planetary sci- model of a manta ray. By imitat- The basic idea has been given the NAUI, other initial car entists in Japan suggest ing the way that fish fins are con- name “Fin Ray Effect” and comes sponsors, Dive Training, the oceans were actually structed, it has been possible to from Leif Kniese of EvoLogics, a DAN and Commercial created here on Earth. develop novel grippers and actu- Berlin-based company specialising Diving Academy, were to unveil the new Industry They may have formed ators, as well as working models of in advanced technologies inspired delighted to see like-minded The Industry NASCAR with photo oppor- because the young Earth a wing-propelled, smart-structured by nature. The development into industry supporters who also Monster Bash was a complete tunities and autographs. had a thick blanket of airship and a novel underwater real world products that are suit- want to bring diving to a success. Thanks to our co-spon- And a 3-D model of NAUI hydrogen, which reacted inspection vessel. able for factory automation has whole new market. The inter- sors, DAN, Dive Center Business Worldwide’s new headquar- with oxides in the Earth’s In fish, the double ribs that sup- been led by Festo, the company est in participating that we Magazine and the Islands of the ters buildings and its three mantle to form lakes and port fins are of very subtle con- behind Aqua Ray and experts in received from dive centers Bahamas! There was good food, acres of prime business park seas. ■ struction, but in industrial develop- pneumatics and related technolo- of every affiliation was over- good company, creative and real estate were on display. ■ ments, these can be constructed gies. ■ whelming. Everyone wanted scary costumes, plenty of liba- to be involved with this excit- tions and exciting prizes. The NAUI booth at DEMA ing and aggressive marketing Team SCUBA was there was busy at all hours project. The ocean is actually not (entirely) horizontal We also had a great time at the NAUI booth. Our mem- The height of the sea surface, also called the dynamic topography, is bers were there ordering directly related to large scale ocean currents. new products, renewing their These flow along the lines of equal dynamic memberships and visiting with topography (red arrows). In the northern their representatives. There hemisphere, the flow is clockwise around were daily drawings for pairs the topography highs. In the southern of Disney Dives at Epcot in The hemisphere, the flow is counter- Seas, drawn by none other clockwise. The map shows all the than our new Team SCUBA features of the general circulation. NASCAR driver, Ray Black, The ocean gyres and associ- Jr. This made perfect sense ated western boundary currents because he is of course, a appear clearly on this map gener- NAUI diver! NAUI also thanks ated by the Topex/Poseidon satel- all the people who stopped lite. ■ by our booth just to say hi. Variations are between -110 cm (deep blue) Height variations are between -110 cm (deep blue) and 110 cm (light blue) 10 X-RAY MAG : 20 : 2007 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED A real crowd-gatherer, Poseidon’s fully automatic closed cir- cuit rebreather is being built for the sport diver, rather than for the technical diving community. It is a big Priced at only € 3900, it venue. Big is destined to take a enough good chunk of the to have a market shares. Also tram route. branded as the PADI’s vil- Cis-Lunar MK VI lage was right at the crossroads

me to gauge the evolution and state of the industry, but I am not sure whether this hindsight is of much use. Thinking back, there always seemed to be so many new exciting innovations, but we were probably just easier impressed— like thinking of your childhood’s ice What’sup? creams, which we remember as at least twice the size for a price of a few small Taking a look at what’s trendy coins. The industry has moved on and at this year’s installment of the matured—and the cutting edge of in- annual DEMA show, which was vention has taken some significant steps Master class. Czek-born freediving forward. held in Orlando in October. champion, Martin Stepanek, demos- trates his amazing ability to breath- hold in the demonstration pool By Peter Symes

We can play the name dropping game, too—(from the left) Sea and Sea’s Jon Davy, Australian liveaboard operator and legende, Mike Ball, and Andrey Bizyukin from X-RAY MAG’s Moscow office. DEMA is the place to meet and mingle

DEMA. The biggest dive expo on the the globe congregate to display their planet is still the biggest and most wares and services, haggle and min- dominant event in the dive industry. gle and catch up with old acquaint- For a second year in a row, the show, ances—or perhaps attend some of the which otherwise alternates between many splendid seminars. locations, was held in Orlando. As al- having attended most DEMA shows ways, dive professionals from all over since the early 1990’s should enable

The Prism 2 rebreather from Oceanic owner Bob Hollis’ new high end brand, Hollis Gear. It boasts being the only commercial CCR passing testing by the US Navy

11 X-RAY MAG : 20 : 2007 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Save the day The Rebreather showdown Among the masks, fins, suits, The Rescue Tape bonds to itself when Closed circuits have been con- it is stretched and forced together. A etc… it was mostly elaborations stantly lurking in the wings, and on known models and variations leaking hose can be repaired in the each year, they take another step matter of minutes, even without on already seen themes, except closer to the mainstream market. for perhaps Canadian White’s having to clean the surfaces. The major breakthrough in bring- It’s a quick fix that can Fusion drysuit, which is finally on ing this technology from the realm the market, and the sleek and save the day. of commercial, military and tech- www.rescuetape.com stylish Proteus wetsuit from always nical divers to the sport diver seg- innovative Fourth Element. Finnish ment has, for a while, only been computer giant, Suunto, displayed a matter of when, not if, it would their new mid-range D4 computer So, where did this frontier lie this for a more in- Suunto D6 now also comes with happen. and the D6 with a macho metal year? Not surprisingly, mostly with depth overview an option of a metal bracelet This year, we possibly passed bracelet. ■ Moving out all the high tech stuff: Cameras, on photo-news, a milestone in that regard with A lot of thinking has gone into lamps and rebreathers—with click on the excellent reports Poseidon’s introduction of the fully the design of this dive center some new computers thrown in done by our friends at WetPixel. automatic and fully closed circuit The Suunto D4 is the new introductory model in on wheels that comes com- there—were pretty much the lo- com and DivePhotoGuide.com. Discovery aimed at sport divers. the Suunto diving line. It features three modes plete down to the drainage comotives of novelty this year. We also have a few highlights in At half the weight and half the and intelligent free diving features. It informs the diver of the safe dive time and any nec- holes. Get rid of the rent and first of all, the digital revolution the photo-section of this issue. price of most other rebreathers on essary deep stops. Constructed from light- get an ocean view instead. in cameras has led to a burst of Lamps were also big and they the market, this nifty lightweight weight, composite material, the Suunto www.atwaterconcepts.com were compact and powerful. new underwater housings being unit attracted a lot of well de- D4’s design is contemporary and sleek developed to keep up with the NiteRider showed off their new served attention. arms race of new camera mod- 3x3 LED video lights, where as The ADV is built into the bail- els—as well as a long range of Swiss Keldan and American Sartek out mouthpiece, the battery is photo-related gadgets, buoyancy emphasised their powerful HID rechargeable like that of a cell arms and counterweights being models. phone and there’s clever lateral offered by several. Seacam, Sub- thinking around the sensors. There al, Sea & Sea, Fantasea, Ikelite, is only one main oxygen sensor Aquatica, Nexus, Inon, DivePhotoGuide’s Jason that constantly gets calibrated, Olympus, Gates, 10bar, Heller trying to get an the second one is there to check Epoque, Olympus, Light overview of all the new for leaks in the system. housings on offer at & Motion, Sealife, hollis Gear presented the high Sea & Sea’s booth Amphibico, Back- end CCR Prism 2. Prism 2 is a scatter… They development from Prism were all there. Topaz. One of the major changes in this regard is that the direction of the gas flow in the loop has been reversed. The diluent is now placed on the left and the O2 on the right—a place- ment which was, for the most part, accepted as a standard. The Prism is equipped with a radial scrubber and comes with both a primary digital LED display and an Shining a light analog backup display powered on matters. by sensors. A lot of new lamps were on rEvo rebreathers showed an display. Carl amazingly compact set in a little Saieva demon- cabinbag-sized suitcase that I un- strates Sartek fortunately didn’t get the chance Industries’ 150W to take a closer look at. HID video light

12 X-RAY MAG : 20 : 2007 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED The Slingshot features Kapitol Reef three innovations: Power Slingshot Bands, the Gear Shift, Snorkel and the Mid-foot Flex Pearl i3 Joint. All are aimed at The world’s first pressure-regulat- The Pearl i3 is a BC for women taking the strain off the foot, ed snorkel adds a precise resist- with some really nice features. and to increase speed without ance to the exhalation flow in Besides the most obvious; the tiring the muscles. According to order to regulate exhalation built in sports bra for comfort Aqualung, the Power Bands are pressure. Its implementation it has an integrated controller silicone straps that capture the also separates inhaled air for easier, single touch control energy of the downstroke and from exhaled carbon diox- for both inflation and defla- then immediately snap back, cre- ide. The gentle exhalation tion. On both sides, actually ating powerful propulsion, which pressure is crucial—it sup- the insides of the BC you is much more efficient than other ports lungs, slows down have small pockets to tuck fins on the market. The diver can breathing, and provides away your octopus. This shift to one of three settings in just enough back pres- BC also comes with the flat order to choose the speed-to sure down the airways in E-Valves to reduce drag effort ratio with the Gear Shift. the lungs, to improve oxy- and keep the BC stream- And the last new feature is that gen and carbon dioxide lined. www.aqualung.com the blade is attached to the exchange. foot further back on the foot www.kapitolreef.com pocket rather than at the toes. This reduces the pressure on the front of the foot and reducing strain on the ankle, while allow- ing all the power to transmit THE SCAP from the leg to the fin. Keep your head warm with a www.aqualung.com doo-rag like 1.5 mm neoprene hat. This head protection is cre- ated for scuba divers as well as surf- The UDI dive ers. It comes in UTC computer fea- 6 different equipmenttures a unique Proteus colours/ messaging feature An advanced 5mm wetsuit styles and enabling in-water developed using a combi- the head- communication. It nation of superstretch and band has also comes with a thermocore neoprene. a reflexive homing device that Incorporating the band on the puts anyone who unique hydrolock neck front. It is also watched Open seal and long glide- form fitted with a Water at ease. A skin seals at the wrists specially designed diver in need of help and ankles, the Proteus grip zone to stay put. simply pushes an SOS suit eliminates almost all www.thescap.com button, that immedi- water ingress and provides ately sends a signal to the superior thermal protec- other divers. Their UTC will tion with excellent ease of in return, guide them to the movement. diver in need of help. The UDI is www.fourthelement.com of course also a normal dive computer where you find features as EAN mixtures, altitude corrections, multiple dives, deep stop options, etc. In addition to these features there is also a digital 3D compass. www.utc-digital.com

13 X-RAY MAG : 20 : 2007 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Recalls Mares Puck product info This fockeypuck like thing is Mares’ new no-nonsense dive computer and quite possibly one of the easiest to run and operate. There are no fancy features, which Aqualung nobody has any time and energy to learn and use anyway. It’s down to the basic; you navi- Some S.O.S. units (PN gate with the push of one button. Large 394157 and 394057) digits and backlight on demand makes By Millis Keegan sold since Sept 2002 for easy reading. Functions include may have a faulty a full decompression program, It is time to bring new weeks after the release of component. The com- a programming mode and divers into the the world, the campaign, the only ponent is known as an memory (capacity 38 says DEMA. It is not a information available for “elbow,” and is used anyone who wants to fol- to transfer air from the hours), watch, calendar, minute to soon, the dive BC to the safety tube. and a setting for fresh industry has come to a low up or join the program Some elbows have Dive Rite or salt water. bit of a stand still over the is that there will be “a exhibited signs of www.mares.com past years. Now that the comprehensive program degradation leading LED 300 industry finally acknowl- to raise the awareness of to cracking and/or edge that there is a prob- diving and acquire new breakage. lem, a media campaign divers”, and that we, the corded to entice new divers press, attending the press Check with your to get into the water is conference got a free Aqualung dealer flashlight underway, at least in the breakfast at DEMA. US. It will be a national The beAdiver.com web- Turn the LED 300 Flashlight into a canister light with advertising campaign site is not nearly ready. Industry News a standard 40-inch cord. As easy as changing bat- called “Be A Diver”, and When you log on, the only teries, simply screw the female attachment directly it was launched at this useful information is that Diamond Brand Canvas into the light head and the male attachment to year’s DEMA Show. it promises to come soon, Products, a 126-year-old the battery section. Twist the light head as normal They did so by giving in January 2008. We can¹t maker of outdoor gear, has to activate. Secure the light onto the waist belt or a sneak preview of a 30 wait. acquired Stahlsec Inc., of a backplate using the standard LED 300 pocket. second television spot. MEANWHILE, there are Weaverville, manufacturer www.diverite.com The press release informs a few pieces of important of bags for scuba gear and us that the TV spot is a information that could aquatic sports. part of a consumer cam- have been published on Ocean Reef paign meant to bring new their site—their own press Omega Aquatics merges with divers into the world. The release for starters, and RipTide Dive Group. Dave Full Face Masks campaign will include contact information for Pollock, formerly President television, radio, newspa- anyone who might want of RipTide will join Omega as The Italians have presented another couple of pers, magazines, on-line to check things out a bit Vice President of sales. Dave out-of-this-world diving masks. The Raptor is a advertising and a market- further, or at least a link Pollock served as General nitrox compatible mask. The o-rings are made by ing guide comprised of to www.dema.org, which Manager for Mares from Viton, and the o-rings lubricant is a Christolube professionally prepared actually has the cam- 1989–1995, founded Riptide Oxygen Grease. This mask can also be used with promotional materials for paign marketing plan Dive Group and consulted for conventional air as well. The Raptor (shown) dis- use by members. in PDF-format ready for several companies such as tinguishes itself by the black Ixef® polyaramide But is the campaign download. Bare in launching product to cover and the black orinasal mask. The Predator failing already? A search So, while waiting for the U.S. market. is constructed with parts made of Anticorodal®, on the Internet to find 2008, if you do want to a lightweight and durable aluminum compound any information about know more about how Underwater Kinetics purchas- used in aeronautics for applications requiring the Be-A-Diver campaign to attract new divers, es HangAir product Line high mechanical resistance. This mask has a low turns up nothing but a download the Be-A-Diver internal volume, an improved visual field, and an press release from DEMA marketing plan from www. FitzWright Company Ltd of integrated surface air valve. It can be used with on a couple of websites. dema.org. ■ Langley, B.C. acquires the a communication unit and many accessories. As of now, only a few Canadian distribution rights www.oceanreefgroup.com for Atomic Aquatics

14 X-RAY MAG : 20 : 2007 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED NAUI approves more rebreathers

Training NAUI has announced the addition of the Inspiration and Evolution Rebreathers manufactured by Ambient Pressure Diving Ltd. and bulletin distributed by Silent Diving Systems LLC to their list of approved rebreathers for NAUI training courses that can be found in the Edited by Technical Diving Section of their web-site at www.naui.org. In Peter Symes order for a rebreather to be added to the list it must be independ- ently tested and pass within the testing criteria as set forth by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). All around the world, countless police, fire and rescue personnel, Second Life government officials, public and private security teams are NAUI trained and certified divers. In the United States, US Navy SEALs, Since launching its Dive World on Coast Guard rescue divers and other special military forces are Second Life, the popular virtual world trained to NAUI’s high standards as part of their overall training website, in October 2007, PADI’s with SCUBA and closed circuit rebreathers; the US National Parks cybercenter continues to develop in Service and NOAA divers receive NAUI training and certifications. ways that are out of this world. The lat- NAUI Technical Diver Training Division was started over a dec- est addition to the underwater experi- ade ago to create a higher standard of training worldwide by ence is an amazing cavern and cave codifying technical diving community training practices. They system, ripe for exploration. were the first major training organization to offer certifications at all On December 1st, 2007, visitors to levels of diving from traditional recreational training through tech- Dive World will be able to access a nical training. For expert help, they asked the people who created unique virtual cavern and cave envi- the technology, protocols and training methods that produced a ronment, adding another element to fledgling technical diving community to participate. the opportunities presently available in You can find information in the Technical Diving Division Section Second Life to learn about the under- of their web-site at www.naui.org. ■ water world in real life. The caverns and caves are easily found on the northwest side of the virtual island and can be accessed via the beautiful new beach and its relaxing breaking waves. The virtual cave is accessible via seven entrances and weaves its way under the island TDI Launches Intro to Tech Course in what appears to be a never-ending labyrinth of tunnels. ■ TDI’s new Intro to Tech course is intended to give experienced sport divers a simple, non-threatening glimpse at the techniques DAN Technical Diving and skills used in technical diving. Participating in this course will give those divers a better understanding of the detailed plan- Conference 2008 ning and preparation required to make a successful and safe DAN is to hold a conference in North technical dive. Carolina, to discuss the the ever- Intro to Tech is really a try-it-before-you-buy-it course for increasing trend of technical diving. someone who has heard a lot about tech and is wondering The conference will be held 18-19 what all the fuss is about. But Intro to Tech is also worthwhile for Jan 2008, at the Sheraton Imperial divers who have no real intentions to go on to take a full tech Hotel & Convention Center on class because the skills it focuses on—gas management, supe- 4700 Emperor Blvd, Durham, North rior buoyancy and trim, situational awareness, and equipment Carolina. Registration is limited to selection—are useful in any form of diving. Intro to tech is also 150 persons, so early registration is the perfect course for those already certified tech divers that encouraged. Contact DAN CME haven’t been in the water for a while or just want a little help Phone: 800-446-2671 x610 refining their skills. Fax: 919-493-3456 To learn more about TDI Intro to Tech visit: www.tdisdi.com or Email: [email protected] email [email protected]. ■

15 X-RAY MAG : 20 : 2007 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED As the SS Excambion, it carried cargo and passengers between New York City and the Mediterranean from the end news World War II until 1958. Before that, as the USS Queens, it was among the Navy troop transports at the Battle of Iwo Jima. Edited by The ship was decommissioned in 1946 Peter Symes

17th-century sailing ship found in perfect condition in the Baltic Texas Clipper sunk but rolls onto its side An almost intact shipwreck, wrecks, which can remain virtu- “It was Texas State officials hoped the attract fishermen and divers to the apparently from the 17th century, ally unblemished for hundreds of Clipper a World War II-era ship pur- area. has been discovered in the Baltic years. Morten Manders, a marine just stand- posely sunk in the Gulf of Mexico Why the ship tipped over is Sea when a television crew was archaeologist, said he was over- to create an artificial reef would unclear, said Aaron Reed, spokes- filming an underwater documen- whelmed by the condition of the ing there on become a destination for divers man for the Texas Parks and Wildlife tary series, two or three-masted vessel. “You and boost local tourism by an esti- Department. He said the state “The ship was located during can hardly call this a shipwreck,” the seabed, mated $30 million a year. It was might ask the company that pre- the preparations for a television he added. meant to stand upright so divers pared the ship for sinking to right it. series, Vrakletarna (The Wreck The ship, which is 6.5m wide almost as if and fish could explore the 80-foot- The state has spent about $4 million Divers) and experts who have and 20m long, was already found high, 473-foot-long ship by swim- on the sinking. studied video of the ship con- in 2003 by an underwater robot it has just ming through decks and cabins. Tim O’Leary, owner of a dive shop clude that it is possibly the best near Gotska Sandon island, off But the wreck which was sent to the on the coast, had expected the preserved ship ever seen from this the south-east coast of Sweden. dropped seabed on Nov. 17 has tipped onto wreck to keep his business busy into period,” Swedish Television said in But it was only in May this year, its side, blocking access to the inte- December. But with the ship on its a statement. during the making of the docu- down from rior for fish and divers. side, it’s more suited for skilled cave The Baltic is as an ideal envi- mentary series, the wreck which Artificial reefs provide a rich habi- divers than for novices, O’Leary ronment for conserving ship- lies in clear water and at a depth the surface.” tat and feeding ground for fish, soft said. ■ Source: star-telegram of 125m was fully explored with corals and plant life, which in turn a remotely operated submarine and a video camera. The underwater footage of the boat, which is believed to have been a Dutch trading ship, Thistlegorm showed an almost intact hull —off-limits for one month and carved figureheads near Thistlegorm will be closed to divers until the ship’s wheel. Madeleine 15 December 2007, to allow for conser- Sinding-Larsen, a spokeswoman vation measures that will help to pre- for Swedish Television, said: “It was serve this historical and legendary wreck just standing there on the seabed, for the future. almost as if it has just dropped The closure is part of the new Saving down from the surface.” ■ The Red Sea Wrecks Campaign, launched by HEPCA (Hurghada Environment Protection and

Conservation Association). ■ Peter Symes

16 X-RAY MAG : 20 : 2007 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED wreck Seabed to be rap mapped for lost war aircraft

Thousands of aircraft wrecks, most of them from planes that went down during the Second World War, lie scattered on the seabed off the English coast. S ymes Charts already pinpoint known P ete r RA F shipwrecks. But for the first On the 2nd of May, 1945, thirty-five Mosquitos 143, 235, 248, 333 and 404 squadrons from the Banff Strike Wing Allan Greisen, when he salvaged a rare WW2 German BV128 time, aircraft wrecks are to be went into the kattegat. With rockets they attacked and sank U-2359, which was en route to Norway. The entire warplane in the sound off Copenhagen a couple of years ago mapped. This follows the dis- crew of 12 were lost covery of a growing number of In memoriam: Allan Greisen plane wrecks, some contain- ing human remains, by crews of Allan Greisen will never return to explore the U-2359, or barges dredging for sand and U-2359 has been found locate another wreck for that matter. Only a few days prior gravel for the construction to going to press, on Tuesday Nov 27, we learned of the industry. The last of the remaining U-boat “Historically, it is interesting, Jyllands-Posten. tragic news that Allan had died while saving the life of a fel- wrecks from WW2 in Kattegat, and you have, in the past, The divers of the ship Ternen low diver during a rebreather course he conducted in the the U-2359, has been located raised uboats six times as big, has found hundred of wrecks Red Sea. near the island of Læsø by so it should be easy to raise. through the years, among them One of a rare breed, Allan just made the impossible hap- Danish wreck-hunter and Fifty to 60 of them were built, U-534 that was raised in the sum- pen and life entertaining and exciting. Boredom was not in adventurer, Allan Greisen. His and this one was completed mer of 1993 by tycoon Karsten his vocabulary. I can’t help thinking that in another and big- team has searched for the in January, 1945. But a big part Ree and put on display in the ger country, he and his antics might have ended up as an- Recently U-2359 for the last 12 years. It of the German uboats was lost United Kingdom. ■ other show on Discovery Channel. He pulled off some incred- located was the only of the uboats sunk because ible stunts just for the hell of it. From driving across Greenland, planes include a in Danish waters that hadn’t the German driving under a Danish strait, to searching for and salvaging Supermarine Attacker, been accounted for. scuttled airplanes and boats, if possible, in Greenland, Russia and an early British jet fighter, off Allan Greisen explains that them them- Denmark. And I still probably only know half of it. He was a Worthing in West Sussex, and the boat sits with its nose dug selves at true explorer and a multi-talented self-made man. an American B-17 Flying Fortress into the sea floor with the stern the end of Allan was fun and pleasant too—and helpful. He had bomber off Newhaven, East raised 30 degrees making it the war,” his heart in the right place. According to what is presently Sussex. Two wrecks off the Suffolk possible to dive under the stern team mem- known, he rescued another diver during a 60m dive on the coast, a German bomber and a itself. The uboat is, despite its 200 ber Flem­ Rosalia Moller wreck bringing him to the surface. It would US bomber, had human remains tons, in the leightweight class ming Han­­­ indeed have been in his nature to do everything possible to on board. among uboats. It’s only 34.28 sen told the come to somebody else’s rescue even at his own expense. The project, being co-ordi- meters long, built for attacking Danish daily The other diver survived, but was probably unconscious while nated by English Heritage, is to the enemy in shallow waters. newspaper, Allan brought him up. He only recalls Allan taking care of him ensure their final resting places on the surface and they were both talking before Allan with- are protected. Veterans groups A llan G reisen out no apparent reason lost conciousness never to regain it. and the RAF Museum have been Resuscitation attempts was in vain. Preliminary investigations informed of the project and will showed no problems with the equipment and it is still a mys- be kept updated over any finds. tery what caused his death. It is incomprehensible that Allan An estimated 11,000 RAF air- and his bigger-than-life presence is not around any more. His craft have been lost in the North untimely passing has made the world a great deal poorer Atlantic, North Sea, the Channel, File photo and a duller place to be. Allan was a good friend and he will Irish Sea and the Bay of Biscay of a sister be greatly missed. Our thoughts go to his wife, Mette, and since 1939. ■ vessel, the their two young children. Source: Telegraph U-2359 — Peter Symes uboat . net 17 X-RAY MAG : 20 : 2007 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Tracking a lost fleet from 1559 In 1559, a hurricane plunged as many as seven Spanish sailing vessels to the bottom of Pensacola Bay, hampering Spanish conquistador Tristán de Luna y Arellano’s attempt to colonize this section of the Florida Panhandle.

Almost 450 years later and West Florida professor of mari- S te v e n s 15 years after the first ship time archaeology. C h i p was found, another wreck Although the Spanish kept and has been discovered helping detailed records of the ships

archaeologists unlock secrets and their contents, historians S co vill e, to Florida’s Spanish past. are uncertain which of the 11 In August of 1559, Tristán de ships the archaeologists have Luna y Arellano established discovered. USS Water Witch was a wooden-hulled, sidewheel gunboat in the United an ephemeral colony at States Navy during the American Civil War. In 1864, she was captured by the modern-day Pensacola, that Cargo Confederate States Navy, and subsequently was taken into that Navy as CSS J i m Ke nnard , D an became the first European The ship apparently held food Water Witch The Orcadian, a mid 1800’s schooner, has been located in deep water settlement within the con- stocks and other supplies for off the southern shore of Lake Ontario near Sodus Point, New York tinental boundaries of the the colonization campaign, United States. The colony a carefully planned expedi- Civil War Shipwreck at the site of present-day tion financed by the Spanish Shipwreck Explorers Locate 1850’s Pensacola was abandoned crown. The West Florida Located in River in 1561, and no trace of it has archae­­ology team has brought Archaeologists report that they Canadian Schooner in Lake Ontario been found on land. more than 800 artifacts from found strong evidence they’ve the latest de Luna site to the located the Water Witch’s wreck- Shipwreck enthusiasts Jim Orcadian. Within less than 10 min- utilize a new remote operated The wrecks surface, including pieces of age buried under more than ten Kennard, Dan Scoville, and utes the Orcadian sank in deep vehicle with deep dive capability, The first de Luna ship was olive jars used to transport feet of mud in the Vernon River Chip Stevens found the old water, with its cargo of wheat. developed by Scoville, to do the found in 1992 in the same food and wine, chunks of south of Savannah. Using a magne- schooner with side scan sonar Captain James Corrigal, his wife, actual underwater exploration area, near what de Luna the ship’s wood frame, cow tometer surveyors detected large their two children and the crew and to further confirm the identity founded as Florida’s initial bones, Spanish bricks and even iron objects scattered beneath Collision at Night took to their yawl boat and were of the ship. This shipwreck had European settlement. tiny balls of mercury, used to the river’s surface in an area 200 The Orcadian collided with the taken safely aboard the Latham. two masts and a tiller, thus plac- The second was found last extract gold from ore. ■ feet long. It was the same location schooner Lucy J. Latham in the ing the construction of this ship summer by archaeology stu- where an 1865 survey map showed very early morning hours of May The Discovery from the 1850’s or earlier. After this dents from University of West The two Pensacola shipwrecks Confederate sailors burned the ship 8, 1858. The Orcadian took on The schooner was actually discov- period, schooners utilized a ship’s Florida. The shipwreck is, par- to prevent Union General William T- a great amount of water from ered last year by side scan sonar wheel to control the rudder. The tially buried in sand about Sherman’s army from recapturing it. the large gap in the side of her technology. The sonar imagery fact that this ship was so torn up, 12 feet below the water’s Dave Crass, Georgia’s state hull created by the collision clearly showed that of a dam- confirmed that it had been in a surface. Test excavations sug- archaeologist says the Water Witch and began to sink immediately. aged sailing ship with its collision. The general location was gest about 60 to 66 feet of would be just the third Civil War While going down, the main two masts lying near- also consistent with the reporting preserved hull from a small- to shipwreck—along with the ironclad mast of the Orcadian caught by, but it did not of the collision between the two medium-size vessel. CSS Georgia and the blockade on the jib boom of the Latham. have an observ- vessels. Measurements confirmed Researchers think as many runner CSS Nashville—to be found The bow of the Lucy J. Latham able name the exact dimensions as those of as five other vessels were lost out of dozens known to have was drawn under water, while painted on the Orcadian, a length of 94 ft in the hurricane on Sept. 19th, been sunk in Georgia waters. The her keel at the stern was raised the stern of and a beam of 20 ft. ■ 1559. The search for the oth- 160-foot, wooden-hulled Water 10 to 12 feet out of the water. the ship. The Source: www.shipwreckworld.com ers continues. Of the 11 ships Witch was built by the U.S. Navy For a short period of time, the team had that came from Veracruz, in 1851 as a sort of hybrid of old Latham sustained the immense to wait until Mexico, on de Luna’s expedi- and new seafaring technologies. weight of the sinking schooner this year to tion, seven ran aground in the Though outfitted with a steam until finally, it was relieved by water, one was blown onto engine and side-mounted paddle the giving way of her bowsprit, shore and three survived the wheels, the ship also had 90-foot jib-boom, and fore top mast, storm, said John Bratten, a Spanish Galleon masts for sailing. ■ all being carried under by the

18 X-RAY MAG : 20 : 2007 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Ceramic jars onboard a 2,400-year-old The Turkish shipwreck, with starfish and sponges frigate wreck growing on them. DNA analysis shows Ertuğrul, sank rap these jars held olive oil flavored with during a oregano and possibly wine severe stom off the coast

o f U nderwater A ntiquities , of Japan in 1890 erally assumed. The other jar contained DNA of mastic—a shrub cultivated on Chios—or of pistachio, a Culture Eph orate related plant. Scholars have hypothesized that o f ancient Chians used mastic resin as a wine pre- servative and flavoring Turkish frigate Ertuğrul Some ancient foods are more likely than oth- ers to leave genetic calling cards behind. For to be salvaged in Japan Helleni c M inistry instance, because the second jar was thought to have likely contained wine, they checked The Turkish Ministry of Culture and on the 16th day on the rocks for grape DNA, but found none. It may have Tourism will support a project of Kashinozaki off the coast of washed away because wine dissolves in water aimed at bringing the Turkish Ooshima Island because of a better than oil or resin, Hansson and Foley frigate Ertuğrul, which sank off severe typhoon. A total of 533 observed. But overall, they wrote, the findings the coast of Japan in 1890 in a sailors died in the accident. Only “contribute definite evidence for Classical Greek severe typhoon, to the surface. six officers and 63 sailors survived. commodity exchange and open The frigate Ertuğrul was sent An international team of Centre f or M arine R esear ch. Hole Oc eanogra ph i c I nstitution , new vistas for molecular archaeo- by Sultan Abdülhamit II to the marine archaeologists from logical analyses.” emperor of Japan on a Turkey, Spain, Japan and the

W oods Helleni c It’s a feat “no one goodwill visit. The frig- United States will carry out the thought was even pos- ate set sail on July 14, underwater excavation as part of sible,” wrote Maria 1889, and, after sail- the second phase of the project DNA-techniques used Hansson of Lund ing for more than a during which the ship will be University in Sweden year, arrived in Japan brought to the surface and exhib- and one of the in June 1890. On the ited in the museum next to the to probe shipwrecks researchers, in an email. return voyage, the Ertuğrul Monument erected on The discovery “opens Ottoman frigate sank the coast. ■ Source: Turkish Daily News During antiquity, amphoras Studying an ancient Greek shipwreck, up a whole new field of were the standard containers an international team of scientists has molecular archaeol- found that analysing ancient DNA, ogy,” she added. for transporting goods on ships. though degraded with time, could sup- The findings But what was in them? Scientists ply some of the needed evidence. The appear in the Mary Rose ‘at risk of being lost’ have found that by analysing researchers scraped ceramic from inside online edition The Mary Rose Trust, which conserves and the DNA of remains inside, it is two amphorae from a 4th-century B.C. of The Journal displays the famous Tudor warship that has shipwreck found near the Greek island of of Archaeo­ been kept in “cocoon” and sprayed with now possible to learn about the Chios in 2004. logical conserving chemicals since it was rised original contents of jars sunken hansson and Foley of the Woods Science. ■ from the Solent 25 years ago, is running for over 2,000 years. Hole Oceanographic Institution in out of funds, admiral John Lippiett, chief Massachusetts, have been able to deter- executive of the trust has warned. The Piles of the ceramic amphorae are often mined that one vessel probably con- Mary Rose was Henry VIII’s flagship and all that remains after ancient shipwrecks, tained olive oil flavored with oregano, a the wreck is considered a national treas- whereas the ships themselves have been surprise because historians have believed ure in the UK. long since decayed. Researchers trying that amphorae of that style from Chios The Mary Rose Trust needs £35m to com- to learn the jars’ original contents usually usually carried wine. Chios was known for plete conservation work and to house the come up dry because the amphorae “fine and distinctive vintages”, but the vessel in a new, permanent museum, but it only infrequently contain visible clues, find suggests Chian agricultural exports “Salad dressing” can only raise £14m by itself. “If there is no such as olive pits. might have been more diverse than gen- has been found in funding, then there will be no Mary Rose. It 2,400-year-old is as stark as that,” Lippiet said. ■ shipwreck

19 X-RAY MAG : 20 : 2007 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Cichlid fish resort to oral sex Japanese tuna scandal deepens A species of cichlid fish have been found to exhibit a bizarre mating ritual An official investigation by the Australian government has that involves males discharging their found that over 20 years, Japanese fishers hid an AUS 8 bil- sperm into a female’s mouth. The sight of a brightly coloured male somehow lion overcatch of the highly prized sashimi fish that migrates triggers females with ripe eggs to start around southern Australia. releasing them. But in cichlids, there is an added twist. As soon as a female has In what Australian officials called an outrageous fraud, Japanese fishers prob- spawned her eggs, she collects them up ably used a series of disguises for the overcatch and international investiga- in her mouth. Normally, sperm released tions has found. The fishers described southern bluefin tuna as a different into the water by a male nearby will species and evaded any inspection on shore, underreported the amount then fertilise the eggs. Females hold their of the fish they caught, and imported it as different tuna either tran- Zzzzz zzz zzzz eggs in their mouths and incubate them shipped at sea from foreign vessels or in containers. In a review Swarms there after fertilisation—a behaviour that that the Japanese government has vetoed from public release, is thought to have evolved to protect investigators found the fraud extended to consumer markets. of jelly- Fish get a good the eggs from predators. While diplomats meeting in Canberra in October heard Researchers have pinpointed a gene that Japan’s figures still do not add up and that the esti- fish smother night’s sleep even that makes females suck up sperm mated the total overcatch is probably at 10 percent through their mouths. The gene was more, Tokyo keeps stonewalling attempts to regu- salmon farm with their eyes open found in the cichlid fish, where the males late fishing of the critically endangered species. have also evolved a way to lure females Attempts to introduce a catch documentation Billions of mauve stingers Pelagia Most fish do not have eyelids, so close so that they can squirt sperm scheme—a binding international paper trail noctiluca, has wiped out the entire how do you know if they are asleep into their mouths. Oval yellow mark- to track all catches—has made very mature harvest of a salmon farm when inactive or merely resting? ings resembling the eggs are found on little progress at the conservation just a month before Christmas when Researchers working with zebrafish, a the anal or pelvic fins. When a female commission. No agreement could they drifted over cages of salmon in popular aquarium species, have now approaches the male, she thinks she be reached on a satellite tracking Glenarm Bay in Northern Ireland and been able to show, not only that the sees an egg on its fin, so tries to vacuum system for southern bluefin boats or on stung to death about 120,000 fish. fish do indeed sleep, but that they it up in her mouth—and get a mouth- having independent observers on board. ■ John Russell, the head of Northern can suffer from sleep deprivation and ful of sperm from the canny male in the Source - The Age, AU Salmon, told the Associated Press that insomnia. process. ■ he hadn’t experienced anything like it in By repeatedly disturbing the fish 30 years. “It was unprecedented -- abso- using mild electric shocks, research- Source: BMC Biology lutely amazing,” he said. “The sea was ers were able to keep the fish awake US wants freeze on tuna Tags reveal tuna migration red with these jellyfish, and there was at night. Those fish that had suffered All species of Cichlids, fishing routes nothing we could do.” a disturbed night, were found to of which there are Marine biologists are struggling to catch up on their sleep as soon as the about 2000, show The US has called for a ban on the Two separate populations of the fish— explain the repeated occurrence of opportunity arose. some form of fishing of bluefin tuna in the east- East and West Atlantic tuna—share feed- massive swarms of jellyfish in Northern fish monitored by the research parental care for ern Atlantic and Mediterranean ing sites in the Atlantic before heading Ireland. team were observed to have a both eggs and Sea, the BBC reports. to opposite sides of the ocean to breed, Until now, experts had thought of the drooping tail fin and stayed at the larvae, often A three- to five-year ban is being one of the most comprehensive studies waters off Ireland and Britain as too cold surface or bottom of the tank when extended to proposed to the International of the giant fish has revealed. to make a home for these particular jel- asleep. free-swim- Commission for the Conservation The foraging areas included waters off lyfish, which typically bother swimmers in The study has given researchers ming young of Atlantic Tunas. The call comes the eastern shores of Canada and the the Mediterranean. The summer of 2007 insights into the function of molecules until they are amid deep concerns that the US, and off the coasts of Spain, Portugal saw swarms of them off Spain and south- that regulate sleep, and they hope several weeks stock may collapse if the level and Ireland. But when it is time for ern France, and in 2006 they plagued further research into zebrafish, which or months old. M att h ew of overfishing continues. The these fish to go back to their spawning swimmers in Italy. However, the poison were selected because they have a Species of this fam- European Commission recently grounds, they separate out, doesn’t kill humans; it just leaves painful similar central nervous system to mam- ily have highly organized closed its bluefin tuna fishery for The findings form part of the global burns on the skin. ■ mals, will help them to understand breeding activities. Ovophile mouth- this year after quota limits had 10-year Census of Marine Life. ■ Sources: BBC, Spiegel online, AP sleep disorders in human beings. ■ brooders, like this female Cyphotilapia been exceeded. ■ frontosa, incubate their eggs in their mouths as soon as they are laid

20 X-RAY MAG : 20 : 2007 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Bikini Atoll Dive Operations Hit Hard By Airline Woes Travel News A series of domestic air service divers comprised of Europeans, with the airline caused a two-day woes have beset Bikini Atoll’s Australians and Americans delay in transporting divers to and scuba diving business, resulting in had to be evacuated by the from the dive locations, resulting $100,000 in losses, nearly 20 per- country’s marine patrol vessel. in further losses. Edited by cent of the annual total. One of Although air service Scott Bennett the 29 atolls and five islands that resumed in September, comprise the Marshall Islands, Bikini suffered numerous Bikini is a high-profile dive site dive cancellations when famous for its fleet of World War news of the stranded Peter Hughes Diving II-era American and Japanese divers spread. “We were Introduces Flex Carbon offset dive trips naval vessels resting on the completely sold out from lagoon floor. A major attraction August to November,” Charters is the USS Saratoga, believed to Bikini Atoll Dive official Jack Beautiful Oceans offers first dive vacations and eco- be the world’s only aircraft Niedenthal told Pacific Flex Charters represent an courses that address global warming—a new stand- carrier in waters shallow Magazine. entirely new approach to ard for sustainable eco-tourism enough for diving. The As a majority of group liveaboard reserva- fleet was sunk by the the divers pay for tions. “We spent a lot of time Beautiful Oceans, a progres- tourism,” says Ian Popple, Vice second post-World their packages well www . airmars h allislands .c om talking to dive retailers and sive eco-dive tour operator and President of Science and co- War II nuclear test in advance, it was Air Marshall Islands Dash-8 group leaders,” said Larry coral reef education organ- founder of Beautiful Oceans. conducted at Bikini difficult filling the 27 Speaker of Peter Hughes ization, announced it would “Guests on our eco-dive trips in 1946. openings quickly, particu- A group of Czechoslovakian Diving. “We listened to them address the impact of global will now know that while they The national airline larly with the news of the and Dutch divers, stranded due tell us what they wanted in warming from all its eco-dive learn about marine biology and has been struggling since ongoing AMI plane service to the cancellations, were com- a liveaboard group program vacations by carbon offsetting conservation with our marine early August, when pilot error problems, Niedenthal said. Since pensated with a week’s free and our new Flex Charter pro- customer flights and dives. biology instructors they are also resulted in an engine being over- the August stranding, Bikini has diving. “We want to keep eve- gram incorporates what we A first for the dive industry, helping to curb the effect of heated prior to take off, causing refunded about $40,000 to divers ryone happy,” Niedenthal said, heard.” this revolutionary step is made global warming and preserve one of its two planes to be out of who flew to the Marshall Islands “The cancellations and delays Deposits range from $750 possible by the “carbon cal- the coral reef ecosystem they commission for nearly a month. but could not get to Bikini to dive really damage our reputation for a half boat reservation culator”. Adapted for the div- have come to explore.” Two weeks later, the airline’s only during August and September even though it is not our fault.” to$1500 for a full boat reser- ing industry by Ocean Frontiers “Carbon emissions gener- other plane was grounded with because of airline’s woes. Reservations are now being vation, an 85 percent reduc- in Grand Cayman, the dive ated through the burning of fos- an engine problem. A group of In October, further problems taken for 2009. ■ tion in the deposit amount carbon calculator determines sil fuels are largely responsible compared to other programs. carbon emission costs incurred for the increase of greenhouse In addition, easy Interim from air travel and diving activ- gases in our atmosphere,” says Payments are designed to ities. Stephan Becker, CEO and optimize the group planner’s Beautiful Oceans then com- founder of Beautiful Oceans. Cayman Brac gets recompression chamber cash flow. pensates for these emissions “The resulting worldwide tem- The maximum payment on behalf of each guest by perature increase represents a By early 2008, diving-related illnesses in Cayman Brac will be would only be equal to the funding carbon-offset projects major threat to all ecosystems quicker and easier to treat when the island’s first recompres- individual deposit required to shown to verifiably reduce in the world, including coral sion chamber becomes fully operational. “We hope that by hold each space. Additional greenhouse gas emissions in reefs. For an eco-dive tour the time we’ve commissioned it and trained the team, that spaces can be sold with all of accordance with the Kyoto operator and coral reef we can take patients there by January 1st,” Mr. Elliott said the benefits, allowing groups Protocol. As a result, a more education organization of the Cayman Brac chamber. A two–lock multi–place to earn commission on every climate-friendly—and con- like Beautiful Oceans, it is model, it is a smaller version of the one currently operat- space sold while minimizing sequently ocean-friendly—div- imperative that we ensure ing at the George Town Hospital on Grand Cayman. the risks of incurring penal- ing vacation is made possible. that the carbon emissions Initially brought to Cayman Brac by Cayman Hyperbaric ties for space reductions. Flex “The idea of offsetting carbon generated during our dive Services in November 2006, it has taken until now for the Charters are available on all emissions generated during a trips will not contribute company to build a facility to house the chamber and Dancer Fleet vessels with the diving vacation represents a to the further loss of coral prepare it for commission. ■ exception of Sky Dancer in first important step towards the reefs.” ■ the Galapagos. ■ realization of sustainable eco- Decompression chamber File photo: U.S. Dept. of Energy

21 X-RAY MAG : 20 : 2007 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Travelling with Dive Equipment news In these days of increased air security and more stringent rules regarding baggage and carry-on lug- Edited by gage, it’s becoming a greater challenge for divers to Scott Bennett reach their destinations.

In regards to dive equipment as checked or carry-on baggage, there are a few important points to note. Knives, spear-guns and Lebanese beaches ‘still very other objects that can be used as weapons must, obviously, be checked. Any sharp objects packed in checked luggage should toxic’ after oil spill be securely wrapped to prevent injury to security screeners. Slivester Chua More than a year after the disastrous Jiyyeh oil Compressed air cylinders are spill, environmental groups have challenged pre- only allowed in carry-on or vious claims of progress in the clean-up effort. checked baggage provided

According to two environmental non-governmen- Petersen that the valve has been tal organizations (NGOs), the Lebanese coastline A380 Superjumbo takes off V . removed enabling inspectors remains badly polluted and clean-up efforts have to perform a visual inspection not achieved the desired results. These conclu- On October 25th, hundreds of Airport spent millions to accom- to ensure that the cylinder is sions contrast sharply with onlookers watched as the Airbus modate the new plane accord- completely empty, and that previous reports by other A380, the world’s largest pas- ing to BBC News. To cope with there are no prohibited items NGO’s and the United senger aircraft, finally took off on the two decks of seating, it had inside. It no longer suffices to Nations Environmental its first commercial flight. Despite to construct new aero bridges. have a tank empty and the Program. ■ nearly two years of delays due It also had to realign one of the Co p en h agen A ir p ort / A rne valve left open. If the cylin- to construction problems, the taxiways and strengthen a tunnel, der still has the regulator valve attached, the cylinder will not be aircraft, capable of carrying 850 which runs underneath the main permitted through the security checkpoint. Lebanese passengers, departed on time runway. coastline. File from Singapore’s Changi airport Singapore Airlines took delivery Secondly, airline regulations now stipulate that dive lamps and photo cour- and landed in Sydney after a of the aircraft just over a week strobes must travel with their bulbs physically disconnected from tesy of Xtreme seven-hour journey. earlier. Delivered 18 months their accumulators, which should also be discharged. (See lamp Divecenter in With a wingspan almost the behind schedule, the con- article, in this issue). The issue at hand being the risk of lamps switch- Lebanon size of a football pitch, Sydney struction of the A380 has been ing on in flight—or short-circuiting—causing them to get hot and besieged by persistent and costly possibly start a fire. However, in some cases, camera strobes are delays. The super-jumbo’s advent sealed units that cannot be taken apart, which can pose a bit of on a mixture of kerosene and a has taken the lead by signing up ends a reign of nearly four dec- a problem with over-zealous screeners. To this effect, some strobe 747 on biofuel biofuel. No details were given for the first commercial trial of a ades of the Boeing 747 as the manufacturers have issued a statement regarding the safety of regarding the type of biofuel to biofuelled aircraft,” he said. world’s largest airliner. Airbus bringing their units on planes. Print this statement out and bring it. Air New Zealand plans to be used, but the test flight will While technological advances is battling with long-time rival It will save you a headache sooner or later. mount the first test flight not carry passengers. have made biofuels a viable Boeing for supremacy in the civil

The New Zealand govern- possibility for use in aviation aviation manufacturing market. A friend of mine simply attaches the printout to Peter SY mes of a commercial airliner ment recently declared the much sooner than anticipated, Boeing recently revealed that the strobe where it pokes right into the face of partially powered by bio- objective of becoming carbon the technology is in its infancy, production of its new 787 air- any security screener about to make an issue fuel. neutral, and climate change and widespread commercial use craft—known as the Dreamliner— of it. Make sure that the unit is discharged, too. and energy minister David Parker probably a decade away. ■ has also been hit by production If you are concerned about weight limitations, The 747 flight is one part of a said the national airline’s delays, with the first deliveries you might consider carrying your u/w housing deal signed by the airline, engine initiative would help now not due until the end setup. Where the one piece of carry-on luggage producer Rolls-Royce and air- achieve that goal. of next year, six months policies are enforced, the carry-on regulations craft manufacturer Boeing to “I’m delighted behind sched- do say that you can also bring a camera. Fold research “greener” flying. Set for that Air ule. ■ the flash arms across to create a carrying han- late 2008 or early 2009, one of New dle. Attach a little piece of bubble wrap with a the plane’s four engines will run Zealand couple of rubber bands, and you have a soft and comfy grip. ■ Boeing

22 X-RAY MAG : 20 : 2007 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED news A Great White in the Red Sea I=>H=DA>96NH:6HDC½ Edited by 69DEI68G:6IJG:! Willy Volk The first underwater monument in the world, against the destruc- tion of the seas and the conservation of the shark population, was installed in Egypt outside Hurghada by the German “Shark :6GC68DD@>:# Project”, an organisation that is mainly fighting against shark oceana.org/adopt finning and longline fishing. The new monu- ment is located at N: 27.08 20.8 It only took nine months of preparation to fix a nearly four-metre long Great white E: 33 57 06.4. shark with a mooring on the bottom of Hurghada divesite “Gota Abu Ramada (GPS-coordinates) West”. The new attraction for divers is fixed five metres above bottom, and it needs a second view to recognize that the shark is pierced on a big knife. On a big acrylic pyramide, divers can read the following text:

Dear Diver,

You are looking at one of the most majestic animals of the world, a great white shark. Experts say, that this species is already ecologically extinct. It is an example for many other species, erased by the human influ- ence on the oceans of the world. The marine ecosys- tem is going to collapse. Make up your mind! Do we, the human species need the oceans to survive? Take a moment at this point, then return to the surface as an ambassador, as a defender of our oceans. This memorial site could be established due to the support of Hepca, sharkproject, Lufthansa, Mares, Citizen Eco Drive, Scubapro, Sea&Sea, Seemann and SSI. The dive spot “Gota Abu Ramada” is one of the most frequented dive sites at Hurghada and mainly used for check dives. Thousands of divers start their diving holidays in Egypt with their first check dive at this spot. The idea for this underwater monument was born during the Düsseldorf dive show in January this year when Egypt Red Sea governor, Bakr al Rashidi, visited the “sharkproject” booth. “We decided to construct this monument to sensitize the divers to the shark prob- lem. The state of the great white shark population is also a good indicator of the state of our oceans,” Overfi shing, pollution and habitat destruction are putting marine life at risk, Gerhard Wegner, president of sharkproject, said. from tiny seahorses to great white sharks. This holiday season, symbolically adopt one of 16 sea creatures and your donation will help Oceana’s advocacy More information: efforts to protect the world’s oceans. As a special token of our thanks, you’ll www.hepca.com also receive a cookie cutter in the shape of your adopted creature. www.sharkproject.org ■

23 X-RAY MAG : 20 : 2007 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED news Clam found to be over Edited by Willy Volk 400 years old An ocean quahog clam dredged off the Icelandic coast has been found to be 405 at U C S an D iego to 410 years old, BBC reports. This makes the otherwise unassuming Arctica islandica clam the longest lived animal species on record, though some corals are probably

o f Oc eanogra ph y much older. The clam was nicknamed “Ming” after the Chinese dynasty that ruled when the clam settled. Researchers from Bangor University in North Wales determined the Sc ri pp s I nstitution age by drilling through and counting rings Fluorescence shown along the body structure of amphioxus on its shell (a technique known as sclero- chronology). The researchers are uncertain how long the clam may have lived on had Fluorescence probably com- it been left to mind its own business on the monplace in marine creatures ocean floor. ■

U.S. marine scientists have determined

green fluorescent proteins might be wide- Poorten spread in the animal kingdom. ter

Until now, fluorescent proteins have been identified J an J o h an mostly in jellyfish and corals, leading to the belief that the capacity for fluorescence in animals is exclusive to such primitive creatures. However, new research by scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography has discovered fluores- cent-light emitting features in the amphioxus—which are a primitive group of chordates—indicating that such a capacity might be much more prevalent in nature than previously believed. The amphioxus also known as Lancelets grow up to about five centimetres long, reaching eight centime- tres at the longest. In common with the vertebrates, lancelets have a nerve cord running along the back, pharyngeal slits and a tail that runs past the anus. Dimitri Deheyn and his Scripps colleagues said their discovery emphasizes the idea that evolutionary pres- ervation of fluorescence must play an important eco- logical function. Deheyn said many animals have not been tested for fluorescence, and its prevalence in the animal kingdom remains undetermined. The research appears in the October issue of the An Atlantic clam has lived since the journal Biological Bulletin. ■ reign on Queen Elizabeth I

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