Movies now media Rum Runners, U-Boats & Hurricanes on DVD By Bryan Galecki Books Film DVDs CDs Perfect bound softcover: 310 pages Edited by Peter Symes Publisher: Pine Belt Publishing & Gunild Pak Symes ISBN 0-9769223-0-4 Price US$19.95 POINT & CLICK A complete history of the 125-ft (42m) Coast ON BOLD LINKS Guard Cutters Bedloe and Jackson lost in the Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944 off the coast of North Carolina, USA, while attempting to rescue the passengers of a liberty ship. Includes previously Diver Down unpublished illustrations and photographs as well By Michael R. Ange as a thoroughly researched history of these vessels Paperback: 192 pages by former diver and author, Bryan Galecki, who Publisher: International Marine/ recounts the vessels’ harrowing three-day struggle Ragged Mountain Press. 2006 for survival and loss of 48 crewmen, record setting ISBN: 0071445722 dive expeditions in the Great Lakes, the perils of U- Price: US$15.95 boat warfare at the end of World War II from the Real life true stories of divers in danger- Chesapeake Bay to the Caribbean, the vessels’ roles IMAX Movie: ous situations such as running out of air, in confronting smugglers in the 1920s off the New Volcanoes of the Deep Sea paralysis and being towed by powerful England coast and rum running days of Prohibition. Directed by Stephen Low currents is covered in this book which www.pinebeltpublishing.com Narrated by Ed Harris analysises each tale, how the things Written by Alex and Stephen Low went wrong, what to see, avoid and how Executive Producer: J. Cameron to respond to underwater emergencies. Studio: Image Entertainment It is a survival guide for both recreational Run Time: 60 minutes divers and technical divers exploring wrecks, Genre: Short / Documentary caves and deep depths. Covers inspection Few places on Earth remain veiled and maintenance of dear, safety protocols, in mystery like the depths of the training and practice of emergency response ocean where very few have seen under duress. books.mcgraw-hill.com life and even fewer visited the depths. Now, you can be there, 12,000 feet (4,000m) below the Ironclad: Loss of the USS Monitor surface with Alvin, a deep-sea By Paul Clancy submersible, which makes a voy- Hardcover: 288 pages Fishy Friends age to the Azores to explore Publisher: International Marine Childrens Book the ever-erupting volcanic rift Publishing Company. 2005 By Michael Patrick O’Neill between North America and ISBN: 0071431322 Hardcover: 64 pages Europe. Visit a strange undersea Price: US$16.47 Publisher: Batfish Books. 2003 world once thought not to support On December 31st, 1862, The USS Monitor went down off ISBN: 0972865306 life, now revealed to be team- Cape Hatteras, Virginia. Sixteen men died that day. By Reading level: Ages 9-12 ing with life... strange creatures investigating salvaging accounts of the revolving gun turret Price: US$13.57 and dramatic landscapes. State 140 years later, author Paul Clancy raises questions about Sure to please young readers, of the art lighting technology the captain’s statement that there were only three men Fishy Friends is an entertaining and gives the film visual superiority to left on the ailing vessel—those that refused to come down well-humoured tale of marine life brought to you by Charlie the Crab, anything shot before. Now play- from the gun turret, the ship’s highest point. After search- the endearing narrator of a book by award winning photographer and ing in an IMAX theatre near you, ing through newpaper accounts and interviewing experts writer Michael Patrick O’Neill. The book has been given strong endorse- or buy the DVD. Features include in coastal oceanography, Clancy adds new details and ments by the editors of Ranger Rick, Smithsonian and BBC Wildlife various language tracks in English insights into the final voyage of the Monitor whose great Magazine. www.amazon.com and French, educational video, battle with the Virginia ended in a draw and changed behind-the-scenes video film naval warfare by making wooden warships obsolete. facts and trivia quiz. DVD Price: www.amazon.com or www.amazon.co.uk US$19.99 www.amazon.com

82 X-RAY MAG : 9 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED review Movies Coming Soon... By Peter Symes media Books Film DVDs CDs Underwater Digital Video Made Easy By Steven M. Barsky, Lance Milbrand, and Mark Thurlow Paperback: 192 pages, over 150 photographs and illustrations ISBN Number: 0-9674305-5-0 Price: US$23.95 Dive Destinations DVD Price GB£6.95 I am not an underwater videographer, but What a package deal: The Ultimate Dive this book made me want to become one, Destinations guide book and Red Sea and that speaks volumes of its qualities. It Odyssey: The Ultimate Red Sea Guide DVD really is a high art form to write a clear, yet together, brought to you by BBC news- comprehensive “How-to” guide book with- man John McIntyre in conjunction with out resorting to complex language or Sport Diver UK magazine with contributions a huge volume of intricate words and from colleagues Miranda Krestiovnikoff of technical phrases. This book is a good Wreck Detectives and renowned under- example of how well it can be done. water photographers Tony White and There is sufficient detail, precisely bal- IMAX Movie: Lawson Wood. This year’s edition covers 56 anced with brevity, presented in a pleas- Deep Sea 3D of the world’s best dive sites with amaing ant flow with ease of navigation. packed into the book’s 190 pages including Director by Howard Hall 3D graphics and the best dive locations in the Egyptian This guide starts at the beginning with the all those very valuable small tips that only Narrated by Johnny Depp and Red Sea including Ras Mohamed, The Brothers, Zabargad, considerations that surround the purchase come from working many years in the field. Kate Winslet Rocky Island, Daedelus, St John’s and Elphinstone. The guide of a camera and housing, then takes the From selecting your equipment, making a Score by Danny Elfman captures the dramatic walls, diverse and prolific marine life, reader through a natural progression of story board to topside shooting, travelling Producers: T. Myers, M. Hall glorious turtles, rays and sharks. www.divedestinations.co.uk chapters leading up to the last chapter, tips, setting up your gear and performing a Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures which addresses what you do with your fin- shoot with available light or setting up your Genre: Documentary ished masterpiece when you are ready to own lighting, to maintenance of equipment Release Date: March 3, 2006 distribute it. The nine other chapters that and editing and distribution… everything Loaded with breathtaking shots of lie in between could almost pass for a self you will need is here and then some. I don’t the underwater world designed study course textbook in underwater pho- quite know if I fully agree with the title of the specifically for the IMAX theater, DVD tography, or at least serve as a very handy book. Videography, it seems, as is the case Deep Sea 3D, is a spectacular reference. with u/w photography, requires a fair bit of underwater adventure from the Authored by the accomplished writer, diligence and dedication, so can it really filmmakers behind the first IMAX Return of the Plankton: videographer and commercial diver, Steve be made ‘easy’? In any case, semantics 3D film, Nascar, which grossed The Seasons Underwater Barsky, who is the main author, with fel- aside, this book on underwater digital video nearly US$23 million around the in Puget Sound DVD low dive professionals Lance Milbrand and certainly lowers the bar. ■ world. It is the first IMAX movie to Produced by Still Hope Mark Thurlow, decades of experience are www.hammerheadpress.com be co-narrated by Johnny Depp Productions and Kate Winslet with a score Price US$30.00 by award-winning composer Discover and identify creatures Danny Elfman (Spiderman, Men of the Pacific Northwest marine in Black, Chicago). Directed by ecosystems with this 27 minute world-renowned underwater cin- video and over 150 photo- ematographer, Howard Hall, the graphs of each creature in film will take you down below the the film, labeled with common ocean surface to swim with some name, scientific name, habitat amazing creatures ranging from and diet. Includes supplementa- the rainbow nudibranch to the ry study aids for instructional use. giant Pacific octupus. Witness store.nauiservicesgroup.com their often humorous, threatening or peculiar ways of survival. www.imax.com 83 X-RAY MAG : 9 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Sneed B Collards books for kids media on life and research in the seas Book Reviews Reviewed by Michael Arvedlund, PhD The Deep Sea Floor The American author Sneed B. Collard has written more than fifty Publisher: Charlesbridge books for young people, on subjects of the sea, animals and animals Publishing. MA, USA. 2003 in the sea and how life science researchers work. His books The Forest Hardcover: 32 Pages in the Clouds and Beaks! Were both named Teacher’s Choices by the Reading level: Ages 6-12 international Reading Association. In the spring of 2005, Sneed was Booklist wrote the following about awarded the prestigious Lud Browman Award from the Friends of the Collard’s book about the deep Fathoming The Ocean University of Montana library for his lifetime achievement in science sea: “One of the great frontiers of writing. Sneed is unique in his work by his research methods, which also scientific discovery in recent years The Discovery & Exploration of the Deep Sea ensures a very high level of quality in his books. Sneed says, “Unlike has been the deep-sea floor. In many other authors, I like to gather the information for my books by a brief, lucid account illustrated good example of highlighting a By Helen Rozwasowski faced to support them. talking to the experts. I especially love to travel into the field with sci- with many watercolor paint- change in scientific knowledge Hardcover: 352 page However, all this was entists to see first-hand how they work, where they work, and what ings, Collard explains the basics that contradicts statements made Publisher: The Belknap Press changed when it became they are discovering. In the past of oceanic geology, including in many older books that are ISBN: 0674016912 practically possible to dredge ten years alone, I’ve taken some crustal plates, abyssal plains, and still in classrooms and libraries. Amazon price: GB£16.95 the oceans at great depths. unforgettable journeys to some of trenches; the sonar technology Wenzel’s watercolors are equally One of the prime reasons the world’s most exotic, fabulous and deep-sea submersibles that effective in picturing the strange, Reviewed by Michael Symes behind this was the need to places.” have made exploration possible; deep-sea environment and in Today, thanks to the efforts of explore the ocean bed in and the sometimes exotic-look- illustrating the specifics of geol- Alvin and similar vessels, we order to lay telegraph cables Our Wet World ing varieties of wildlife that have ogy, biology, and technology know something about the between Europe and America. Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing been observed. The short sec- referred to in Collard’s informative wonderful marine life present With the money MA, USA. 1998 tion on deep-sea vents and cold text. A list of recommended books in the ocean available to Hardcover: 31 Pages seeps offers a simple explanation and web sites will lead children to depths. At improve the Reading level: Ages 5-10 of chemosynthesis and points out more about this alien, undersea the begin- sampling of the Our Wet World introduces aquatic that not all life on Earth relies on world. A glossary is appended. ning of the sea bed came habitats in an excellent way for children 5 and up. The accompanying photosynthesis. This section is a www.amazon.com ■ 19th cen- the spin-off of watercolor paintings are large and beautifully done and show many tury, some better biologi- different aquatic habitats. This book is very suitable for the first intro- naturalists cal sampling. duction to wet habitats for children. www.amazon.com ■ One Night in the Coral Sea believed that And what a Sneed B. Collard, they did have spin-off it was. On the Coral Reefs Robin Brickman (Illustrator) evidence of It changed Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Publishing. Publisher: Charlesbridge life at great forever our New York. USA. 2006 Publishing, 2005 depths. For idea of the Hardcover: 43 Pages Hardcover: 32 pages example, Sir world in Reading level: Ages 6-12 Reading level. Ages 6-12 John Ross fundemen- The book tells about reefs in an easy and Children’s Bookwatch wrote the reported find- tal ways; it interesting way for children, accompanied following: Superbly pictured in ing worms alive affected not by colour photos of life on the coral reef marvellous and colorful detail by at 1000 fathoms only the sci- and tells how a leading international coral Robin Brickman’s cut-paper illus- (6000 feet). Yet, entific world reef researcher works. The foreword to the trations, One Night In The Coral in spite of this, but also book says the following: “Every year, millions Sea by science writer Sneed B. in the middle of the cultural of scuba divers flock to coral reefs to explore Collard III brings Australia’s Great polyps that will settle onto the the 19th century and social world. their beauty and wonder. Scientists, too, are Barrier Reef to life for young read- coral reef and form new colo- nearly all natu- ral- This book describes the histo- fascinated by coral reefs, especially with the ers ages 6 to 11. It is a night in nies, extending the reach of the ists thought that, due to the ry of the oceans in the broad- way so many different species in the reefs the late spring just after the full reef along the Australian coast. extreme physical conditions, est cultural sense, and there- depend on one another to survive. On the Coral Reefs takes a close moon and something is occurring Enthusiastically recommended life reached a zero at some fore for anyone who is interest- look at a coral reef relationships through the eyes of Dr. Alexandra that only happens once a year. for both school and community 300 fathoms (1800 feet) depth. ed in the history of exploration Grutter who has dedicated her career to understanding cleaner fish Dozens of coral species simultane- library collections, One Night In Naturalists resisted in believing of the ocean depths this book and their unusual relationship to the fish they clean. Her research, ously release thousands, millions, The Coral Sea is an entertaining in life at great depths largely has much to recommend it. along with the work of other scientists, has broadened our understand- trillions of eggs and sperm into the as it is informative. because no specimens sur- www.amazon.com ■ ing of coral reefs and increased our appreciation of these remarkable sea. These then form new coral www.amazon.com ■ underwater ecosystems.” www.amazon.com ■ 84 X-RAY MAG : 9 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED The First FrByo Sven Erik gJørgensenm - The Danish Societye ofn Diving History 2 Naval operations with the SLC (SLC: Siluro a Lenta Corsa, ‘slowmoving torpedo”)

(continued and concluded from issue #7)

In the years prior to World War water. As soon as the submarine was in II, the Italian fleet had devel- position, and the frogmen were out, the oped a new underwater weap- containers were opened and the SLC drawn out. The frogmen then tested all on, the SLC, a slow torpedo the functions of the SLC before setting which was manned by two out for the target. The first part of the trip divers. Submerged, and thereby took place on the surface, when only the heads of the frogmen were above the unseen, the frogmen on the surface. The frogmen had full face masks SLC could get close in to the on but breathed through a valve in the enemy ships and mine them. mouthpiece out to the air in order not to The frogmen trained in attacking deplete the oxygen stores. The harbours were gener- their own ships, and after many ally barred by submarine excercises developed a pro- nets which the frog- cedure for approach and men had to pass placing mines under the ships. either under or over. They could also cut their The submarine, which transported the way through SLC in pressurised containers on the using wire-cut- deck, sailed as close as possible to the ters. Free from target. One could then choose either the nets and into to release the frogmen while the sub- the harbour, the marine was lying on the seabed or, if it frogmen picked were possible without being discovered, out the chosen to let the submarine float to the surface target by its sil- with only its tower appearing above the houette because

85 X-RAY MAG : 8:8 :200 20055 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED The SLC sailing at the surface. To conserve breathing gas this was mode of the initial approach to the target the attacks took place at night. They had to get so close to the target that they could often hear and see the watch crew on the deck. During the last part of the trip on the surface the sternmost frogman lowered his head beneath the surface and breathed using his oxygen apparatus, so that there was as little as possible to be Painting by Rudolf Claudus, depicting the Italian frogmen mounting a mine seen by any watchmen on the ships. on the stabilising keel of an enemy ship The leading frogman then also went over to breathing using his oxygen apparatus and was ready to release the air from the tank of the SLC. In that sailed towards the target the frogmen they had come until the stern-most frog- informed him that the wire was now fixed activated. This would cause the mine to way could they quickly disappear from kept an eye on the remaining light filter- man felt the bilge keel. The bilge keel in place, and the SLC was now sailed explode 2½ hours later. He then released the surface if it happened, for example, ing down from the surface. is a thick piece of sheet-iron which runs over to the other side of the hull where the SLC from the mine and crept back that a searchlight could get close and When the light disappeared they knew along both sides of the hull in order to the procedure was repeated. There was to his seat. Three claps on the shoulder illuminate them. that they were beneath the ship. The SLC stabilise the ship against rolling. With a now a wire stretched out beneath the of the driver told him that the task was was stopped and a little air was released clap on the shoulder of the driver the ship. Holding the wire the frogmen now completed, and that it was now time to Acquiring the target into the tank between the frogmen so stern-most frogman told the driver that pulled themselves to under the middle get away. It was impossible to find a way When the target had been identified, that the SLC now had a slight positive he had found the bilge keel. He quickly of the ship. The stern-most frogman now back to the submarine and the frogmen, and at a distance of ca 30 meters from buoyancy causing it to rise up to the bot- took a clamp and a steel wire from left his seat and crept past the driver if possible, had to try and reach a neutral it, the leading frogman took a compass tom of the ship. The frogmen raised a the toolbox behind him and fixed in order to fix the mine, which formed coast where they could sink the SLC. This bearing and then let the SLC disappear hand over their heads to take the force the wire to the bilge keel using the bows of the SLC, to the wire. At the procedure shown to be possible during beneath the surface. At about 8 to 10 of contact with the ship’s bottom. With the clamp. Two claps on the shoul- same time the driver of the SLC held it training but was found to be much more meters depth the SLC was trimmed to sail one hand one the bottom of the ship der of the driver fast between his legs. After the mine had difficult during operations against the horizontally. It was now cold, dark and they returned in the direction from which been fixed the timing mechanism was Allies. quiet around the frog- men. As they slowly

Line draw- ing of the Scire with SLC con- tainers on aft and fore decks

86 X-RAY MAG : 8: 2005 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Depth charges being feature launched from British frigate would take a chance rather than await received a radio message from the inevitable. After some time a large Rome: ”The English fleet has left Attacking the British amount of air was released from the sub- harbour – return to Tobruk”. The On the 10th June, 1940 Italy declared marine – the hatch had been opened disappointment was great, so war against England and France. It was – and the survivors appeared one by one close and so had the fleet left now that the SLC could show what it on the surface after being trapped for 24 harbour. They were very close could do. The first attack was planned hours on the bottom of the sea. to the naval-base and prob- for the night between the 25th and 26th ably a watch at the base had August, 1940. The target was the English ”Enemy ship 800 meters” observed the submarine and fleet in Alexandria. The submarine Iride The next attempt was made in raised the alarm. After just a few took the frogmen from La Spezia to September 1940. The Italians would minutes sailing the alarm sound- Bomba west of Tobruk, where Iride met attack two English fleet-bases simulta- ed on the submarine: ”Enemy the torpedoboat Calipso, which carried neously – Alexandria and Gibraltar. The ship 800 meters”. Gondar dived the surface for only a few minutes before four SLC. This method of transporting the submarine Gondar sailed for Alexandria immediately, and a hunt now began it again sank. In spite of this, all the crew SLC was chosen in order to avoid dam- and Scire during which Gondar was under con- excepting one managed to escape from age to them should the submarine be for Gibraltar. stant bombardment by depth-charges, the wreck. The attacking destroyer col- forced into deep water. After 9 days causing it to dive deeper and deeper. lected up the surviving frogmen and sub- On the morning of the 21st August, equipment. The frogmen and the diver at sea the The hunt continued all night, and in the marine crew, among them Toschi who when the SLC were being transferred to made contact with the survivors in the Gondar morning at 8 o’clock the Gondar could spent the rest of the war as a prisoner. Iride, and the submarine refuelled - ready submarine using knocking signal. The reached not take it any more and began to sink to carry out a test dive – three English tor- crew of the submarine signalled that Alexandria uncontrollably. All the air was blown into Attack on Gibraltar pedo planes appeared on the horizon. the external hatch of the sluice could on 29th the tanks in order to stop the dive. It suc- Scire reached Gibraltar at the same time They flew low over the sea and opened not be opened from inside. September. ceeded, and the Gondar stopped at 155 as Gondar reached Alexandria. Just 50 fire against Iride. A torpedo hit the sub- The hatch was stuck tightly in the At the time meters, but now an uncontrolled rise to miles from Gibraltar and 4 hours prior marine amidships and it immediately hatch frame by the explosion. However, intended for the surface began with an ever increas- to the planned attack Scire received a sank in 15 meters of water. the frogmen and the diver succeeded the opera- ing speed. The crew got ready to aban- radio message: ”The fleet has left har- in opening tions to start don the submarine as soon as it had bour – return to La Maddalena”. This time the hatch but Gondar reached the surface. Gondar floated on was not a success either. The English had it was dam- apparently detected one of the subma- aged and rines but didn’t know its intentions. could not be The Sinking of the Gondar. On the deck the con- They were ready for yet another attack closed tightly. tainers for the SLCs are just visible on Gibraltar in October 1940. The frogmen Under the command of Valerio signalled to the Borghese the Scire would transport crew of the sub- three SLC to Gibraltar, where they marine that they would attack the English battle- should open the ships. The frogmen were the same second hatch as were recalled from the previous into the hull mission. This time the frogmen were The first attack on the British naval stronghold of Alexandria was planned for and attempt with the Scire the whole way from August 25-26, 1940 with the support of the submarine Iride to reach the La Spezia to Gibraltar. The Scire surface. The reached the Straits of Gibraltar on Rescue order was discussed in the submarine but the 27th October. Two days later Calipso immediately sailed to where Iride they thought that the crew preferred to the Scire, submerged and against had sunk. They found that the frogmen remain in the submarine. It was signalled the strong current, succeeded in and some of the crew had escaped from outside to the trapped crew that entering the Strait. Outside the Bay from the wreck. Without oxygen equip- they should come out within half an hour of Algiceras, where the fleetbase ment – it was in the Iride - the frogmen or they would be left to their fate. There was situated, the Scire waited 70 dived down to the submarine and con- was no answer. meters down on the rocky bottom nected a buoy to it. A message was sent From the deck of the Calipso the frog- to await the coming night. Sounds to Tobruk asking for help, and after some men maintained a watch on the sea and could clearly be heard in the time a diver arrived with some diving hoped that the crew in the submarine submarine from the shipping traf-

87 X-RAY MAG : 8: 2005 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED �������������������

������������������������������� ������������ fic. In the evening the Scire sailed slowly Equipment breakdown ������������������������������ into the bay. Only the most absolutely The SLC of De La Penne and Bianchi was ���������������� �� necessary equipment was in operation, the first to fail. After sailing for about 20 � ������� ���������������� and the crew avoided any unneces- minutes De La Penne dived to avoid a ������������������� sary noise in order not to be detected. searchlight. At a depth of 15 meters the ��������������������� They constantly heard the noise from the engine stopped and the SLC dropped ����������� screws of the patrol boats passing over to the bottom at 40 meters. It proved them. Around midnight they were in posi- impossible to restart the motor, so the ������������������ tion 3 miles from the fleet-base, and the frogmen swam to the surface, got rid submarine rose to the surface in order to of their oxygen equipment and began ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� launch the frogmen. Here they received swimming towards the Spanish coast. the latest messages which stated that Tesei and Pedretti got right in to the there were two battleships in the har- north mole of the naval base, only to ratus. In the entrance to the harbour they surface. Birindelli continued along the apparatus and suit, and climed up on to bour. All was now ready, and after a discover that one of the oxygen appa- had to be on the surface and get past sea bottom but the motor soon gave up. the mole where he managed for a short short time on the surface the Scire dived ratuses was filled with water and the some floating barriers densely covered Birindelli ascended to the surface and while to keep himself hidden.. However, again and crept out of the bay. The frog- other had other malfunctions. The reserve with iron spikes. After passing the second found that he was just about 70 meters he was discovered and handed over men were now on their own. After they apparatus also proved to be unusable. barrier they found the battleship Barham from the Barham. He immediately let to the English. Shortly afterwards the had completed their operation they Furthermore, it was not possible to trim just 250 meters in front of them. They took himself sink to the bottom and attempt- charge exploded without damaging the should aim for the Spanish coast where the SLC which was sloping downwards at compass bearing on the battleship ed to manoeuvre the SLC under the Barham. The rest of the frogmen reached an Italian agent awaited them and who towards the stern. The frogmen decided and let the SLC sink to the bottom 14 battleship. After half an hour’s hard work Spain and returned from there to Italy, would ensure their transport back to Italy. to call off the operation. They dropped meters below. However, the oxygen in he was totally exhausted and his oxy- but Birindelli and Paccagnini were held the explosive charge and sailed off the sternmost frogman’s apparatus was gen used up. He activated the fuse and as prisoners for the rest of the war. towards the Spanish coast. now exhausted and he had to rise to the ascended to the surface. He got rid of his HMS Barham Attack on HMS Barham Birindelli and Paccagnini also had prob- lems in trimming the SLC. One of the oxygen apparatuses was filled with water but was substituted by the reserve. Soon after there were problems with the motor, which could only function at low revolutions. The SLC became heavier and heavier, probably because water was getting in. In spite of this, they man- aged to continue with the bows above the water, keeping the SLC floating. But the SLC was so inclined in the water that the sternmost frogman was beneath the surface and had to use his oxygen appa-

“Looking in the wrong direction, lads?” HMAS Perth in Alexandria Harbour, Egypt, 1941. Source: Australian Government 88 X-RAY MAG : 8: 2005 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED harbour. Several times during the pas- 10th flottila sage they noticed pressure-waves from No more attempts were made with the depth-charges that were being dropped SLC that year, and on the 15th March for their sakes. So, instead they chose 1941 the 1st Light flotilla, to which the another target, a freighter. The mine frogmen belonged, was reorganised and was suspended, and after the charge given the cover-name Decima Flottiglia had been activated the SLC was sunk. MAS (10th Light Flotilla). The frogmen swam to the Spanish coast The long submarine trip was not good from where they could see the explosion for the physical condition of the frogmen which ripped the 2440 ton English tanker during the operations, and so another Fiona Shell into two halves. solution was found. In Cadiz on the coast Catalano and Giannoni were pursued of Spain, only 70 sea miles from Gibraltar, by a patrol-ship and had to hide on the lay the interned Italian freighter Falcon. bottom. When the danger had finally The frogmen were flown from Italy to gone the time to enter the harbour had Spain and billeted on the Falcon. Under Aerial view of Gibraltar passed, and they suspended the mine cover of the night the Scire fetched the instead under a freighter. After sinking frogmen from the Falcon. MTM-boats on the harbour. Among the the SLC they, too, swam to the coast On the 25th May 1941, Valerio many victims of the operations was also and from here experienced the violent Borghese again sailed the Scire into the Moccagatta – the head of Decima Mas. explosion. The ship began to sink at the Bay of Algeciras and launched three His position as chief was temporarily filled stern, but four tugs arrived and towed SLCs. One of the SLC was sunk immedi- by Valerio Borghese. it aground. The ship was the armoured ately, as the motor would not start. The The many fiascos didn’t discourage freighter Durham of 10,900 tons. two other SLCs now continued with three the Italians. The operations had revealed frogmen on each, but both sank close faults in the SLCs and under Visintini and Magro also to their targets. All six frogmen reached the leadership of Valerio The SLCs had at last had to dive to avoid being the Spanish coast and returned to Italy. Borghese the SLC underwent detected by a patrol During the operation the harbour area several modifications. The proved their worth, boat. They moved towards was constantly bombarded with depth new SLCs were, however, the entrance to the har- charges from patrol boats - the English not ready for the next opera- but Tesei had been bour and passed three had taken their precautions. tion that against Gibraltar. strong steel-wires which killed and Toschi were probably part of the Heavy losses After fetching the frogmen barrier to the entrance. Simultaneously with the underwater in Cadiz, Valerio Borghese taken prisoner. In spite of the constant operations a number of surface opera- again sailed the Scire into explosions from the depth- tions with the MTM-boats were also car- Gibraltar. Just after midnight charges at the barrier ried out. Two SLCs took part in one of on 20th September, 1941, the Scire sur- they got into the harbour where they these operations, the attack against faced and launched three SLC. They had saw a light-cruiser and four large tankers. Valletta Harbour on Malta the 26th July, been informed from Rome that, among As the cruiser lay close to the harbour 1941. During this attack, which ended in others, there was a battleship and an entrance they gave up this as a target a fiasco, Tesei and Pedretti were killed aircraft carrier in the harbour. Vesco because of the depth-charges. Instead, when they probably suicidally used their and Zozzolli should attack the battle- they attacked one of the tankers and SLC to break through a steel net that ship which was anchored in the harbour hoped that the consequent discharge of was barring the way for the attack of the itself, but had to give up entering the oil would set some of the harbour on fire. They placed the bomb under the fleet- tanker Denby Dale of 15,893 tons. From the Spanish coast they heard first a large explosion and thereafter four to five small ones. In addition to the Denby Dale, a smaller tanker, which was moored to the side of the Denby Dale, sank. The SLCs had at last proved their worth, The submarine Scire crept into the bottom of the bay but Tesei had been killed and Toschi of Algeciras, where the Frogmen was dropped taken prisoner.

89 X-RAY MAG : 8: 2005 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED It was round about this time that Decima Mas began to train free- The containers were quickly swimming frogmen who, in tight- opened, the SLC pulled out, and fitting black rubber suits, with the Scire dived again. In the blackened faces behind their Scire’s hydrophones the crew masks, and wearing fins on their could hear that everyone was on feet, would swim in to the enemy the way to Alexandria. The night ships and mine them. They decid- was dark and the sea calm, and ed on this because they saw that about 500 meters from the mole sinking a cargo ship with 300 kg the frogmen could see and hear of explosive was equivalent to the frogmen on the Greek island people on the mole. Just as they using a sledge-hammer to crack of Leros, and after having passed came to the net which barred the a nut. A program for training through a minefield outside the entrance to the harbour it was gammamen was established. The harbour. The frogmen dressed opened to permit the passage of best swimmers were chosen from themselves in rubber suits and three English destroyers. The frog- all units and given a hard train- oxygen equipment, and just men were quick, increased their ing. The gammamen would later before midnight Valerio Borghese speed and slipped into the har- prove their worth. took the Scire to the surface. bour together with the destroyers.

Valiant De La Penne and Bianchi should attack the 32,000 ton English bat- tleship Valiant. The battleship was an enormous shadow in front of them. About 30 meters from the Valiant they sailed into a torpedo net, which caused the SLC to list. De La Penne was feeling the cold dreadfully, his suit was leak- ing and he was soaked through. Unseen, they sailed towards the battleship and right up against the side of the ship they let the SLC sink to the bottom. However, the SLC sank uncontrollably and left De La Penne on the surface. The SLC containers on Scire open 18. December 1941 The Italians were now ready for another attempt to get into the English naval base at Alexandria. The attack was carefully planned and once again it was Scire that would transport the frogmen. The English now knew about the frogmen and had reinforced the defences of the base. As in the case with Gibraltar, depth- charges were constantly dropped at the barriers and in the harbour. On the 18th of December, 1941, Scire lay on the bottom outside Alexandria after having fetched HMS Valiant in Gibraltar

90 X-RAY MAG : 8:8 :200 20055 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS������ SCIENCE & ECOLOGY� EDUCATION PROFILES��������������������� PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Painting by Rudolf Claudus The attack on Port of Alexandria Dec. 18 1941 “All men on deck” Elizabeth, which Marceglia De La Penne had kept his and Schergat had intended waterproof watch on, and to attack. The ship lay some as there was now 10 minutes 500 meters away, and he to the explosion, he asked could clearly see the crew to speak to the Captain. on deck. Suddenly the sea He explained to Captain rose up around the Queen Morgan that the ship would Elizabeth. Shrapnel and oil be blown up in a few min- rained down over the Valiant. utes and recommended that Marceglia and Schergat all men be sent on deck. had suspended their mine As Morgan could obtain no directly beneath the middle information about where of the ship. An English officer the mine was placed De La wanted to know if there were Penne was again locked in more mines under the ship beneath the waterline. From – and received no answer. his ‘cell’ De La Penne could hear the alarm and the com- Succes at last mand: ”All men on deck”. Shortly afterwards, the har- The explosion was violent, De bour was shaken by yet La Penne was knocked off another explosion; it was had been the success that the Across bay of Algeciras his feet, the light went out, a 10,000 ton tanker that, Italians had been longing for At the same time, the attacks the cell became filled with together with a smaller tanker – two battleships and two tankers against the allied ships in Gibraltar De La Penne dived to the bottom buoy, however, he was caught in smoke, and the ship began laying beside it, was sent to sunk without loss of Italian life. continued. Transport of the frog- 17 meters down and found the the beam from a search-light. A to heel to port. He suc- the bottom. Martellotta and men into the target area by sub- SLC. He discovered that Bianchi salvo from a machine-gun made ceeded in finding a way out Marinos’ attack had also The submarine Ambra later car- marine became more and more was gone. He attempted to start him stop, and shortly afterwards and got to the deck, where succeeded. The last four ried out yet another attack risky as the English increased their the SLC but had to give up when both frogmen were taken up by he met Bianchi and Captain frogmen made for the land against Alexandria with three armaments in the Mediterranean. a wire became tangled in the a motorboat and brought to the Morgan. From the deck he where, one after the other, SLCs. However, the operation The Italians devised a plan. screw. The hard work now began Valiant. The English were quite could keep an eye on the they were discovered and failed, and all the frogmen spent This plan concerned Antonio of pulling the SLC in under the clear about what the frogmen other battleship, the Queen arrested. They spent the rest the rest of the war as prisoners. Ramognino, who was an officer middle of the battleship. De La had been doing, and demanded in Decima Mas and married to Penne could hear noise from the to know where the charge had the Spanish girl Signora Conchita. ship above him, and expected been placed - they received no Claiming that Signora Conchita’s at any moment to be depth- answer. The frogmen were taken An English officer wanted poor health required fresh sea charged when the English caught to land, and in the meantime a air, the pair rented a house, Villa sight of Bianchi who must be on steel wire was dragged along to know if there were more Carmela, in the Bay of Algeciras. the surface some the bottom of From Villa Carmela there was where or other. the Valiant, mines under the ship – and a good view of all the allied After about half The English were quite but to no avail ships anchored in the bay, and an hour’s work he because the received no answer a swim of only 500 – 2,000 meters banged his head clear about what the frog- mine lay on the to them. For the first opera- against the bot- sea bottom. tion twelve gammamen were tom of the ship. men had been doing On land it had smuggled by different routes He was exhausted proved impos- into Spain in July, 1942. On the and thought that sible to get any- night between the 13th and 14th the SLC was now well positioned. thing out of the frogmen, so it was July, 1942, all the gammamen The charge was activated and he decided to sail them back again were gathered together in Villa swam to the surface. Here he tore to the Valiant, where they were Carmela. Here they put on their off his mask and enjoyed the fresh interrogated by Captain Morgan. suits and were equipped with oxy- air. De La Penne swam immedi- The result was the same. In an gen apparatuses and the mines ately to a nearby buoy and found attempt to make them change which they would fasten to the that Bianchi had had the same their minds they were locked in a ships. Hidden by the darkness, idea. Before he reached the cabin below the water-line. and without being discovered by HMS Queen Elisabeth 91 X-RAY MAG : 8:8 :200 20055 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Cutaway drawing showing the interior of the Olterra, “the trojan horse”

The hatch was below the water line

mining the same ship. This ship was the 1.787 ton Ravens Point. It sank at its moorings on the morn- ing of 15th September. The SLCs which had arrived from Italy were re-assembled and test- ed in the Olterra. Three of these pletely split-up SLCs were trans- were used in an attack on the 7th ported by car from La Spezia to December, 1942. On one of the English spies, of which there were depth-charge that exploded The trojan horse arranged for them to replace the Algeciras. The first operation from SLCs the frogmen ran out of oxy- many in the area, they crept close to him. Even though all the Immediately across from the maintenance personnel aboard Olterra was carried out on 14th gen in an attempt to avoid patrol down to the coast and swam mines had been placed on the English naval base lay Algeciras, the Olterra. Under Visintini’s direc- September,1942, by three gam- boats and depth-charges. They individually out to the ships. At targets the damage to the ships where the Italian freighter Olterra tion the Olterra was now secretly mamen, who swam out from the decided to break off the opera- a safe distance from the targets was limited. Several of the mines lay moored to the mole. At the rebuilt to function as an observa- Olterra at 23:30. One of them was tion and return to the Olterra, they utilised their oxygen equip- did not explode, and those that outbreak of the war the ship had tion post, and to house the gam- carried away by the current and but when the SLC reached the ment, and disappeared from did explode didn’t cause more been sunk in shallow water by its mamen and the SLC. Workshops had to land on, what was for him, Olterra there was only one frog- the surface to swim in under the damage than the English could Italian crew. A Spanish salvag- were established for servicing the an unknown coast, where he was man aboard it. The one at the ships and here fix the mines. Two manage to ground the ships. ing company had later raised SLCs and re-charging of the bat- arrested by the Spanish police. stern had been lost. The second of the frogmen found their way Four ships of in all 9,500 tons were the ship, and it was now laying teries. A hatch was built under the He was later returned to Villa SLC penetrated right in to the back to Villa Carmela. Seven damaged and grounded. inside the mole with a strong list waterline in the side of the ship, Carmela. The two others returned mole but was detected and were discovered and arrested In August 1942, it was intended and several water-filled compart- into one of the flooded compart- to the Olterra after accidentally shot at. Although rather dazed by the Spanish police when they that the submarine Scire, which ments. Aboard the Olterra were ments. The gammamen and the reached the coast. The remain- had successfully carried out sever- Spanish guards together with a SLC could now leave the Olterra This SLC was recovered from the bottom of Gibraltar habour by the British ing three reached the coast in al operations with the SLC, should maintenance crew from the own- through this hatch, and at different places without being transport eight gammamen to ers of the ship who, as far as possi- the end of an operation discovered. The arrested frogmen Haifa, where they would swim ble, maintained the ship. Decima could return again unseen. were, however, soon released into the harbour and place mines Mas saw several possibilities in While these preparations on certain conditions agreed under allied ships. The operation the wreck, and a plan for its uti- were being made the gam- between the Spanish and Italian ended in a catastrophe for the lisation as a base began to take mamen continued their authorities. However, they didn’t Scire and all its crew. On the 10th shape. Lieutenant Licio Visintini attacks from Villa Carmela. get off completely scotfree. One August 1942, the submarine was from Decima Mas was chosen The gammamen and SLC of them was hit in the foot by the detected outside Haifa and sunk to carry out the plan. Visintini frogmen arrived in Algeciras screw of an English patrol boat, by the English torpedo boat Islay. hand-picked technicians and under the guise of being and another was injured by a seamen from Decima Mas, and seamen , and several com-

92 X-RAY MAG : 8:8 :200 20055 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED

FREE back issues On the 10th December 1942 the Ambra the ships Kaituna and Fernplant, of 4917 Did you get the early issues lay on the bottom outside Algiers. In this and 7000 tons respectively, were mined. of X-RAY MAG? operation a frogman was released, via a Orion and Fernplant were sunk in open sluice, from the submarine with a lifeline water, without any suspicion of a frogman and telephone cable in order to direct attack. Regarding Kaituna, only one mine the submarine to the right position. After exploded, and the ship was run aground the submarine had been manoeuvered on Cyprus. During examination by divers into place the frogman was again taken the second mine was discovered. aboard through the sluice. The idea was The attacks continued until the final that after the operation this observer collapse on the 8th September 1943, should lead the frogmen back to the when the Italian forces surrendered to Ambra. The observer heard the frogmen the Allies or went north to join Mussolini. but could not see them, and the Ambra Together with English frogmen some of had to leave the area at dawn without the Italian frogmen who surrendered to CAYMAN ISLANDS, Bloody them. The frogmen swam into the coast the Allies carried out underwater opera- Bay Wall, Freediving World Records, Coral where all sixteen were arrested. From tions against the German forces. By that Spawning, Innerspace, Wrecks of Narvik Norway, Siberian Cave Diving, Tagging 5 o’clock until 7 o’clock the following time the frogmen had sunk allied shipping Whalesharks, Cabilao. Link: X-RAY #5 morning the harbour echoed to several to a total of some 200 000 tons, and they explosions. And when the day was over had fully proven the effectivity of the new two ships of a total of 8,667 tons lay on weapon. Inspired by the Italian frogmen, the bottom, and two ships of a total of the English had already established corre- 11,628 tons were badly damaged.. sponding units in 1942 and built ”Chariots” by the depth-charges, the frogmen suc- modelled on the Italian SLC. After the war ceeded in sinking the SLC and crawling Turkey many nations supplemented their armed aboard an American merchant ship. They Also in the Turkish harbour of Alexandretta forces with frogmen units. were interrogated but didn’t give away the English ships, which were to carry I 1944, after De La Penne and the other Today the modern Italian Navy’s special forces owes Olterra’s secret. The third SLC made its chromium ore to England, were attacked frogmen had been released from captiv- it legacy to the WW2 Frogmen, the Decima Mas PACIFIC NORTH WEST AMERICA. way through the barriers and into the har- by the gammamen. Luigi Farraro, a very ity and sent back to Italy, De La Penne Vancouver Island, Puget Sound, Neah bour but was detected and shot at. Both good swimmer, was chosen for the opera- and Bianchi were decorated with a gold Bay, Alaska, Honduras Sharks, Amos frogmen died. Several more, and more tion. Farraro was equipped with diplo- medal for courage under the attack on Nachoom, Jon Gross, Apeks, Fish Sense Link: X-RAY #4 successful, operations followed from the matic papers and four very heavy cases. the Valiant. The man that pinned the Post Sciptum: In memory of Olterra. Among them was a successful Farraro arrived in the middle of June and medals to their breasts was none other attempt on 8th May, 1943, by three SLCs, introduced himself to the collective dip- than Captain Morgan who they had met Dr. Luigi Ferraro to sink three ships of, in all, 19.000 tons, lomatic corps in Alexandretta. On the a couple of years previously. He was now and return safely to the Olterra. evening of the 30th June 1943 he an Admiral and head of the Allied While this article went down to the beach, Naval Forces in Italy. was in produc- English minedivers crawled into the suit, put on Today, Luigi Farraro is Honorary tion, Dr. Luigi Under leadership of the English Lieutenant the oxygen apparatus, tied President for the Italian Historical Ferraro, one Lionel ”Buster” Crabbe the English had two limpet mines to his belt and Diving Society. of the great established an ”Underwater Working swam out to 7 000 tons freighter Italian war MALAYSIA. Coralreefs after the Tsunami, Whale beachings, Tragedy in South Party”, who, equipped with Davis-vests, Orion, which lay in the basin. He Literature and sources: heroes Africa, Nemo’s Nose: The Science of Fish examined the ships for mines. The team fixed the mines to the ship and Valerio Borghese, J - Sea Devils, mentioned Fashion, Ice Diving in Russia. Todd succeeded in finding and removing sev- swam unseen back to land. Chicago 1954 in this article Essick Link: X-RAY #3 eral mines. The English knew what was The mines were of that Schofield, William and and founder going on but not where the frogmen were type which were first Carisella, P.J. - Frogmen First of Technisub coming from. It was first after the capitula- armed and explod- Battles, Boston 1987 passed away. tion of Italy on 8th September, 1943, when ed after the ship Spertini, Marco and First part of this the English examined the Olterra, that the had reached a Bagnasco, Ermino - I Mezzi article was pub- secret was exposed. certain speed D’assalto Delle X Flottiglia lished in X-Ray 7 In December 1942 a combined opera- and sailed MAS 1940-1945, Genova as was a portrait of tion with gammamen and SLC was car- a given dis- 1991. Kemp, Paul - Technisub. ried out against Allied shipping outside tance. On the Underwater Warriors, Diving in the Himalayas, Swimming London 1996 with Orcas in Norway, El Dorado in the Algiers. The submarine Ambra departed 9th July and Philippines, Gaansbai in South Africa with three SLC and ten gammamen. the 1st August Link: X-RAY#2

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INFORMATION: www.xray-mag.com [email protected] Wet & Weird New Champion Emerges Monopoly money in the pool? in Extreme Underwater Poker Ever tried playing Monopoly what they’re thinking,” said Nichol Making poker history in Internet qualifier from Denmark, underwater? Well, a group of Coggins, president of the school’s December, Juha Helppi outwit- and Peter Marcus, InterPoker. high school kids in Connecticut, scuba club, to the AP. Coined ted opponents to win the first com spokesperson. USA,did. With the help of their sci- “Underwater Scub-Opoly” by the ever underwater poker tourna- “After Juha’s amazing perform- News edited by ence teacher, a revised game scuba club, the game was played ment 30 feet (10m) below sea ance today, I challenge anyone Gunild Symes BOB CHILD, AP board and playing cards made by five teams taking 30 minutes level off the coast of St. Kitts. to argue that poker is not a sport, for underwater conditions, mem- each at the bottom using hand money and a 4 x 4 ft Plexiglas InterPoker.com Extreme Poker and that Extreme Underwater bers of the Plainville High School signals they learned topside to game board designed by one of Champion Helppi defeated the Poker should not be admitted such as Laak and James, but scuba club spent five hours at the buy, sell and trade property. the students in the scuba club. professional likes of Phil Laak and into the Olympic games,” said also because he had to battle bottom of their school’s swimming Teachers of the science depart- Students took the opportunity Kenna James as well Marcus to All Headline News. distractions such as stingrays and pool playing for Boardwalk and ment said that playing the game to rename some of the game’s as Louis H., an The champ said the tourna- a leaky mask. The players met on Park Place. helps students build confidence, landmarks to famous Caribbean ment was one of the most chal- the sea floor over a submerged Students said that learn about diving safely and how dive locations and change expres- lenging in which weighted poker table and the game underwa- to work together. According to sions such as “Go to Jail” to “Go he has par- played with waterproof cards ter proved to be a participants, the project took a to the Recompression Chamber”. ticipated not and traditional chips. Tournament bit more challenging lot of time and planning. Divers The Plainville High School scuba only because spectators, including WSOP since players can’t talk played with custom-made brass club is one of only a handful in of compet- champs Kathy Liebert and Todd with each other. dice, laminated property deeds, the country that play underwater ing against Whiteles, watched silently while “You never know painted washers instead of paper Monopoly. ■ top players snorkelling on the surface. ■ HASBRO 94 X-RAY MAG : 9 : 2005 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Comex BC Classifieds

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Price: 90 x 60 mm ad with logo is EUR 90 / USD 112 Nereis Main Office Price: 50 x 33 mm ad with logo is RUSSIA, 196105 EUR 50 / USD 63 Saint-Petersburg Text listing with link is Lyubotinskiy pr. 8b EUR 20 / USD 25 Wet & Weird Fax: +7 (812) 103 0518 e-mail: [email protected] INFORMATION: www.xray-mag.com [email protected] Deep Sea Water Bar What’s next: Trawling for whiskey? to open in Waikiki News edited by Underwater traffic lights? Gunild Symes The two notori- together to discuss underwater Off the coast of England, three delighted to hear that the liqueur Yes, you heard right. They are bottling sea water now, ous cold war seafaring in order to prevent acci- separate shrimp boats net- gift packs had been recovered desalinated of course. MaHaLo Deep Sea Water is rivals, Russia and dents at sea and in airspace. The ted more than shrimp with their preserved and intact after nearly selling the first commercially available bottled, desalinated the US, whose governments were Russian navy headquarters told catch—Carolans Irish Cream Liqueur a month in the sea. Apparently, a ocean water in the United States. Already a hot item in suspected to have spied upon Interfax that significant negotia- showed up on their decks. About 40ft container of the products fell Japan selling for up to US$6.00 per bottle, the company one another with secret subs and tions were made on intergovern- 8000 packs of the fancy spirits off the deck of cargo ship during a will sell 500ml bottles at $2 a pop, $4.50 for a 1.5 liter bottle other vessels for decades in each mental agreements in the regula- from Kilkeel in County Down and storm in the Bay of Biscay. The items and for a dollar more, you can have the water made into others waters are now coming tion of underwater seafaring in Clogherhead in County Louth came were bound for market in Spain coffee or tea and notice the difference in taste. HASSLEFREECLIPART.CO November. ■ with two serving glasses per packet. for the Christmas season but were The company Koyo claims that the taste is better Worth close to GB£128,000, swept away instead by the current and the water, which is collected from a depth C & C International, which to the area off the west coast of of over 3,000 feet (1000m) off the coast of Kona, makes the liqueur, said to England called “The Smalls”. Made Hawaii, is some of the purest one can find on the

BBC News that they were in the heart of Irish cow country, planet. Other virtues include minerals and nutrients M STOP Carolans Irish Cream is named after in proportions similar to those found in the human Ireland’s renowned 17th century body’s blood, hence aborbed more readily harpist, Turlough O’Carolan, according to the company website. and is said to be the world’s Koyo has obtained clearance to sell second most popular Irish the product in the US from the Food cream liqueur. ■ and Drug Administration. ■

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COP ILLUSTRATION BY GUNILD PAK SYMES 95 X-RAY MAG : 9 : 2005 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Text by Gunild Pak Symes Ray Troll Images by Ray Troll

Freshwater Riches “In the fall of 1997, I travelled a thousand I was so inspired by the incredible diver- of the Amazon miles down the Amazon River on assign- sity of fishes and the experience that I ment for Natural History Magazine with my wanted to do the main magazine illustra- buddy and co-conspirator Brad Matsen. tion mural-sized. I stretched up a piece of Dr Kirk Johnson of the Denver Museum of canvas 7 feet by 15 feet and started paint- Natural History arranged the river trip and ing.” filled the boat with several of his pals. Portfolio — Ray Troll 96 X-RAY MAG : 9 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED portfolio Ray Troll

TOP: Angel Sharks TOP: Cookiecutter Sharks TOP: Scissortooth Sharks BOTTOM: Iniopterygians BOTTOM: River Rays BOTTOM: Kidney Headed Sharks

Ray Troll, 51, was born in Corning, New York State, USA. His up. His art career started at age four or five when he would day long, he started observing them carefully. Fish had always father was in the US Air Force, so his family moved quite fre- make his own creations with whatever materials laid around the appeared in his artwork, but in a lesser role and rendered very quently, perhaps eleven times as Ray grew up. His father house. He graduated from high school and college in Kansas stylistically. As the artist looked closer and closer at the fish he moved the family to live in Japan and Puerto Rico. It was in and finished his graduate education in studio art and painting handled, the more interesting they became to him. And so did Puerto Rico that Ray fell in love with the ocean. at Washington State University. Now, he works primarily with Alaska, where he still lives to this day. “I was 10-13 years old, when we moved there from drawing materials, a lot of coloured pencil. Ray said, “It’s faster Pennsylvania and plunked down in a tropical island,” said Ray, and easier to think with pencil.” But he likes to change medium Ancient fish “We lived in a house on a cliff right above the ocean. I’d hop now and then, switching from linoleum block prints to acrylics Ray said his first love in life was dinosaurs, like any five-year-old over the fence and hike down to the beach, look at the tide and back to drawing materials. boy at the time. When he became interested in fish, he quickly pools and poke around at the fish.” In 1983, Ray went to Alaska to work at his sister’s fish store on realized that the material in books about ancient fish was mini- Ray always knew he would become an artist when he grew the dock for the summer. As he sold fish and handled them all mal. So, Ray visited museums and unexplored niches to find out

97 X-RAY MAG : 9 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED portfolio Ray Troll

H. ANDERSON

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Heliocoprion Shark Megalodon Shark Ray Troll with shark jaws more about old fish. Ray said, “I followed the trail that oth- and decided to put a face on the fossil record. Once cre- Rapture of the Deep: The Art of Ray Troll Book cover: Rapture of the Deep: The Art of Ray Troll ers had who studied these animals.” Soon, he was talking ated, he sent it to Dr Bendix-Almgreen who approved of the To order the book, go to the following link: Planet Ocean www.trollart.com Book cover: Sharkabet: A Sea of Sharks from A to Z to leading experts and researchers in the field to get more rendering. Even though all science has is the head of the To order the book, go to the following link: information about certain extinct fish species. fossil, Ray was able to put a relatively realistic body to the www.trollart.com In Ray’s investigation of ancient fishes, the Helicoprion, face with research on similar species. or Whorl Tooth Shark, captured his imagination. Ray said, Ray’s fascination for sharks, ancient and present-day, led “I thought the spiral of the mouth of this shark was beauti- to a children’s book and museum exhibit entitled Sharkabet: ful.” He pursued the trail of this ancient fish to Dr Svend Erik A sea of sharks from A to Z, which was on display in 2005 Bendix-Almgreen, a Danish researcher who is one of the at the Miami Museum of Science in Florida, USA, and eight foremost experts on the species. Ray realized that not many other museum venues in the United Sates over 5 years. people knew very much about this ancient shark species 98 X-RAY MAG : 9 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED por tfolio Ray Troll TROLL’S T-SHIRTS Going under www.trollart.com Ray does some snorkelling to get a better look at the fish. He wanted to learn scuba diving, but his ears prevented him from continuing down that road. Now, he hopes to get the chance to get inside a submersible, so he can study up close and personal, the fantastic underwater life that fasci-

ABOVE: Careful What You Fish For Dark Heather t-shirt for adults and kids, S, M, L sizes. Price US$18-27

H. ANDERSON LEFT: A Whale of a Time Ash t-shirt for kids, S, M, L sizes. Price US$18

BELOW: A Woman Needs a Man Like a Fish Needs a Bicycle. Jewel neck white t-shirt for women, S-XL Price US$20

Find these t-shirts and many other styles for men, women and children at Ray Troll’s online store where you can buy prints, post- ers, books, caps, tote bags, stick- ers, shark game CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: cards and Night of the Ammonites mugs directly Ray Troll with shark jaws from the artist. I’ve Been Walking on the Whale Road www.trollart.com North Pacific Marine Life

99 X-RAY MAG : 9 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED portfolio Ray Troll nates him without risking the health of his ears. Ray was there three times for about two and half In 1997, Ray got a chance to see a whole other weeks each. Ray found interesting and dangerous world of underwater life in Brazil. There, he found a critters to study. Electric eels were some. “They like great variety of new fish to gawk at and study for the clear water too. It’s just so beautiful. But wait a future paintings. Ray said, “The water is red. It’s like minute, there are electric eels!” said Ray. He had a snorkelling in red wine. Very surreal-looking. The red close encounter with an electric eel. “No, I wasn’t comes from the tannin from the bark of the trees. hurt, but you tend to swim away very quickly.” What’s so amazing is there are different colour waters Ray and his team took early morning snorkelling in each tributary. The Rio Negro is the clear part, but dives where he found armoured catfish. “There are so at other points, it is deep, deep brown, super bright many variations of them. They look very ancient. They red, with white sandy beaches, or there are places almost look like a trilobites. They are not the fastest fish where the bottom is covered with leaves like a big around, so it is easy to get a good look at them,” said leaf bank.” Ray.

ABOVE: D is for Dogfish

LEFT TO RIGHT: Ocean Planet Rockfish

A Fish called Troll? In 2002, Ray had the dubious honour of having a ratfish spe- cies named after him by Dr Dominique Didier Dagit. ”Every now and then you come across a fish that just doesn’t look like the rest. And so you just trust the visual sense. I am pretty drawn to that. It’s just different. When I first caught one, I thought to myself, ‘What the heck is that?’ said Ray. The research trail led Ray to the expert on ratfish, ‘Dr Dominique’, who is the world expert on chimeras. “I got to be friends with her and we ended up doing rap songs about rat- fish,” Ray said. Through researching the ratfish, which is a distant rela- tive of the shark, Ray found out that the ratfish dates back 350 million years. “And they’re still around!” exclaimed Ray.

100 X-RAY MAG : 9 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED IN OUR NEXT ISSUE Diving in Norway Wrecks of Japan Crossing the Atlantic

ARNE ERIKSON

SCOTT BENNETT

Swimming With The Tetras, Amazon Voyage

He spread the word and images of ratfish cies really is. He said that most fish are recent Ketchikan. I am looking at the Pacific from at make you want to know more. That is to anyone who would look or listen. “So, to arrivals in comparison, even the shark, which here right now where I sit. But through my what good art does. It asks the questions reward me for raising awareness about rat- most people consider very old indeed, actu- relationships with scientists and commercial and makes you look at it more closely and fish around the world, she named a species ally evolved after the dinosaurs, but ratfish, fishermen, I am able to learn more about think about it,” said Ray. after me,” said Ray. Dr Dominique named well, they have been around a lot longer. the deep. The fascination with the unknown S. MURASHKINA the ratfish, Hydrolagus trolli, which is unique “Ratfish are virtually unchanged,” said Ray, is what drives us on. What about this and What’s next? for its lavender colour and longer than aver- “They are like visitors from another world.” what about that.. Following your nose, as we Ray is off to the Florida Keys to swim with age nose according to the expert. It was say… hammerheads. He was invited by Dr Jose COMING IN APRIL found 3,000 feet (1000m) off the coasts of About the art “While I respect really good scientific Castro to seek out the creatures and learn New Caledonia and New Zealand. ”I always love working from first hand illustration, I like to bring a message into my more about them. Ray said if he lives Subscribe now FREE! ”What’s cool about ratfish is that they look experience. I am somewhat limited, and I work and engage my emotions and bring through the experience, he’ll have more www.xray-mag.com like a science experiment gone wrong,” said would like to get into a submersible some- other things to it. A little bit of philosophy and to say about the sharks he loves and share Ray. He is fascinated with how old the spe- day. I snorkel and I fish where I live here in mystery makes the image that you glance images to capture the imagination as well. ■

101 X-RAY MAG : 9 : 2006 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED