Leatherback Report Ana Bikik Odyssey Marine Technical Diving Illumination

Home , Diver trim, Dive briefing, Diving helmet, Global Explorer ROV, Nitrox, USS Apogon (SS-308)

Funky Gifts for Folks with Fins ... GirlDiver: Yoga & Diving Papua Leatherback Report Portfolio GLOBAL EDITION May 2009 Number 29 Ana Bikik Profile Odyssey Marine Tech Talk Technical Diving BIKINI ATOLL & KWAJALEIN ATOLL Photography Illumination Pacific1 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 Wrecks cover photo by Joost-Jan Waanders DIRECTORY Join Kurt Amsler’s efforts to save Indonesia’s X-RAY MAG is published by AquaScope Media ApS endangered sea turtles. Sign the petition and Frederiksberg, Denmark donate to the cause at: www.sos-seaturtles.ch www.xray-mag.com PUBLISHER SENIOR EDITOR Team divers share a deco stop above the Saratoga, Bikini Atoll - Photo by Joost-Jan Waanders & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Symes Peter Symes [email protected] [email protected] SECTION EDITORS contents PUBLISHER / EDITOR Andrey Bizyukin, PhD - Features & CREATIVE DIRECTOR Arnold Weisz - News, Features Gunild Symes Catherine Lim - News, Books [email protected] Simon Kong - News, Books Mathias Carvalho - Wrecks ASSOCiaTE EdiTOrS Cindy Ross - GirlDiver & rEPrESENTaTiVES: Cedric Verdier - Tech Talk Americas: Scott Bennett - Photography Arnold Weisz Scott Bennett - Travel [email protected] Fiona Ayerst - Sharks Michael Arvedlund, PhD Russia Editors & Reps: - Ecology Andrey Bizyukin PhD, Moscow [email protected] COrrESPONdENTS Robert Aston - CA, USA Svetlana Murashkina PhD, Moscow Enrico Cappeletti - Italy [email protected] John Collins - Ireland Marcelo Mammana - Argentina South East Asia Editor & Rep: Nonoy Tan - The Philippines Catherine GS Lim, Singapore [email protected] CONTriBuTOrS THiS iSSuE Kurt Amsler ASSISTANT EdiTOrS Fred Andersen & rEPrESENTaTiVES: Scott Bennett Malaysia Editor & Rep: Ana Bikic Simon Kong, Kuala Lumpur Mathias Carvalho [email protected] Alex Dawson Wayne Grant Canada/PNW Editor & Rep: Fredrick Isakson Barb Roy, Vancouver Millis Keegan [email protected] Catherine GS Lim Larry McKenna, PhD GirlDiver Editor & PNW Rep: Thorsten Repp Cindy Ross, Tacoma, USA Rob Rondeau [email protected] Cindy Ross Barb Roy ADVERTISING Gunild Symes International sales rep: Peter Symes Arnold Weisz Joost-Jan Waanders 23 33 37 48 65 plus... [email protected] Arnold Weisz Du t c h Expedition: Af t e r m a t h a t t h e Wr e c k Ju n k i e s : Kw a j a l e i n At o l l : Pr o f i l e : EDITORIAL 4 Bikini At o l l Wr e c k s Nu c l e a r Pl a y g r o u n d Jo u r n e y t o Bikini At o l l Wr e c k s o f t h e Pacific Od y s s e y Ma r i n e NEWS 5 Asia-Pacific rep: MarkETiNg MaNagEr: b y Jo o s t -Ja n Wa a n d e r s b y Ar n o l d We i s z b y Ba r b Ro y b y Th o r s t e n Re pp b y Mi l l i s Ke e g a n Simon Kong (Malaysia) Yann Saint-Yves NWDTE REPORT 12 [email protected] [email protected] WRECK RAP 16 French speaking territories: Further information: contacts EQUIPMENT 5 8 Mathias Carvalho page at www. xray-mag.com 60 69 88 TURTLE TALES 60 [email protected] Le a t h e r b a c k Re p o r t Fu n k y Gi f t s Po r t f o l i o : BOOKS & MEDIA 80 a p u a f o r o l k s w i t h i n s n a ikic Canada P F F A B Wendy Jankovic b y La r r y McKe n n a e d i t e d b y Gu n i l d Sy m e s e d i t e d b y Gu n i l d Sy m e s [email protected] & Ca t h e r i n e GS Lim Not yet subscribed to SUBSCRIPTION columns... X-RAY MAG? Sign up now! X-RAY MAG International Edition in English is FREE To subscribe, go to: www.xray-mag.com It’s FREE! QUICK! EASY! COVER PHOTO: 57 72 75 81 click here... Diver dwarfed by propeller of the wreck of the USS Gi r l Di v e r : Sh a r k Ta l e s : Te c h Ta l k : UW Ph o t o g r a p h y : Saratogoa, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, by Thorsten Repp Yo g a & Diving Bi t s & Bi t e s Te c h n i c a l Diving–Wh y Illumination

(CONTiNuEd ON PagE 4) b y Ci n d y Ro s s e d i t e d b y Pe t e r Sy m e s b y Fr e d r i k Is a k s o n b y Ku r t Am s l e r

2 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 Amsterdam Barcelona Cape Town Copenhagen Kuala Lumpur London Moscow Orlando Oslo Paris Ravenna Sao Paulo Singapore Vancouver Warsaw Editorial C’mon! them- is required for you to enter selves to —which then (hopefully) do volun- goes to fund the upkeep and teer work for protection of the park and some of the the species therein. Where many non-prof- such schemes are in place, it environmen- you are forced to part with a tal organisa- little money to go diving there,

K ur T A m S l E r tions. They in which case you probably are doing all just accept it as fact of life— the hard just as airport taxes and fuel work, surcharges. Let me see a show often of hands. How many of putting But does the issue have to be you have spent hundreds or aside personal forced through regulation or thousands on whatever your needs and more lucra- legislation? local currency is on purchas- tive careers elsewhere. ing dive equipment and But in doing so, they also need It would be nice if we all perhaps camera gear, getting your support in order to pro- could donate just a little certified and buying manuals tect that big blue realm we all here and there to one of the and spending on dive trips? claim to love and care about. many good organisations    It is close to everybody in this The only thing you have to do on our own accord. Protect forum, it seems. is donate some small amounts the sharks, mantas, whales      here and there. or turtles, it doesn’t matter— If you need a spare part, a pick your favourite animal.      new mask, batteries or an This magazine has, over the There are plenty of options for extra memory card for your years, worked with a number ‘adopting’ an oceanic crea- camera, it is usually not a big of environmental organisa- ture. It needn’t cost you more deal either. tions and assisted them in cre- than you spend on going to SeaCure™ Custom Mouthpiece ating more public awareness the movies or buying pack of is moldable and remoldable. So, why is it you apparent and help to raise funds for cigarettes. And how cool is can’t, or won’t, spare a few their valuable work. This has it being the protector of an bucks to support protect- given us some direct insight awesome turtle or a graceful Created by an orthodontist, ing the environment and a into the outcomes of various manta, which you then get to SeaCure is designed to fit number of those very oceanic campaigns, and the result name? So, what are you wait- your mouth, teeth, and species you venture out to on the bottom line has often ing for? It’s not going to kill gums . . . PERFECTLY. experience first hand such as been pitiful—to put it mildly. you, but it just might kill off the sharks, turtles, whales, mantas planet if you don’t. Available at your local dive center. and what else? There are a In some places, marine na- number of good people out tional parks have been set ‑— Peter Symes there who have taken it upon up and an entry fee, or a tax, Editor-in-Chief

www.seacure1.com You can do better 3 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED

Announcing the Biggest Event of the Ocean in the Asia Pacific… The 8th Celebrate the Sea Festival 2009

12-14 June 2009 Manila Ocean Park, Philippines — www.CelebratetheSea.com

Last Call For Entries — Deadline extended to 15 May 2009 Registration by 10 May 2009 ��

Photographers and filmmakers, of these prestigious titles: ambassador. This year’s visiting send in your entries now to com- ● The WOW Award for the most luminaries include David Doubilet pete in Asia Pacific’s most pres- outstanding image of National Geographic, Peter tigious international underwater ● The Hi Five Award for the high- Sconnes of BBC Blue Planet, imagery competition where the est scoring or the most well bal- Planet Earth, deep sea explorer premier prize is the conferred title anced portfolio Dr Phil Nyutten and many, many of ‘President, Grand Award of ● The Quick Draw Award for the more. Highest Achievement 2009’ with best action shot The Celebrate the Sea US$2000 prize money. There will be medals, cash, equip- Festival is a non-profit event Compete for Outstanding ment and holiday package prizes funded and produced by Achievement, Merit of Excellence for all categories including the OceanNEnvironment Australia. and Honor of Distinction for each WOW imagery competitors. The The partner and principal spon- of the nine categories. Besides cash and holiday prizes for the sors for 2009 are the Department the prestigious title, winners will WOW Imagery competition are of Tourism, Philippines, and also be awarded cash prizes, sponsored by the Manila Ocean PCSSD, with Rolex continuing �� holiday prizes, camera and video Park and supporting sponsors. its unstinting support as a major housings. It gets even better; if All winners qualify as contend- sponsor since the festival’s incep- you’ve shot something in the ers for the ‘President Grand tion. Philippines between 1 Feb 2008 Award of Highest Achievement to 10 May 2009 — enter the WOW 2009 with a cash prize of US$2000. For more info, visit: Philippines Imagery competition. ROLEX is the main sponsor, sup- www.celebratethesea.com You will be competing for one porting the hosting of Rolex’s or email: [email protected] ■

X-RAY MAG X-RAY MAG is distributed Unsolicited manuscripts, is a founding seven times per year on photographs and illustra- member of the the Internet. © 2004-2009 tions should be emailed �� Underwater X-RAY MAG. All rights to: Network reserved. [email protected] Underwater Material in this pub- X-RAY MAG accepts no Network.com lication may not be responsibility for unsolic- Editorial statement regarding reproduced, modified or ited materials sent to its News from NAUI in X-RAY transferred electronically office, nor is it liable for MAG: This issue of X-RAY MAG in any form without writ- loss or damage to such and others include news and X-RAY MAG ten permission from the materials. press releases from NAUI in is a member copyright owner. sections designated by the of Diving Views and information X-RAY MAG observes a NAUI logo. While the page design is done by X-RAY MAG �� Equipment expressed in articles are strict privacy policy. No as an integrated part of the & Marketing those of the individual personal or private infor- Association: magazine, these news stories author and are not nec- mation will be shared �� Dema.org are brought to you by NAUI at essarily representative with a third party without NAUI’s discretion. �� of views held by X-RAY the written permission of �� MAG or its affiliates. the owner.

4 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED News edited by Peter Symes & Arnold Weisz NEWS Scientific sub makes deep-sea discoveries

Images courtesy of Advanced Imaging and Visualization Laboratory WHOI Bizarre carnivorous sea squirts, large spider-like creatures and an ancient coral reef have been discovered by scientists during a four-week expedition to explore the deep ocean southwest of Tasmania, Australia, revealed that the area was home to several species of deep sea animals previously unknown to science.

Sea squirt 5 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED “We set out to search for life squirt half-a-metre high, and deeper than any previous a waffle-like cone-shaped voyage in Australian waters. giant sponge. At up to We also gathered data to 3000m were thousands of assess the threat posed by sea spiders, about 30cm in ocean acidification and cli- diameter, that look like land mate change on Australia’s spiders but are unrelated. unique deep-water coral And at 3500m were millions reefs,” said Dr Ron Thresher of round, purple-spotted sea from CSIRO. anemones. All of these new The expedition used a species are located more remote-controlled subma- than 2000 metres below the rine to explore the hidden surface. depths of a near-vertical “The entire bottom was slice of the Earth’s crust covered in these things as southwest of Tasmania. far as you can see, and it Known as the Tasman was just completely unex- Fracture Zone, it drops pected to see this huge below 4000m. Among the dominant community down new species was a funnel- there,” said Thresher. shaped carnivorous sea

6 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED news +10,000 years old The researchers on the joint US-Australian exploration identified vast fields of fossilized cor- DIVE INDONESIA als more than 10,000 years old located below 1400m as well as IN A NEW LIGHT! a modern reef system. However, Thresher said images taken by the submarine provided evidence that the mod- NEW! ern reef system was dying. Most reef-forming coral deeper than 1300m had recently died, and ocean warming and increas- OUR MAIN DESTINATIONS ing ocean acidity may be the Komodo cause. Alor & Flores “We need to closely analyse Maluku the samples and measurements Raja Ampat we collected before we can determine what’s caused this,” Cendrawasih Bay Thresher said. It could be the Manado & Lembeh result of several factors, such Togian & Banggai as ocean warming, disease or Wakatobi increasing ocean acidity. Taka Bone Rate & Selayar The exploration was funded by the US National Science Foundation, which spent A$2 million to bring the research vessel DIVE THE CENTRE OF BIODIVERSITY WITH RV Thompson to Australia, as well ARENUI as the remote-controlled subma- The Boutique Liveaboard rine Jason. The collaborative voyage of US and Australian researchers was led by chief scientists Dr Jess Adkins from the California Institute of Technology and Dr Ron Thresher from CSIRO’s Climate A bright red, unde- Adaptation scribed species of and Wealth shell-less coral, called from Oceans an anthomastid or Flagships. ■ gorgons-head coral, at 1700 metres deep at the Cascade Plateau, off southeast Tasmania

7 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Appearances are Shape-shifting coral very deceiving in Bak E r C . has everyone confused a few groups AN dr E w Skeletal shape is currently used to dif- ferentiate coral species. This can make them notoriously difficult to tell apart as shape can change independent of reproductive isolation or evolutionary divergence, the factors most common-

ly understood to define ‘species’. Z a C FO r S ma N. Looks are decieving Zac Forsman from University of Hawaii found that appearances are very deceiving in a few groups. Some corals were genetically indistinguishable despite differing in size and shape, such as ined to accurately understand pat- branching and massive corals, whereas terns of evolution, and biodiversity some corals with similar appearance in reef-building coral. Currently used Coral bleaching — corals expel their symbiotic algal partners and turn pale or white had deep genetic divergence. species definitions are likely to be misleading and confound attempts The authors said: “Morphological char- to identify, understand, and conserve Long-term recovery of reefs acters previously thought capable of coral biodiversity or to recognize its depends on local action delineating species must be re-exam- loss.” ■ SOurCE: EurakalERT A new paper representing the first and nutrient pollution. No clear trends Fatter coral stands a better chance comprehensive review of long-term were found in the eastern Pacific, the global patterns in reef recovery fol- central-southern-western Pacific or of surviving bleaching lowing bleaching events assess more the Arabian Gulf, where some reefs than 25 years of data on reef ecosys- are recovering and others are not. A new technique offers scientists and surrounding water, which tems recovery from climate change- “These findings illustrate how coral reef managers a better understand- the corals can subsist on related episodes of coral bleaching. reefs, under the right conditions, can ing of the processes that can lead until they can recover Bringing together the results of demonstrate resilience and recover to high mortality rates among cor- their algae partners, dozens of bleaching studies, the arti- from bleaching, even als affected by bleaching and also said a statement. cle reports that bleaching episodes when it initially appears Coral reefs, an explanation for why some reefs set the stage for diverse secondary catastrophic,” said 2008 appear to bounce back quickly “We believe cor- impacts on reef health, including Pew Fellow for Marine under the right while others never recover. als on coastal coral disease, the breakdown of Conservation and assist- conditions, can reefs are gener- reef framework, and the loss of criti- ant professor Dr Andrew demonstrate The main factor is the amount of ally better able cal habitat for reef fishes and other Baker. “What prevents energy stored as fat in the coral’s tis- to recover important marine animals. them from doing so is the resilience and sues. This in turn depends on the level from devastat- lethal prescription of com- recover from of the food supply in the water prior ing bleaching Huge differences bined, additional stressors to the bleaching event, how recently events because The study finds that reefs in the Indian that prevent them from bleaching, even the corals spawned and whether there is often Ocean are recovering relatively well recovering in between when it initially or not there have been other dis- enough food from a single devastating bleach- recurrent bleaching turbances such as human activities, in the water to ing event in 1998. In contrast, west- events. If we can remove appears cata- storms, low tides and competition keep them going,” ern Atlantic (Caribbean) reefs have or reduce these stressors, strophic from weeds. explained Andrea generally failed to recover from mul- we might give reefs a Grottoli, coral physiol- tiple smaller bleaching events and fighting chance of surviv- After the bleaching event itself, coral ogy expert from Ohio a diverse set of chronic additional ing climate change.” ■ survival may also depend on the State University. ■ stressors such as diseases, overfishing SOurCE: JOurNal ESTuariNE, COaSTal aNd SHElf SCiENCE, amount of plankton available in the SOurCE: FuNCTiONal ECOlOgy Z a C FO r S ma N.

8 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED M i CH a E l A w

Be adventurous. Be amazed. Be a diver.

Super reefs able to withstand climate change

Some coral reefs off East rapidly from the 1998 bleaching Tanzania’s reefs are particularly Africa seem to be unusu- event that had wiped out up to complex and experience unusual 45 percent of the region’s corals. variations in current and water ally resilient to climate The authors attribute the recov- temperature. These factors allow change due to improved ery of Tanzania’s coral reefs due for greater survivorship of a higher fisheries management and in part to direct management diversity of coral species, including a combination of geo- measures, including closures to those that can quickly re-colonize commercial fishing. Areas with after bleaching. physical factors. fishery closures contained an abundance of fish that feed on “Northern Tanzania’s reefs have A new study published in Aquatic algae that can otherwise smother exhibited considerable resilience Conservation provides additional corals, while the few sites without and in some cases improvements in evidence that globally important any specific management meas- reef conditions despite heavy pres- “super reefs” exist in the triangle ures remain degraded; one site sure from climate change impacts Photo courtesy of David Doubilet from Northern Madagascar across had experienced a population and overfishing,” noted Wildlife to northern Mozambique to south- explosion of sea urchins—pests Conservation Society scientist Dr ern Kenya and, thus, should be a that feeds on corals. Tim McClanahan, the study’s lead high priority for future conserva- author. “This gives cause for consid- Elizabeth Siddon dives tion action. Complexity is key erably more optimism that develop- below the ice in the The findings also showed that ing countries, such as Tanzania, can Canada Basin, tethered to Rapid recovery the structure of the reefs played effectively manage their reefs in the a tender for her safety Tanzania’s corals recovered a major factor in their resiliency. face of climate change.” ■

9 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Seaweed Chemical Defenses Seaweed can mount complex chemical defenses to protect themselves from microbial threats such as fungus. Researchers from the Georgia ing them in a way that blocks Institute of Technology have the entry points for microbes that described a sophisticated chemi- might invade and cause disease. cal defense system that uses 28 Seaweeds don’t have B cells, T different compounds to protect cells and immune responses like a species of seaweed against a humans do. But instead they have single fungus. some chemical compounds in their tissues to protect them. Immune response the researchers analyzed re- Though all the seaweed they cently-collected samples of the studied was from a single species, seaweed and found groups of the researchers were surprised potent anti-fungal compounds in to find two distinct groups of light-colored microscopic surface anti-fungal chemicals. From one patches covering what may be seaweed subpopulation, dubbed wounds on the surface of the the “bushy” type for its appear- seaweed. ance, 18 different anti-fungal Bladder Wrack, Fucus vesiculosus, Baltic Sea. Brown seaweeds of the genus In laboratory testing, these compounds were identified. In a Fucus occupy a wide variety of temperate coastal habitats. The genus is bromophycolide compounds and second group of seaweed, the evolutionary dynamic with recent radiations to form morphologically distinct callophycoic acids effectively researchers found ten different taxa. In the brackish Baltic Sea, fucoids are the only perennial canopy-form- inhibited the growth of Lindra tha- anti-fungal compounds—all differing macroalgae lassiae, a common marine fungus. ent from the ones seen in the first group. ■ It is possible that the alga is mar- SOurCE: PrOCEEdiNgS Of THE Seaweed may have formed shalling its defenses and display- NaTiONal ACadEmy Of SCiENCES only 400 years ago A couple of years ago, re- species was formed less than searchers at the University 2,500 years ago, and probably as recently as about 400 years of Gothenburg and Stock- ago. This discovery is one of few holm University discovered examples of extremely rapid spe- a new species of seaweed cies formation. The results also in the Baltic Sea. Studies show that new species can also be formed in the relatively young reveal that this species and species-poor Baltic Sea. may have formed as recent as 400 years ago. “We are now working on under- standing how the species was The new species, which was formed. Fucus radicans is very named Fucus radicans, evolved common in the Baltic’s Gulf of from a bladder wrack (Fucus Bothnia, and we want to under- vesiculosus) ancestor from the stand its significance to the eco- Baltic Sea. Detailed studies of system,” said Ricardo Pereyra, Fucus radicans show that, from a researcher at the University of an evolutionary perspective, it Gothenburg’s Department of Ma- was formed extremely rapidly: the rine Ecology. ■

10 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Math rules Size Matters too Molluscs in the northwest Atlantic Ocean have under- gone a dramatic increase in shell size during less than a cen- Snails and shells tury since 1915. Atlantic dog- Simple principles rule A simple neural network model whelk, Nucella lapillus, has had Logarithmic spiral of seashell growth based its shell length increased by an on a simple principle dis- average of 22.6 percent during covered 140 years ago can the past century, with no evi- The manner in which a gastropod generate realistic mollusc dence of changes in other shell shell coils has long intrigued layper- shells. George Oster, a bio- characteristics. sons and scientists alike. A gastro- physicist from Berkeley, working pod shell generally exhibits logarith- with mathematical neuroscientist Why bigger? mic spiral growth, right-handedness Bard Ermentrout of the University Overfishing of native preda- and coils tightly around a single axis. of Pittsburgh, has written a computer tors of dogwhelks, such as fish, program that, by using simple princi- and increases in temperatures A logarithmic spiral, or growth spiral, is a spe- ples, generates the complex patterns of could have lowered mortality cial kind of curve that often appears in nature. seashells closely resembling the real shells. and increased growth, both of In The logarithmic spiral was first described by which would cause an increase polar coordinates Descartes and later extensively investigated by Only nine paramaters in size. Also, arrival of new pred- (r,θ) the curve can Jakob Bernoulli, who called it Spira mirabilis, latin Based solely on nine parameters, Boettiger, ators as invasive species could be written as for “miraculous spiral” because he was fascinated Oster and Ermentrout were able to reproduce have selected for larger by one of its unique mathematical properties: the NWshapes and patterns ofDive almost every known body size. r = a∙ebθ sea mollusc. While the size of the spiral increases its shape Changes in the shell with e being the base remains unaltered with each successive curve. Interestingly, they found that all shell patterns architecture of marine of natural logarithms, Also it looks the the same regardless of scaling, fallExpo into three basic classes: stripes perpen- snails enhance and a and b being dicular to the growing edge, bands defenses and arbitrary positive real Atypical shell-coiling patterns (e.g. sinistroid parallel to the growing edge, and greatly constants. The spiral growth, uncoiled whorls and multiple coiling complex patterns created by improve has the property that axes), however, continue to be uncovered in asymmetric “traveling waves” of survival the angle between the tangent and radial line is nature. pigment or calcium deposition. against constant. predators. The “neural net” model explains how Stouter and mollusks build their seashells based on thicker shells the finding that the mollusk’s tongue- have been like mantle, which overlaps the edge of reported for the growing shell, senses or “tastes” the N. lapillus and calcium carbonate layer laid down the day several other before in order to generate a new layer. species following the introduc- “The pattern on a seashell is the mollusk’s memories,” tion of preda- said Oster, a professor of environmental science, policy tory crabs early in and management and of molecular and cell biology. the 20th century. “The shell is laid down in layers, so the mantle is sensing When the snails are the history of the mollusk’s ‘thoughts’ and extrapolating to exposed to crab cues, Cutaway the next layer, just like our brains project into the future.” ■ shells of small snails first of a nautilus thicken and then, once shell showing defended against shell- the chambers crushing predators, grow arranged in an THiS WikiPEdia aNd WikimEdia COmmONS imagE iS frOm THE uSEr CHriS 73 aNd iS in length to a size beyond approximately frEEly aVailaBlE aT HTTP://COmmONS.wikimEdia.Org/wiki/FilE:NauTiluSCuTawayLOg ariTHmiCSPiral.jPg uNdEr THE CrEaTiVE COmmONS CC-By-Sa 2.5 liCENSE. the abilities of the crab. ■ logarithmic spiral

11 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED news

Text and photos by Barb Roy and Wayne Grant Over 3500 attended the festivities over the CLOCKWISE: The Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center in the heart of the city; Tacoma April 24-26 weekend in Museum of Glass with works by world renown glass Tacoma, Washington, artists such as Dale Chihuly; Nearby eateries: Grassis USA, during the sec- Garden Café and Woody’s Restaurant ond annual Dive & Both John Chatterton and Jeff Bozanic offered extended workshops: “Diving in Travel Expo, organized the Overhead Environment” and “The by Bedrock Publication Benefits of Rebreathers for Technical and Northwest Dive Divers”. Also offered were a series of mini- News (NWDN). The three seminars on subjects like: local dive travel, diving in British Columbia, scientific proj- day event included a ects, dive equipment, gear maintenance Treasure Hunt for divers and photography-related subjects. on Friday at Owen Beach Non-divers of all ages could try scuba in with 190 entrants and an on-site pool while certified divers tried a consumer dive show out new gear during hourly demo sessions. featuring 250 exhibi- Crowded aisles hinted that consumers tor booths and other fun were enjoying the selection of exhibitors coming from around the world to share activities on Saturday their lines of dive equipment, special and Sunday. Throughout warm-water destinations, non-profit proj- the weekend participants ects and local dive getaways. on where to dive, who to dive with and to mingle and meet each other for some also had the oppor- actually meet the owners from these serious networking to plan co-marketing “We have a captivating sport,” states various businesses in British Columbia and projects and share ideas on how to ‘grow tunity to win over 800 show organizer and NWDN publisher, Rick Washington.” the sport’ as an industry. give-a-way prizes with a Stratton. “Our northwest area is equally retail value in excess of as captivating, and this show is meant to During the Friday evening Industry Social, “Growth of the sport is very important $100,000.00! demonstrate to divers they have a choice business owners and their staff were able in these economic times,” continued

12 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED TOP TO BOTTOM: Annie Ceschi tells us about BC diving; Ron Steven is artist Rogest with the Expo Poster and artwork by kids; Venders provide news info on diving in Washington State; Historic dive gear display at the expo

Northwest Dive & Travel Expo RIGHT: John www.nwdiveandtravelexpo.com deBoeck • Silver Cloud Inn in Tacoma and Nancy www.silvercloud.com/13home.htm McGee at the • Woody’s on the Water Browning Pass www.woodystacoma.com Hideaway • Paddy Coyne’s booth BELOW: X-RAY www.paddycoynes.net ■ MAG column- ist and rep, Cindy Ross of GirlDiver.com, was the leading lady at X-RAY MAG’s booth During the Saturday evening Film Festival show, attendees enjoyed watching winning selections from the Underwater Photo and Video Contests, presenta- tions by Nancy McGee, Stuart Westmoreland and other entertaining guests, emceed by Anne Crawley.

Show dates for the 2010 Tacoma Ruston Way by the water. The coast- Dive & Travel Expo and Underwater al view was relaxing and the compli- Treasure Hunt are May 21-23, mentary breakfast was excellent. which will once again be held at the Greater Tacoma Convention A short walk from the Convention & Trade Center. Exhibit space will Center, next to the Glass Museum is be increased to 278 10X10 booths, Woody’s on the Water, a delightful costing $750 ($850 after 1 January restaurant serving fresh seafood and 2010). Consumer entry cost will be steaks. Menu choices, appetizers, $15 at the door, with 50 percent off meal selections and desserts were coupons distributed at dive stores superb. Another eatery we tried was offering NWDN. New additions to the Paddy Coyne’s, an Irish Pub style Stratton. “There is a need to reach show will include action water sports establishment offering hearty pub- the non-diving community even to broaden the show appeal and style dishes and a wide selection of more so. This is one of the reasons access new avenues of attracting beer on tap. we are planning to open next year’s new divers to the sport. show to more action water-related Travel Information sports, and see if we can generate During our stay in Tacoma, we • Tacoma Regional some new divers as well as adding a enjoyed the comfy accommoda- Convention & Visitors Bureau ‘water sports’ theme.” tions of the Silver Cloud Inn on North www.traveltacoma.com

13 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Sea squirts able to regrow entire body from just one blood vessel

Our closest invertebrate relative, the humble sea squirt, can regenerate its entire body from just tiny blood vessel fragments in as little as a week, Israeli scientists have found.

The ability to regenerate a whole body matrix. AQUATICA 10BAR from a fragment is typically restricted A network of blood vessels connects SUBAL FANTASEA to less complex invertebrates, such as all modules within a colony. The scien- IKELITE PATIMA SEALUX EPOQUE sponges, worms and jellyfish, whereas tists removed fragments of blood ves- SUBTRONIC BEUCHAT no vertebrate (animals with back- sels from the colonies and placed them INON WEIKAMP bones) could regenerate their bodies if on microscope slides for investigation. SCUBA SYMPHONY they were cut in two, only lesser parts. Each roughly one-millimeter-long frag- MALAYSIA Salamanders are for example capa- ment contained one or more ampullae, Tel: +603-77107197 ble of regenerating limbs or tails while which are the pear-shaped endpoints of Fax: +603-77251197 humans are capable of regenerating the vessels, as well as 100 to 300 blood E: [email protected] portions of skin, lungs and livers. cells. Of 95 fragments, 80 regenerated an E-SHOP: scubasymphony.com Biologists Ram Reshef and Yuval entire functional adult within one to three Rinkevich at Technion Israel Institute of weeks. Technology in Haifa took a closer look at the sea squirt, by carefully peeling Illuminating evolution off colonies from underneath stones in The entire regeneration process, which in shallow waters along the Mediterranean part resembles the early stages of embry- oxes coast of Israel. onic development, could illuminate not era-b am Each colony is composed of up to only the evolutionary origins of regenera- C om BS-Kin thousands of genetically identical indi- tion in all organisms, but also subsequent fr etics ng viduals, each two to three millimeters changes to it during vertebrate evolution. e dli BS Kinetics GmbH rg an long and embedded in a gelatinous ■ on sy h Großweierer Straße 70 omic and ea 77855 Achern Germany Fon: +49 7841 668437 nless and stai UV -res istant small Aquatic life emits gases too ht, , s o g up t 80 li tr ed m ong riz Now livestock are not the only creatures to be blamed for emitting greenhouse gas- & pressu or mera – f near f ca ses. Underwater creatures such as molluscs also contribute to the greenhouse effect ly each type o as they feed by emitting nitrous oxide—commonly known as laughing gas—as a by- ter photog product of their digestion when nitrate was present in water. wa rap er hy nd u “Aquatic animals have never before & e been shown to emit this greenhouse r

b i gas,” the German and Danish research- f

ers recently wrote in a report in the o b

US journal Proceedings of the National r a

Academy of Sciences. However, as nitrate c is often used in fertiliser, the amounts of om www tics.c nitrous oxide from underwater creatures were .bskine likely to rise because of widening use of fertilisers in tropical nations. Nitrate fertilisers can be washed off farmland by rains into rivers and the sea. ■

14 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED The blue-ringed octopus isnot bigger than the news size of a golf ball, but its venom is powerful enough to kill humans. There is no known antidote C O mm ONS Cr E a T i VE ... but some are medicinal or healthy food D r O w M al E V ia Taiwanese researchers extract brain-boosting nutrient from squid skin

A Tawainese research team has processed into powder that is sels and helps prevent arterioscle- All cephalopods are poisonous successfully extracted a brain- used as an additive in animal rosis and the formation of blood boosting nutrient PL-DHA (phos- and livestock feed. Following clots. In Chinese medicine, eating While the blue-ringed octopus remains the only species dangerous to humans, other pholipid docosahexaenoic acid) the discovery of PL-DHA in squid octopus is also said to strengthen groups have been quietly using their venom for predation, a study by scientists from —which is a substance that can skins, Taiwanese officials said the heart function and improve irreg- improve memory and enhance Fisheries Research Institute would ular heartbeats. the University of Melbourne, University of Brussels and Museum Victoria finds. learning ability—from squid skin. step up the development of squid skin-based health products. Octopus is also an excellent A broad study of cephalopods— The different species’ genes were the University of Melbourne PL-DHA was better than TG-DHA source of potassium and zinc. more commonly known as octo- then studied for venom protec- explained that these ven- —another form of docosahexae- Full of protein Zinc works to envelope harmful puses, cuttlefish and squid—has tion, and it was found that a ven- oms remained an untapped noic acid that is commonly found While there are no less than 16 heavy metals contained in foods show that they all possessed toxic omous ancestor produced one resource for drug development. in deep-sea fish oil—in inhibit- grams of protein for every 100 in order to remove them from proteins that perform functions set of venom proteins, but over “We hope that by understand- ing degradation of the intellect grams of octopus served, it is the body. It is also said to pro- such as paralysing the nervous time, additional proteins were ing the structure and mode of because it can cross the blood a relatively modest source of mote the absorption of vitamin A. system of prey. added to the chemical arsenal. action of venom proteins, we brain barrier and be absorbed calories. Octopus is also an excel- Moreover, the cause of impaired The scientists analysed tissue can benefit drug design for a directly into the brain. lent source of the amono acid taste, a disorder that has recently samples from cephalopods from The way to new drugs range of conditions such as taurine; Taurine works to reduce been gaining a higher public Hong Kong, the Coral Sea, the One of the lead scientists pain management, allergies As squid skins are tough and triglyceride levels and eliminate profile, is said to result from a defi- Great Barrier Reef and Antarctica. behind the study, Bryan Fry from and cancer,” Fry said. ■ unpalatable, they are usually excess cholesterol from blood ves- ciency of zinc. ■

15 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED wreck rap

Edited by Mathias Carvalho Ancient Shipwreck’s Stone Cargo Linked to Apollo Temple At a site off the Aegean coast of western Turkey, a 2000-year-old shipwreck’s main cargo was 50 tons of marble, to be used as construction material for a local temple. Back in 2007, archeologist Deborah Carlson narrowed her search down to a few possible options — nearby r O gu EC la SS i C S mu S. fil ES. w rd P ESS.CO m temples in use around the first century BC and may have established a possible link to the famous Temple of Apollo, at

Klaros. i N a .T amu .E du Low tide at Akko

The area at the temple is filled with Doric The ancient seaport of Akko (Acre) is (the full dimensions of the floor have style columns, built from roughly the one of the world’s oldest continuously not yet been exposed). Built of rect- same sort of marble found on the ship, inhabited cities. The first recorded angular, smoothly dressed “kurkar” and looked like having the proper size. mention of Akko dates back to the stones, the floor area also revealed Carlson measured remains of columns reign of the pharaoh Thumtose III, numerous fragments of ceramic with a tape measure. “I thought, wow, who ruled from 1504 to 1450 b.C. jars of Aegean provenance (from this is definitely a candidate.” Remains of a unique and impressive Rhodes, Kos and elsewhere) that floor, discovered at a depth of one were used to transport wine, as well By the second semester of 2008, using meter underwater in Akko harbor, as tableware and cooking vessels. a variety of techniques, she managed constitute the first evidence of a low Among the other artifacts recovered to link the shipwreck’s cargo to its sea level during the Hellenistic period. were a Greek style bronze arrowhead likely intended destination, the Klaros and bronze coins that are covered temple—as well as to its origin, a marble The floor remains were discovered with marine encrustations. quarry 200 miles (322 kilometers) away during archaeological excava- on an island in Turkey’s Sea of Marmara. tions and inspections that the The floor constitutes an extremely This is the first time archaeologists have Israel Antiquities Authority Marine important indicator for studies that pinpointed both where the marble came Archaeology Unit is carrying out within deal with changes in sea level and from and where it was going the framework of rehabilitating Akko’s in the location of the shoreline during southern seawall. the Hellenistic period in Akko. This find The shipwreck was one of five found in raises other questions regarding the Kızılburun in 1993 on a survey of Turkey’s The part of the floor that has been tectonic changes that occurred in Aegean coast by the Institute of Nautical revealed so far extends for a distance Akko, which is located on a geologic Archaeology (INA) at Texas A&M of 15 meters and is four meters wide fault, and sea levels. ■ University, where Carlson works. ■ T ra VE l urky .CO m 16 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED wreck rap WWI battleship found in deep water The Danton, a French battleship, sunk in the Mediterranean by German torpedoes in 1917, was found by accident sitting upright and almost intact with many of its gun turrets still intact in over 1,000m of water.

The wreck was unexpectedly dis- ily good”. Danton served in World After being hit, she turned upside covered by a unmanned subma- War I in the French Mediterranean down, then rolled again before rine during a seafloor survey for a Fleet, helping to protect French landing on the seabed, where it proposed gas pipeline between troop and supply ships from slid before coming to its final rest- Algeria and Italy. At first, the attack by the Austro-Hungarian ing place, about 22 miles south- technicians didn’t realized what Navy. She also helped keep the west of the island of Sardinia. a remarkable find they had stum- Turkish battlecruiser TCG Yavuz Although the ship lost some of bled upon, but it was confirmed Sultan Selim bottled-up in the its superstructure, for the most by the French Navy Commission, Black Sea. part it is relatively intact, Hawkins that the vessel was the Danton, The Danton was carrying 946 said. ■ built in Brest, France, in 1910, one officers and sailors and of the largest French naval vessels 155 passengers on in WWI. March 18, 1917, when it was hit by two tor- Excellent condition pedoes fired by the Robert Hawkins, a project direc- German U-Boat U-64. tor with Fugro, a Dutch geotech- 296 sailors—including the nical, survey and geosciences captain —went company, stated that the ship- down with the wreck’s condition is “extraordinar- ship.

The Danton was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the French Navy. Serving in World War I, she was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat in 1917, only to be rediscovered in 2009

17 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED wreck rap Who Owns a Shipwreck?

New technology now allows for the Military Colors exploration of deep-water wrecks Military shipwrecks previously not accessible. But, who less than 100 years really owns a shipwreck? And, do old remain the prop- governments have jurisdiction over a erty of their mother wreck site? country under the Most countries, especially coastal terms of “Sovereign states, have their own legislation that Immunity” (Law of the regulates the exploration and exploi- Sea Convention). If a tation of shipwrecks as a cultural or warship lies within the economic resource. In Canada, a territorial waters of a new federal policy aims to better sovereign nation (the S O u TH W al ES protect and preserve archaeological Coastal State) that resources found within that country’s nation shares jurisdic- N E w national parks, both on land and tion with the wreck’s underwater. It stresses “minimal inter- “Flag State.” vention” and applies to wrecks such Sometimes, a as the HMS Breadalbane, considered wreck’s flag state isn’t S T a TE L i B rary f O the most northern shipwreck in the as clear-cut as one world. It was declared a national his- might think. A war- toric site in 1993. ship may have been There are several international handed over freely, M i TCHE ll L i B rary , regulatory bodies that also gov- taken by force, or sur- HMS Breadalbane ern shipwrecks. These include the rendered by one state Committee Maritime International, to another. Take for example several approved “The RMS Titanic Maritime The United Kingdom was the first the United Nations Division of Ocean German u-boats that were trans- Memorial Act of 1986.” country to sign the international Affairs and the International Maritime ferred to Japan, and re-designated The Act made it unlawful for any- agreement in 2003. And, while Organization. The United Nations as “I-boats,” in the end days of WWII. one in the US to trade in artifacts acknowledging that Titanic is, “a his- “Law of the Sea Convention” applies Under the terms of international from the wreck. Further to the Act, torical wreck of exceptional interna- to areas beyond the territorial waters Sovereign Immunity, such a wreck only one American company, RMS tional importance,” that country has or legal jurisdiction of any nation. belongs to Japan and not Germany. Titanic Inc., was granted permission not stated how it plans to protect the The “Convention on the Protection The United States, Spain and to remove artifacts from the shipwreck. of the Underwater Heritage,” was put Great Britain, argue that Sovereign wreck, but only for the purposes of Canada has not yet signed the forward in 2001 by the United Nations Immunity applies to warship wrecks public exhibition. international agreement. Education Scientific and Cultural older than 100 years. In 2007, the US implemented fur- And, the Agreement has no juris- Organization (UNESCO). But, it only ther legislation to protect the wreck, diction over expeditions to Titanic gNufdl. wikiPEdia.COm applies to the 20 countries that have Titanic Effort as part of an international agree- that originate from other countries, ratified it. The United States is not one The United States leads the way ment with the United Kingdom and such as Russia or France. of these! Nor is the United Kingdom, when it comes to protecting the Canada. The National Oceanic and Maritime zones are outlined on this schematic map France, Germany, Canada, Japan, world’s most famous shipwreck, the Atmospheric Association (NOAA) will —Rob Rondeau China, Russia and most countries in former ocean liner, Titanic. After it represent the US, regulating dives to Marine Archaeologist the developed world. was discovered in 1985, Congress Titanic from the United States. www.procomdiving.com ■

18 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Saharan Dust Storms news Sustain Life in Atlantic Ocean But Also Carry Elements Phytoplanton reinvent their structure Toxic to Marine Algae Dust blown off the conti- Phytoplankton are responsible for providing nearly half of the oxygen that sustains nents and deposited in the life on Earth. Now American scientists have discovered that phytoplankton in the open ocean is an important source of nutrients for marine open ocean may be adapting to the low levels of phosphorus by making a fun- phytoplankton, the tiny damental change to their cell structure. algae that are the foundation of the ocean food web. Until now, it was thought that all cells were surrounded by membranes containing But new findings show that molecules called phospholipids—oily com- some sources of dust also pounds that contain phosphorus, as well as Smooth flower coral, Eusmilia fastigiata carry toxic elements that other basic biochemical nutrients including can kill marine phytoplank- nitrogen. ton. Researchers discovered Algae outwit coral the toxic effects during a Enter a substitute study of how phytoplank- However, Van Mooy and his colleagues New research show that symbiotic algae sneak inside ton respond to atmospheric from WHOI, have found phytoplankton in coral cells in a stealth manner, rather than being aerosols deposited in the the Sargasso Sea that make their cell mem- northern Red Sea. branes without using phospholipids, using actively welcomed by their coral host. non-phosphorus-containing ‘substitute lipids’ instead. Early in development, juvenile cor- Analyses revealed that the coral These substitute sulfolipids apparently al- als acquire a wide range of differ- host had a strong immune re- low the plants to continue to grow ent algal strains that are later sponse to “bad” algae that didn’t and survive under conditions of winnowed down as the coral make good partners. By contrast, phosphorus stress, a unique strat- matures. This process is impor- “good” algae seem to be able to

P E dd r “They are egy for life in the sea. tant to weed out all but the somehow cloak themselves from

Bria N the most select few algae that form immune detection or manipulate

These substitute lipids were once abundant long-term symbiotic partner- the coral’s response in some way. regarded as merely a molecular membrane ships into adulthood. But The study has important implica- Coccolithophores are marine-dwelling phytoplanktons that live in peculiarity of phytoplankton grown what drives the coral’s initial tions for how coral reefs will fare in the Aerosols from both sources the mixed upper layer of the sea and are eaten by zooplankton in the laboratory, but are now rec- molecules in acceptance and later purg- face of climate change. If symbiotic supplied key nutrients such and small fish). They can grow in nutrient-poor conditions that ognized to be used by phytoplank- the sea but ing of algae was unclear. algae evolve higher thermal toler- as nitrogen and phosphorus, other phytoplanktons cannot flourish in. Covering up to 1.4 million ton throughout the world’s ocean. ance, they might only be accepted but the Sahara sources also square kilometres of ocean surface each year, coccolithophores essentially A nice conundrum by the corals if “there’s some process contained high concentra- have tremendous effects on both local and global environments Sargasso Sea unknown Most researchers assumed of coevolution that allows the coral to tions of copper. “When we The Sargasso Sea is in the middle that the interaction between relax its guard further and to allow in added the Sahara dust, the Climate change reduces nutritional of the Atlantic Ocean—an area until now.” coral and algae would be more strains.” phytoplankton died within 24 known for its short supply of phos- quite complex, involving ac- Since algal uptake is largely hours. We found that cop- value of phytoplankton phorus and nitrogen. Micro-algae are growing faster under the influence tive gene expression in both passive, one would expect evolu- per was really high in those A molecule of phosphorus dissolved in the of climate change. However, the composition of the the coral host and algal symbiont. tion to occur at surface receptors, samples, so we suspected Sargasso Sea remains there for perhaps an algae is changing, as a result of which, their nutritional But now a team led by Mónica for example, rather than at ac- that copper was causing hour or two before a phosphorus-starved value for other aquatic life is decreasing. And because Medina of the University of Califor- tively expressed genes. This finding the toxicity,” the researchers cell greedily absorbs it. For comparison, in algae are at the bottom of the food chain, climate nia, Merced, has shown that the narrows the number of options for write. ■ the Pacific Ocean, phosphorus may linger change is exerting an effect on underwater life, Dutch coral host often haves a passive how that evolution can happen,” for nearly a year before being used by SOurCE: PrOCEEdiNgS Of THE researchers conclude. ■ role in this process. study researchers said. ■ NaTiONal ACadEmy Of SCiENCES plankton. ■

19 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Sym ES

Deep-sea Corals May Be Oldest Living Organism P ETE r Deep-sea corals from about 400 meters off the coast of the Hawai- ian Islands are much older than once believed and some may be the oldest living marine organisms known.

Using radiocarbon dating to determine the ages of Geradia sp., or gold coral, and specimens of the deep- water black coral, Leiopathes sp., researchers from Lawrence Livermore found the two groups of Hawaiian deep-sea corals are far older than previously recorded. The longest lived in both species was 2,740 years and 4,270 years, respectively. At more than 4,000 years old, the deep-water black coral is the oldest living skeletal- Hawaiia N UN d E r SE a RESE ar CH L a B accreting marine organism known. ■ NO AA SOurCE: PrOCEEdiNgS Of THE NaTiONal ACadEmy Of SCiENCES

Trade-offs Pakistanis thrilled to discover Dr Nedim Buyukmihci, professor of veteri- Crabs Feel Pain nary medicine at the University of Califor- they too have coral reefs Crabs have well-developed senses of sight, smell and taste. nia, Davis, explained: “Pain is a universal New research now shows that crabs not only suffer pain, too, biological phenomenon in the animal The coral reefs were found on the Daraan and Gunz coasts world. It serves to protect an individual but also retain a memory of it. of Balochistan in a four-day survey of the coastal areas of from internal or external adverse conditions. All animals studied to date have Balochistan. The survey team also found dead coral reefs A new study conducted by reseachers the inner ‘feeling’ of unpleasant- been demonstrated to on the coastal hills of Balochistan. from Queen’s University demonstrated ness that we associate with pain. have at least some means that hermit crabs reacted adversely to This research demonstrates that it is “Trade-offs of of responding to stimuli, the small electric shocks but also seemed not a simple reflex, but that crabs this type have which would cause pain. to try to avoid future shocks, suggesting trade-off their need for a quality not been previ- Even invertebrates such that they recalled the past ones. shell with the need to avoid the as insects and earthworms harmful stimulus. ously demon- have been shown to pos- Professor Bob Elwood, who carried out strated in crusta- sess pain modulators, which the research, told BBC the research Experimental setup were commonly thought to highlighted the need to investigate how As part of the research, wires were ceans. The results exist only in vertebrates such crustaceans used in food industries are attached to shells to deliver small are consistent as mammals. It is, therefore, treated, saying that a “potentially very shocks to the abdomen of some of completely rational and large problem” was being ignored. the crabs. The study revealed the with the idea of biologically sound to state “We know from previous research that only crabs to get out of their shells pain being expe- that crabs would be able they can detect harmful stimuli and were those that had received to feel pain. Moreover, their withdraw from the source of the stimuli shocks, indicating that the experi- rienced by these behavior is consistent with but that could be a simple reflex without ence was unpleasant for them. animals.” this principle.” ■

20 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Algarve historical treasures travel news draws divers and tourists

Tourists from Spearheading the develop- all over ment of underwater tourism in Edited by Europe are the Algarve is a company called Scott Bennett increasingly Hidroespaço. Underwater tours choosing commenced in 2004 when the Algarve Hidroespaço signed a protocol for diving with the Portuguese Institute of MaiN NEwS ON Our wEBSiTE holidays to Archaeology. Some of the high- visit historical lights are a B-24 Liberator bomber Dive the best of treasures hid- from World War II and a 17th centu- North Sulawesi With den deep in ry ship with its weapons and cargo “Gangga Divers” Philippine govern- the region’s strewn across the sea bed. Both are ment advocate higher waters. situated off the coast of Faro in less Gangga - Bangka - Lembeh - Bunaken wikiPEdiaCOmmONS.Org Tourists than 20 metres of water. www.ganggaisland.com charges for tourists have long While people from across Europe Tourism Secretary Joseph flocked to Portugal’s Algarve for contact the company for under- Ace Durano said the towns Boom time for whale shark lovers its stunning beaches and turquoise water tours, it is the Portuguese and cities which have ju- waters. Now, its marine treasures themselves who show the most risdiction over marine pro- The Gascoyne coast of Western Australia is experiencing a whale are drawing attention, as the interest. Promoters view the tours as tected areas are undervalu- shark bonanza, with enthused tourists being treated to daily sightings waters of the Algarve are teeming a great alternative to the traditional ing themselves by charging of the elusive yet gentle giants. The region’s sharks have arrived earli- with a bevy of attractions ranging beach and sun tourism and believe small fees. er than usual and in huge numbers, providing a boom to the region’s from a 17th century ship to a WWII demand will keep on rising. Dives Read the story here >>> dive operators. Marnie Hunt, co-owner of Exmouth’s Ocean Eco aircraft. cost between €30 and €50. ■ Adventures, said sightings had rarely been so reliable. “Usually one shark is a bonus, but we have been getting multiple sharks — up to 23 Red Sea dive three or four a day,” she said. “All the conditions have just been really centers black listed good — clear days, good visibility and lots of whale sharks.” Airlines, dive travel and the recession The Chamber of Div They typically congregate to feed around Ningaloo Reef, one of ing and Watersports the world’s premier locations for viewing the world’s largest shark Worldwide Airlines Announce Capacity Reductions (CDWS) of Egypt has so far species. Feeding only on plankton, the benevolent creatures are The worldwide ecomonomic downturn has forced the world’s airlines to black listed 23 dive opera- beloved by divers the world over and have even been documented implement cutbacks in service. Frequency of flights has been reduced on tions in their certification “playing” with humans. many routes while suspension of service has been implemented on others. drive, to heighten the Conservationists hope the species, officially listed as vulnerable, are In other cases, smaller aircraft are being utilized to cut costs and ensure full- industry standards. now receiving protection from fishing. Since 1998, several countries er capacity of seats. There do appear to be some glimmers of hope on the Read the story here >>> including India, the Philippines and Taiwan, have banned the fishing economic horizon, so the airline situation could change dramatically once and sale of whale sharks. ■ things improve. Be sure to check airlines’ websites for service information updates well before you plan to travel. Philippines awarded as top dive site Bad Times Equal Good Deals The Philippines remains “TIMES ARE TOUGH!” Negative headlines such as these bombard us on a as one of marine explor- daily basis. All the bad news is enough to make you want to stay in bed eve- ers’ most preferred div- ry morning. Yet, despite all the apparent doom and gloom, all is far from lost. ing destinations, besting Right now, there isn’t a better time to travel. Airfares are more competitive several other international than they’ve been in years, and tour operators are offering a bevy of amaz- diving sites based on a ing deals to entice people. When things inevitably get better, prices will rise survey done during the and once again, everyone will bemoan the high cost of travel. No matter 17th Marine Diving Fair in what happens, life goes on, so enjoy it. Do your part for the world economy Tokyo, Japan. and get out and dive! ■ Read the story here >>>

wikiPEdiaCOmmONS.Org 21 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Airline Credit Cards Consumer Tip

Edited by to supplement a FFP with Scott Bennett an airline affiliated credit Lock your card, which allows you to credit card combine earned points with FFP points. Try to keep the Some European Greeks concerned about cards to a minimum; miles banks are now of- spread out over different fering their customdivers looting treasure airlines, cards, and FFPs will ers a novel way of never get you your desired protection against A new law, which recently opened most of reward. fraudulent use of Greece’s coastline to scuba diving except On the other hand, if their credit card for about 100 known archaeological sites, has you are a bigger spender following trips and archaeologists worried that priceless artifacts than flyer, consider using use on the internet. beneath the eastern Mediterranean could dis- a bank card that is not Account holders at appear into the hands of treasure hunters. branded with a particular the Scandinavian airline. With lower annual ‘Handelsbank’ are “The future of archaeology in this part of the fees, interest rates and a now able to lock world is in the sea,” marine archaeologist variety of airlines to choose their credit cards Harry Tzalas told Reuters. “This law is very from, these cards are gen- via their online dangerous; it opens the way to the looting of erally not limited by airline banking, so they antiquities from the seabed, which we don’t capacity controls and can’t be billed from even know exist.” blackout dates. Also, fees abroad or from the PuBliCdOmaiNPiCTurES.NET tend to be higher for airline internet. Accord- Greece’s 1932 antiquities law says all arti- reward cards than ing to APACS, the facts on land and in the sea belong to the In the days of yore prior to the com- ets. With seemingly limitless programs other types of credit cards. If you UK trade associa- state, but it does not regulate scuba diving, puterized age, supermarket patrons available, obtaining a mileage-earn- don’t charge a lot on your card, tion for payments, The new law, which Greece’s archae- collected Green Stamps, painstak- ing credit card may seem like a non- then the high fees may cancel out abuse of stolen Sorry divers, ologists’ union and two ecological ingly pasting them in books and decision. Before taking the plunge, any reward benefits. cards abroad, or it’s hands off societies have appealed for to be exchanging them for merchandise. however, there are a number of fac- credit card infor- rescinded, was implemented in 2007 The more stamps, the more merchan- tors to consider first. CardRatings mation obtained and designed to promote tourism. ■ dise. In today’s hi-tech environment, Earning rewards should be a natu- A good source of information is abroad, accounts consumers are utilizing the green ral benefit based on your current CardRatings.com, which evaluates for more than 40 stamps’ 21st century equivalent: spending habits. Avoid falling into the and compares the different airline percent of credit Galapagos liveaboard dive trips to Wolf and Frequent Flier Programs (FFP). trap of spending more just to earn reward cards available. Finding the card fraud com- Darwin Islands now available aboard the M/S Alta With the simple click of a mouse, the reward. The quickest way to earn right card will take a little research, mited in the United “stamps” are collected, counted, miles is to fly and use an airline FFP. but the payoff in the end will be Kingdom. ■ Operating for over 20 years, Quasar Expeditions (Quasar Nautica) and redeemed for free airline tick- If you travel often, you may want worth it. ■ is one of the region’s longest-running dive operations and has recently received approval from the Galapagos National Park for the 2009 dive season. Their previous liveaboards, the M/S Lammer Law and M/Y Mistral have been replaced by their new state-of- the-art liveaboard, the M/S Alta. Carrying a maximum of 16 passengers, seven night/eight day trips are now being offered from from July through November of this year. With its well-trained crew and staff, Alta carries the signature service that have long characterized Quasar Expeditions. Two expert dive masters and Galapagos park naturalists are on board to ensure guests see and experience the best the islands have to offer. www.galapagosexpeditions.com ■

22 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Text and photos by Joost-Jan Waanders

First official Dutch Dive Expedition to Bikini Atoll, 2-20 May 2008 — Bikini Atoll In 1996, I heard for the first time Expedition to the wrecks of Operation Crossroads about the unique possibility to dive on WWII shipwrecks at Bikini Atoll, one of the main atolls of the Marshall Islands, located in the triangle between the United States, Japan and Australia. This boy’s dream, to dive these wrecks, came through after an intensive planning and preparation phase of 2.5 years as the Technical Explorers Team (four divers, initially we were five) finally arrived at Bikini on 7 May 2008. The preparation period was also like a dream, which became more and more real as time passed, including all the excitement counting down to the ultimate moment of diving on the wrecks at Bikini Atoll. The highlight of the week at Bikini, one of the most beautiful dive destinations on Earth, ��were the spec- tacular deep dives on the sunken WWII war fleet wrecks, which went down as a result of the nuclear test bombings during “Operation Crossroads”.

The Mission Today, the Bikini Atoll stands known as one of the most beautiful dive destinations on the planet. But underlying this great paradise is a dark side of history that has cost many lives of the original people living here, including many men suffering of thy- roid cancer. The Technical Explorers Team went as one of the very first Dutch divers to this atoll to make a documentary, write an THIS PAGE: Scenes from the nuclear wrecks of Bikini Atoll article and create a presentation for the lecture circuit to tell the Bikinian story and

23 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Bikini Atoll the Bikini Atoll in the Marshall ber of auxiliary and amphibi- Islands. The purpose was to ous vessels. Between 1946 and check the radio active effects 1958, a total of 67 nuclear tests on test animals and blast effects were performed at the atoll, against the surface ships in the which became heavily infect- target array. ed with radioactive radiation. The second shot, “Baker” was Nowadays, the nuclear wrecks detonated beneath the surface of the Bikini Atoll are quiet wit- of the lagoon in the centre of nesses of the disaster that hap- the target ship array. This test pened here 63 years ago. was designed to determine the hull damage caused by the Just in time hydraulic effect of the under- Due to aircraft problems with water nuclear detonation. A Air Marshall Islands (AMI) Airliner fleet of more than 90 vessels Company, there were no divers was assembled in Bikini Lagoon for the last nine months before as a target. This target fleet the Dutch expedition team consisted of older U.S. capital arrived at Bikini. However, after ships, three captured German 13 great but challenging years and Japanese ships, surplus as one of the premier wreck div- U.S. cruisers, destroyers and ing tourism sites in the Pacific, submarines, and a large num- Bikini Atoll was closed to tourists

to help promote tourism from against naval vessels. They Europe to this particular area also wanted to study different of the Pacific. techniques to protect vessels against a nuclear attack and History possibly change the design Prior to July 1946, only three of future naval ships. On 10 atomic bombs were detonat- January 1946, a presidential ed by the United States. Bomb order (by President Truman) number one detonated in created Task Force ONE, with the New Mexico Desert in the an assigned mission, to dis- “Trinity Test” on 16 July 1945. cover the answers to these The second exploded over questions. Hiroshima on 5 August 1945, The commander of which was the first military use “Operation Crossroads” was of atomic power. Four days Vice Admiral W. H. P. Blandy later, on August 9, the third who was responsible for flashed high over Nagasaki. 200 ships, 40,000 men and This convinced the Japanese 150 aircraft. He would ulti- to surrender five days later mately detonate two atomic on 14 August 1945. Thus, the bombs against a target fleet first three atomic detonations that consisted of obsolete took place in a one month American vessels and cap- period, and two of them were tured ships from Germany fired in anger and, thus, no and Japan that the US data was collected regarding received at the conclusion of their performances. WWII. By early 1946, the scientific The first detonation, called community was curious about “Able” was dropped from a THIS PAGE: Divers explore the wrecks. ABOVE: Divers descending at stern the effects of nuclear bombs B-25 over the target fleet in

24 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Bikini Atoll ly made it to Bikini. After our luggage was unloaded, we were shipped directly from the landing strip to our accommodation by boat. The water was crystal clear; the white sand beach, with its waving palm trees, was breath-taking, and this paradise was completed by a blue sky with beautiful white clouds. If paradise on Earth exists, we found it here. From our verandah, we looked over the lagoon where, at a distance of three miles from the coast line, the remains of the sunken military fleet is still witnessing history. It is really unbelievable that after exactly 63 years after Operation Crossroads, and a total of 67 nuclear explosions later, we are now able to safely walk on the beaches. The local radiation is even less than that of an average large town. In fact, we were exposed to more radiation during all our flights than during as of 11 June 2008. A long trip our stay on Bikini Atoll. That is a strange This decision had to be made due to The initial planning for March 2008 had feeling considering that there were so the very bad serviceability of the local to be postponed with seven weeks due many nuclear explosions here. There is still airliner, Air Marshalls, and the rapid rise in to the unavailability of a serviceable some remaining radiation which can be the world price of fuel, which has made aircraft flying between the capital city found at deeper level under the surface. all of the operating expenses just skyrock- of the Marshall Islands, Majuro and the However, the raised concentration of et beyond their means. Bikini Atoll. The Dutch Technical Explores cesium 137 is still absorbed by the roots of In August of this year, the local govern- team arrived after a 36-hour journey, via palm trees and consequently coconuts ment, during the annual budget meet- Honolulu, Hawaii, on Majuro. and coconut crabs are still not consum- ing, will decide whether or not they can Twelve hours before our departure able. afford to open Bikini Atoll in 2009. from the Netherlands, we received the At this point in time, given these chal- message that the flight between Majuro Dive briefing lenges, their trust fund is facing big deficits and Bikini was questionable as the only Our dive programme includes two dives because of the recent poor performance plane of Air Marshall Islands (AMI) flying to a day—getting up at 06.30 hrs, breakfast of the US stock markets and a recession- Bikini had broken down again. During our at 07.00 hrs, and the dive briefing at 08.00 bound US economy; the prospect of crossing from Hawaii to Majuro, we were hrs. Our head divemaster, Jim Akroyd, opening next year appears very doubt- informed that the necessary spare parts explained the morning dive, the details ful. This news has been very hard on the had been shipped with our flight and that and the extremities of the wreck such as Bikinian leaders and their people as all of technician would work all night to get the her position, what’s to be seen, her history the proceeds from the operation have plane repaired and serviceable for the and details of the dive to be performed. gone toward purchasing food for their final trip to Bikini, the next day. After the briefing, all divers were com- communities on Kili Island, Ejit Island and We were “relieved” that the repair was muted by truck to the pier, one kilome- Majuro Atoll. successful and that the technician would tre away from the accommodations, But most importantly, this dive destina- accompany us to Bikini Atoll, as there was to embark on the small boat. Upon our tion should be available for everybody no time available for a test flight. arrival, the staff of the Bikinian Atoll Divers and should stay open in the future. Bikini had already stored away the double air Atoll divers are looking for business pro- In the middle of Eden tanks on the boat, so we only needed to posals as to how they might solve their Upon arrival to Bikini Atoll, we were take our personal equipment, like photo Rebreather diver inspects torpedos problems, please email [email protected]. speechless and excited that we had final- and film cameras as well as our water

25 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Bikini Atoll bottles, which provided us with many litres of drinking water. Our dive gear stayed on board, but if it needed to be rinsed, one could always can wash it with drinking water in a container on the pier. At 08.30 hrs, the boat departed and everyone had time to prepare their equipment during the ride to the dive location. When the first group of divers got into the sea, the decompression station was launched as a safety precau- tion. Safety first. In regards to the deep dives with long decompression stops, no concessions are made in safety standards, especially since there is no decompression chamber on the island. All wrecks are located at a distance of 15 to 20 minutes by boat from the pier. All diving depths vary between 155 and 180 feet (45 and 57 meters). On day two, dives were planned to approximately the same depth, including

All dives were executed with double 12-litre tanks provided with a manifold, and compressed air up to 250 bars. At the end of each dive, we surfaced with approximately 150 bar left in the tanks The crew took very good care of us, bringing the double sets back on board and securing them at one’s given place in the boat. After all the divers were back on board, the group left the dive site to return directly to the pier to get rest and have lunch. It was necessary to drink lots of water to compensate for dehydration as a consequence of the high outside tem- a decompression stop between 60 and this method, the decompression times peratures and the deep dives. 90 minutes. This means that the amount decrease by more than half of the usual The next briefing was at 14.00 hrs when of nitrogen accumulating in your blood is time. the same procedure started again: to the extreme. To get rid of the nitrogen a two- Using our Suunto D6 computers, we pier, the dive and return at 16.30 hrs. At minute deco safety stop at 24 meters was made a gas switch and immediately 19.00 hrs, supper was served. Afterwards, scheduled. (Sometimes an extra deco noticed a decline of the long decom- everybody went to bed around 21.30 hrs. stop of two minutes at 12 meters was pression times. For safety reasons, the During the night, I dreamed that we were added for safety reasons). 1/3 rule still leads, as it could be possible attacked by a group of sharks during our Having arrived at the deco station, an for any reason that the buoy could dis- deco stop with an hour decompression to 80 percent oxygen deco gas was deliv- appear and that oxygen would not be go. Lucky enough I woke up. It was only a ered directly from the boat. With the available anymore. It is a standing rule dream. However, I was again wary of the inhalation of this gas mixture, the body that divers should be able to decompress real existing dangers of attacking sharks. Penetration dives at USS Saratoga reveal everyday decompresses much faster than normal with the available remaining air from their Being alert and constantly looking artifacts (above) and a dentistry unit (top right) air, as it contains less nitrogen. Following bottles. around are the critical to survival at the

26 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Bikini Atoll deco station under these circum- discovered some gray sharks cir- Diving UIJMS Nagato leaking from the hull. He turned stances. cling around us. We had never The Nagato lies up side down on a glass bottle with oil, and the seen so many big sharks before; the bottom of the lagoon. We bunker oil went up to the surface. USS Saratoga but they are tiny compared to the needed more than one dive to During all our dives we noticed oil After our intensive dive training at huge dimensions of the ship. For a discover her. When we reached still leaking from the wrecks. At our home, we wanted to get in the second, I imagine how the pilots the afterdeck, we discover the pre-briefing, we were notified to water as soon as possible for our felt during their landings on to huge propellers. As we swam by, avoid certain areas of the ship, as first dive on the USS Saratoga. the ship, as we went down along we noticed the enormous dimen- aircraft fuel was still leaking. These During our in-briefing, we were a similar glide path. There was sions compared to the tiny divers areas could be recognised by a told that at the moment of the excitement all over, as the visibility who looked like puppets. blurred mist cloud escaping from explosion, she was at “battle sta- was great. Jim showed us a spot where oil is the hull. tions” and that all equipment is still After we visited the flight deck on board. and the hangers with the remains The Saratoga is one of the nicest of aircrafts, we continued to the wrecks, and for a long time, the port side of the ship along small only diveable aircraft carrier in the anti aircraft guns, doors and open- world. Dives on the ship are less ings to the inside of the carrier. deep at Bikini. She stands straight Despite our enthusiasm, we had to up on the sea bottom at depth of go up for a deco stop of 30 min- 190 feet. utes before we could get back on Going down along the buoy board the dive boat. We were all line, we could distinguish clearly convinced that this was one of the the bridge and the large flight greatest wrecks to dive. deck. On our way down, we also

Swimming through these the wrecks contain a lot of histo- clouds will cause heavy skin ry, and one can still find all kinds irritations. Our Japanese dive of remains of the past from the colleagues had obviously not moment the ships went down. understood this warning as Imagine that at the moment they got back on board with of the explosion, the ships were heavy irritated red faces. Also anchored in the lagoon at bat- our diving suits and wings were tle stations with all the equip- contaminated with an oily film, ment on board, including gre- which was difficult to remove. nades, sharp ammunitions and China porcelain. Heavy dives Penetrating the interior of the After a while, the deep dives wrecks, one must continuously were taking lots of energy. be alert, as there is still oil and One’s body gets more and aircraft fuel left in the hull. At more tired after two deep deco the end of our week, we were THIS PAGE: Lots of guns and test build-ups dives a day. given an exceptional oppor- Each dive was very exiting. All tunity by being allowed to do

27 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Bikini Atoll

THIS PAGE: Planes inside the USS Saratoga are still at their places

two penetration dives into the and we descended via Saratoga. the first elevator shaft beside the bridge, four USS Saratoga decks lower. We planned penatration dives to swim inside the decks Having dived on many wrecks and galleries to finally and locations in the world, I end up at the Captain’s never experienced such excit- hut. Swimming through ing and beautiful dives on com- the gangways, it was of pressed air. utmost importance not The Saratoga was located to whirl up the sediment. at the shortest distance from Regrettably, our air bub- the nuclear test explosion bles reached the ceiling point. Consequently, the ship and created dust in the was heavily damaged by the water, causing degraded blast and heat of the explo- visibility. sion. Also time had degraded Jim was leading us, and her enormously. The rear deck we followed him through the a staircase towards the lower to take very great care in order was blown away and has now many galleries. The passages decks. not to get entangled. Finally, almost totally collapsed. The were so narrow that our dive Here, we found a lot of things. we ended up in the captain’s front side of the Sara—as she sets touched the doorways. Light bulbs were still in their sock- cabin, where we saw teacups, also is called—was still intact. After we penetrated the wreck ets in the ceiling. Cables were riffles and other interesting The four of us entered her, for a while, we decended along hanging around which we had remains of the past. Despite

28 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED HIJMS Nagato, the travel Japanese admiral ship Bikini Atoll looked back for a moment and felt more fear than a second ago, as the big shark was swimming just one meter away from my position. Using my camera, I tried to defend myself, but just at that moment, the shark turned away, leaving me to get my respira- tion back to normal. Under water, we tried to relax and were eventually able to laugh about the terrify- ing event that just happened. However, the stress came back as we arrived at the decompression station where we had to stop for an hour, and where we saw the same tiger shark circling again around our position. We were relieved and lucky that the shark

decided that it only wanted to our last dive on the bow of the the fact that we were eager to ence of this wreck continues to circle around us, sometimes at Saratoga. She looks gigantic collect souvenirs, we didn’t take feel like a fairytale and the unique very short distances, leaving us if you stand in front of her on anything, so as to leave the place experience was a once in a life behind to ponder an unforgetta- the bottom of the lagoon. To untouched for other divers to enjoy time event. ble experience. be prepared for the flight back these unique historical scenes in to Majuro on Wednesday, we the future. Moreover, penalties are Sharks Return to civilization made an extra long decompres- very high if you take any souvenirs. On each dive in the waters around On Tuesday morning we made sion stop, on 80 percent oxygen, Never in my life have I enjoyed Bikini, we met two or three sharks. penetration dives like those on the White tip and black tip reef sharks, Saratoga. All of the team were gray sharks, and once, a tiger convinced that these two penetra- shark. tion dives were the most exciting During the ascent from the deck experiences of the week at Bikini. of the USS Saratoga, a tiger shark However, for safety reasons Jim came across our paths; my dive hesitates to take costumers into the buddy, Peter, tried to attract my Sara due to the many existing dan- attention by signalling with his hand gers, such as collapsing walls and above his head that there was ceilings and bad visibility. Without something to be noticed. He also proper training and sufficient wreck tried to yell underwater, but I didn’t dive experience, these penetra- understand what he said. However, tions can become very dangerous. I finally understood that there Regrettably, the whirled up dust was a shark swimming around us, prohibited us from taking any film which had to be bigger than nor- or photos of our exciting dives. But, mal. Well, as I turned around and we really did see a lot of interesting looked down in the direction Peter things during our three dives on the pointed, I saw a big tiger shark Saratoga. We saw grenades, guns, coming strait towards me. aircraft, anti aircraft machinery, I froze immediately and decided rifles, porcelain, a diving helmet to sprint to the door entrance of and even a trumpet. The experi- the bridge. When I got there, I

29 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Bikini Atoll 15 minutes longer than was indi- For the rest of the day, we cated by our computers. took our rest and prepared Back ashore, we carefully ourselves for our flight back to rinsed our diving gear and put the Netherlands the next day. it in the sun to dry. In the after- However, we were informed noon, we were invited to discov- that our departure had to be er the island where Gen Akroyd postponed with one day due explained to us the local history to a flat tire on the aircraft; the including legends and old stories team had now to hub via five about the former inhabitants. other atolls, including a stop to The island and its original pick up a dead body at the inhabitants know many secrets, island of Wotje. The corpse, which are very well described wrapped in linen, had been by Jack Niedenthal, in his book waiting for transportation for a For the Good of Mankind. couple of days and upon pick The story about their reef-god up was put on top of our diving “Worejabato”�� is one of the leg- bags; you can imagine how we ends that impressed me. This felt about that. reef god appears as a giant The consequences of this reef shark swimming around in delay was that we missed our the waters of the Bikini lagoon connecting flights. After all the to protect the inhabitants of expedition needed in total 14 Bikini against bad influences. The flights to arrive at Bikini and to legend says that this shark swims get back to Schiphol airport. around a small reef at 15 meters What an adventure, the whole distance from our accommo- trip was an expedition on its self dation. That is presumably the but worth all the efforts! reason why we are not able to snorkel in the lagoon after 17.00 Afterthoughts hrs as we were told. An inci- Bikini is world’s unique wreck div- dent that may prove this story ing paradise, a dream of every might be true was experienced wreck and technical diver. by Peter as he was snorkelling Personally, I would like to visit by himself one day and sud- it again as soon as possible, as denly met sharks that came very there is no place in the world to close. For obvious reasons, Peter be found where on a small area decided to leave the water so many wrecks are resting at a instantaneously. diveable depth, still witnessing recent history of mankind development. ■

The author, Joost-Jan Waanders, was the ini- tiator and expedition leader of this expedition. For more information, visit: Technicalexplorers.com Bikini2008.technicalexplorers.com THIS PAGE: The best wreck dive location on Earth

30 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: USS Saratoga CV3 USS Arkansas BB-33 Bikini Atoll HIJMS Nagato

‘3’ was engulfed by the reaching waters; boilers, driving four sets the tip of her mast was the last bit of Sara of Kampon turbines seen by man,” —unless, of course, you developing 82,300 shaft are a diver fortunate enough to be visit- horsepower (shp) for ing Bikini Atoll! The USS Saratoga is the a speed of 25 knots. largest dive-able vessel in the world, and Her fuel bunkerage the only aircraft carrier available for div- was now 5,650 tons of ing at 880 feet long. oil, giving her a radius of 8,650 nautical miles HIJMS Nagato at 16 knots. Her new The Japanese Flagship to the Japanese dimensions were 725’ Navy, she was Admiral Isoroku 9” long at the water- Yamamoto’s floating fortress during line, 113’ 6” beam, 32’ Japan’s World War II attack on Pearl 2” draught. Her nor- uSfg Harbor and was a treasure to the mal displacement was Japanese forces. The 32,720 ton battle- 39,130 tons, 42,850 tons The wrecks War II. She received seven battle stars. ship is at rest upside down in 170 feet of at full load. She car- We literally touched the face of history Eight hours after the waves created water; her bridge is accessible at 150 ried a crew of 1,368. diving these nuclear wrecks. The history by the atomic Baker blast rolled over feet, the hull and monstrous props at 110 In June 1944, she was of these amazing wrecks in the Bikini her, New York Times correspondent feet. The Nagato was built by Kure Naval known to be fitted with lagoon is vast and contains the most Hanson W. Baldwin wrote this epitaph Dockyard, launched on 9 November radar. By October 1944, uSfg important collection of WWII shipwrecks as he watched the Saratoga sink slowly 1919, and completed on 25 November her armament con- in the world. In fact, the first and longtime beneath Bikini’s lagoon: “There were 1920. She was reconstructed in 1934-1936 sisted of 8 x 16”/45, 18 43,581 tons full load, and as a result, her only diveable aircraft carrier lies on the many who had served her in the observ- with torpedo bulges, increased elevation x 5.5”/50 [guns that were later removed], maximum speed was 24.98 knots. By the bottom of the Bikini lagoon. During our ing fleet, and they fought with her for main armament, aircraft crane, etc. 8 x 5”/40, and 98 x 25mm AA guns. Her end of the war, she had had her main week at Bikini, we did 12 dives on seven through the long hot hours as the sun After this refit, Nagato had ten Kampon displacement had by now increased to mast and funnel removed for camou- of these wrecks. In fact, there are even mounted. Outside the reef ... the observ- flage purposes, as she was holed up in more wrecks that are mentioned below. ing ships cruised, while the Sara slowly Sagami Bay near Yokosuka. Fuel and The U.S. aircraft carrier Saratoga (the died. There were scores who wanted to ammunition loads during both ABLE and only diveable carrier in the world that has save her-and perhaps she might have BAKER tests were, respectively, 15 per- been sunk by an atomic bomb) and the been saved, had there been a crew cent and 10 percent of capacity. At 708 HIJMS Nagato, flagship of the Japanese aboard. But she died a lonely death, feet long, she is upside down in the water Navy, are the highlights of this site. with no man upon the decks once team- and an incredible dive with her four mas- ing with life, with pumps idle and boilers sive screws appearing like an underwater USS Saratoga CV3 dead. From three o’clock on, she sank Stonehenge. Commissioned in 1927, it is an American fast, her buoyancy gone, as the fleet aircraft carrier 880 feet in length and kept the death watch for a ‘fighting USS Arkansas BB-33 weighs 39,000 tons; it rests in Bikini’s lady.’ The Sara settled—the air soughing A 29,000-ton American battleship that lagoon at a depth of 190 feet. Her from her compartments like the breath survived two world wars had a fuel bridge is easily accessible at 40 feet, her from exhausted lungs. At 3:45 p.m., the capacity of 37,779 barrels of fuel oil, deck at 90 feet, and the hanger for the starboard aft corner of her flight deck 119 barrels of diesel oil, and 4,000 gal- Helldivers at 125 feet. These Helldivers was awash; then the loud speakers lons of gasoline. The Arkansas took part and bombs are still on display complete blared: ‘The water is up to her island in the Presidential Naval Review in the with all dials and controls. Saratoga had now; the bow is high in the air.’ She died Hudson River, on 14 October 1912 and a fuel capacity of 63,200 barrels of fuel like a queen—proudly. The bow slowly then carried President William H. Taft to oil, 249 barrels of diesel oil, and 132,264 reared high; the stern sank deep, and, the Panama Canal Zone for an inspec- gallons of gasoline. Fuel and ammunition as if striving for immortality, the Sara lifted tion of the unfinished canal. On 22 April loads during test BAKER were 10 percent her white numeral ‘3’ high into the sun 1914, she assisted in the occupation of of capacity and 67 percent capacity before her bow slipped slowly under. Her Veracruz, Mexico. In December of 1918, respectively. She was reported sunk by last minutes were slow and tortured; she she formed part of the escort carrying the Japanese seven times during World fought and would not sink, but slowly the uS LIBRARY OF CONGRESS President Woodrow Wilson to France. In

31 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED The USS Lamson DD-367 Bikini Atoll

the west coast from Hawaii Japanese vessels totaling 7,575 tons. USS Anderson DD-411 and Japan and shorter pas- Her first patrol was out of Pearl Harbor in An American destroyer that received sages among South Pacific November of 1943. She later patrolled ten battle stars during World War II, islands. She sits upright on from Majuro to Midway and was part she served as a carrier screen in the the bottom and is guarded of Operation Galvanic during the inva- Coral Sea, Midway, the Solomons, by a magnificent school sions of Tarawa and the Gilbert Islands. Guadalcanal and Tarawa. Always on of skip jacks; and there is Working off Formosa, she ran in a wolf- the frontlines, she was with the Lexington almost always a shark sitting pack known as the “Mickey Finns” that CV-2 and the Yorktown CV-5 aircraft on this ship. The ABLE blast sunk 41,000 tons worth of Japanese carriers when they were sunk in battle split her open, so she makes vessels toward the end of the war. She by the Japanese. She was also with the for a sensational penetration received five battle stars and was sunk USS Wasp and the USS Hornet when they dive. Fuel and ammunition by BAKER. She now appears perfectly were sunk in WWII. In 1943, in Wotje Atoll loads during test ABLE were upright as if ready to drive away on the in the Marshall Islands, she got hit with a 95 percent of capacity. The bottom of Bikini’s lagoon. Eric Hanauer 155mm shell that killed the captain and Carlisle was sunk by the ABLE of Discover Diving commented, “The five officers and wounded another 18 blast. She is 426 feet long. shadowy silhouette of Apogon’s conning men. She carried 2929 barrels of fuel oil tower, completely enveloped by glassy and 168 barrels of diesel oil and was at USS Lamson DD-367 sweepers, is one of the most beautiful 95 percent of capacity of both fuel and The American destroyer sights I’ve ever seen underwater.” She is ordnance when she was sunk by ABLE Lamson received five battle 312 feet long. and is now at rest on her side in Bikini’s stars for service during World lagoon. 348 feet long. ■

NHHC War II. She was used to search for Amelia Earhart World War II, the Arkansas escorted con- down in Bikini’s lagoon in 170 feet of in 1937 in the Marshall and voys across the Atlantic. She remained water. She received four battle stars for Gilbert Islands. She was deployed from in European waters for the invasion of her service in World War II and was sunk Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, in the Normandy where she performed yeo- by BAKER. unsuccessful search for the Japanese man service at Omaha Beach, the bom- Task Force that bombed Pearl Harbor bardment of Cherbourg and the invasion USS Carlisle AA-69 and later served throughout the Pacific of southern France. She then moved to A merchant craft named after a county until the end of the war. Her fuel capac- the Pacific to participate in action at Iwo in Kentucky, she had fuel capacity of ity was 3,600 barrels, her diesel oil capac- Jima and Okinawa. At 562 feet long, the 9,695 barrels of fuel oil and 375 barrels ity was 110 barrels, and she was at 50 Arkansas rests almost completely upside of diesel oil. She made three voyages to percent capacity for both fuels and ordi- nance when she was sunk by ABLE. Her hull provides a great example of the power of a nuclear explosion as it is horribly twisted and damaged. At 341 feet long, she is a Bikini divemaster favorite. USS Apogon SS-308 An American submarine with normal fuel capacity of 54,000 gallons, and an emergency load of 116,000 gallons. She made eight war patrols sinking three

LEFT: The USS Apolgon SS-308 RIGHT: The USS Anderson DD-411 uSfg uSfg

32 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED A 21-kiloton underwater nuclear weapons effects test, known as Operation Crossroads (Event Baker), conducted at Bikini Atoll 1946. Image courtesy of US Defense Threat Reduction Agency Aftermath — at the nuclear playground

Text by Arnold Weisz

During the period between 1945 In Bikini on 24 July 1946, an enor- and 1958, a total of 67 nuclear mous water column beneath a mushroom cloud left 500,000 tons tests were conducted on Bikini of radioactive mud in the atoll’s and Eniwetok Atolls and adja- lagoon. As a result of the under- cent regions within the Republic water nuclear bomb, “Baker Test”, of the Marshall Islands. U.S. the Bikini atoll was so devastated, that nearly all of the atoll’s veg- nuclear testing on the Marshall etation was destroyed, and the Islands inflicted significant dam- islands were sufficiently contami- age to property—lands, vegeta- nated to render them all uninhab- tion, lagoons, and surrounding itable until at least 2030. This was just the beginning of an insane ecosystems—as well atomic arms race that jeopardized as to people’s many pacific islanders’ lives and health. destroyed the surrounding nature. Eight years later, the mother of all bombs completely vaporized five of the atoll’s northern islands (a total of about 68 acres or 27.5 hectares—four percent of the pre- test lands). The Castle Bravo test on 1 March 1954 was the most powerful nuclear weapon ever tested Bravo was an experimental thermo- shook islands 200km away and left a cra- Department of Energy staff. There is, how- by the United States. nuclear device with an estimated explo- ter 2km (1.24 miles) wide and 73m (240 ever, a large population of Bikinians liv- sive yield of 15 megatons and led to feet) deep. ing elsewhere in the Marshall Islands and widespread fallout contamination over overseas who hope to have the ability to the inhabited islands of Rongelap and Waiting to return return to their homeland someday soon. Utrōk Atolls, as well as other atolls to the Today, while the people of Bikini have Over the past three decades, east of Bikini. The Bravo bomb wreaked yet to resettle their homeland; the island researchers from the Lawrence havoc with nature, as it raised water is populated by Bikini Project Department Livermore National Laboratory temperatures to 55,000 degrees Celsius, construction workers and some US (LLNL) have been evaluating

USS Arkansas (BB-33), a Wyoming-class battleship was the third wikiPEdiaCOmmONS.ORG ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 25th state 33 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED A map of the array of tar- Aftermath get ships in Bikini lagoon for feature the Baker shot of Operation Crossroads on 25 July 1946. The ten red X’s mark the ten Cleaning up ships that sank. The area of The largest contributor to radiation doses serious ship damage is mar- from exposure to residual fallout contami- ked by the black circle, with nation in the Marshall Islands comes from a radius of 1,000 yards from cesium-137. This substance has entered the point of detonation. The the food chain and is found in, for exam- rim of the shallow underwater crater created by the blast, as ple, Coconut crabs and locally grown well as the circumference of breadfruit, which are important food the hollow water column that sources on the islands. lifted the Arkansas is marked Cesium-137 radiation from plants that by the blue circle, which has grow on the islands is another major a 330-yard radius. Submerged contamination source. Another contami- submarines were the Pilotfish, nation source is plutonium, which is also (ship #8) at 56 feet, and the being tracked through measurement Apogon (ship #2) at 100 feet technology in support of the Marshall HOward mOrlaNd Islands plutonium urinalysis (bioassay) program. Research shows that the dose from land anywhere in the world, for a specific Researchers from LLNL have worked caesium-137, cobalt-60 and bismuth-207 period of time, would be higher than the LawrENCE LiVErmOrE NaTiONal LaBOraTOry out a rehabilitation scenario involv- in the sediments on the ships and in the dose from swimming in the lagoon and A gamma spectrometer for radiological conditions on affected atolls ing treatment of agricultural areas with lagoon bottom while swimming near the diving near the ships for the same period determination of external and using the data to develop dose potassium fertilizer and removal of the ships is so low that it is, for all practical of time. gamma exposure rates in village assessments for resettled and resettling top 40cm of soil from the housing and purposes, zero. The dose to a person on To give you an additional perspective, and housing areas where people populations. According to scientists at village area. This method would actu- spend most of their time. the LLNL, should the Bikinians decide to ally expose the future habitants of the resettle, then it will probably be neces- contaminated islands to a radiation level Estimated intermediate contour sary to monitor the return of the popula- well below what is normal from natural

tion to provide ongoing assurances that radiation sources in, for example, the High-level contours Bikar Atoll safety standards are being met. These continental United States. Bikini Atoll One of last pictures of IJN programs would probably stay in place Enewetak Atoll Nagato, prior to being at least through the next 10-20 years. Rongerik Atoll Utirik Atoll Is it really safe Ailingnae Atoll towed to the nuclear test- The LLNL provide technical support to dive at Bikini? Rongelap Atoll Taka Atoll site at Bikini atoll. Many and conduct radiological surveys As Bikini has been developed into a Ailuk Atoll allied, and axis ships to verify the effects of cleanup dive travel destination, the question of Mejit Island of note, were towed Wotho Atoll activities to the local government. the potential radiological dose from Likiep Atoll Jemo Island there from various Ujelang Atoll R There are established a num- recreational diving and swimming in a Wotje Atoll parts of world ta ber of permanent radiologi- and around the ships has been raised. Kwajalein Atollk Ujae Atoll C Erikub Atoll Lae Atoll ha cal monitoring facilities at There is concern about the radiation P R in a a Maloelap Atoll c li remote locations in the both from the radionuclides present if k ic O Lib Island C Aur Atoll Marshall Islands. in or on the ships and c h ea ain in the seafloor of n Namu Atoll Jabwot

the lagoon (sedi- Ailinglapalap Atoll ments). Arno Atoll Majuro Atoll

Mili Atoll Jaluit Atoll

Namorik Atoll Kili Island Knox Atoll

Ebon Atoll wikiPEdiaCOmmONS.ORG Map of the Marshall Islands 34 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED feature Aftermath astonishing ability to recuperate after manmade disasters. Half a century after the last earth shatter- ing atomic blast shook the Pacific atoll of Bikini, the corals are flour- ishing again. An investigation concluded in early 2008 by an international team of scientists from Australia, Germany, Italy, Hawaii and the Marshall Islands, has revealed some truly remarkable findings. The expedition examined the diversity and abundance of marine life in the atoll. One of the most interesting aspects is that the team dived into the vast Bravo Crater left in 1954 LawrENCE LiVErmOrE NaTiONal LaBOraTOry by the most powerful American ABOVE: Corals at Enewetak lagoon off atom bomb ever exploded (15 Runit Island, Enewetak Atoll, July 2005. megatons—a thousand times RIGHT: A so-called Massic Chair used for whole body counting, measuring the radiation dose delivered by internally deposited radionuclides

more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb). “I didn’t know what to expect— some kind of moonscape perhaps. But it was incredible, huge matri- ces of branching Porites coral (up to 8 meters high) had established, creating thriving coral reef habitat. Throughout other parts of the lagoon it was awesome to see coral cover as high as 80 percent and large tree-like branching coral forma- tions with trunks 30cm thick. It was

SilVia PiNCa fascinating—I’ve never seen cor- LawrENCE LiVErmOrE NaTiONal LaBOraTOry als growing like trees outside of the Lagoonal coral reef habitat at Bikini Marshall Islands,” said Zoe Richards of the fragile lagoonal specialists—slender ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef branching or leafy forms that you only the cesium-137 concentration in lagoon diving on the ships or swim- Studies and James Cook University, after find in the sheltered waters of sediment is much less than the cesi- ming in the lagoon near diving into the crater. a lagoon,” Richards explained. um-137 concentration in surface soil in the ships. It can therefore However, more than 50 years later, not For comparison, the scientists also the United Kingdom and Northern Europe be concluded that a diving everything has returned to the state it dived on neighboring Rongelap Atoll, from the Chernobyl accident. The prima- trip to the Bikini Islands is not was before. At least 28 species of coral where no atomic tests were carried out ry potential route of exposure of people harmful. previously found in the area has become directly, although the atoll was contami- from alpha and beta-emitting radionu- locally extinct. “The missing corals are nated by radioactive ash from the Bravo clides is by inhalation. There is no chance Radiant marine life Bomb. The Rongelap Atoll is the second of inhalation of these radionuclides while Nature has again showed an Large Acropora corals resemble largest atoll in the world with a huge SilVia PiNCa trees in the lagoon at Bikini Atoll 35 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED feature Aftermath amount of coral reef diversity and biomass; it lies Report UCRL-ID-123374, Lawrence Livermore upstream from Bikini. The scientists have reason to National Laboratory, Livermore CA 94550. think that these corals are seeding the Bikini corals, helping the reefs to recuperate. ■ Robison, W.L., Bogen, K.T., Conrado, C.L., 1997. An updated dose assessment for resettlement options SOurCES: at Bikini Atolla U.S. nuclear test site. Health Physics Marshall Islands Dose Assessment and 73(1): 100-114; 1997. Radioecology Program Hamilton and Robison (2006), The effective and Robison W.L. (1990). The Archeology of the Atomic environmental half-life of cesium-137 at former Bomb, US National Park Service Publication, nuclear test sites in the Marshall Islands, Report UCRL-MI-206535, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore CA 94550. Bikini on the web: www.nuclearclaimstribunal.comtes- ting.htm www.ns.iaea.org/appraisals/bikiniatoll.htm www.bikiniatoll.com Shipwrecks: www.nps.gov/history/history/online_ books/swcrc/37/chap4.htm Map of the Republic of Marshall Islands showing the fallout pattern from the Bravo nuclear test conducted on 1 March 1954. Image courtesy of Lawrence Livermore National Library The Bikini – French fashion that hit the beaches like a bomb Text by Arnold Weisz

That a minimalistic swim suit on evidence from Roman mosa- 1946. Strange as it may sound, Louis him with a name. Réard named his creation was named after ics and murals, historians have long Réard, the engineer, was actually design after Bikini Atoll in the Pacific, believed that the bikini was popular running his mother’s lingerie bou- the site of the Operation Crossroads some “post card pretty” swimming attire for ancient Roman tique near Les Folies Bergères in nuclear weapon test on 1 July 1946. tropical islands in the Pacific women. In the fourth century, for Paris in 1946. On 5 July 1946, he unveiled the is nothing less than what example, Roman gymnasts wore At the time, Réard’s main prob- bikini at a fashion event at Piscine it deserves. On the other bandeau tops and bikini bottoms. lem was that he didn’t quite know Molitor, a popular public pool in However, as archeologists work what to call his design. Being Paris to this day. Since its unveiling, hand, the thought behind their way through their discover- French, it would of course have to the bikini has become the favor-

AN dr E a S W a H ra naming this piece of fashion ies, new insights come to light. be a name that would stir the mass- ite swim and beach wear around after these islands is much Cave excavators have discovered es. So, he searched for something much of the world, creating its more sinister. Minoan wall (Greece) paintings exotic, bold and eye opening. own billion dollar fashion industry. from around 1600 B.C. that show a The clue came from a very Although the very minimal bikinis The bikini, which shocked the two-piece outfit strikingly similar to remote place, in a rather spec- worn on Brazilian beaches today world when it appeared on the modern-day bikini. tacular fashion. Four days before he have lost some inches of fabric French beaches in 1947, was a The modern bikini was invented was to show the world his new bikini since Réard designed it, his bikini Woman in two-piece found on the mosaic in Greco-Roman invention. Based by French engineer Louis Réard in in Paris, the U.S. military provided will probably never go out of style. ■ Villa del Casale in Piazza Armerina, Sicily, Italy

36 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED The sun sets in front of our accommodations on one of Bikini Atoll’s beautiful beaches

Text and photos by Barb Roy

X-RAY MAG’s Barb Roy recently returned from a trip to Bikini Atoll. In contrast to the Bikini report by the expert Dutch expedition, Roy shares her perspectives as a recreational diver and wreck junky on the history and culture of Bikini Atoll. I too would have to agree, the journey to Bikini Atoll as a whole was a memorable experience. Similar to the Dutch expedition, I traveled with a group of technical divers to dive into history and see first hand the destruction of earlier nuclear weapons testing. None in our group claim to be hard core divers, we just enjoy what we do and spend most of our money on deep diving gear, Trimix fills and wreck expeditions. In this group, Wreck Junkies aside from myself, one is a lawyer, two are engi- Touching history... neers at Boeing, one is a carpenter and one owns a dive shop. In one way Journey to or another all six of us are wreck junkies, and this far away place seemed to serve as a stimulating caress for our addiction. Bikini Atoll

37 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Oahu, Hawaii was our first stopover. Divers traveling this route might want to stay longer in Oahu for diving and other activities like group rowing in an out- Oahu travel rigger or a kayak trip to a bird sanctuary Harpoon Missile System functions were and how they operated, especially the control operations for the 32 armored tomahawk missile launchers. The four 20mm Phalanx CIWS Gatling-style guns and the thick walled hatch into the ships’ Steering Room (reinforced to protect navigational operations) were equally impressive. “The tour of the USS Missouri was a real high point for me,” said Rob Wilson, a Boeing Aircraft Maintenance Technician, working in the military division, and diver

Mainly we wanted to get a sense of what Mess Hall (food preparation and eating the wrecks in Bikini once looked like before area), the Medical facility and Engineering they were sent to the bottom of the ocean Departments. We were all in awe of the in 1946, and the USS Missouri did just that. Combat Engagement Center where the USS Missouri The vessel is moored next to the USS A WWII Corsair Although I am the only female in the group, Arizona Memorial, another battleship plane ran out of and a travel journalist, I am accepted which was sunk during the Japanese gas just short of because I create these escapes and weave attack on Pearl Harbor in December of the airfield and has become a recipe of pleasing surprises, challenging 1941. This unforgettable time sparked a great dive dives and always add a twist of exploration the United States entry into World War II. in Oahu to the mix. The guys are also impressed that Over 1000 sailors and marines lost their I am a grandmother of five and use a single lives within the Arizona when it went tank to their doubles. down. But it was the USS Missouri, now We departed from the northwestern part sitting next to the Arizona that hosted of the United States (Seattle), just below the end of WWII when Japan surren- British Columbia, Canada, and flew to the dered on 2 September 1945. island of Oahu in the Hawaiian Island chain The ship’s tour included a chance to for our first stopover. It was nice to leave see where the crew was housed, their our thick dry suits and heavy weight belts behind. Unlike most tourists visiting Hawaii, sunbath- ing on warm sandy beaches and sipping Mai Ties was not on our agenda. No, touring the 887-foot (270 meter) long USS Missouri, an Iowa-class battleship and seeing the sleek steel-hulled USS Bowfin submarine at Pearl Harbor was all we could think about. You might say it is an indescribable sensation when standing in the midst of the Mighty Mo’s nine 16-inch/50 caliber guns, realizing they are capable of launching 1800-pound shells (as heavy as small automobiles) over a distance of 23 miles!

38 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Oahu

for over 30 years. “Seeing Pearl USS Bowfin Submarine Museum Harbor, especially the Arizona & Park. The sub is 312-feet (95 Memorial, and standing on meters) in length and during the Missouri’s deck where its day boasted a speed of WWII ended when Japan sur- 20 knots when at the surface. rendered to General Douglas Waterfront Memorial is also MacArthur really set the tone located in the park in honor of for the whole Bikini trip for me.” the 53 American submarines The USS Missouri was the last and over 3,500 submariners lost battleship built by the United during WWII. States as part of an elite group of fearsome ships constructed USS Apogon during naval warfare. Extensive Similar to the Bowfin is the upgrades were made on sev- 312-foot USS Apogon (SS-308), eral occasions throughout the another Balao class diesel- Missouri’s colorful deployments, electric submarine resting on the last being Desert Storm the ocean floor as part of the in 1991 where 28 tomahawks Bikini Lagoon wreck dives. I were launched against Iraqi found myself looking at the forces. Today the “Mighty Mo” Bowfin imagining what it might serves as a floating museum be like standing next to the and memorial in Pearl Harbor Apogon underwater. open for daily guided and self- guided tours. Majuro Before long, we were on our USS Bowfin Continental Micronesia air flight Another piece of history worthy to Majuro, the capitol of the of a visit while in Pearl Harbor is Republic of the Marshall Islands Guided Tours of the Missouri are offered daily the USS Bowfin (SS-287), a Balao in Micronesia. The atoll itself by retired military veterans and volunteers who class submarine and a survivor covers an area of 3.75 square lend their personal experiences during wartime of WWII. In 1942, the USS Bowfin miles (9.9 km) and is located encounters to share the Missouri’s legacy. The ship was launched, and completed in the Central Pacific, about is open daily from 9 AM - 5 PM. Admission is $8.00us nine war patrols before being 2,200 miles west of Oahu (five- for kids and $16.00us for adults. www.ussmissouri. decommissioned and opened hour flight) and about 2,600 com, 1-877-MIGHTYMO. Visitors can drive or take to the public in 1981 for tours as miles east of Tokyo, Japan. a city bus to the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum part of a museum display in the U.S. currency is accepted and where they would catch a shuttle bus to the USS THIS PAGE: Pearl Harbor gives divers a glimpse of Bikini wrecks Missouri or the USS Arizona Memorial.

39 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Majuro, our second stop in the journey, offers Bikini visitors several dive charter opportunities travel in warm clear water full of marine residents Majuro Atoll our Air Marshall Islands flight of twisted metal and other debris rot- cies of soft and hard corals. leaving for Bikini the next day, ting in such a beautiful place. Coconut Some dive sites are as close as the Paul Hangartner and I rented palms seemed to line the beach with a Grumman F6F Hellcat plane resting in sit-on-top dive kayaks and few sparse cabins and clothes lines full 115-feet (35 meters) of water just 1640 went for a paddle to explore of laundry in-between. We even came feet (500 meters) from our hotel’s dock! the shoreline within their calm upon several massive cargo ships looking This is the type of aircraft fighter brought lagoon. Now, Paul works for as if they were ready to be hauled away into service by the US government to Boeing delivering new aircraft for sinking as artificial reefs. battle against the Japanese ZERO during Even though time WWII. In 1944, rumors have it the Hellcat did not permit dives had been pushed off an aircraft carrier while in Majuro, I deck. Now in silent solitude, the Hellcat did find several dive sits with wings folded back in a pre-flight operations offering storage position, acting as home to hun- local charters around dreds of fish, sponges, corals and anemo- Majuro and the near- nes. by Arno Atoll on the A few miles from another nearby dock Internet. Over 20 differ- is a Grumman “Duck”, inverted and ent dive sites around reported to be in excellent condition! This Majuro were listed, and so many other great reefs, vertical with a booming popu- walls and more wrecks make me want to lation of over 1000 return someday just to spend a few extra species of colorful fish days checking out the turtles, sharks, the United States and close to 250 spe- rays, schools of red snapper and angel (US). Marshallese citizens do not need visas to go to the US to live and work, and the same goes for Americans coming to in their commercial division the Marshall Islands,” and is very technically minded, said Niedenthal. usually figuring out complex Majuro Atoll was problems, even how to handle the place we trad- a kayak paddle. But some- ed Honolulu’s busy times his curiosity gets the best rush-hour traffic for of him, this time when his boat deserted island roads floated too close to a group where simple lifestyles of young boys out for a swim. prevailed and friendly Within seconds the kids, maybe Marshallese and English are spoken here. smiles were the norm. Not only does 6-8 year-olds ambushed him The Marshall Islands are made up of Majuro house the central government and climbed onboard for a 1,225 islands and 29 atolls (islands of coral and most of the country’s businesses, it ride! He wasn’t sure what to encircling a lagoon). Bikini Atoll is actually has become quite the urban scene with do. It was great fun watch- 2.3 square miles (6 km), and made up of several grocery supply stores, gift shops, ing Paul’s expressions as the 36 islands surrounding a huge lagoon. hotels and a few good restaurants. All munchkin invasion unfolded. According to Jack Niedenthal, Tourism of which made our stay at the Marshall Once the kids grew tired Operations Manager for the Bikini Atoll Island Resort (100 room hotel) even more of Paul, they returned to their Local Government, stationed in Majuro, enjoyable. Of course, the 82-84F (28C) swim, and we continued on the Marshalls are an independent coun- degree air and water temperature didn’t our journey down the coast. It try with a seat in the UN. “The Marshalls hurt! was sad to see huge heaps of have a ‘free association’ relationship with To pass the time while we waited for rusted machinery and scores

40 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Bikini Atoll travel In Bikini the place was clean, food was good and beaches were un- crowded

Video Clips

Check out three underwater video clips from the dive on Majuro Atoll by Barb Roy. Click on the image link to view onine >>>

fish found residing on the dive sites exhilarating—kind of like landing on lation. Original residents are still around Majuro. a postage stamp—yet it added to in ongoing negotiations for a That night we sat around the din- the trip’s remote allure in a way. suitable solution for their safe ner table in our hotel restaurant Shortly thereafter, the group was return to Bikini. and enjoyed a nice bottle of wine transported by boat to Bikini and Unfortunately for observers concern. In 1996, Jack Niedenthal with a good meal as we toasted assigned accommodations. After watching these volatile experi- helped to set up diving on Bikini, the opportunity to dive upon such meeting head divemaster, Jim ments, little was known at the time and thus dive tourism began forgotten mementos of an arduous Akroyd and his dive crew, we lis- about radiation fallout and its dev- through Bikini Atoll Divers. time in our history. tened to a brief history about Bikini astating after effects. Hundreds Nowadays, it’s hard to tell any- With only a 40 pound (18kg) limit and ‘Operation Crossroads’ where were affected with radiation poi- thing ever happened. Bikini looked on Air Marshall Island’s small plane two important atomic bomb tests soning, and the island of Bikini like any tropical South Pacific to Bikini, I was in everyone’s good were conducted—Able (above was almost wiped clean of life. island—full of palm trees and graces as I managed to get a water) on 1 July 1946 and Baker The pressure wave was felt and beautiful beaches surrounded by waiver for our extra camera and (detonated from a depth of 90 measured as far away as Alaska! calm azure colored warm water— video gear for our documentation feet/9 meters) on July 26 of the In all, between 1946 and 1954 the except the trees grew in multiple work. Mark Theune, the lawyer and same year. US conducted 67 nuclear tests rows of straight lines, and the island the one with the most extra lug- Jim also explained how the local in, above and around Bikini and was void of tourists. At least we gage, even gave me some free Bikinian people had to be relo- Enewatak Atolls. didn’t have to worry about getting helpful advice on how to subjugate cated to another atoll before the In 1995 Bikini Atoll was deemed mugged on our holiday or standing a speeding ticket back home! tests could take place. This reloca- safe by scientist from around the in long ice cream lines. tion occurred three times before a world and reopened to the pub- Bikini Atoll suitable island was found to sustain lic shortly thereafter. Island water Diving Landing on the tiny atoll proved enough food to support the popu- and fruit consumption was the only Once the dive briefing was over

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everyone piled into our ride, an old mil- dive on their custom hanging deco-sta- USS Saratoga itary-style truck with a canvas covered tion with oxygen enriched air available During our week long excursion, we were open-air roof, and headed for the water! at 30, 20 and 10 foot stops. As we hung able to dive on the Saratoga several As with the Dutch group, our first at the station after each dive, one of the times, including one dive where we fol- dive was on the USS Saratoga (CV-3), crew came around to collect the pho- lowed the anchor chain down the stern a Lexington class aircraft carrier, at 880 tographic and video equipment, soon to find the TVF Avenger bomber aircraft feet (268 meters) long and 106 feet (32.3 resembling a mechanical lionfish when resting on its anchor gear with the cock- meters) wide. It was on this dive I also he was finished. I chose to keep my cam- pit open. According to Jim, the plane earned the respect of the dive crew era for possible shark shots, especially our was originally used for training. with my sparse single-tank air consump- friends circling the deco station! Mark, a diver since 1970, was excep- tion and relaxed nature. Actually, I knew Gen Akroyd, Jim’s wife, on occasion tionally thrilled with this dive, too, “I am that if I wore doubles, I would probably shared her I-POD music with me, mak- a history buff, and the opportunity to embarrass myself by ‘turtling’ or not being ing deco time more bearable. Watching have a personal connection with the able to climb back out of the water. Paul try to entangle himself around every- past by being able to touch an artifact Thereafter, I was assigned to an HP one and Mark create bubble rings (like of history holds a special thrill for me. 3500psi 119cubic-foot steel tank. smoke rings), was also very entertaining. That is what has drawn me to wreck div- All of our dives were typically between Nonetheless, I did enjoy wearing only four ing. For anyone who loves diving and is 150 and 180 feet (46-55 meters) deep pounds of weight with my 5-4-3mm one- fascinated by history, few destinations A closer look at the wrecks revealed a surprising amount of marine life with long deco times spent after each piece wetsuit and steel tank. can compete with Bikini Atoll. As is prob-

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ably true for most divers visiting Bikini, my foot flight deck to reach the ascent line favorite dives were those on the historic at the bow. As I made that long swim, I USS Saratoga. For years, the “Sara” was recalled the early photographs I had seen the only aircraft carrier within reach of showing biplanes landing and Charles divers. My most memorable dive on the Lindbergh strolling along this same storied Saratoga occurred the day our group set flight deck. It was a dive that will stay with out to visit a plane resting in the sand at me forever!” 180 feet just off the stern of the Sara. After As we ascended up the side of the photographing the plane, we ascended ship, Edward Madison, our Bikinian guide, to the flight deck. Ordinarily, divers visiting pointed out a huge turtle. He man- the plane proceed to the ascent line that aged to persuade it to stick around long was permanently attached to the ship’s enough for a few photos. bridge approximately midship. However, Edward later told us he commonly does in 2006 the bridge of the Saratoga began 500 to 600 dives on these wrecks each to lean and become unstable forcing year, and it was he and Fabio Amaral the removal of the ascent line. This left who first started diving on Bikini’s wrecks inside the Nagato. We have found div- ascent lines at the stern and bow. Our in 1990. “When we have no customers,” ing helmets and brought them and other ABOVE: The conning tower of the USS Apagon. Hidden treasures of history can be found all group was one of the few to ever swim explains Edward, “I like to explore inside things out on the deck for the divers who over the wrecks, like the ships’ compass (above right) or the gun Jim Akroyd found (inset right) the entire length of the Saratoga’s 880 the wrecks. There is a huge rice cooker are not trained to go inside the wrecks.

43 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Bikini Atoll RIGHT: Narrow passage into the USS Saratoga

LEFT: Diver checking out the marine life on the USS Apagon’s stern

Occasional Deco Station companion (below)

Sometimes there are mantas, sharks, Macro magic but chose to explore the off-limits area of eagle rays and lots of turtles to see, too.” After shooting wide angle on most of the the Flight Tower with Edward. Since the When I found out Edward had a big wrecks, I decided to use a 50mm macro unstable structure is expected to topple blue coconut crab as a pet, he agreed lens on the upside down hull of the USS over anytime, I wanted to have some to bring it out for us to see and placed Arkansas and check out Bikini’s smaller images for my archives of how the ship it on a coconut tree. This critter is like a scenic wonders. It’s really amazing how originally looked. As hesitant as I was, I wide lethargic Maine lobster, but lives on a photographer’s sight changes after must have looked like I was approaching dry land. Actually, coconut crabs are the switching lenses! a dinosaur. The Saratoga’s many years largest living arthropods in the world, with The guys swore I was on another dive of service both above and below water two giant claws for climbing trees and when they saw my images of giant were taking a toll, yet the multitudes of crushing coconuts! anemones and a stunning variety of fish still swarmed around the tall structure Pete Rozen, our Finish Carpenter of the anemone-fish living amongst their undu- without a care. bunch, was wondering how they would lating symbiotic hosts. One shot they Once finished, Edward pointed out taste for dinner. Edward assured us the did drool over were close-up images of giant clams on the deck, soft corals cling- meat is very good and sweet but the the 3-inch fragmentation shells, still in ing to the Blast Gauge Tower (to hold Bikini Government advises visitors not to their holding crate. Jim said their green equipment during bomb testing), and eat anything growing or living on Bikini. appearance was caused by corrosion on tiny fish hiding in and around the forward While walking back to the cabins I their proximity fuse. 5-inch guns. could just imagine a great fictional story – After the dive however, I did hear about a giant blue coconut crab, affect- Penetration dives from the others about their experiences. ed by Bikini’s radiation, getting loose and On our last dives we were divided up Ron Akeson, owner of Adventures Down ABOVE: Ron Akeson shoots video of wreaking havoc in the South Pacific! and escorted into different areas of the Under in Bellingham, Washington said: “I the upside down Nagato. Perhaps I should stick to travel writing… Saratoga. I do enjoy entering wrecks, looked forward with great excitement to

44 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Silty running light on the Nagato (left), Life on the travel Saratoga’s flight deck Bikini Atoll jectiles. After a few more corridors, the barber shop, back through the admiral’s quarters, we ended up at CIC again. It was an incredible dive!” “During my Saratoga tour,” comments Pete Rozen, “We entered through the elevator shaft, I believe on the third deck down, to find offices and small working rooms. We saw gas masks telephones, desks stairways. I would say we were about 130 or so deep. There was a

our last dive, a penetration dive on the Saratoga. This was the culmination of our trip, and my favorite dive. Carefully I followed the divemaster down a narrow corridor, turned down another, and ended at the officer’s mess. It was as if the explosion never happened. A large coffee pot was still sitting on the counter, and dishes were still in the racks on the wall with a few bottles is requested. Hydration is very scattered about. Overhead the important, but with the desalina- incandescent light bulbs were tion of saltwater, electrolytes are still hanging from their sockets. removed from the water and We backed out and went further must be re-added. Gator Aid is down the corridor to the offi- available for sale or divers can cer’s ward room. Here we found bring a mineral additive drink sup- bunks where the officers slept plement. Diving season is March and maybe wrote home to tell of through November. their adventures. All too quick it Center (CIC) where we found lot of silt, and you had to really Unfortunately a decision was was time to leave. This is a dive I various radios, radar screens and be careful not to kick it up down made by the local government to will always remember and just a other equipment. From there the long narrow hallways with low close diving at Bikini Atoll in 2008. wetting of my appetite to return we moved to Admiral Halsey’s ceilings.” “There are currently no immedi- again one day.” cabin and office, then onto the ate plans to re-open Bikini, mostly “I went down the bomb eleva- officer’s mess. China and other Bikini diving due to very unreliable air ser- tor with Paul and made several artifacts were all around. After The Bikini dive operation recom- vice in the Marshall Islands,” said ful due to the economy in the Gen, his wife while diving on the turns,” added Rob Wilson when that, we went outside of the ship mends visiting divers have at least Niedenthal. States,” added Jim Akroyd, Saratoga. describing his final dive. “That and swam for a while then back 50 dives and full wreck and/or “The last word I got was that who has worked on Bikini since Jim also kept track of his dives, put us in the Combat Information in through a room storing gun pro- cave certification if penetration the 2010 season is highly doubt- November of 2003 and met “Believe it or not, I actually kept

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THIS PAGE: Be sure to take a closer look at Bikini’s wrecks for life when visiting. BELOW INSET: Historic artifact, a fan, recovered from the Saratoga by an original member of Operation Crossroads a record of every dive I did on Bikini, and Westmorland. As an accomplished under- in Operation Crossroads. My fan from I can tell you that I did 2548 dives in total! water photographer, she was anxious to the USS Saratoga is a relic of history I will 1103 on the USS Saratoga, 331 on the hear about my Bikini dive experience. always treasure. Thanks Mr. Benoy.” HIJMS Nagato, 379 on the USS Lamson, 133 She was especially interested in my dives Many divers have just always wanted to on the USS Anderson, 156 dives on the USS to the Saratoga. After describing to her go or wanted to feel the significance of Arkansas, 136 dives on the USS Apogon, some of the most incredible dives of my seeing such historical monuments of our 148 dives on the USS Carlisle, 16 dives on life, Michele told me she had a surprise time, but I believe Rob Wilson expresses it the HIJMS Sakawa, 28 dives on the USS for me. She told me that her dad, Dean best when he says, “It’s one thing to read Dive British Columbia’s Emerald Paradise Pilotfish, 19 dives on the USS Gilliam, 57 Benoy, was in the Navy and was sent to about history, but to actually reach out dives at Shark Pass and 42 reef dives.” Bikini for Operation Crossroads. and touch it makes it so much more real.” For more information on diving “I liked the idea of being so far away When she told her dad that she had a ■ in British Columbia, Canada: from everything,” commented Pete friend who was diving the Bikini wrecks, Rozen, a diver since 1996. “It was cool to he told her about how the sailors work- www.diveindustrybc.com be one of the last people to ever be able ing Operation Crossroads were given the to dive here. I liked the education about opportunity to take small souvenirs from the ships from Jim, the rooms were nice the ships before the ships were sent to the and the food was good. Just the idea of bottom. being out there all alone from the rest of He told Michele that he retrieved a the world was great.” wall fan from the Saratoga and still had it in storage. Mr. Benoy asked Michele to Afterthoughts give the fan to me, knowing that I would Even after the trip was over and every- take good care of it and give it a good one returned home the Bikini experience home. The next time Michele came for a lived on. Mark Theune informed me, visit, she presented the fan to me along “When I returned, I received a welcome with a copy of a certificate her father home call from my good friend Michele received commemorating his service Dive Industry Association of British Columbia

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www.seacam.com KwajaleinText and photos by Thorsten Repp Wrecks of the Pacific

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THIS PAGE: Eerie scenes from some of the sixteen wrecks of- Japanese cargo ships that can be found off the Kwajalein Atoll

PREVIOUS PAGE: Diver checks out the great propellor of the Prinz Eugen wreck. Just one of the blades is the size of a diver

Almost invisible for wreck divers all over the world one of the biggest wreck dive spots in the South Pacific can be found among the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. It was January 1943 when the heavy battle of Kwajalein took place during World War II on what was the outer ring of the Japanese force in the South Pacific at that time. The runways on the Atoll have been destroyed within a few days by the US troops and the following air raid sealed the fate of several big Japanese cargo ships which have been bombed to the seabed of the lagoon. Sixteen of these ships can be dived today. Overgrown by pale green organisms these big Japanese freighters form in the twilight of the depths the ghost fleet of the Kwajalein Atoll, one of the biggest World War II shipwreck graveyards in the South Pacific. Several US aircraft wrecks are scattered around and many can be found on the northern tip of the atoll, Roi Namur. Right beside the

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CLOCKWISE: Diver investigates remains of artilery and cargo on the Prinz Eugen wreck; Scenes from the white sandy beaches of Kwajalein Atoll; Diver peers into open deck chambers of the Prinz Eugen wreck

main Island rests a victim of “Operations Into the blue — Crossroads”, the nuclear bomb test series in diving the Prinz Eugen the Bikini atoll 1946. It is the German cruiser Just a few meters below the surface, the Prinz Eugen, the biggest and most magnificent massive body of the wreck is outlined in the wreck in Kwajalein. shallow water. Only the stern with the huge Prinz Eugen has become known for the propellers can be seen of the 213 meter long fight alongside one of the famous battleships ship before the visibility lets the rest of the during World War II, the Bismarck, especially shipwreck vanish in blurry shades of blue. for its role in sinking the British HMS Hood. A single blade of the propeller is as big as In 1946, the Prinz Eugen was brought to a diver. Behind it is the giant and intact hull. Kwajalein after the atomic bomb test series. A swim between the stern and the sandy Due to bad damage, the vessel leaked just bottom leads to the top side of the ship where before the crew reached the safe harbor of the smooth current from the ocean side can Kwajalein Island. The big ship filled with water, be felt. rolled to its starboard side and sunk upside While moving deeper, a stroll alongside the down. vessel shows massive 8-inch battery guns. The Today, the wreck rests in 20 to 40 meters canons are buried half in the sand. of shallow water. The stern is partly out of the The superstructure has collapsed due to the water and exposed to the continuous waves heavy weight of the ship itself. Everywhere, and sharp blowing wind from the sea, which bigger parts of the ship are scattered in can get very rough from time to time. One the sand. A huge obscure spherical object, of the big copper props has been detached the gun director sits right beside the ship. and relocated to Kiel in Germany where the Torpedoes are sitting in their tubes, still as if ship was built in 1936. ready to be shot. Several doorways can be used to enter

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THIS PAGE: Gear wheels, relics and artifacts from the interior of the Prinz Eugen shipwreck. ABOVE: Divers swim past the rising towers of the wreck. PREVIOUS PAGE: A diver hovers over the wreck of the Prinz Eugen—divers find some torpedos still sit in their tubes

in years ago. Several sections of the wreck can be explored: galleys, storage rooms, bathrooms, generators, different types of shelves—more and more relics appear in the light of the torch. The officers rooms have chairs, tables and beds. Everything is buried under several inches of rust. The long time under saltwater has had its impact. It’s not unlikely to have to abort a penetration dive due to the fact that a ceiling of a deck has collapsed and bits and pieces prevent one from moving ahead. Not far away from the Prinz Eugen are numerous Japanese freighters resting not much deeper than 60 meters in the lagoon. Some of them are sitting upright, some on their sides, and others upside down. The AKIBASAN Maru, ASAKAZE Maru, and TATEYAMA Maru, just to name a few, sunk very close to the inside of the ghostly scene. each other. These cargo ships are fairly wreck. A dive into Navigation demands concentration intact but have been cannibalized these openings leads due to the fact that the wreck is lying over the years. Therefore, the smaller through rusty red upside down. Beds are mounted to parts are gone, but bigger items, like alleys. These old walls the “ceiling”. Divers can penetrate ammunition, shells and spare props, can move slowly and statically back and deeper into the wreck while moving still be found on and inside the wrecks. forth driven by the current. It is a strange along white ropes that were brought Gauges are still mounted in the engine

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THIS PAGE: Scenes from the Japanese ship wrecks easily identified by their small ladders on the bow typical for their day

Divers check out relics and ar- tillery shells left over from days gone by

PREVIOUS PAGE: Divers explore cannons on the decks of some of the wrecks of the Japanese buildt ships, some cannons are still pointing upwards towards would-be attackers

rooms. The huge cargo holds are almost completely empty. Barracudas circle the wrecks frequently. Corals and sponges cover the wrecks, and swarms of smaller fishes often pass by. These wrecks lurk in the gloomy water, and the greenish color from the growth covering them makes them look like ghost ships. Some canons are still pointing usually easy to access. The coral encrusted masts upwards towards the surface Occasionally, a mast lays are interesting objects to where the attackers were across the big openings of observe during the ascent and coming from. A number of the cargo holes. The strange descent. The anchor windlass these cannons are dismantled looking airscoops nearby the and the canons, with their small but some are fairly complete. superstructure remind one of ladders on the bow, are typical Inside, the ship’s big big tubas. There is so much for the days when these ships gearwheels and iron plates are historic material in the water were manufactured and make piled on top of each other. The that it is hard to decide what to it easy to identify a ship as huge engines ringed with the explore next. Japanese built. cat walks and small ladders are

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Downed planes sponges. From a certain angle the Leaving the main bay and traveling sunlight is reflected by the lines of up north to Roi Namur one can find rivets. Some planes are still in good many discarded US aircrafts that shape while others have been have been dumped in the water completely dismantled. here; B-25 bombers, C-46 transport A truck right beside an upright aircrafts and F-4 C-46 on white sand makes a strange Corsairs can be scene of an artificial underwater found only a few airfield. meters below the A variety of interesting wrecks surface. can be found in the waters of Colorful Kwajalein, but unfortunately, the atoll fishes circle the is a military off limits area; therefore, THIS PAGE: Scenes from downed aluminum bodies basically no tourism exists, and only planes, discarded US aircraft sub- of the wrecks, one abandoned hotel is located on merged in the waters around which are resting the island. It is truly a challenge to Kwajalein including B-52 bomers and on white sand get there, but it’s worth all the effort transport aircraft, even remnants of a surrounded by as soon as the first wreck comes into military truck can be found nice corals and view. ■

55 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED RIGHT: Loca- Bokak tion of the Marshall Islands on NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN global map Bikar fact file RATAK Marshall Islands FAR RIGHT: Enewetak Bikini Location Rongerik Utirik CHAIN of Kwajelein Ailinginae Rongelap Taka Atoll on map of Ailuk Wotho Mejit Marshal Islands RALIK Likiep Kwajalein Island Ujelang Wotje Ujae SOurCES: YaNN SaiNT yVES, miCHaEl aw, CHAIN Maloelap US Cia wOrld faCT BOOk, SCUBADOC.COM Erikub Lae Ebeye Aur Namu History After almost four dec- 1986 and the Amended Compact surrounds the world’s largest FEDERATED STATES OF Majuro Arno ades under US administration as entered into force in May 2004. lagoon and is used as a US mis- MICRONESIA Ailinglapalap the easternmost part of the UN Capital: Majuro. sile test range; the island city of MAJURO Mili Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Ebeye is the second largest settle- Jaluit the Marshall Islands attained Geography Oceania, two ment in the Marshall Islands, after Kosrae Knox independence in 1986 under a archipelagic island chains of 29 the capital of Majuro, and one of income from Namorik Kili Compact of Free Association. atolls, each made up of many the most densely populated loca- the renewal of fishing vessel Ebon Compensation claims continue as small islets, and five single islands tions in the Pacific licenses have held GDP growth to a result of US nuclear testing on in the North Pacific Ocean, an average of 1% over the past some of the atolls between 1947 about half way between Hawaii Economy US Government decade. Agriculture: coconuts, and 1962. The Marshall Islands and Australia. Coastline: 370.4 assistance is the mainstay of tomatoes, melons, taro, bread- hosts the US Army Kwajalein Atoll km. Terrain: low coral limestone this tiny island economy. The fruit, fruits; pigs, chickens. Industry: Population 63,174 (July 2008 (USAKA) Reagan Missile Test Site, and sand islands. Lowest point: Marshall Islands received more copra, tuna processing, tourism, est.) Ethnic groups: Marshallese a key installation in the US missile Pacific Ocean 0 m. Highest point: than $1 billion in aid from the US craft items (from seashells, wood, 92.1%, mixed Marshallese 5.9%, defense network. Government: unnamed location on Likiep 10 from 1986-2002. Agricultural pro- and pearls). other 2% (2006). Religions: constitutional government in m. Note: the islands of Bikini and duction, primarily subsistence, Protestant 54.8%, Assembly of free association with the US; the Enewetak are former US nuclear is concentrated on small farms; Climate tropical; hot and God 25.8%, Roman Catholic 8.4%, Compact of Free Association test sites; Kwajalein atoll, famous the most important commercial humid; wet season May to Bukot nan Jesus 2.8%, Mormon entered into force 21 October as a World War II battleground, crops are coconuts and bread- November; islands border 2.1%, other Christian 3.6%, fruit. Small-scale industry is limited typhoon belt. Natural hazards: other 1%, none 1.5% (1999 to handicrafts, tuna processing, infrequent typhoons. census). Internet users: 2,200 and copra. The tourist industry, (2006) now a small source of foreign Environmental issues inad- exchange employing less than equate supplies of potable water; Language Marshallese 10% of the labor force, remains pollution of Majuro lagoon from (official) 98.2%, other the best hope for future added household waste and discharges languages 1.8% (1999 census) income. The islands have few from fishing vessels. Agreements: note: English (official), natural resources, and imports far party to: Biodiversity, Climate widely spoken as a second exceed exports. Under the terms Change, Climate Change- language. of the Amended Compact of Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Free Association, the US will pro- Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Links vide millions of dollars per year to Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Marshall Islands Visitors the Marshall Islands (RMI) through Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling. Authority 2023, at which time a Trust Fund www.visitmarshallislands.com made up of US and RMI contribu- Currency 20.5 Maldivian rup- tions will begin perpetual annual pies (MVR)= 1€ (2008), but many Embassy of the Marshall payouts. Government downsizing, resorts show prices in US dollars Islands drought, a drop in construction, and in Euro. www.rmiembassyus.org ■ the decline in tourism, and less

White beaches of Kwajalein Atoll Some of the local wildlife 56 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED GirlDiver

Edited by Cindy Ross Yoga & Diving Perfect Harmony Text by Cindy Ross GirlDiver.com

A place without distrac- waters force which allows us to der girdle aligned and flexible breathing, they are doing tion, a place without time. freely move within its realm. since this is typically a weaker themselves a tremendous favor area in women,” said Arielle by learning how to use breath The place one can find Scuba is often seen as simply a Thomas Newman of Yoga By as a tool to stay calm and col- solace and retreat from sport, and yoga as mere exer- the Sea Vacations in Playa del lected underwater. The num- a busied world above, cise. But both are truly ways of Carmen, Mexico. ber one rule in diving is keep wikiPEdiaCOmmONS.Org where the problems of living that allow the practitioners breathing and breath is the a more complete and full life, Because yoga includes stretching key component to a physical your day seem to meld through venturing into another throughout, the flexibility in every yoga practice. There’s a very with the water and are left place. With scuba we are able part of your body is improved. symbiotic relationship there,” at the shoreline. to fully appreciate the primordial This helps you move with more says Kimberlee Stedl, author of force of the ocean. Yoga prac- freedom, balance and comfort, Dive Yoga, the first book print- learning curve. With the help of more stabilized in breathing. He Our ability to dive comfortably tice heightens your awareness of which becomes obvious both in ed on the subject. yoga, meditation and breathing found using just subtle contrac- is directly related to our core what you are experiencing in your walking to the shore with heavy exercises can make you become tions in the core region (namely strength, balance, focus and body, so the awareness of your equipment and moving effort- “For women, I would say that the a more patient student diver. The the obliques) he was able to determination. To improve our place in the underwater environ- lessly beneath the waves. strengthening poses in yoga are extended patience that you gain right himself and maneuver easily abilities in the water, we were told ment becomes clearer. The still- most beneficial to build muscular from practicing yoga can also resulting in better neutral buoy- “the only way to get in shape ness of yoga allows you to let go As in scuba diving, proper breath- strength and endurance, and be helpful while waiting for those ancy. The serenity of underwater for diving, is to dive”. However, and be more focused on simply ing patterns are important in that the breathing and visual- safety stops and long surface was also more noticeable. Todd many in the dive community are “being” in the water. yoga. You reach maximum per- ization techniques are useful to intervals. noticed the difference in his div- now exploring the benefits of the formance in any endeavor when maintain focus and control while ing within a a few weeks of begin- ancient practice of yoga, through Diving is known to be good exer- your lungs are intaking the proper diving,” she said. Kimberlee came into scuba as a ning his own regular yoga prac- training both the body and the cise, however, not perfect, as it amount of oxygen combined yoga instructor already, so didn’t tice. mind for better fitness in our sport. is not completely symmetrical. with the proper positioning of Beginning divers often find their have a chance to personally see Diving concentrates on the legs the body. Yoga benefits, such as buoyancy skills difficult when the effect “before and after” The time we spend beneath the When we dive, we are in our and shoulders and leaves other easing tension on the back and comparing them to the buoyancy yoga had on her diving. Her hus- surface allows us to remember elemental nature, and it’s incred- areas untouched, so to pair it shoulders area of the body, will of scuba pros. However, with a band, Todd, however, was a diver where we came from, our intrin- ibly easy to forget how powerful with a form of exercise that puts give you the strength and posture little more practice, you can gain first, yoga participant second. sic connection with water. Yoga those elements are. When you’re emphasis on stretching and core that can increase your form in the more knowledge about reaching practice allows us to strengthen moving in the surge or current, strength ensures complete activity water as you master buoyancy your body’s equilibrium but this Todd noticed three main areas our mind, body and spirit so our you become one with the water, for your entire body. like never before. may take time. Some may learn where yoga positively influenced moments in the our water world relaxing and allowing the water to dive competently in only a few his diving. He achieved bet- are more vibrant and surreal. ■ to use its strength to move you “Yoga can help female scuba ”If divers practice no other yoga days but some may take several ter breath control and breath along. It’s our respect for the divers keep their neck and shoul- besides controlled, rhythmic weeks or months with a very long pace underwater by becoming

57 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED THE FACTS aNd ViEwPOiNTS iN THiS SECTiON ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE VIEWS OF x-ray mag. EQUIPMENT PRESENTED IN THIS SECTION HAVE NOT BEEN TESTEd BY x-ray MAG STAFF, NOR ARE THE ITEMS warraNTEEd. iNfOrmaTiON PROVIDED IS CONDENSED frOm maNufaCTurErS’ DESCRIPTIONS. TExTS arE uSually EdiTEd Diverite EXP wings fOr lENgTH, ClariTy aNd STylE. LiNkS arE aCTiVE aT THE TimE Of PuBliCaTiON The EXP line of wings from Florida- point & click based Diverite allows divers to on bold links improve their dive technique with custom options on each wing. All EXP wings are donut-style. They include epic one multi-functional design that allows for smooth tran- Edited by sition from singles to dou- Arnold Weisz ble tanks. Two of the new wings sport a unique bladder that can be adapted Equipment to become a dual bladder wing and three of the wings include tie-down options to change the amount of lift depending on the planned dive. www.diverite.com

OC1 The Oceanic OC1 is a titanium-housed all-in-one dive computer featuring a precision digital compass, digital watch, wireless Buddy Pressure Check and a wealth of other features. The dot matrix dis- Scoot along play, which comes with SmartGlo backlight- Scubapro The Aqua Ranger offers ing, provides superior readability and intu- speed and performance itive user interface. Switch between Seawing with an aggressive new look in a portable up to three independent wire- Nova and affordable recreational underwater popu- less transmitters, tracking three lation unit. The Aqua Ranger is rated to go 30ft Nitrox mixes or a buddy’s This fin offers a so- (10m) deep and has a top speed of up to 2mph tank pressure. www.ocean- called clean water (3.2km/h), which allows for cruising below icworldwide.com blade geometry for the surface at a nice pace. The optimal propulsion, Aqua Ranger is suitable for variable pivot con- kids eight and up and trol ribs, ergonomic adults in the ocean, iPouch foot pocket with lakes and swimming Neither water nor sand or extended heel plate, pools. It is strategi- hand covered in suntan heavy duty marine cally positioned lotion at the beach will grade bungee strap sys- between the now endanger the life of tem, durable monoprene already avail- your personal cell phone. construction. Scubapro also able Seascooter™ Handy & Safe pouches issues this product with a lim- Dolphin and the are absolutely waterproof ited lifetime warranty includ- Seascooter™ PRO. Should your boat capsize, ing the strap. It is available in www.seadooseas- your phone will swim on these sizes: S/6-8, M/8-10, L/9-12, cooter.com the surface, ready for XL/11-13. Black is the only color. that life saving call. www.scubapro.com www.ewa-marine.de

58 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED SLX 800t Technical Dive Light equipment Nocturnal Lights has released the SLX 800t Technical Dive light. The SLX 800t produces 800 lumens, and it has an eight-hour burn time. The new SLX has an internally adjustable diffuser that allows you to switch from spot to flood in seconds, and you can mix and match each diffuser to get your preferred beam pattern. Its double o-ring design and sliding switch make it nearly impossible to flood according to Nocturnal Lights. SLX 800t also doubles as a focus light and video light. www.nocturnallights.com Seasoft TX3 Dry suit This is a 3mm Superstretch™ dry suit Reflecting that is designed for all temperatures. For The Custom Divers temperatures ranging Seeker is a traditional between 65 and 80°F D-SMB that contains a (18 and 27ºC) the suit conductive material requires no undergar- shaped to receive and ment. It comes with send back radar signals heat reflecting sil- “It can be quite a ver neck and wrist scary thought (when you are sitting beneath seals. For water a Delayed Surface Marker Buoy decompressing) won- temperatures of dering if the boat has seen you, or if you are adrift on your 50 to 65°F (10 to lonesome,” explained Alex Vassallo, Custom Divers CEO. 18ºC), you will “I wanted to be assured that the boat had seen my need undergar- D-SMB, so the solution was to make it radar detectable. ment or layers to It sounds simple, but the Seeker took over three years stay comfortable. of research, development and testing until we were With a lightweight truly satisfied that we had a full patent pending Ti Zip zipper from product that will revolutionise diver safety.” Germany. www.customdivers.com www.seasoftscuba.com

SeacSub 2000 SWS Chosen by law enforcement and specialized groups, the quintessence of the SEAC line continues to be improved upon, remaining the jacket preferred by the demanding divers and professionals thanks to its numerous technical characteristics, its buoyancy force, and its distribution of volumes. www.seacsub.com

59 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED turtle tales

Edited by Peter Symes Leatherback Text and photos by Kurt Amsler Expedition — a report from S.O.L.O.

60 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED PREVIOUS PAGE: Almost hatched Leatherback butch- LEFT: Baby leatherback; Foraging ered for its skin (right); leatherback off Oregon, US (inset); Leatherback came Leatherback Rock (bottom) ashore to die (lower right)

boat. The locals Enroute to the Leatherback I had been curious for some time nesting beaches, divers have as to how accurate the Papuan an opportunity to see some men are with their bows and WWII planes, ships and ammuni- arrows, as the bows are bent tion in waters of 70 feet or less. bamboo, the bow string is of Snorkelers and beach explorers bamboo, and the arrows are have other neat experiences often crooked with no feathers available to them as non-divers. or a notch to fit the bow string. Time at the Leatherback I challenged the village men beaches takes about two days to shoot at a 3 x 5 inch target and one night in order to gain placed at 15 meters (about 45 a meaningful experience with feet). ALL hit that small target.

S.O.L.O. 2008 Expeditions creatures, this Leatherback a terrific success —Papua Barat, went into the sea and Indonesia, 20 March 2009 survived. An Expedition participant has a very rare Save Our Leatherbacks Opera- opportunity to actually tion (SOLO) completed its interact with an existing fourth year of expeditions to real life dinosaur from the the Leatherback turtle nesting Jurassic period while they beaches located in very remote still exist. Papua Barat, Indonesia. Each Humanity’s increasing summer between May and and wanton destruction of October, between two and four our seas is causing a spiral into these giant Leatherback females (except me) The village chief expeditions are conducted for extinction of this, the largest sea as they come from the sea in the drilled the center of the target. the direct benefit of both scuba turtle and reptile on Earth. dark of night to nest. Males never WHEW! Don’t get THESE Papuans divers and others who are keen In 2008, as in past years, we appear unless injured. angry! to see, film and touch this living held two expeditions of 14 peo- Day periods at the beach The nights on this 18 km long dinosaur from the past. ple each between July 14 and include an opportunity to inter- beach are the most exciting part The Leatherback sea turtle is in August 6. Each sortie lasted 11 act with residents of two remote of the three-phase trip. We go its exact form as it existed about days and 10 nights. The expedi- villages where our research to the beach after a fine dinner 150 million years ago. When the tions go first to the Leatherback staffs reside and witnessing of an on the boat, at about 9 p.m. ice age froze out the huge nesting beaches to the East of almost forgotten “Leatherback All dress well to protect from Leatherback habits. We have them female crawling from the sea to find Sorong, the port of embarkation Calling Ceremony” by villag- being gnawed on by the always equipped with hand held radios. the spot where she was hatched to on a quality live aboard ers in tribal costume, complete present “No See Em’s”, but at We all make a comfortable sand dig her nest and lay clutches of up Text and photos with bamboo bows and times even a 100 percent bath in dune seat or bed and marvel at the to 100 eggs. by Larry McKenna arrows to call the Deet does not repel them. stars, which are so bright in the no We scramble to the location in Leatherback We go ashore at Leatherback pollution air, we can almost grab small groups so as not to ‘spook’ the females to the Rock, usually in calm surf, to one. Last trip, I counted 25 shooting Leatherback and wait to approach beach that be met by the villagers who stars and one decaying satellite on her until she is digging the nest hole night (so far, become our guides in search of a burn back into our atmosphere. and begins to drop her eggs. works every the Leatherbacks. Their eyes see After a brief wait, hooded lights The process requires from 1 to time). a lot more than ours, and they begin to flash up and down the 1.5 hours, so there is plenty of time have local knowledge of the beach as our native staff locates a for photos and examining the

61 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED CLOCKWISE: Adult female leatherback; Dropping her eggs; McKenna with locals in traditional dress; Turtle calling ceremony; Equitorial sunrise; Tony Raja’s leatherback entire hatching event. Many sit beside experience. Eggs laid, sand repacked emerge from the sea, the time can grow and return to nest at a later time. In her and stroke the soft, velvet-like skin over the four-foot deep nest, she, with speed by quickly with the intensity of run- one nest at night, expeditioners assisted that protects her massive rib cage and lots of effort, climbs out of the wide and ning up and down the beach, filming, 16 hatchlings to the surf, which would lungs and marvel at the huge size of this deep hole she made and makes her way watching, etc. So, a glance at a watch not have lived without human interven- Leatherback. back into the sea. When a Leatherback surprises most when dawn is near. A tion. During the following morning, nest The Leatherback has been instrument- comes to nest, she often returns in the Pacific sunrise on a remote beach can researchers were able to locate and ed to dive lower than 3,000 feet in search same season to nest between four and be a vision never to forget. release more trapped babies. All who of giant jellyfish. This is the only sea turtle five times, which can mean that one We return to the boat, shower andget participated remain excited. So far, in that does not have a shell. Leatherback can lay up to 500 eggs in a cleaned up, have breakfast and return this season, our staff have located and As many times I have seen this process, season. to the beach after sunrise to participate released over 600 hatchlings from deep I never fail to get “goose bumps” at the Once the Leatherbacks begin to in actual nest research with the Papuan in nests (this effort has NOT been accom- We continue to offer these expedi- staff. On some trips, the research is also plished or catalogued previously on these tions in 2009. A cash deposit of US$500 accomplished at night. We examine the very remote beaches). is required to reserve a bed before April nests that have hatched to determine Our relocated nests are producing 30. A few beds remain on both trips, but how many eggs hatched and did not. approximately an 85 percent success they will be filled quickly. Information on Often, we locate and release babies that rate of eggs that hatch, which would the 2009 expeditions can be requested are caught deep in the sand and would have otherwise drowned or cooked by e-mail at: saveourleatherbacks@earth- not live unless brought to the surface. deep in the nests. At season close (end link.net. If you want a combined experi- October), we anticipate a summary of ence of a life time, join us. Only about Helping the species very encouraging results. Yessss, we ARE 300 have sat beside this living Jurassic era Our motivation is to stop the extinction excited! Our volunteer science panel dinosaur in this very remote location. ■ spiral. To place more hatchlings into the of PhD Marine Biologists is reviewing the sea is a prime directive of our foundation. data for a later release to the public. LEaTHErBaCk FaCTS Our staffs have this purpose to accom- At mid-morning, we board the ship and plish each day and night as they locate head west into the Raja Ampat Islands to Type: Reptile and mark egg nests. Our ongoing results dive out the remaining days of the expe- Genus species: Dermochelys coriacea this year come from doing exactly that dition. We extended the venue of the Primary diet: Jellyfish and more (relocating nests from global dives to include Kawe and Waya, both Average life span: 45 years (est.) warming areas of egg destruction). The West of the Ampats and on the Equator. Size: Up to 7 feet (2 meters) apparent results of the 2008 nesting data Diving in this pristine region is perhaps Weight: Up to 2,000 pounds (900k) is cause for proclaiming a terrific success. the last great dive location left. In 2007 Fact: The largest leatherback ever found was and 2008, the majority of dive and travel 8.5 feet-long (2.6 meters) and weighed 2,020 Success magazines and National Geographic pounds (916k). We are achieving one of our foundation have featured this area because of clear Protection status: Endangered objectives by increasing the numbers waters and amazing concentrations of Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man of babies put out to the sea to live, to marine life.

62 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Leatherback pewter pin SOLO 2009 expeditions to leatherback nesting beaches — one of the many gift items that can be purchased in SOLO’s web- shot. All proceeds Make a difference go to the cause Join the adventure and The expeditions can accom- perienced dive guides. straddling the equator! become an active part modate up to 12 divers per trip Dive clubs and dive groups The cost per person in six air-conditioned cabins with can reserve a trip for their group is US$2,750* (maxi- of the research team. in-suite toilets and hot showers. and dive all together—12 peo- mum of 12 people Travel to exotic, seldom The boat has a very comfort- ple per trip. per trip) and includes seen locations. Depend- able salon and is fully equipped • Trip 1: Jul 14 – 24 is sold out all boat costs except space. with camera tables and multi- • Trip 2: Jul 28 – Aug 7 tips. This is a deep discount by Tax ing on when you de- ple electric outlets. • Trip 3: Aug 11 – 21 the boat owners who are sup- exemp- cided to make the trip, Healthy buffet All trips are hosted by Larry porting the cause. A standard tion for you’ll watch rare, nearly meals are McKenna, PhD, SOLO’s found- trip would cost over $3,600. US citi- extinct, turtles lay eggs served, and er who has made multiple International and local airfare zens you will be trips to this area and is very is not included. These low *Because you are par- or watch the eggs hatch hosted by familiar with the beaches, the expedition prices are ticipating in the work of this and the babies travel to excel- dive spots and the locals. He only available through 501(c) (3) tax exempt Foun- the ocean. lent, is an accomplished author, SOLO. dation, all expedition fees, ex- photographer, filmmaker Expedition res- airfare, hotels, and meals are Dive the legendary Raja Ampat and diver. Assisting him will ervations are 100 percent tax deductible. ■ islands aboard a large, comfort- be SOLO volunteers who secured able, fully-equipped ship—a have also been to the by a $500 Join Kurt Amsler beaches. deposit on classic Indonesian Phinisi design Don’t miss out on a unique Meet Indonesia’s with all the amenities a diver or before opportunity to travel with would hope for and more! Best of the best May 2009. one of the very best under- Youngest Leatherback The MVS Raja Ampat of the best Further water photographers on is the only premier Larry promises that divers details will the planet. Kurt Amsler will Turtle Volunteer liveaboard in will dive the “Best of the be sent to join the third trip during Indonesian very Best” among the those who which he will lead a special “On The Beach with Meet Justin Howard. He is an 11th grader at waters. islands of Raja Ampat— reserve a Ipeka International Christian School in west now including Kawe, Papuans” visit. The trip will be from August 10 or 12 for Jakarta, Indonesia’s sprawling capital city. four days. The experience Justin contacted SOLO over one year includes a truly unique ago by surfing on his computer and found “Tenting Experience” with SOLO’S website. Frequently since then, the Leatherback Turtles Justin has peppered the staff with all man- and a walk in virgin jungles. ner of questions concerning the extinction Maximum group size is crisis facing the Leatherback turtles. He has eight people. ■ attempted to engage classmates in the information sharing and in extolling them to join him in spreading the awareness of the situation here in his own nation. He will succeed as time pushes forward. Justin has the firm support in his activities from a super keen family. He is 16 and about to begin his senior year of high school. Justin’s education at university will be in marine biology where he will join in global efforts to save our oceans. Justin can be e-mailed at: pandaren_73@ Join a 2009 expedition hotmail.com ■

63 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED KurT AmSlEr

Scientists from WHOI and the U.S. Navy have found out that the skulls and shells of sea turtles have an amazing and unexpected resistance to underwater shock waves. With added research, that resistance could have human applications in the form of improved body armor design, said Darlene Ketten, a WHOI biologist.

The experiment first began more than five years ago in a test pond in Maryland, where the Navy gauged the safety of ship hulls by setting off explosions near test vessels. They tried to clear the area of marine mammals and sea turtles prior to detonation, but needed to determine how far the animals had to be from the blast to remain safe.

The skulls of the turtles include a broad shelf of bone that may reflect shock waves away from the brain. She likened it to the helmets worn by some World War I soldiers with a flange in back.

Ketten said sea turtles resemble and move like “under- Turtle skulls are water tanks,” and she noted the extra protection around the skull might be nature’s strategy to compensate for the fact that sea turtles can’t contract shock-resistant their head into a shell like land turtles. ■

SOurCE: WOOdS HOlE OCE- What started out as an experi- aNOgraPHiC INSTiTuTiON ment to protect sea turtles

during underwater explo- A three-dimensions may end up saving sional recon- the lives of soldiers on land, struction from CT scans of a scientists from Woods Hole Kemp’s Ridley Oceanographic Institution turtle

(WHOI) find. DarlENE KETTEN, WOOdS HOlE OCEaNOgraPHiC INSTiTuTiON COmPuTErizEd SCaNNiNg aNd ImagiNg FaCiliTy The Great Turtle Race Eleven leatherback The data collected from the turtles sea turtles have set during the migration will help scientists in out on the Great their own race to save this endangered Turtle Race, in which species from threats such as coastal K ur T A m S l E r the turtles paddle 3,700 miles development, fishery bycatch and egg from their feeding grounds off harvesting. the coast of Nova Scotia to the Which turtle will reach the finish line Caribbean—where they breed first? Which will dive the deepest or go and nest. The turtles are tagged the farthest afield? Will they all make with state-of-the-art satellite tracking it to the end? Follow the turtles as they devices that allow researchers to follow race across the Atlantic on National This is a green their incredible 6,000-kilometer journey. Geographic’s website ■ turtle. But it is racing 64 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Odyssey Marine — Interview with Marine Archaeologist Neil Cunningham Dobson Text by Millis Keegan Photos courtesy of Odyssey Marine

Millis Keegan interviews Odyssey Conversely, salvage is the recovery of Marine Exploration’s Principal Marine shipwrecks for money, and salvagers do Archaeologist Neil Cunningham Dobson not write reports or publish their findings, — April 2009 and given that we do do that, calling us salvagers would not be correct either. MK: What do you do? I ran into some Odyssey’s business model is simple: confusion trying to set this interview up, there are billions of dollars worth of cargo so lets take a closer look at what you and priceless artifacts lying on the ocean are trying to do. Obviously you are not floor and the technology existS to locate treasure hunters, so what are you doing? and recover these treasures. We have What is your main reason to be out on the capabilities to conduct commercial the oceans, if it is not to find and salvage marine archaeology where good busi- treasures? ness and sound archaeology can co- exist. NCD: I am the Principal Marine One common misconception people Archaeologist for Odyssey Marine have about Odyssey is that we sell ABOVE: The Odyssey Explorer. INSET RIGHT: Neil Cunningham Dobson an archaeologi- Exploration. Odyssey has given me a everything we recover, and this is not cal investigation unique opportunity. No other company true. Artifacts that we recover that are We also share the artifacts, treasures what are the reasons for that can include or academic institution has the equip- deemed culturally or historically signifi- and knowledge we recover with a that? a photomosaic. ment and time to conduct archaeology cant, are kept in Odyssey’s permanent broader audience by displaying them at It is a possibility the way Odyssey has the ability to do. collection for study, education, and museums and interactive exhibits, and NCD: There are certain cri- that we will return Odyssey is the world-leader in deep- research by museums, cultural institutions producing books, DVDs and television teria that shipwrecks must and recover ocean shipwreck exploration. We differ- or other qualified academics. features. The adventure and excitement meet to become one of artifacts from entiate ourselves from salvage compa- On most shipwrecks, there is cargo in our field motivates young students to our targets, and one of some these sites nies and treasure hunters because we that we classify as “trade goods” and, get interested in archaeology, and we those is that the ship must at some point in conduct “best practice” archaeology these are items found in large repetitive support that interest by creating educa- have documented proof of order to share the on all the sites we work on. The term quantities… a good example would be tional curricula. carrying highly valuable cargo. However, historical knowledge that can be gained “treasure hunter” is negative within the coins. After undergoing conservation And finally, we produce high quality in our exploration of the oceans, we do from these wrecks. Discovery Channel’s deep-ocean world because it typically and thorough documentation, these archaeological reports to share our find- come across interesting and significant Treasure Quest series did a great job to refers to a group or person who tears duplicate items will be offered to private ings with the archaeological community shipwrecks that do not carry high value showcase some of the historically signifi- apart a shipwreck with no regard for the collectors. Our decision to sell artifacts is and the general public. cargo. For example, we have discovered cant wrecks that we came across and historic value, information or artifacts a made using criteria similar to those used a few amphora wrecks, submarines, air- investigated but did not excavate during shipwreck has to offer. They are simply by museums when they de-accession MK: Do you search for wrecks that do craft and so on. Whist the cargo has no our last search season. interested in just getting to the treasure. artifacts or collections. not carry significant valuables, and if so, real monetary value, we may conduct

65 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED profile ROV Zeus Odyssey logical interests should be sal- publishing information about the who have never been on board vaged by museum curator rather collection. Odyssey has a Curator our ships during an expedition nor than commercial businesses and of Collections, Ellen Gerth, on staff have taken the opportunity to visit so on. How do you handle that? because this is an integral step our conservation lab or our muse- in the archaeology process. You um exhibits. NCD: To our knowledge, there can see some of her publications The fact is that deep-ocean aren’t any museum curators that here: www.shipwreck.net/fea- shipwreck exploration and salvage shipwrecks. The word turesarticles.php. Apart from that, archaeological excavation is “curator” itself comes from the Odyssey is proud to have the an expensive endeavor, and Latin word curatus, which means world’s best marine archaeolo- operations can cost more than “care.” A curator is someone gists and conservator working for US$35,000 per day. The equip- who is responsible for a collec- Odyssey. ment and technology used tion and some of their duties can A lot of the criticism about what costs millions of dollars in acqui- include researching the history of we do stems from misconceptions sition and maintenance costs. the artifacts in the collection and about our operations by people Governments and academic insti-

MK: How did you get started? commercial diving qualifications, the challenge to see if a robot What was your motivation? joined the Nautical Archaeology could do archaeology. I gained NCD: Well, my career has been Society and became a tutor. commercial Remotely Operated a bit unconventional. I started I was approached by Dr Colin Vehicle (ROV) qualifications and out at age 17 when I joined the Martin of St Andrews University to eventually came to Odyssey. British Merchant Navy where I was join him in the investigation and My motivation is to bring marine a deck officer. I then went to the excavation of a 1653 Cromwellian history and archaeology to the oil industry and spent 11 years warship lost off Duart Castle on general public. I am privileged to working on oil rigs in the North the Isle of Mull, West Coast of be one of the first people to dis- Sea as a ballast control room Scotland. I spent five years on cover a shipwreck since it was lost operator and barge engineer. this project. Later, I pursued a and to handle and study the arti- After that, I worked as a marine master’s degree at St. Andrews facts from it. I get to tell the story survival instructor/examiner. I was University and began my career of the ship and its crew and bring one of the UK’s first freefall life- as a marine archaeologist. them alive. I am passionate about boat instructors. During my leave My marine background along sharing my knowledge with the from oil rigs, I took up sport diving, with my archaeology put me in world gaining me the nickname became an instructor and ran a unique position. I have spent “The People’s Arch”. a UK dive club. So really, diving 30 years in the marine indus- wrecks sparked of my interest to try; I have worked on all sorts of MK: Being a salvage company, combine history and my maritime vessels, rigs and sailing ships. I you meet a lot of harsh opinions career. decided that deep water was about what you do. Opinions Through my work, I gained the area I wanted to work on and about how shipwrecks of archeo- A 42-pound bronze cannon from the wreck of the HMS Victory being hoisted onto the deck of the Odyssey Explorer 66 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Artifacts recovered from the 1622 “Tortugas” shipwreck site BELOW CENTER: Ceramic cargo Odyssey profile from the “Blue China” wreck at a depth of nearly 1,200 feet

factors. It is fast becoming a race against years later in 2003 with the SS Republic. time, and it is really crucial at this junc- Our second major discovery came three ture to address this issue. years later in 2007 when we discovered the “Black Swan” deep-ocean site, MK: What is your biggest achievement? which is believed to constitute the largest collection of coins excavated from NCD: This is a hard one. Being a father the deep ocean to date. The next year, to my two sons, Luthais and Harris, is 2008, we discovered HMS Victory. my personal biggest achievement. I think what you can see is a trend; Professionally, the moment of the discov- we’re getting better and more efficient ery of HMS Victory ranks as one of the in our ability to research and follow

ABOVE: Gold bars recovered from the 1622 “Tortugas” shipwreck site

be pretty frustrating when something like that happens? NCD: The legal issues do not affect my passion. It is frustrating at times, not just tutions can’t afford to fund archaeolog- the Odyssey team that includes the top for me, but obviously for our company. ically-sensitive shipwreck exploration on shipwreck project managers, conserva- But being pioneers in our industry also the scale we’re doing it. tors, researchers, scientists and other ship- comes with pioneering a whole new As a publicly traded company, we wreck specialists. legislature and regulations. We are set- are funded through private investors. ting historical and legal precedents and With our business model, we can also MK: What is the challenge in seeking for helping to write and clarify maritime law. generate revenue through the sale of lost ships and their cargos? It does not deter us, instead I think it has duplicate artifacts, also known as “trade made us a stronger team as we bond goods” (i.e. artifacts or coins found in NCD: There are many challenges from together to support our company, goals large duplicate quantities). This is a new the efficient use of resources to safety and mission. model for shipwreck exploration compa- and security aspects. One of the biggest nies, and we are fortunate to see that ones is finding an interesting wreck that MK: Is there a competition out there, and a lot forward-thinking academics and you have no identity for and using all my greatest moments in my career. But with through to the discovery of wreck sites. if so how do you handle it? archaeologists are starting to be interest- skills to try and solve the mystery. I see my my passion for marine archaeology, all of We’re solidifying our position as the world ed and supportive of what we are doing. work as underwater CSI because a ship- the shipwreck projects I have taken part leader in shipwreck exploration with our NCD: There are other shipwreck explor- Personally, I do not get bothered by wreck is like that of a crime scene; I have in are exciting and fascinating. proven track record. ers (or in many cases salvage companies what other people say about us. I am a a pile of clues and have to try and work or treasure hunters), but we are the only qualified, experienced marine archae- out the last moments of the ship and the MK: How has your company evolved MK: You have been up against some ones with the technology and knowl- ologist and have seen more shipwrecks crew. over the years? legal palaver, did that affect the pas- edge necessary to successfully conduct than most marine archaeologists. I do One of the major threats to shipwrecks sion for what you are doing? How do you operations in the deep-ocean. We are my archaeology to the best of my pro- at this time is the extensive damage NCD: Odyssey was founded in 1994 and cope? I imagine with all the effort and pioneers in the field of deep-water ship- fession. I am privileged to be a part of through trawl nets and other manmade made its first major recovery almost ten the money invested in the search, it must wreck archaeology.

67 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Loss of HMS Victory, 4 Oct 1744; 18th c. painting by Peter profile Monamy, England Odyssey standards as those employed in important because initially people land. These cannon were the key which will become a reality. terrestrial and shallow water sites. theorized that poor navigation pieces of evidence in identifying The ocean is deemed the ‘last The significant difference, how- was the reason for her demise the shipwreck as Balchin’s Victory. uncharted frontier’, and it is also ever, is the requirement for spe- and placed blame on Sir John I look forward to the challenge of a very real possibility that we will cialized equipment. The Remotely Balchin, his crew and the light- recovering them all some day. have been able to map the entire Operated Vehicle (ROV) is the house keeper. ocean floor by then. ■ eyes, hands and tool box for the The cannon assemblage is just MK: Where do you guys see your- archaeologist. a wonderful window into the selves ten years from now? For more information, visit: More information about the military weaponry of the day. www.shipwreck.net technology Odyssey utilizes can So far, we have recovered two NCD: We believe Odyssey will be found here: www.shipwreck. cannon—a 12-pounder bear- continue being the leaders in the HMS Victory, a first-rate Royal net/ourapproach.php. ing the Royal crest of George II field of deep-water exploration Navy warship wrecked in the and a 42-pounder bearing the and archaeology. Certainly, tech- English Channel, 1744 MK: Your latest disclosed discov- Royal crest of George I—this is nology will continue to evolve, ery, HMS Victory, is more than also the only known example and there will be advances that just another find, you quite pos- of a 42-pounder cannon on dry we could only now dream about, sible will be able to solve a long time mystery, and might even exonorate the admiral, if I understood it correctly, those kind of achievements must be gratifying. Can you tell us a bit about that?

NCD: As a matter of fact, we have already done all of these things—solved the long-time mystery of the location of Balchin’s Victory, thereby exonerating the Admiral and the lighthouse keeper. Discovering the

COllECTiONS Of THE NaTiONal MariTimE MuSEum Victory was very gratifying for me personally. She was MK: Are you worried about pira- the mightiest vessel of her cy? time and her final resting place has eluded explorers NCD: As we have learned from and historians for centuries. the news in recent weeks, pirates We found her over 100km can be a very real threat, but from where people have the commercial marine industry concentrated their search. has mechanisms to deal with With our discovery, we piracy, and our crew is well- can tell the story of the peo- equipped and well-trained. ple who lost their lives and correct the historical record MK: What technology are you on how she was lost. It was using for your search? a long-held belief that she wrecked off the Casquets, NCD: Conducting archaeology when in fact, our research in deep water requires the same seems to point more to the fact that she went down Portrait of Admiral Sir John Balchin, due to a violent storm far commander of HMS Victory during from there. This is particularly her last voyage in October 1744 Bronze cannon protruding from the seabed at the wreck site of HMS Victory, bears the royal crest of King George I (inset) 68 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED THE FACTS aNd ViEwPOiNTS iN THiS SECTiON ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE VIEWS OF x-ray mag. EQUIPMENT PRESENTED IN THIS SECTION HAS NOT BEEN TESTEd BY x-ray MAG STAFF, NOR ARE THE ITEMS warraNTEd, iNfOrmaTiON PROVIDED IS CONDENSED frOm maNufaCTurEr DESCRIPTIONS. TExTS arE uSually EdiTEd fOr lENgTH, ClariTy aNd STylE. LiNkS aCTiVE aT THE TimE Of PuBliCaTiONS

point & click on bold links Shark Fin Ice Trays make sharp shark fin ice cubes to float around Edited by in your G & P Symes next & Catherine GS Lim cool drink all imagES COurTESy Of THE maNufaCTurErS Funky Gifts for Folks with Fins...

Shark Fin Ice Cubes Creep out your dive buddies with these shark fin ice cubes floating in their next cool drink topside. These ominous ice fins are made with — what else? — Shark Fin Salt Shakers a shark fin ice tray SHARK SHAKER is a salt shaker inpired by the form of (top right). Price: the shark’s dorsal fin. The designer, Amin Vahidian GB£5.99 of Iran says that the shaker creates an illusion of a www.play.com shark prowling under your table perhaps reminding us that using too much salt on our food is dangerous for our health. www.dot4design.com Sharky Tea Infuser Magic Turtle Bowl This aquatic acrobat swims around Designed by Pablo Matteoda from Argentina, in its watery home all day long. A this nifty gadget won third place in this year’s constant turtle companion friend to Beyond Silver international design competition. accompany you on lazy afternoons In the designer’s own words, “INFUSION means at home, or long days at the office. to extract certain properties from a soluble No clean-up required. Bowl con- ingredient such as tea leaves, herbs or fruit by tains multi-coloured beads and sim- soaking in liquid (water) until it gets saturated. ulated rock base. Battery-operated. So, we can say that an infuser is in charge of www.fascinations.com making this happen. This is a ludic point of view about the color given off from the phenomenon, which makes more interesting the waiting on the whole process.” www.designboom.com

69 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Octopus Ring

This authentic handmade sterling silver ring is designed from a real octopus tentacle that has been drilled, carved, shaped and cast in silver. It’s unique from all angles and versatile. with a good sense of weight to it. Great as a gift for both guys and gals. The finish is light oxidation with some added texture. The inside is finished with a near mirror finish for contrast. It is also available in dark oxidation and bright finish. Sizes 4 - 7 available for US$160. Matching sterling silver earrings also available. www.etsy.com

Dancing Desktop Jellies Thanks to a gently circulat- ing current, the three jellyfish floating around in this desktop tank “swim” through shafts Jellyfish Chandelier of colored light streaming from six bright LEDs, This large amber inverted hanging jellyfish which let you set the mood. You have a choice chandelier was designed by Joel Bloomberg. of settings: lights blending softly from one color Since the early 1980s, Bloomberg has cre- to the next, or holding steady on one particular ated a wide range of functional sculptural color. Let the gentle dance of the jellies relax works—objects that expand the vocabulary your nerves. www.thinkgeek.com of art glass and use materials in new and unexpected ways. Each handmade piece Jellyfish Lamp involves a combination of blown forms, December Diamonds of North Carolina, coldworking, polishing and Bloomberg’s own USA, makes unique handmade ornaments lamination process. Throughout the day and lamps in marine themes such as this the colors of the piece can change jelly fish light pink and blue 16” lamp. SmartLab with the intensity and direction of Available at Laraine’s online swim light. Available in more colors and resort shop. Price: US$ $59.99 Shark Model upon request. Crystal-fox.com laraines.com Sharks were patrolling the seas long before the dino- Robotic saurs roamed the planet! Bull Shark Let the kids see inside the This remote also submersible. One- sharks with this SmartLab controlled ro- hour charging gives model. They can snap togeth- botic Bull Shark the unit a 15-minute er the pieces of the shark model moves just like run time 9-volt battery from the inside out including fins, the real thing. It can required. Great for ages gills, muscles, and denticles and smoothly maneuver up, down, left, right, and 8 and up. According to the teeth Comes with instruction man- even backwards through water, in depths up manufacturer, the item meets all ual. Designed for ages 8 and up. to nine feet (3m). With a maximum distance of U.S. Federal toy safety standards. On sale for www.discoverthis.com 40 feet from its handheld remote unit you can US$59.95 (was $99.95). www.hammacher.com swim with the robotic shark since the remot is

70 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED 71 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 A school of cobia accompany a 30-foot whale shark at a petroleum platform in the northern Gulf of shark tales Mexico. Photo by Fred Anderson

— News from the University of Southern T ON y WH i TE Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Laboratory

Edited by Peter Symes of the northern Gulf and make the spe- Participate cial effort to report their whale shark encounters are critical to GCRL studies in Scientific on whale shark occurrence and distribution in the Gulf region. If you observe a whale shark in the northern Gulf of Research: Mexico, please join us in learning more about these elusive sharks by reporting the encounter. Report These sharks are easily distinguishable by their large size, broad head and a checkerboard pattern of white spots. The Whale Shark spot pattern of these sharks is unique to each animal, much like our thumbprint; Sightings in a photograph of the left side, behind the gills, can be used to track an animals’ movement worldwide. Whale sharks are the Northern often observed at or near the surface of the water feeding on plankton, small fish, squid or fish eggs. Whale sharks com- Gulf of Mexico monly associate with big game fish, such as yellowfin, blackfin and skipjack tunas, Scientists at the University of Southern tripletail, dolphin and cobia. Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Little is known about the biology of Laboratory in Ocean Springs, USA, are whale sharks, and much of what is known seeking help in gathering information has been discovered only in the last two about whale sharks, the world’s largest decades. There are reports of whale fish species. sharks as long as 50 feet and weigh- If you have ever been offshore and ing more than 100,000 pounds. There is encountered a 30-foot shark, it was most some evidence that whale sharks could likely a whale shark. The whale shark, be almost 25 years old and 30 feet long Rhincodon typus, was once thought to before they reach adulthood. Pregnant be a rare species in the northern Gulf of females carry up to 300 embryos, and Mexico. the young are only about two feet long The research of University of Southern at birth. Presumably they grow more rap- Mississippi scientists at the Gulf Coast idly than other shark species. Research Laboratory, however, is show- Whale sharks are highly migratory, and ing otherwise. Large groups of whale reports show that they make transoce- sharks, some in excess of 100 individuals, anic migrations in relatively short periods have been reported in the northern Gulf of time. They can also dive to depths of near the Mississippi River Delta and the a mile or more. Their migratory behavior DeSoto Canyon. and deep-ocean habitat adds another Individuals who frequent offshore areas layer of difficulty to studying whale sharks

72 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED shark tales Great Gifts for Divers and Sea Lovers Surprise your dive buddy or loved one with a gift from The X-RAY MAG Store! A percent of all sales goes to ocean conservation!

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A 28-foot whale shark swims next to a sport fishing boat in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Photo by Gulf Coast Research Laboratory Orca Post Cards Nudibranch beyond the expected challenges of For more information about whale ● Time and duration of encounter Reports can also be made by email, Scuba Journals Throw Pillows offshore research related to logistical sharks, see the new whale shark website (sighting) mail, phone, or fax to: Fishy Wall Clocks Diving Teddies constraints, monetary limitations and at www.usm.edu/gcrl/whaleshark. ● Location (GPS coordinates) Stingray Caps Cool Key Boxes weather conditions. ● Approximate number and size of Dr Eric Hoffmayer Reef Batik Coral Reef Gulf Coast Research Laboratory biolo- To report a sighting: individuals 703 East Beach Divers Tote Bags Calendars/Prints gists are extremely grateful to all who Please complete the survey at ● Observed behavior Ocean Springs, MS 39564 USA report their sighting information and www.usm.edu/gcrl/whaleshark. ● Associated species Tel: (228) 872-4257 help spread the word about the Online ● If available, photographs of sharks Fax: (228) 872-4214 The X-RAY MAG Store Sightings Survey. Please include the following: observed [email protected] ■ www.cafepress.com/xraymag

73 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Sexual discrimination u N d E rwa TE r .CO m . au behind decline in sharks

RON W al SH - Sexual segregation of sharks in the open ocean could be a major contributor to population declines a team of European marine scientists says.

The researchers say their study cates size, as well as sexual, seg- assessing fisheries effects on found a “striking” level of sexual regation. shark populations. segregation among the mako “If high fishing activity occurs shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), in the Males dominate in key areas where, for exam- South Pacific Ocean. The scien- in highly fished areas ple, the majority of a population tists used data collected from Males were predominant in the aggregate for feeding or mating a commercial Spanish longline area where longline fishing was opportunities there is a potential fishing vessel targeting sword- historically higher. Female for increased rates of decline.” ■ fish in the southeast Pacific mako sharks dominated SOurCE: PrOCEEdiNgS Of THE ROyal SOCiETy B Ocean. A total of 264 male in the area with lower and 132 female mako sharks historical fishing activity. were captured as bycatch with Also, the “sexual divide in males occuring predominantly the sea” for the mako in the western area of the survey corresponds with region and females dominating a marked in the east. change of inten- Sexual AN dy M ur CH In Australia, scientists estimate there are just 500 to 1,000 grey nurse sharks left segregation Based on length measure- Can artificial womb save grey nurse shark? ment 84 percent of the males were considered to sity Grey nurse shark embryos have Australia, scientists estimate there eat each other, and they would be adult compared with in longline-fishing activity. a tendency to eat each other in are just 500 to 1,000 grey nurse be released nine to 12 months 13 percent of females. The Lead author Dr David Sims says Shortfin mako shark the womb. For millions of years, sharks left, down from several later. It’s not an easy process as researchers say this indi- the finding has implications for this grisly reproductive system has thousand in the 1980’s. the artificial wombs would need worked just fine and made sure to mimic the environment inside that only the strongest survived. Artificial uteruses the mother sharks, such as com- A pregnant grey nurse shark can But Nick Otway of the New South position of fluids, bacteria, food carry up to 40 embryos in each Wales Department of Primary composition and temperature, as On the origins of the Great White of its two wombs. When they get Industries has an idea to boost well as how these large enough, they turn on each that population—removing the factors change From which line of species did the modern great white shark evolve? other, eating their womb-mates, young before they get to the “If we can through the course until only one pup is left in each cannibalistic stage and raising raise about of the pregnancy. For the last 150 years, some greed, arguing that the great The verdict uterus. Under normal conditions, them in artificial uteruses. The scientists also paleontologists have conclud- white shark evolved instead The study in the March 12 issue this would create a stable shark 40 pups a need to master ed that the great white shark, from the broad-toothed mako of the Journal of Vertebrate population that rarely shrinks or For the last three years, he’s year, it will surgical tech- Carcharodon carcharias, is a shark. The second group con- Paleontology falls squarely into grows. researched building an artifi- niques to remove smaller relative of the line that tends megalodon, which grew the mako camp. It concludes cial womb that would keep start bring- the embryos from produced Carcharodon mega- to a length of 60 feet, should megalodon and modern white Now, grey nurse sharks are dying grey nurse pups from eating ing up the the mother and lodon, the largest carnivorous have its genus name switched sharks are much more distantly faster than they can breed, each other. There, they would place them into fish known. to Carcharocles to reflect its dif- related than paleontologists ini- the victims of drift nets and receive a steady food sup- grey nurse the sterile artificial Other paleontologists disa- ferent ancestry. tially believed. ■ other commercial by-catch. In ply, so they would not need to population.” uteruses. ■

74 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Practice makes perfect; basic skills in technical div- technical ing can make it seem like one is learning to dive all matters over again, albeit better with more streamlined trim Technical Diving : Why?

Text by Fredrik Isakson Photos by Alex Dawson

To develop your diving without becoming an instructor — Technical diving gives you the opportunity to develop your diving without becoming an instructor. But the diving becomes more difficult, and the technology is not what you are used to. Do you have what it takes to move on? Is technical diving for you? After you read this article, you’ll know a little more, and maybe you will be willing to take the next step in diving. Perhaps technical diving is something for you?

For many, technical diving feels like where they will learn more about the develop with his or her diving; that path dive with mixed gases and decompres- diving. something very strange. Most divers have physics around the diving. A few press is technical diving. sion. Technical diving makes it possible to Today, there are a number of organi- taken their certificates during a trip to a on and decide to become a “divemas- get to places that ordinary holiday divers zations that provide courses in techni- warm country, and often it stops there. ter”. They see it as an opportunity to work Tougher requirements do not even dream of. cal diving. They all have one thing in But some go further and take their first with diving abroad or as a way to get to If you selects this route, it opens up a “Personally, I think that most divers common in that they teach a different stumbling steps into more advanced learn a bit more. To become an instruc- window of opportunity to learn more seem to get a new start when they begin approach to diving. diving. They start diving in their home tor would then have been the traditional advanced techniques, albeit a little a course in technical diving. It provides “Now, we leave the diving that fits all, country. Maybe they decide to educate way, the only way to go on in one’s div- harder and deeper than most can han- them with new skills to practice, and they and hence, the techniques taught at themselves further. A few of them decide ing career. dle. So far, there are few who choose this will practice a lot on things that they recreational courses. Now, rules apply to evolve even further in diving. They In recent years, a new path has path, yet a small but steady stream of previously only learned the basics of,” all the time, and one must follow them; take the next step and perhaps even a opened up for those who do not want divers have begun to become interest- said Stefan Hogeborn, a NAUI instructor instead of one teammate, you now have course with rescue exercises, a course to become an instructor and yet want to ed. More and more divers are learning to in Sweden and my instructor in technical two,” said Hogeborn.

75 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED It’s a good idea to get During deco stops at used to using twin tanks the end of a technical before you start a tech- dive, divers switch to feature nical diving course 100 percent oxygen ‘intro to tech’ type course. It’s an orien- or three group, of which a tation course for technical diving,” said technical dive team consists. Hogeborn. Most educational organiza- It became quite clear to tions have one. me that, even before the course, the other two stu- Solid course dents had been training on People starting with technical diving will the principles and procedures probably have to learn to dive all over that we were supposed to again. Everything is different, and yet, the learn. In the beginning, it was same. Technical Diver, a NAUI course, to my disadvantage since I includes 12 practice dives and a larger hadn’t been practicing them number of theory lessons. Technical Diver at all; everything was totally combines smaller classes into one larger knew for me. But as the days course. It is a solid start to learning more passed, I caught up more about technical diving. and more. If the instructor awards you with your Some things were easy for certification, which is not a given, the me to understand, others— instructor believes that your skill set in mostly practical stuff—took a diving makes it possible for you to start little bit more time to under- doing technical dives. It does not mean stand. But we complemented that you are a complete technical div- one another well and learned er—a mistake young tough boys often from each other. It was some- make. thing we would benefit from over the days to come. “After the course, you’re still a The course was structured in modules, skills in the water beginner, but with more skills than were mixed with theoretical before. It is after your education lessons. In order to have time that the real training begins,” said for our normal lives, we concentrated on our lessons in the evenings their gear, and that they found little or no Hogeborn. and on weekends. It would take us a few pleasure from diving for its own sake. But weeks before we had had time to do all I have found out that this is not so. For me, the course gave me an the exercises and learn the theory. Most of the technical divers I meet opportunity for a new start in diving, nowadays have a more pragmatic new equipment, new gear and a differ- A lot of theory approach to their diving than I first ent attitude to the “team”—your diving The first lectures of the course were thought. Things are used, or sit where buddies. Suddenly, there are lots of new mostly theoretical. Hogeborn told and they sit, because they have a purpose, things to practice and new things to see, showed us how to configure our equip- and there is always a proper reason for previously impossible to reach. ment and what kind of equipment we everything these divers bring under the had to use to be able to do the dives we surface; if there’s no reason for bringing What is this? were about to learn to do. It became it, they leave it behind. The first few days, I just sucked in infor- clear to me that we were now leaving mation. I kept my distance and studied common recreational diving and moving Tinkering with your diving gear Come prepared I had never used twin bottles and my fellow students in the course; I was, into diving with higher complexity. What The organization and care of a diver’s I was offer an opportunity to test out hadn’t learned the techniques used for after all, there to describe technical div- one brings under water was now on a equipment is the foundation for good what technical diving could be for me, them. It was time to become a beginner ing as a reporter as well. But slowly, I was large degree about redundancy. trim and correct technique. Hogeborn but I was extremely hesitant and refused again. sucked into actually learning, because it This was also fun—much more fun than shows us how to adjust and correct our at first, thinking that technical diving “I think that anyone who wants to try was so fun. I first thought. I had always believed that backplates and webbing, bottles and wasn’t for me. But after some persuasion, out technical diving should dive with twin The team—my fellow students—con- technical divers were a little too inter- steel twinning bands. Each step leads to I decided to take the chance to see bottles for a while before taking the next sisted of Frida Drakling, Janne Henriksson ested in technology, that they had a ten- the next, and after a while, you wonder what it was. step. A short cut could be to enroll in an and me. We were to become the team, dency to talk a lot and mostly tinker with why you didn’t set up your diving gear

76 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED A diver on the team, or three A tip: buy a pair of dry gloves with five group, which is used in tech- fingers before the course. These three- nical diving, prepares for an finger gloves can pose a problem in feature exercise to practice new skills drills handling and tieing air tanks because when you are back a while before I succeeded. I felt like I above water, you can ask was put together in the wrong way to questions, be corrected and implement a “valve drill.” rapidly be shown the right It’s not only a problem in reaching the way to do it. valves but also a balance problem. If Later, when we tried it in you only concentrate on the Valve drill, the water, the techniques you will slip and loose your trim, probably were there, not perfect but even float up and down in the begin- reasonably good. Reverse ning. It is a good exercise that makes kicks were simply not easy, you manage multiple operations simul- but I was beginning to get it taneously. I have gotten accustomed to right (several weeks later). always practicing these operations to get We went through the usual them to flow like running water. But I still frog kicks, modified frog kicks, have to work a bit to reach the valves. flutter kicks, reverse kicks and helicopter turns in both direc- To see yourself on film tions with one or two legs. The exercise was to swim along a line It turned out to be a lesson that the instructor had tied off on the that I think most divers, even bottom. We were now supposed to show those who don´t intend to the fin techniques we had practiced on become technical divers, land. This first dive also gave the instruc- could benefit from. For me, it tor, and us, an opportunity to study how felt like basic skills that I really our trim was with, for us, new equipment. wondered why This was the first time I I and other Technical diving is about swam with a decom- divers did not pression bottle under go through in being able to solve most my arm. basic training. problems you can think of The instructor showed and then some. You must us how it was done, Time to get and then it was our turn. wet solve the problems without Every move we did was The first day of panicking or the need to filmed, and when we diving. It felt got, back to the class like this from the beginning. good to soon be getting surface. To surface is not room our techniques Despite our delight in learning new into the water, but before the solution when diving were analyzed. things, Hogeborn wants us to remember we did, we had to prac- The camera was mer- that there is nothing wrong with recrea- tice our S- and V-drills dry. technically. ciless; all errors could tional diving equipment as long as the S-drill stands for Safety drill, and V-drill be clearly seen, and while we viewed type of dives undertaken with that kind stands for Valve drill. This is something we it, comments on our technique rained of gear are done within the recreational would do before every dive, during and down on us, sometimes to big laughs. It diving limits. after the course, from now on. was clearly visible when someone did An S-drill simulates a situation where something good, and it was equally Fins and swimming one diver runs out of gas and must clear when someone did something bad. After reviewing the basic theory of tech- receive gas from the other diver. The drill Having a video camera in a training situ- removing and attaching them to our more pissed off because it seemed much nical diving, it’s time for some training teaches us how to act in a situation like ation was a very good idea, as it turned harness. We practiced the procedure to less difficult for my team mates, Frida and with our fins. First, we practiced on land. that. In a V-drill, you close and open all out. leave the bottles at a tie off on the line. Janne. What was I doing wrong, and We found a place in a small park near three valves on the cylinder package That sounds kind of easy, but each new what were they doing right? It took a the class room and practiced the vari- while sequentially switching the regulator To have the right gloves operation is a new difficulty to sort out. while before I realized that it had some- ous techniques. It felt kind of silly, and so that you always have air. On the next practice dive, we brought I, myself, just couldn’t handle it and thing to do with the gloves I had on. To people looked when they walked past. It It was much harder than one would our decompression bottles, but did not didn’t, for the life of me, understand why. do it properly required more fingers than was actually a pretty good thing to do, think. I had obvious problems, and it took use them. We brought them to practice I tried and tried and just got more and I had available in my three-finger gloves.

77 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Divers meet at the descent line to talk through their dive before commencing the feature technical dive Technical Diving the rescue course or equivalent. What happens if things go wrong? What symptoms are there with different types of gas poisoning? It’s good to learn again, and it gives you a fresh look at old skills. Line handling A good environment for scenario exercises is one that can be altered to your needs. We did them in an old sand take, the Husby pit. It was perfect because if you put a fin or a hand in the bottom you lose visibility in seconds. But before we got into the water, it was time for a dry exercise in line handling. After yet another review of line signs and how to follow and interpret the line, we covered our eyes while Hogeborn, together with his assistant, drew a path in the forest. The team’s task was to orient the line without seeing anything. It was fun, difficult and instructive. A tip: buy a pair of dry gloves with five your team mates. fingers before the course. It’s probably The team is a unit, helping is a given if Zero visibility possible with three finger gloves, but oh something is wrong for any of the divers in The bottom of Husby pit was highly mobile so much simpler if you have five fingers to the team. If you can solve the problem, and impaired visibility quickly—a perfect work with. do, if not, support for your team member place for our scenario exercises. The exer- when he or she tries to solve the problem. cise was to deploy line, unload decom- Task loading pression bottles, or keep them on, swim This course was designed to teach you Physics and gas laws out over the bottom and tie off the line at how to solve problems. New problems The subsequent days, we carefully learned proper places. keep on coming up, and you must about physics and gas laws and how to It all sounded pretty simple and straight come up with the solutions. When you calculate END, MOD, SCR, best mix, oxy- forward. It’s just that at this point our have solved the first problem, there is gen exposure, and more. The abbrevia- instructor turned out to be the devil. always another. Slowly the instructor’s tions stand for a lot of things you should Suddenly, regulators were free flowing, demands on you increase. It’s called know if you want to dive technical dives. lights stopped working, valves were turned “task loading”—the problem load is ever Instead of telling you how to calculate off, the masks disappeared, and with silt increasing. stuff like this in this article, you should take outs, the visibility turned to zero; quickly, Technical diving is about being able to a course. With an instructor, you will learn we had to start communicating through solve most problems you can think of and all the calculations that you need to do to body contact. then some. You must solve the problems a technical dive safely. without panicking or the need to surface. Today, there is software that calculates Troubleshooting To surface is not the solution when diving all these values for you, but you should The task loading exercise is constructed technically. You have left the type of div- know how to do it without the programs, to teach the team how to handle any dif- ing where you can make a direct ascent said Hogeborn. ficulties and problems. They should also to the surface. A technical diver must be Much of what we learned during this learn to prioritize between what needs able to solve the problems on the spot, course, we recognized from exercises that to be solved first and what can wait. The in an orderly fashion and with the help of we had done in previous courses such as instructor’s task is to keep the problems at Divers practice new skills at Husby pit where visibility can quickly disappear due to silt 78 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED THIS PAGE: Divers form a small trident star around the ascent line as they feature begin their journey to the surface Technical Diving divers located and Trident star paddling in Björkvik When we returned to the ascent line, we (a beginner’s dive formed a small trident star around the site in Sweden with a ascent line and began our journey to the maximum depth of surface. The instructor was hovering outside 15 meters) and other our view, but he was there all the time. We “easy” dive sites. They were all a little worried about whether he practice routines over would try to give us some new tasks to solve, and over again. In but he didn’t. a crisis situation, the All of us had responsibilities; mine was to routines must work. check the ascent rate and clock our stops. You practice over Our deep stops ended up being a little and over again so longer than I planned, but things were going that there can be well, and when we reached six meters, we no doubt. In a real switched over to our decompression gas, situation, it just has to 100 percent oxygen, and made our remain- work, said Hogeborn. ing stops. 20 minutes at Star Light a manageable but challenging level and 45 meters depth When we broke the surface, stellar light bring the whole team to work together to Our first steep dive was at a depth of 45 shined from above. As we paddled towards solve the problems. meters with a bottom time of 20 minutes. It the place where we would climb up, I During the course, you learn that things started to get dark when we swam out into looked up to the heavens and the stars and will happen. Your readiness for unexpected the lime quarry in Vagnhärad. Darkness set- thought about life. It’s fun and exciting and events increases, and the ability to solve tled and became dense. We did our V-trills sometimes rewarding. problems when they arise gets better and and S-Drills—safety and valve exercises that The next few days, we did some similar better. The stress threshold is shifted to you always do before a dive. dives, tried different roles in the team and increasingly difficult problems. Most can be We swam over to the descent line, talked had the opportunity to test different gas solved if you take it easy. through our dive plan mixes to see how helium affected us. My Each diving day began During the course, you learn and began our dive, a personal experience was that the difference and ended with theory journey into the darkness. between a gas mixture with high helium and a briefing of the dives that things will happen. Your Temperatures dropped content and a mix with low or no helium of the day. All exercises readiness for unexpected as we descended. We content, is very large. Helium strengthens were filmed, and my short- events increases, and the abili- landed on the bottom and improves your awareness substantially comings often became in an orderly fashion. or rather, the absence of nitrogen does. painfully clear. ty to solve problems when they Once down, we tied off Suddenly, the dive is totally clear to you and arise gets better and better. our line, which we would you remember more. The launch of follow in the dark and decompression murky water to start the dive. A new beginning We developed as divers more and more As the one responsible for checking our Those of you who have been diving for a over the following days. Our instructor dive time, I watched the dive from a time while will find that technical diving gives you decided it was time to start practicing perspective and tried to plan the dive so we a chance to re-ignite your diving passion, ascents with decompression. would return to the ascent line in time for and that it gives you new knowledge. All of The difficulties in ascents with decompres- our ascent. Everything worked fine except a sudden, there is a possibility to dive where sion are keeping the depth and time, per- that I got a bad cramp in one leg and had you previously didn’t have the knowledge or forming the gas changes, and keeping an to call the attention of the other team mem- technology to go. You will become a better eye on your team mates. It is more difficult bers. diver. I can also promise that if you haven’t than you might think and requires a lot of We solved the problem and continued previously suffered from the idea that you exercise. the dive. After ten minutes, we swung are never fully developed as a diver, you will A fact of technical diving is that you learn around and returned to the ascent line. The suffer that prospect now. So go ahead and a lot of stuff that you will keep training on lights shined like laser beams in the dense practice. ■ for a long time—hence, all the technical darkness — it was pretty cool.

79 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED media Diving with Giants Books & DVDs There is a certain thrill Edited by Catherine GS Lim when you swim alongside animals larger Master Guide for than you. There is that Underwater Digital point & click moment when the Photography on bold links thrill turns to wonder as you discover the This book contains every- gentle nature of these thing you would need to get massive creatures. started in underwater digital Indeed, many a diver photography, short of provid- have been left in ing you with a camera. Written awe in the middle by Jack and Sue Drafahl, this of a dive when con- book is filled with clear expla- Summer of the Sharks DVD fronted with these nations of how to get a good gentle giants. shot, applicable to underwa- Imagine diving into the ocean in the hope of Diving with Giants is yet another book ter photographers at all levels. swimming alongside sharks. While most folks that showcases the best diving destinations, Right from the cover photo (which depicts swim the other way when they see the flash of Underwater Eden: 365 Days but this time, it is targeted at divers keen on every underwater photographer’s dream the sleek torpedo-shaped creature, profession- swimming with the world’s pelagic marine of getting up close and personal with his al shark divers actually seek out such encoun- If you want to create the next big thing in sci- animals – the sharks, dolphins, whales, bar- subject), readers are taken on a compre- ters – and do so without the ence fiction, perhaps this book is a handy tool racudas, manta rays, etc. Destinations list- hensive course in taking good underwater safety of a cage. in your arsenal. With photos comprising literally ed in the contents page are the Caribbean photos. Summer of the half the book (on all the right-hand pages), and Atlantic, the Red Sea and Indian However, rather than plunging imme- Sharks offers a peek it is an intriguing glimpse into the fascinating Ocean, Indo-Pacific, and the Greater diately into the topic, the book starts by into the experi- (sometimes bizarre) creatures of the underwater Pacific. pointing out how the underwater environ- ences of four world. The book contains a balanced mix of ment affects photography, as well as the shark divers (led A pufferfish that resembles a lemon, a goose- text and photos, so that even non-divers different aspects about film and digital by Shark Divers’ fish that looks like an ancient Mars Rover that can experience this ultimate adventure. cameras. A logical and necessary starting Eli Martinez) as had been stepped on, a creepy-looking scal- Chapters have been penned by a panel point! they get on the lop with its many beady eyes, a sand tiger shark of experienced divers, but written such that The contents of the book run the gaunt- road to pursue with what looks like a bad nose job — just some beginner divers (or even non-divers) would let of available light, flash, their passion. of the characters you can spend a lazy after- find it engaging and informa- close-up and super-macro Although essen- noon with. There are also close-up photos, offer- tive. Although many photos photography. There is also tially a road trip, ing new perspectives to familiar animals. in the book tend to be rather information about back- expect rough Accompanying every photo is some com- bluish, chances you might find scatter, photo composi- seas, aggres- mentary about the photo, often giving informa- yourself reaching for the phone tion and obtaining good sive sharks and tion about the photographed animal. Such bite- to call your travel agent as you exposure. Then, with all much intimate size snippets of knowledge are non-technical, flip through the pages. this knowledge under footage of dif- and allow the reader a deeper insight into the your weight belt, it’s time ferent shark species. lives of the animal. Although the book is entitled EDITOR: Jack Jackson to take the plunge and The documentary celebrates the Underwater Eden 365 Days, I am sure that many PUBLISHER: New Holland dive in with camera in beauty of sharks, and the ultimate experience readers would continue to savour the photos in Publishers Ltd. hand! of swimming with them in the open ocean. this book way beyond 365 days. PAPERBACK: 160 pages Perfect for shark lovers at all levels. Contains ISBN-10: 1845371801 AUTHORS: Jack and Sue some coverage of shark hunting. AUTHOR: Jeffrey L Rotman ISBN-13: 978-1845371807 Drafahl PUBLISHER: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. PAPERBACK: 128pages, LENGTH: About 75 minutes DATE: 2007 250 full-colour photos DATE: 2008 HARDBACK: 744 pages ISBN: 1-58428-166-9 DIRECTOR: Rusty Armstrong ISBN-10: 0810993112 PRODUCER: Eli Martinez ISBN-13: 978-0810993112

80 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED photo & videography

Edited by Kurt Amsler Peter Symes and Scott Bennett

Illumination Text and photos by Daylight is a constant light ing subjects are no problem for not too great. Images Kurt Amsler. Translation source that influences the film strobes, as the light emitted will don’t get more expres- by Arnold Weisz or the CCD-sensor in a digital “freeze” the subject in the image. sive (color rich) under camera as long as the shutter water, because the Nice subject matter and is open. This creates a photo- Exposure techniques good visibility is a prereq- graphic rule; the longer the shut- The most ideal subjects are sea ter remains open with the same mammals that swim near the uisite for a great image. aperture, the brighter the image surface. The best way to catch But just as important is cor- will be. Another aspect in daylight images of these animals is by rect lighting. photography is the speed of the snorkeling—in this way, a strobe is subject. To catch the image of a redundant. Additionally, images CLOCKWSIE FROM FAR LEFT: Giant tube sponges on Cozumel’s For underwater photographers, rapid swimming pilot whale, you captured without a strobe are Columbias Reef; wreck propeller; scorpionfish who are not only taking photos should not go below 1/250 sec- clearer than with one. during night dives or in caves, ond. If you do, your image will be Even in the clearest water, you Image techniques for work with two kinds of exposure there are two different light blurred. will always find particles that will under water daylight techniques: manual or shutter sources available. The first is natu- Strobes, on the other hand, reflect the strobe light. Also in images are no different priority. These are the only ways ral light (sunlight during the day), release their flash in a fraction of wreck and landscape photogra- from those used above which allow you to adjust the and second, artificial light (strobe/ a second and are always faster phy, you can often skip the strobe red color disappears already at the surface. But ideally, an under- shutter speed according to the flash light). than the shutter. Hence, fast mov- if the distances to the subject are three meters distance anyway. water photographer should only movement of the subject.

81 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED photo & video silver

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Stingray at the Maldives; Lionfish hovers over a reef; Whale shark eyes diver in Mozambique

In manual mode uses the Which aperture setting to choose The strobe should illuminate the a clue on the correct aperture, behind the subject, but about built-in light sensor in the cam- together with each specific strobe foreground of the image, and you can read off the table, which 30 degrees above. This way, you era to measure the light intensity you can often find on a table, the natural light, the background. usually is found on the strobe. For will obtain a slightly darker back- towards the subject and sets the which usually comes along with This means that you have to set the background, you need to trust ground because the camera correct shutter speed. Working the strobe. the correct aperture and shutter the camera exposure meter. Use will give you a little faster shutter in the automatic shutter mode, The main point here is the dis- speed on each occasion. this in-built function to measure speed and the background will the camera will take care of tance between the subject and For example, we are taking an the background light—not directly receive less light. these settings for you. Just keep in camera. For those who only shoot image of a fish and want mind the following: if the subject with strobes, don’t worry too to incorporate a saturat- cinema of dreams doesn’t fill at least 60 percent of much about the ambient light. ed blue color in the back- the frame, the bright exposure This is the case foremost when ground. If one uses only values from the water will carry taking macro or close-up images. natural light in the image, more weight than the subject, For these kinds of images, the most probably the fish will and the camera will adjust to ambient light doesn’t really mat- appear blurry, and the this. In that case, your subject— ter, as the aperture is too small background will shine in a for example, a whale shark—will anyway to allow much light to hit radiant blue because of appear very dark. To correct for your film or CCD-sensor. Flash-only the longer shutter speed. the lack of light, modern cameras images, where the viewer has If we are only using the have an exposure control but- no idea if the image was taken strobe, the fish will be well ton that you can set on 1/3 or during day or night, are used for illuminated, but the back- 2/3 Positive, and the camera will close-up or macro subjects. ground will appear dark slightly over expose, so the whale and dull. To get this kind shark will get a better exposure. Mixed light of image perfect, you The strobes are always faster As soon as you want to include need to mix the strobe than the subject and the camera. more of the surrounding area or light and the natural light. www.seacam.com It is therefore impossible to reduce blue water, you need to take into So, what’s the trick? Use the amount of light by adjusting consideration the natural light. the aperture for the strobe the shutter speed. To counteract The trick here is to mix both the and the shutter speed for this, you have to use the aperture. strobe light and the natural light. the natural light. To get

82 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED photo & Illumination

video to work with the automatic not always reflect reality under aperture. As you preset your water. You should always take shutter speed, the camera takes some images with different set- care of the aperture. You save tings of a subject exactly one time, and it allows you to con- meter away, and use the correct centrate on the subject. illuminated image as the foundation for your continuous work. ● The built in exposure meter With every change of distance The cor- is of great help to under water by half a meter (away from the rect mix photographers—specially for subject), you have to open the For exam- mixed light exposures. On the aperture by one step, or close the ple, the other hand, you need to have aperture, if you get closer to the camera subject. This way exposure you can make meter shows your own table, aperture 8 which is adjusted (which we to your equip- need for ment. the strobe), only, you have to adjust your shutter and the shutter speed is set for 1/30. speed to match the movement of the ● Flash-only With these settings the shutter is still motive. photography open after the strobe has gone off, only makes allowing for more natural light, mak- ● When taking images near the sur- sense when ing the background blue. To achieve face or in shallow water, a strobe is used in macro the perfect mix, you need to practice. unnecessary. Often you may need or close-up pho- A good tip here is to train your eyes to to swim fast, and then the strobe will tography. For measure the natural light, at different only slow you down. any other kind depths, at different times of the day of images, in for and within a different range of visibility. ● For natural light images, it is easier example wide Keep this in mind during any dive, and angle, you need you will learn “to read the light”. This to consider the will make you able to choose, without natural/ambient hesitation, the correct settings for mixed light. The rules light images. a good comprehension of that apply are: use flash for the how to work with the expo- foreground controlled by aper- Practical tips for illumination sure meter. Study the manual ture, and get the saturated blue ● Working with images in natural light and train both on land and background by correct shutter under water. This will help you speed. to easily find the correct settings. ● The background on mixed light images should always be darker ● Using strobes, there is only than the foreground, to get a one rule: flash combined good contrast. Never measure with aperture. As the flash- the light directly on the subject, light from the strobe is always but about 30 degrees above faster than the shutter speed, (towards the surface). ■ Fan coral exposure serries (top to bottom): the only way to influence the f8 125 seconds; image is by aperture. For more information about f8 60 seconds; underwater photography, Kurt f8 30 seconds; ● The exposure tables that Amsler and his photo workshops, f8 15 seconds usually come with strobes do visit: www.photosub.com

83 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Sealife DC1000 Aquatica HD WAVE The newest addition to the SeaLife line Aquatica has been providing dis- photo & debuts the Easy Set-up mode — a cerning underwater photogra- graphic on-screen guide that takes phers with high quality underwa- video the guess work out of setting up ter photographic systems for the camera for great pictures over 25 years. Now they have on land or underwater. A 10 added video housings to their mega pixel CCD, powerful a range. Built with the same 25X zoom (Optical: 5X and high quality solid aluminum Digital: 5X) and four new construction as their digital specially designed under- SLR housings, no compromise water modes makes this was taken to create the New versatile yet powerful entry- “HD WAVE” Video Housing for level camera a safe bet for the current Sony HDR-SR11/12 and a first underwater camera. the NEW Sony HDR-XR500V/520V HD sealife-cameras.com camcorders. www.aquatica.ca

Sea & Sea DX-2G Seacam 5D Mark II Based on the highly succesful DX-1G, SEA&SEA has Seacam shouldn’t need any introduction. The trademark applied its state-of-the-art technology to develop aluminium lightweight housing is precision-cast, double the housing design, paying special attention to even hardened and hard anodized. Black fibre coating inside. finer and more detailed controls. The DX-2G comes Port system has screw thread and bayonet. Plane port, equipped with 12.1 mega pixles and a large, high defini- macro port, manual focus macro port, dome port, wide tion 2.7-inch LCD monitor with 460,000 pixels. Vivid and port, fisheye port and superdome of high-grade optical bright display that lets you see even the finest details in glass, precisely ground, most finely polished and optical the picture down the 55m / 80ft the housing is rated at . coating upon request. www.seacam.com Capable of RAW image photography the newly-developed image engine and enlarged buffer memory allow you to take up to 5 continuous shots in RAW mode. www.seaandsea.com

Subal 5D Mark II The CD5MII aluminium housing for the Canon EOS 5D Mark II is Subal’s newest development for the DSLR cameras. Special attention has been given to the position of the front and rear main dials and the lever for the display illumination. There is a lever in the rear housing that allows one to activate the AF-On OR the AE/FE Lock button. Generous shading of the LCD-monitor provides a dazzle-free view to the brilliant image of the camera monitor and works well with the HD-video function of this camera. The housing can be delivered with the magnifying Viewfinder Optic GS 180 or the magnifying 360° rotatable Viewfinder Optic WS45. www.subal.com

84 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Winners of the Golden Dolphin Competition 2009

GRAND PRIX and 1st Place Underwater Inhabitants: Alexandr Safonov

1st Place Man and Underwater World: Anatoliy Beloshchin

Our motive: Your passion

W | www.subal.com

1st Place Black & White Photography: Marina 1st Place, Freshwater: Kochetova Mikhail Vedekhin 85 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED PIXEL QUARTERLYWET

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1st Place 1st Place Macro: Wide Angle: Andrey Narchuk Silvia Boccato

DIVE RIGHT IN WITH OUR FREE MAGAZINE & WEBSITE • Shipwrecks • Meet Singles • Ask An Expert • Monthly Prizes • Dive Medicine • Scuba Forums • Dive Fitness • Weekly Blog 2nd Place, Underwater Inhabitants: Alexandr Marinichev • Reader Photos • Photo Galleries • Diver Profiles • Local Dive Sites 2nd Place www.midwestscubadiving.com …and more! Freshwater: Viora Alessio 86 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED 2nd Place 2nd Place Landscape: Man and Elena Azarova Underwater World: Anatoliy Beloshchin

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87 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED

Black

reverSe white Amazon Unique Dive Site Our 23 day adventure started with an amazing soccer match in Sao Paulo and then into the wilderness of the Pantanal and to the Amazon. Long days in the sun, mosquitos, noisy nights with loud animal voices, thunder, rain and no cell phone, internet, or computers.

AdventureText and photos by Amos Nachoum Translated by Valentin Dosiere

We aimed to scout an expedition route to of mine during the first years of BigAnimals encounter Anacondas underwater, Jaguars expeditions, who has become a national in the wild, Piranhas in the river and the icon and a leading wildlife cinematographer Pink Dolphin too. It was an amazing 23-day in Brazil. Also Mr. Juka, the one maverick tour the force of Brazil’s wildlife. We had a person who I attribute the successful superb guide who planed everything and Anaconda encounters, and a person who researched my unusual requests, he was very can do everything by one phone call — we supportive and photographer friendly during ask and Juka always delivered. the entire journey. Daniel De Granville is a celebrated wildlife photographer himself, Breaking new ground whom I recommend highly to anyone who It seems that nobody ever attempted and ventures into Brazil’s wilderness. There are executed such an undertaking to find all two more people in Brazil who were most these wildlife encounters in one expedition. instrumental in making this adventure a We not only we broke new ground, found success. Mr. Lawrence Wahba, an old guest new locations for Anacondas, but we have

Pink Dolphin (left and above) Anaconda snake (right); Pirana (top right) 88 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED feature The Amazon

added value to the local tourism industry, as I will start a new photo adventure to Brazil through BigAnimals.com, offering the best of the findings on this trip at the prime time of the year. The food was plentiful and wonderful too, in particular the fruits. The local people were always smiling at us and among themselves, touching you for affection and curious about what we were doing, ready to help, working FIRST ROW LEFT TO hard for long hours, and glad to receive RIGHT: Diving in the whatever we had to give them. My Amazon River; Leopard highest compliments goes to my partner stalking prey; two views who has been with me on many of Anaconda snakes in the Amazon River adventures in the past as a guest and for SECOND ROW LEFT TO RIGHT: Loading the river boat; Navigating the Amazon; Gently touching an Anaconda snake the first time joined me on Diving Brazil in the river a scouting trip, Mr. John To get better images you Hall. He has become a need to change everything... or as someone dear friend and just an the voice inside of me was so local named the amazing person to travel loud...”the elusive and mighty river today as with, with a great attitude Anaconda underwater will “amosconda river”. toward the adventure, happen today” — and it paid As for the passion about the people off in a big way. It paid off to Anaconda, we saw and the environment, push the envelope in an effort 16 animals in ten and always ready to do to get the ultimate images. days. The biggest or more no matter how tired I have rarely returned empty the longest was eight and how long we went handed from an expedition. There is bring results, sometimes many times meters (25 feet) and mighty. We swam with no sleep. Brazil is an little luck when it comes to working with better than I have expected, and “it’s with them, inches away with no sign of adventure and a country wildlife. In the wilderness and within never over until the fat lady sings”... aggression. We touched them gently, which I will return to again mother nature’s law, preparation, and she sang alright on this hot, bright and we were smiling. and again. determination and flexibility will always afternoon here on the river in Bonito, For more info, see: BigAnimals.com ■

89 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Ana Bikic

PORTFOLIO

88 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Dialogue II, acrylic on canvas, 2007 (right) 2007 IYOR series, 36x24 inches (below) PREVIOUS PAGE: Moonlight, acrylic on canvas, 24x58 inches, from the Ecosymbolism Ana Bikic portfolio series by Ana Bikic, 2006

Originally from Argentina, art- designs for Moroccan Carpets and exhib- agencies. Her exhibits included petitions ist and scuba diver Ana Bikic ited throughout Europe and the UK. and literature, enhancing the visual expe- Bikic is currently based in Miami, Florida, rience of her paintings with facts and believes that art should play an and is an active advocate for various internet links to community conservancy active roll in environmental edu- regional and International conservancy groups. cation and awareness. Her art groups and community arts programs. Bikic edits several artist registries that work is designed and painted to With a profound fascination for the promote educational and international seemingly infinite designs of marine life arts networks and is currently writing a inspire a positive message that and fauna, which continue to be dis- history of Miami’s Freedom Tower mural provokes the audience to care covered, Bikic has dived in sites around for the Florida Museum and Miami Dade and to participate in conserva- the Mediterranean Sea and now South College. In 2007, the Reef Encounter tion. X-RAY MAG interviewed Florida to explore the reefs. Marine Science magazine featured her Recently, Bikic introduced her the- work on the cover. Bikic to find out what drives her sis of Ecosymbolism to the interna- Bikic’s art work has been collected, work and inspires her artistic tional arts community at the Florence purchased, auctioned and even stolen creations. Biennale, Italy, as well as exhibiting some by a vast variety of people from various of her underwater paintings from her walks of life from colleagues in the arts to Bikic began her career as an artist after International Year of the Reef (IYOR) scientists to divers. Most recently, former studying fine arts in Cordoba at the series, which she began in 2004. During governor of Florida, Jeb Bush, and his Figueroa Alcorta School of Fine Arts in the IYOR, Bikic exhibited these art works family acquired artwork by Bikic. Argentina. She then worked in art pub- in South Florida at venues supported lishing and marketing in Spain, creating by regional groups and environmental

89 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED How did you become an artist? to have been surrounded by very energy and power of creation, trend of communication like the world’ and my peers with the art of LEFT TO RIGHT: The Begining, My grandmother, Theresa Somer- good examples of fine art painting and so nature awakened my notes from a symphony; Symbols ‘Ecosymbolism’—to be a protago- acrylic on canvas, 26x58 inches; aux, was an international fine artist and sculpture from childhood on. I creativity at an early age. Because surround us all, uplift us or depress nist of hope, courage, dialogue Blue Tang & Sea Fan IV 2007 who exchanged work with Piccaso studied at Cordoba University and of my necessity of reaching others us. Art is linked to math, to learn- and diplomacy; to exchange and acrylic on linen, 18x14 inches; in the Paris café scene. Her home at the Firgueroa School of Fine Arts through my work, I have employed ing, to investigation, to question- engage a communication on The Garden, acrylic on canvas, center panel of three, each had a wonderful collection of in the 1980’s. new symbols, ecosymbols and ing, to try and try. We, the artists, modern contemporary art and the 50x26 inches totaling 150x80 Argentina’s best painters, and my art that inspires ‘hope’ and solu- have the gift of inspiration when great responsibilities that we all are inches, from the Ecosymbolism father, Dr Felix Bikic, was an avid What is your creative process? tions against ‘fatalism’ and ‘con- we choose hope and communica- facing together. series by Ana Bikic, 2006 art collector, too. I was fortunate My art has been inspired by the tempt’. I invite you to follow the tion. I am looking to inspire the ‘art

90 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED portfolio Ana Bikic TOP TO BOTTOM: What is your mission as an artist? Manatee nursing ground My mission is to influence soci- acrylic on canvas ety and bring new ideas and a 66x20 inches new Renaissance. Together, we need to find solutions, a new Loggerheads platform for change and pro- acrylic on canvas 22x66 inches tagonism. Our oceans, still undis-

covered, are endangered; their Endangered Green beauty might not be witnessed acrylic on canvas by our grandchildren, so I paint 21x53 inches to preserve that feeling of the quiet aquamarine depths. I find

light. The kelp forests or the rain ment called Ecosymbolism. It forests, the distortion caused by was presented at the Florence temperature differences in water Biennale 2007 and as a literary or air, the underwater landscape piece at Books and Books, Coral can be just as vast even though Gables in 2008. Ecosymbolism art you can’t really see that far off. should be inspiring, positive and I spend hours pouring over other well studied. The current text is divers’ wonderful photos and published on line at www.eco- reading the latest marine biol- symbolism.org. I invite everyone ogy reports. My environmentalist to read it and join my Facebook beliefs come from my family’s page, too. scientific side. Reasoning, research and the rational solutions Where would you like to dive in still leave us with the need for the future? Around the Indic and inspiring action. Art is a power- Western Pacific ocean would ful tool to share concerns and be a magnificent experience, provoke reactions. Last year, I having such diverse schools of wrote an art thesis and move- colored fish and coral reefs.

that artists have created a reputation for Are you a scuba diver and how did you themselves by their unwillingness to at- start diving? I’m not a professional scuba tempt difficult subjects and techniques. diver; I do it for fun and as a hobby, mainly Symbols of banality abound in art shows, so as a working tool for my art work. In other I am very grateful to X-RAY MAG for this op- words, I’m an enthusiast—an artist that portunity to talk. Art can catalyze aware- dives into other people’s underwater pho- ness by its iconic or symbolic message; I tography, too. paint to inspire environmental awareness. What are your favorite dive locations and What are your thoughts and feelings about why? Indonesia, Malaysia, and diverse lo- the underwater world? The underwater cations around the Indic Ocean are some, world is mysterious, full of riches and spiritu- due to their beauty and vast amount of ality, conceding an indescribable feeling. different species they have to offer. I also The sensation created by the combination promote and heavily support South Florida of light, depth and diverse scenarios that and the Caribbean for conservation. this unknown realm has to offer us is truly magical. How does the underwater world affect or influence your art work?It’s all about the

91 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED portfolio

Who are your idols or mentors in art and/or diving? Most of us owe such a debt of gratitude to the Cousteau experience. Even in black and white, his films were so mesmerizing to me as a child. I sometimes wonder how great painters like Rembrandt and Da Vinci would have handled the underwater world if they had scuba dived and cameras to see nature beneath the waves.

What is your favorite quote about art or the underwater realm? How inappropriate to call this planet ‘’Earth’’ when clearly it is an Ocean. — Arthur C. Clarke

What are your thoughts on art and ocean conservation? I use my art world as a catalyst to create awareness, bringing humanity to understand we have a moral responsibility. Art has had a an impact on society and politics. Everything that revolves annual beach and waterway clean around us has an influence on each ups are great local initiatives and other, and what we evoke, leaving a spread globally, many artists around legacy of knowledge and dialogue the world participate in bringing the for the future generations. media attention to the local culprits. I hope these events will help us ‘naturalist’ painters to be taken more What are your current and future seriously and for the voices of conserv- projects? The IYOR 2008 is ending, but ancy to be honored with real policies I hope we can keep the awareness that are based on science and not effort going, that we can join with on short term profit gains. No matter other groups protecting rain forests how painful the facts that scientists and water quality, too, in order to acknowledge, we have a duty to at explain how everything in nature is so least listen. The message that some indelibly linked. scientists are predicting is catastroph- Locally, I’m very interested in the ic. problem of invasive species like the Artists who create with these con- lionfish along our reefs; they are gob- cerns for the environment will have bling up the natural inhabitants at an plenty of challenges to find a more alarming rate. I believe we are going meaningful iconography for contem- to need to literally weed them out, like porary art tastes. I hope the fashion of a vegetable garden needs weeding. concern for the conservancy move- I have concentrated on the Florida ment really translates into a deeply fauna recently, and I am currently cultural endeavor for everyone. The researching the Barrier Reef’s lat- CLOCKWISE: Face of the Reef, acrylic on canvas, 52x36 inches; Sponge Cave, acrylic on canvas; Blue Tang Sea Fan, acrylic on linen 92 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED portfolio Ana Bikic IN OUR NEXT ISSUE Fiji again with the brush. I want to Bonaire encourage others to witness this, to explore the magnificence of the The Amazon underwater realm.

Do you have prints available of your work, and if so, how can they be purchased? I have made most of my IYOR 2008 and Ecosymbolism series available on fineartamerica. com. I also donate 15 percent of my sales to the Reef Relief groups as well as some originals.

Is there anything else wOlfgaNg PÖlzEr you would like to share

with our readers about SCOTT JOHNSON yourself, your artwork, and/or your relationship with the sea? Through the dialogue of Ecosymbolism Art, I would like to continue promoting the oceans, educating society, est updates from Reef Encounter, since we need to bring which used my art last year. solutions and positive

www.fit.edu outcomes to the di- wOlfgaNg PÖlzEr This year, I’m also working on a lemmas that humanity theme of immigration and writing faces today. This year, an art history article for the Florida I’d like to inspire and Historical Museum about the Miami invite all the other art- Freedom Tower Mural. I was involved with ists to participate and take on the challenge, the Miami Artisans, and we are very proud to and through this iconography, to find a new have a significant public art work included Renaissance of hope, optimism, change and with this Landmark Status building. creating a bridge between the sciences and the arts. Are you an underwater photographer and if Ecosymbolism Art offers positivism ex- so, how do you use this in your art work? pressed in art with sincere and intellectual I’m not exactly an underwater photographer, emotion, empowered by the visual language I’m more of an enthusiastic, demonstrating of symbols. It aims to bring dialogue between my fascination of its environment through my audience and subject using inspiration of ef- wOlfgaNg PÖlzEr paintings. Everyone has been so generous fort and integrity of content. It hopes to bring JP BRESSER sharing their images on the net. The advan- a more profound iconography for art, which tage of painting an underwater landscape aspires to create hope and noble solutions COMING IN JULY rather than enlarging a photo is that I can through the dialogue of humanity’s symbols. Subscribe now FREE! create the picture composition and control the light, movement and color. The drama For more information, visit Bikic’s website at: www.xray-mag.com Redreef, acrylic on canvas, 18x24 inches (above) and Turning Point, acrylic an con- and the ballet of life begin to come to alive Anabikic.com and Ecosymbolism.org ■ vas, 30x54 inches (top left) from the Ecosymbolism Art series by Ana Bikic, 2006; portrait of the artist (center inset) 93 X-RAY MAG : 29 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED