6.1 • Jan / Feb 07 • www.nsonline.com JAN / FEB 07 magazine NORTH SULAWESI NORTH SULAWESI KAVIENG KAVIENG CLOWNFISH CLOWNFISH DIVE DIARY DIVE DIARY RULE OF THIRDS OF RULE NoExplorert h Sulawesi one of theworld’s topdive spots KDN PPS 1625/5/2007 MICA (P) 153/11/2005 Cut your photos in 3 Introducing Dive Diary Meet the Real Nemo The Cutting Edge Learn about the Rule of Thirds The Challenge: Chapter 1 Everyone’s favourite cuddly Have you got what it takes clowns of the reef to dive a rebreather? 6.1 60 46 42 52 9 770219 683011 Australia A$7.60 (incl GST) • Brunei B$7.00 • Hong Kong HK$46 • Indonesia Rp 40,000 • Malaysia RM14 • Maldives MVR110 ISSN 0219-6832 New Zealand NZ$ 7.50 (incl GST) • PNG K6.90 • Philippines P150 • Singapore S$7.00 (incl GST) • Taiwan NT$140 • Thailand Bht180 62 FEATURES 16 • NORTH SULAWESI Think Di erent Tony Wu and Jez Tryner 42 • CRITTERS Adorable Clowns of the Coral Andrea & Antonella Ferrari 46 • DIVE DIARY The Challenge: Chapter 1 The FiNS Team 62 • KAVIENG Just The Way It Should Be 16 Ange Hellberg PICTURE PERFECT 12 • SNAPSHOTS Labuan & Layang Layang Pipat Kosumlaksamee 38 • TALKING MEGAPIXELS Competitive Streak Dr. Alexander Mustard 54 • LENSCAPE Shades of Grey 52 Nat Sumanatemeya 60 • PIXTIPS & other topix The Rule of Thirds 46 Polpich Komson 80 • FINAL FRAME Nudibranch Mugshot Morakot Chuensuk Cover: Long-spine porcupinesh (Diodon holocanthus) peeking out from a discarded can in the Lembeh Strait in North Sulawesi, 54 Indonesia Tony Wu VOLUME 6.1 JANUARY / FEBRUARY ‘07 DEPARTMENTS 08 • GEAR HERE 14 • DIVE PROFILE 15 • DIVERS’ NIGHT 40 • HOTSPOT: KOMODO Wild and Wide Robert Delfs 52 • TECH TALK Rebreather Training Mathew Partridge 74 • HOTSPOT: KOH LANTA Get Away Paul Lees and Jez Tryner 78 • TAKE FIVE EDITORIAL 04 • SAY! From the Publisher’s Desk Edmund Tee 06 • PERSPECTIVE Analysis and Commentary Tony Wu 76 • COUNTERSTRIKE Amusing Musings David Strike Publisher SAY! Edmund Tee By Edmund Tee | [email protected] Associate Publisher Polpich Komson Advertising | [email protected] in the coming months, write and tell Paul Lees us about it. You never know, you and Editorial | [email protected] your friend(s) might end up in Dive Winnifred Wong Diary! Gea Swee Jean Associate Editors Speaking of new, have you noticed Gunther Deichmann Andrea & Antonella Ferrari our new look? While normal people Tony Wu were out partying, shopping and Consultants Remember when you took your rst otherwise enjoying the holidays, Clay Bryce Nudibranchs • Dr. Kevin U Chan Medical/ breath underwater? I do. Being able we gave FiNS a makeover — longer Hyperbaric • Helmut Debelius Reef sh • Dr. Mark Erdmann Coral reef ecology • Dr. Matthias to breathe and move around in a features, more pictures, new columns Homann-KuhntCetaceans • Rudie Kuiter Reef sh totally alien environment was a major — all things you’ve asked for. • Dr. Peter Mous Marine sheries • Dr. Alexander Mustard Marine biology • Dr. Mark Norman adrenalin trip. Cephalopods • Dr. Adam Pack Cetaceans • Dr. Jos Pet We hope you like it, and please keep • Marine protected areas • Dr. Lida Pet-Soede Fisheries management • Carl Roessler Liveaboards Learning to dive is perhaps one of letting us know what you want. the most exciting things you can ever Contributors Eric Cheng, Ethan Daniels, Robert Delfs, do. And yet, for many people, the Along with the new look, we’re Adi & Mala Gehri, Bob Halstead, Ange Hellberg, prospect of being underwater is scary. happy and proud to welcome aboard Polpich Komson, David Lim, Pamela Lim, Takaji Ochi, Mathew Partridge, Doug Perrine, Andrew Sallmon, our new full-time team in Bangkok. Scubazoo, Rainer Sigel, Edric Sng, Mark Strickland, Some people can’t swim. Others Thailand has great diving, and the David Strike, Nat Sumanatemeya, Kamata Tatsumaru, Jez Tryner, Scott “Gutsy” Tuason, Takako Uno, have a misplaced fear of run-ins with number of divers in the country has Cedric Verdier, Stephen Wong, Victor Wu supposedly dangerous animals. Some grown by leaps and bounds in recent Design & Graphics feel they’re too busy. And still others years, so we’re certainly excited by the Chutinun Mora just can’t get over the feeling that possibilities this opens up! Florence Wong we humans weren’t meant to frolic Administration | [email protected] among sh. Finally, I’d like to open the new year Anna Hwa Neo Xiaobin with an observation. Going back to The entire FiNS Team loves being in the last revision of FiNS Magazine we General Inquiries | [email protected] the water, of course. But a quick poll did a couple of years ago, everyone Editorial Submissions around the o ceshowed that even on the FiNS Team made a pledge to Send article ideas and low resolution graphics to [email protected]. FiNS Magazine we dive-aholics have many friends practice what we preach. cannot be held responsible for unsolicited material. who’re still reluctant to take the FiNS is published every two months by The Niche plunge, so to speak. Nearly everyone in the dive Press, a division of Xynergy Pte Ltd (Co. Reg industry talks about preserving the 200105799W) 17A Cavan Road, Singapore 209850 T: +65 6292 5778 F: +65 6292 0302 Enter Dive Diary, a new section we’re environment, not consuming shark launching (p.46). Over the next year, n, etc., but as far as I know, we’re MICA (P) 153/11/2005 KDN PPS 1625/5/2007 we’re challenging a new diver we met the only dive publication that’s made recently, Khun Sutida Palawongse a public written commitment that Vol. 6.1, January/February 2007. All rights reserved. Information correct at time of printing. Opinions — or “Plub” for short, to go from all our shareholders and employees expressed are those of contributors and not novice diver to Instructor. voluntarily abstain from consuming necessarily endorsed by the publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced in part or in full shark n products. without prior written consent of the publisher. Seem easy? Plub was hospitalised as a child for jellysh poisoning, she’s We feel it’s important for us to step up Does the Chinese prone to seasickness, works full-time, to the plate and do as we say, not just character for SHARK and is studying for a Master’s degree. preach empty words. We had hoped It’ll be anything but easy. that other dive publications would follow suit, but so far, no one has. contain a hidden Follow Plub’s adventures, and if warning? you’ve got friends you’d like to rope My New Year’s wish? — I hope that After all, it includes two sub-characters: into the diving fraternity, maybe other dive publications will join us in Dive Diary will help convince them this eortto lead by example. LESS [ ] and FISH [ ]. to give it a go. In fact, if you are able Time’s running out... the decision is ours. All employees and shareholders of have to convince someone to learn to dive Happy, and safe, diving. chosen – we abstain from consuming sharkn. 4 PERSPECTIVE By Tony Wu Researching conservation and other I’d share something more uplifting environmental issues for this column can and inspiring with you — a series of be a real drag. illustrations sent in to the “I Love Sharks!” drawing contest organised recently There’s so much negative news in the by FiNS Magazine in conjunction with www.tony-wu.com media these days that it would be really Siam Ocean World and Planet Scuba www.tonywublog.com easy to succumb to the notion that the in Thailand. world is doomed. Take a moment to look at the winning For instance, the baiji dolphin (Lipotes illustrations, selected from over 200 vexillifer), once known as the Goddess submissions from children. Not only of the Yangtze River, has recently been are the pictures beautiful, but they give declared functionally extinct by an cause for hope. international group of researchers who spent weeks searching unsuccessfully for These kids get it. They understand that signs of this once-abundant freshwater sharks aren’t mindless, evil killers, and cetacean. Sigh. they’ll undoubtedly think twice before scarfing down a bowl of shark fin soup. The culprit? People, of course. Pollution, overdevelopment, overfishing — the Who knows? They may even teach their usual suspects. parents a thing or two and help prevent sharks and other marine life from going But hey, it’s the start of a new year, so the way of the baiji. Let’s hope so. instead of dwelling on the ominous implications of tragedies like this, I thought Until next time, happy diving! Siam Ocean World, Planet Scuba, and FiNS Magazine are happy to announce the winners of our joint “I Love Sharks” Hand Illustration Contest, chosen from over 200 beautiful entries we received Thank you for all your submissions, and congratulations to all the deserving winners for these wonderful and creative I LOVE SHARKS! illustrations! HAND ILLUSTRATION CONTEST Student UNDER 12 YEARS OLD WINNER Title: My Little Dearest Sharks By: Kanitin Sukchum RUNNER UPS Title: Sharks and the Pirates By: Pichaya Anansurakad RUNNER UPS Title: My Love and Sharks By: Warisara Pudamrong Student BETWEEN 12 AND 18 YEARS OLD WINNER Title: I Love Sharks By: Thana Pinwanit RUNNER UPS Title: Sharks in Siam Ocean World By: Manrat Tadniyom 7 GEAR HERE Go Hoseless with Seeman Sub Those looking to upgrade or enter the world of hoseless air integration with a slim, elegant dive computer will love the new AERIS elite T3. The elite T3 achieves a remarkable balance between features and usability, allowing you to focus on what’s important — the dive.