Vancouver Island Yamashiro Drysuits

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GLOBAL EDITION Yamashiro Oct :: Nov 2006 Focus Number 13 Drysuits Portfolio Carlos Hiller Science Water Colour Ecology Medicines EQUADOR Galapagos from the Sea COVER PHOTO BY BERNARDO SAMBRA 1 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 DIRECTORY X-RAY MAG is published by AquaScope Underwater Photography Dive Fashion & Accessories: Copenhagen, Denmark - www.aquascope.biz www.xray-mag.com Cool Fall Duds for Divers see... page 85 CITIZEN MEN’S 200M PROFESSIONAL DIVER TITANIUM WATCH PRICED AT US$188.89 AT WWW.AMAZON.COM PUBLISHER CO- EDITORS & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Andrey Bizyukin Peter Symes Anemone, Galapagos Islands. Photo by Bernardo Sambra - Caving, Equipment, Medicine [email protected] Millis Keegan MANAGING EDITOR - Opinions and ‘DiveGuru.net’ contents & CREATIVE DIRECTOR Michael Arvedlund - Ecology Gunild Pak Symes Jason Heller - Photography [email protected] Dan Beecham - videography ADVERTISING Michel Tagliati - Medicine Americas & United Kingdom: Leigh Cunningham Kevin Brennan - Technical Diving [email protected] Edwin Marcow Europe & Africa: - Sharks, Adventures Harvey Page, Villy Volk, Catherine GS Lim [email protected] - News International sales manager: Michael Portelly Arnold Weisz Arnold Weisz [email protected]

South East Asia Rep: CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE Catherine GS Lim, Singapore Michael Arvedlund, PhD [email protected] Dan Beecham Marketing Manager: Andrey Bizyukin, PhD Yann Saint-Yves Leigh Cunningham [email protected] Ralph Hagen Jason Heller SENIOR EDITOR Carlos Hiller Michael Symes [email protected] Millis Keegan Catherine GS Lim TECHNICAL MANAGER Cindy Ross Søren Reinke Barb Roy [email protected] Bernardo Sambra CORRESPONDENTS Gunild Symes Enrico Cappeletti - Italy Michael Symes 29 38 48 60 plus... Jordi Chias - Spain Peter Symes GALAPAGOS ISLANDS GALAPAGOS: EVOLUTION VANCOUVER ISLAND ECOLOGY: EDITORIAL 3 John Collins - Ireland Cedrik Verdier ADVENTURE OF AN ICONIC DESTINATION BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA MEDICINES FROM THE SEA NEWS 5 Jeff Dudas - CA, USA Peter Fritchen BY BERNARDO SAMBRA BY JASON HELLER BY BARB ROY BY MICHAEL SYMES WHALES & DOLPHINS 26 Tomas Knutsson - Iceland Stig Insulan Marcelo Mammana - Argentina SEA TURTLE NEWS 28 Hillary Child Yonatan Nir - Israel EQUIPMENT 57 Jim Standing Svetlana Murashkina - Russia 64 71 77 85 BOOKS & MEDIA 92 EEP RECK HE EN OF ERMAID ATTERS DIVE FASHION & ACCESSORIES Gary Myors - Tasmania D W : T Z M M : ALL UDS FOR IVERS BUSINESS DIRECTORY 93 Barb Roy - WA, USA Further info on our website YAMASHIRO DIVING DRYSUITS DRYSUITS FOR DIVAS F D D Yann Saint-Yves - France contacts page: BY CEDRIK VERDIER BY PETER SYMES BY CINDY ROSS EDITTED BY GUNILD SYMES Garold Sneegas - KS, USA www.xray-mag.com Not yet subscribed to SUBSCRIPTION columns... X-RAY MAG? Sign up now! X-RAY MAG International Edition in English is FREE. It’s FREE! QUICK! EASY! To subscribe, go to: www.xray-mag.com 69 83 91 95 PROFILE: RALPH HAGEN SHARK TALES: SCIENCE: PORTFOLIO: click here... COVER PHOTO CANADIAN DIVE CARTOONIST Diver with Barracuda, by Bernardo Sambra BITS & BITES WATER COLOUR CARLOS HILLER BY GUNILD SYMES EDITTED BY PETER SYMES BY MICHAEL SYMES EDITTED BY GUNILD SYMES (CONTINUED ON PAGE 4)

2 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 Amsterdam Barcelona Cape Town Chicago Copenhagen London Moscow Okinawa Oslo Paris Ravenna Reykjavik San Francisco Sharm El Shiekh Warsaw and

editorial

theme: Seeing what’s AA clearerclearer below the surface where and when the waters get cool. I am in part referring to this perspectiveperspective issues travel reports - from Galapagos and Vancouver Island. But most of all to extending the dive season in the temperate climate zone under whick many of us live - by putting on a drysuit instead of wrapping it all up for the season.

It has been a long while but I still vividly remember when I got my first drysuit and just went on diving throughout the fall, and even winter. All of a sudden I could follow the seasons changed also below the surface and I got a much clearer picturer of cycles and successions. I started to notice changes when various species started to emerge, like when in a forest or field, one sees flowers bloom in the spring, or the mushrooms during the autumn.

The drysuit extended my field of view immensely as regards to the Well, I know this is a dive maga- people who live in nature and connection I felt with the blue realm We remember when he was just a minnow. zine but what’s really on my mind off nature - like the iniut. Most of and I came to treasure going out these days, are the same ines- us are, after all, city dwellers and diving on a cool but clear day cable issues that we all seem to consumers in modern societies. where I could see my breath in the As the official dive training agency for Walt Disney World® for 10 magical years, our friendship there runs worry about; Daily reports about bleak sunlight. Regardless of water global warming and the war in But what we witness below the temperature I was always cozy and pretty deep. To celebrate our decade together, NAUI® will host DiveQuest at Epcot’s ® “The Living Seas” the Middleeast that both seem to surface have helped put the spot- comfy in my drysuit. On a real cold attraction during the national trade show this November. Industry professionals can win a VIP DiveQuest escalate out of control. Did I hear light on some environmental issues day I just wore another sweater or that 500 billion usd has now been that would otherwise have gone extra socks. The beauty of cool ticket. Contact Chad Barbay at 407-245-7810 or [email protected]. spent on the latter? And not a undetected for a long while. And water is that it can extremely clear fraction thereof on global warm- helped us white and blue col- as there are no algae so you got It’s a chance to feel like a big fish in a very big pond. ing. I am having issues with those lar workers reconnect to Mother this immense space around you. priorities. I don’t what the politi- nature. Thanks to divers, environ- And breathing cold air does some- cians are thinking. Do they want mental awareness has risen and thing for the metabolism - I don’t to battle over a barren planet? even caused a range of new know what. But I usually come up Visit us online at www.nauiww.org. They should be divers. projects to see the light of day. from a winter diver a lot warmer than when I went in. As for clarity, As divers we have a different Don a drysuit take an extra look at some of the and much clearer perspective. Which leads me to my next point, images from crystal clear waters on Perhaps not as clear as those presenting this issues underlying Iceland in this issue.

3 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED 000000_couverture_33_festival 8/06/06 16:01 Page 1 33 e FESTIVAL MONDIAL DE L’IMAGE SOUS-MARINE L’IMAGE DE Blue O Two

Support SOS-SeaTurtles Sign the petition online, click here ☼ Thousands of sea turtles are being slaughtered often suffering an ugly painful death by being skinned alive. Click here to send an email with Giulia Alessandra Giulia - Ecole primaire - Milazzo - Italie a “Letter of Protest” to the Governor of Bali and copies sent to other important officials Click here to visit SOS Sea Turtle’s webpage ☼ KURT AMSLER / SOS SEATURTLES ANTIBES - ALPES-MARITIMES X-RAY MAG is distributed Views and information X-RAY MAG accepts no PRÉ AUX PÊCHEURS – ANTIBES – PORT VAUBAN six times per year on the expressed in articles are responsibility for unsolicited Internet. © 2004-2006 those of the individual materials sent to its office, 25 au 29 octobre 2006 X-RAY MAG. All rights author and are not nec- nor is it liable for loss or reserved. essarily representative of damage to such materials. SOUS LE PATRONAGE DE JEAN LÉONETTI, DÉPUTÉ-MAIRE D’ANTIBES Material in this publica- views held by X-RAY MAG X-RAY MAG observes a News from NAUI in X-RAY MAG: ET DE CHRISTIAN ESTROSI, tion may not be repro- or its affiliates. Unsolicited strict privacy policy. No per- This issue of X-RAY MAG includes news MINISTRE DÉLÉGUÉ À L’AMÉNAGEMENT DU TERRITOIRE, PRÉSIDENT DU CONSEIL GÉNÉRAL DES ALPES-MARITIMES duced or transferred manuscripts, photographs sonal or private information and press releases from NAUI in sections designated by the NAUI logo. electronically in any form and illustrations should be will be shared with a third While the page design is done by without written permission emailed to: party without the written X-RAY MAG as an integrated part of the magazine, these news stories are brought to FM from the copyright owner. [email protected] permission of the owner. 92.8 Espace imprimerie, Marseille. you by NAUI at NAUI’s discretion. Festival : 62, avenue des Pins du Cap - 06160 Antibes Juan-les-Pins. France. Tél +33 (0)4 93 61 45 45 - Fax +33 (0)4 93 67 34 93 [email protected] - http://www.underwater-festival.com 4 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED way down deep

News edited by Catherine GS Lim and Peter Symes NEWS The conflict is over

Lebanon is Resurfacing Destination Lebanon Lebanon. What springs to mind? The recent strife between Hezbollah and Israel and a recent past dominated by endless years of civil war tend to spring to mind, right? Thanks to its location at the crossroads But as always, reality is far more nuanced than the often one-sided picture painted of Asia, Europe and Africa, Lebanon has been shaped by many civilizations by mass media. Lebanon is also a culturally diverse country, a young democracy throughout history. Modern Lebanese and a diving situation. X-Ray Mag got this update from Alain Sassine. society is characterized by the same cultural diversity. Divers enjoying the clear water off the X-Ray Mag: Can you give us diving and not off the beaches. X-Ray Mag: So all the dive sites not like the Red sea—it is the Lebanese coast Cultural epicenter an update on the current situ- The water is still very clean, the are some distance off the coast Mediteranean, but we have very Fashionable and trendy, Beirut is the culation in Lebanon? dive sites are not affected and and not on the coast? nice reefs and dropoffs with excit- tural epicenter of Lebanon. The city is the fish not polluted. The oil is ing marine life. We also have very bustling with life and oozing with charis- Alain Sassine: The situation is only at some of the coast and Alain Sassine: We are diving nice wrecks, i.e. a WW2 French ma. Beirutis live life to the fullest, taking in calm as we now have the we have international compa- daily and most of the dive sites in Vichy government submarine that all the city’s gastronomic delights, ambi- Unifil force to monitor our nies working on cleaning it as we Lebanon are more or less deep, was sunk by the British Navy. It ence and leisure activities until the first coastline and prevent any speak. I think in 4-5 so we have to go out by boat. lies at 37m. There are also a large They used to hours of the morning. Between the time weapons from entering months eve- Shore diving is very rare here. 95% number of exciting deep wrecks they leave work and the time they arrive by sea. This tourist sea- rything of the diving in Lebanon is done for trimix divers. So, it is both reefs call Lebanon home, a true Beiruti fits in shopping, drinks son has obviously been will be by boat. and wrecks. In addition, the water the “petit with friends at a new bar, dinner around upset by the recent back temperature is always nice—it is 10pm, and a Lebanese espresso, before conflict, but I am confi- to nor- X-Ray Mag: Is it difficult div- up to 29°C in summer but never Paris” hitting a nightclub in Achrafieh around dent that next season mal. ing or technical diving? Is it below 18°C in winter. midnight. will be a great one. mainly wreck diving or do As regards to the you have reefs to go to? X-Ray Mag: So you can dive all 200km coastline oilspill, it does cover year round? Nature lovers and divers are also well some of the coast- Alain Sassine: It is served in Lebanon. With 200 km of line, but it doesn’t Alain Sassine is also Alain Sassine: Yes, unless there Mediterranean coastline, as well as effect the diving the NAUI repre- is a storm, we can dive all year. numerous rivers throughout the country, as almost all sentative for And all the tourism infrastructure Alain Sassaine is the man- Lebanon offers many salt and fresh water diving here Lebanon remains in place. The Israelis only aging director of Zouk, sporting activities. Lebanon’s rocky coast- is boat bombed bridges and some infra- Lebanon based Xtreme line and underwater terrain make it a structures in the southern regions. Team Dive Center. unique destination for snorkeling and div- All the hotels are still intact and xtreme-divecenter.com ing. A 600m deep underwater valley runs

5 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED A group of TEK divers preparing to dive (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5) from Beirut to the Bay of Jounieh, cre- ready to accept as many tourists as we ating interesting rocky gorges, under- want. water cliffs and drop-offs for divers to explore. Another popular diving area X-Ray Mag: What is your usual season is at Chekka (near Tripoli), which offers and where did your usual guests come some of the best marine landscapes, from? flora and fauna off the Lebanese coast that is rich with other dive sites like Alain Sassine: The high season for water- Barbur, which is considered to be one sports is, obviously, the summer time. of the most exotic dives in the north of From June to mid November, the sea the country. Barbur features two tun- is great. For the other sports, it is more nels at around 35 meters, which leads year round. We have for example also divers to a drop off up to 60 meters. FILE PHOTO: KURT AMSLER mountains offering alpine skiing, so you Baby Loggerhead Sea Turtles can do all sports here—snow sports and Shark diving Saved During Conﬂict aquasports. There is always something to If you’re interested in sharks, this is also do in Lebanon, plus we have an amazing your spot, particularly in July and August In the midst of ongoing turmoil between nightlife. They used to call Lebanon the when the water is quite warm. The top Israel and Hezbollah, militants in “petit Paris”. of this finger-like series of reefs starts at Lebanon, volunteers and staff at the 23m at its shallowest and drops to a lit- Jerusalem-based Israel Nature and Alain Sassine: We have many Europeans. Technical diver decomressing in the clear Lebanese water tle over 60m at its deepest. Shark point Parks Protection Authority took time to We have Germans, Italians, we have features statues of saints sunken by ensure baby turtles got a safe passage French. But most of the tourists that come divers in homage to their faith, a cav- to the Mediterranean Sea. to Lebanon come from the Arab gulf. But ern, families of stingrays, and best of all, Ecologists with the authority recently we have plenty of Europeans and also The hotels are still intact small tooth sand tiger sharks, which you transplanted loggerhead nests from some Americans. and ready to accept as many will usually meet at the fourth reef (shark open beaches to a protected hatch- tourists as we want. island). These pregnant females are ery near the northern Israeli town of X-Ray Mag: Do you feel that the general accustomed to the bubbly critters that Nahariyya. After three nights of natural political situation and unrest in the Middle visit their summer home, and they almost hatchings, the conservationists dug out East affects Europeans’ and American’s that Lebanon will pay a high price this always come and check you out. baby turtles that couldn’t climb from perception and willingness to come visit time. We will reach stability again soon, their nests and helped them reach the you? and now the UN is watching the country Underwater ruins water. closely. I don’t expect any problems with Exploring the underwater ruins near The oil spill caused by the Hezbollah- Alain Sassine: Yes, I think on the short it—as long as the Americans are not in Byblos, Sidon and Tyr is another popu- Israeli conflict also claimed the lives term it will. As you know, they were all command, the peacekeepers will be wel- lar activity for divers; however, you are of many sea turtles. An Israeli strike just evacuated out of the country by comed as tourists here. I can understand required to obtain a special permit to against a Lebanese power plant their governments. But I hope that we will why the American audience is afraid with dive near archaeological sites. There dumped 15,000 tons (13,600 metric reach stability soon, and I don’t expect all that has been going on in the media, are also several world-class shipwreck tons) of oil into the ocean, contaminat- but it is safe here. ■ sites, including Le Souffleur (a French ing Lebanese beaches where turtles submarine from World War II) near nest and threatening other eastern Khaldeh, for underwater exploration. Mediterranean coastal habitats. “Lebanon might take years to fully recover from oil spills caused Turtle eggs need to incubate in sandy bombing by Israeli warplanes of three major fuel storage tanks at Lebanon’s coastline is lined with many nests without parental patrols for about a power plant in Jiyeh resulting in 10-15,000 tons of heavy fuel oil to private beach resorts and diving clubs two months. Then the tiny hatchlings, flow out into the Mediterranean. Just the cleaning work, including offering facilities and equipment rentals which average 45 millimeters long, must dredging the floating oil and shovelling the black soiled sand from for diving and snorkeling, as well as a emerge to make a night time dash to the beach, will take us at least one year,” Lebanese Environment variety of other water activities, Nitrox, the ocean. Minister Yacoub Sarraf said. The oil spill has dealt a heavy blow to equipment and Gas blending are also Pollution and habitat loss is already Lebanon’s fishing industry as fishermen could not go to sea to fish available for technical divers to explore taking a serious toll on loggerheads of during the cleaning. “The government will ask the Israeli govern- wrecks as the Victoria (a British military all ages, and the species is currently ment to compensate the fishermen. Even after the completion of ship from WW2) in North Lebanon. classified as endangered by the World the cleaning work, we’ll have to monitor and inspect the sea food Culture, sports and, above all, climate Conservation Union. ■ closely before it enters the market, because it may be toxic.” are sufficient reasons to be confident in seeing you soon in Lebanon. ■ CONTRIBUTED BY XTREME DIVE TEAM A crab is soiled in oil during the oil spill 6 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Earth’s Most Diverse Marine Life Found Off Indonesia’s Papua Province New Species of Sharks, Shrimp, Coral Need Protection GERRY ALLEN

Pseudanthias pleuro- owners and the global commu- Assessment Program (RAP) surveys Paracheilinus walton, a new spe- taenia, a species normally nity,” said Mark Erdmann, senior earlier this year, along with a third cies of “flasher wrasse” discovered found extremely deep, but adviser of CI’s Indonesian Marine expedition in 2001, studied waters during the recent Bird’s Head GERRY ALLEN observed in shallow waters Program, who led the surveys. surrounding Papua province from Seascape surveys in Cenderawasih Bay “Six of our survey sites, which are Teluk Cenderawasih in the north areas the size of two football to the Raja Ampat archipelago “Six of our survey sites, Two recent expeditions Researchers fields, had over 250 species of off the western coast and south- described an under- reef-building coral each – that’s east to the FakFak-Kaimana which are areas the size of led by Conservation water world of visual wonders, more than four times the number coastline. A few hundred kilom- two football fields, had over International (CI) to the such as the small epaulette shark of coral species of the entire eters inland are Papua’s Foja heart of Asia’s “Coral that “walks” on its fins and color- Caribbean Sea.” Mountains, where a team led by 250 species of reef-build- Triangle” discovered ful schools of reef fish populating Though human population CI and the Indonesian Institute of ing coral each – that’s more abundant and healthy corals of density in the region is low, the Science (LIPI) last year discovered dozens of new species all shapes and sizes. coastal people of the Bird’s Head a virtual “Lost World” of new spe- than four times the number of marine life including peninsula are heavily dependent cies of birds, butterflies, frogs and of coral species of the entire epaulette sharks, “flasher” Species factories on the sea for their livelihoods, other wildlife. Caribbean Sea.” wrasse and reef-build- Threats from over-fishing with which are now under threat from Off the coast, researchers dynamite and cyanide, as well a plan to transfer fishing pres- found more than 50 species of ing coral, confirming the as deforestation and mining sures from Indonesia’s over-fished fish, coral and mantis shrimp pre- Only 11 percent of the sea- region as the Earth’s rich- that degrade coastal waters, western seas to the east toward viously unknown to science in scape is currently protected, most est seascape. require immediate steps to pro- Papua province. the Bird’s Head Seascape that of it in the Teluk Cenderawasih tect the unique marine life that “The coastal villages we sur- covers 18 million hectares, includ- National Park that is supported by All images courtesy of sustains local communities. The veyed were mostly engaged ing 2,500 islands and submerged the World Wide Fund for Nature- Conservation International seascape’s central location in in subsistence fishing, farming reefs. The seascape also includes Indonesia (WWF-Indonesia). the Coral Triangle of the Pacific, and gathering, and they require the largest Pacific leatherback Results of the CI-led surveys high- The unmatched marine biodiver- which exports and maintains bio- healthy marine ecosystems to turtle nesting area in the world, light the need for a well-man- sity of the Bird’s Head Seascape, diversity in the entire Indo-Pacific survive,” said Paulus Boli, a State and migratory populations of aged network of multiple-use named for the shape of the dis- marine realm, makes it one of the University of Papua researcher led sperm and Bryde’s whales, orcas Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) tinctive peninsula on the north- planet’s most urgent marine con- the socioeconomic component and several dolphin species. to conserve the seascape’s biodi- western end of Indonesia’s Papua servation priorities. of the expeditions. “We are very “We’re thankful to the Ministry versity and ensure the long-term province, includes more “These Papuan reefs are liter- concerned about the potential of Forestry and CI for the sig- sustainability of commercial and than 1,200 species of fish ally ‘species factories’ that require impact of planned commercial nificant data from these surveys, subsistence fishing. ■ and almost 600 species of special attention to protect them fisheries expansion in the region, and we are excited to be plan- reef-building (sclerac- from unsustainable fisheries and and we urge a precautionary ning further surveys in 2007 to Partners in the two 2006 surveys fund- tinian) coral, or 75 other threats, so they can con- approach that emphasizes sus- fill in remaining data gaps that ed by the Walton Family Foundation percent of the tinue to benefit their local tainability over intensive exploita- will help us plan the most effec- included the Indonesian Ministry world’s known tion.” tive management possible for of Forestry’s Department of Forest total. The two this exceedingly crucial area,” Protection and Nature Conservation Rapid said Dr. Suharsono, head of LIPI’s and its local offices in Papua; Teluk Oceanography Center. Cenderawasih National Park Authority, the State University of Papua, and WWF-Indonesia.

A newly discovered species

GERRY ALLEN of epaulette shark 7 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Fish Surveys Demonstrate Clear Beneﬁts on reefs open to fishing with those ear- marked to be closed to fishing under of New Great Barrier Reef Zoning Plans the new zoning. Just under two years after the rezoning, both of these fish When the Great Barrier Reef Zoning nearby reefs that remain open to fishing. species targeted by fisheries were Plan was introduced in 2004, it signifi- In the last 12 months, the Australian almost 60% more abundant on reefs cantly increased the amount of habitat Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) sur- closed than open to fishing. protected from fishing and provided veyed fish populations on 26 reefs AIMS Research Director, Dr Peter a unique opportunity to determine closed to fishing by the rezoning and Doherty, is excited to see such clear how quickly reef fish stocks respond to 25 matched reefs that remained open results within two years of the changed reduced fishing pressure. The ‘no-take’ to fishing, representing five geographic management arrangements. Green zones established in the Zoning regions adjacent to coastal communities “The extent of the difference is quite NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA) Plan are designed to create protected between Cairns and Gladstone. surprising at this early stage, but the areas where fish can grow and mature Scientists from James Cook University consistency of the differences between to their full potential. As the oldest and surveyed fish and coral populations on zones in all of the places that were largest fish produce far more offspring fringing reefs of the Whitsunday Islands. examined last year leaves me in no than smaller individuals, the adults liv- Before the rezoning in 2004, abundance doubt that this is a real result.” ■ ing in Green zones are expected to add of fish like coral trout and stripey sea SOURCE: AIMS - AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE to the replenishment of populations on perch were approximately the same OF MARINE SCIENCE

How Deep Sea Isopods Other Positive News Turned Into Giants Philippines’ Apo Phu Quoc Island to This giant deep-sea isopod is an example of an animal that has Florida Keys National Underwater Island a ‘Ray of Hope’ Preserve Coral Reefs evolved to a much larger size in Marine Sanctuary is Grasses Recovering in Marine Protection VIETNAM - Authorities and deeper water. These isopods are Fulﬁlling Its Goal of oceanographers are work- distant relatives of the tiny “pill — Sanctuary to and Conservation Protecting the Marine Life ing to zone off the coral bugs” found in many gardens. Expand Eﬀorts reefs and seaweed-inhab- They are also related to small shal- Three studies examining the Beds of underwater grass- Greenpeace has described ited areas around the low-water isopods that live in tide Tortugas Ecological Reserve, es in the Chesapeake Bay Apo Island as a “ray of Phu Quoc Island. Studies pools. protected from fishing since that suffered a major die- hope” in environmentalists’ released by the Nha Trang July 2001, documented increas- off last summer are recov- efforts to promote the pro- Oceanography Institute said Why is it so huge? ing numbers and sizes of com- ering. Beds of eelgrass protection and conservation of that the archipelago is home Biologists ever since Charles mercially and recreationally vide habitat for blue crabs, the environment worldwide. to nine species of seaweed, Darwin have observed that when important species of fish and rockfish and other domi- The Greenpeace ship MY which cover an area of over animals colonize and evolve on other marine life. Because the nant species in the bay. Esperanza anchored off the 7,200ha. The seaweeds pro- isolated islands, small animals tend Tortugas region is upstream But as the plant does not coast as part of its global vide an abundant source of to become larger while large ani- from the Florida Keys reef tract, tolerate hot water tem- tour to defend the oceans food to the Dugong. mals tend to become smaller, a improvements in the reserve’s peratures, global warm- from all forms of environ- According to the results of general trend that has become fish populations may help sus- ing may continue to be a mental destruction. Janet the studies, coral reefs flour- known as the “island rule”. After tain fish stocks in the Keys and hurdle in the struggle to Cotter, oceans scientist of ish in the south of Phu Quoc millions of years, they may even further north, as more and larg- keep the grasses thriving, Greenpeace International, Island with a total area esti- evolve into entirely new species er fish produce larvae that are according to Bob Orth, stated she was happy to see mated at 362ha. ■ that look very different from the carried away from the reserve a biologist at the Virginia in this part of the country a original colonizers. on ocean currents. Adult fish Institute of Marine Science. blue print in Recent research led by MBARI may also move to areas outside Governments working to place on how postdoctoral fellow Craig McClain the reserve as competition for clean up the Chesapeake marine re- suggests that a similar trend space increases within. These Bay set a goal of restoring serves should affects animals as they adapt to fish then become available to 185,000 acres of underwa- be managed life in the deep sea. ■ the fishery, an effect known as ter grasses by 2010. SOURCE: through the A FULL ARTICLE IS IN PRESS IN THE PEER-REVIEWED spillover. SOURCE: NOAA ■ NOAA ■ years. ■ JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY.

8 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Study Shows Signiﬁcant California Takes On Global Warming Coral Reef Regeneration news If things go according to plan, When it is implemented in also predicted that the bill, in the Arabian Gulf the US state of California will 2012, businesses that gener- while having limited impact, implement a plan to ensure ate greenhouse gases, like would increase business An ongoing study of coral reefs in Edited by that it would no longer be the oil refineries, power plants, costs. the Arabian Gulf has shown sig- Peter Symes world’s 12th largest emitter of factories and cement kilns, Whether the bill will have nificant regeneration of coral reefs greenhouse gases. This sce- are required to report their sufficient positive impact on in Abu Dhabi and eastern Qatar, nario would be the result of AB emission levels to the Air the environment is debat- according the WWF. At least 18 out 32, a landmark agreement in Resources Board, a depart- able. In a recent interview of an original 36 species of coral which businesses that gener- ment of the California with the BBC, Professor found in the region have recovered ate greenhouse gases have to Environmental Protection John Holdren, president of from damage suffered due to past cut their emission of such gases Agency that promotes the American climatic events. In particular, Halul Australia and France by 25% by the year 2020. public health, in Qatar and Ras Ghanda in Abu Hailed by Californian welfare and Dhabi are two areas where the to Sign Southern Governor Arnold Schwarzen- ecological most vigorous coral regeneration Ocean Fishing Treaty egger as “an example for resources is taking place. Yasat and Dalma other states and nations through islands in Abu Dhabi have also Australia and France have to follow”, the bill makes effective recorded good coral growth and agreed to sign a treaty to California the first US state to reduction of high coral fight illegal fishing in the limit the emission of green- air pollutants. cover. “The entire range Southern Ocean, the waters house gases. In cases “We are encircling the continent of where firms are unable Association for the encour- of the region’s coral Antarctica. — or unwilling — to cut their Advancement of Science, aged by species could be re- Australian Fisheries Minister emissions by the required felt that our planet was the results established within Peter McGauran said the trea- amount, a provision in the already experiencing a dan- of exten- ty would allow a French vessel bill allows them to purchase gerous climate change. sive surveys a decade.” to apprehend an illegal fish- ‘credit’ from firms whose He feels that if immediate undertaken ing boat caught in Australian emissions are below the 25% drastic action is not taken, as part of the coral reef project,” waters, and vice versa. “Our limit. sea levels may raise by four said Razan Al Mubarak, Director of combined efforts on the water While this ‘cap-and-trade’ meters within this century. the WWF office in the United Arab are proving a very powerful provision is designed to give More specifically, the melt- Emirates. deterrent to illegal fishing.” flexibility to businesses, it is ing of the Greenland ice “Assuming no further disturbances Australia has waged an seen by some as a way that cap alone would cause to their habitat occur, the rate of intensive campaign against companies can ‘buy’ their global sea levels to raise by regeneration suggests that the illegal fishing of its southern way out of reducing their seven meters, leading to the entire range of the region’s coral waters. ■ emissions. Some politicians destruction of many cities. ■ species would be re-established and business leaders have within a decade.” ■ Huge Chemical Dump Discovered in the Baltic N ew During a routine halfway up the east waste and recently 23,000 barrels. The Ultimate survey in August, coast of Sweden. discovered docu- “We knew there Scuba Tank/Spear Gun HolderHolder Ingemar Cato, a car- But that was just ments from a local were mercury bar- TEMPORARY – no permanent damage tographer with the the start of it. As this paper mill indicate rels in the bay,” PRE-ASSEMBLED – no hassles or headaches Geological Survey issue went to press, that the factory may Cato stated to INSTANT ATTACH & RELEASE – quick & effortless of Sweden stumbled some 3,500 barrels of have dumped tens the German daily MULTIPLE HOLDERS – 2 & 3 tank racks- 1 speargun slot 4 tank rack has 2 speargun slots across 30 barrels of mercury have been of thousands of bar- Spiegel. “In 1976, a SPACE SAVER – compact for easy storage industrial waste in 80- found and there may rels in the bay in the fishing trawler pulled GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF SWEDEN meter-deep water be thousands more 1950s and 60s. one up in its net. For 800-920-2910 Thousands of barrels with Mercury in the outer part of to be discovered. The depressing con- me the surprise was PO Box 1967, Nokomis, FL 34272 laden waste have been discov- Sundsvall Bay in the Experts say the sea clusion is that there the number.” ■ (941) 484-0714 Fax: (941)-484-2749 ered on the Baltic seabed Baltic Sea about is full of industrial could be as many as www.scubastorage.com

9 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED recovery mission, Brashear injured his left leg, part of which had to Navy Chief Submerges be amputated. The Navy was news prepared for Brashear to retire; 2,000 Feet, Sets Record however, he surprised everyone by announcing that he was mov- On August 1, Chief Navy Diver Daniel P. Jackson Edited by ing forward with his Master Diver of the Navy Reserve Deep Submergence Unit Willy Volk certification. After completing (DSU) donned an Atmospheric Diving System rigorous coursework—includ- (ADS) suit—a virtually un-crushable exoskel- ing numerous deep dives—and eton for divers—descended 2000 enduring threats from white ship- feet below the waters off La Jolla, mates and efforts by Navy offic- “It was California, and broke a record for US Navy’s first African American deep sea diver dies ers to sabotage his final exam, deep diving. Jackson had been Brashear became the Navy’s first the best randomly selected to certify the Carl Brashear (1931-2006) African ride ADS—also known as the Hardsuit American in the 2000 —for use by the Navy. On July 25, 2006, Carl Maxie 1948, shortly after the US master Designed by OceanWorks Brashear, the first African military desegregated. diver in world.” International to support subma- American to become a deep sea Compelled to pursue some- 1970. rine rescue, the ADS is the culmi- diver for the Navy, died at the thing “challenging,” Brashear Ultimately, nation of 11 years of planning, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth decided to try diving. After Brashear designing and testing by multiple agencies. of respiratory and heart failure. He becoming the Navy’s first became According to Cmdr. Keith W. Lehnhardt, the was 75. African American diver, he the first officer in charge of the project, “This is the big- Brashear joined the Navy in quickly set about to become amputee gest piece of teamwork that I have ever seen in SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA UNIVERSITY a master in the the Navy.” So, what’s it like to dive solo in 2000 diver, the Navy’s feet of water in a metal casing? According to highest history Jackson, “At 2,000 feet, I had topside turn off all level in to be the lights, and it was like a star show. The phos- the Navy’s restored phorescence that was naturally in the water diving hier- to full and in most of the sea life down there started to archy. In active glow. When I started to travel back up, all the 1966, while duty; Chief Navy Diver Daniel Jackson completes a successful lights looked like a shower of stars going down on his way the first amputee to rise to master certification dive of the Atmospheric Diving System (ADS) as I was coming up. It was the best ride in the to achiev- chief petty officer; and the only aboard the special mission charter ship M/V Kellie Chouest world.”■ SOURCE: WWW.MILITARY.COM ing that goal, amputee deep sea diver to gain two US Air the title of master diver. After retir- Force planes ing, he was portrayed by actor collided off Cuba Gooding Jr. in the film Men DEMA’s Scuba Tour Help Wounded Iraq and Afghanistan— dive certifications. This the coast of of Honor. He is survived by sons were introduced to month, those individu- Spain, drop- Phillip, DaWayne, and Patrick. Veterans Experience Scuba Diving adaptive scuba div- als and their families ping a nuclear If you doubt Brashear’s tough- ing in the Scuba Tour’s will travel to Bonaire to weapon into ness, consider this statement: The Wounded Warrior Equipment & Marketing portable 17,000-gallon obtain their C-cards. the water. “Sometimes I would come back Project raises the public’s Association (DEMA) pool. During the four- Bonaire was chosen for During the from a run, and my artificial leg awareness and enlists organizes a traveling day event, the Scuba its easy, accessible reefs, would have a puddle of blood support for the needs Scuba Tour, to promote Tour staff, local dive calm waters and local from my stump. I wouldn’t go to of severely injured serv- awareness of diving to shops, specially-trained staff with prior experi- U. S. Navy sick bay because they would ice men and women. the public at large. This volunteers and firefight- ence training disabled diver Carl have taken me out of the pro- One component of the summer, the two organi- ers from the New York divers. ■ Brashear (left) gram. Instead, I’d go hide some- program, the Disabled zations crossed paths in City Fire Department whose life where and soak my leg in a Sports Project, provides Rockaway Point, NY, at introduced diving to story inspired bucket of hot water with salt in it injured soldiers with an the Disabled Sports USA these service men and the film “Men —that’s an old remedy I learned opportunity to experi- 2006 Adaptive Water women. After learning of Honor” growing up.” ■ ence various water Sports Festival. There, 24 what diving was like, starring Cuba sports. Meanwhile, US troops—all of whom nine of the participants Gooding Jr., each year, the Diving were severely injured in decided to pursue their SOURCE: WOUNDEDWARRIORPROJECT.ORG (right)

10 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Dick Long A Ballsy Team of Divers Ready to Take the Plunge? receives pres- Raises Money For Charity Captain Beermunder Wants You! news tigious Roger Recently, one woman and six men If you and your significant other are ready Noted Shipwreck Expert engaged in an unusual fundrais- to take The Big Plunge, here’s an idea: Revelle Award David Bright Dies ing event for the Orchid Cancer Florida’s Pensacola Dive Company is look- Edited by Each year, the Appeal, a charity for men with ing for couples to exchange vows at the American David Bright, underwater Willy Volk San Diego Oceans testicular cancer. Attempting an world’s largest artificial reef, the recently- explorer and shipwreck expert, died on Foundation bestows underwater relay across the English sunk USS Oriskany. July 8, 2006. Bright had been diving on the Roger Revelle Channel, the upright team entered The dive company’s owner, Capt. Ron the Andrea Doria where he was working Three ﬁshermen. Award on a San the water at Dover at 6:10am on Beermunder, sounds like a really sweet in preparation for the wreck’s 50th anni- Diegan who has a Saturday morning and reached guy. He’s a Navy special warfare trained versary. According to the Coast Guard, One boat. made a significant contribution to humankind’s France’s Cap Gris Nez roughly 12 diver, a former Navy water survival instruc- Bright surfaced from an afternoon dive Nine months at sea. ability to coexist with the marine environment. hours later, just in time for wine and tor, a CPR instructor and an instructor in with decompression sickness and went This year, the Foundation honored Dick Long cheese. nine diving safety courses. However, as an into cardiac arrest. He was pronounced On October 28, 2005, five with this prestigious award. For more than Diving in shifts, each participant ordained minister, he’s qualified to conduct dead soon after. He was 49. Mexican fishermen launched 40 years, Long and the oceans have been spent between 30 and 90 minutes the ceremony. (Who knows? Maybe he’ll An experienced wreck researcher, a 27-foot-long boat from San enmeshed. In 1960, Long founded National underwater (at a depth of around even sing.) Bright had explored Titanic, the USS Blas, a tiny fishing village on Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI); 4m), before handing the baton Getting hitched 70 feet below the sur- Monitor and other shipwrecks through- Mexico’s Pacific coast. They as President of SDOF, he helped coordinate to the next diver. Organizer Colin face on the carrier’s navigation tower will out his career. In fact, he had dived the intended to fish for sharks for the sinking of the Yukon off Mission Beach, Osbourne—the Appeal’s founder cost US$1200. However, the price includes Andrea Doria—considered the “Mount a few days. After accidentally California; and in the 1960s, he developed a and himself a testicular cancer a four-person, two-tank dive charter. Everest of scuba diving” due to the chal- losing their fishing gear, the hot water suit, allowing scientists, military, and survivor—said the team had no Wedding cake is extra. ■ lenge of reaching it—more than 120 boat’s owner, “Senor Juan,” commercial divers to engage in saturation div- problems making the 34km cross- SOURCE: WWW.PENSACOLADIVECOMPANY.COM times. ordered the crew to search for ing. In addition to an evening of dinner, dancing. Claiming that Bright also started the Nautical the missing equipment. ing and the promise of being remembered into “there was hardly Research Group, a consulting firm deal- Soon, though, the group ran perpetuity, Long was presented with a hand- any wind” during with shipwreck disasters throughout out of gas, and ocean currents carved wooden Garibaldi -- California’s official ing the event”, the world. A former pharmaceutical swiftly swept them out to sea. fish. ■ Osbourne has research scientist, Bright’s hobby quickly Exposed to the elements in their given new mean- became his career, and he frequently open vessel, the men drank ing to the phrase lectured on shipwrecks and participated rain water and caught and ate limited sea swells. in documentaries. ■ SOURCE: WWW.BOSTON. raw fish and birds. However, Ultimately, COM two of the men, including the team raised “Senor Juan,” refused to eat $50,000 for the Creator of Diving Decompression uncooked food and died. charity. ■ Finally, after 285 days adrift, SOURCE: DIVE MAGAZINE Tables Dr Val Hempleman Dies a Taiwanese fishing boat spotted the vessel near the Marshall Dr Val Hempleman, a leading British Islands, roughly 8000km from scientist in the development of diving their home and rescued the US Dive Travel Operators Merge decompression tables, has died. He was men. What do fishermen do Two of the industry’s and Canadian dive Tour Operators Face Trial After Diver Dies 84. when drifting aimlessly in the leading dive travel market. Dr Hempleman worked at the Royal seemingly-endless Pacific? specialists, Caradonna The collaboration In January 2004, a PADI-certified yet relatively inexperienced diver named Robert Naval Physiological Laboratory (RNPL) Denying that they resorted Dive Adventures and is the result of several Grant rented dive gear from Australia’s Melbourne Diving Services and signed up from the early 1950s to the mid-1980s. to cannibalism, the fishermen Trip-N-Tour Pacific, years of cooperation, for a supervised dive trip. Joined by two friends, Grant hit the water and quickly During that time, he oversaw the devel- claim they passed time reading announced that they which has recently disappeared from view. Moments later, he was pulled from the water but could opment of the Royal Navy’s postwar the Bible, singing and dancing. will merge opera- led to the purchase not be revived. Now, Melbourne Diving Services faces charges for failing to ensure diving tables, a predecessor of today’s When journalists asked what tions and join forces of Trip-N-Tour Pacific the care of people other than its employees under the Occupational Health and modern diving tables. Between 1970 they planned to do next, one to become North by Caradonna Dive Safety Act of 1985. The prosecution alleges that the dive company failed to carry and 1980, Dr Hempleman also managed of the men said, “see the family America’s most exclu- Adventures, part of out standard equipment checks and that Grant lacked adequate supervision from landmark deep-diving experiments in for three or four days and then sive dive travel com- First Choice Holidays, the instructors. However, a separate diver on the same dive trip has defended which volunteers made dry chamber get back to work.” Arguably, it pany offering exper- PLC, a UK based inter- the dive instructors, asserting they were competent. The case is set to go to trial in dives to 660m, where they lived for sev- might be time for a vacation. In tise and experience national leisure travel November. If convicted, the firm could be fined up to US$250,000. ■ eral days. ■ SOURCE: WWW.DIVERNET.COM the desert. ■ SOURCE: CNN unmatched in the U.S. company. ■ SOURCE: WWW.NEWS.COM.AU

11 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Body Glove Co-founder Bill Meistrell Dies Throughout his career, Bill Meistrell helped bring the sports of surfing and diving into the main- stream. Mesitrell died from Parkinson’s disease on July 26, 2006, surrounded by family and friends at his home. He was 77. Bill and his twin brother Bob started diving in the pond of their boyhood farm using an oil can for a helmet and a bicycle pump and a hose for air. Later, in the 1940s, Bill and Bob were among the first Los Angeles County Ocean Lifeguards. In 1953, Bill co-founded a retail store, called Dive N’ Surf, with Bob and several other men. Soon after, Bill and several of his partners invented the first wetsuit. Bill came up with the phrase “fits like a glove” and Body Glove was born. Soon, the Dive N’ Surf crew was consulting with Hollywood on both TV shows and feature films. Today, Bill is one of only three men named to both the surfing and diving halls of fame. According to Bill’s Robert Marx (left) with our late colleague John Neuschwander in 2002 brother, “We had three goals when we were small boys: own a submarine, go deep-sea div- And You Thought You Were Busy! ing and treasure-hunting. Somehow we man- Underwater archaeologist Bob Marx -- who will turn 70 next year aged all three.” ■ SOURCE: WWW.DIVENEWSWIRE.COM -- is a busy man. In addition to authoring books (like The Battle of the Spanish Armada: 1588, and The Voyage of the Nina II), he also “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin Dies has several excavation operations scattered throughout the world including one in Ecuador that requires a small army to protect the Steve Irwin, the famed Australian naturalist, died finds from nosy neighbors. He and his wife, Jenifer, have been filmed after a freak encounter with a stingray. The large more than 50 times by television crews, and they have served as bull ray, apparently frightened, launched the ser- guest lecturers aboard cruise lines and at universities. Yet, amazingly, rated barb in its tail into Irwin’s chest, puncturing Marx still averages 71 hours a week underwater, although he claims his heart. Irwin pulled the barb from his chest and his third pacemaker is “slowing me down.” ■ died. He was 44. SOURCE: WWW.FLORIDATODAY.COM Irwin’s parents founded the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park in 1970, which later became Australia Zoo. Surrounded by animals while grow- NAUI Pacific Rim ing up, Irwin decided to help his father when the recently hosted elder man decided to do something about the twenty-five lucky hunting that threatened the area’s crocodile pop- students at the ulation. After gaining experience with the animals, Coral Redang Resort Irwin was soon spotted by a television producer. in Terengganu, The pair quickly began making conservationist- Malaysia to par- themed documentaries in which Irwin would wres- ticipate and study tle crocodiles, snakes and other dangerous ani- about marine life as mals. In moments of danger, he would shout the part of its Student word, “Crikey!”, a phrase which will not doubt be Marine Education forever associated with him. Although immensely Program. popular, his unconventional approach drew criti- The program, cism from those who believed he was irresponsible which was held from and reckless with animals. Irwin was filming a doc- August 19-21, is a school vacation program involving snorkeling umentary called Ocean’s Deadliest off Australia’s and marine education for students ages 12-14. The Student Marine coast when he was attacked. Worldwide, Education Program was designed as a way to instill in students the researchers know of only 17 people who have importance of marine life and its conservation. Students who par- died from stingrays, and only three in Australia. ticipated in the program also studied the marine environment and Irwin is survived by his wife, Terri, his daughter, Bindi were introduced to skin diving and entry-level scuba. ■ Sue, and his son, Bob. ■ SOURCES: BBC, REUTERS, CNN

12 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED 13 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED World’s First Paraplegic NAUI Course Director “It was originally a six-month gig, but it’s been renewed Paraplegic Fraser go down the professional route ever since, and it’s worked Bathgate has become in scuba diving,” commented out ten times better than I Brouwer. ever expected,” says Fraser. the world’s first Course Jelle Buisman added: “NAUI He travelled to many places Director to qualify from has always been known to be a around the world to promote NAUI EUROPE a wheelchair with NAUI, market leader for new and for- scuba diving for the disabled the National Association ward-thinking programmes and and train instructors in places Workshops certifications. We see this as the as far away as Japan, Australia, of Underwater Instructors. next logical step.” Cayman Islands but also clos- Fraser Bathgate’s training er to home in Slovenia and European REPW Bathgate, who is Vice President included pool work, academic throughout the UK. (2-day representative workshop) and Director of Training for the classes and a visit to the NAUI Ever since he became (Week 40, 2006) International Association for Europe head office in Nijverdal. involved with the International Handicapped Divers (IAHD), has Bathgate had to prove his div- Association for Handicapped Monday Oct. 2, 2006 been a NAUI Instructor Trainer ing and teaching skills in a swim- Divers in 1994, he has put even Tuesday Oct. 3, 2006 since 2003. He achieved this ming pool. The weather was Fraser Bathgate conducted the more energy in developing new qualification at Atlantis Dive not very cooperative but that “I’m very happy that we have first of his “No Barriers” tours, programs and training aids for Centre, Key Largo, Florida, with didn’t really stop the instructors been able to support this train- an ambitious programme of divers. Bruce Klaiber and Captain and Bathgate from completing program. It is great to have motivational presentations at Fraser has been involved with Training at NAUI EUROPE Spencer Slate, having earlier ing this part of the training. The Bathgate on board as NAUI spinal rehabilitation units spon- a number of manufacturers in training facility for NAUI TEC completed his instructor course outdoor pool is based in the vil- Course Director. I believe this sored by PADI and Breitling. the diving branch, Oceanic there. lage of Abbekerk, Netherlands. will help both Bathgate and But the project was coming and Weezle to name a couple. (Dates and individual programs on He has now completed the It is the homebase of diveteam NAUI to further develop scuba under severe pressure until Ford With his help, most times only request) NAUI Course Director pro- “Verpleegsterhaai”. The dive diving,” commented Richard stepped in to offer him sponsor- small adjustments have been gramme, a three-day work- team has a broad experience Lucas. ship. Equipped with a specially made to equipment to make In this program, NAUI EUROPE offers shop held in the Netherlands with training disabled people to adapted Ford car, Fraser was it more user friendly. Everything Technical Instructor workshops. by Jelle Buisman, NAUI Europe different levels in sport diving, all Fraser Bathgate’s training soon covering 20,000 miles a focused on making Scuba Training Manager and Klaas instructors are trained by both was the first of its kind for year in the UK alone. Diving more accessible. ■ Technical Course Director workshops Brouwer, NAUI Course Director the IAHD and NAUI. NAUI In the following NAUI TEC courses: and President of the IAHD. “With the completion of this “Hopefully, this will open the course, it is proven that scuba Fraser started diving in 1992 door to people with disabilities diving is a very accessible activ- in Dubai—his first break after Intro to Tech and give them the courage to ity. For me, it is the completion he ended up in a wheelchair Technical EAnx of the circle, which start- after a climbing accident in Decompression Techniques ed when I became the 1986. It turned out to be a Heli-air, Heli-trox first Paraplegic scuba major life changing event for Wreck Penetration instructor, now I can train him. Technical Wreck Penetration anyone to any scuba As the first person in a Trimix-I & Trimix-II diving level,” comment- wheelchair ever to qualify as Mixed Gas Blender ed Bathgate. a PADI scuba-diving instruc- With a visit to NAUI tor in 1994, Fraser has been Europe’s head office, responsible for teaching For information or to participate in the training program was thousands of people with one or more of the above men- completed. The signa- disabilities to dive since that tioned courses and/or workshops tures were placed on the day. And as the guru on dis- you can contact us by email: necessary documents ability access, his advice is and then followed by sought by the organisers of [email protected] a firm handshake from major sporting events and or [email protected] Richard Lucas, General outdoor concerts. Director NAUI Europe. It was back in 1996 that

14 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Scuba degree tion, the new BA (Hons) PADI Europe: Students at Kingston degree involves a number of “NITROX is more popular than ever” University in Surrey, United adventure activities such as Training Kingdom, will soon be head- scuba diving, climbing and It has been two years since PADI Europe launched ing underwater as part of kayaking. For details, phone Diving with NITROX. The success was immediate. And a new BA (Hons) degree in Kingston University on (+44) two years later the certification numbers surpass all Edited by Outdoor Education. Focusing 020 8547 7053 or see its web- original expectations. Diving with NITROX is more Peter Symes on environmental educa- site. www.kingston.ac.uk popular than ever. The certification numbers have increased from 5,417 in 2003 to an average of 20,000 in 2004 and 2005. Jean-Claude Monachon, PADI Europe’s CEO, takes TDI Releases New Nitrox Manual and a confident look at the future: “The NITROX story of Support Materials success will be continued in 2006. There is still an enormous potential of divers who have not tried out the TDI has released new teaching and learning materi- unique advantages of NITROX over regular pressurized als today for its popular and ground-breaking Nitrox air but would like to give it a try at the next occasion.” course. These materials include a student manual, This is becoming easier all the time, because two knowledge review, instructor guide and new Instructor years after the launch, more than 530 of the Resource CD (includes PowerPoint, exams and an 1,000 PADI Dive Centers and Resorts within electronic instructor guide) all of which have been PADI Europe’s territory offer NITROX diving. ■ TDI Unveils New Materials completely re-written and redesigned to meet the for Inspiration / Evolution agency’s new training materials guidelines and reflecting the learning needs of today’s Nitrox CCR Course diver candidate. TDI is the first of the major training agen- The TDI student manual includes more than cies to release support materials for the 60 specially created illustrations and photo- popular Inspiration and Evolution Closed graphs in a 120-page perfect-bound format. Circuit Rebreathers. TDI’s Nitrox course teaches students to exe- The student manual primary author cute dives utilizing Nitrox mixtures up to 40%. is John Garvin, a CCR Instructor for the In the new Nitrox manual, learning objectives and Inspiration since it was first launched in key concepts for each of its nine chapters are high- DAN Announces New Online 1998, but there have been several other lighted and clearly defined. The content covers the Training Course highly qualified Instructor Trainers and benefits of Nitrox, Equivalent Air Depth concept, oxy- Instructors that assisted with input and gen toxicity, and nitrox equipment considerations. final review. The support materials for TDI’s Nitrox program have Divers Alert Network now offers three online “The manual is generously illustrated also been redesigned from the ground up. “What our seminars, addressing safety and health manual with excellent photographs and instructors will notice is that the instructor guide and issues of interest to divers. Courses are eas- diagrams, and the Inspiration / Evolution PowerPoint® materials have been structured in a way ily accessible through the DAN website. CCR product line is the first we have that will assist them to present the most complex con- The most recent addition to the online developed using multiple contributors cepts of Nitrox diving in a concise and organized fash- seminars is Inert Gas Exchange, Bubbles, and input from our complete product ion reflecting the needs of today’s diver education. and Decompression Theory, presented development team. There are currently TDI: [email protected] or (+1) 207-729-4201. ■ by Richard Vann Ph.D., DAN vice presi- several other CCR manuals in develop- dent of research, at a recent Diving and ment scheduled to be released within Hyperbaric Medicine course offered by the next six months. Although the project DAN. Participants can learn about inert gas took longer to develop than expected, exchange in the body and the affects we are very excited with the final prod- those bubbles can have on one’s dive. uct,” stated Brian Carney, President Open to the general public at a cost of SDI/TDI. “The student manual, of US$25, this online presentation takes Instructor Resource CD (Instructor 60-90 minutes to complete. Participants guide, exams, PowerPoint) and receive certificates of completion from workbook were designed to work DAN. See this presentation and others at in conjunction with manufactures www.diversalertnetwork.org ■ owner’s manual.” ■

15 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Celebrating Two Years Jelly Jellyfish Blooms linked of X-RAY MAG News to Global Warming

CRAIG SMITH, UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII New CD Edited by This summer thousands ent barrel-shaped creatures Peter Symes of holidaymakers in the called salps have also been 12 FULL issues for Mediterranean have been documented in recurring stung by jellyfish as huge dense swarms in waters all just US$14.99! swarms of the creatures over the globe. And they play invade coastal waters. a critical role in transporting Spanish beaches have been a greenhouse gas deep into closed, and Sicily and North the deep sea, scientists have Africa were also reported to found. be badly affected. A survey Phytoplankton extract the by the Oceana environmen- carbon from atmospheric tal group found concentra- carbon dioxide to build their tions of jellyfish of more than skeletons and shells. Salps A deep-sea stone crab living on a blue whale bone on the ocean 10 per square meter in some are among the larger crea- floor of the Santa Cruz Basin areas off the Spanish coast. tures that eat phytoplankton, Marine biologists blame hot consuming up to 74 percent dry weather for bringing jel- of them from the surface How Whaling Impacts lyfish closer to the shore, and water in a day. When the say overfishing may also be animals die or defecate, the increasing jellyfish numbers by carbon dissolves back into removing predators and com- the oceans. Just their sinking Deep-Sea Biodiversity petitors. Jellyfish are them- feecal pellets transport up to selves voracious eaters, and 4,000 tons of carbon daily to When the bodies of dead whales recent research project, Smith and suggested that species extinctions experts say that because they deeper water. Salps release sink to the ocean floor, they cre- his colleagues concluded that may have already occurred in the consume fish at a very high fecal pellets in deep water, Buy the CD ate island-like habitats for deep- there were at least 37 species—up North Atlantic where great whales rate, it may be hard for the where few animals consume sea life that last for decades, from 28 known—that could be were decimated in the 1800s. fish they replace to re-estab- them, making them efficient Help Save the Oceans! according to a recent study by whale-fall specialists. Extinction may also be ongoing lish themselves. transporters of carbon away A percent of all sales goes to Craig Smith at the University of in the Southern Ocean, where Meanwhile, semi-transpar- from the atmosphere. ■ Hawaii and his colleagues. So far, Succession intense whaling persisted until the ocean conservation projects. biologists have discovered 28 new Smith’s whale-sinking experiments 1970s. Makes a great gift for your species that may depend exclu- show that whale falls provide These findings highlight the need dive buddies and friends sively on whale carcasses for food. several successions of communi- to consider the effects of whaling Whaling, however, deprives the ties, one after another. First, the and other types of fishing on entire who love the oceans. ocean floor of this resource and mobile scavengers, such as sharks, ecosystems, rather than focuss- can cause the extinction of the eat the flesh of the dead whales, ing narrowly on target species. species dependent on the energy- thereby removing the soft tissue. “The possibility that whaling has To order, visit our rich carcasses of whales for sur- The remainder of the whale-fall is caused species extinctions at the new online store today! vival. bones. Second, the enrichment remote deep-sea floor gives me opportunists, such as worms and new appreciation for the scale of Whale falls crabs, land on the bones and live human impacts on the ocean,” “Whale falls” are the bodies of and reproduce there. says Smith. “We need to recognise X-RAY MAG dead whales after they have sunk Smith and his colleagues that the oceans consist of a stack to the deep sea floor. Whale-fall applied simple models from con- of tightly connected ecosystems STORE specialists are marine organisms servation biology to explore the – over-fishing or pollution in surface www.cafepress.com/xraymag which need whale-fall environ- impact of whaling on the extinc- waters is bound to cause problems ments to sustain their population tion of deep-sea animals that live thousands of metres below.” ■ and to avoid extinction. After a on whale carcasses. Their results DISCOUNTED WHOLESALE PRICES AVAILABLE

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16 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Red Sea parting, creating new ocean because

FILEPHOTO: PETER SYMES of shifting of tectonic plates The Red Sea is widening to create a new ocean basin between Africa and Arabia, according to a report in Nature. A huge rift appeared in 2005 along a fault in Ethiopia’s Afar desert. Eritrea and north east Ethiopia are likely to become a new off- Restaurant with live fish, Malaysia shore island as the Red Sea widens and extends, but the process will take around a million years. ■ Live Fish Trade NASA Threatens Coral Reefs Twenty of the world’s leading The giant tropical Napoleon marine scientists have called for wrasse, which can live to 30 and tighter controls on the trade that grow to up to two metres long, is sees juvenile fish taken to tanks in almost extinct in the Indo-Pacific luxury restaurants, so that diners region and is now being hunted in can choose one to eat. Already the Red Sea and transported over under threat from global warm- 4,500 miles to the Far East. ing, the $1billion live reef fish The Napoleon wrasse has been trade could wipe out species virtually wiped out in the region, and destroy weakened reefs in and you don’t find any when div- the Indo-Pacific region around ing. It is estimated there are only The southern Red Sea with Pollution Threatens Coral the small areas where the scien- Dr Bette Willis, Centre of Malaysia and Borneo and even 100 adults left in the area. Most Ethiopia on the left Health by Preventing tists removed tissue for analysis. Excellence for Coral Reef Studies further afield. are caught when they are juve- The loss of coral harms natural scientist, says some reefs are It also threatens to destroy the niles when they are the size of a Lesions from Healing reef ecosystems and can hurt being hit by coral diseases, tourist diving industry in affected plate. Researchers reveal Florida’s tourism economy if divers including black band, white areas as endangered species They never get the chance underwater canyons Coral tissue damage that normal- decide to go elsewhere. Reefs plague, white pox and white could vanish and coral reefs crum- to breed. Strong international along New Jersey coast ly heals on its own will not mend also help to protect coastal areas syndrome. The diseases are pres- ble because tropical fish are being demand and liberal global trade when the colonies are near pollu- from hurricanes, as they break up ently restricted to small sections stunned with cyanide, laws means a single fish Just 100 miles off the New tion sources on land that release storm surge in the same manner of isolated reef, but the problem which also dam- can be worth $10,000 at Jersey-New York coast and industrial chemicals, fuel oils and that sea walls do. ■ could spread if global warming ages the the Hong Kong mar- hidden beneath hundreds other contaminants, researchers and water quality issues are not reef. kets that deal of feet of water, lies a vast from University of Central Florida continually addressed. with most underwater canyon, rivalling have found. The scientists have Coral Disease Outbreak “Strategies which maintain the of the Grand Caynon in size scientists used the equivalent of blood is Preventable resilience of the coral reefs are trade. ■ find. The area’s centerpiece is tests on humans to identify likely important and ways of managing the giant underwater chasm causes of low coral vitality near An Australian marine scientist coral disease. Otherwise we have called the Hudson Canyon, wastewater discharge pipes and says water quality management very few strategies -- we can’t which is the largest submarine the Port Everglades inlet. Coral plans and reef closures will help give them courses of antibiotics or canyon off the East Coast of that were growing near both protect the Great Barrier Reef off isolate them. It’s very difficult in a the United States and one of areas were found to be unable to Queensland’s coast from coral marine environment to use a tra- Napolean wrasse, the largest submarine canyons repair tissue damage, while coral disease outbreaks seen in other ditional strategy for disease man- Cheilinus undulatus in the world. ■ colonies at control sites healed parts of the world. agement,” said Dr Willis. ■ OCEANNENVIRONMENT 17 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED NASA’s SeaStar Satellite with the Sea-viewing Wide NASA Solves Plankton Field-of-view Sensor Mystery CA DEPT OF FISH AND GAME

“We concluded that nitrogen is Enough to make you want to swim with the primary element missing for your mouth closed? algae growth and photosynthe- A Chinese Mitten Crab 20,000 Kinds of Bacteria sis in the northern portion of the has been caught on tropical Pacific, while it was iron healthy looking phytoplankton are actu- ure represents a tremendous amount of the US East coast Found in 1 Liter of Seawater that was most lacking every- ally not so healthy. carbon that remains in the atmosphere In a paper published in Proceedings “Because we didn’t know about this that scientists previously thought were of the National Academy of Sciences where else.” effect of iron stress on the greenness being removed. Approximately, half of Marine Species Are Getting journal, scentiists reveal marine micro- of algae or phytoplankton before, we the photosynthesis on Earth occurs in the Out Of Place bial diversity may be some 10 to 100 By combining satellite data from NASA’s have always assumed that equally green oceans, and the remainder on land. times more than expected, and the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor waters were equally productive,” said The results about the false health of While fishing his crab pots in early June, a vast majority are previously unknown, and ship-based measurements of fluo- Michael J. Behrenfeld, an ocean plant phytoplankton allow scientists using com- Chesapeake Bay fisherman hauled in an low-abundance organisms theorized rescence, scientists can now determine ecologist from Oregon State University, puter models to re-create the movement unusual catch, a mature male Chinese to play an important role in the marine what limits the growth of ocean algae, Corvallis, Oregon. “We now know this is of carbon around the world much more Mitten Crab, Eriocheir sinensis. It was the environment as part of a “rare bio- or phytoplankton, and how this affects not the case, and that we have to treat accurately, and can incorporate these first time anyone had ever reported finding sphere”. Earth’s climate. Fluorescence occurs areas lacking iron differently.” findings in future modeling, analysis and a Mitten Crab in Chesapeake Bay waters. “These observations blow away all when plants absorb sunlight and scientists The NASA sponsored study focused predictions. ■ Native to East Asia, the crab is significant previous estimates of bacterial diver- found that phytoplankton give off much on phytoplankton in the tropical Pacific as a potentially harmful invasive species sity in the ocean,” says lead author more fluorescence when the plants do Ocean. It is an area of the ocean that that has caused economic damage in Mitchell L. Sogin, director of the Marine not have sufficient iron. It is this signal plays a particularly important role in Europe and on the West Coast of the U.S. Biological Laboratory (MBL)’s Josephine they used to fingerprint what parts of the regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide There are several possible ways the crab Bay Paul Center for Comparative and ocean are iron-stressed and what parts and the world’s climate. This area of the could have arrived in the bay, including Molecular Biology and Evolution. are nitrogen-stressed. ocean is the largest natural source of imported seafood trade or commercial Microbes make up carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. By shipping in near-by Baltimore Harbor. ■ “These the majority of life in the Iron or Nitrogen? knowing what limits planktonic growth oceans and are described Scientists determined when phyto- scientists can better understand how Meanwhile observations as the “primary engines” plankton is stressed from lack of iron, it ecosystems respond to climate Tuna turned up on beaches in Wales, UK; blow away of the Earth’s biosphere. appears greener, or health- change. in Norway, the Kamchatka crab continues all previous Finding so many more ier than they really are. For the tropi- marching south; and tropi- species than expected Normally, greener plants cal Pacific, cor- cal lionfish are now often estimates fundamentally affects our are growing faster rection for this sighted off Rhode of bacterial understanding of how than less green plants. “iron-effect” Island on the US north- more complex life first When iron is lacking, decreases eastern seaboard. ■ diversity in evolved and also how cli- enhanced green- scientists’ esti- the ocean” mate change will impact ness does not mean mates of how Airborne imaging completes “For example one image may depict on its continued survival. phytoplankton are much carbon ﬁrst digital map of Ningaloo substantial areas of pink and purple, Scientists now want to know how growing better. ocean plants which we know is an area dense with so many kinds of microorganisms They are actually photosyn- Marine Park table corals. Where we see these shades evolved and survived, and what effect under stress and thesize for The images will be cross referenced with elsewhere along the vast tract of the they might have on the environment. ■ unhealthy. These the region by information gathered from the Australian reef, we can assume there are table conclusions solved roughly two bil- Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) under- corals.”said Dr Andrew Heyward of AIMS. the mystery why lion tons. This fig- water biological surveys, which include “The broad-scale data captured sets the dive expeditions and deep water inves- stage for exciting science projects. From tigations using video, sled sampling and this we will be able to separate out habi- acoustic echo sounders. tats and monitor change.” ■

18 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Poles Locate German WW2 Aircraft Carrier Australia: Graf Zeppelin in the Baltic Iron Knight Protected wreck The wreck of the SS Iron Knight, A search for oil in the Baltic sea has turned up A Polish Navy ship, sent to the site, identified the sunk in Australian waters during rap the wreck of the German World War Two aircraft wrecked ship as the Graf Zeppelin, which was the Second World War, will be pro- carrier Graf Zeppelin, whose whereabouts had captured by the Soviet navy, used for target tected as an historic shipwreck due been a mystery since it was sunk by the Soviet practice and sunk as part of a training exercise to its maritime heritage significance, navy after the war. A research ship belong- in 1947. The Graf Zeppelin was Germany’s only according to the Minister for the ing to Polish oil company Petrobaltic found the aircraft carrier in the war. Its final resting place Environment and Heritage, Senator 250-metre wreck 55 km north of the Polish port had been a mystery. ■ Ian Campbell. Wladyslawowo at a depth of more than 80m. Full article on www.xray-mag.com As part of a wartime convoy, the Australian cargo steamer SS Iron Knight was en route from Whyalla to Newcastle with a load of iron ore Ghosts of Jutland Exhibition Shipwrecks Oﬀ Coast of Helsinki when it was torpedoed and sunk by Russians Find a Japanese submarine in the early Wreckage of U.S. Ghosts of Jutland is a commemora- Contain Oil, Mercury and Explosives hours of 8 February 1943. tive exhibition onboard HMS Belfast, a “Of the 50 crew on board only Submarine branch of the Imperial War Museum Most of the 30-odd well known 14 survived. Although historic ship- and London’s floating naval museum, shipwrecks off the coast of wrecks in Australian waters are usu- Russian divers have spotted the was launched 31 May 2006, exactly Helsinki are old, badly decom- ally at least 75 years old, the SS Iron wreckage of a legendary U.S. 90 years to the day since the Battle of posed wooden vessels that fail to Knight deserves our protection as a submarine that was lost in the Jutland took place during WWI. The offer much excitement for rec- war grave of the lost crew,” Senator Pacific in 1943, a Russian news tragedy of the Western Front and the reational divers. But thanks to the Campbell said. agency ITAR-Tass reported. Battle of the Somme has perhaps overshadowed that of the Battle drop in price of side scan sonar, “I consider vessels such as SS Iron A diving team from the Far of Jutland and this exhibition has been specially curated to com- which enables a more precise Knight, sunk during enemy action in Eastern State Technological memorate the 8,648 British and German sailors lost over the course mapping of the seabed, private the Second World War, to be a sig- University in Vladivostok found of one day. The exhibition will be on display until 2007. groups hunting for shipwrecks as nificant part of Australia’s maritime the USS Wahoo in the La Fought in the summer of 1916, Jutland was the only major encoun- a hobby will most likely locate heritage, and so I have declared the Perouse Strait and took pictures ter between Britain and Germany at sea during World War One, and new wrecks. But not all the wrecks vessel an historic shipwreck to ensure of it during a recent expedition. the last one in which all the classic ship types played their parts (Bat- are open for recreational diving its protection now and for future gen- Under the command of tleships, Battlecruisers, Armoured Cruisers, Light Cruisers and Destroy- purposes. Particularly dangerous erations.” Dudley “Mush” Morton, the ers). Today, it remains the largest naval conflagration ever to have are warships and vessels contain- The Historic Shipwrecks Act of 1976 Wahoo became one of the taken place, bigger even than the massive battles in the Pacific in ing oil. Finland’s Environmental aims to protect maritime archaeo- most famous U.S. submarines of World War II. So much was expected of Jutland, and yet so little Administration has estimated that logical sites, while encouraging pub- World War II. With 19 Japanese resulted. The end was a bloody draw with a tragic butcher’s bill for there are around 40 wrecks in lic access to them. The Act prohibits ships sunk, Morton was ranked both countries. The battle may have only raged for 24 hours, but dur- Finland’s territorial waters present- damage, interference or removal of as one of the war’s top three ing this period, twenty-five ships (14 British and 11 German) were sunk ing a threat of an oil spill. FINNISH NATIONAL BOARD OF ANTIQUITIES historic shipwrecks and their associ- sub skippers. and 8,648 sailors died. Old warships provide an alto- The best-preserved wreck outside ated relics. The Wahoo was sunk by the For Britain, Jutland was meant to be the next Trafalgar and confir- gether different risk. Most of them of Helsinki is the Swedish warship The discovery of the wreck of the Japanese navy as it returned mation that she still ruled the waves. Whilst the Germans expected sank in full combat readiness. Kronprins Gustav Adolf, around which SS Iron Knight was made by a team from its seventh patrol on Oct. the High Seas Fleet to achieve supremacy of the North Sea by attri- During World War II, there were the Maritime Museum of Finland has of specialist divers from The Sydney 11, 1943. All 79 crewmen died. ■ tion—repeatedly attacking the Grand Fleet. Instead, the battle was more sea mines in the Gulf of constructed an underwater park with Project dive team 22 miles south of a shambles. ■ Finland outside Helsinki than any- signs and visitors’ books Montague Island, off the coast of where else in the world due to NSW, in 125 metres of water. ■ Based on a the German desire to keep the a Russian mine and went down in contribution by Russian fleet tied up in harbour. 1941 with the loss of 40 of its crew. Rosemary E Lunn. The minelayer Königin Luise is pre- The mine clearance equipment Find her Jutland sumably the most unpredictable may also contain mercury. Wrecks Treaty wreck off the coast of Helsinki, Many of the warship wreck Proposal on and diving to the vessel is forbid- locations have not been revealed xray-mag.com den. It contains depth charges, to the general public. Most of among other things. There is them belong to the Defence debris spread over a large area Forces, until one hundred years around the ship. The vessel struck have passed from the sinking. ■

19 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Wreck’s Discovery Revives Unusual Survival Tale Ancient ship- Artiﬁcial Reefs wreck The ocean has revealed a secret 120 years wrecks found in Two vessels scuttled at rap old on the most remote island in the Hawaiian Xatt l-Ahmar, Gozo chain. Malaysia The wreck of the full-rigged ship Dunotter Two decommissioned passen- Castle, which sank on the reef off Kure Atoll 120 Three ship- ger ferries were sunk as artificial years ago, has been found surprisingly intact 25 wrecks reefs for divers off the Maltese feet below the surface. including Island of Gozo in August as part The wreck made headlines in 1886 after seven one resem- of a European Union funded survivors sailed 52 days and 1,200 miles in an bling a project to boost tourism in open boat and were picked up off Kaua’i. A Portuguese the area. The two vessels, MV voyage to rescue crew members remaining warship Karwela and the MV Comino on Kure set out the next day via the steamer have been Land, sank upright within 50m of Odyssey Marine to Wai’ale’ale. ■ discovered each other at a depth of 36m. It in the Straits took more than seven hours for Move New Orleans of Malacca. the 56m-long MV Karwela and

Shipwreck Attraction Well- WWW.MARITIME-EXPLORATIONS.COM 35m-long MV Comino Land to known Bronze cannon with sink at Ix-Xatt I-Ahmar, Gozo. ■ Odyssey’s Shipwreck & Treasure Andrea Doria Wreck Turns 50 Australian lifting rings SOURCE: MALTAMEDIA NEWS Adventure will close in September maritime 2006 due to the continuing eco- On July 25, 1956, while sail- Strong currents and heavy sedi- especially when operating at that archaeologist Dr Michael Flecker, Old subway cars nomic and business difficulties in ing off the coast of Nantucket, ment seriously reduce visibility to depth. who has carried out more than become ﬁsh habitat the area since Hurricane Katrina. Massachusetts bound for near zero and add serious risk to Because the wreck is gradu- 100 explorations in numerous Up to 250 old New York City sub- Odyssey plans to re-open the New York City, the luxury liner the dive. The main difficulty lies ally disintegrating and the inte- countries around the region, way cars will become artificial attraction in another market later Andrea Doria collided with the in the depth and the cold water. rior shell collapsing, many of its made the discovery last year reefs off New Jersey Atlantic in 2006. The attraction originally SS Stockholm of the Swedish- Also, a nearly invisible spiderweb passageways are also caving in. using sonar for a blanket survey Coast adding to the 140 ships opened in New Orleans on August American Line. Most passengers of very fine fishing lines cov- The wreck’s distance from land is along the Straits. The location and that have been deployed in the 27, 2005, but closed almost immedi- and crew survived. The evacu- ers parts of the wreck and can another issue as decompression authenticity was later confirmed Jersey deep along with Army ately due to Hurricane Katrina. The ated Andrea Doria capsized and become entangled with scuba sickness has claimed a number of through dives. He said the warship tanks, reef balls and tires since attraction re-opened in early 2006, sank the following morning. It has gear causing problems for divers victims. ■ was located in an area between the program’s start in 1984. ■ along with many other businesses since become one of the most UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Pulau Upeh and Pulau Panjang who hoped to help bring the tourism legendary wrecks in the world off the coast of Malacca and at The recent scutling of patrol industry back to life in the city. ■ alluring challenge seeking divers another location, two vessels lying boats off Cozumel from afar and sometimes to an side by side was found, though untimely death. Numerous are the precise locations are undis- Ancient treasures from the divers who have lost their closed to prevent looting. shipwrecks on display lives diving the wreck (see the Dr Flecker said, although his Obituary over shipwreck expert findings were very preliminary, he in Vietnam David Brigh) and diving conditions was excited about the prospect at the wreck site are considered of possibly finding what could be Ancient treasures from five ships even more dangerous today. the oldest European ship found in sunken in Vietnam’s waters are The shipwreck lies in an area of Malaysian waters. The ship could now on display for the first time at the Atlantic called the Bermuda be a Portuguese ship, under the the Can Tho City Museum and the Triangle of the Northeast—50 miles command of Admiral Coutinho, Vietnam History Museum. On show south of Nantucket, MA, and 200 which sank in 1583 during a bat- are many documentary films and miles east of Sandy Hook, NJ in tle. photos as well as more than 400 the US. When it sank, the top por- He also revealed pictures he artifacts selected from about 10,000 tion of the Andrea Doria was 150 had taken of cannons, cannon items retrieved from the five sunken feet deep. The top section is now balls, bones of animals that were vessels off Quang Nam, Ba Ria- at 190 feet, and the hull rests at consumed on the ships and bro- Vung Tau, Kien Giang, Binh Thuan 240 feet, much deeper than the ken Ming dynasty porcelain. ■ and Ca Mau provinces. The exhi- scope of recreational diving. bition is open until the end of this year. ■

20 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Live Broadcast From NOAA Russian Divers locate his- Historic US Schooner toric wreck in the Arctic

Stellwagen Bank National Marine Russian divers claim they have Sanctuary conducted two 30 minute live found the wreck of a Soviet ship, wireless broadcasts from the shipwreck which sank attempting a historic of the coal schooner Frank A. Palmer. journey along the Arctic coast in Viewers at the Gloucester Maritime 1934. It was supposed to show that Heritage Center in Gloucester, MA, the a normal vessel—rather than an Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center icebreaker—could complete the in Alpena, MI, and over the World Wide journey from Murmansk in north- Web, watched live underwater video western Russia to Vladivostok in rescue operation where more than and asked the research team questions the Pacific Ocean. However, as 100 of the crew were rescued by as they investigated the shipwreck. ■ the Chelyuskin neared the end of pilots who were hailed as heroes. its journey in December 1933, it Artifacts from the wreck are to be became trapped in ice and even- sent to Denmark, where the ship tually sank in February 1934. But the was built, to confirm its identity. ■ Viewers get a live peek at failure became a triumph after the SOURCE: BBC Monitor wreckage Scientists Say Hunley’s Forward Hatch Was An expedition to the site of the wreck of Michigan Divers locate SS Hennepin The K-19 ballistic missile sub was also the star feature the Civil War ironclad off North Carolina’s Unlocked of a Hollywood film called ‘K-19: The Widow Maker’ Cape Hatteras was broadcast live from vitually intact at 200ft featuring Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson. a University of Rhode Island research ves- Scientists say they may have found a sel, Endeavor. It could be seen on the clue as to why the Confederate subma- member and Internet, at www.oceanslive.org, and at rine Hunley sank after sinking a Union search assistant. K-19 Missile Crew Honored, the theater inside Nauticus. warship in 1864. Archaeologists in North “The A-frame arm Sub to be Restored Charleston working to restore the sub- that moved the

NOAA marine recovered six years ago from the cargo conveyor In memory of their sacrifice and valor, golden Atlantic Ocean off Sullivans Island have is there, the con- anniversary medals were awarded to Russian found evidence the forward hatch may veyor rollers and veteran sailors, who served on the famous nuclear- have been intentionally opened the even the ship’s power submarine K-19, ITAR-TASS reports. The K-19, night the sub sank. wheel.” The ship the first Soviet submarine to carry ballistic missiles, The forward hatch is one of two ways The well-preserved remains of the was being towed by a tugboat was on its first training voyage in the North Atlantic crew members got in and out. The group SS Hennepin, a Milwaukee-built, from Chicago to Grand Haven in 1961, when its reactor cooling system sprang a Friends of the Hunley says X-rays show the 208-foot-long vessel that sank dur- when it sank during a storm. The leak, sending the core temperature soaring and hatch is open about half an inch. Earlier ing an Aug. 18, 1927, storm, has captain and his 13-member crew threatened a meltdown. The captain and 139- reports said rods that could have been been found by Michigan Shipwreck survived by abandoning the vessel, man crew stayed on board to repair the system part of the watertight locking mechanism Research Associates. Members of which took about four hours to sink, and to prevent a nuclear catastrophe, exposing were found at the feet of the sub’s com- the group who searches for and for the safety of the tug. ■ themselves to severe radiation. Eight died within mander, Lieutenant George Dixon. documents shipwrecks, stated they www.michiganshipwrecks.org weeks, 12 died over the next two years and 20 This remote-controlled submersible is one of two Scientists also speculate the hatch located the Hennepin upright suffered longer-term illnesses. Today, K-19 crew is that are shooting images of the USS Monitor could have been damaged after the sub in 230 feet of water off South nominated for Nobel Peace Prize. In a recent twist wreckage to create a huge photomosaic sank. ■ Haven. of the tale of the K-19, the Russian oligarch and bil- Just months after its historic battle with The Hennepin was a steamer lionaire Vladimir Romanov, has bought the legen- the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia built in Milwaukee in 1888. It dary Soviet nuclear submarine, which he plans to in Hampton Roads, the Monitor sank in was later transformed into the have restored and turned into a museum, possibly 1862 in a storm off Hatteras, with the loss Great Lakes’ first self-unloader, on the Moscow River. Mr Romanov did his own of 16 lives. The wreck was discovered in a cargo ship with an A-shaped military service on the K-19 from 1966-69. When he the 1970s. It’s a marine sanctuary now, crane and a series of convey- heard that it had fallen into disrepair, he felt it was and recovery work is ongoing as the iron ors that made it faster and important to put back into the water. and wood are slowly degrading. The war- easier to unload its contents. In turning the vessel into a museum, he is fulfilling ship’s revolving turret was brought to the “It’s in perfect condition,” said the wishes of the K-19’s late captain Nikolai Zateev

surface in 2002 and is being preserved at NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER Craig Rich, a group board on whose watch the nuclear accident occurred. ■ MICHIGAN SHIPWRECK RESEARCH ASSOCIATES the Mariner’s Museum in Newport. ■ H.L. Hunley was a Confederate submersible

21 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED New Oceanography Centers and Vessels

Oceanography Center New Oceanography On Hawaii Gets US$19 Centre in Portugal Million Grant Construction of the Sagres Oceanography Centre, located close to the Porto da Baleeira, will A new federal 5-year grant will get underway by the end of the help fund a University of Hawaii-led year. The centre will include an center focusing on the study of mi- aquarium dedicated to marine croscopic organisms in the world’s wildlife, a feature within the muse- oceans. The project is expected um area that will also boast vari- NOAA Accepts Delivery to help uncover new technolo- ous thematic sections dedicated of New Fisheries Survey gies and to educate scientists and to the water cycle and a small Vessel engineers. auditorium. It is due to open to the “We are on the verge of a revo- public at the end of 2008. ■ NOAA took delivery of Henry B. lution in our understanding of the Bigelow, one of a new class of fisher- sea around us, especially the role ies survey vessels being built under of microbes in global ecosystem Oregon-based coastal contract with VT Halter Marine Inc., processes,” said David Karl, a UH- research center funded in Pascagoula, MS. The vessel will Manoa oceanography professor The National Science Foundation support NOAA research efforts in and principal investigator for the has selected Oregon Health & conservation and management new center. The University of Ha- Science University to become the of fisheries and marine ecosystems waii has already committed $12 first Science and Technology Center primarily in northeastern U.S. waters, million for the first five years. The to focus on coastal margins and replacing the 45-year old Albatross Agouron Institute and the Gordon river-to-coast transition. The five-year IV. The ship will be home ported in and Betty Moore Foundation are program may be extended into a New England, although a perma- also providing funding. ■ $39 million, 10-year program. ■ nent base has not been named. ■

Venus - Your Internet Connection to the Ocean Floor VENUS, The Victoria Experimental body on the seaﬂoor. Check Research Network Under the Sea, is a facil- Highlights and read why VENUS de- ity that connects you to underwa- ployed a dead pig near our underwater instruments on the ocean floor ter camera. near Victoria and Vancouver, British Designed as an undersea laboratory Columbia, Canada. for ocean researchers, you can exam- ine their research and see the same CSI Undersea? data yourself through this website. ■ Find out what happens to a dead www.venus.uvic.ca

22 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED EU Funds New Hyperbaric Latest Trend their diving holiday. Each safari is unique Chamber for Dominica In Red Sea Liveaboards: in its own right, with as many as 15 different wrecks to be explored within a one Travel News The tourism sector in Dominica has received a major boost Wreck Safaris in Luxury week safari depending on the itinerary. with the installation of a hyperbaric chamber at the Princess Blue o two and Collings run two wreck Margaret Hospital. Funded by the European Union under the hunting weeks every year, often enlisting Eco-Tourism Development Programme at a cost of $750,000, experts in the field of side scan promoting the well equipped and functional facility will be used for impromptu workshops detailing the art of treating emergencies associated with scuba diving. ■ wreck location and exploration. In 2005 alone, 12 new wrecks were added to the growing list. The last two expeditions have netted 7 and 5 new wrecks respectively. Ship’s scuttling brings Construction Projects on Sipadan “Terminated” Following his devotion to wrecks, in tourism dollars by Willy Volk Collings has been the vanguard to the record of over 60 wrecks that are current- The Queensland Tourism Minister After the press coverage and public out- island’s) eco-system. We will announce ly dived by sport divers on a regular basis Desley Boyle, says the scut- cry concerning the barge that destroyed it two or three months from now,” he with over 20 further target spots identi- tling of HMAS Brisbane off the a section of Sipadan’s reef last May, said this week. Considering ample rest IMAGE SUPPLIED BY BLUE O TWO fied by Collings for exploration. Even in Sunshine Coast has raked in a Malaysian officials have finally agreed to areas exist on neighboring islands, I don’t Over the last decades, the Red Sea has 2006, the Red Sea will remain a mysterious million dollars in tourism revenue. halt all major construction on the island. understand the need for these facilities, become one of the most popular div- arena, ripe for adventure and exploration. The former Navy ship was sunk a The restaurant and clubhouse that were but Musa insists they’re essential. ■ ing destinations in the world. Divers from Further information: www.blueotwo.com ■ year ago to create a dive site. across the globe congregate to experi- “There is also the amazing story ence the crystal clear waters and abun- of the artificial reef that has dance of marine life. The attraction grown at a great rate around stems not only from the unique marine the wreck, very much faster than ecosystem, but also from the plethora had been predicted,” she said. ■ of shipwrecks that lay in rest stretch- ing from the Gulf of Suez to the eastern New Zealand Far Straits of Tiran, and reaching as far south North Gets Frigate for to where the Red Sea meets the Indian Ocean. Artiﬁcial Reef The UK-based tour operator Blue o The Far North district has won the two has now taken Red Sea liveaboard

right to scuttle the decommis- PETER SYMES to a new evolutionary level by introduc- sioned naval frigate HMNZS Can- ing the next generation in liveaboard terbury in the Bay of Islands. Far being constructed to serve visiting divers More divers going to Sipadan vessels and offering built-in adventurous IMAGE SUPPLIED BY BLUE O TWO North Mayor Yvonne Sharp said have been “terminated with immedi- safaris with one mission in mind—wreck Minister of Defence Phil Goff had ate effect,” Chief Minister Datuk Musa illegally hunting. Joining forces with renowned told her that it was the strength of Aman announced yesterday. Moreover, explorer Peter Collings, their escorted community support for the trust’s the entire Sabah Parks—the agency The permitted number of divers on safaris are an introduction to wreck explo- bid that had impressed him. ■ that oversees Sipadan as well as some Sipadan per day is 120, but dive opera- ration, presenting divers with the oppor- other parks and islands in Malaysia—will tors have been taking as many 200 divers tunity to develop an entirely new diving SA plans “Cape receive a “management revamp,” due daily, according to a recent consultant’s interest and add a definite purpose to Peninsula Historical to its bungling of the incident. In other report, writes the Malaysian daily The Star. words: heads are gonna roll. (The Sabah The state government has tried to put Shipwreck Route” Parks website is out of service, at the a stop to divers entering Sipadan without The South African Heritage moment; I don’t know if that’s related or permits. This has led to friction between Resources Agency and the South not.) dive operators and Sabah Parks officials, African Maritime Museum are Nevertheless, the Chief Minister did resulting in divers being evicted for enter- currently planning a wreck route admit that officials were still planning to ing the area without proper permit. In consisting of a series of informa- implement severely scaled-down facili- January, the daily average of divers to the tion signboards or story boards ties for divers, involving eco-friendly toilets island was 141 and the number rose to 159 erected at important or interest- and a small rest area. “We will come up in February. It then went up to an average ing historical wreck sites along a with a new development concept that of 219 a day in March, 235 in April and 201 stretch of coastline. ■ is environmental- friendly and suits (the in May. ■ IMAGE SUPPLIED BY BLUE O TWO

23 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Dive Tutukaka Wins The Situation in Thailand Following the Coup Legends Week Postponed to May Supreme Tourism Award Mike Stark of Scuba Cat Diving in Thailand sent an inside report: ‘Legends Week’ is the brain child of world record deep New Zealand’s largest dive char- WIKIPEDIA diver Mark Andrews, the emphasis being on a master ter operator, Dive Tutukaka, has Obviously after the recent coup Give us a break! won the supreme Tourism Industry in Bangkok, there is a desire for class role by ten of the world’s leading divers in their field. Association award for 2006. Only factual information on what The unfolding event is fairly set up six years ago, Dive Tutukaka is happening in Thailand and routine in Thai history and is the All of the ‘legends’ will be attending based on achievements made in has won a string of awards. Last Phuket in particular. logical conclusion to the politi- the diving industry, some will be world record holders, some involved year it won the Qualmark Tourism To sum things up at the cal impasse of the past year in in developing specialist equipment and others working in specialist Mark of Quality award. ■ present, life goes on pretty which one man’s ego is hold- fields such as commercial/military training. much as normal. My daughter ing up an entire nation. The legends week will enable guests to interact with diving ‘leg- is having an unwelcomed day At this moment, there has ends’ on a level never before obtainable. The week long event will Ginnie Springs off from school, but I got a good been absolutely no violence Sonthi Boonyaratglin Commander-in- include five days diving. The time table will allow for all guests to dive 30th Anniversary bicycle ride in. There is a little and most likely will be none. Chief of the Royal Thai Army became with each of the ‘legends’ at least once during the five days of diving. 2006 marks the 30th Anniversary less traffic on the roads, which is The world’s press and interna- the de facto head of government of As well as diving, there will be nightly lectures from the ‘legends’ on for Ginnie Springs and would like also kind of nice. tional leaders are frothing at Thailand after a coup d’état on Sept 19 their chosen subject as well as workshops for equipment configuration, to thank everyone for visiting with In any case, please do not the mouth about the Thai mili- photography and expedition planning among others. them over the last thirty year. rely on television networks such tary destroying a major democ- forward quickly—the deadlock The event in Meridien Hotel in Dahab Egypt was scheduled for 9-16 Watch their website www.ginnie- as CNN or even BBC for unbi- racy. is finally over. December but has now been moved to May due to the hotel not springsoutdoors.com for anniver- ased news. Let’s face it—good This is wrong—the Administrative Please remember that the being ready. The Meridien is the newest luxury hotel in Dahab and sary events. ■ news to them is boring, so no Reform Council (ARC) is made previous government, while offers the perfect setting for such a prestigious event. point in letting the truth get in up of the very highest and most being democratically elected, Hosting the event will be Poseidon Dive Centre, spon- The Airbus A380 Took the way of a good story! Did we patriotic members of Thai socie- certainly did not rule in a demo- soring the event with use of the dive centre facilities Oﬀ From Toulouse on ever learn that after the tsu- ty—the ones that cratic manner. including arrangement of all diving activities and nami! To sum things have not sold For more information please logistics. ‘Legends’ for the week include such First Passenger Flight Watching BBC the other out to greed and see the link below and rest names as: Pascal Bernabe, Jack Ingle, Leigh The Airbus A380 has taken off for night, even as they were up at the desire. The ARC assured that your visit to Cunningham, Monty Halls, Paul Haynes, the first time with 474 passengers showing the speeches at present life goes is trying to restore Thailand will be a fun and relax- Dan Burton, Bob Evans, Rick Stanton and on board for the first in a series the UN, the words BANGKOK democracy in ing as ever. ■ Phil Short. ■ www.poseidontechnical.com/ of four long flights or “Early Long TANKS were splashed across on pretty much Thailand and —Mike Stark legends Flights”. During the flights, the the screen. as normal pledges to move Scuba Cat Diving Leigh Cunningham also runs X-Ray’s passengers, comprised of Airbus regular “Technical Matters” column employees and cabin experts put the cabin through its paces. ■ Ocean Quest New Liveaboard to be lauched ...with a slight delay Emperor Divers, Egypt to Phuket Underwater Duty Free Items Park Ready for Divers Divers Den writes: liveaboard dive trips day trips,and offering The New OceanQuest Oﬀer Child Care While Mum In the US, due to enhanced secu- Due to unforeseen cir- or OceanQuest livea- overnight trips on Taka will commence and Dad Are Out Diving Sculptures worth 4 million rity measures, duty free items cumstances we can- board dive courses. and Spirit of Freedom, operations on 20th baht have been placed on are now only permitted if deliv- not at the present time We are still running please contact us for December 2006. ■ Mums and Dads can now enjoy guilt- the seabed at a depth of 15 ered directly onto the aircraft. offer OceanQuest all PADI courses on full information. free diving, knowing their children are meters close to Koh Racha Yai, However, passengers making being cared for in a safe, professional Phuket, and are being promot- connections from international environment. Recent feedback from dived as a special “must see” site to domestic flights must transfer ing sources pinpointed a distinct lack of for divers in the coming high the items to their checked bag facilities for families who want to combine season. before boarding their flight. At diving with a family holiday. So, Emperor Phuket Diving Park, as the site “pre-clearance airports” passen- Divers, the Red Sea specialist diving com- is now known, features sculp- gers must put duty free items into pany with six dive centres throughout the tures including Thai demons their checked luggage since the area, listened and has now responded (yak), traditional decorative aircraft deplanes behind passen- by providing a dedicated crèche and arches, a sala, two elephants ger security checkpoints. Most liq- kids camp service in conjunction with the and a giant pearl oyster. ■ uids, gels, lotions and other items highly respected company, Family Diving SOURCE: PHUKET GAZETTE of similar consistency will not be Limited. ■ www.emperordivers.com permitted in carry-on baggage. ■

24 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED whales & dolphins

Edited by Gunild Symes Killer Whales Kiss and Make Up Researchers have discovered that killer of aggression in most animal species are dination during echelon swimming rounds. whales reconcile their differences after followed by a cooling-off period when Noonan claims that this discovery opens a squabbles. behavior can gradually return to normal. window for further study into the evolution Based on findings from 2,800 hourse This is seen in human beings who have spe- of peacemaking in complex societies. Whales Can Age Up To 200 Years of video-taped observation, Dr Michael cial pro-social behaviors that speed up the Although killer whales do not often dis- Noonan, Professor of Animal Behaviorat process of moving towards reconciliation. play aggressive behavior toward other Scientists who have studied the eye tissues (60 ft) in length and weigh up to 89 metric Canisius College found significant indica- Scientists say that similar behaviors individuals in a group, the researchers of Bowhead whales say that some of these tons (100 tons). tors that individuals would separate for 10 appear to play an important role in some were able to identify 21 squabbles rare creatures can live to 200 years old. In 1946, the International Whaling Com- minutes after an obvious quarrel, usually primate species such as macaques and and investigate whether the pos- Jeffrey Bada, marine chemist at Scripps mission banned the commercial whaling of between a father and mother, after which chimpanzees. sibility of reconciliation might Institution of Oceanography in la Jolla, bowheads. However, Inupiat Eskimos are the pair would reunite for a 10 minute peri- The new findings from the whale study occur in the species. ■ California, USA, told National Geographic allowed a certain number to hunt for food od of sinchronous swimming side by side, suggest that the whales experience a re- News that around 5 percent of the popu- and oil which maintains in their traditional or echelon. establishment of social bonds through their lation are over 100 years old with some way of life. It has long been thought that periods close physical proximity and precise coor- reaching 160 and 180 years. Bada claims The Eskimos used stone harpoons to hunt that the whales may be the most aged these whales up to 1870, a practice that animals on the planet. disappeared when Europeans came to Are Dolphins really Dumb? Bowheads, which are also called Green- the Arctic. However, whale hunts in the land right whales, are a type of baleen 1990s revealed some with stone harpoons Australian scientists are split over controver- apart with not much obsta- whale that have bonelike plates that strain in them. Scientists deducted from this that sial research claiming that dolphins are not cle to jump over the bound- food from the sea rather than teeth. They some of the whales may be a hundred as smart as commonly thought. ary, the dolphins will never jump over. are in contact live in the Arctic region and can reach 18m years old. ■ According to Paul Manger, a South While a goldfish or even a lab rat will want and that the male alli- JASON HELLER African scientist from the University of to climb out or jump out of its confinement. ances within a group are in Witwatersrand, the large brains of dolphins Manger states that the structur of the constant flux suggesting some sort and whales are not a sign of intelligence dolphin brain is not built for processing of brain capacity is in play. Fossil Whale Was “T-Rex” but assist the warm-blooded species cope complex information. The controvesy seems to put people in cold water. However, critics of the report say that up in arms say the Australian Dolphin Manger goes so far as to argue that dolphins under study display the most Research Institute officials who agree that of the Sea the dolphin is no smarter than a lab rat or complex social behaviour outside the there is something special about dolphins goldfish. He told the Daily Telegraph realm of human beings. Researcher who that has fascinated people for thousands Today’s gentle filter-feeder baleen hunted and evolved into species such that if a dolphin is placed in a work with the species argue that the dol- of year even though there islittle evidence whales may have evolved from a fero- as the killer whale, dolphin and sperm marine park with dividers phins appear to be thinking and reacting that they are as intelligent as everyone cious beast with razor sharp teeth, whale. to keep other dolphins to stimuli and the humans with whom they wants to believe. ■ say Australian researchers in a recent The new research, which appeared in study of a 25 million year old fossil skill Prodeeding of the Royal Society B, sug- uncovered among the cliffs of Southern gests that the baleen whale’s ancestor Australia. may have been one of these latter class The specimen, which was unveiled at hunting relatives. The ancient species had the Melbourne Museum this year, is called large teeth to catch and eat large prey Janjucetus hunderi. including sharks and large ﬁsh according Prior to the ﬁnding, whales had been to researchers at the Victoria Museum divided into two groups by researchers: and Monash University where the study filter-feeders and whales with teeth that was done. SOURCE: DISCOVERY CHANNEL ■

25 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Beluga whales: half Russian, half whales Thames Whale Had Arthritis Canadian A whale which lost its way in the ing toward the west to the Atlantic It has been discovered that beluga whales in Thames River in England was dis- Ocean to feed on deep sea squid Canada actually spend half their lives in Russian covered to have arthritis. but lost her way taking a wrong waters according to a research team that used Edited by Researchers from the Natural turn that landed her near the Chel- aboriginal know-how and high-tech equipment Gunild Symes History Museum who studied the sea Bridge in central London. in the study. ■ 11-year-old female northern bot- Later examination of the whale tlenose whale found that the crea- found that she was dehydrated Beluga Whale Population Dwindling ture was suffering from severe pain and starving for around a week Pollution, conflict with human activities, global Whales, Dolphins in her neck. before dying. Also her bones and warming and loss of food sources have been The 5.85m (19.2ft) whale was joinst in her spine and skull dis- cited as possible reasons for the decline of the first sightedin January after swim- played the indications of a degen- beluga whale population in Canada. ■ Turning Up in ming into the North Sea and up erative joint disease similar to what the Thames. Rescuers attempted humans call arthitis. The whale was Weird Places to take it towards deeper waters, unable to rehydrate due to the Manatee Pelvic Bones Hold Gene Unusually large numbers of whales NOAA but the whale died during the at- lack of a normal squid diet. ■ Key to Evolution of Leglessness and dolphins are showing up off tempt. It is thought she was head- Scotland’s east coast. Scientists Right Habitat for Right Whales Stanford University researcher David Kingsley, attribute the increase to the current PhD, discovered a link in gene mutations across heatwave as warmer water tempera- The U.S. federal government has designated New Methods for Discovering Whales’ Age a wide field of animals after weighing 114 pairs of tures lure the marine mammals further a region of thousands of square miles of sea manatee pelvic bones. He found the left pelvic north than they normally migrate. off the state of Alaska as critical habitat for Age study of humpback whales for their slaughter. Up to now, killing bone outweighed the right in almost every case Researchers from the Sea Watch the North Pacific right whales, which are may help save them. Researchers whales for science was justified. by an average of 10 percent, which suggests Foundation state that Aberdeenshire considered the most endangered whale have found a way to discover the Although it only applies to certain that mutations in the same gene may be the key and Moray Firth seem to be particular species in the world. Some 36,750 square age of a whale without involving its whale that do not have teeth such to the evolution of leglessness in animals that hot spots for the creatures, including miles in the Bering Sea and the Gulf of death before hand. as the humpback. Whales who can be as distantly related as tiny fish in lakes more minke whales than usual. Alaska are now protected habitat for the Previously, the only way to find have teeth can be studied for age and streams around the world and the 1,000- Other sightings include a fin whale right whales, whose numbers that reached out how old some whales were was while still alive. pound manatees in Florida. ■ at North Berwick, a pilot whale at at least 11,000 were dessimated by commer- to count the layers of wax in their Ironically, killing certain whales for St Cyrus and six Risso’s dolphins off cial whalers who prized the marine mam- ears. This could only be doen if the scientific study to learn more about Manatees Can Be Trained Gifleness near Aberdean with large mals for their oil and baleen. In 1973, the animal was dead. the ages of whales assisted scien- According to Universiy of Florida neuroscientist groups of white-beaked dolphins whales were listed as endangered and are Now, researchers can test the tists to find out how their popula- and co-author of The Florida Manatee: Biology sighted further offshore. A hump- thought to number less than 100 individu- dead skin flakes that whales leave tions where affected by humans and Conservation, Roger Reep, manatees are back whales was seen in the Outer als off the coast of Alaska, with a few hun- in the sea in order to calculate the killing them for commercial gain. not only trainable, they’re as smart as dolphins Hebrides and dozens of common dol- dred more that may dwell near Russia. Their whale’s age. Which makes killing Now this practice can change for only slower and less motivated by fish treats. ■ phins were sighted at Fraserburgh. ■ recovery is still tenuous say NOAA officials. ■ whale for science a moot reason the benefit of the whales. ■

��Puts More Ogle in Your Goggle! Japan is killing pregnant whales Flat masks block over 75% of your natural field-of-view. Enjoy natural The next generation of whales is tional reported that 853 minke died. panoramic vision. See almost 5X more through a Double-Dome™ lens being slaughtered by Japanese whales and 10 fine whales were The overall death toll in whales perfected with NASA technology. NanoFOG™ coating, applied at the whalers who capture and kill killed. In this group there were killed by the Japanese scientific factory, ensures fog-free dives. Only naturally nearsighted divers (broad a large number of these sea 391 female minke whales of whaling program in Antarctica Rx range) can use the MEGA® 4.5DD mask with their naked eyes. But over giants who are pregnant. which 224 were carrying 227 over the summer was 1092 ac- 700 divers around the world with 20/20 vision wear disposable contact A report issued by the Japa- fetuses. cording to society statistics who lenses to use this mask. These divers become temporarily nearsighted. The nese government stated that In addition, two of the fin also reported that 90 percent incredible view is worth the effort. Endorsed by 1,000 eye doctors worldwide. 60 percent of all female whales whales were pregnant with one of the whales killed were taken Older divers love the Magic Bifocal phenomenon. Seeing is believing! killed in Antarctica over the sum- fetus each. Three more female from the Australian Whale Sanc- mer were pregnant. minke whales were lactating. It tuary. ■ The Human Society Interna- is assumed that their calves also

26 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Loggerheads Make a Comback news Along Italy’s Coast Appearing in increasing numbers ered even though the turtles’ main along the southern shores of Italy, nesting areas are along the coasts Edited by loggerhead sea turtles are be- of Turkey, Libya and Cyprus. Gunild Symes TURTLES ing spotted in the waters off Sicily, While this is good news, scien- Calabriea, Publia and Sardinia tists warn that the Loggerhead according to reports by Italien is increasingly under threat from Sea Turtles Gone Wild scientists to the local news agency destructive fishing practices, ship- ANSA. In addition, more than 15 ping traffic, pollution and habitat Scientists from the US National Oceanic and nesting sites have been discov- degradation due to tourism. ■ Atmospheric Administration and New Eng- land Aquarium assisted 13 Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles and one Loggerhead turtle to return Super Bottom-Breathing Turtles to the wild in New England. Five of the turtles NOAA were tagged with tracking devices, which Hawksbill Turtles Tracking Devices Research has found that the rare ments from river water. can be monitored by satellite online for up to freshwater Mary River Turtle can The Mary River Turtle is endan- one year. It is hoped that data collected will Satelite tags were attached to a number stay submerged for at least three gered and unique to the Mary show behavior after release, survival, migra- of hawksbill turtles by UK researchers of the days and maybe up to a week River. It is thought that the turtles tion, habitat and how the rehabilitation tech- Zoological Society of London in order to learn when conditions are right. This skill lay only one hundred eggs each niques affected the turtles. how to better protect the species, which is now may protect the reptile from fall- breeding season, many of which Dr Bridget Dunnigan of NOAA Fisheries critically endangered due to excessive poach- ing prey to predators. end up being eaten by cats, dogs Service said the released turtles were in pretty ing, fishing and habitat loss. Since little is known Natalie Mathie of the University and foxes or trampled by cows. bad shape when they were first rescued, but about the migratory patterns of the hawksbill, of Queensland in Australia told UQ Future plans to build a dam in the have since made a a great recovery with the conservationists want to find out where the turtles News that unlike most freshwater area may damage turtle habitat help of their caretakers. The Kemp’s Ridley go the rest of the year. Findings from the tracking turtles, the Mary River Turtle has and deplete the oxygen levels of and Loggerhead turtles are listed as an en- study may lead to a better understanding of rela- special sacs in its bottom that can the river. ■ dangered species. ■ tionships between different populations. ■ extract half of its oxygen require- JASON HELLER Sea Turtles in Canada? Invasive Plant Threatens Turtles Local fishermen in Canada pulled up Action is being taken by a vines of the plant. more than they bargained for this sum- nonprofit group to eradicate The plant called Beach mer when they discovered a large an exotic species of plant that Vitex, was introduced to the leatherback turtle that got caught and is wreaking havoc along the area in the mid 80s to stabilize drowned in one of their whelk pot lines. coast of South Carolina, USA, eroding beaches. But local Garnish Capt. Terrence Legge and and threatening nesting sea officials say it is choking native his crew told the Southern Gazette that turtles whose hatchlings get plants and may be costing the they immediately called officials at the caught and die in the long lives of new hatchlings. ■ Department of Fisheries and Ocean. They reported that the sea turtle’s front flipper was snared by twisted line and already www.layanglayang.com Turtles to Combat Jellyfish Plague deceased when the found it. Officials told him to bring to back to In the Mediterranean, sea are their main food source, so port where the department studied the turtles who were recuper- it is hoped that the released animal for research purposes. ating from injurinies at the turtles will help diminish the Local bystanders at the port told re- Oceanografic in El Saler were current plague of jellyfish that porters that they were amazed at the released. Measures have clog up the region’s beaches. catch, which weighed in at 832 pounds. been put into place by the Various installations in Valen- Leatherback turtles are the largest living Valencian government to cia have assisted in the recov- turtle and rarely seen in the waters along protect the species which is in ery and recuperation of more the south coast. ■ danger of extinction. Jellyfish than 200 sea turtles. ■

27 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Diving in a Darwinian World

GalapagosText by Bernardo Sambra Photos by Bernardo Sambra 28 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 and Valerie Crousse PHOTO BY VALERIE CROUSSE EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Galapagos

LEFT: Amarillo coral

FAR LEFT: Diver and school of Barracuda

BELOW: Blue Foot- ed Booby

PREVIOUS PAGE: Silhouette of Sea turtle

“Sui Generis” is the most The archipelago that was baptized appropriate way I find to as the Enchanted Islands by the first Spanish navigators jumped to fame describe the Galapagos when Charles Darwin, the famous Islands. A place where the English naturalist, published the notes of intruder is the human being. A what he observed after five weeks of place where many of its inhab- permanence in these islands (1835) as part of his Theory of the Evolution of the itants are animals that exist Species. only in this small piece of the The Galapagos Islands National Park world. A place where evolution is conformed by twenty islands and seems to have been suspend- thirty small rocky islands distributed on a surface of 80.000 square kilometers. ed at some moment in time. A This group of volcanic islands is isolated place where we can feel like in the Pacific Ocean, more than thou- pioneers in each corner. sand kilometers off the coast of South America. The origin of these islands (geographic, biological and climatic) is The Charmed Islands until now a mystery. Of all these islands The Galapagos Islands can be consid- only four them are occupied by man ered a living museum where life can and only some of the rest can be vis- be seen as it was thousands of years ited by tourists whereas others maintain ago, a paradise where man can feel the access reserved exclusively for sci- ings that are as extraordinary in the sea like a complete intruder and inclusively entists. as in the mainland. There is no doubt to picture himself diminished before the The combination of a unique climate that from the first moment man put his total indifference of the animals that and the fast currents rich in nutrients eyes on the Galapagos and until nowa- live in that place. that bathe the islands, sustain surround- days, all that has made a big impres-

29 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Galapagos

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Amarillo coral; Sea lion; Goby; Underwater photographer and playful sea lion

30 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Galapagos

ABOVE: Sea lion on the hunt

LEFT: Pelican and Sea lion at the surface

FAR LEFT: Stingrays gliding under the surf

sion is the oddity of the abundant animals pelago. The changing cold water pres- who will have to add a good amount of in the virgin coasts: from the prehistoric ence, brought by the current of Peru preoccupations to the already large list of giant turtles to small boobies that now (Humboldt) that arrives at the north from things that must consider to obtain pho- take the name of Darwin. The isolation of the southern ocean, cools and dries the tographies in an atmosphere that can be the islands and time, that has allowed life Galapagos during great part of the year. considered hostile. to evolve and adapt to an environment When these currents are debilitated and Nevertheless, the opportunity to dive in which predators never existed, ended warmer waters from the north, typically in waters literally filled with life and to be in species that, when the first men arrived, tropical, surround the islands, begins the part of an almost infinite procession of fish, were unusual and imperturbable. warm rainy season. sharks, rays, turtles, dolphins, mantas and The majority of reptiles and birds of The experience to dive in the others, justifies the greater of the efforts. Galapagos are endemic. Even within the Galapagos is like everything what you archipelago there are different species, find here, very particular, and without a Puerto Ayora each one limited to a single island. doubt requires an advanced level of div- The forced entrance to these islands is ing. Strong currents, drastic changes of Puerto Ayora, a charming town that, A world of contrasts temperature (termoclines), cold water with the years, has stopped being calm Contrary to what would be thought, and often little visibility, represent a chal- and quite and became the center of the climate of the Galapagos Islands lenge for any experienced diver and the movement of these islands. This port, is atypical for a tropical oceanic archi- mainly for the submarine photographer located in Santa Cruz Island, is the place

31 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Galapagos

where starts all the tourist movement that is distributed to the different points of the archipelago. Colorful by day, agitated by nights, Puerto Ayora stays in the memory of the traveler as the closest point to civilization in these islands. In Santa Cruz two obligatory visits have to be done. The first one, are the humid forests in the heights of the island to visit the majestic and gigantic Galápagos turtles and the second, is the creek of the Black Turtle. This creek is a place of manglares in which, thanks to the little depth and the transpar- ency of the waters, sharks Diver with spotted Eagle ray and schools of golden head of cow mantas can be Way to the South: Floreana stand out due to their particu- observed. A typical excursion in these San Cristóbal, lar natural attractive and landscapes. manglares is on board of a zodiac Española and Floreana These islands are south and south west moved only by oars since in this site Three islands are normally visited by the of the Santa Cruz Island. bathing, diving or make excess noises divers before the long and spectacu- In Leon Dormido I found a wall cov- is not allowed. It is also restricted to lar voyage towards the remote north ered of barnacle shells which shel- twelve passengers by boat. islands. San Cristobal, Espanola and tered small, aggressive and endemic Galapagos blennies that after making me suffer for several minutes trying to focus with my camera their face in the middle of their frenzy movement allowed me to portray his magnificent color and expression. After the immersion we made an excursion to mainland to visit the modern Center of Interpretation. Afterwards we went to La Espanola, the southern island of the archipelago, very appreciated by bird’s specialists due to the great variety of species you can find on the Island. This island offers mainly two places of interest: Punta Suarez and Garner Bay. In Punta Suarez, it is possible to have the first real approach to Galapagos, by mingling

LEFT: Flamingo fishing for food FAR LEFT: Closeup of a reef fish

32 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED X-RAY MAG travel Galapagos STORE

Sea lion rests on the beach

with tens of blue footed boobies trees and vegetation. A still and hundreds of sea iguanas that lagoon filled with pink brilliant let to us stay with them without flamencos that digged the problem. For a photographer muddy ground of the lagoon this is like “Disneyland”... taking in the search of food. Later, pictures of wild animals will never we followed a winding foot- be so easy! In a place like this, path that took us to a beach PERCENT FOR THE OCEAN you can observe behaviors as in the other side of the island interesting as the ones of the blue where rays can frequently be footed boobies or the spectacu- observed feeding themselves Buy a T-shirt lar Albatroz of Waved executing in the surf of small waves. It is the hallucinating and fascinating worth to stay in this place until & Help Save ritual of courtship in front of our dusk and enjoy a sundown eyes. without precedents. the Oceans! In Garner Bay it is allowed to Floreana offers at least four Now you can support the make immersions with snorkel sur- exceptional places for diving: dive magazine you love rounded by schools of surgeon- Corona del Diablo, Champion, and help save the oceans fish, butterflyfish, angelfishs and Enderby and Gardner. The at the same time when you mainly of sea iguanas. famous Corona del Diablo is purchase anything from To arrive to Floreana we sailed formed by the eroded rest of the X-RAY MAG Store. A just a short time but it would be a symmetrical volcanic cone. percent of all sales goes to possible to say that we were Even dough coral has suf- ocean conservation pro- transported to the other end of grams. Buy now! Visit us at: the world. First we walked to a RIGHT: Iguana lagoon, hided after hundreds of BELOW: Gray heron www.cafepress.com/xraymag

33 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Galapagos

Goby

Shrimp on sea coral

fered the effect of El Nino, you can to diving you are, it is indispensable to North: Darwin and Wolf. dive between eaglerays, hawkfishes, know Galapagos outside and under- A single immersion in the creole fishes, grunts and endemic neath the water to be able to appre- islands of the North end, garden eels. Moving away from the ciate it in its total dimension. Darwin and Wolf, located Corona, in the deep side, Jacks, Punta Vicente Roca was a particu- 87 miles off the north of the Turtles and sometimes hammerheads larly memorable place. We dived dur- rest of the archipelago, can and reef sharks can be found. ing night and day. Some of the divers be overwhelming. Tens of Enderby and Champion Rock offer that accompa- two magnificent dives in walls cov- nied us had the ered by forests of black coral where luck to dive with magnificent sea horses of the Pacific two Mola Molas can be seen. (Sunfish) that Galapagos sharks, sometimes visit aggressive silky sharks Heading North this place. and hammerhead Finishing this trip, we went to the sharks swimming famous islands of the north. The together without voyage would take through the The legend- showing the minimum Bartolome Island, to the small island ary Darwin rush or concern due of Round Rock and Punta Vicente and Wolf to the diver’s pres- Roca in the Isabela Island. All the After the last ence. Turtles, gigantic dives that we made during the follow- dive near the schools of creole fish ing two days, were complemented Isabela Island and of course mag- at the end of the day with walks that we started a nificent and gentle allowed us to complete the pan- twelve hour trip whale sharks appear orama that is mandatory when visiting to the legend- simultaneously, offer- these islands. No matter how devoted ary islands of the ing a spectacle dif-

Frog fish LEFT: Sea star ABOVE: Frog fish 34 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Black turtle cove Galapagos

White Cormoran

▲ Red-lipped Batfish

ficult to find in any other part of the planet. During three days we were anchored closely to the mythical Arc Galapagos Books of Darwin, reunion place for the whale sharks during the months of September Recommended guides and books: to November. The wait for the encounter with one of these gigantic animals Galapagos: Islands Born of Fire by Tui De Roy was long. After six divings we man- (Hardcover - Jan 2000) aged to face this magnificent animal. Regrettable, there was no current during The Diving Guide: Galapagos Islands by Steve those days and as Luis Rodriguez, our Rosenberg and Ellen I. Sarbone (April 2004) experienced guide said, with not current, not sharks. Lonely Planet Ecuador & the Galapagos The end of the trip was crowned with Islands by Danny Palmerlee, Carolyn a visit to Seymour Island, to spend the McCarthy, and Michael Grosberg afternoon with the magnificent frigate (Paperback - Nov 30, 2006) birds. Seymour is the only island where one can find these awesome birds in Wave Albatros courtship all year round. Male frigate birds have a bright red gular sac at their throat, which they ural world that, sincerely, would want anything to grant Close up detail of coral use to advertise their manhood by inflating it to astro- its future. The tourist operators, whose future depends nomical size to attract the attention of potential mates. on the adequate management of this natural para- The great majority of the people who visit Galapagos dise, also support the conservation. The tourism increas- Islands feel so touched while diving in their pacific nat- es day to day in these islands also the furtive fishing.

35 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Galapagos

In its second edition, Oceans importance of discovering the Discovering without destroy- Expo will present what is oceans. ing is the challenge for all of probably one of the most The lenses of David those who accept this invita- amazing photographic jour- Doubilet, Doug Perrine, Brian tion. School of hammerhead sharks on the hunt neys through the oceans. Skerry, Amos Nachoum, As part of Oceans Expo, a Oceans Expo 2006 seeks Stephen Frink, Bernardo book called Oceans will be Happily there are many people and tions such as Aqua, Asian Geographic, (2005) in Singapore and “Reflejos to reflect the grandiosity, Sambra, Rod Klein, Stuart released. With a foreword by efforts dedicated nowadays to preserve Panorama de las Américas, Golden Submarinos” (2006). In 2005, beauty and immensity of the and Michele Westmorland, David Doubilet, this very lim- and take care of these wonderful islands. Dolphin, Rumbos, Conde Nast Traveler, Bernardo was a speaker and jury oceans and its inhabitants. In Takako Uno, Mauricio ited edition coffee table book Discovering without Travesías, at Celebrate The Sea Festival in order to achieve this ambi- Handler, Bill Curtsinger, will be unveiled on the open- destroying is what Underwater Singapore. tious and somewhat utopist Stephen Wong, Mirko Zanni ing date of the exhibition. Galapagos need. Photography In the latest years, Bernardo has objective, fourteen of the most have been conjugated in one Oceans Expo opening will Visit Galapagos and Magazine, added to his work as a photogra- renowned and experienced amazing exhibition. be in November 15th, at the spread the word about Somos and pher, the production and edition underwater photographers More than 150 large format ICPNA Gallery in Lima, Peru. its magnificence and Scuba Diver. of books related to the oceans has been asked to share their images will act as an open The expo will also be present- richness but always, His images and its inhabitants joining together spectacular images, the his- invitation to all of those who ed in Chile and USA in 2007. always remind people and work the work of the world’s most talen- tory behind each one and are interested in knowing the Dates to be announced. that this is one of the have achie- ted underwater image makers. their particular point of view more wild, spectacular and For more information please last truly wild places on ved interna- His most recent titles are “Oceans regarding the significance and magical side of our planet. visit: thelivingoceans.com earth. tional recogni- Expo” (2005) , “Oceans” (2006) y Lagarita lizard tion in several “Oceans in Options” (2006). About the author international Starting in 2006, Bernardo has nization founded by Bernardo and his America and the rest of the world. For Bernardo Sambra is a peruvian specialist competitions and his work has started leading expeditions to some of the wife Valerie, that aims to raise awareness more information and to order Sambra’s underwater and wildlife photographer. been presented as part of a number of finest diving destinations in the world. about the oceans and its inhabitants and work, please visit: www.bernardosambra. His articles an photographies has appea- underwater exhibitions as “Oceans Expo “Protecting through images” is the promote the underwater photography com, www.thelivingoceans.com or e-mail red in a number of international publica- 2005”, “Master Image Makers Gallery” slogan of The Living Oceans, an orga- as medium for artistic expressions in Latin [email protected]. ■

36 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Still Category Sponsors:

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37 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED A new dawn greets Closeup of the eye the Galapagos of a parrot fish The Evolution of an Iconic Destination Text and photos by Jason Heller

Sensory overload! A Timeless Gem in abundance and diver- archipelago, resulting in the Eastern Pacific sity of marine life in the the northern islands of Wolf No two words better The Galapagos Galapagos. The contrast- and Darwin having warm- describe the exhilarating Archipelago is 960 km ing warm and cold cur- er water. west of mainland Ecuador, rents bring a plethora of The Cromwell current is diving in the Galapagos straddling the equator marine life in explosive a bottom flowing current, Islands, home to an within a unique corridor numbers. Where else on which brings nitrates and extraordinary number in the Pacific Ocean. earth can you dive with phosphates to the islands. of marine species in The volcanic islands are mantas and turtles along This cold current hits the washed by a conver- with penguins and fur islands head-on and numbers that can at gence of seven currents, seals? results in major upwell- times even exceed your including three major The Humboldt cur- ings of cold water to the expectations and imagi- ocean currents. In fact, rent originates near the west of Isabela and to the nation. From the moment it is these very currents Antarctic and is a sub southwest of San Cristobal, that are the fuel for the tropical current with very Floreana, Española as well you back roll from the nutrient-rich water. The as the north of Santiago. inflatable panga into Humboldt meets the Best bet is to bring a 7mm the chilly equatorial warm tropical wetsuit and prepare for Panama current some cold, but amazing waters, you enter a at a point north of dives. world unlike any other the —a world least impact- Bottom time ed by the environmen- Since this was my first trip to the tal atrocities of man—an Galapagos, underwater marvel seen I chose only by a relatively small number of privileged indi- Sensory overload viduals with one thing in common…a well traveled c-card and a sense for adventure.

38 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Galapagos January, opting for the season with the best visibility versus whale shark season, which is historically August through October. Apparently the whale sharks have been appearing earlier the last couple of seasons, with sightings beginning as early as June. Unfortunately, mother nature didn’t read the Galapagos diving guide book and thus did not provide the clear visibility as expected. Not to worry—what was lost in visibility, was made up in encounters with hundreds of sharks, dolphins, rays, sea lions, turtles and schooling fish by the hundreds of thousands. My most memorable dive occurred early in the week. Upon entry, I was immediately escorted by two friendly and playful sea lions. It was as if they were guid- ing us, and welcom- ing us to their land of

plenty. I looked up, only to find a small reef below looking for an easy meal. of tank banging. I reluctantly turned away from my group of hammerheads swimming above If life came with background music, this would surreal scene, only to catch a final glimpse of four (my first of hundreds observed during a typi- have been a classic scene, complete with a poetic mantas parading off single file into the distance. I cal week). zen-like rendition of the jaws theme fused with Asian can see everyone else grinning around their regula- Just minutes later, I was diverted by melodies and tribal drums. But even without the tors, elated from the experience. a small school of eagle rays, swimming background music, this dive has been etched in my Encounters that could have otherwise taken half together with a handful of large and girthy memory forever. a lifetime of diving to fill a log book, have all been Galapagos sharks, a scene rivaling anything Towards the end of the dive, I was in for a truly experienced on one dive. I could have hung up my my imagination could have conjured up. grand finale. While attempting to photograph a fins and camera and never dived again, and would All the while, dozens of white tip sharks, sea lion against a background of Galapagos shark have still been happy…well, metaphorically speak- many with recent mating scars, scoured the silhouettes, my serenity was broken by a symphony ing of course!

One of the Galapagos tortoises. Recently, Harriot the Tortoise who was one of the world’s oldest known living creatures, passed away at age 175 this year in the Galapagos due to heart failure after a brief illness. SOURCE: BBC ABOVE: Close-up of a banded shrimp 39 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel

GALAPGOSONLINE.COM.

Maps of the world and Western Hemisphere show the currents of the oceans and the unique placement of the Galapagos Islands in these currents denoted by the red star

LEFT: Female sea lions rest in the shade on a Galapagos beach INSET: Close-up of a fish eye BELOW: Sea Lion poses on the rocks

An Evolving Destination All diving and land excursion itineraries are moderated by the Galapagos National Park. This process evenly distributes the impact of over 100,000 tour-  ists annually, in an effort to preserve the natural behavior of the islands’ inhabitants. Some species, such as the endemic marine iguanas, playful sea lions, and a variety of sea birds, still have an expense of one of the last true frontiers on earth. apathetic view of human presence and have The local government has struggled with illegal not learned to fear man. But how long will this fishing, shark finning, sea cucumber harvesting last? And at what threshold of tourism does this and corruption. It’s actually quite easy to under- fragile ecosystem change? stand. The illegal fishing trade is a multi-billion dol- The Ecuadorian government wants to boost lar market worldwide. One illegal long-line ves- tourism in a down economy, and 2006 indeed sel can catch hundreds of thousands of dollars marks a change in tourism for the Galapagos. worth of tuna and shark fins. One can imagine

Approval for the 500-passenger cruise ship MV the difficulty and complexities associated with GALAPGOSONLINE.COM. Discovery to include an itinerary, thankfully lim- preventing and combating corruption within the ited to San Cristobal, might just be the beginning political system. But without ongoing proactive of a trend to increase tourism revenues at the protection, the Galapagos can not remain what

40 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Galapagos Galapagos it is, and what it hopefully will always dolphins, sharks and even birds. be. These rich open waters are one of The sharks are finned, with the car- the last of their kind. casses thrown back into the ocean Rouge fishing vessels spend the sometimes still alive, the tuna and days outside the boundaries of swordfish are harvested, and the the national park and then under remaining by catch, up to 90% of the the guise of night, swoop into the total catch, will have been brutally fish-rich waters within the park and killed and discarded. deploy a horribly wasteful fishing On a dive at remote Wolf Island, practice known as long-lining. This we discovered a discarded longline technique involves laying miles of hook right on the dive site. Further line with thousands of baited hooks protective measures are essential across the ocean, indiscriminately to ensure that the uniquely abun- catching everything in their path, from tuna to turtles, manta rays to

ABOVE. Dusk descends over the Galapagos waters LEFT: Sea turtle soars through schools of fish RIGHT: Hammerhead sharks on patrol

dant and bio-diverse waters of the the waters in the Galapagos. If Darwin Foreign species invade species for food and prey. Affected Galapagos remain preserved. had ever dived the Galapagos, his Galapagos, threaten natives natives include the giant tortoise, renowned book might have had finches, and marine iguanas—the very History an underwater sequel, and English The disovery of foreign species on the same animals that enchanted Darwin The Galapagos are indeed a spe- research vessel HMS Beagle would Galapagos Islands has got Ecuadorian as he developed his theory of evolu- cial place. In 1835, English natural- have went down in history as the first officials worried. Even though incoming tion.Islands which makes their ecology ist Charles Darwin visited these very live-aboard in the Galapagos. ships and planes are inspected regular- unique. The islands’ isolation was and is islands, and based on five weeks of ly, locals found a turtle and an iquana what makes the Galapagos unique in research in 1859, released his book, On To the North that most likely came from mainland flora and fauna. the Origin of the Species By Means of By far the best way to dive the South America. Now the booming tourist industry, Natural Selection. Galapagos is by live-aboard. There are One of the main threats to native spe- migration and fisherman brings foreign Unfortunately, Darwin wasn’t a a small number of land-based opera- cies is Invasive foreign species, specifi- tortoises, turtles and monkeys. diver and only got to skim the surface tors, but they are limited to dive sites cally animals that compete with native SOURCE: BBC NEWS regarding the wonders underneath around one or two islands. I chose to

41 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Hammerhead shark Charles Darwin 1809 – 1882 Extending the cord travel on your reef hook and hanging teth- This interest, and contacts was to spend more than ered in the cur- through Sedgwick and the next 20 years amass- rent is a pretty Henslow, led to Darwin ing evidence to support cool feeling. obtaining a position this theory. The results of Realizing that of naturalist on board these deliberations was the current is HMS Beagle, which was to lead to the publica- so strong that preparing to survey the tion, in 1859, of one of it bends your coast of South America the classics of scientific reef hook out Darwin normally consid- and the Pacific. literature: On the Origin of shape and ered a biologist, actu- The Beagle sailed in of Species. This was fol- ing (never hold- sends you flying ally began his university 1831, and Darwin was lowed in 1871 by The jour- ing your breath) into the current education by studying initially mostly concerned Descent of Man, which ney and is almost a against is not. medicine at Edinburgh. with the geological applies the theory of evo- dive on board the requirement the current. Darwin Island Not finding it to his taste, aspects of his work. Yet, lution to man. Lammer Law, the second larg- for a good Green and and Darwin’s Arch, however, he began to he was also struck by There were still flaws in est tri-maran in the world, and hammerhead Hawksbill turtles world renowned for prepare for the Church the way animal species his theory, for he could a world class live-aboard dive shot, other- frequently forage consistent schooling at Cambridge University. gradually changed from not explain, for exam- boat by any standards. wise the shy between the rocks hammerheads, was Obviously, this didn’t region to region, caus- ple, how the variations, Although there is no bad div- and majestic creatures will for a quick meal. Not nearly sadly under-inhabited. seem to grab his atten- ing him to ponder on the so essential for natural ing in the Galapagos, the real keep their distance. as aerodynamic as the large We witnessed only one sole tion either, for friendships development of life. selection to act on, action is at the northern islands Wolf was all about the ham- sharks and rays, the turtles hammerhead in two dives at with the geologist Adam It was his arrival in the come about. This ques- of Wolf and Darwin, home merheads. The dive plan was would sometimes have to Darwin’s Arch. The silver lining Sedgwick and the bota- Galápagos Islands, which tion was first resolved to schooling hammerheads, always the same. Drop down fight the currents, which would was a special encounter with nist John Henslow led eventually was to lead to nearly 20 years after his Galapagos sharks and other and figure out which way the flip them upside down or pin another large pelagic. For an to an interest in natural his theory on the devel- death by the rediscovery varieties of “Mr. Big” (a.k.a. current is moving, find a con- them to the rocks while they entire dive, I could hear the history i.e. the study of opment of the species. of Mendel’s work on the large pelagic species). venient spot to wedge yourself explored the crevices between tell-tale chirping of a nearby animals and plants in For it was here that he principles of heredity Many live aboards offer spe- into the rocks and don’t get the large boulders. dolphin. Towards the end their wild state. This inter- observed the, now for- And the rest, as they cific itineraries that focus mainly swept out into the swift cur- If shooting photography, a of the dive, he appeared, est, luckily for the future ever famous, finches. He say, is history. Well! Not on Wolf and Darwin, and right- rent. Then you can relax as a reef hook is recommended gracefully swimming right of what would become was particularly struck by quite. To this day, and fully so! My first dive at Wolf was procession of hammerheads, in order to keep your hands towards me, slowing down evolutionary theory, was their variation where he perhaps even more an adrenaline rush. Schools of Galapagos sharks and the on your camera versus cling- to stare into my eyes with as to remain with him for found 14 different spe- so, the battle is still hammerheads in the hundreds occasional turtle or eagle ray ing onto the rocks to prevent much curiosity as I into his. the rest of his life. cies, each thriving in a being fought between circle the island, allowing care- eventually swim slowly past you drifting off with the currents. Without warning he darted particular region of the Darwinism and the ful and relaxed photogra- upwards to catch a islands. Creationists. When will phers the opportunity to meal, polarizing a Arguing that it was they ever learn? ■ capture some great images school of baitfish unlikely that each species of the oddly beautiful crea- and creating a was individually created, tures. beautiful silhouette he reasoned that they Since Hammerheads against the azure had probably evolved are timid around exhaling background. Then from a parent species divers, it is essential to keep he swam out of of finch on mainland your exhaust bubbles to a site. I could hear Ecuador. This led him to bear minimum. Blatantly the distant chirp- question the theory of violating the first rule of diving throughout my the immutability of the safety stop. species and to formulate HMS Beagle in the seaways of Just before climb- a theory of evolution by Tierra del Fuego, painting by ing on board the natural selection. Darwin Conrad Martens during the panga, I took one voyage of the Beagle (1831- more deep breath A typical satire was 1836), from The Illustrated the later caricature Origin of Species by Charles The title page of the in Hornet magazine Darwin, abridged and illus- 1859 edition of On the portraying Darwin as trated by Richard Leakey ISBN Origin of Species. a non-human ape. 0-571-14586-8 42 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Galapagos and listened to the last chirps from my new friend. I thought about just how remote we were, about the wild frontier around me, about how harsh a fight for life and death that dolphin has to endure each and every day, even without humans in the equation. Will he survive or will he succumb to natural selection, or worse, get caught by a long line hook? Yet, he seemed happy and blissfully unaware of the gravity of life, he seemed to be smiling. One surface interval later, with Darwin’s Arch behind us, we decided to return to the action at Wolf. The islands of Wolf and Darwin don’t provide many anchorages suitable for Sunset against the landscapes and natural monuments of Bartolome night diving. The sheer faces of the large mesa-shaped shield volcano islands ing in the area at night, we otherwise of odd red lipped batfish scuttling on the do not have many bays or other safe didn’t mind not diving at night. floor below at 30 meters. havens free from the raging currents. At about 20 meters, we hit a no-non- The rocks surrounding the site were There is however at least one such place, sense thermocline. The temperature dif- littered with one species of endemic on the lee side of Wolf. This would be the ference was steep enough to make me nudibranch, the blue striped Tambja mul- only night we were able to go diving. consider hovering on the warmer side for lineri. I must have counted about 30 or Having spent our days face to face with the remainder of the dive, but not strong 40 before I realized that they were simply large Galapagos sharks, and stories of enough to keep me from getting up everywhere. silky sharks and the occasional tiger feed- close and personal with a small school As far as night dives go, it was mediocre—I’ve done much better. But the experiences we had each and every day more than balanced out the lack of night diving. LEFT: Flamingo fishing for food FAR LEFT: Closeup of a reef fish The Rest of the Archipelago A typical itinerary begins with a shallow dive at the sea lion rookery at Isla Lobos. Scores of playful female sea lions and their pups take to the water as soon as they hear visitors. We were warned several times to stay clear of any males. Male sea lions are easily discernable by their size and the shape of their heads. Males are significantly larger than the females, and sport very large “sea lion chic” humps on their heads. Male sea lions vigorously protect their harems of sea lion vixens. An attack by a large bull can inflict some serious wounds. On land you may have a chance to out run an angry male, but in the water, the sea lion is master

Sea Lion pups play in the sun while This goat skull is a reminder of the desired fate of non-native species. Goats are not their mother watches from a distance native to the Galapagos and the government has been attempting to eliminate them 43 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Charles Darwin 1809 – 1882 travel Galapagos of their domain and amazingly agile. Fortunately, the males will bark and warn you when they’re upset, and that’s your cue to back off. However, the females and pups would want nothing more than to play with you all day long. Like bullets that change trajec- tory at the very last second, they dart in and out of view, usually too fast for your camera to focus on. However, as soon as one of these furry projectiles catches a glimpse of her reflection in my camera dome port, she stops to curiously investigate the pretty stranger intruding on her territory. Strobes fire —moment captured. Unfortunately the shallow

LEFT: Bright orange cup coral polyps at night. INSET: Large blue Seastar. ABOVE: A diver meets a massive school of fish swarming through the waters around Galapagos. INSET: White tip shark

water and 14 other divers stirring up the dived the eastern corner of Isabella, sharks. So, it was my turn to see the man- We continued on a bee-line towards 3-meter water made for less than desir- where we were on a quest for mantas. tas. the pinnacle, but found ourselves able photography conditions. However, OK, I was on a quest for mantas. Early We encountered some soupy visibil- approaching it much more slowly than since this was my first time diving with in the week some of the other divers ity while on Isabella and at some point anticipated. As we drew nearer, the pin- sea lions, I thoroughly enjoyed every were fortunate enough to see 4 mantas commenced on a swim towards a large nacle began slowly moving away from minute of it! parading in single file while my viewfind- pinnacle in the hopes to find mantas or us! What we had initially thought was Towards the end of our itinerary, we er focused on a sea lion and Galapagos other pelagics swimming in the blue. a pinnacle turned out to be the largest

44 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Galapagos

ABOVE: Marine Iguana, endemic to the Galapagos Islands. RIGHT: The beautiful highlands and volcanoes of mainland Ecuador. LEFT: The naturally sculpted and remote Darwin’s Arch

school of Chevron Barracuda I have Top side of their nostrils. ever seen. Our land excursions took place on the Other than the constant remind- We slowly approach from in front islands of Bartolome, Santiago and ers of the impact of tourism from the and below. We see a mass of reflective Santa Cruz. The Galapagos are young, many other boats visiting the island, scales and fins so dense that it blocked actively volcanic islands, and nowhere it was a privilege to be in the pres- the sunlight from penetrating under- is that more evident than among the ence of nature at its rawest and pur- neath. There must have been several small calderas from the vents of shield ist. As divers, we are accustomed hundred thousand fish tightly packed in volcanoes on Bartolome. to having the utmost respect for the this uniformly undulating and polarizing The hike to the top of the island pro- pristine environments that we visit. I ball of life. vides some beautiful vistas of other often worry about tourists that are not We each take turns immersing our- nearby volcanic islands, submerged accustomed to such self-regulated selves in the school, and then slowly calderas just off shore, and picturesque restraint to remove anything from or retreating, overcome by the feeling of beaches. Galapagos penguins and leave anything behind in such fragile such a mass of life swirling around us. fur seals are among some of the spe- environments. Only time will tell. The Our last dive was at a site called cies that call Bartolome home, but our Galapagos National Park and the Gordon Rocks, which are actually no itinerary did not include diving on this Charles Darwin Research Station have ordinary rocks, rather the opposite sides island. done a great job so far. of a once intact caldera, now home to The second land excursion on our We spent the last night drying fur seals and Galapagos sea lions. week long journey was on the island our wetsuits anchored off of Puerta The dive encompasses navigating of Santiago, home to hundreds if not Ayora on Santa Cruz. This is the cen- the inner wall of one side of the cal- thousands of marine iguanas, as well tral city of the Galapagos and home dera, and shooting through the chan- as a healthy community of sea lions. of the Charles Darwin Research nel to the other opposite caldera wall Sea lion pups just barely weeks old can Center, where we saw our only giant and completing the dive on the far be found in the warm tidal pools, with Galapagos tortoises of this itinerary. outside wall. Exposed to the currents, their mothers keeping a close eye from I learned that there are actually Gordon Rocks also gets its share of nearby. Marine iguanas fill their lungs seven distinct species of Galapagos pelagics, and we were happily shown with saltwater and submerge beneath tortoises. They are magnificent ani- off by a farewell procession of school- the waves to feed on algae, emerging mals. Looking into a 120 year old pair ing cow nosed rays. to congregate and warm up with oth- of black eyes makes you wonder what Frog fish ers, group-snorting the excess salt out events of natural or man-made history

45 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Galapagos

this creature has witnessed and weath- time. The cobble stone streets and large tourism and the fragile ecosystems that ered on these islands. gothic doors instill an authentic renais- deserve vigilant conservation. Let’s hope it Beyond tortoises, Puerto Ayora has a few sance feel, a nice touch in the heart of remains this way. bars and lounges and enough souvenir the otherwise hectic capital city. Old salts always start every dive story shops to rival some popular Caribbean As demand for Galapagos tourism with, “You should have seen [insert favorite destinations. In retrospect, that last after- increases, supply is sure to follow. The dive destination here] 20 years ago…”, I noon and evening in Puerto Ayora was islands still have a serious illegal fishing and don’t want that to be the first line of the a good way of easing back into human shark finning problem. In other develop- Galapagos stories I tell my children and society without too much of a shock after grand children one day. a week of living in one of the last frontiers. You can help to support the Galapagos simply by diving there. Our support, our Revel in South American Culture voices and our images all help to further A trip to the Galapagos is not complete shape the evolution of this iconic marvel without a visit to mainland Ecuador. If you as a sustainable eco-tourism destination, allocate appropriate time you can hike not a port for large cruise ships! ■ Cotopaxie, an immense glacial volcano, or visit the Amazon rain forest. A quick one or two-day layover in the high altitude capital city of Quito gives you enough time to visit the Otovalo market, an indig- enous market of local crafts and foods in the highlands. The scenic drive to the market provides views of large volcanoes and lakes. The history of geologic activity of the region is evident everywhere. Of course, no trip is complete without stopping to straddle the equatorial line. The theory is that on the equa- ing nations, tourism revenues have tor, you can balance an egg helped to offset the revenues and on its bottom. Just to be sure, corruption of illegal fishing, but in the display egg was nailed the Galapagos it is not that straight- in place and very well bal- forward. The government does anced—so it must be true. plan on exponentially increasing While in Quito, a must-visit is tourism over the next decade, but the historic district of Colonial must do so delicately as to not dis- Quito. Surrounded by over 30 rupt the ecosystem. To date, the colonial churches, the central National Park Service has done a plaza, complete with its cafes great job of maintaining the deli- and shops, is still a step back in cate balance between growing

FAR LEFT: Lammer Law dive guide Robert Grimstone with a discarded long line hook on Wolf Island. INSET: Reference guidebook for Galapagos creatures. ABOVE: Colorful beans in the Otovalo market in the highlands of Ecuador. RIGHT & CENTER INSET: Dramatic Colonial Quito at night

46 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED factGalapagos file, Equador

Equator History The Galapagos Islands borazo 6,267 m. The highest active are part of the country of Equador, volcano in the world is Cotopaxi in which is located in Western South the Andes. Esmeraldas GALAPAGOS ISLANDS America, bordering the Pacific Ibarra Ocean at the Equator, between Climate is tropical along coast Santo Domingo Equator Colombia and Peru. The region and cooler inland at higher eleva- de los Colorados Nueva Loja that now makes up Equador was tions; Tropicalclimate is found in QUITO once part of the northern Inca Amazonian jungle lowlands Cotopaxí Manta Quevendo Empire. In 1533, the Spanish con- Rio Negro quered the region. In 1563, the Environmental issues Equador Portoviejo Ambato city of Quito became a seat of experiences frequent earthquakes, PACIFIC Chimborazo Spanish colonial government, landslides, volcanic activity, floods OCEAN Riobamba and in 1717, became part of the and periodic droughts. Guayaquil Viceroyalty of New Granada. La Libertad Independence was won by the Economic Petroleum resources Cuenca territories of the Viceroyalty - New have accounted for 40% of Equa- Golfo de Guayaquil Machala Granada (Colombia), Venezuela, dor’s export earnings and one-third and Quito - in 1819. They formed of central government budget rev- Puerto a federation known as Gran enues over the past few years. Thus, Bolívar Colombia. In 1830, Quito withdrew fluctuations in world market prices Loja and the traditional name was have a substantial impact domes- changed to the “Republic of the tically. Ecuador suffered its worst Equator.” However, territories were economic crisis in the late 1990s. In lost between 1904 and 1942 in a 1999, natural disasters and sharp series of conflicts with the coun- declines in world petroleum prices try’s neighbors. In 1995, a border drove Ecuador’s economy into a Gustavo NOBOA became presi- ture: bananas, coffee, war with Peru errupted, but was tail spin. There was a contraction of dent, and in March 2000, struc- cocoa, rice, potatoes, resolved in 1999. In 2004, Ecuador more than 6% in real GDP. Poverty tural reforms were approved by manioc (tapioca), plan- celebrated 25 years of civilian worsened significantly. In addition, Congress that also provided the tains, sugarcane; cattle, governance. However, political the banking system collapsed, and framework for the dollarizing thee sheep, pigs, beef, pork, instability marred this period. No less later that year, the country default- economy in Equador. This led to dairy products; balsa Schooling fish make way for a dolphin hunting the fish for a meal than seven presidents governed ed on its external debt. In 1999, the stabilization of the economy, and wood; fish, shrimp. Indus- Ecuador since 1996. Government: currency depreciated by around economic growth regained its pre- tries: petroleum, food processing, Languages Spanish (official), Galapagos, Ecuador republic. Capital: Quito 70%. Under the threat of hyperin- crisis levels in the following years. textiles, wood products, chemicals Amerindian languages (Quechua) Phone/Fax: +593 (52) 526 91 flation, the MAHAUD government Equador’s economy benefited Geography Equador encom- said it would switch the economy from higher world petroleum prices Population 13,547,510 (July 2006 Deco Chambers Web sites passes coastal plain (costa), inter- to the dollar. However, MAHAUD in 2003-05 but reversed reforms led est.) Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed SSS NETWORK / Gapalagos Equador Tourism Board Andean central highlands (sierra), was ousted from office by a coup to the country’s vulnerability to pe- Amerindian and white) 65%, Amer- Protesub S.A. www.ecuadortouristboard.com and flat to rolling eastern jungle in January 2000. But the short-lived troleum price swings and financial indian 25%, Spanish and others 7%, Calle 18 de Febrero y General Rod- ■ (oriente). Lowest point: Pacific junta failed to obtain military sup- crises. Natural resources: petroleum, black 3%. Religiions: Roman Catho- riguez Lara Ocean 0 m. Highest point: Chim- port. Consequently, Vice President fish, timber, hydropower. Agricul- lic 95%, other religions 5% Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz

47 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED VancouverDiving hot spots of Island

Text and photos by Barb Roy tle stars, decorator crabs and colour- sight of the mast and radar tower ful nudibranchs seem to occupy the as I look up towards the surface. No My dive buddy and I enter the rest of the deck structures. Clusters of straight lines can be found amongst cool clear water and descend sponge, delicate feather stars and the anemone camouflage. Although small orange anemones crowd any it is possible to see most of the ship down a mooring line to the on just one dive, two to three will deck of the 110-meter (366- permit a more detailed coverage. ft) wreck Saskatchewan. The We ascend up the line, all pleased water is 8°C (47°F). I look up with our photographic treasures and exploratory jaunts, anxious to soon to see the rest of the group return. silhouetted in a light emerald British Columbia (BC) has always hue arrive like slow motion been known for its scenic beauty, skydivers. Visibility is at least powder ski slopes, and excellent restaurants, but most global visi- 27 meters (90ft). My buddy tors have no idea that this coastal and two others glide by on Canadian province also has some of their scooters, anxious to the best temperate scuba diving in the world! In fact, Vancouver Island explore the ships interior while boasts a cold-water paradise like no I join underwater photogra- other, complete with unique under- phers equally as anxious to vacant spots between giant lingcod water residents, nutrient rich currents explore the wreck’s exterior and cabezon as the fish settle in on and vibrant colors that will put most prime breeding grounds. As we pro- tropical reefs to shame. Of the many cloak of invertebrate life. ceed to the bow, the once battle- choice diving sites in British Columbia ready forward guns now lay dormant, to choose from, I have selected four Upon the railings and deck resides an softened over time by the duties of a on the 460kilometer (286 miles) long outline of white plumose anemones, sea life refuge. Even the wheelhouse Vancouver Island to cover for this all varying in height. Small swimming wears a disguise of colourful critters. story. These are by no means the only scallops, curious juvenile rockfish, brit- From there I am enthralled by the four on the island, just four that will

LEFT: Large fish-eating anemone. TOP: Kayaking in Rainy Bay. INSET: Bloodstar 48 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Vancouver

portray BC’s incredible diversity. Vancouver Island Travel Info When flying into this region there are • Tourism Vancouver Island three main airport terminals; Sea-Tac www.islands.bc.ca International in Seattle, Vancouver 1-250-754-3500 International on the BC mainland and • Tourism British Columbia Victoria International on Vancouver www.hellobc.com Island. Proof of citizenship is highly rec- 1-800-435-5622 ommended when entering Canada. • BC Ferries – www.bcferries.com Many of the dive stores and operators 1-888-223-3779 or 250-386-3431 offer travel packages, which include diving, accommodations, tanks and Nanaimo weights. Live-aboard dive boats com- I refer to Nanaimo as Vancouver Island’s monly pick up in Vancouver, Nanaimo “front door” because it opens up to a and Port Hardy. Rental dive gear is variety of diving activities to suit any- readily available throughout the island one’s needs. There are 8-12 excellent as well as specialized Nitrox, Trimix and boat dives and several good shore dives Argon gas. to pick from. BC Ferries offer daily service from Popular wrecks include the retired Tsawwassen or Horseshoe Bay on the naval ships Saskatchewan (111m/366f) mainland, across Georgia Strait to Duke and Cape Breton (122m/400f) scuttled Point or Departure Bay in Nanaimo, as artificial reefs in 1997 and 2001 by taking approximately two hours. When the local dive community and the traveling at peak times, ferry reserva- Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia tions are a good bet and can be made (ARSBC). The latest edition is a 47m/157ft on-line. North Sea Rescue Tug Rivtow Lion scuttled in 2005. Technical and extended TOP: Glorious green anemones, Dodd Narrows Tower of the Cape Breton wreck BOTTOM: Dockside dining in Nanaimo 49 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED RIGHT: Brittle star LOWER RIGHT: Diver and Wolf Eel travel Vancouver range divers like to practice their skills in and on the two larger wrecks while photographers and naturalists enjoy them all. Maximum depth on the Saskatchewan is 36m/120ft, the Cape Breton – 43m/142ft and the Rivtow Lion – 24m/80ft. If wall diving is your pleasure, huge deep walls can be found at Snake Island and Orlebar, on Gabriola Island. The Snake Island wall has enormous white plumose anemones cascading down sandstone formations, dotted with bright pink snakelock anemones, red blood stars and orange finger sponge. I have also seen wolf eels out in the open at 12m/40ft and clusters of cloud sponge at depth. In between dives, snorkeling with resident harbour seals is always an option. Orlebar is steeper, hosting an array of odd shaped chimney sponge (boot sponge), tiger and quillback rockfish and an assortment of crustaceans. This is also a shore-accessible site utilized by technical divers. As for drift diving, there are two narrow passageways where the currents reach 8 knots at full flow. This in turn provides a nutrient-rich environment for a multitude of invertebrate life to flour- of a stop. ish. Both are divable during slack times (when I wish to thank Ian Hall of Ocean Explorers the water stops to change direction). Dodd Diving for taking us out on many memorable Narrows is located southeast of town between dive adventures during our Nanaimo visit! Nanaimo and Mudge Island. Brilliant giant green anemones and aggregat- Travel Information Nanaimo ing green anemones with pink tips line the shore • Tourism Nanaimo of Mudge in the shallows, along with yellow www.tourismnanaimo.com zoanthids, orange cup corals, and metridium 1-800-663-7337 or 250-756-0106 anemones on the boulders below. Patches • Ocean Explorers Diving Ltd. of orange colonial tunicates, burrowing sea www.oceanexplorersdiving.com cucumbers and several species of rockfish can 1-800-233-4145 or 250-753-2055 also be found at depth. • Sundown Diving Gabriola Passage is equally as picturesque, www.sundowndiving.com hosting a population array similar to Dodd. In 1-888-773-3483 or 250-753-1880 addition I have found red sea urchins, gray • The Dive Outfitters Ltd. encrusting lobed ascidians, cabezon fish, grunt www.thediveoutfitters.ca 1-250-756-1863 sculpins hiding in empty giant barnacle shells • Divers Choice Charters and the ever brave little painted greenlings. www.divingbccanada.com Small healthy aquarium-like kelp forests are 1-866-716-8867 or 250-716-8867 located at both ends of both channels. • The Buccaneer Inn When not diving, kayaking is one of the many www.buccaneerinn.com fun activities to do. Kayak rentals and guided 1-877-282-6337 or 250-753-1246 tours can be found in Nanaimo and on the artsy • Inn on Long Lake laid-back neighboring Gabriola Island (20-minute www.longlakeinn.com ferry ride from Nanaimo). Malaspina Galleries 1-800-565-1144 or 250-758-1144 (sandstone overhangs) and the aboriginal petro- • Long Lake B&B glyphs on Gabriola is another attraction worthy www.lodgingnanaimo.com Divers explore the wreck of Cape Breton 50 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Vancouver

CLOCKWISE: Rockfish: Diver explores reef of strawberry anemone: Curious sea lion; Ling cod: Mortar guns of the Columbia

1-877-758-5010 or 250-758-5010 and orange tennis ball sponge are all sponge. The wreck’s natural beauty • Painted Turtle Guest House over this rocky terrain. creates exceptional video footage for www.paintedturtle.ca Copper cliffs or bluffs are as interest- documentation. 1-866-309-4432 or 250-753-4432 ing above water as below. Minerals Another excellent site for diving and seem to bleed through exposed top- wildlife viewing is the semi-arid island Campbell River side rock leaving it rippled in green. of Mitlenatch. In Coast Salish language The community encompassing Below water is a colorful wall with “Mitlenatch” means ‘calm water all Campbell River stretches close to ledges and huge algae covered boul- around’. On a sunny day in May the 24km (15 miles) along the mid-eastern ders. Rose sea stars, juvenile box crabs, island’s wildflower meadows explode coast of Vancouver Island north of red Irish lords, and cup corals are just in color. Due to the large number of Nanaimo. Quadra Island lies parallel a few of the many residents. Massive nesting sea bird colonies Mitlenatch to the town with the narrow current clusters of giant purple-plumed feather was designated a Provincial Nature swept Discovery Passage in between. duster tube worms can be found at Park in 1961. A majority of the diving is located Steep Island and a carpet of pink and Today, the island is home to the larg- within Discovery Passage along the red strawberry anemones are always a est seabird colony in Georgia Strait, Quadra Island side. Current slack times treat at Whiskey Point. On a single dive attracting Glaucous-winged gulls, must always be followed and are well here I counted four large Puget Sound pelagic cormorants, pigeon gillemots known by local dive charter operators. king crabs! End-of-the-road is similar, and black oystercatchers. Otters, In 1996, the ARSBC scuttled the yet more of a nursery with young octo- harbour seals, Steller’s and California retired 111m/366ft Columbia in north- pus and sculpins hiding amongst the sea lions can be found lounging on ern Discovery Passage off Maud Island. blanket of invertebrates. smooth warm boulders along the east- The vessel is not as populated as the If weather permits, a day excursion ern coast, with heavier concentrations two in Nanaimo, but its six back mortar south to Mitlenatch Island and the occurring between November and guns are very impressive. I have pho- nearby wreck of the Capilano is well May. tographed three large giant Pacific worth an extra day. Located on the When not diving, visitors might want octopuses next to the ship at 28m/95ft south side of Grant Reef, between to check out a salmon snorkel float as two males courted a female. Savary and Harwood Islands, the down the Campbell River during the Around the corner is Seymour Narrows 36m/120ft Capilano sits upright in 30- annual salmon run in mid-July through where whirlpools and standing waves 43 meters (100-145 feet) covered in a early October. form during full flow. For an underwa- shroud of giant white plumose anemo- I would like to extend a thank you to ter observer it is anemone heaven. Tan nes. Here you will find lingcod, an Earl Lowe with Abyssal Dive Charters and yellow staghorn bryozoans, green assortment of gargantuan rockfish and for introducing us to some awesome urchins, China and quillback rockfish, bouquets of yellow and white cloud dives!

51 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Vancouver

CLOCKWISE FROM LOWER LEFT: Red Irish Lord and nudibranch; Giant Pacific Octopus meets diver; Frosted nudibranch; Diver on Saskatchewan; Northern kelp crab

1-888-467-2822 or 250-287-9844 boat and trees above from • DynaMike Charters 27m/90ft! Hordes of red, pink, www.divedynamike.com and orange soft coral flourish 1-250-285-2891 at this site next to arm-length • Paradise Found Adventure Tours clusters of glove sponge, ruf- www.snorkelwithsalmon.com fled orange-peel nudibranchs 1-866-704-4611 or 250-287-2652 • Anchor Inn & Suites www.anchorinn.ca 1-800-663-7227 or 250-286-1131 ders, found covering strands of sea straw- Port Hardy berry soft coral. This gateway to the Inside Passage and Seven Tree Island also flanks Nigei and the Queen Charlotte Strait is located at is another lush site where I have always the northern end of the Island Highway. had good luck finding the illusive deco- Most of the diving in this area is done rated warbonnets, mosshead warbon- from live-aboard boats, land based nets and an endless supply of rockfish. resorts or remote lodges with small fast Barry Islet offers fields of miniature red, boats, departing from Port McNeill (south pink and white gorgonians, some even of town) or Port Hardy. Currents vary, hosting small basket stars. Macro sub- allowing a wide selection of sites to jects at Dillon include purple-ringed choose from. topsnails, several species of nudibranchs Travel Information: www.abyssal.com Perhaps the most famous site is the pro- and bright orange juvenile Puget Sound • Campbell River Tourism 1-800-499-2297 or 250-285-2420 lific Browning Wall, located in Browning crabs. Larger subjects at Dillon include www.campbellrivertourism.com • Beaver Aquatics Passage on the south eastern side of octopus, ancient-looking ratfish and • Tourism North Central Island [email protected] Nigei Island. Strong currents feed the mul- friendly wolf eels. www.northcentralisland.com 1-250-287-7625 titudes of life so well it is rare to find an and white-spotted rose anemones. On the north side of Crocker Rock, 1-866-830-1113 or 250-830-0660 • Aqua Shack Diving Services Ltd. area void of life. During one of my win- Macro photographers should keep an at the northern entrance to Browning • Abyssal Dive Charters and Lodge www.aquashack.ca ter visits, my buddy and I could see the eye out for tiny white or yellow sea spi- Passage, the remains of the Themis can

52 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Mosshead Vancouver travel Warbonet Browning Pass HideAway Resort

www.vancouverislanddive.com Our trips will meet you in Port Hardy, transport you to be found half in a forest of kelp and half you, sending you deeper than planned. Queen Charlotte Strait and the HideAway, provide comfy covering a reef. At 12m/40ft the area When not diving, kayak exploration in cottage accommodation with fireplaces, take you out on 3 clears somewhat, revealing weathered the calm bays and coves is both fun and (or more) great dives each day, and tempt you with our hearty home-style cuisine. ribs and twisted sections of metal down to easy. Paddlers have the opportunity to (877) 725-2835 21m/70ft. Although a bit unsightly, the dis- see black bears, orcas, porpoise, eagles, torted garble wears a colorful invertebrate sea birds, otters, harbor seals and river cloak of textured life. Both harbour seals otters. and sea lions have been sighted here. I would like to thank John deBoeck of Keep an eye out for the bathtub! Browning Pass Hide Away on Nigei Island Weather permitting, I have always for sharing his area expertise and site enjoyed spending the day across the knowledge. The orca rubbing beach was Strait exploring Slingsby Channel. Almost amazing! anywhere along the outer walls are excellent for photography or nature watching, Travel Information above and below the water. Talk about • Port Hardy Visitor Info Centre seeing everything on a single dive, these www.ph-chamber.bc.ca walls deserve nothing less than a two-GB 1-250-949-7622 memory card with a macro or close-up • Port McNeill Visitor Info Centre lens! www.portmcneaill.net Turret Rock (aka Tremble Rock) is anoth- 1-250-956-3131 er close site, in the middle of Nakwakto • Browning Pass Hide Away Rapids. Recorded at speeds of up to 22 (Nigei Island) knots, these fast-moving currents will take www.vancouverislanddive.com your breath away! Below the surface 1-877-725-2835 or 250-753-3751 a diver will find huge clusters of unique • North Island Dive & Charter Nakwakto goose-neck barnacles with www.northislanddiver.com ‘red’ lips and six-rayed white sea stars. 1-250-949-2664 Large schools of Pacific white-sided dol- • Sun Fun Divers (Port McNeill) phins tend to frequent the area around www.sunfundivers.com Nigei, presenting the opportunity for divers 1-250-956-2243 ABOVE: Underwater pho- to see these fast moving critters in action. • God’s Pocket Diving Resort tographer Roy Akeson on In mid-water when we have encountered (Hurst Island) Browning Wall them, they have always put on a spectac- www.godspocket.com ular show! Be sure to have a weighted ref- 1-888-534-8322 or 250-949-1755 LEFT: Black bear on beach erence line because they will spiral around next to lodge Red-lipped Goose-necked barnacles 53 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Vancouver

LEFT: Banfield RENDEZVOUS DIVE ADVENTURES RIGHT: YOUR PORTAL TO THE BARKLEY SOUND Kayaking in Barkley *Open year-round* Sounds Bring a group or join one!

INSET: Six gill shark Spoil yourself with some of the best diving anywhere with more life per square inch than you can imagine. Find everything from Giant Pacific Octopus and Sixgill sharks to nudibranches, rockfish, anemones, and wrecks. The Barkley Sound, both below and above water, is perfect for photographers and sight-seers alike. Let us spoil you with a custom dive boats, a soothing hot tub, comfortable beds, home-cooked meals, and a front yard view second-to-none. Nitrox and Argon available!

www.rendezvousdiving.com E-mail: [email protected] Toll free 1 877 777 9994 (USA & Canada)

Barkley Sound Located within the boundaries a single dive! The depths vary from beginning at the top of the reef. of the Pacific Rim National Park shallow to deep with little to no Ratfish, orange sea pens, octo- on the west coast of Vancouver hint of currents. The colorful assort- pus and sculpins can be found at Island, Barkley Sound has always ment of nudibranchs includes; 27m/90ft upon a sandy bottom been a favorite among divers. This yellow and white dorids, orange- within a valley separating two unique wild coast wonderland is peel nudibranchs, frosted and reefs. Unfortunately, recent sight- easily accessed by boat from Port opalescent nudibranchs. Perhaps ings have not yielded as many, Alberni, via the narrow 40km/25mi Renate’s Reef should have been but other six gill sites are being dis- Alberni Inlet. An 89km/56mi gravel called “Wolf eel city” because of covered each year. logging road from Port Alberni to its numerous long gray residents Although Barkley Sound has sev- Bamfield provides another access. of varying length and age. It’s a eral shipwrecks to explore, there Diving is available year-round rare occasion that I am not able are two easily accessible ones: from several operators offering to photograph at least five on a the Vanlene and an abandoned both day and multi-day excur- dive. Octopus, china and tiger Chinese migrant ship scuttled sions. With over 100 islands in the rockfish and medium size lingcod as an artificial reef in 2003. Not Broken Group alone, it’s easy to also reside here. much remains of the 142m/473ft find a dive site even if the weather Tyler rock is special because the freighter Vanlene since it went doesn’t cooperate. first time I dove here I was greeted down in 1972 near Austin Island Chup Point is a favorite of mine by eight six gill sharks, the largest except sheets of mangled steel for macro photography, night div- one a female at over 3.6m/12ft! and knarled sections of hull struc- ing and being able to spot over Waterfalls of white plumose ture. It too has broken apart from Diver and Wolf eel five different species of rockfish on anemones spill over steep slopes years of wild weather and storms. Photo: J.P.Bresser

54 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Vancouver

In the midst of this twisted turmoil, I have • Bamfield Dive Shed Water temperature doesn’t change spotted adult Puget Sound king crab, www.dive-shed.com much from one end of the island to the multi-colored sunflower stars, rockfish, 1-877-723-4837 other, staying between 6-11°C (43-52°F) California sea cucumbers and abalone • Broken Island Adventures, Ltd. between November and April, increas- to photograph. brokenislandadventures.com ing to 8-15°C (47-59°F) between May The Vanlene’s bow can be found 1-888-728-6200 or 250-728-3500 and October. This in turn requires a diver in the shallows as the rest of the ship • Six Gill Adventure Tours to wear full-body thermal protection in seems to unfold down the bank like a www.sixgill.com the form of a dry suit or a thick 6.5mm broken puzzle to over 30m/100ft. The 1-800-761-5661 or 250-720-7386 wetsuit. migrant ship is approximately 30m/100ft • Alberni Valley Divers Please remember, when visiting British in length and sits upright with a maxi- www.albernievalleydivers.com Columbia, as with most prime dive desti- mum depth of 28m/95ft, near Canoe 1-250-720-1118 nations, the taking of marine life on dive Island in Sechart Channel. The hull and • Fat Salmon Backpackers (in Port trips is frowned upon and not permitted wheelhouse are easy to explore, but we Alberni) www.fatsalmonback- by most operators. Enjoy nature’s cold found most of the life growing on the packers.com 1-250-723-6924 water paradise as a respectful visitor, outer hull and bow area. because it will When not diving, humpback and take you more gray whale watching is superb during than ten return the warm summer months. Kayaking is trips to see another way to take in the areas mag- a mere por- nificent scenery and wildlife. tion of British I would like to thank Peter and Kathy Columbia’s from Rendezvous Dive Adventures for underwater taking us out and letting us use their wonders. ■ kayaks for a great photo shoot! CLOCKWISE: Travel Information Reflections in • Bamfield Chamber of Commerce Clam Cove; Bald www.bamfieldchamber.com eagle landing; 1-250-728-3006 Snake Island snorkling • Rendezvous Dive Adventures, Ltd. www.rendezvousdiving.com LEFT: Resting at 1-877-777-9994 or 250-753-5050 Abyssal Lodge

55 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED fact file Vancouver Island British Columbia Canada

History Canada is a country of rich nickel, zinc, natural resources and vast distances. copper, gold, In 1867, Canada became a self- lead, molybde- governing territory while retaining its num, potash, relationship with the British crown. The diamonds, sil- ABOVE: Map of Canada country has developed economically ver, fish, timber, LEFT: Map of Vancouver Island and technologically in parallel with wildlife, coal, its southen neighbor along an unforti- petroleum, fied border, the United States. After a natural gas, decade of budget cuts, the country’s hydropower; greatest political issues are improving Natural haz- Exchange rate: 1 CAD = $ .82 USD / € education and health care services. ards: continu- .63 EURO Recently, the issue of reconciling ous permafrost Quebec’s francophone heritage with in north is a seri- Language English 59.3% (official), the rest of the country’s population ous obstacle to French 23.2% (official), other 17.5% Custom Dive Excursions which is anglophone, has receded af- development; Daily Dive Charters ter a referendum held by the Quebec as a result of Web sites government failed to pass in 1995. the mixing of Vancouver Island Tourism Package Dive Adventures Government: confederation with air masses from www.islands.bc.ca Sightseeing Activities parliamentary democracy. the Arctic, Pa- Vancouver Island & Victoria BC Snorkeling With Harbour Seals cific, and North Tourism Travel Guide Geography Located on the north- American interior, cyclonic storms products; fish products, petroleum www.vancouverisland.com Nanaimo, British Columbia ern half of the North American con- form east of the Rocky Mountains and and natural gas. Diving Vancouver Island tinent, Canada is bordered by three produce most of the country’s rain www.bcdiving.com www.oceanexplorersdiving.com oceans: the North Atlantic Ocean and snow east of the mountains. Climate varies from temperate in on the east and the North Pacific the south to subarctic and arctic in Dive Operators Ocean on the west, as well as the Economy Canada closely re- the north British Columbia Dive Guide Rendezvous Dive Adventures Artic Ocean to the north. After Russia, sembles the US in its market-oriented www.bcdiveguide.com www.rendezvousdiving.com Canada is the second largest country economic system, pattern of produc- Population 32,507,874 (July 2004 Dive charter operators in the world. It has a strategic position, and high living standards. It is an est.) Ethnicity: British Isles origin 28%, and dive resorts in British Columbia Deco Chamber tion between Russia and the US on affluent, high-tech industrial society. French origin 23%, other European dive.bc.ca/links/charters.html Vancouver Coastal Health the north polar route; about 90% of Agriculture: wheat, barley, oilseed, to- 15%, Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Ocean Explorers Diving 10th Floor, 601 West Broadway Canadianss are concentrated in the bacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy prod- Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed back- www.oceanexplorersdiving.com Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4C2 area within 160 km of the border with ucts; forest products; fish; Industries: ground 26%; Religions: Roman Catho- Abyssal Dive Charter & Lodge Information Line: the US. Terrain: wide plains with moun- transportation equipment, chemicals, lic 46%, Protestant 36%, other 18% www.abyssal.com 1.866.884.0888 or 604.875.4252 tains in the west and lowlands in the processed and unprocessed miner- Browning Pass Hideaway www.vanhosp.bc.ca ■ southeast; Natural resources: iron ore, als, food products; wood and paper Currency Canadian dollar (CAD) www.vancouverislanddive.com

56 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 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 Vuf FOR LENGTH, CLARITY AND STYLE. LINKS ARE ACTIVE AT THE TIME OF PUBLICATION Now this is perfect for your POINT & CLICK Scuba Pup - The Dive Flag Dog ON BOLD LINKS Collar. And don’t forget to pick up a matching Leash. Available in sizes S, M and L. Webbing Gotta have it Width is 5/8 inch, 3/4 Edited by inch or 1 inch. Neck Andrey Bizuykin Sizes: 8-13 inches, 11.5- & Peter Symes 19 inches and 15-25 inches. Price: US$9.95 Equipment www.amazon.com

Oceanic Viper Beuchat The new Viper is made for all diving and snor- The Beuchat keling skill levels and is extremely lightweight for Masterlift TEK BC increased performance and ease of travel. The has been designed Viper blade’s Flexible Power Thrust Channel directs to meet the high water off the tip of the blade for improved power and standards of technical efficiency. The engineered channels and side rails direct water dives. It is a single 35-liter flow off the tips of the fin without allowing water to “spill” bag BC with 1000-denier from the sides of the blade for uncompromising power and Cordura structure backplate with efficiency. Power Vents reduce stress while accelerating multiple fastenings for the structure, bag, water over the blade. A generous yet streamlined foot pock- tank, and accessories and a wealth of fea- et fits a wide range of boot styles while significantly reducing drag. tures including a maximum demand emergen- Comes with easy adjust quick-release buckles. www.oceanicworldwide.com cy regulator unit with dump valve. www.beuchat.fr Gravity Zero Aeris T3 The Zero Ranger TXT trilaminate is The elite T3 hoseless air-integrated intended for the demanding user dive computer from Aeris Aquatec Aquastar be it a commercial, technical, achieves a remarkable bal- At 15cm, this AquaStar Led Torch Flashlight is not military or sport diver. A telescopic ance between features only sleek but also boasts an impressive 5-hour burn- torso and elasticized waist design and usability. With Aeris’ time on standard AA-sized batteries while operat- make for a perfect fit. The front wireless transmitter, the ed at high intensity. The nominal rated output diagonal zipper is non-magnetic diver can also monitor is 23 Lumens. The rugged military style cas- and covered by a protective gas pressure from up ing makes this flashlight practically inde- flap made in Cordura. Knee to three independent structible and maintenance free. It pads and other exposed areas cylinders – ideal for is depth-rated at 100m. The elec- are also reinforced with an extra both technical div- tronics of this flashlight also layer of Cordura. The suit is fully ing applications with include a constant current taped and sealed on the inside compatibility with up control circuitry that with ADS 2000 Polymer Sealant to three Nitrox mixes maintains the LED’s that comes with a lifetime war- to 100% oxygen and brightness output ranty. www.gravityzero.it recreational diving with throughout their new Buddy Pressure the entire Check™ feature. life of the www.DiveAeris.com battery. www.duton.com.tw

57 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Aqualung Aqua Lung’s New Latitude XLT features the same proven mechanical system as MINI Nocturnal SLX LED some of the most technically advanced Dive/Photo Light Oceanic BCs on the market. Solidly constructed with The Veo 100 Nx from Oceanic is a full- the patented SURELOCK technology, the review By Larry Tackett Nocturnal featured entry level Air or Nitrox Dive Latitude XLT features a balanced and inte- Computer. The Veo 100 Nx coordinates grated weight system that releases with Lights carefully arranged information with ease- one single instinctive action. The BC, avail- of-use, oversized digits, bar graphs and able in red/black and black/gray/sil- intuitive icons. Loaded with features but ver color combos, is made of the still very user friendly with a single oper- rugged Armorshield Cordura ating button. Features with the weight system “inte- include Air grated” into the jacket, making I must admit that I am a creature of changed them only twice in 16 days of and Nitrox it functional and comfortable. habit. I have been using the same aim- diving. I was shooting supermacro for a Operating Other features include: two ing/focus light for my housed cameras pygmy seahorse project that required Modes, large zippered utility pockets, for about ten years. It is a small plastic manually focusing in low-light condi- water chest strap, grommets for knife housing light with one tungsten (halo- tions. The brightness of this light and its activa- attachments, right shoulder pull gen) bulb and uses four AA batteries. wide beam angle made it much easier tion, dump for quick and easy defla- It mounts on the macro port, moves to see focus points. Safety tion. www.aqualung.com up and down, and it works... always The handle is pre-drilled with two stop has. Never thought much about it. holes to fit readily available mounting prompt But recently, I had the opportunity to options. My light came with a mounting and use one of Nocturnal Lights LED photo ball that worked fine with my UltraLight a12 dive lights. What a joy! It was several times strobe arms. My only complaint was log book. brighter than my existing light, hav- with the very large knob used to hold Diver- ing three LED bulbs, which are easily the ball. It was so large that it made it replaceable bat- changed with different wattage bulbs difficult to hold the light by the handle. tery with Hot Swap Ocean REEF wants to know what being available. With the included dif- There are better ways to do this. As a memory allows you think about full face masks fuser it produced a wide, even beam suggestion it would be nice to have a battery change of light which meant that I did not red diffuser, or a filter gel that fits inside between dives. Ocean Reef is conducting a survey to learn have to move the light every time my the diffuser, for night shots of crusta- www.amazon.com how scuba divers feel about full face masks camera-to-subject changed. It is very ceans and other critters bothered by and underwater communication systems. durable with an aluminum housing and white light. By participating in the survey, you will be handle. In all, this is a great light that has now entered in a drawing for a Limited Edition The light uses six AA batteries and the replaced my previous one. Yes, even Ocean REEF ScubaDoRag! advertised burn time for alkaline batts creatures of habit need to consider www.oceanreefgroup.com is 4.5 hours. I used Lithium AAs and new ideas and products! ■

a component could be Explorer-40 BC’s sold convenience of their have been notified and Halcyon Contact 255015035 355147010 Press release 355147040 355147068 shipped to their custom- after July 2005 that could customers. This problem are prepared to assist any Information: 255015053 355147011 355147043 355147070 Halcyon Recalls ers that does not meet develop problems over was identified during affected customers. If you 255015054 355147013 1-800-HALCYON 355147045 355147072 Halcyon’s expectation of time. In these few units it regular quality control have an affected BC (see 255015057 355147014 some of it’s quality. Even as they do is possible that the over evaluations in which a serial numbers below) (800-425-2966) x307 355147046 355147073 255015061 355147016 Explorer wings their best to ship only the pressure valve (OPV) lamination machine (RF please return the unit [email protected] 355147047 355147074 255015062 355147017 highest quality gear, they could delaminate, caus- welder) showed slight to any Halcyon dealer; 355147049 355147075 Voluntary Recall of Select will announce any recall ing the BC to leak. It inconsistency during pro- you may also contact 255015063 355147018 EXPLORER 40 Serial 355147050 555603031 Explorer 40 BC’s. (Serial in a timely manner, along is unlikely that most of duction. The machine your local distributor for Numbers 255015067 355147019 Filephoto 355147051 555603034 Numbers Listed Below) with the procedure that these units will experi- has been replaced and replacement. If you have 255015068 355147020 of Halcyon 255015005 255015091 355147052 555603039 will need to be followed ence any problems; yet, the few BC’s affected any questions or prefer to 355147031 355147058 255015073 355147022 Explorer to ensure a quick and given their rigorous desire have been identified by work directly with Halcyon 255015008 255015092 355147053 555603062 Halcyon is committed 355147033 355147059 255015075 355147023 CCR-35 unbureaucratic handling to produce only the fin- quality control. Halcyon is please contact Halcyon 255015015 255015099 355147054 555603070 to manufacturing dive (NOT the of the issue. est quality equipment, seeking to minimize any tech services via the con- 355147035 355147061 255015081 355147026 gear that exceeds the 255015016 355147001 355147055 C44679024 Explorer 40 Halcyon Manufacturing Halcyon would like to inconvenience to their tact information listed 355147036 355147062 255015083 355147028 industry’s highest stand- 255015025 355147003 355147056 255015085 in question) has identified a very ensure this problem does customers. To this end, below. 355147037 355147064 355147030 355147057 ards. Nevertheless, they 255015031 355147006 small number of Halcyon not affect the safety or all Halcyon distributors 355147038 355147065 recognize that eventually www.halcyon.net

58 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED MB Sub Hangair The two most successful diver‘s lamps of MB Sub Divers and others who use a wetsuit are now also available with new high energy lithium have been trying for years to dry the manganese accumulators, which don’t need suit before their next chance to hit protective circuits, don’t self-discharge and the surf. After use, wetsuits often retain high capacity also in the cold. The cells are take several days to dry rechargeable at any time regardless of the completely. Wetsuit charge state and they don’t suffer from users, and those memory effect. who live with The FUN Light LiMn comes at them, will testify a lower priced as it uses an that they often external charger, whereas develop a strong, unpleasant and the extreme LiMn can be unique odor. Twenty-three-year-old charged without opening it. Michael Appelman, an avid surfer and scuba diver, The extreme LiMn uses knew there had to be a better way, so he created the Hangair Drying halogen burners with System. The system was officially lauched at expos in September and separate, replace- Atomic Aquatics first shipments of Hangairs is expected be arriving in stores the able aluminium SubFrameMask first week of November. www.hangair.com reflectors. These are available with an Receives Prestigious angle of reflected International Design Keep ﬁt with Suunto beam with 12° Spot, SUUNTO t6 accurately records how 80° (with hotspot) and Award your body performs during exer- 90° Flood as photo or Atomic Aquatics have been cise, enabling later analysis and video light. awarded the prestigious Red planning with Suunto Training www.mbsub.com Dot Award, an international Manager. By measuring your award that has been exercise load and relating it presented for the last 50 to your personal fitness level, years in recognizing true Suunto t6 tells you if the ses- product design excel- sion improved your condition lence in a wide range or not. www.amazon.com Tech 2G of categories. Uwatec’s Aladin TEC 2G is an easy to use This year, there two-gas computer which offers a predic- were more than tive multi-gas algorithm (PMG) shared 50,000 entries Scubapro Panther only with the Uwatec Smart TEC. The from more than The all-new Panther N1 drysuits are made from 5mm Aladin TEC 2G predictive multi-gas 50 countries. With high-quality pre-compressed neoprene insulates algorithm performs its decom- the selection of its with little or no need for extra undergarments neces- pression calculation taking into SubFrame mask, sary, whilst ensuring buoyancy stability at depth. The account all planned gas switches introduced earlier Panther C1 (not shown) is a new membrane suit for throughout the dive. This means this year, Atomic warm or cold water allowing you to wear as many that the decompression sched- Aquatics became undergarment layers as necessary to stay warm and ule shown on the display gives the first company in dry. Panther C1 is anatomically pre-shaped and the you the actual total time of the dive industry to diagonal dry front zipper ensures easy access with- ascent. In the background, how- be recognized by out requiring help from your buddy. Additionally the ever, the algorithm also calcu- the Red Dot com- adjustable telescopic torso system provides the perfect lates the decompression schedule mittee in the sporting fit and makes for easy donning; this is particularly ben- for the currently active gas only, so goods category. eficial to divers with slightly longer upper bodies. Both that if you fail to switch to the “deco suits comes with anti-allergic extra long latex wrist gas” at the planned depth, the com- More details on this honor and seals combined with nylon neoprene wrist cuffs. The puter can quickly revert to this calcula- the worldwide competition can self-draining two-sided nylon neoprene collar with tion. You can look up the active gas cal- be found at: en.red-dot.org Velcro closure and self-draining front valve pro- culation at any time at the press of tects the latex neck seal from water damage. a button. Scubapro-uwatec.com www.scubapro-uwatec.com

59 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Ecology

Edited by Michael Arvedlund Medicines unlimited from the Oceans & Peter Symes The Oceanic Cornucopia Text by Michael Symes PETER SYMES

For millennia, mankind has been There has long been folk lore ing from coral reefs, molluscs, attached to the reef obtaining nourishment from the about various prophylac- sponges, to bacteria found in and so cannot escape tic substances that can be the sediments at the bottom from predators. They there- oceans, not only from fish and obtained from the oceans. For of the oceans. fore have to engage in a shellfish but also from the various centuries, coastal communi- chemical warfare using bioac- at types of plant life. The oceans ties have used reef plants and Coral reefs tive chemicals to deter preda- a are also home to some of the animals for their medicinal Currently, one the most tion, fight disease, and pre- depth of properties. In the Philippines, important source of pharma- vent overgrowth by compet- 100 m in the most poisonous and deadly for instance, giant clams are ceutically active chemicals ing organisms. Some animals Mediterranean. organisms in the world, for eaten as a malaria treatment. appears to be in the coral also use toxins to catch their The related com- example the Banded Sea Snake, Today, more and more reefs to be found around prey. These chemicals may be pound Eleutherobin is the Scorpion Fish, and even the research is taking place into the world. As readers of this synthesized by the organism obtained from the shallow- the possibilities of obtain- magazine will know, corals itself or by the endosymbiotic water Eleutherobia species humble cone snail. Yet these ing pharmaceutically active are formed of polyps living microorganisms that inhabit its in western Australia. They are selfsame creatures may well be chemicals from the oceans. within a hard skeleton of cal- tissue. They can also be accu- both active against cancer in our salvation, in that they may The majority of marine-derived cium carbonate. They are to mulated from the food they that they are cytotoxic . compounds are obtained be found almost everywhere eat. Another example is the eventually provide us with life- from either microorganisms in the world, not only in the pseudopterosins obtained saving substances against many or stationary, bottom-dwell- warm tropical seas but also Cancer medicines from a gorgonian coral of the ailments that affect us. ing organisms such as corals, in the colder waters of the Extracts of these chemicals, Pseodoterigorgia elisabethae, sponges and tunicates. Atlantic. Although they mostly like histamines, hormones, found near the Bahamas. There are already many live in shallower waters they antibiotics, and secosteroids These have anti-inflamma- of these compounds are also to be found in deep have led to drugs such as AZ1, tory and analgesic properties, that can, for example, sea waters. Ara-A, Ara-C, and Dolostatin and are now in use in a com- possibly provide cures for Coral reefs are also home 10, which combat AIDS, can- mercial skin-care product to cancer, AIDS, malaria, herpes to a diverse mixture of inver- cer, asthma, arthritis, and defeat allergic responses in infections, etc., but can also tebrates such as tunicates, inflammatory disorders. the skin. act as pain-killers and sun- molluscs, bryozoans, sponges For example, Sarcodictyin A chemical called Kainic

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY screens. The sources of these and echinoderms. These ani- is obtained from the coral acid was originally isolated compounds are legion, rang- mals spend most of their time Sarcodictyon roseum, found from Digenea simplex, a red

60 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED NOAA PETER SYMES

well as in the depths, includ- are those that have been collected from ecology ing sea caves where there the sponges of the Lithistid family, dis- is little or no light. There covered at depths of 300 to 600 meters are even some that live off the coast of Florida. Drugs extracted in fresh waters. Some 5000 from them have been used not only to species have treat acute myelocytic leukemia and already been non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma but also for the identified. treatment of herpes infections using the Most sea antiviral drug Ara-A. sponges Another sponge with an elevated attach microbial population which is exception- them- ally bioactive is the Halichondria oka- selves to dai sponge which lives in remote tropi- coral, cal waters off the coast of Japan. This rocks sponge contains halichondrin B, a chemi- and cal which has been described as ‘exqui- algae found other sitely potent’ in killing cancer cells. A in coral reefs hard sur- synthetic version of this chemical, E7389, off the coasts faces has been produced, which is currently of Japan and along being tested in humans for the treatment Taiwan. This is the of non-small cell lung cancer and other used as an cancers. The drug functions by disrupting anti- cell division. In a recent Phase II clinical worm- study E7389 gave promises of a treating ment for slowing and possibly reversing agent, the spread of breast cancer. The deep and sea sponge Lissodendoryx was later dis- in neu- roscience covered at depths of 100 meters off the research in the modelling of ocean floor. coast of New Zealand. This sponge con- epilepsy and Alzheimer’s dis- Sponges are home tains halichondrins in greater concentra- ease. It is also used as a diag- to huge amounts of tions than the shallow-water species. nostic chemical to investigate bacteria, cyanobac- The deep sea sponge Discodermia Huntington’s chorea, a rare but fatal dis- teria, and fungi, and because a single dissolute is found at a depth of 140 ease of the nervous system. sponge can be populated by dozens of meters off the Bahamas. A compound, different symbiotic bacteria that produce Discodermolide, which interferes with Porifera an extraordinary range of chemicals, dividing cells, has been extracted from The Porifera, more commonly known as they are ideal the sea sponges, are multicellular marine candidates for bio- The sponge, animals usually occurring in complex ses- prospecting. These Discodermia sile colonies in which the porous body associated micro- dissolute, con- is supported by a fibrous organisms have tains agents framework. been shown in agent against solid tumours They are to some cases to be be found responsible for the in every defensive chemi- ocean of cals produced by the world, sponges. Many Microbes that WIKIPEDIA particu- sponge species live inside larly the have elevated sea squirts Antarctic, microbial popula- produce two both in tions. compounds thought to shallow An example of have anti-can- waters as these chemicals cer properties NOAA 61 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Mangrove (Rhizophora sp.) endosymbiont inside the sea Conotoxins also have the human spinal cord. in Queensland squirt Lissoclinum patella. This potential to treat epilepsy Ziconotide, developed ecology produces two compounds from the venom, works called Patellamide A and and clinical depression. by blocking the cal- Plants C, which are thought to cium gateways of the Just like the land plants from have anti-cancer properties. These patel- nerve synapses, so that transmission of which we have previously lamides are small peptides that appear the pain signal to the brain is blocked. obtained practically all our useful in treating some cancers. Ziconotide, also commercially known as medicines, the plants that grow Prialt®, was isolated from Conus magus. in and around the oceans have this sponge. It is an active agent against Molluscs One of the most significant develop- a potential as a source of bio- solid tumours, especially multi-drug resist- These consist of the gastropods (snails, ments is from an omega-conotoxin of logically active chemicals. This ant tumours. Phase I clinical trials have slugs), the bivalves (clams, mussels) and conus geographus. Using the snail’s potential, though, is nowhere been completed the cephalopods (cuttlefish, octopuses). natural conotoxin, a synthetic deriva- as great as that for medicines Furthermore, products from two other One of the most interesting gastropods tive called SNX-111 was produced. It has produced from animal species. deep sea sponges are in pre-clinical from the medicine point of view is the been shown to have analgesic proper- One minor example is the development. These are Topsentin, beautiful but deadly cone snail, of which ties, and has therefore the potential for extracts derived from the fruit which is an anti-inflammatory useful there are more than 500 known species, being the basis for a new pain-relieving of a mangrove species found against arthritis and skin irritations, and found primarily in coral reefs in warm, drug. Studies have already shown SNX- on the coastal regions of the also against colon cancer. It can also tropical waters but also in mangrove 111 to be 100-1000 times more power- Andaman & Nicobar Islands, possibly be used in treating Alzheimer’s swamps. They harpoon other inverte- ful than morphine, without many of the which shows both anti-diabetic disease. It is obtained from the sponge brates with a concealed hollow tooth, associated side effects and anti-diarrhoeal activities. Spongosporites ruetzleri, found at a though which they inject conotoxin Conotoxins also have the potential to Fractionation of the fruit can depth of 300-600 m off the Bahamas. The venom. Despite its small size, it is only a treat epilepsy and clinical depression. separate the anti-diabetic second product is Dicytostatin-1, used few centimetres in length, it has Each species is able to pro- activity from the constipation- against cancer. It is obtained from a enough venom to paralyse or kill Synthetic duce more than a hundred inducing activity. MURIEL GOTTROP sponge of the order Lithistida, family cor- a human. unique toxins. Cone snails as allistadae, living off Jamaica at a depth The most scientifically inter- derivatives a group may thus have more of 440 m. esting venoms are those pro- are relatively potential for new medicines duced by conus geographus easy to manu- than any other genus. So far, Tunicates and conus magus. Their ven- the venoms of only just over fifty Non-pharmaceutical Applications Tunicates, commonly called sea squirts, oms contain substances called facture. species of cone snail have been are marine animals that spend most conotoxins. These are small pep- investigated. As it takes 50-100 Corals of their lives attached to rocks or the tides, normally only 20-30 amino acids snails to obtain enough venom for analy- Corals have a skeletal structure similar to oped natural sunscreens to cope with bottoms of boats. The photosynthetic in length. This short length means that sis the environmental impact of removing that of bone, with a hard outer sheath long-term exposure to the high-intensity microbe Prochloron didemni lives as an synthetic derivatives are relatively easy cone snails must be considered. and a spongy inner core. They are there- ultra-violet radiation penetrating shallow to manufacture. There are a number of fore well suited to be used as orthopae- reef waters. This sunscreen, structurally different types of conotoxin, each acting Bacteria dic implants in bone grafting. At the unlike compounds in current use, has on different receptors. Salinispora, a new class of marine gram- present time, the best for this purpose are demonstrated great efficiency in absorb- The molluscs’ venom was positive bacteria, have been isolated found to be the tropical genera Porites, ing and dissipating UV radiation in the found to be able to in large numbers from many different Alveopora, and Goniopora. The bam- damaging UV-B region of the spectrum. block pain sig- ecosystems, including the Caribbean boo corals of the family Isididae, genera Luckily, these materials can now be nals in the Sea , the Red Sea, the oceans around Keratoistis and Isidella, which live more synthetically produced, thus avoiding Hawaii, and the Sea of Cortez, together than 1000m down in the North Pacific the destructive exploitation of natural with such extreme environments as the Ocean, are also being resources. sediment on the ocean floor more than used, as the dimensions 1000 m down in the North Pacific Ocean. of bamboo coral are Actinaria A substance, Salinosporamide A, has almost identical to that The Actinaria, bet- been isolated from these bacteria, which of bone. They are still ter known as the sea shows strong anti-cancer properties in preclinical develop- anemones, belong to against melanoma, colon-, breast- and ment but have already the phylum Cnidaria lung-cancer. been found to reduce the which also includes the risk of mammalian disease. jellyfish, corals and hydras. Cone snail The corals have also devel- The jelly fish and sea anem-

NOAA

62 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Urticina sp from the White sea, Russia ONE INDUSTRY. ONE SHOW. ONE MAGICAL LOCATION. anemones can be employed to deliver important pharmaceuti- cals painlessly through the skin of a patient. Research is going forward into imbedding a drug such as insulin into the stingers which can be mass-culled from the sea anemones. These are then made up into a cream which, when rubbed on the skin, activates the stingers to inject the drug. These tiny injectors, which are invisible to the naked eye, can deliver up to more than 100 thousand penetration points per square centimetre of skin contact. It is hoped that the method can be used to deliver chemotherapy drugs, antibiotics and anti-rejection drugs after organ transplant operations. Cure for AIDS? It will be seen that the oceans are potentially a huge source of medically important compounds. It is therefore necessary that we ones have soft bodies and long, that it can kill a person. However, protect them from destructive

PETER SYMES stinging, poisonous tentacles that it is the mechanism of the sting fishing practices such as the trawl- they use to catch fish. They do this that is of interest, for the nemo- ing of the ocean beds. Otherwise,DEMA by paralysing the fish with venom cysts can be used to inject drugs we might lose the chance to find DISCOVER THE MAGIC OF DEMA SHOW! sent out through stinging cells through the human skin. just that substance or mechanism called nemocysts. The venom of It has been shown that the that could cure cancer or AIDS. DEMA Show 2006 is the ONLY international trade event for diving, adventure travel and action water sports professionals—creating an some of the jelly fish is so strong minuscule stingers of the sea But that’s another story. ■ exclusive environment focused on addressing every possible need you have as a dive retailer or instructor.

Scripps Institution of attractive to investors. He hopes “It’s completely out of date,” CONNECT with 600+ companies gathered in one global Oceanography and UC an interdisciplinary approach to Fenical said. “Where are we in BUSINESS marketplace—see, demo and buy virtually every product, finding medicines from the sea terms of developing new antibi- service and technology you need to stay competitive San Diego’s School of could draw more resources. The otics? We are in trouble. My col- biggest obstacle, he said, is that leagues believe it is a national HAVE FUN while networking with more than 10,000 industry Medicine have teamed PLEASURE professionals during the show and at the industry’s biggest the largest donor of research emergency.” Victor Nizet, associ- social event, the DEMA Awards Party up to hunt for new anti- grants, the National Institutes of ate professor of pediatrics at the biotics on the ocean ﬂoor Health, has stopped supporting Division of Infectious diseases at PARTICIPATE in hundreds of hours of educational and get them to market antibiotic research. This lack of UCSD’s School of Medicine, said EDUCATION programming designed to help you stay abreast of changing support extends from a 25-year-old more than 50 percent of strains technology and ﬁnd new ways to boost your bottom line Bill Fenical, director of Scripps’ agreement to keep the National of bacteria are resistant to com- Center for Marine Biotechnology Institute of Allergy and Infectious mon, first-line antibiotics. DISCOVER programs that support the growth of the dive and Biomedicine, is sorting out Diseases - an NIH arm - from com- A dozen researchers are work- DIVING industry and your business, including Ships to Reefs and how to make the potential new peting with private enterprise, he ing on the interdisciplinary push DEMA’s Diver Acquisition Project antibiotic discoveries effort more said. to find new antibiotics. ■ DEMA Show 2006—One event you can’t afford to miss! Make plans to attend or exhibit, visit www.demashow.com for more information.

63 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED wrecks

Vice-Admiral Shoji Nishimura

Japanese BattleshipText and images courtesy of Cedric Verdier Is there anything more difficult in diving? When the dramatic story of a Japanese of the Southern force of the Operation hero meets the dream of a few technical Sho-Go, as the Imperial Japanese Navy Nowadays, the name Yamashiro divers. Headquarters in Tokyo search for a final and could have different meanings decisive naval battle against the Americans October 24th, 1944 in the Philippines. His force (named Force C) depending on where you come Vice-Admiral Shoji Nishimura doesn’t like the consists of battleships Fuso and Yamashiro from. If you live in Los Angeles, a way everything goes. Nishimura is known (his flagship), heavy cruiser Mogami, and huge pagoda near Hollywood is for his high respect of the orders. No matter destroyers Shigure, Michishio, Asagumo, and the oldest structure in California what orders he had, he would carry them Yamagumo. And now, he has to go through out even though they could result in the the Strait of Surigao to attack the Allied inva- and hosts a famous restaurant annihilation of himself and his command. sion shipping in Leyte Gulf. named Yamashiro or “Mountain For the time being, he doesn’t know that palace” in Japanese. If you live it’s exactly what will happen in the next few July 18th, 2006 in Kyoto, Japan, Yamashiro is hours in the Surigao Strait. Three technical divers and more than six Only a year after being nominated as hundred kilograms of diving equipment are the name of an area close-by. a Vice-Admiral, he is named commander boarding the boat that Rob Lalumiere, an And for the older generation, it’s also the name of a never forgot- ten Japanese battleship lost during WWII during one of the major battles of naval history, the battle of Leyte, October 1944. Finally, if you’re a scuba diver, you might have heard about the wreck of the Japanese fleet leaves Brunei, 22 October 1944 HIJMS Yamashiro as definitely the most challenging shipwreck in the world, because of the remoteness of the location, the extreme depth and the very bad diving conditions.

Top view of Yamashiro Ron Lalumiere’s dive boat in the Philippines 64 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Divers Bruce and Cedric prepare to dive the wrecks Yamashiro deep wreck Yamashiro or rent some equipment. There is no recompression chamber less than twelve hours away. The closest boat available for technical divers, a private boat owned by Rob, comes from Ormoc, fifteen hours north. The closest town, Hinundayan, has only a few houses on a small road that looks like it is con- stantly being repaired, and more than ten people talking together at the same time is a major event in this very less than six battleships. Amongst them, ed narrow targets in close proximity. quiet area. the deadly USS West Virginia, California It’s late in the afternoon when Vice- Everything has to be and Tennessee, recently equipped with Admiral Nishimura heads to the Strait. brought from Europe, the new Mark 8 fire control radar, an He is now well aware of the trap that is Thailand or Manila. Soda improved system that better discriminat- waiting for him, as a scout plane from Lime and small tanks for the rebreathers, spare parts, Helium, Oxygen... in short, an expedition as easy to set up Japanese battleship Musashi under attack in the Sibuyan Sea, October 24th, 1944 as a wedding party on top of Mt. Everest. American expatriate and an avid deep technical diving in Thailand. We all wreck diver, uses to provide the surface come to Leyte, a remote island in the Shooting a fish in a barrel support to the Yamashiro Project team. Philippines, to dive the Yamashiro and A team made of three technical divers the Fuso. October 24th, 1944 coming from very different horizons. I am Bruce and I spent the last ten months Since its departure from Brunei two days originally from France but spend most of gathering information about the wrecks ago, Vice-Admiral Nishimura considers my time travelling around the world to and the logistics that could be used for himself lucky, as his force has remained teach rebreather diving. Pim van dem such extreme dives. We quickly both undetected by the US Navy. Unknown Horst does the same in his dive school in came to the conclusion that it’s a combi- to him though, some aircrafts took off the Netherlands. Bruce Konefe, also an nation of heaven and hell. the USS Franklin to strike an attack on American citizen, resides and teaches Heaven because the wreck of the his ships. They are spotted a few min- Yamashiro lies in pristine condition, still utes later, as they prepared to drop proud of her 213 m/699 feet length, their bombs on the two battleships. her twelve heavy 14 inch guns and her Fortunately, the damages will be minor famous 44 m/144 feet high superstructure and nothing will happen for the rest of nicknamed Pagoda. the afternoon. However, Force C has Hell because the current is never less been uncovered, and US Navy ships from than 7 knots, the visibility on the bottom the 7th Fleet gather in the Strait of Surigao is close to 5m/15 feet, the maximum to welcome the Japanese fleet. depth is almost 200m/656 fsw (only 160m/ Its American opponent, Rear Admiral 525 fsw for her sistership HIJMS Fuso, sunk Oldendorf, had deployed his overwhelm- in two parts only a few miles away). It ing forces to gain the maximum advan- also means that the team knows what a tage, barring the Strait with an incred- “Logistical nightmare” is. ible layer of PT boats, destroyers, and There is no dive center to fill the tanks finally, the great guns of cruisers and no

Preparations for the dive Philippine island 65 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Yamashiro

the HIJMS Mogami has pro- RESERVED vided him with a report about the American forces and their location. Nevertheless, he knows that following the orders he has received will help Operation FOR SOME Sho-Go to succeed. All of a sudden, US Torpedo Boats come from nowhere and directly aim at the battleships. AD As the night falls, the fight seems to last forever, finally ending around two o’clock in the night. But it’s actually only a pause, waiting for the next phase of the battle… Then, an hour later, the US destroyers start to launch their torpedoes, hit the HIJMS Fuso, breaking her in two parts. HIJMS Yamashiro also takes a hit but keeps on firing from all guns, trying to find the enemy in total darkness. Most of the Japanese destroyers are lost or crippled by this time. ad Another hour and the remaining American force is within range of fire. All the battleships, some being veterans of the Pearl Harbour attack, start a terrific concentration of gunfire, and every size of projectiles, from 6-inch a few minutes after the order comes refusing to be rescued by the US Ships, through 16-inch, come pouring into to abandon the ship, the distressed preferring to swim ashore to be butch- the few remaining Japanese ships. ship suddenly capsizes and sinks stern ered by the Philippines natives. Shells come down like rain all first following a final hit from two tor- From all the Japanese Force C, around Vice-Admiral Nishimura. pedos in the starboard side amidships only the cruiser Mogami and destroy- Nevertheless, he relentlessly keeps his and aft. Aboard are Vice-Admiral ers Asagumo and Shigure will remain force on its course, trying to make it Nishimura and most of her 1400 crew operable. Every other ship had sunk. through the Strait, even if he members. knows now that his command There are only a few Diving a mountain palace is doomed. hundred survivors from In the chaos of the night the cut-in-half HIJMS July 18th 2006 surface battle of Surigao Fuso, most Time to dive! So many problems are Strait, the HIJMS Yamashiro of them linked to the Yamashiro Project that it is shelled and torpedoed could be funny. Some bottom or sup- into ruin, dangerously tilting port divers couldn’t come to the on one side. Only Philippines,

HIJMS Yamashiro

66 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Bruce doing his deco Cedric learning to wrecks BELOW: Rob’s dive boat fly during deco Yamashiro Yamashiro Project. hard for the divers to reach the buoys. At The divers had to the surface, Pim has a 1st stage regulator fight against it at O-ring that blows up at the last minute. the surface, during The whole crew helps him to fix the reg, the descent and but it’s already too late. After having the ascent, and swum hard against the current at the sur- even on the bot- face, he decides to abort the dive. tom. Bruce, who had some problems with After a day of the Hammerhead, decided to switch extensive search in back to the normal Inspiration electron- the area, in order ics, therefore limited in depth. He will stop to avoid any con- at 120m/393fsw. fusion with other Only I can descend along the shotline wrecks in the Strait that is now at a 45 degree angle. The of Surigao, the only way to go down is to pull myself team was con- with the rope. That’s the plan, but it’s vinced that the quite hard work even with all the tanks huge profile on the side-mounted and a configuration as echo sounder was streamlined as possible. Several times I the wreck of the had to stop for a few seconds to catch HIJMS Yamashiro, my breath, even with a very efficient pre- fast as a runaway train. My canister light still intact, some are lying on the bottom. as it also matches production radial scrubber in my Meg. has flooded and I now rely on a 10W HID A tilted hull... It looks like the complete with side-scan sonar At 120m/393 fsw, I meet a big ther- light. The beam is narrow and hardly cov- wreck sits on her side. images and GPS mocline and the temperature drops ers more than a small part of the impres- Unfortunately, after only a few minutes locations found by from a comfortable 29°C/84°F to a chilly sive wreck. A quick check at my instru- on the bottom, computers and tables previous expedi- 22°C/71°F. It becomes darker, and the ments will tell me that I just finished a very clearly agree that it’s time to start an tions (like the one current does not decrease. long 14 minute descent! ascent that will take 6 hours to complete. conducted by the At 180m/590 fsw, the line is horizontal— It’s so dark and the wreck is so huge The current is still there, the line still late John Bennett). well above the bottom. I follow it and dis- that it’s difficult to have any clue about almost horizontal, and it takes quite a None of these cover a huge hull. My heart is beating as where I am. Some superstructures are while to reach the first deco stop at expeditions were 150m/490 fsw. able to explore the Above the thermocline, the water is due to professional, financial or per- wreck, mainly because of the current, warm and the visibility excellent. Bruce is sonal reasons; a tropical storm named but they all came back with a lot of use- still deco-ing some 40m/130 fsw above. “Florita” (why such a sexy name for such ful information. Because of the current, we both use a a devastating climatic phenomenon?) After several attempts to hook the Jon-line to relax a little bit while maintain- flooded some islands and delayed the boat on the wreck, Rob and the team ing a constant depth. arrival of the team in Leyte; some equip- decide to drop a shotline on the wreck. The support divers bring down a plas- ment proved to be ineffective at depth, Quickly, Eveline Verdier, one of the sup- tic bag with drinks and magazines. They flooded, broke or were lost; even the port divers swims to the buoys to remove also visit the us to take some pictures. boat had some problems and lost all the the excess line. There is no slack. The Everything looks fine, so far... shotlines the crew set up; the helm broke current pushes everything so hard that it and the boat drifted away; some elec- will be very difficult for her to set up the 9m/30 fsw tronics like the GPS or the depth sounder deco line with the stage tanks. The current is picking up big time, and decided to display inaccurately and to Pim, Bruce and I start to gear up. I jump all over the place at the end of switch off at the worst moment. A long process with the equipment my Jon-line. It’s made in Thailand but it Even the weather played with the used: dry suit, rebreathers (Ouroboros doesn’t break, fortunately, as other prob- nerves of all the team members by alter- CCR for Pim, Inspiration CCR for Bruce, lems are waiting for me… nating sun and rain, storm and gentle Megalodon CCR for myself), bail-out I suddenly notice that the oxygen level breeze; and finally the current, a rip- tanks, etc... in my rebreather starts to drop. The oxy- ping current, almost constant even at Even with the boat very close to the gen tank is simply empty because of the slack tide, was the worst enemy of the shotline, the strong current makes it very high exertion level, much higher than

67 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED the surface in a place that looks like it’s - 2 anchors About the Author in the middle of a storm... A lot of wind, - 550m of ropes Cedric Verdier is the founder of the TRIADE big waves at the start of evening and a - 10 buoys and containers Project, established in 1999, discovering and wrecks exploring more than 20 virgin wrecks located boat that tries to approach me is going - 2 dumbbells (??) in the south of France between 70 and 130m up and down. A support diver jumps at - 1 Otter dry suit (230 ft) and 430 fsw. In 2002, he was the first the surface and catches all the tanks to - 1 Decorider bail-out rebreather diver to identify and dive the British cruiser help me to safely climb the ladder. As HMS Manchester off Tunisia. Amongst other soon as I sit on the boat, everyone can The team also needed: dive firsts, he pushed the limits of the Sra see how tired I look. Nevertheless, they - 400kg of personal equipment Keow cave in Thailand in May 2006, using all want to congratulate the first (and - 14 porters in various airports and ferry his Megalodon Closed Circuit Rebreather, to the worst case scenario. Another tank is only) diver on the Yamashiro. terminal an Asia-Pacific cave depth record of 201m plugged in the rebreather and the oxy- The mood is quite good, even if all - 20kg of rice and chicken (660 ft). He is currently planning the Yamishiro gen is now manually injected. But it looks the divers have not been able to go to - 54cans of Diet Coke and Pepsi Max Project, an international expedition aiming to like the injector leaks, even after having the bottom, this day or the next few. been checked multiple times. Buoyancy The team has done what they could to The tables used were designed by V- control becomes a problem. I have to explore the Yamashiro. The spirit of the Planner and ANDI-GAP, with a 5/75 dilu- dive the Japanese battleship HIJMS Yamashiro exhale a lot, and I am loosing quite a survivors just opened a window for us to ent and a progressive setpoint (1.0 on sunk in the Battle of Leyte in the Philippines in lot of gas. It becomes even worse at the visit the final resting place of the fallen. the bottom increasing up to 1.3 during November 1944 and resting at a depth of 200m shallower stops... Another empty oxygen This window is now closed, and all divers deco). They were backed-up with VR3- (660 ft). Cedric is a PADI Course Director and a Trimix Instructor Trainer for IANTD, PSAI, ANDI, tank, and one of the support divers has have to respect that. There is no other VPM computers. DSAT and TDI. He spends most of his time teach- to bring a new one. explanation for all the problems that Thanks to Rob Lalumiere, Ross ing cave and mixed-gas rebreather courses at The last deco stop seems very long, occurred during this expedition. In this Hemingway, Eveline Verdier, the support the diver and the instructor level. He is a past filled with boredom and cold. The dry trip were lost, broke or flooded: divers. Congratulations to Anthony Tully Regional Manager for PADI Europe and DAN suit is full of water because of the last - 1 Hammerhead Electronics for for his so informative articles about the and has written five books and more than 150 two hours of me spinning around at the Inspiration CCR Battle of Leyte. Thanks to our sponsors: articles about diving. As he is always travelling end of the Jon-line like in a washing - 1 video camera and its housing ANDI, PSAI, Golem Gear, Mermaid’s Dive all over the world, you can mainly contact him machine. - 1 Halcyon canister light Center, OMS, Otter Dry Suit, Northern by email at: [email protected] A very slow final ascent and I reach - 1 Poseidon regulator Diver, Cochran, RebreatherWorld Forum. ■

The entrance of the Sra Keow cave, north of Krabi, Thailand, is dark and quiet. All the local kids who use the pond as a play- ground are now back home for dinner. The only three people still there, closely watching the motionless pond, trying to see any bubble or glow that could reach the surface now start to worry. The divers were supposed

68 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Profile

Edited by Gunild Symes

Ralph Hagen Canadian Syndicated Cartoonist Dives to a Diﬀerent Toon

Hagen spent hours just staring at that cartoon, “trying to figure out how someone could use just an ordinary pencil and a piece of paper and come up with that”. From that day forward, all he did was cartoon. The young Hagen would cut Ralph Hagen can remember the open paper grocery bags for draw- Bonus!” He was hooked and ‘Muppet Babies’ fame. actual moment he started cartooning paper and draw until there couldn’t stop cartooning if he Hagen says that he owes Guy ing as if it were yesterday. Hagen wasn’t an inch of space left. In tried. Hagen said that if he lost his Gilchrist many thanks for entrust- says that he was about four when first grade, Hagen would turn over hands, he would draw with his feet ing him with his panel and all the he saw a cartoon pencil sketch the handouts and draw before he —“those cartoons would just have support Gilchrist gave him over the hanging on his grandfather’s had done the school work on the to come out”. years. “He truly is one of the best”, porch drawn by a second cousin other side. “Now, why wouldn’t my Hagen has been procartooning says Hagen. of his, who eventually grew up to teacher and her wooden yardstick since 1976 when he landed a job as In the early years, ideas and become a commercial artist. The approve of that?” he kids. editorial cartoonist at his local pa- punchlines were harder to come drawing was a rendering of Alfred Hagen sold his first cartoon per. Hagen also did the color work by said Hagen. He really had to E. Neuman of MAD Magazine, at age 17, and thought, “Cool! on the strip, ‘Mudpie’ for renowned work at it. But after 23 years of pro- exclaiming, “What, me worry? “ People will pay money for these? artist Guy Gilchrist, of ‘Nancy’ and fessional cartooning, Hagen seems

69 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Get a Ralph Hagen profile Dive Cartoon T-Shirt & Help Save the Ocean! Ralph Hagen Dive Toons T-SHIRTS CAPS BAGS MUGS CARDS MOUSE PADS FRAMED PRINTS CALENDARS CLOCKS POSTERS & MORE!

to have taught himself a different way ity work and believe the customer’s of thinking, “one that comes naturally needs come first.” Where a percent now,” says Hagen, “without effort.” In Ralph Hagen lives north of Edmon- fact, now he says it’s hard to shut it off. ton, Alberta, Canada, with his wife, of all sales goes to Currently, Hagen does editorial work three kids, two horses and “the odd ocean conservation! for two papers as well as his panel moose”. SCREAMS syndicated by DBR Media. He freelances and has been published See the hilarious dive cartoons Hagen in hundreds of magazines and papers creates for X-RAY MAG on t-shirts, cal- such as The Saturday Evening Post, endars, posters, mugs and tote bags. The Reader’s Digest and The Birming- Visit X-RAY MAG’s new online store at: WHOLESALE PRICES AVAILABLE, CONTACT: ham Post Daily. Hagen has also done cafepress.com/xraymag [email protected] illustration work for preschool books as well as assignment work for clients For more information about the car- and businesses throughout the US and toonist, please visit Ralph Hagen’s own Canada. Hagen says, “I produce qual- website at: www.hagenstoons.com ■ X-RAY MAG STORE

Every time you buy a Ralph Hagen t-shirt, calendar, mug or tote bag, a percent of the sale goes to help save the seas! Go ahead... be a hero. Buy ‘em at cafepress.com/xraymag PERCENT FOR THE OCEANS CAMPAIGN Do you love the sea? Do you want to help save our oceans and reefs from destruction by global warming, over-ﬁshing, deep sea trawling, coral bleaching, algae blooms, run-off and emissions? Do you want to make sure your money goes to solid organizations really doing good work out on the front lines? Join X-RAY MAG in the Percent for the Oceans campaign where businesses and local communities can sign up to give a percent of their sales to ocean conservation. Contact Gunild Symes at: www.cafepress.com/xray-mag [email protected]

70 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED technical The editors wish to thank: matters Si Tech (Sweden) Aquata (Germany) Dykkercentret (DK) Thyge Dive (DK)

The Zen of who contributed with valuable advice and technical assistance in Diving preparing this article Drysuits

Editor Peter Symes. Location: Thingvellir, Iceland

All the questions about I am a confessed drysuit nuttie. I It is all about being totally outstretched as if I was or exploration into the underwater tion. Entry level training taught drysuits you always prefer my drysuit anytime, even lying on a mattress. I have, in realm. us that the body loses heat 20 on a hot summer day where I, comfortable fact, often amused myself by the As for the thermal protection, times more quickly in water than wanted to know the while kitting up, will subject myself thought that the suit was like a there is a lot to be said. As most in air. This makes proper thermal answer to but never to bystander’s snide comments say that this is the very point of waterbed that was just wrapped are well aware, unlike wetsuits, protection priority-one in a good dared to ask: Why dive about my apparent lack of Viking using drysuits. My point is, aside around you. It is all about com- which are almost solely manu- suit. Not only do we want to have drysuits? Neoprene genes and tolerance to the ele- from the range of obvious tech- fort. factured in neoprene, drysuits a good time down below being ments. Not that I mind diving in nical advantages over wetsuits, Being comfortable may mean comes in two main types (with cozy rather than cold and miser- or membrane type? wetsuits, which I often have to there is this unique feeling of div- a lot of things and most of them some overlaps and cross breeds): able, but once we get cooled Purchasing a suit. do whenever I go traveling with ing the suit, almost as in driving applies to diving drysuits. It is Neoprene and membrane suits off, our air consumption also goes Zippers and care. a limited luggage allowance, a car and becoming one with it about protection from the envi- (such as tri-laminate, rubber or up, risk of DCS increases, not to Getting the Bouyancy and I gladly admit that diving in through the seat of your pants. ronment, thermal protection nylon). Membrane suits are some- mention, dedicated hypothermia wetsuits does tend to give you a first of all, but also against abra- times also called shell suits. The is dangerous and ultimately fatal. right. Diving the suits. more real experience of being Diving the suit sion from sharp rocks, jagged main difference being that neo- In all types of drysuits, air plays the Special training and tips. in the wet element, whereas a My drysuit is a vehicle too. It can wrecks, spiky sea creatures. And prene provides thermal insulation dual role of both providing ther- drysuit does tend to isolate you, be finely controlled and maneu- it is about taking as much of the in itself whereas membrane suits mal protection and buoyancy, Peter Symes with which, by the way, also has its vered to the point where I can strain out of the dive as possible, require an undergarment worn and fulfilling these two require- Andrey Bizyuikin advantages. Some would even ultimately come to rest and relax making it a pleasurable excursion underneath for thermal protec- ments simultaneously is the key.

71 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED technical Some ask: Why crush the neo- Why you should stay warm prene and ruin the insulating matters The recent rise in popularity of techni- Neoprene or membrane? air bubbles? cal diving with mixed gasses, rebreath- This is a matter of a probably never ers and advances in computer tech- ending dispute. Not quite as bad as a nologies have enabled us to vastly religious quarrel but the two camps increase the time we can remain each have their outspoken pro- underwater. ponents. Speaking in very general Consequently, the requirements for terms, neoprene suits are generally thermal protection are higher than PHOTOS OF DRYSUIT & DRYSUIT COMPONENTS ARE COURTESY more hydrodynamic due to their PHOTO BY PETER SYMES ever. If the protection is insufficient, OF THE MANUFACTURERS smoother surface, and as neoprene our bodies will react by increasing allows for some stretch the movement of metabolism to compensate for the joints, are less restrict- loss of body heat. This in turn increases Types of ing. The downside Technical Editor Andrey Bizyuikin our breathing rate and gas consump- is that neoprene tion, sometimes depleting our supplies drysuits compresses Membrane suits, on the other hand, Finally, there are some high-end hybrid prematurely and forcing us to finish a with depth, just like don’t compress. They are light-weight models aimed at combining the best of dive early. Being cold also increases wetsuits, whereby and easy to enter, but do require addi- both worlds. Foremost and best known of the risk of decompression illness. In Drysuits they suffer from a tional protective underwear, for example, these models are suits made out of com- the beginning of dive, when the body loss of both buoy- Thinsulate underwear from 100 up to 400 pressed neoprene, a special neoprene is still warm, the tissues saturate with ancy and thermal protection exactly gram or some of the special garments in which the characteristic air bubbles nitrogen relatively fast. But once the there where you need it most. As the suit’s advertised on these pages. Membrane have been compressed or ‘collapsed’. tissues have cooled, the off-gassing buoyancy changes with depth, it also suits generally require less lead, but the This produces a much thinner, yet ﬂexible occurs much more slowly. calls for slightly more precision in control- amount of needed weights will also material, but obviously also far less insu- Most people can do one dive and ling the buoyancy at any stage. Finally, depend on the choice of undergarment. lating, for which reason an under- stay comfortable, but, the second or neoprene suits are generally viewed as Another and less important consid- garment is necessary for thermal third dive of a day is when heat loss requiring more weights than eration is that membrane suits protection. These suits becomes very noticeable. Even in the membrane suits, but ultimate- tend to be baggier and have are generally more tropics, after a week of heavy vaca- ly, this depends on the under- a wrinklier appearance caus- expensive. We have tion diving, many people start getting garment used. ing more drag, which however, also seen suits lately chilled during the last few days. to be fair, I haven’t been able where a thin metal- Also, water temperature in many dive to really notice. Also, the foil that reﬂects areas can change up to ten degrees membrane material doesn’t body heat are or more between winter and summer, stretch, which, depending incorporated so this factor must also be considered on the design and ‘tailor into the fabric. when choosing a dive suit. ■ cut’ of the suit, can limit movement in some direc- tions, for example, if you try to reach out for a Choice of tank valve behind your head (a maneuver material is you should be able to ultimately execute in technical down to per- diving). sonal prefer- TUSA’s H.R.S. ence and the uses a 5-lay- ered structure type of diving with a 3.5mm hyper-com- you want to pressed neo- Poseidon’s do - and per- prene and a Vesta is made White’s Catalyst is a Aquata Crush - Crushed double tita- haps also the from 5mm semi- membrane suit made Neoprene Dry - Overall 5 nium alpha compressed size of your from QuadFlex incor- mm crushed HD-neoprene lining neoprene porating the Captive wallet Suspension System

72 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Standard latex neck seal (conical) Shit Happens

This option from Tucking DUI, the ZipSeal, down the comprises of a seal, like an flexible urethane inverse turtle Standard latex ring installed on neck collar, wrist seal the neck and/or will trap air in (conical) wrist, which per- a way that mits the user to will strength- replace a torn en the seal- Seals & Hoods seal in minutes ing effect Air is kept inside the suit by seals or cuffs Neoprene suits require more weights down along the skin to provide a tighter The ‘Winter Shrink’ at the wrists and either a neck seal or a than membrane suits to compensate seal. After a long break or during cold peri - hood with face seal. It is inflated through for their relatively higher buoyancy at When air tries to get out of the sleeve, ods, you may find that your seals have the inlet valve and deflated through the surface. But as they compress with it gets trapped under this fold and press- shrunken and become too tight to pull Bellow neck an exhaust valve or by air escaping out depth and lose buoyancy es the folded-down flap against the skin. over your head. You can try to expand seals allow for under the cuffs. The amount of air in this has to be offset by It is not always necessary to fold down and soften them by inserting plastic bot - more head the suit is thus variable. How much adding extra air. latex seals as this material is more elastic tles or balls into the sleeves and neck movement will always be a compromise. Put Therefore the air than neoprene but many do anyway. A and leaving them overnight to stretch. without ingress more air in and the insulation pressure inside a word of caution however, a neck seal of water improves but this also makes the neoprene suit will should hold tight but not be so tight that Trimming Seals To Siz e suit more buoyant, calling for often be slightly it restricts the blood flow in the veins the addition of more weights to higher. This puts leading to the head nor should it be maintain overall neutral buoy- a stronger pres- pressing on the vagus nerve. This ancy. Conversely, if you can do sure upon neck can lead to increased blood away with less air in the suit—i.e. and wrist seals. pressure in the head, by using high quality under- These seals causing headaches and garments—you can save on can be made perhaps even uncon- weights. As compared to of either latex sciousness. This can be diving with wetsuits, most will or neoprene. avoided by using an need at least 5kg extra weight Neoprene isolating latex hood, for starters. seals have to which seals around the However, the extra air and the have the out- face. This latter option added weight also calls for better ermost 1-2 cm is more often seen with Both neck and wrist latex seals are conical. buoyancy skills. A drysuit is less for- folded inwards commercial divers who Trimming off the ends willl thus make the fit giving and requires more compensa- like an inverted have to work for many less tight. Make sure you use a proper pair of tion than a BCD once you start to sink turtle neck col- hours under water, scissors and a stable support. One nick and or ascend... more on that on page 74. lar and tucked while recreation- you might tear the seal, which then needs to be replaced. So be careful! Separate hood. You’ll get your al divers seem hair moist like in a wetsuit to favour Lubricating seals the Most use talcum powder, but soapy Here, I use a neoprene neck seal with a Face seal as seen neck water is also an excellent lubricant for seperate hood. I fancy that neoprene pro- on a Viking suit. This seal putting the wrist seals on and off. A word vides me with more warmth around the option is mostly with of caution however: Avoid anything that neck (I am such a wimp) than latex. And favoured by the either contains perfume as it may degrade the it is softer, feeling less tight. A separate commercial a fixed seals. Spray a small amount of the soapy hood also makes it more comfortable divers or sep- water on the inside. Avoid silicone lubri- wearing the suit out of the water—ie during transport to dive site. arate cants, which can build up on the suit hood. resulting in problems when repairs are needed. Talcum is the best option.

73 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Nice, dry and cozy, also between dives COUNTERCLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: Zipper configurations ashore, which must be rinsed off or 1. Poseidons first Unisuit had swept off before the buddy opens the a crotch zip (1963) that went zipper. An old toothbrush may also between the legs. This design is no come in hand to clean out dirt and salt longer used. 2. Round the head crystals from between the permits for easy entry. zipper teeth. 3. Across the shoulders are the most common, but this typre requires assistance Lubrication to get in and out It is also important to keep the zip- of. 4. Across the per well lubricated. Wax or liquid chest. 5. The Configurations & Care are the main choices. Silicone should flipover. never be used as it causes problems with glue used in repairs. Some manufacturers recommend sticking with the Dry Gloves wax only. In any case, follow their rec- The head, neck, hands and legs can ommendations – otherwise you might be responsible for up to 70 % of the loss Zippers void the warranty. Liquid does seem to of total body heat. Dry glove systems seep better into the corners, but it may should be considered when diving in The zipper is the most expensive feature on a dry also attract and trap dirt particles. water temperatures below suit. It requires both protection, careful handling Some manuals also state that only 12°C to minimize the risk of the outside teeth should be lubricated. non-freezing cold injures. and maintenance. But with proper care the zip- Lubricating the zipper, once for each Inside the membrane, you per could outlast the suit. diving day, should suffice. But once it wear gloves of wool or feels tight to open and close, Thinsulate. There are two How exposed the zipper is to wear it’s time for another lubrication main types—with or with- and tear, grit and dirt depends on or cleaning. Apply the correct out a coupling. the design of the suit and whether it is lubricant, open and close the protected under some flap or cover. zipper twice, then store the suit The zipper needs to be kept clean and with the zipper open ready lubricated to ensure that it doesn’t jam for the next use. and damage itself and remains watertight. It should open and close smoothly. Make sure Keeping the zipper clean may include that care is taken rinsing the zipper off when opening and after the dive before closing the zipper. unzipping. Divers who dive off beaches may Drag evenly and get sand grains depos- carefully. Some drysuit zippers are ited as they scramble protected by an outer zipper

WWW.KALLWEIT.DE

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEREIS DIVE CENTER, WHITE SEA, RUSSIA 74 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED AccessoriesSome assorted & excessive Adult diapers Ankleweights? OMS® ankle Some scoff at ankleweights denot- weights are ing them “training wheels for novice fabricated divers” and that they just add to the from abrasion strain of finning. I beg to differ on both and punc- ture resistant accounts. It is about finding your per- 1600 Denier sonal trim and what works for you. In Nylon with indi- my case, as my legs are rather buoyant, vidually sewn The Bio-Seal from Apollo not only helps with the sealing. in part also thanks to the fact that I, as pouches to pre- As it does not contain latex, it also helps those who are photographer, favour swimming in a slight- vent shifting of the allergic or prone to neck rash. It is extremely pliable and hy head down position, I need those weights coated metal shot. molds itself to seals and skin equally well. This product can to keep my legs down and balanced. It also Talkum www.omsdive.com reduce, and in most cases, eliminate water leakage in spares strain on my back that I can re-distribute the neck area while allowing for a more comfortable fit. the weight more evenly. Swimming? Can’t feel the difference? Who got the idea that diving Any Colour you like was an underwater marathon anyway? Regular (3.3 lbs per pair) and Long Guilty as charged (3.9 lbs per pair) Ankle Weights are P-Valve available in Black, Blue, Neon Green If you gotta go, you gotta go. The over- and Yellow. www.mcnett.com board discharge or “pee valve” is a must for any male drysuit diver doing moderate to long exposures. (Sorry, gals. We are out of luck on this option. See ‘Drysuits for Divas’ on page 71 for advice on this subject). Without a way to relieve himself, the diver will often intentionally keep himself in a state Argon for suit inflation of dehydration. The Pee-valve from OMS is Argon is an inert gas which also happens to usually installed on the inner thigh. The valve has a be a bad conductor of heat. Using Argon as a hose that attaches to a condom (supplied). When the plumb- drysuit inflation gas therefore yields a far better ing is all set up, the diver can urinate at will and the effluent Cold Feet? thermal insulation than using air. Argon is car- automatically passes from the condom, down the tube and How about an electrical sole ried in a little separate cylinder mounted with through the valve for an “outboard” dump into the water. wamer from German Kallweit? its own regulator. www.omsdive.com www.halcyon.net www.kallweit.de WWW.HALCYON.NET Neoprene Warm Collar - to be fitted over a Latex Seal www.drysuits.co.uk

75 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Shopping for a Drysuit

In particular, this matters when Contributed by Peter Fitschen it comes to the degree of thermal Sales Manager at Aquata protection offered by different materials. Here, it is important to A prospective drysuit diver pay close attention to the level of should begin with consider- personal activity and anticipated use of the dry suit and match this ing the following questions to what classification of thermal before buying a drysuit: protection the suit has. These data and physical characteristics Where and how will I dive the suit should be shown in the dry suit and what are the temperatures and is the only reliable and stand- from which the suit has to protect ardised information available to A glued and taped seal of me? Do I only dive occassion- the customer. Whether the suit high qualty. ally or do I frequently make more is actually made from crushed There is a tight than one dive in one day in cold neoprene, a 7mm neoprene with bond between water? What will the suit have to a Titan coating or other material the materials sustain? Am I a sport diver or will should be a secondary considera- I need the suit for professional tion. Heat-sealed seams. It uses? How do I dive—wreck div- The standards also stipulate might be ing, underwater photography or Ask for professional advice how sizes should be presented. difficult to videography, underwater work or Also, any manufacturer is obli- see the dif- training? gated to produce at least two ference, but Drysuits are classified as per- of which materials it is produced different sizes. In order to offer a there is not sonal protective equipment, from, have met these standards. perfect fit, however, two sizes will the same and as such, they are subject In Europe, for example, this means not be enough, so this part of the degree of to commercial standards. Make a valid EU Conformity Declaration standards can only be seen as a bonding sure that the drysuit, regardless and test certificate. This provides rough orientation. PETER SYMES the customer with some assur- A very important issue when ance that he or she is going to it comes to the purchase of What are you going to use your suit for? purchase a drysuit of good quality drysuits—and wetsuits for that where the properties have been matter—remains finding the best able? Are the hood and seals dive in a drysuit where Checking the quality tested and recorded. cut and a perfect fit. Even a interchangable too? Can you get offered. Drysuits are not unlike other clothes, shoes drysuit made in the finest materi- additional pockets for additional For further advice or backpacks. Taking a closer look at the als with the best thermal protec- equipment? It is the sum of the and details, please visit finish will tell you a lot about the build tion characteristics available will parts that makes a good drysuit. our website www.aqua- quality. Are there any loose threads or not be of much use if it doesn’t fit. But it is the combination of the ta.com. Look under the uneven seams? Is the material even? The last consideration is the suit’s properties and your indi- category “Guide”. The seams are of particular importance quality of the workmanship of the vidual needs and charactistics because any leaks will arise here. Are they suit. Take a look at the flexibility that will ultimate define what’s Direct Link (click here) glued (and how) or heat-sealed? Glued and stability of the material and right for you. We recommend that and taped seals may look messier on the arm seals, compensation of you seek out a qualifed dealer Shopping for thermal un- the inside, but heat-sealing is a process cold bridges (see note), sensi- who can offer you professional derwear, see next page. whereby the material is welded together ble use of materials at neuralgic advice and guidance in finding under high pressure and temperature, body points, like the joints, and for a suit that fits correctly. Beginners which might affect the materials charac- women, the breast area. Also look should also consider special teristics locally and create cold bridges at the overall functionality of the courses in drysuit diving and take that are bands of low thermal insulation. drysuit. Are the boots interchang- the opportunity to make a try

76 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED ShoppingWhat to keep in mind for when Undergarments Hilary Child of Weezle Diving Jim Standing of Systems has the following advice: Fourth Element writes: Any thermal underwear Thermal performance Wicking should be appropriate and Loft is not necessarily the answer Ensure that you have a to greater thermal performance. good base layer next ‘fit for the purpose’ for the Whilst a thicker layer of air will be a to your skin. Ideally, this diving being undertaken better insulator, reducing conduc- should wick away mois- and flexible enough to tive heat loss, the management ture from perspiration or be suitable for any diving of the air is a far greater chal- suit leaks. Keeping the The best wicking lenge and often an irritation to a skin dry is crucial to the and is just as effective being considered in the diver. The greater the amount of overall performance of fabrics are the under a drysuit. Think near future. It should also air needed to keep the undersuit the drysuit and under- top end synthetics of the drysuit as the take into consideration “fluffed up”, the more a diver will suit. Some products wick water proof outer layer. the existing equipment need to monitor the air and adjust via a chemical treat- What you need is an appropriate the air in his or her suit with chang- ment, but this will wash out after a combination of base layer and such as which drysuit is ing depth. Also, there is a greater time. Others have a mechanical mid layer. Use a thermal baselayer being worn. When the risk of “floaty feet” with a larger wicking process due to the pre- with lighter weight undersuits, and desirable qualities of div- quantity of air within the suit, and cise knit pattern of the fabric. They a wicking base layer with the the wearer will be likely to need tend to be more expensive, but heavier weight suits to maximise ing underwear comes into more lead to achieve neutral their performance will last the life- moisture management. Better still, consideration, there are 3 buoyancy—a problem particularly time of the garments. All “natural use a thermal wicking base layer W’s: Warmth, Wicking and before and after the dive, above fiber” base layers have mechani- —the best of both worlds. Washable the surface. If your drysuit under- cal wicking properties, but the suit requires a lot of air in order to best wicking fabrics are the top Price vs. Quality Warmth either through layer- perform its function, it will require end synthetics. These do tend to Beware of undersuits in a range ing, trapped air, reflective heat more management underwater. get quite smelly after prolonged where the price increment is not (a combination of these) or even use, so machine washability is also that great between the different a mechanical process such as Density a key factor. Look out for brand- levels of protection. It means that an electrical device, if the others If something packs down to a ed fabrics such as Polartec and the cost is in the garment rather aren’t present. small size relative to its size when Goretex. They have a large R&D than the insulating material used. PETER SYMES in use, it is advantageous from the budget, which is well spent on pro- If you see a suit that uses a good Wicking The body releases Diving the crystal clear glacial waters near Thingvellir, Iceland point of view of packing it to trans- ducing high performance fibers quality material, the increase in water in the form of sweat even port it, but it is also indicative of that are effective in insulating the price between a 200g and 300g on cold dives, up to 12 litres in 24 removes the need for a tumble dry suit and ease of movement how easily it can be compressed wearer more effectively with less suit will be significant showing that hours in extreme circumstances dry and means suit leaks can be for all diving drills and actions? during the dive. Generally speak- bulk. using more of the insulating mate- but usually nearer to half a litre dried between dives. Can you fit fins, climb a ladder ing a dense material will not com- rial contributes significantly to per day. In good undergarments, and do valve isolation drills? pact as much and therefore will Layering the overall cost, as the work to small suit leaks should be kept to Other good questions 6. Is it well made and hard wearing? not compress as much during a Layering is a solution to produce the suit itself will have the exterior of underwear often 1. Is the cost appropriate to the 7. Can I add to or reduce the dive. attaining greater pro- remained the same. making the wearer unaware of a style and amount of diving thermal properties of the suit tection without bulk. It’s wet undersuit. being done? should my needs change? a tried and tested Look good 2. How long will the suit last, giv- 8. If any diver is going to be wear- If your drysuit undersuit approach in other Makes sure you look good Washable & Fast Drying ing good ‘cost per dive’ value? ing this for a full day’s diving, is outdoor sports, too. James Bond wore a if it is going to wick the sweat to 3. Is it compatible with my existing it comfortable? requires a lot of air in order tuxedo under his drysuit. the outer layer, it needs to be equipment? 9. Can it be packed away sim- to perform its function, it I don’t think we have washable not only to make it less 4. Reputation; What is the likely ply and small enough to travel will require more manage- to aspire to looking offensive after a couple of dives, customer care back up from with? that good, but but also to keep the efficiency manufacturer? 10. Does it match my eyes? :o) ■ ment underwater. we can come of the wicking fibres. Fast drying 5. Does the fit allow room for the close! ■ PHOTO COURTESY OF NEREIS DIVE CENTER, RUSSIA 77 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED mermaid Text by Cindy Ross Drysuits for Divas Photos courtesy of the manufacturers determine the extent of layering fleece outfit. The synthetic filled instantly during your surface GirlDiver would be to consider matters that is needed. undergarments are usually a one interval. “catheterization”...let’s not. And Edited by You will always need a base piece that make that visit difficult. Don’t forget your hood. Most while I’ve seen a female version of Gunild Symes layer. This layer should be made of of the heat lost in your body is a relief zipper, I’m really not sure a wicking fabric to move moisture Digits & Crowns Most through your head. Blood flows how that works with the layering away from the skin through to the GirlDivers suffer from “my fingers continuously through your body, of clothing underneath. A “male” THE NIGHTMARE: Emerging outer layer of fabric in your suit. and toes are cold” syndrome. It’s and when it reaches your scalp, relief zipper could work, if you use from a dive wrapped in a One yummy solution for a base just the way we’re wired. To help with no fat for insulation, it cools a FUD (female urinary device). This layer is long underwear made of with this malady, be sure to wear as it moves through those veins. plastic device, recognized by the cold neoprene sponge, your drysuit has ample room to silk. Silk is the warmest natural fibre two pairs of heavy wool socks in Find the warmest hood you can. outdoor industry, is designed to which needs to be peeled add some layers, after all, no and feels soft against your skin. your boots. For your fingers, go dry. Going from a mediocre hood to allow females to pee in the woods. off of your pasty body, while matter how tight fitting your suit, It’s the weave of the fabric which Investing in dry gloves may be the a thick warm hood will provide a And while you can perfect the aim onlookers gasp, as your no one will see the 10 pounds you achieves the wicking properties, best dive money spent. Even if, in noticeable difference in the heat enough to pee on a tree, I’m not struggled to lose. and most outdoor sports retailers the coldest of seas, your fingers get retention in the rest of your body. sure your boat mates would be swimsuit shows more of your will carry silk long underwear. chilled in the gloves, by keeping impressed with your aim in the loo. bottom than it covers. Layering In order to achieve Why is the insulation layer always dry they will rewarm Pee Valves and So, GirlDivers remain in the warmth with most drysuits, you’ll black? Whether fleece or a almost Relief Zippers state of hydrated enough to Enter the Drysuit...Diva Style need to layer a bit underneath synthetic “down-like” fill, we should Not really have healthy dives, but not Drysuits come in all flavours. the suit. The type of suit be able to add a bit of color available to us. to the point of a full bladder. From vulcanized rubber (for you dive will with this layer. Go for pink. Or To consider a pee Note: this is a skill that takes the commercial dive diva) to tangerine or lime-green. We valve for a time and patience to master. compressed/crushed neoprene aren’t limited to black here. Whether diving under ice and heavy nylon shell suits. No For ease in the head, caps or simply taking a matter how you choose to dry you may want to plunge in your local up your diving, there are some try a two piece quarry, drysuit diving considerations GirlDivers must heavy weight insures that there ponder, that the boys know is no season that nothing about. GirlDivers need miss These are not bikini’s. Not sexy. their time with the Not sensual. But they are HOT! fish. And with these Hot in the best sense of the few considerations, word underwater. So, we’ll save this may be your most the sexy black dress for post- comfortable and dive activities, and realize that colorful drysuit season staying warm sometimes means ever. sacrificing fashion. Be sure that Scuba Lifestyle writer, soft goods stylist, When will they ever learn? and PADI Instructor, Now, why would any self-respecting Cindy Ross is passionate woman invest up to $2800 in a drysuit about promoting the sport that makes her look like a sack of pota- of scuba to females of all toes, or a badly stuffed sausage, or a boy? ages, all over the globe. Some manufacturers simply place men’s girldiver.com ■ designs on women’s bodies, or create dowdy flat-chested designs that don’t acknowledge women’s curves and cut the line of the leg Some manufacturers are more successful with designing for the female across the widest part of the hips or thighs— figure by acknowleging women’s a BIG No-No. Four words: Hire a fashion curves and creating a flattering line designer! Perhaps then we women will buy of the leg and bodice like this BARE your drysuit rather than a Gucci bag. Pro neoprene (but why the bull’s eye circles around the knees?) and the LEFT TO RIGHT: Waterproof Sedna, LEFT TO RIGHT: TUSA X-PERT, Northern Diver TUSA X-PERT drysuit with flattering Aqualung Blizzard, DUI FLX50/50 drysuit (above center & inset) and Aqualung drysuits bodice cut (4th from right). 78 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Donning a Suit The Original Worn by professional and sport divers who demand the best. Tested down to -1.5ºC. Put your fingertips together. Hold & the Best Chosen for comfort and versatility. onto the sleeve of your undergarment until you gently push For more information and a your hand out through list of our retail outlets, Only made the wrist seal. Use the for and by: other hand to ease it visit our website: through and protect the seal. A little talcum usually helps. Make sure that there are no folds in the seal www.weezle.co.uk

Contact Paul or Hilary on +44 (0)1535 655380 or fax us on

Pull up your boots and make +44 (0)1535 657356 sure that there are no folds e-mail: in legs of the undergarments either [email protected]

Cleaning & Storage Rinse the suit off in freshwater after each dive, paying particular attention Fold your drysuit with to the zipper. Never use washing powder, detergent or other household your zipper pointing out. cleaning agent but use the specially formulated shampoos to get rid of Avoid strains og kinks as salt, grime and dirt as well as bacterial build up. Keep the zipper lubri- this may damage cated with wax or liquid. Avoid using silicone or other greases. Cut of the zipper any loose threads and carefully seal the ends with the flame from a lighter. Neoprene suits are best stored hanging on a hanger, whereas membrane suits are best kept in their bag. Keep suits away from heat and out of direct sunlight.

Tip: Let the suit dry with the inside out first. If there is Grab hold of neck seal with both Pull outwards while you press your And presto! You’re reborn like a new- any bad odours, rinse it with one of the specially for- hands. Take care that your nails head gently through. Talcum will born babe. Make sure that seal lies even mulated agents. Never put a drysuit in a washing don’t tear seal lessen the friction against the skin, with no folds or kinks machine nor in spinner. Read the manual. FROM DYKKERCENTERET (DK) WWW DYKCEN.DK

You might want to fold it down. In case of a neoprene seal, this is must to avoid water ingress

If you have a shoul- Seal Saver pro- der zipper, have your tects and con- buddy help. Pull even ditions dry suit and gently. Make sure seals, gaskets, O- that the undergarment rings and rubber doesn’t get caught in products the zipper

79 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Stig Insuláns guide to perfect buoyancy control

Mastering Bouyancy in Drysuits Diving Membrane The following procedure will help Basic buoyancy adjustments Compensating for you obtain perfect buoyancy Kit up in full equipment wearing undergar- gas consumption suits? Don’t ments suited for the water temperature. During a dive you will loose additional Use the control in a drysuit. It should be Adjust your weight belt accordingly. Enter weight as you consume your gas supplies. performed several times and in shallow water with all your gear. Open the To compensate for the extra buoyancy at BCD a comfortable environment. The exhaust valve fully by turning it counter the end of a dive more weights need to The BCD should goal is to master a controlled as- clockwise as far as it goes. This reduces be carried. But how much? This requires remain empty during the bottom the gas volume in the suit to the minimum a little calculation as detailed in the side time of the dive and be used cent without effort, similar to tak- by venting excess gas. While breathing bar “Calculating increase in Buoyancy”, as a back-up buoyancy device ing an escalator to the surface. normally, deﬂate your BC completely if but even just a standard 12l cylinder (~80 only. The only, or primary, buoy- you have any gas therein. Now, add or cu feet) pumped to 200 bars will contain ancy device should be the suit. The starting point for these exercises is remove weights until you can hang feet over 3 kg of air. This also serves to reduce the task wearing enough weight to compensate down just below the surface touching it Adding some additional weight, say load—which is specially impor- for the gas pressure needed to force the with the top of your head only. In this posi- 1-1.5 kg, will allow you the op- tant during stressful sitations—and exhaust valves open to vent tion, when you stretch your arms out hori- tion to do a safety stop with to focus on the proper buoyancy expanding gas. The ex- zontally in front of your chest the exhaust enough margin for comfort. control through the suit only. The haust valve must also be valve should be at the highest point of the Next, having added all the BCD should be kept empty at properly set and located suit (excl. the hood). The reason for this is extra weights necessary, all times except while floating in on the highest point on when the exhaust valve is elevated, the inﬂate your drysuit. Then the surface. However, some divers the suit or close to it, i.e. water pressure will decrease and a spring slowly close the exhaust with neoprene suits favour also adding on the shoulder. loaded piston will automatically open and valve by a little gas to the BCD during the shal- let out expanding gas. turning it low parts to avoid having excessive amounts of gas in the suits themselves. But that is beyond the main point, which is that you should be capable of controling your buoyancy through the suit alone.

Your buoyancy will increase while diving as you consume the gas through breathing. If you feel that the deflation capacity of the exhaust valve is insufficient, the reason may well be that you started the dive with not enough weight. Two happy campers in Lake Baikal, clockwise un- otherwise just exit the exhaust Russia. Make til you once valve if it hadn’t been turned your first bouy- more reach down. ancy adjustments by add- neutral buoyancy. Be- Initiate the descent by ex- ing or removing cause you have more weight, haling and by elevating your weights at the you need more gas in the suit. elbow to cause some gas to beginning of In turn, this results in a slightly exit the exhaust valve. (It can the dive higher gas pressure that would be aided by pressing the cover PETER SYMES

80 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Setting the Exhaust How to Calculate Valve for Automatic Expected Increase in Buoyancy Buoyancy Control Compressed air (or breathing gas mix) In the following examples, metric units has density. Two to three kilograms of are used and the breathing gas is You can remain neutrally buoyant dur- gas is spent just on a typical recrea- assumed to be air. Air weighs 1.29gr pr ing a dive without resorting to manual tional dive from breathing and inflat- liter. inflation or deflation provided that the ing a suit or BCD. During technical exhaust valve is correctly located at dives gas consumption is often signifi- Example A: the highest point of the suit, that it is cantly more—and more than can be A typical volume for a rental tank on properly set and that you are wearing compensated for by wearing more a tropical resort is 10 liters. At a serv- the correct amount of weight. weights. Therefore, on deep dives a ice pressure of 200 bar this tank can When you adjust the setting by turn- technical diver will take on additional contain 10 liter x 200 bar x 1.29 gr/l = ing the valve cover, a clicking sound or weights—which may be placed on 2.6 kg air. This can be felt but most will sensation will help you determine the the down line or handed over by manage with out any further ado. fine tuning. When the valve is properly a support diver—to counter for lost set, you will be able to fine tune the weight in gas. Ideally, one should Example B: gas volume in the suit just by roll- always calculate the weight loss dur- A technical diver elsewhere might ing the body on one side or by ing a dive. For most recreational dives, carry a 2 x 12 l twin set charged to 230 raising or lowering your elbow. most of us can do with a general set- bar. In this case, it carries (230 x 2 x 12) The valve may need further PETER SYMES ting, but once we move beyond that, liters x 1.26 gr/l = 7.1 kg of potential fine-tuning during the dive it’s time to do some calculations. Each weight loss. depending on the duration of For reduced buoyancy: For increased buoyancy: dive is unique, but the diver should the dive and the suit material: Adjust counter clockwise (towards Adjust clockwise (towards +) = higher always have complete buoyancy In either case, add a maximum of -) = lower pressure = less gas pressure in the suit compared to ambient control and make contingencies for 1500 g for the option of a decompres- retained in the suit pressure = more gas retained in the suit deco-stops and unforeseen events, sion stop. ■

of the valve forcing it open). Once you ting the Exhaust valve for Automatic start descending, take your elbow down Bouyancy control”). For slower ascent, and start reinjecting gas into the suit in raise the arm with the exhaust valve. The gentle squirts on the inlet valve to control internal suit pressure will increase com- the descent rate and avoid getting a suit pared to the ambient water pressure on squeeze. the valve. Gas will be vented faster and ascent rate will slow. During the dive The suit should be used for buoyancy Post-dive buoyancy check control at all times—not your BCD, which At the end of the dive, see if you are able contains no gas at any stage of the dive. to maintain neutral buoyancy at 3m with When diving drysuits the BCD is relegated less than 50 bar in your tanks. to being a backup device i.e. in case your suits gets flooded and loses buoy- At the surface ancy. Do the fine tuning by adjusting the To obtain maximum flotation and to exhaust valve little by little in either direc- preserve the insulating effects of the gas, tion by turning the valve’s cover. close the exhaust valve fully by turning it clockwise all the way to a full stop. You The ascent can then add additional air for further During ascent or while changing depths inflation and insulation. Also you can now during the dive, you can adjust the gas use your BC to help you float. volume within the suit by rolling the body or by raising or lowering the elbow—pro- Stig Insulan is CEO of SI TECH, the renowned vided the valve is properly set and you manufacturer of drysuit valves, gloves and Once back in the surface, close all valves and inflate suit and BCD are correctly weighted. (Also see “ Set- other accessories. See www.sitech.com

81 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED A good suit is when you have you had it for two years and you ask yourself if you would buy it again if you had to and the answer is yes —John Womack, Otter WaterSports ...summing it all up

• Use a drysuit that fits and is suited for the dives you’re planning Go on a course - a • Practice your drysuit diving skills under controlled conditions until drysuit specialty course they become second nature. • Know your equipment and emergency procedures. Diving drysuits is not difficult and • Make sure your dive partner understands your drysuit system too. a lot of dive suit divers have just • Check your valves, zipper and seals before each dive. started using them without any • Also wear a BCD and use it for surface flotation and back up. further ado or problems. �� • Use the correct amount of insulation for the water temperature But they do require a bit more you’re diving in and your exercise rate. technique and skills so why not • Water or air temperatures below 21°C (70°F) constitute cold water master these under the watch- diving. full eye of a qualified instructor, • Water or air temperatures below 4°C (40 °F) should be considered who can help you settling into as ice diving. This comes with added hazards and requires special the correct habits. All the major equipment, training, preparation and procedures. training agencies offer some sort • Know your limitations and do not exceed them. of drysuit specialty course. • Complete a drysuit diving course from an instructor and stay cur- Check with your usual dive- rent by practicing your skills ■ shop or instructor. in Otter Ultimate droogpak) ��

��

�� (Noordpool, foto: John Neuschwander �� DIVING INTERNATIONAL 82 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Costa Rican Supreme Court shark tales Says Shark Policies Have Been Unconstitutional For Years Edited by Bits Pretoma wins important The case was Arnold Weisz filed 2.5 years and Peter Symes legal victory in the bat- ago by Pretoma & Bites tle against illegal shark ROB STEWART / TORTUGA MARINA because nation- finning as Costa Rican al law states Supreme Court ruling that foreign ves- slaps government for sels must land EU To Lax Restrictions On at public docks, putting shark populations to ensure the Shark Finning at grave risk by shielding protection of the public interest. “The Court ruling shows illegal shark finning. Yet since the first foreign vessels that Costa Rican shark fish- arrived to Puntarenas in 1998, Launching a report about classic example of how the fisher- The Court also ordered the imme- the Costa Rican government has ing policies over the last years the dangerous decline in ies and policies of the EU domi- diate halt of all landings of shark been allowing them to land at have been tailored to meet shark populations caused by nate global policy and affect the products at private docks, unless private docks, facilitating shark European fishing policy, Shark marine environment around the they are equipped with public finning and promoting overfishing. foreign shark fin interests” Alliance expresses dismay at the world. If the EU permits this restric- installations and ideal conditions The authorities argued that state European Parliament Fisheries tion to be weakened, to exert controls and protect the infrastructure does not exist where Committee’s push for weaker “The EU it will be a license to public interest, writes the environ- foreign shark vessels can land but restrictions on shark finning. finning fin and may well be mental organisation Pretoma from the Court ruled that “the lack of actively copied by San José, Costa Rica resources is no excuse for such In their report, entitled regulation is other nations and institutions to avoid complying “Shark Alert: Revealing already one international bodies.” Likewise, the Court confirmed that with the law. A ‘material impossi- Europe’s Impact on Shark the National Fishery Department, bility’ does not justify indifference Populations,” details the of the weakest One third of European the Customs Department and on behalf of public authorities in depletion of European shark in the world” shark, skate and ray the Ministry of Public Works and the application of their elemental The public dock in Golfito has plenty populations and threats to populations assessed, Transportation, have abdicated obligations.” of available spage global populations as a result now qualify for the IUCN (World their constitutional duties by of European Union (EU) policy. Conservation Union) Red List of implementing policies which have At Puntarenas Pretoma docu- “The Court ruling shows that Highlighting shark finning as a Threatened Species, with another endangered shark populations. mented massive illegal landings of Costa Rican shark fishing policies major and escalating threat, the 20 per cent considered at risk of While not a defendant in the shark fins by foreign vessels at the over the last years have been Shark Alliance stresses that the EU becoming so in the near future. case, the Ministry of Environment private dock. “We should point out tailored to meet foreign shark finning ban is already fraught with was ordered to guarantee com- that a perfectly good public dock fin interests,” confirmed Randall loopholes and urgently needs Europe plays a major role in the pliance with environmental legisa- has existed for years in Golfito, Arauz, President of Pretoma. tightening rather than weakening. global catch and trade of sharks. tion at the private docks as well. but oddly the State disregards its “The authorities seem to be In 2003, Spain was the world’s existence,” dragging their feet to comply “The EU finning regulation is largest importer of shark prod- explains Jorge with this ruling, because of which already one of the weakest in the ucts, the second largest exporter, Ballestero, I call on President Oscar Arias world,” said Uta Bellion, coordina- and had the fourth largest catch Vice-President to end Costa Rica’s reputation tor of the Shark Alliance. “This is a of sharks. Other EU members of Pretoma. as a country which hands over also contribute sig- “So the argu- resources to foreign interests, nificantly to global ment that State simply by ordering his Ministers to shark fishing and infrastructure is comply immediately with the rul- trade. lacking simply ing of the Court and urge protec- doesn’t hold tion of regional marine resources.” SOURCE: SHARK ALLIANCE water.” SOURCE: PRETOMA - WWW.TORTUGAMARINA.ORG ROB STEWART / TORTUGA MARINA 83 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Spotted Wobbegong shark (Orectolobus maculatus)

STATE OF HAWAI Monterrey Bay Aquarium Help Protect North Gets Another Great White Carolina’s Sharks from Finning! by Willy Volk California - The Monterey Bay Aquarium has put another great white shark on Hammerhead Quasimodo is dead. In the display in its Outer Bay exhibit. Canada Satellite Such accidents are reported as the Seychelles, once-plentiful shark popula- In 2004 and 2005, a female great main cause for the species’ decline, tions are declining rapidly, due largely white shark was on display in the aquar- Tags Blue Sharks but Joyce said learning more about to increasing demand for shark products ium’s Outer Bay exhibit for approxi- mature females might make life easier for -- mainly fins -- from Asia. But those sharks are all far away, right? Guess what? mately six months and became ``the the younger ones too. Researchers in Nova Scotia are hoping According the Ocean Conservancy, North most powerful emissary for ocean that tracking a single female blue shark “We don’t see any mature female sharks Carolina is (quite unbelievably) consider- conservation in our history,’’ according by satellite will help them protect the up here in our waters, and we just don’t ing relaxing its ban on shark finning: to aquarium Executive Director Julie entire species, which has been in decline know why they’re not up here,” said Packard. Attendance at the aquarium in recent years. Earlier this year, the scien- “Shark finning prohibitions were first adopt- Joyce. increased by approximately 30 percent, tific Committee on the Status of Endan- ed for the U.S. Atlantic and, with your help, “It might just be that the mature fe- to more than 1 million people, during gered Wildlife in Canada recommended have spread to the U.S. Pacific, many other males are going other places to protect countries, and most of the world’s interna- the 198 days the shark was on display. the blue shark be listed as of special themselves or protect their young against tional waters. But now North Carolina com- The new shark on display is a 5-foot- concern. mature males who are very aggressive mercial fishermen are attempting to reverse 8-inch male weighing approximately By tracking the tagged female, Warren when it comes to mating practices, or this progress by relaxing shark finning rules. 104 pounds. He was caught on Aug. Joyce, a researcher with the federal De- even just larger sharks feeding on the We need your help to block this troubling 17 in Santa Monica Bay. In contrast to partment of Fisheries and Oceans, wants small sharks when they’re born,” he said. maneuver. Lawmakers need to hear that the first shark, which was accidentally to learn where large female sharks gather the public, especially those from North caught by fishermen and turned over so he can protect the area from fisheries Carolina, still strongly opposes the finning of NOAA That tag through her dorsal fin will allow to the aquarium, the new shark that often kill the sharks by accident. sharks. Please take action today by urging was purposely caught him to track the shark for the next year. your U.S. Senators to keep the shark finning by aquarium THE FISHERIES AND ban strong.” FISHERIES INDUSTRIES OF animal Tope to be protected THE UNITED STATES husbandry (Despite laws protecting sharks, it seems experts for UK’s Department for Environment, some NC fishermen are ignoring the rules display. Food and Rural Affairs has published altogether.) If you are opposed to North Test-tube Sharks planned Filephoto proposals to stop new fisheries targeting Carolina relaxing its rules on shark finning, tope - a large coastal shark. The fishery decide now how we can ensure head to the Ocean Conservancy imme- Keeping squabbling children apart is a diately, get some more details, and click never materialised, but the department tope remain a sustainable resource. Tope problem that taxes all parents, but for can live for more than 50 years but they the blue “Take Action” button. You’ll be A window into the secret lives remains concerned that any future plans taken to a form that will enable you to the grey nurse shark it is a little more for catching tope would be unsustain- don’t mature until around the age of 12. serious. Its embryos have a nasty and of White Shark Even then, they produce a relatively low send a pre-formatted email to your rep- able because of the shark’s life-cycle. resentatives, telling them you oppose this potentially species-threatening habit: In number of pups compared with other A new shark research project by the absurd proposal. Don’t worry if you’re the womb, they engage in a survival- German-based Shark Project which will Marine and Fisheries Minister Ben marine species, typically 20 every two or not a resident of North Carolina -- you of-the-fittest orgy. This intra-uterine can- employ a mini-submarine to film the Bradshaw said: “There isn’t a targeted three years. can change the text to read “As a visitor nibalism means that despite starting a great white sharks swimming off the South fishery for tope in our waters at the “This life-cycle makes them very vulner- to North Carolina,” or “As a concerned pregnancy with up to 40 embryos in her African coastline in the hope of getting moment, but it’s important that we able to fishing pressure.” American,” etc. I did it. Did you? two uteruses, a female shark only gives footage of sharks mating and birthing. birth to two pups. This is a real head- The mini-sub has room for a pilot and ache for Australian conservationists try- a photographer/scientist. Emphasising There are two, not one, species of Wobbegong ing to save the species from extinction. that negotiations were still proceeding, Marine biologist Hermann Oosthuizen, of The wobbegongs were, until recently, distinct species by Whitley in 1940, a lack Orectolobus ornatus is a differ- Australian scientists at Cronulla Fisheries the Marine and Coastal Management considered a single species. Although of specimens available for comparison ent colour to halei and reaches a Centre in New South Wales may now branch, said there could be many spin- Orectolobus halei was saw it being placed into synonymy with smaller adult size. It also has fewer have the answer: Before they start offs from this venture. Researchers from described as the related Orectolobus ornatus. Charlie dermal lobes at the posterior pre- attacking each other the babies will be the Natal Sharks Board and Iziko Museum a Huveneers from Macquarie University in orbital group, as well as a number flushed out of the uterus and into sepa- in Cape Town will also become involved, of other anatomical differences. It rate tanks - a prototype artificial uterus, Australia has now shown that the two also has a longer pelvic fin to anal because Shark Project will be working in the shape of a 1-metre-long test tube fish are indeeddistinct species, so fin interspace, smaller pectorals, a closely with local scientists on the project. he’s elevated the status of halei smaller head and smaller claspers whcih is to be filled with a yet-to-be Marine and Coastal Management will co- back to species level once again. than halei when mature. developed artificial uterine fluid. ordinate all the research. WIKIPEDIA/ RICHARD LING 84 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED THE FACTS AND VIEW POINTS IN THIS SECTION ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE VIEWS POINT & CLICK OF X-RAY MAG. ITEMS PRESENTED IN THIS SECTION HAVE NOT BEEN TESTED BY X-RAY MAG STAFF, NOR ARE THE ITEMS WARRANTED. INFORMATION PROVIDED IS ON BOLD LINKS CONDENSED FROM MANUFACTURERS’ DESCRIPTIONS. TEXTS ARE USUALLY EDITED FOR LENGTH, CLARITY AND STYLE. LINKS ACTIVE AT THE TIME OF PUBLICATION

Cool Fall Duds & Doodads for Divers

Edited by Gunild Symes

All photos courtesy of the manufacturers Dive Fashion

Maneater spagetti strap tank for women from Amphibious Outfitters doesn’t mince words when it Barefooting comes to diet preference. Price: US$17.95 plus ship- Discover the exhilarating ping and handling. Check out their new tint on tint joy of going barefoot with- designs for both men and women at www.aoshirts.com out leaving yourself naked with Vi- bram Five Fingers, an entirely new kind of footwear that offers the protection of a second Vibram skin and gives the feeling of gently separating each toe while stimulating and exercising the foot muscles with every step. Comes in black and black/gray/orange combination. Price: US$70.00. www.vibramﬁveﬁngers.com

Dive Diva GirlDiver is promoting the scuba lifestyle for female divers all over the world. Dive Diva shirt: $24.95. Clothing, accessories and informative articles available at www.girldiver.com

Got Gas GirlDiver does not neglect the Kids Only World Super gents. With this Got Gas t-shirt for Surfing dolphins tie dye chil- Slimming men, techies can leave ‘em dren’s short sleeve t-shirt. suit by Carol Wior®. wondering... $24.95 at 100% preshrunk heavy weight Designed with black and girldiver.com cotton. Youth shirt has front white slash insets at the sides help artwork only. Price: US$11.95 create your slimmest dive bod ever! Soft- kidsonlyworld.com cup bra and wide straps that crisscross at the back give maximum lift and support. Nylon/spandex. Misses Price: US$59.99. Sale: $44.99. metrostyle.com 85 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED fashion Stylin’ Dive Threads

Sharks! Kids Only World has some tees with a bite to them. Break- through Shark (left) childrens 100% cotton short sleeve hand dye t-shirt and Great White Shark with mouth open wide (right) childrens 100% cotton short sleeve hand dye t-shirt. Price: US$12.95 each. kidsonlyworld.com SevenTenths New Divin’ Styles Vintage Scuba ‘43 (above) Women’s Skinnyﬁt Fourth Element Tee has Retro tropicana banana-republic style Top quality, style and celebrating the arguable birth-year of Scuba, elegance in casual ap- 100% cotton with vintage distressed print for parel for divers. Manta that authentic worn-in look. Price: €29.95. Men’s tee (left) for men in tee (left) with Invaders character goes techie cocoa. Price: £19.95. style in a silver-grey reﬂective print on matt Manta 3/4 Sleeve for black or battleship-grey on misty green. Heavy- women (inset) in white weight T-shirt, 100% ringspun cotton with taped and ocean blue. Price: seams. Price: €29.25 www.seventenths.com £19.95. HMS Vest for women (top right) in black and white stripes. Price: £17.95. Ionian hooded longsleeve tee in vintage pink (right inset) for women. Price: £39.00. www.fourthelement.com

Water Girl from Patagonia New Dive Junkie Tees Long-Sleeved Dolphins In Mo- Ladies tube top, 95% cotton, 5% span- tion in aubergine and Bubbler dex, comes in green and gray with in beach glass are soft, or- logo, one size ﬁts all. The Scuba Kit ganic cotton tees with original t-shirt (right) is inspired by those fa- artwork, generous crew neck, vorite assembly-only kids’ toys. Comes contoured silhouette, and in pebble gray and island green. The gently tapered sleeves for a Surface Interval t-shirt (bottom right) comes in white. Both tees are non-binding, feminine ﬁt. Per- 100% fully combed cotton, Lycra-ribbed collar, 200 gsm pre-shrunk fab- fect for beach-coming after ric, re-inforced stitching at shoulders and seams. divejunkie.com.sg a dive. Price: US$28.00 each. www.watergirlusa.com 86 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Water Girl Whirlwind Jacket Get out of Gul Newport Jacket for men. New GCX2 EVO fab- the teeth-chattering cold sea and into the wel- ric, minimum weight, breathable, waterproof, wind- coming warmth of a fleecy hood that heats proof, heat taped seams, mesh lining, lightweight fashion your soggy head and feels soft performance and comfort, high visibility fluorescent against chilled cheeks, while hood with 3-way adjustment stows in high coastal Jackets for the feminine fit hugs your core. collar with Quick-Dry lining, high visibility Gul prismat- the boat ride Beach Glass/Bluegrass, Alpaca ic reflective strips on shoulder and cuff, lifejacket Brown/Boulder Brown, Hot loops, secure communications inner chest & the beach Ember/Chili, Natural/ pocket, inner storm cuff for and Beach Wood. near dry seal, Quick- Price: US$88.00 Dry hand warmer watergirlusa. pockets, Self- com draining cargo pockets. Eclipse/ Navy, Flame Red, Steel. Fourth Element’s Fleece pull-over Fleecy Things Gul.com for men in charcoal (above) and Icelandic Fleece jacket with zip-up front for women (left) keeps divers toasty warm after a dive into the deep. Price: £64.00 fourthelement.com Monsoon Jacket► Don’t let a little rain or a few sea swells dampen your diving day. This L.L. Bean’s Stowaway Rainwear®, Parka jacket from Isis offers for women, guaranteed waterproof and breath- the best performance- driven protection able rugged Gore-Tex rainwear, will to keep for active women in a lightweight, waterproof, you dry in extreme wet weather or rough breathable and highly packable rain jacket seas on the dive boat. It’s lightweight with athletic styling enhanced by reflective and packable (stows in its own piping so you will stay cool, dry and visible pocket), knee length for increased when the weather turns for the worse. coverage when seated. Aegean Comes in honeydew, shark, san- Blue, Alpine Gold (shown), gria, wave. Price: US$120.00 Carbon, Colonial Red, Green www.isisforwomen.com Tea, Plum Grape, Trillium Red, Ultramarine and Vapor Gray. Price: US$169.00 LLBean.com ◄The Windy Seas are expert at whisk- New Purist Jacket► for ing heat away from men by Patagonia is light- your core. Patagonia weight, compressible and Tiki 3mm Apollo Wetsuit Shoe Puff Bowl Jacket is made from R3® fleece, a This high performance reef shoe fea- an insulated, freerid- mix of long fibers to pro- tures holes for water drainage, glued ing jacket for full-on vide more loft with less and blinstitched for durability and storm protection. bulk, and shorter, dense warmth, adjustable ankle strap for Combats cold with fibers to improve insu- comfort and fit, flexable rubber sole 2-layer waterproof/ lation and wind-resist- increased responsiveness. Price: £23.00 breathable shell with ance. Supersoft R1® www.tikisurf.co.uk lightweight, supple Thermolite® insulation. A lining of stretch taffeta lines collar, cuffs and glides easily over layers, exterior fabric’s durable dobby weave hem for skin comfort resists abrasion and sharp edges, removable hood is helmet-com- and moisture-wicking. patible and two-way adjustable, chest and left bicep pocket have A Supplex® nylon chin zipper closures. Men’s sizes available in orange jolt, alpaca brown, flap protects neck from black, hot ember, deep blue and women’s sizes in batik blue, heat-stealing wind. black, elderberry and starfruit. Price: US$279.00. Patagonia.com Price: US$130.00 Patagonia.com

87 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Patagonia Wool 4 Base Layer Crew fashion for men is Super warm, 100% chlorine-free wool Drybase for pull-over baselayer for active use on cold to Drysuit Diving very cold days or as outerwear. Price: US$115.00 Patagonia.com

Patagonia Capilene® 4 Wrap Men’s Wool 3 Crew Neck Top & Bottoms for women are A soft, medium-weight, each a low-bulk but highly insulative per- 100% chlorine-free wool formance base layer for activities in cool crew base layer for to very cold conditions. Can also be worn endurance activities in as outerwear. Capilene 4 is the warmest moderate to cold of the moisture-wicking Capilene fabrics, temperatures. which are the best option for high-sweat Price: US$92.00 activities and wet conditions. It features Patagonia.com Capilene® an inside-facing grid pattern that disperses 3 Henley for men is moisture, aids in compressibility, dries fast a smooth, high-perform- and retains warmth in cold conditions. Helly Hansen base ance first or second layer Made from 50% recycled-fiber polyester layers keep you great for activities in a wide from the Common Threads Recycling warm and range of temperatures. Side Program, with Gladiodor™ natural odor dry. The seams and the single-piece control. Sleek feminine fit. Colours: Hurricane shoulder yoke merge safely out of the Ocean Blue Heather, Beach Windproof Cotton Doesn’t Wick way of pack or straps to prevent chaf- Glass Heather (shown), Longsleeve Divers who wear cotton t-shirts underneath ing. Made of 64% recycled (and Black, Elderberry Heather, Shirt (left) cuts through the wind. It is designed their undersuits may actually feel colder 100% recyclable) polyester from the Petal Pink. Price: US$75.00. to hold heat where you need it and block and less comfortable than diving without Common Threads Recycling Program, Bottoms come in Ocean wind from the front so you never feel the wind them. As a fabric, cotton aborbs and holds with Gladiodor™ natural odor control. Blue Heather and through your clothes. Seamless Top has fewer persperation and moisture next to the skin. It With a smooth exterior, easy layer- Black. Price: US$65.00 seams for less friction, more mobility and can feel cold, clammy and uncomfort- ing, sleek fit, improved performance. www.patagonia.com lower weight. Built with HH Dry fabric able. The new high wicking features Colours: Stainless Heather/Whale Blue, that keeps you warm and dry even of Fourth Element’s Drybase un- Boulder Brown Heather/Alpaca Brown during high intensity activities that derwear system for drysuit diving (shown), Black and Classic require maximum transport of make these garments an Navy. Price: US$50.00. Men’s extensive moisture. With LIFA® ideal alternative to cot- Capilene® 4 Bottoms stay dry technology ™, HH ton underwear and (top right) are a highly DRY acts like a second skin, t-shirts. With Drybase, insulative but low-bulk which wicks moisture away skin keeps dry performance base from the body and to the and divers are layer ideal for active next layer, so you can stay much more legs in very cold comfortable and active comfortable conditions comes longer. hellyhansen.com during and in Black and Black after a dive. Heather. Price: Drybase US$65.00 Longsleeve Patagonia.com Men’s Top (left) Priced £37.95 and Dry- base Women’s Vest (right) Priced £33.95 Fourthele- ment.com

88 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Citizen Women’s 300 Meter Luminox Navy SEAL Dive Watch Eco-Drive Professional Diver analog watch never 3900 Series II Developed for the fashion needs a battery, uses Citizen Eco-Drive technol- Navy SEAL’s, meets military specifica- ogy: harnesses the power of light-from any natural or tions of all branches of the US Armed Dive Watches artificial light source, converts it into energy stored Forces, fiberglass reinforced polyester in an Eco-Drive energy cell. Recharges continu- injection molded case, stainless ously. Water resistant to 300m. Mineral glass crystal. steel plate case back secured Stainless steel case. Rubber strap. Buckle clasp. Grey with stainless steel screws, double dial. Screw-back case and screw down crown. Date. gasket crown/stem confers water Luminous hands and markers. PRICE $209.00 resistance of 20atm/200m/660ft, www.amazon.com unidirectional ratcheting bezel features bright traser “dot” encased in aluminum housing protected by sap- Omega Men’s Seamaster 300M phire glass window, tempered scratch Watch # 2594.52 with stainless-steel band, resistant mineral glass crystal, multi- bezel and case, black dial, scratch resist- jewel Swiss quartz movement with date ant anitreflective-sapphire crystal function, end of life (EOL) feature and window, luminous silver Dauphine four year battery life, new signature nylon/ hands and thick baton dial mark- velcro pullback strap with navy SEAL and ers, 42-hour power reserve, screw- Luminox logos, new bezel format and new Citizen Men’s 300m Eco-Drive in caseback, screw-locked crown, bold font military numeral dial design, Professional Diver Titanium Watch BJ8040-01E self-winding-automatic movement. choice of black, blue, yellow, khaki and has reinforced urethane band with extendor Calculate dive time.Water-resistant forest green dial. PRICE: $194.95 for drysuits, salt corrosion resistant hypo-aller- to 300m/1000 feet. Highly accurate. www.amazon.com genic titanium case, buckle clasp, scratch Powerful chronograph offers 12-hour, resistant 6mm curved mineral crystal, ana- 30 minute and 1/10 second subdials. Citizen Men’s 200 Meter log-quartz movement. Water-resistant to PRICE: US$2765.00 www.amazon.com Luminox Navy Seal Women’s Professional Diver Titanium 300m/990 ft. Mixed gas diving, ratch- Watch with Rubber Band Watch AT0100-51A has quartz eted elapsed-time titanium bezel, Finally one for the women! A smaller movement, Eco-Drive—no helium gas release, extra large lumi- Seiko Men’s version of the original Navy Seal battery changes needed, nous hands and dial markers, date Omega Men’s Seamaster “Black Monster” Watch, this Ladies (3/4) Size Navy Seal 60 minute chronograph, low function, powered by light, 180- 300M Watch #2561.80 from the James 21-jewel automatic Dive Watch was designed in conjunc- charge and time reset advi- day power reserve, recharged Bond collection has stainless-steel band movement watch tion with and supplied to the US Navy sory, luminous hands and hour in 1.5 hours. PRICE: US$279.00 and case material with brushed/polished with analog day and SEAL Dive teams. Rigorous Military testing markers, date display, 150 www.amazon.com rhodium-plated finish, blue dial with date display, luminous/ earned it official qualification for use in day power reserve, racheting anitreflective scratch resistant domed white hands and mark- the US Army and US Navy as well as all titanium bezel, screw-down sapphire crystal window, analog- ers, white numbers and small markers, branches of the armed Military services. crown, screw-in caseback, tita- quartz movement, luminous hands stainless steel band, crown, caseback PRICE: $194.95 www.amazon.com nium band, safety-fold-over- and dial markers, date display, screw- and bezel with black numbers and clasp-with-push-button. PRICE in caseback, screw-locked crown. Water- markers, hardlex crystal, winds itself $188.89 www.amazon.com resistant to 300m/1000 ft. Helium escape with the motion of your wrist, so it never valve allows helium to escape at high pres- needs a change of battery. elapsed Invicta Men’s Russian sures. Calculate dive time with aluminum time. Designed for diving: water-tested Diver Watch 2625 replica unidirectional bezel engraved with graduated to 200m/660ft. It meets ISO standards of an original 1959 Soviet div- scale. Price: $1,089.00 www.amazon.com and is suitable for scuba diving. PRICE: ing watch is water-resistant to $153.00 www.amazon.com 100m/330 ft. Genuine leather band, polished stainless-steel St Moritz NEREOS bezel and case, buckle clasp, Dive planning and timing made easy! Time, day and mineral crystal, mechanical-hand- date, with alarm and 1/100th second chronograph, wind movement, luminous hands precision depth gauge, automatic bottom timer, and markers, oversized screw-in crown water temperature monitor, programmable depth with a protective cap, spare black dial background, alarm, programmable bottom time alarm, ascent Arabic numerals in neo-modern font, CCCP mark- rate alarm, dive log for easy recall of all data from ings. PRICE: US$575.00 www.amazon.com last four dives. PRICE: US$299.85 www.amazon.com

89 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Speedo► Get inspired by top athletes in water- fashion sports at Speedo. Check out their gallery of smart looking swimwear, for both Swimwear from women and men, made from high performance fabrics that live up to the the East & West challenge of serial immersions and exposure to the elements as well as repeated exposure to chlorine in the pool. www.speedousa.com

Bondi Bathers► Chloe geometric print swuimsuit for women. Model 1119. Price: US$112 Seafolly ZOGGS Swimwear An Aussie original is now A beautiful new line of ‘swimming all around swimwear for women the world’. Zoggs staff from the land down cares deeply and pas- ◄aussieBum under. Check out the sionately about what aussieBum was conceived on new models coming designing highly inno- the shores of Bondi Beach in soon in ther online vative, quality swim- Sydney Australia. Simply ‘living gallery at: ming equipment and the dream’is their motto, to seafolly.com.au swimwear. Flinders Rac- be independent and present er and Hip Racer Marine gear in a way that gets no- ◄Dolfin Performance CR25™ ticed. Known in Australia as Dolphin founder, John Hoff, was sit- 47% PBT/53% Polyester. the ‘Spinal Tap’ of men’s ting by a pool one day fifty years www.zoggs.com swimwear, aussieBums ago, and overheard lifeguards say, “If you doubt your- talking how they were missed self, wear something being able to buy their favorite else.” Prepare for battle racing briefs from Australia. Being with Scuba Commando: the innovative enterpreneur that Alpha, Charlie, Bravo he is, Hoff realized that the same Dolfin Racers & Jammers for Men (top left) made from nylon tricot fabric he used to ‘Cosmos’ & ‘Shatter’ www.dolﬁnswimwear.com 72% Nylon & 28% Lycra, manufacture women’s lingerie features a unique could be used to make these scuba diving military treasured guard suits. The next print. Retro Bones surf weekend, Hoff outfitted all of shorts (bottom left) the lifeguards and launched his are perfect for those new swimwear business called that dare to bare Dolfin. Today, Dolphin outfits doz- all with a tough skull ens of NCAA team champions, design on side pan- numberous state champions and els. aussiebum.com even some world record holders. Sizes 22-40. 80% Nylon/20% Spandex, fully lined. dolﬁnswimwear.com

90 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED science

Text by Michael Symes Coloured Water Photos by Peter Symes No! I am not talking about American beer but about ordinary clean water, water that should come out of your tap. From the air, shallow coastal sea-waters above white sands often appear to be blue or green, most of this colouring being due to either reﬂection from the sky or from organic growths such as chlorophyll- containing algae. A glass of tap water, on the other hand, seems to be colourless, yet divers know that water has a deﬁnite blue tinge below the surface. Water is, in fact, blue in colour, albeit a very pale blue.

91 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Thingvellir, Iceland PETER SYMES Why is We can illustrate this How Do These Absorptions science water with the example of water. The absorption Arise In Water? blue? coefﬁcient of water at A free water molecule has three basic 700 nm is 0.006 cm-1 i.e. vibrations. These are: 0.6 % is absorbed per cm. This means that (I) The symmetrical The influence of hydrogen-

for a glass of water in stretch, v1 bonding which the thickness of We have previously had occasion to the water is 6 cm, the This has a vibrational fre- refer to the effect of hydrogen-bonding intensity of the transmit- quency of 1.05 x 1014 sec-1 on the properties of water. Here, hydro- This colour arises from very weak absorp- ted light of wavelength gen-bonding causes a stronger bond- tions at the yellow-red end of the elec- 700 nm will be 96.5 % (II) The symmetrical ing in the molecules of water which, tromagnetic spectrum. The visible part of the initial intensity, bend, v2 because strong bonds resonate at higher of this spectrum stretches from the UV with just 3.5 % of it being frequencies than weaker bonds, raises region, starting at a wavelength of about absorbed. This small This has a vibrational fre- the frequency of the vibrations. The 380 nm, to the start of the infra-red change in the composi- quency of 0.48 x 1014 sec-1 resulting absorp- region, at about 770 nm. These are the tion of the light is hardly tion spectrum is — 0.10 wavelengths that can stimulate the reti- observable. (III) The antisymmetrical quite complex, INFRARED VISIBLE LIGHT ULTRA VIOLET nal cells of the eye and which give rise bend, v3 with many bands to the perception of colour. Each wave- On the other hand, in the infra-red length has, of course, a corresponding however, with a thick- This has a vibrational fre- but now also frequency. For visible light these frequen- ness of 5 meters of quency of 1.14 x 1014 sec-1 with some weak cies are given in the table. water the transmitted absorption bands — 0.01 light of 700 nm wave- The mean H–O bond-length in the water reaching into Wavelength Frequency length will only have molecule is 0.096 nm. the red end of nm (10 (Log scale)

10 14 -1 -9 sec an intensity of 4.98 % the spectrum.

Colour m) -1 of that of the incident Harmonic overtones It is these weak Start of Infra Red 770 3.89 light i.e. 95.02 % of it will From the table above it will be seen that bands which Red 700 4.28 have been absorbed. these frequencies lie well below those of cause the water — 0.001

Yellow 600 5.00 Removal of so much red the visible range. However, there can be to appear slightly coefficient cm Green 500 6.00 light will give the water both overtones, or harmonics, and also blue. Blue 400 7.50 a distinctive blue tinge. combination tones, of these frequencies, The plot shows Start of Ultra Violet 380 7.89 given by (av1 + bv2+ cv3), where a,b,c the absorption Amount of light absorbed are integers not all = 0. For example, 2 v1 coefﬁcient of Absorption To ﬁnd the total absorbtion of light will be an absorbable harmonic, giving water as a func- 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 Molecular Vibrations over a passage-length of l cm we use an absorption at 1428 nm, which is still in tion of wave- Wavelenght nm Now, absorptions occur when a mol- Lambert’s Law, which states that each the infra-red region. For such vibrations length.

ecule can vibrate in harmony with the layer of equal thickness absorbs an equal WIKIPEDIA to lie within the visible range there would radiation falling on it. Thus, if a water fraction of the light which traverses it. have to be very high harmonics such as Hydrogen-bonding in ice is similar in molecule can vibrate at a frequency of The constant a is called the absorp- v1 + 4v3 , which would give an absorp- magnitude to that in liquid water. Ice has about 4.28 x 1014 vibrations per second tion coefficient, and is defined for a tion at 534 nm, a green wavelength. At therefore also a pale blue colour, which then light having this frequency, which given unit of length and a given wave- any one time, however, there will be only it is easily discernible in the solid ice of has a wavelength of 700 nm, and which length. Lambert’s Law can therefore be a relatively few molecules with these glaciers and icebergs. is perceived as red, will be absorbed by expressed in the equation: complex resonances. These will therefore It might be thought that some other the molecule. And if you remove some be too weak to be detectable. hydrogen-containing liquids besides -al of the red light from white light then it will water would posses traces of a bluish Il = Ioe appear bluish. colour because of similar absorption pat- Where Io = intensity of incident light and terns. However, water and ice are the Il = intensity after passage of length l. only two chemical substances that we normally have the opportunity to observe White light is made up of all colours in The intensity of the transmitted radiation Diagram of Beer-Lambert absorption of a in pure form in sufficiently large bulk so the visible spectrum. Remove the reds thus falls exponentially with the thickness beam of light as it travels through a cuvette that such a weak coloration becomes and you are left with the blues. of the substance being transversed. of size l. detectable. ■

92 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Kingdom of the Seahorse Running time: 56 minutes NEW GAME: media Rating: NR (Not Rated) Red Ocean Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC From the devel- Books Film DVDs CDs New from WGBH Boston Video, Kingdom opment house Edited by Peter Symes of the Seahorse explores the life and Collision Studio & Gunild Pak Symes US Navy Diving times of these amazing creatures in an and publisher Manual Revision 5 underwater enclave off Anaconda comes a new game, Red POINT & CLICK Hardback : 968 pages the reefs of Australia. Ocean FPS, to be released in Febru- ON BOLD LINKS Publisher/Date : Biologist Amanda ary 2007. In the game, underwater AquaPress, Sep 2006 Vincent gives a fas- elements are combined with innova- A must for all serious cinating account of tive shooter gameplay. You are Jack divers, this manual is the the curious creatures’ Hard, diving instructor and treasure fifth version of the U.S. importance and habi- hunter, who discovers an abandoned Navy Diving Manual tat in the underwater Russian underwater research station published by AquaPress. realm. Price: US$17.99 controlled by a terrorist cell. You, of Widely regarded as the at www.amazon.com course, get caught in their devious technical standard in the plans, but there’s a twist. Players can field of diving information and protocal, the US Navy Diving use water in solid, liquid or gas to get Manual is comprehensive but surprisingly easy to read with rid of enemies. With hot steam or slip- user-friendly volumes divided by subject matter including pery ice, you ambush enemies while diving principles and policies, air diving operations, mixed scuba diving. Voyage of gas surface supplied diving operations, closed circuit and the Turtle semiclosed circuit diving operations, diving medicine and by Carl Safina recompression chamber operations. Extensively researched, Below Freezing: The Publisher: this manual is used internationally by recreational, commer- Antarctic Dive Guide Henry Holt cial and military divers. Out soon: Get in line for your copy at By Lisa Earecksor Trotter Hardcover: www.amazon.com or £89.98 at www.amazon.co.uk Paperback: 116 pages 383 pages Publisher: Wildguides ISBN: Date: 2006 July 25 0805078916 Having logged over 400 hours List Price: exploring the Antarctic waters, US$27.50 From 5thD-X/Breakthrudiving comes a author Lisa Eareckson Trotter Older than the new DVD, Technical v.1.0, which is tar- has a wealth of experience dinosaurs, the sea turtle, getted at divers who are thinking about and information to share with the last of Earth’s monster reptiles, has getting into technical diving or just want readers regarding diving and lost 95 percent of its population in the last 20 years a review of those skills that need a brush dive sites around the South due to direct or indirect human contact, long-line up or were not covered in their own train- Georgia Islands and the Ant- fishing nets, primates feeding on their eggs and ing. Topics covered include line skills, no arctic Peninsula.No less than hatchlings and people killing them for their shells in mask skills, nine failures when things go 25 dive sites with easy-to- order to make tourist souvenirs and gourmet soup. wrong, stage bottle work plus flow sheets readmaps and user-friendly Despite these obstacles, some sea turtle species are for the nine failures, technical/trimix descriptions fill the books recovering in the Atlantic ecosystems. Carl Safina instructor voice-over on key points, grease pages, which also includes sets out to find out why there is such a discrepancy pencil illustrations that clarify principles a hitory of local diving, between the recovery of sea turtles in the Pacific and increase visual retention, flow charts, how to choose a dive op- compared to the Atlantic ecosystems. Funded by ratio deco, battle field calculations and erator for your needs, what the MacArthur Foundation, the author scoured the video of actual technical dives around you will see and what you world’s beaches for answers and interviewed scien- the world. See how things are done cor- can expect, special notes about tists, conservationists, poachers and fishermen. rectly on video before you do it yourself, plus leopard seals, site conditions, awesome color pho- Sale Price: US$17.33 at www.amazon.com what to do when things go wrong. Supporting PDF tographs and a description of the wildlife you will see above or GB£12.98 www.amazon.co.uk files. While the DVD is not a replacement for actual training led by a and below 7 meters. A must-have guide for anyone serious qualified instructor, it does serve as a useful study tool and reference about diving in the Antarctic, Below Freezing offers a quality linking theory with practice. Price: US$32.95 www.amazon.com dive guide and reference for those with a thirst for adventure. Price: GB£21.95 www.wildguides.co.uk

93 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED New Zealand Dive Experiences Bottom Bunch Dive Club, San Diego, US Danish dive shop & online store Dive Operators AMERICAS Dive Operators RED SEA Expand your diving and underwater Promoting safe diving and having fun www.dykcen.dk At the Water’s Edge, MA, USA Emperor Divers, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt photography horizons in Kiwi country www.bottombunchdiveclub.com Diveshoppen, Denmark When you just gotta dive! Your Red Sea dive specialists www.nzdivexperiences.com British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC), UK In the heart of Copenhagen www.lovetodive.com www.emperordivers.com Ningaloo Reef Dive, Western Australia Where sport diving began... www.diveshoppen.dk Captain Slate’s Atlantis Dive Center Nemo Divers, Eliat, Israel Preferred operators on the West Coast www.bsac.co.uk LondonDivingNet —The best place in For the very best diving in the Florida Red Sea’s best little dive center www.ningalooreefdive.com.au Dansk Sportsdykker Forbund, Denmark London to learn to dive Keys www.captianslate.com www.nemodivers.co.il Perth Diving, Australia —Western Aus- 7500 members in 152 clubs in Denmark www.londondiving.net Tiedeman’s Diving Center, NY, USA tralia’s premier diving organisation www.sportsdykning.dk Ocean Dive Explorers, Denmark Long Island’s Premier Scuba Ed Facility www.perthdiving.com.au Los Angeles Underwater Photographic TDI/SDI Scandinavia Dive Operators AFRICA Business www.tdconline.com Society, USA www.laups.org www.oceandive.dk Tuneffe Island Lodge Dive Solutions, South Africa —Diving Liveaboards Northumbria Sub Aqua Club, UK SuperDive.dk —Copenhagen Directory A private Caribbean Island Mozambique, tech & rec dive educ Dive training and trips dive center, tours and trips www.tuneffelodge.com www.divesolutions.co.za Nautilus Explorer Liveaboard, USA www.divenorthumbria.co.uk PADI, NAUI and NAUI Tech Utila Dive Center, Honduras Diving Mantas to Icebergs Saddleworth Sub-Aqua Club, UK NAUI representative in Denmark Welcome to the Whaleshark experts www.nautilusexplorer.com Based in the Pannine hills of Lancashire www.superdive.dk www.utiladivecenter.com Dive Operators ASIA Ocean Rover —Cruises in Thailand, www.saddleworth-subaqua.co.uk Simply Scuba, UK & International Utopia Village —Coming 2007: Dive, Bali International Diving Professionals Myanmar, Indonesia and Malaysia Southern Division Diving Club One-stop online dive shop Fish, Relax in Utila, Honduras. 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Profondo Blu, Ustica Dive Operators An underwater paradise in the Med Abyss Scuba Diving, Sydney Australia Wet & Weird FORMAT: www.ustica-diving.it Scuba diving in Australia is worldclass Oil and Water do mix! “Bubble carbon dioxide through a LINE 1: Business name, city/state Scuba.Lu, Luxemburg —Diving Luxem- www.abyss.com.au solution and the surfactant switches or province, country burg-Worldwide expeditions Aquapro Dive Services Australia Oil and water can for the first on, leading the oil-and-water mix www.scuba.lu LINE 2: Slogan or services/offers Your first choice for instructor training time be mixed and separated on to form an emulsion,” explains Philip Timuna Sea, London, UK LINE 3: Website or email address www.aquaprodive.com demand thanks to a new, revers- Jessop at Queen’s University in Premier diving specialist in East London Kingston, Ontario, Canada (active link) Deep Sea Divers Den, Australia ible surfactant. www.timunasea.com Diving Great Barrier Reef & Queens- The genius of the new sur- “To switch it off again, you bubble West Wales Diving Center, UK land www.diversden.com.au factant lies in its reversibility. air through it, and the oil and water News edited by Longest serving dive center in Wales INFORMATION: Eagle Hawk Dive Center, Tasmania Unlike existing ones, it can separate again,” he says. 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Surfactants must have 94 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIOtwo ends CLASSIFIED – a water- repelling hydrophobic bit that binds to the Coral Reef Alliance —Working togeth- Lines & Shadows —Home of the best Underwater Australasia —Australia & Michael Portelly, UK er to keep coral reefs dive source of UWP, travel & adventure Asia Paciﬁc’s most popular dive portal UW Photo, Video, Film Director and Cinematographer www.coralreef.org www.linesandshadows.com www.underwater.com.au Alex Mustard, PhD, UK www.portelly.com The Manta Network NauticFriend.com —The Ultimate UnderwaterTimes —A daily journal of UWP and Marine Biologist Nonoy Tan, Metro Manila, Philippines Help Save the Mantas Worldwide Watersports Directory life in and around water www.amustard.com Underwater images of the Philippines www.save-the-mantas.org www.nauticfriend.com www.underwatertimes.com Amos Nachoum Big Animals [email protected] Onderwaterfoto, Netherlands University of Michigan, OSEH Worldwide expeditions & adventure Poppe Images, Philippines Online Dive Resources Digital UWP Forum Dive links by Larry “Harris” Taylor, PhD www.biganimals.com Marine Iconography of the Philippines www.onderwaterfoto.net www-personal.umich.edu Bill Becher Outdoor & Adventure www.poppe-images.com Business Cairns Scuba Diving Australia One Ocean —Earn frequent diver WetPixel, USA Writing & Photography —CA, USA Thomas Peschak, South Africa Dive training & travel holidays points toward equipment & travel Digital imaging for divers www.becher.com Africa’s Oceans and Coasts Directory www.divedirectory.com.au www.oneocean.com www.wetpixel.com Cathy Church, Cayman Islands www.currentsofcontrast.com DiveGuru, Deerﬁeld, FL, USA Patrick Musimu, Freediving Champion World-Newspapers.com UWP Center, Classes, Trips, Services Tony White, UK When you want answers... 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Then we attached a small Fourth Element, UK —High tech, high known as Scrappy, is biologist who runs the Sarasota its work in the bay. radio tag to one of his fins and, quality dive clothing and design back to living nude and Dolphin Research Program for after about half an hour, we let www.fourthelement.com free in Florida’s Sarasota the Chicago Zoological Society, Scrappy’s capture turned into him go.” With the radio tag, his Nocturnal Lights, CA, USA —Advanced Bay after making a Brookfield Zoo’s parent organiza- an all-day ordeal with fast boats team can locate the animal easily News edited by lighting systems for diving, UWP, video tion. “Somehow he got his head carrying 31 people in total racing every day, Wells said, and Scrap- Gunild Symes www.nocturnallights.com potentially fatal wardrobe and torso through the waist and across the bay after the animal, py, who Reefling Clothing choice, the Chicago one of the leg holes of the suit, trying to surround it with a net. as an Divewear that inspires diving Tribune reported and it was hugging him right When they finally dolphin caught immature www.reefling.com where his pectoral fins and body the dolphin, the suit had made male still Silent Diving Systems, USA The drama began July 6, when meet.” cuts a half-inch deep and three- lives mostly VIVIANE FROST Closed circuit rebreather distribution a member of the Brookfield quarters of an inch long in front by himself, has www.silentdiving.com Zoo marine mammal research The project team feared the tight- of each fin. Scrappy was visibly shown no ill effects team working in the bay spot- fitting, non-rotting synthetic cloth underweight and also had a from his wardrobe ted Scrappy unaccountably suit could injure or kill the dolphin fresh, visible but non-serious shark experiment Non-Profit Organisations and uncomfortably swimming as eventually it could cut deeply bite, both conditions probably International Association of around while wearing a black, enough to sever arteries, causing caused by a hampered ability to Handicapped Divers (IAHD Foundation) Speedo-brand man’s swimsuit. him to bleed. swim because of the suit. www.iahd.org

95 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED portfolio Text editted by Gunild Pak Symes All images by Carlos Hiller

ABOVE: Manatíes, by Carlos Hiller. Oil on canvas LEFT: El Viaje, 2001, by Carlos Hiller. Oil on canvas, 47x53 inches

“When I am diving or just snorkelling, all I have in mind is the marine environment, the light travelling to the deepness, my breathing. I only care about the life surrounding me, the exploration, and the colours…” — Carlos Hiller Carlos Hiller Painter of Ocean Light

96 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED portfolio Carlos Hiller

Calma, 2003, by Carlos Hiller. Acryllic and oil on cavas, 59 x 27.5 inches

The art of Carlos Hiller is devoted to the world. Some works are split images, giving my paintings reflect that feeling. It is very colour and adds thin colourful layers of Early beginnings ocean. His paintings bring powerful imag- us views above and below the surface of simple, like the best things in life. My aim is paint that form a complex final colour. Carlos was born in Argentina. From an es brimming with energy and marine life the water at the same time in one paint- to capture emotions and to capture the When light passes through these different early age, he enjoyed travel, adventure into our daily lives. Huge schools of fish ing. ocean light.” layers, it gives us an impression of atmos- and exploring new places. Indeed, he and diverse marine creatures are usually His images have an extraordinary sense To achieve this, Carlos uses a laborious phere and water. Rather than passing once travelled the length of the Parana present on his paintings which evoke the of depth and dimension. Carlos explains, technique involving the layering of colors in through the canvas, light is returned to us River in Argentina on a rudimentary river mysterious atmosphere of the underwater “The ocean makes me feel happy, and paint. He starts with an initial background from the various layers of colours of paint. craft, right down to the sea.

97 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED portfolio Carlos Hiller As a result of the impressions he aquired during travels in Latin America, the young Carlos painted landscapes of the Amazon and the Central American forest. When Carlos started diving and investigating the submarine world, he began to incorporate ocean elements into his forest paintings, such as schools of fishes and dolphins swimming into the vegetation. “It was a confusing phase” said Carlos smiling. He then decided to immerse himself into the underwater realm completely by taking a diving course and devoted himself exclusively to the ocean and painting. Now, at age 34, Carlos sells all his paintings systematically: “I like the idea of my paintings hanging on the walls of different offices and homes and people having a moment of relax- ation at the sight of them.” When one looks at his art, one can see a great diversity of subjects and ways in which they are approached. There is a great deal of quality in the details. Carlos explains:

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Tres Àguilas. Oil on canvas El Jardín de las Àquilas. Oil on canvas Manta y Cardumen. Oil on canvas Manta. Watercolor on paper

All images by Carlos Hiller

98 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED LEFT: Àrbol y Mar, 2003, by Carlos Hiller. Acryllic and oil on canvas, 89 x 47 inches portfolio BELOW: El Bajo del Coral, 2002, by Carlos Hiller. Oil on canvas, 48 x 72 inches Carlos Hiller

“Sometimes it happens that only one dive for me is to work only when I feel inspired and ting closer to the public. In the course of a provides me with so many images that I really happy. If something is missing, it is time for a few hours, Carlos will create a painting with a get busy for a long time. Then, it is difficult to plunge!” wonderful display of colour and energy and decide what to paint—everything is so won- Carlos also practices underwater photog- spectators become participants of the proc- derful! As I do not follow any formula, I do not raphy. For him, this is a useful tool to capture ess of creation. repeat my paintings. The ocean is like that— fundamental details. Carlos often creates commissioned works every image it offers is unique and unrepeat- He exhibits his artwork in Costa Rica, where too, and he paints anything from miniatures able. Anyway, who has had two diving expe- he has lived for 12 years, and lately, he has to murals, although it is clear enough that he riences exactly the same? People often ask started exhibiting his work in other countries, prefers the big format, considering that the me how long it takes to finish a painting, the especially in the United States. ocean itself gives us immediately the sensa- answer is: Until I feel I have finished it! It can Whenever requested, Carlos gives live per- tion of great breadth and space. be 20 days or a lot longer. The important thing formances of painting as a new way of get- One of Carlos’ next challenges is to paint a

99 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED portfolio Hiller

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Confluenca (detail), 2001 Oil on canvas, 56 x 45 inches

Energía II (detail) Oil on canvas

Morena y Pulpo Oli on canvas

Mar Amor, 2002 Oil on canvas, 46.5 x 51 inches

All images by Carlos Hiller

100 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED portfolio Carlos Hiller

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Escape Marino, 2002, oil on canvas, 65 x 58 inches; Totuga y Nube; Centallas; Peces y Atmósfera, 2003, acryllic and oil on canvas, 59 x 44 inches; Roca Mantas

gigantic mural, with plenty of details, and to sion, nature and art as a bearer of purely capture again the emotion, the colour, the abstract elements. His paintings irresistibly energy of the sea and the ocean light. attract all eyes. The images are so powerful Carlos achieves an exact representa- that they even transmit a sense of freshness. tion of marine nature in his paintings, even The painter brilliantly combines diverse though this is not his principal aim. Through factors, like the selection of colours, the “big symbolic associations, beyond our common format”, which is Carlos’ favourite, to give senses, he enhances the images emotion- us the possibility of feeling “immersed” in the ally. This way, Carlos melds, in a new dimen- painting. Carlos makes a deliberate use of

101 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED portfolio IN OUR NEXT ISSUE Australasia Tazmania New Zealand

KAREN GOWLETT HOLMES

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT optical illusion as a resource to help Escuadron (detail) viewers transcend from the ocean Oil on canvas depths into the depths of our own humanity. La Playa de Aquas Claras, 2002 For more information and to Oil on canvas, 33 x 43 inches order directly from the artist, please Isla visit Carlos Hiller’s web site: Oil on canvas www.carloshiller.com For inquiries about original

All images by Carlos Hiller artwork or prints please e-mail: KAREN GOWLETT HOLMES [email protected] or call +(506) 6664878 in Costa Rica. Greeting cards of Carlos Hiller’s COMING IN DECEMBER artworks are available at the X-RAY Subscribe now FREE! MAG Boutique: www.cafepress.com/xray-mag ■ www.xray-mag.com

102 X-RAY MAG : 13 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED