HMAS TOBRUK THE PHILIPPINES DAN COLUMN LET IT RAINE REASON WHY YOU’D MAKE THE 600KM TREK TO RAINE ISLAND LOOK TO THE HORIZON WE LOOK AT HOW EASY IT IS TO TRAVEL WITH THE MARES HORIZON TERRIFIC TIOMAN WHY PULAU TIOMAN SHOULD BE ON YOUR DIVING BUCKET LIST ISSUE #49 PT HIRSCHFIELD DISCUSSES CHAMPIONING AUSTRALIA’S MARINE LIFE WITH SEACREATURES’ MATT TESTONI AUSTRALIA Awesome
The Ultimate Divers Guide to Dives to Do Before You Die. Look out for this special edition later in the year. It will be packed full of some of the mostfantastic dive sites from around the world in a collector’s edition magazine. This month, we have another packed issue with plenty of great destination features, interesting columns, news and equipment reviews. First up is an awe-inspiring article about Raine Island on the Great Barrier Reef. Trevor Jackson, the captain of Mike Ball Dive Expeditions vessel Spoilsport, shares his experiences of this truly captivating destination. Staying in Australia, we have the trip report from my dives on the outstanding ex-HMAS Tobruk. Further afield, Diveplanit’s Deborah Dickson-Smith explains why the Tioman Islands of Malaysia are such a fantastic place to dive. Don Silcock explains why the conservation efforts at Tubbataha in the Philippines have been instrumental in turning these reefs into a world-class dive destination. The Tech section focuses on Nicolas Remy taking his Horizon SCR on his travels to Indonesia.Thismonth PT Hirschfield not only delivers another great Diving With column, but also reviews a great new book that focuses on the Marine Creature of Port Philp Bay. Nigel Marsh continues his quest to highlight Australia’s unique marine creatures. The conservation column revisits the Coral Gardeners of Tahiti. We have our regular insights into the medical world of diving from DAN and dive training from SSI.
Adrian Stacey, Editor (Australia & New Zealand)
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EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Mark Evans Email: mark@scubadivermag.com DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGER Matt Griffiths Email: matt@scubadivermag.com CONTRIBUTORS Nigel Marsh, Deborah Dickson-Smith, Trevor Jackson and PT Hirschfield PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Ross Arnold Email: ross@scubadivermag.com BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Penney Evans Email: penney@scubadivermag.com AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND AND SOUTHEAST ASIA TEAM Adrian Stacey (AustraliaEditor and New Zealand) Tel: +61 422 611 238 Email: adrian@scubadivermag.com Don Silcock Senior Travel www.indopacificimages.comEditor MAGAZINE To stock Scuba Diver in your centre, email: subscriptions@scubadivermag.com PUBLISHERS Rork Media ANZ Pty Ltd 193 Latrobe PADDINGTON,Terrace,QLD 4064 Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the views of the publishers. Copyright for material published remains with Rork Media Limited. Use of material from Scuba Diver is strictly prohibited unless permission is given. All advertisements of which the creative content is in whole or in part the work of Rork Media Limited remain the copyright of Rork Media Limited. is a registered trademark of Rork Media. ISSN 2515-9593 Times are changing and to keep the magazines free, we’re asking dive stores to cover their own postage costs. If you enjoy reading the magazine, think about helping out your centre with a small donation to help cover their costs. Your continued support is most appreciated.
With more and more countries now opening their borders and with fewer and fewer restrictions to impede our movements around the globe, it seems like the gremlins have now turned their attention to the airlines and airports. Flight cancellations, delays and general chaos at some airports are testing the resolve of the most hardened traveller. However, on the plus side, at least we can travel again, it might take a bit longer, and we might have to be more patient than before. Still, our favourite dive destinations are slowly opening again, and we can start ticking off those bucket list dives we have been dreaming about. With this in mind, the Scuba Diver Team are putting together
Airport chaos can’t spoil our plans
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The Divers Alert Network experts look at diving after a concussion, and pulmonary hypertension.
Regular columns Monthly features...
A trip to Challenger Deep, a diver lift making its first appearance in Australia, and the countdown to OzTek continues apace.
30 Malaysia Surrounded by a well-protected marine reserve, Pulau Tioman is a bit of a hidden gem and somewhere that should be on your dive destination bucket list, according to Deborah Dickson-Smith.
6 WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU HMAS TOBRUK THE PHILIPPINES DAN COLUMN LET IT RAINE REASON WHY YOU’D MAKE THE 600KM TREK TO RAINE ISLAND LOOK TO THE HORIZON WE LOOK AT HOW EASY IT IS TO TRAVEL WITH THE MARES HORIZON TERRIFIC TIOMAN WHY PULAU TIOMAN SHOULD BE ON YOUR DIVING BUCKET LIST PT HIRSCHFIELD DISCUSSES CHAMPIONING AUSTRALIA’S MARINE LIFE WITH SEACREATURES’ MATT TESTONI AUSTRALIA Awesome PHOTOGRAPH © MATT TESTONI
The DAN Asia-Pacific team present a case study into lymphatic decompression sickness. 82 Conservation Corner
10 News round-up
54 Divers Alert Network Asia-Pacific
22 Australia Spoilsport Captain Trevor Jackson waxes lyrical about the spectacular scenes that await divers who make the epic 600km trek to Raine Island.
18 DAN Medical Q&A
The monthly column pays a return visit to the Coral Gardeners of Tahiti.
36 Australia Adrian Stacey ventures off the coast of southern Queensland to explore one of Australia’s latest wrecks, the ex-HMAS Tobruk, and is suitably impressed by the ship itself, and the marine life inhabiting it.
50 Mustard’s Masterclass Alex Mustard turns his attention to the close-up technique known as supermacro.
Diving with... Matt Testoni PT Hirschfield chats to marine biologist and underwater photographer Matt Testoni about his most-memorable dives, best animal encounters, and ‘Seacreatures’ podcast series.
68 The Philippines Nicolas Remy explains how easy it was to travel with his Horizon SCR to Indonesia.
...continued
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TECH: Mares Horizon SCR Nicolas Remy explains how easy it was to travel with his Horizon SCR to Indonesia.
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76 Test Extra Editorial Director Mark Evans rates and reviews the Apeks Ocea eco-friendly regulator.
& testing
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74 What’s New New products coming to market, including the 50th anniversary special Evolution drysuit from BARE, the Windbreaker Smock from Fourth Element, the handy Cinebags Square Grouper XL, Fantasea S-Series Housings, the Mares SXS 62X regulator, and a new colourway for the Tecline LightJet fins.
Gear
“We are thrilled to be returning in a few months! The reef systems here are the most unspoiled we have seen in our travels around the world and the resort is paradise. We can’t wait to see all our friends at Wakatobi.” and Barbara Hay
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Esri’s Dawn Wright successfully dives Challenger Deep at 10,919m with explorer Victor Vescovo
CHALLENGER DEEP EXPEDITION THE DEEPEST POINT ON EARTH
D awn Wright (Chief Scientist at Esri) successfully completed a descent to the bottom of Challenger Deep, the deepest known point in the Earth’s ocean, located within the Mariana Trench. The maximum depth recorded was 10,919 meters +/- 6 metres. The dive was piloted by Victor Vescovo, undersea explorer and founder of the ocean research company Caladan Oceanic, with Dr Dawn Wright as mission sonar specialist. The expedition was again led and co-ordinated by expedition leader Rob McCallum, founder of EYOS Expeditions.Wrightsupported the dive with her expertise in marine geology and the company’s geospatial technology and became one of the few individuals to visit Challenger Deep.
TO
Each month, we bring together the latest industry news from the Asia-Pacific region, as well as all over our water planet. To find out the most up-to-date news and views, check out the website or follow us on our various social media @scubadivermag www.scubadivermag.com.au/news
“I am excited to support the science and mapping goals of Victor and his Caladan Oceanic team and to further strengthen the relationship between our two organizations,” said Wright. “It is a great opportunity to perform more detailed mapping of the entirety of Challenger Deep, as well as to just fulfill my dream of visiting there. There is still so much we don’t know about the vast majority of our own planet. This is why it is such an important scientific endeavour to understand the oceans better.”
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Wright will release a series of maps and data from the dive on Esri’s ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World, the foremost collection of geographic information – including maps,
Vescovo, who piloted the submersible, has made dives to the deepest points in all five of the world’s oceans, all four of the world’s 10,000m trenches, and made 14 prior visits to Challenger Deep. To do so, he commissioned Triton Submarines LLC to design and build the Limiting Factor, the only vehicle that is commercially certified for unlimited depth and capable of repeatedly visiting any ocean, at any depth, at any time of year.
11WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU applications, and data layers – from around the world. One goal of making this data available is to add to the understanding of the shape and structure of this deepest part of the planet, as well as how human activity can affect such places. Maps of the seafloor are vital for everything from ship navigation to climate modeling. They provide a three-dimensional understanding of ocean volume that climate scientists need to build better models of climate change, and that conservationists need to fully assess and design marine protected areas.
During this expedition, Vescovo and Wright successfully tested a first of its kind, full-ocean- depth side scan sonar built by France’s Deep Ocean Search in an attempt at high-resolution mapping of depths over six times deeper than the Grand Canyon. Such a sonar has never been operated at the deepest area of the ocean and could allow for ultra-high detailed mapping or detection of wreckage at any ocean depth. The expedition team will use Esri’s GIS software to postprocess the raw sonar data and produce what they hope is the mostdetailed map yet of portions of the deepest place on Earth.
“The oceans…[are] 70 percent of our entire planet and, of that, 95 percent is unexplored,” Vescovo said in a 2019 TED talk. “So, what we’re trying to do with our expedition is to build and prove out a submersible that can go to any point on the bottom of the planet … multiple times, which has never been done before. And this [submersible]… will open that door to exploration and find things that we had no idea even existed.”
LIVING OCEANS FOUNDATION SIGNS ON TO THE BOUKNADEL STATEMENT
DIVER’STHECHOICEFOR30YEARSAWARDWINNING
SERVICESINCE1992
The Bouknadel Statement was the result of discussions of the Foundations Dialogue over several months in 2021 and 2022 that culminated in a meeting in Sidi Bouknadel, Morocco, in June 2022 at the Hassan II International Center for Environmental Training, the academic branch of the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection, presided over by Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasnaa, Patron of the Ocean Decade Alliance.
THE SOLOMONS IS BACK ON THE TRAVEL CIRCUIT Borders are finally open after close to 28 months and you can now travel to the Solomon Islands unrestricted (if vaccinated, of course, and you bring your negative PCR test). Dive Munda are rebuilding, Belinda is back, and every visitor will now make a huge difference to the Solomon Islands, the local communities, the tourism sector and the Dive Munda youth the team have trained during lockdown. Consider moving Dive Munda to the top of your list - no need to be a bucket list item anymore! The Solomon Islands is only a three-hour flight from Brisbane and then a short local flight gets you to Magical Munda within three hours of arrival... Dive Munda are also hoping the direct Brisbane to Munda flights will resume as soon as visitor numbers increase.
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MALDIVES Emp2022_thirds.indd 1 20/01/2022 10:21
The Foundations Dialogue of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development — an informal, global network of community, corporate, and private foundations that have chosen to work together to support the vision of the Ocean Decade — today launched The Bouknadel Statement affirming their commitment to investing in transformative ocean science. The Statement was launched during an event celebrating the Ocean Decade during the 2022 UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon. The Statement recognizes the central role of the ocean in human health, safety, and wellbeing, and encourages the philanthropic community to increase their support of marine science and conservation. Via the statement, the group of foundations that make up the Foundations Dialogue recognize their unique role in supporting the co-design and communication of ocean science. The foundations also highlight the need for the philanthropic community to develop new and innovative partnerships and tools to meet the ambitious goals of the Ocean Decade.
The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation was one of 17 philanthropic foundations that have signed on to The Bouknadel Statement. This joint statement was launched on the occasion of the 2022 United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, to raise awareness for the need to increase investment in ocean science to support sustainable development.
Surround yourself in an ocean of beauty while diving in The Islands of Tahiti. you’ll dive in the presence of deep-sea giants such as sharks, rays, turtles and Ourdolphins.waters are teeming with life where each dive brings a new treasure to uncover and a new story for you to share. DIVING.TAHITITOURISME.COM.AU Here
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The diver lift is a new concept that is becoming increasingly popular in the UK, Europe and the States, however hadn’t made it to Australian shores until now - and all the lifts that are out there only lift one or maybe two divers at a time. Swan Dive’s lift is able to safely lift up to four divers out at one time, which means divers and their buddies can be lifted out together upon return to the boat, as well as not having to remove stage / deco tanks, fins, scooters, cameras and other equipment before making the usual struggle up the dive ladder.
The lift also comes at a time when Swan Dive are expanding their disability snorkelling and diving programmes and allows their guests to enter and exit the water easier and safer and reduce any manual handling for the instructors and assistants. Even for older divers or people with mobility issues, the lift really takes any struggle out of the idea of getting back on to the boat. It was certainly challenging coming up with a design to meet all their requirements of being safe, reliable, fast, quiet and not impeding on any other parts of the boat however they believe they have found the right combination that works and with not many moving parts, doesn’t require too much maintenance and ongoing costs.
Swan Dive recently completed an extensive refit on one of their dive charter boats that runs out to the ex-HMAS Swan Wreck, Busselton Jetty and local reef dive sites in Dunsborough WA, in preparation for an exciting year with the borders now open and the return of travel.
us on our various
Swan Dive do a lot of technical diving as the HMAS Swan Wreck is a great technical training dive site, as well as an amazing advanced recreational site being only 30m deep, so being able to provide a lift for their divers really changes the experience for the diver and reduces the risk of injury getting on the boat and DCI through the extra exertion of getting up the dive ladder after a dive.
www.swandive.com.au
The company wanted to do something that enhanced the divers’ experience and safety and knew it was time to install a ‘diver lift’, which is the first dedicated diver lift in Australia and one that is possibly the first of its kind in the world.
SWAN DIVE GAINS A BOAT LIFT
@scubadivermag
OZDIVE SHOW AND OZTEK ADVANCED DIVING CONFERENCE ONLY TWO MONTHS AWAY! 15WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
The OZDive Show and OZTek Advanced Diving Conference 2022 will be held at the Melbourne Conference and Exhibition Centre (Jeff’s Shed) on 1-2 October 2022.
2022 presenters announced: With a few more surprises up their sleeves, the organisers have announced the majority of presenters online on www.oztek.com.au/OZTek-Presenters-2022.
Specific topics will soon be on the website. The conference schedule is a work in progress and will be released in due course. There will be photography workshops with the professionals (free with General OZDive Show entry ticket), including Vanessa Torres-Macho, teaching freediving photography tips and tricks, Matty Smith, UK Photographer of the Year, who will be providing insights into his specialty of over/under photography, Matt Krumins, photo workshop with a particular emphasis on black and white photography, and Pete Mesley, NZ wreck and big animal photographer, who will explain how to get your lighting right underwater.
This incredible Australian dive event is a unique combination of high-action, world-renowned diving personalities relating their extraordinary feats of exploration, discovery, experiences and inspiration; supported by the OZDive Show with photographic exhibitions, photography and freediving workshops, tips from the experts including training, travel, equipment, OZTek TV and fun virtual experiences, including those requiring you get wet! Tickets are available from www.ozdiveshow.com.au/Tickets
Jacquie Riddell, CEO of Take 3 for the Sea, added: ““We too are very excited. It’s a perfect match of like-minded organisations and people striving for the same outcome.” The annual Awards competition engages with ocean lovers, inspiring adventure and discovery from behind the lens and is the only international underwater photography competition that incorporates an ethics review as part of the judging process plus terms and conditions approved by Photo Watch Dog to ensure fair terms and conditions for both entrants and organisers.
16 WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU UNDERWATER TOUR AWARDS 2022 PARTNERS WITH TAKE 3 FOR THE SEA
The Underwater Tour Awards welcomes photographers from around the globe to take part in a prestigious annual photography competition, and is open for entries from 15 August to 19 September 2022. Darren Jew, Canon Master and competition organizer, shared the exciting news, saying: “The competition showcases and celebrates the art of aquatic photography, with stunning images guaranteed to take us on an underwater tour depicting the wonder of life in aquatic environments. As partners together, The Underwater Tour Awards and Take 3 for the Sea can amplify the wonder of the Underwater World and empower everyone to ‘take 3’ to protect it. It just makes sense.”
www.underwatertourawards.com.au
PULAU PAYAR HAS REOPENED TO THE PUBLIC
A protected area since 1985, the isolated and well-preserved marine park of Pulau Payar has recently reopened to the public. Maintaining its natural beauty due to strict standards of visitor flow into the island, the exotic corals and fish are able to thrive within this ecological paradise for snorkellers and divers to explore, and it is home to well-known marine species such as grouper, barracudas, horse-eyed jacks, moray eels, clownfish, black-tip reef sharks, black-spotted puffers, and many more exotic marine species.
Pulau Payar Marine Park only allows a maximum of 100 people per week (20 people per day), and is only open five days a week, being closed every Tuesday and Wednesday. Pulau Payar Marine Park is located in Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia, just 30km south of Langkawi and approximately 45 minutes to one hour from the Kuah jetty point. As of now, Ninety Nine Island Divers are the only operator for this moment to access the island. Tours to the island are accessible year-round, however, it is advised to visit from October to March to avoid the monsoon season on the west side of Peninsular Malaysia.
Unfortunately, like many places around the world, the island has been subject to coral bleaching due to global warming, yet as a counter initiative to ensure the safekeeping of the reef, standard operating procedures (SOPs) have been implemented to mitigate the degradation of the coral reefs and foster the nurturing of coral reef growth.
Q: I sustained a concussion a few weeks ago. When can I return to diving?
DAN medical specialists and researchers answer your dive medicine questions with pulmonary hypertension will struggle, sometimes even at rest, to keep up with the right ventricle’s increased workload as it tries to overcome the elevated pressure within the pulmonary vessels. World.DAN.org
The best recommendation is to focus on your recovery and not resume diving during this period. Determining your seizure risk after your head injury is necessary before consideration for a return to diving. Once you are completely healed and released by your physician team for full, unrestricted activity, seek a fitness-to-dive evaluation with a physician who is knowledgeable in dive medicine before attempting to dive.
Diving may be possible for you, but whether it’s safe is not a quick-and-easy answer because there are many additional factors to consider regarding a concussion. If you experienced a loss of consciousness (LOC) that caused you to fall or that otherwise led to your concussion, however, you should seek further evaluation to determine the cause of that LOC and if that condition is compatible with diving.
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Pulmonary hypertension
The risk of seizures is one of the biggest concerns for determining fitness to dive after a head injury. The recommended waiting period before returning to diving varies depending on the degree of injury, recovery period, and seizure risk. Return to diving is based on your symptomfree recovery and evaluation by your physician team.
A: Given that your injury occurred a few weeks ago, it is still too early in your recovery to give specific return-to-dive recommendations.
Q: Can someone diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension become a diver?
A: Pulmonary hypertension is considered a severe risk condition, and diving is not recommended for anyone with this diagnosis. Endurance disciplines such as diving, which are likely to pose the highest haemodynamic demands and require a high physical fitness level, are challenging for people with pulmonary hypertension. The stress that diving puts on the lungs and the right side of the heart may be too much for such an individual. Concerns of congestive heart failure or immersion-induced pulmonary oedema are just two significant risk factors. A person’s pre-existing condition and exercise intolerance will affect the heart and lungs’ ability to perform underwater. Various factors while underwater lead to intravascular volume shifts to the central circulation involving the heart, coronary vessels, and lungs. In a healthy state, this increase in fluid usually causes no problem, but a person From the DAN Medical Line
Diving after a concussion
EXPERIENCE MATTERS Join DAn WORLD.DAN.org + 24/7 Emergency Medical Services + Worldwide Emergency Medical Evacuation + Dive Accident Treatment Coverage HeADing overseAs to Dive? tAKe DAn WitH YoU Wherever in the world you are diving, take DAN with you.
Dive, dive, dive! The more dives you log, the more comfortable you become underwater, and the more comfortable you are underwater, the lower your breathing rate and ultimately the more time you will have under the water. n
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU Monthly round-up of news from our SSI dive centres and professionals www.divessi.com
Fine-tuning your buoyancy is one of the best ways to conserve air. The better you are at controlling your buoyancy in the water, the longer you will get to stay there.
Stay shallow
Breathe slow and steady
Keep warm Nothing uses up air quicker than a shivering diver. Make sure you choose the correct exposure protection for the type of dive that you are planning.
Reducing the amount of air you use to fill and empty your BCD throughout your dive leaves more air in your tank to breathe. Always do a proper buoyancy check especially when using new equipment or when diving at a new location.
Follow some of these tips and see how your bottom time increases.
HOW TO INCREASE YOUR BOTTOM TIME 20 I
If you breathe quickly and heavily, you will use up a lot of air. To avoid this do not overexert yourself, remain calm and breathe in a slow relaxed manner. Never skip breathe or hold your breath while underwater.
Check your seals Ensure the cylinder O-ring and your regulator’s first stage has a good seal. This connection point is one of the most popular areas for equipment to leak. Also, double-check your SPG and inflator hose, and ensure your regulators are not mildly free-flowing.
Wearing too much weight is not only dangerous, but it also causes extra drag during your dive. Conversely, not having enough weight will cause you to struggle throughout the dive. Get fit
In your Open Water Diver course you learned that the deeper you dive, the more atmospheric pressure is exerted on the air in your cylinder. As water pressure increases, you will be breathing denser air, making you use more air per breath than you would at a shallower depth. If you want to stay underwater longer, stay shallower, you will not only save air but enjoy the reef colours which tend to disappear after 18m.
Take your time Moving easily and leisurely through the water keeps your heart and respiration rates low. The last thing you want to do is zoom all over the reef or kick hard, fighting against a current. Stay streamlined The most-efficient way to move through the water is in a streamlined position. This means that you are swimming horizontally through the water, parallel to the bottom and surface, not in a vertical position. Keep your equipment streamlined by ensuring all gauges are hooked to your BCD with retractors or gauge clips so they do not dangle away from your body.
f there is one thing all divers have in common, it is that they want to stay underwater as long as possible. One of our main goals as a training agency is to help you get in the water as often as possible and safely stay there as long as possible.
Master your buoyancy
Keeping yourself physically fit by eating healthy and exercising at least three to five days a week will do more to increase your bottom time than anything else on this list.
A REVOLUTIONARY APPROACH HORIZON
he radio burst to life: “Drop what you’re doing and take ten. You’ve got to see this”. We were so close to the shore, drifting sideways at half a knot. The beach was unbelievably steep. “How do they even make it up that slope?”. Everyone was thinking that at the same time. We could see the sand getting swept aside as they clawed their way up the embankment. A silent, unstoppable march in the dying light, to lay eggs in the sand overnight. The whole day had been awe-inspiring. A dawn dive on the wreck of the HMS Pandora, then tiger sharks, great hammerheads, 40-metre vis and countless turtles. It was our second day at the island and the turtles on both days were so thick in the water, you could play hopscotch on them. And even now, as it seemed like every single turtle in the known universe was halfway up that beach, they cloaked the sea in every direction. Quiet fell across the decks. It was one of those moments you remember for all your days. Spears of golden light, distant tropical rain, and an unfathomable determination on the beach. A genuine wow moment!
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Turtle Raine Raine Island. Desolate. Remote. Spectacular. From Cairns Australia, it’s a 600km sea journey. An isolated, tiny speck of sand-drift in a vast complex coral system. The largest system in the worldQueensland’s Great Barrier Reef. Raine Island is famous for two things. Firstly, it’s taken a few ships down over the years. In summer, the island and the reefs that surround it are virtually indiscernible from the horizon. Despite its remoteness, the island is easy to find. Early European ships found it all the time, to their demise. Weary sailors aloft in the rigging were routinely fooled into believing there were no hazards about, only to find their screams of ‘Land Ho’ were made far too late. The beaches and reefs crushed the unwary. In 1844, a timber and stone tower was erected on the island as a warning beacon. The framework of the tower was fashioned from the timbers of ships wrecked and scattered along the beaches. There was no shortage of building material.
T
Spoilsport Captain Trevor Jackson waxes lyrical about the spectacular scenes that await divers who make the epic 600km trek to Raine Island
In 2019, a team of scientists travelled to Raine with the express mission of figuring out how many turtles were gathering in the area to breed and nest. It was never going to be an easy task, but some simple ingenuity lent a hand
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Photographs courtesy of Mike Ball Dive Expeditions
To spite the phenomenal efforts on the part of the turtles to reproduce, an equally effective system is in place to curb the population. Predators at Raine Island come thick and fast. If the hatchlings make it past the seabirds on the beach,
In 2019, a team of scientists travelled to Raine with the express mission of figuring out how many turtles were gathering in the area to breed and nest. It was never going to be an easy task, but some simple ingenuity lent a hand. The scientists painted exactly 2,000 turtles with a white ‘skunk stripe’ on their shells. After a few days, the painted turtles had completely interspersed themselves with the rest of the population. Once that was established, drones photographed sections of sea from the air and the numbers of painted turtles in a given area was compared with the non-painted turtles within that same boundary. Some simple maths then led to the team discovering that there were upwards of 60,000 turtles in the surrounds on that single day. Twice as many as they had originally thought. With each nest averaging 100 eggs, the sheer number of potential hatchlings is mind boggling… Cue the sharks.
Mike Ball’s internationally acclaimed, award-winning Spoilsport is one of Australia’s premier liveaboard dive vessels. Traversing the northern and remote reaches of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea, the Cairns-based operation runs standard and special three, four, five and seven night expeditions. www.mikeball.com
The island holds special significance as a seabird breeding and roosting site. It is considered as the most significant tropical seabird breeding site in the Great Barrier Reef. Memorial to HMSCoralPandoragrowth is prolific Wide-angle heaven for photographers
Some simple maths then led to the team discovering that there were upwards of 60,000 turtles in the surrounds on that single day. Twice as many as they had originally thought
The other thing its famous for, and the reason we are here, is diving. More specifically, diving with turtles. When you approach Raine Island for the first time you could easily be forgiven for being underwhelmed. It’s really not much more than a sand bank with a few low bits of scrub. It appears flat, sitting proud of the surrounding ocean by only a few metres, except of course for the stone tower. There’s not much happening from a distance, but the remarkable thing about a visit to Raine Island isn’t the island itself, it’s what’s in the water surrounding it. In the seas that envelop the beaches, Raine Island is a genuine wonder of the world. A serious wonder, the type that stops you talking mid-sentence. Think Mount Everest or Grand Canyon-level wonders.
Mike Ball Dive Expeditions
Whitetip reef shark Aerial view of Raine Island 25
some get nabbed by crabs at the water edge. Escaping that, they then are picked off in the shallows by small reef sharks and large carnivorous fish. And the aerial attack is constant.
One of the many thousand turtles on the reef
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In order for the hatchlings to be even able to attempt to prevail in this land, air and sea attack, they must, of course, first hatch. Sand erosion and rising seas have recently meant that many eggs were laid in places that were later immersed in seawater. The eggs simply didn’t survive. To thwart this threat, the Qld government sent in the cavalry. In 2014 , the Raine Island Recovery Project used bulldozers to increase the above-water height of some of the island’s nesting areas. Dry nests have improved mortality rates in those areas by a significant factor. This in turn meant many more tiny rubbery baby turtles now hit the sand surface and run the seemingly impossible gauntlet to the perceived safety offshore. Once there, however, it’s the turn of the big boys. Just beyond the beach threshold, nothing is safe from the tiger shark. They don’t discriminate. Adults or hatchlings, it’s all fair game. It’s estimated that only one in a thousand hatchlings makes it to adulthood. The rest perish. No doubt mostly in the first few days, if not the first few hours, or minutes. It’s a stunning testament to tenacity and unbelievable good luck that any of these animals make it out alive, let alone survive the wilds of the ocean for years until they are mature enough to return… and when they do, the cycle is fulfilled.
All of this, of course, is yours to witness. And that’s best done in the water. On board a well-found liveaboard, scuba divers get a pass to nature’s grand showpiece. Postcardquality coral reefs set the stage. Impossibly clear water ensures a front row seat. The colours are an unimaginable combination of purples and reds, blues and oranges. Tiger sharks, marauding seabirds and of course, the immeasurable legion of green turtles, make up the main cast. Beyond the shallows, cascading deep slopes boast black coral trees, sea whips and gorgonian fans. A surround system of schooling barracuda, trevally and mackerel and, beyond the backdrops, it’s not impossible to see a whaleshark hanging out on stage left. When the diving is done for the day, eyes can be turned to the late-afternoon pilgrimage onshore, where up to 20,000 turtles have been counted attempting to storm the beaches on a single evening.
Visiting Raine Island is usually done as part of a larger week-long liveaboard trip to the island and its surrounds. A few miles south lies Great Detached Reef, offering worldclass wall and pinnacle diving in a completely untouched wilderness area. A stone’s throw in the other direction lies what many divers consider a bucket list item - the wreck
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU of the famed HMS Pandora. In 1791, after hunting down and capturing 14 of the Bounty mutineers, Pandora ran aground and sank just north of Raine. In the ensuing disaster, half the ship’s compliment perished. Some during the sinking, others on the perilous open boat voyage to Indonesia that followed. Now resting on a crisp white sandy bottom at 30m, the Pandora is considered one of the most historically significant shipwrecks in the southern hemisphere. Divers returning to the surface here often speak of having gained an intangible Raine Island, despite its appearance, is a whole lot more than a few dozen acres of sand and coral. The island itself, and the reefs and wrecks that surround it are a symbol of survival
The reefs seem to go on forever yet very real connection to the most-famous sea story ever, the Mutiny on the Bounty. The saga of the Pandora, its prisoners and its castaways is one of deprivation, sheer good luck and chance. And, like the improbable survival of the turtles of Raine Island, the backstory will enchant you well into the balmy tropical evenings. Raine Island, despite its appearance, is a whole lot more than a few dozen acres of sand and coral. The island itself, and the reefs and wrecks that surround it are a symbol of survival. A monument to tenacity, success despite the odds, daily tragedy. Nothing here, comes easy. No water, very little rainfall, searing summer heat and the treacherous deception of calm waters. Massive and well-versed predators, feeble prey. Prey whose only chance of making it through to adulthood seems to be the sheer weight of numbers. And survival here really is down to the numbers… If there’s enough hatchlings hitting the beach, the barrage of predators simply can’t keep up. Someone makes it through till the end. The beauty, the tragedy, the breathlessness of the place. Once you’ve seen and borne witness to her sheer majesty, all else fades. Raine Island is a monarch, the queen of all dive destinations. Long may she reign. n
The waters around the island were treacherous for early European navigators. More than thirty shipwrecks can be found off the coast of the island including HMS Pandora, a vessel that in 1791 was involved in the capture of a group of mutineers from HMS Bounty.
The pristine reef is home to many fish species
WWW.AMILLA.COM UNESCO World Biosphere PADI 5 Star Centre Silver Earth Check Certified resort In house Marine Biologist Amilla-Maldives-half.indd 1 05/06/2022 08:08 Coral Sea & Great Barrier Reef! The Best Diving on the Dive with giant potato cod, explore deep walls, witness shark action at Osprey Reef. www.mikeball.com T: +61 7 4053 0500 E: resv@mikeball.com #spoilsportlive #mikeballdive New Special Expeditions! Check out our website for details. Ribbon Reefs Suited to both Divers and Snorkelers.
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU Y ou’ve probably heard of Malaysia’s Sipadan Reef, but there’s lot more great diving to be found in Malaysia, here are six more diving destinations to add to your (ever-growing) list.
Lang Tengah Island Located between the popular islands of Redang and Perhentian, the modest island of Lang Tengah offers great diving opportunities for both experienced divers and beginners. Home to a large array of sea life including turtles, schools of fish and coral, Lang Tengah is best visited between April and September.
com For generous group rates for dive clubs, contact Groups Manager Jess: jess@diveplanit.com.
Santubong Near Kuching, Santubong is more famous for its imposing volcanic mountain – a favourite for climbers, but it’s also a great choice for lovers of wreck diving. The remains of some of Japan’s World War II warships can be found here, including the Katori Maru, Hisyoshi Maru and Sagiri. The dramatic and spectacular shipwrecks play an important role in the marine ecosystem, acting as shelters and artificial habitats for a myriad of local marine life.
For the best recommendations for resorts and liveaboards in the Philippines, according to your specific requirements and wish list, contact the team of experts at Diveplanit Travel on 1300 607 913 or email us at enquire@diveplanit.
Tioman Island With light currents and an abundance of sea life, the island of Tioman offers up much more than just great diving. With beautiful beaches, excellent snorkeling and kayaking opportunities, it is one of the most sought-after Islands in Malaysia. Although tricky to reach – the island is only accessible via a chartered flight from KL to Tioman operated by Berjaya Air – it is definitely worth the effort. Perhentian Island If you want to learn how to scuba dive, this is the island for you. The diving conditions off Perhentian are perfect for beginners, and with many different diving spots to explore, it is easy to see why this island is a favourite. Expect to see an abundance of marine life – large and small, shallow reefs and clear waters when diving or snorkeling along the coastal line of Perhentian Island.
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Miri One of the earliest sites to be designated as an official diving designation in Malaysia, Miri is also deservedly one of the country’s most popular, featuring more than 30 dive sites. With visibility ranging from 10m to 30m, diving is possible all year round, but experts and locals consider March through to September when the weather is at its best, as the ideal time to visit. Aside from its natural dive spots, Miri is also home to five shipwrecks. Among the most beautiful of these are the artificial reefs created the Kenyalang Wreck, a joint development by Shell and Petronas scuttled in the mid 2000s but other areas worth exploring include the Anemone Garden, Siwa Reef and Hawa Reef.
Layang-Layang Island
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Pulau Layang-Layang, also known as Swallow Reef is located northwest of Kota Kinabalu, part of the disputed Spratly Islands. Home to some of Malaysia’s most pristine diving conditions, its location in such a remote area means conditions surrounding the island have been little affected by human beings. Offering up an unparalleled mix of coral reefs and spectacular sea life, prepare to be amazed by large schools of fish and dramatic coral forests.
MALAYSIA Dive in paradise, Perhentian Islands, Terengganu
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU30 If you want to see a more authentic side of Tioman Island then head for Genting Village. If you come in the early morning then you can watch them hauling in their catch and get a glimpse of how the local community live and work on Tioman Island. Surrounded by a well-protected marine reserve, Pulau Tioman is somewhere that should be on your bucket list, explains Deborah Dickson-Smith Photographs by B&J Diving Centre PULAU TIOMAN
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU 31 TIOMAN Malaysia’s
ocated just over 30km off the east coast of peninsular Malaysia, Pulau Tioman is a hidden gem. This unspoiled island has just a few villages and 18 pristine beaches, most of which are only accessible by boat.
March-May: Great visibility, averaging between 15-30m. June-August: Summer season where visibility usually drops to around 8 to 12 metres (though diving is still great). September-November: Great visibility, averaging between 15 and 30 metres. Currents are mild throughout the season.
The Salang wreck Colourful corals and sponges
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Mating season February-March: Mating season of the Pharaoh reef cuttlefish.
There are two main centres as far as scuba diving is concerned and they are Salang Bay on the northern tip, and Air Batang Bay (aka ABC) on the west coast. Each has a range of budget to mid-range accommodation and there are a few dive centres to choose from. There are also several interesting dive sites at the smaller islets surrounding Tioman, including Coral and Labas Islands and Tokong Bahara, which can be reached on a day trip from both Salang and ABC.
Salang Bay Salang Bay is small and compact, so resorts, restaurants, burger stalls, mini markets and dive shops are literally next to each other. The bay is surrounded by dense rainforest and its shallow lagoon is perfect for snorkelling and scuba diving, with some excellent shore dives on offer.
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Tioman Island is home to some of the healthiest coral reefs in South-East Asia, and boasts incredible diversity, from beautiful coral gardens and a huge variety of tropical reef fish, turtles, sharks, cuttlefish, to fantastic macro diving and even a few wrecks. The shallow fringing reefs are also great for snorkellers – so it really is a crowd-pleaser suitable for all levels.
The jetty is absolutely teeming with fish life, as are the southern house reef, the northern house reef and the remains of the Salang Wreck.
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Nudibranchs glide along the sandy bottom and moray eels and shrimp have made a home in some of the broken pillars. On a night dive you will encounter frog fish, moray eels, cuttlefish, shrimps, crabs, pipefish and nudibranchs.
Soyak island Just off the shore of Salang Bay lies the small and uninhabited island of Soyak. It’s so close to Salang Bay you could easily snorkel to it from the beach. Surrounding the island, large granite boulders covered with soft coral, fire corals, whips, anemones, and a large variety of hard coral.
Resident marine life here includes hawksbill turtles, angel fish, pufferfish, batfish, Napoleon wrasse, titan triggerfish, bumphead parrotfish, butterfly fish, blue spotted stingrays, yellow-striped snapper, moray eels, yellowtail fusiliers, yellowtail barracuda and lots of nudibranchs.
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The jetty in Salang Bay has developed into an incredible dive site over the years since its construction, and now boasts a large resident shoal of anchovies and a group of ox-eye squid that shelter here, attracting larger predators such as trevally, garfish and barracuda.
Magic Rock requires very special conditions to be dived as it lies in the middle of the ocean with strong, sometimes ripping currents - butbecause of these currents, it has an abundance of marine life
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Juara Beach, which backs on to Juara Village, is said to be the best place to surf around Tioman Island. The swells here are usually larger in the rainy season getting up to around 20 metres depending on the conditions.weather
North Point
Air Batang Bay (ABC) ABC or locally known as Kampung Air Batang is a long stretch of rocky shoreline a few kilometres north of the main village Tekek. It is a quiet place where travellers can find small resorts offering a variety of room categories ranging from backpacker-style to more luxurious ensuite rooms. There are a number of reefs and wrecks just offshore.
Here’s our pick of dive sites:
Salang Jetty
This pristine dive site is on the northern tip of Tioman Island and there are two ways to dive it – left or right. To the right, dive over a field of hard corals and to the left, coral-covered boulders. Expect to see large moray eels, Napoleon wrasse, turtles, angelfish and an enormous diversity of nudibranchs.
KM Sipadan is a former Royal Navy warship that was decommissioned in 2005 and scuttled to form an artificial reef in Sawadee Bay on 29 March 2012. The wreck is 31 metres long and 4.5 metres wide, it makes a great dive site for divers with a wreck specialty, and technical divers can even put penetrate the ship. It is connected by ropes are two other wrecks, former Thai fishing boats which lie at a maximum depth of 30m. With a minimum depth of 20m, the wrecks provide shelter for several different species of juvenile fish like yellowtail barracuda and fusiliers.
Tiger Reef This submerged pinnacle looks from above like a crouching tiger hence its name. Currents can be quite strong here as it located in a channel between Labas and Sepoi – and these currents make it one of the highlights of Tioman’s underwater world. The rock formations are stunning – every inch covered by soft and hard corals and barrel sponges. Due to the strong current Tiger Reef is not frequently dived so you can expect to see very little human impact on the coral and encounter millions of juvenile reef fish, which attract large schools of acks, mackerel, yellowfin barracuda and rainbow runners. A canyon provides shelter from the strong currents, where you’ll find a wide variety of marine life, including angelfish, pufferfish, emperors, titan trigger fish, parrot fish, butterfly fish, Napoleon wrasse, nurse sharks, blacktip reef sharks, stingrays, lionfish and moray eels. n
Book your dive trip For information on how to book a dive trip to Pulau Tioman, contact the team of experts at Diveplanit Travel. Diveplanit.com Phone: 1800 607 913 Email: enquire@diveplanit.com Dive shops and groups please contact Jess@diveplanit.com accommodationsComfortable morayInquisitiveeel 34
Requested by every experienced diver, Magic Rock requires very special conditions to be dived as it lies in the middle of the ocean with strong, sometimes ripping currentsbut - because of these currents, it has an abundance of marine life. As it is dived so rarely, even though it has been dived since the late-1980s, the boundaries of the reef plateau have not yet been found. This huge top plateau is formed primarily of a variety of hard coral species mix with gorgonian sea fans while deeper sections are largely covered in soft corals. It is indeed a magic dive, some days you can be with surrounded by batfish, rainbow runners, angelfish and many more.
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU ABC house reef ABC has an easily accessible and shallow house roof with a depth range of 5m to 12m - a perfect location to update your skills, have a leisurely afternoon third dive, or an easy night dive. At night expect to see turtles, seahorses and cuttlefish in the hard corals. Another attraction at ABC is ‘Ghost City’, a large artificial reef that has attracted myriad macro marine life.
KM Sipadan and Sawadee Wrecks
Labas island Labas has been described as Swiss cheese due to the abundance of caverns and swims-throughs. The swimthroughs are only between 6m and 12m deep, and at the end of the island you come to a sloping rock formation that brings you down over soft coral sea fans and barrel sponges to around 21m. You can dive through to the other side of the island and back again through a fairly narrow opening, and explore the labyrinth of swim-throughs or gliding over them along the dense coral garden. Resident marine life include angelfish, pufferfish, barracuda, titan trigger fish, rainbow runners, butterfly fish, Napoleon wrasse, nurse sharks, blacktip reef sharks, stingrays, moray eels, lionfish and nudibranchs.
Renggis island Renggis is a small island opposite the Berjaya Golf Club and is a favourite site for snorkellers and divers alike. On the north side, a gently sloping is densely covered in hard coral, to the south of the island large barracuda, turtles, cuttlefish and clownfish. A highlight is a large field of staghorn coral, home to several blacktip reef sharks.
Outer islands: Magic Rock
B&J Diving Centre boasts the biggest and best-run dive centre on Tioman Island, with easy access to accommodation to suit all budgets. It is the only dive centre on Tioman that provides Nitrox, Oxygen and Helium tank fills. The PADI 5-Star dive resort places great emphasis on protecting their environment, is a certified GoEco operator, GreenFins Member and PADI AWARE award winner. information about diving Malaysia, contact team of experts at Diveplanit Travel.
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diveplanit.com phone: 1800 607 913 email: enquire@diveplanit.com DIVE TIOMAN ISLAND WITH B&J DIVING CENTRE
The shallowest part of the wreck lies in 10.9m of water, easily accessed by certified open water divers. More advanced divers will be able to explore the entire wreck, which rests at a depth of 30m.
The ex-HMAS Tobruk is massive; this 127-metre-long giant was a heavy landing ship used to transport equipment and troops. It boasted two helicopter decks, a tank deck with space for up to 18 tanks, and a roll-on roll-off vehicle deck. The Tobruk is one of the largest wrecks in Australia and the most-recent decommissioned navy vessel to be purposely sunk to create an artificial reef. After a distinguished career spanning 34 years, the Tobruk was scuttled on 29 June 2018, and it is fair to say that it had a somewhat ignominious start to life as a dive site. With the best intentions, it was decided to sink the ship in the most-environmentally friendly way possible. So, instead of filling the bottom of the hull with concrete and using charges to scuttle the vessel, the powers that be opted to open the ship’s valves and flood the hull, allowing it to sink of natural causes. Three tug bogs were positioned around to ship to correct any slight movement in the wrong direction. A calm weather day was chosen, and the valves were opened for the controlled flooding.
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H ervey Bay is renowned for humpback whales. Each year, while on their annual migration, these majestic giants stop off in this sheltered bay to rest, play and teach the young essential survival skills. However, my reason for coming to this sleepy seaside town was to visit another giant of the deep - the ex-HMAS Tobruk.
Tremendous
Adrian Stacey ventures off the coast of southern Queensland to explore one of Australia’s most-recent wrecks, the ex-HMAS Tobruk, and is suitably impressed by the ship itself, and the marine life inhabiting it
The sinking of the ex-HMAS did not go as planned, but I think that the fact the ship is resting on its side makes it a more-interesting dive site than if it were upright
Photographs by Adrian Stacey
Tremendous tobruk
For those who haven’t tried it, wreck diving is a slightly more technical dive (you’ll want to nail your buoyancy for all the doorways). It offers the amazing marine life you expect, coupled with interesting and at times quirky structures.
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Unfortunately, things soon started to go wrong, and despite the best efforts of the tugboats, the massive ship began to list to one side. Once this started to happen, it was impossible to stop, and instead of sinking in the planned upright position, it sank 30m to the bottom of the ocean on its starboard side, where it rests today.
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The superstructure is festooned in soft corals
The dives on the second day were in the morning, so with the sun high in the sky, the visibility was slightly better, and it was easier to appreciate the immense size of the wreck
Diver exploring the exterior Turtle onwreckthe
I was diving with Hervey Bay Dive Centre, which is conveniently located at the boat club marina. They plan their trips based on the tide to try and get the best conditions on the wreck. For our first day of diving, it was decided to visit the wreck in the afternoon so our second dive could be at around dusk. Our guide explained that the reason for a dusk dive is that the wildlife is usually very active at this time of day. This sounded like a good reason for an afternoon jaunt, so with raised expectations, we set off across the vast expanse of Hervey Bay to the last resting place of
I had two days of diving planned for the Tobruk, with two dives each day. I was eager to find out if the fact that the ship was resting on its side would lessen the diving experience or if, by lucky chance, its unintentional positioning enhanced the wreck as a dive site.
Fish life is prolific
With all the marine life encounters, it was easy to forget that we were actually here to explore a wreck the Tobruk, in the Great Sandy Marine Park. Bad weather has plagued the east coast of Australia over the past few months, but today the wind was minimal and the ocean flat. The journey took just over an hour, and although the whale migration had officially begun, sightings are rare at this time of year, so we were not expecting to see any on the way out to the dive site. But, when our eagle-eyed captain spotted what he thought might have been a whale in the distance, we went to investigate. As we got closer, a juvenile humpback about 12 metres long decided to put on a bit of a show for us, breaching, fin slapping and cruising right up to the boat. A good omen for the rest of the afternoon, I hoped. Permanent moorings have been set on the sandy ocean floor just off the wreck and shot lines have been attached at appropriate points on the vessel to make the descent as easy as possible. As the crew secured the boat to one of the mooring buoys on the surface, we noticed a pod of dolphins lingering around an agitated patch of water directly over the wreck. Surely we would not be lucky enough to encounter these playful creatures on our dive. As it turned out, no, we were not! What we did experience, though, was a staggering amount of marine life. On our descent to the Tobruk, through the slightly murky waters, we encounter several small schools of batfish. Then within about ten seconds of reaching the wreck, I had come across three giant green turtles resting on the deck near the wheelhouse. A huge school of trevally and Spanish mackerel swirled around the super structure. A massive marble ray glided over the hull and almost bumped into yet another substantial green turtle making its way to the surface. Lurking in the gloomy waters at the bow were immense, car-size potato cod and surrounding them were more schooling trevally, Spanish mackerel and snapper. On our way back to the mooring line, we witnessed a procession of turtles making their way to the surface to fill their lungs Turtles loveTobrukthe
Fish outsideshoalingthewreck
The ex-HMAS Tobruk is seriously huge with all areas of the ship, including the troop areas, crew quarters, the tank deck and other sections are waiting to be explored!
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Penetration is possible for suitably experienced divers
Hervey Bay Dive Centre
We began the dive by heading to the stern to see the propeller and rear hold. With a slight current to push against, we dropped into the gangway canyons we had discovered on the first day. They offered great shelter and several turtle encounters. We exited the gangway at the coralcovered stern into a vast school of trevally and snapper. The Tobruk was sunk with the rear loading ramp down to offer easy access to the vessel’s interior. Several giant potato cod guarded the cavernous entrance. After exploring the massive hold, we headed to the propeller, where we discovered yet another turtle, this one resting casually on the rudder. In fact, there are so many of these creatures on this wreck that it was challenging to take a photo without a photobombing turtle in it. For the final dive on this fabulous wreck, we took our time cruising in and out of the many cabins and rooms. Then poking around the labyrinth of walkways and swim-throughs around the superstructure near the bridge. The soft coral has really started to establish itself here, and the various little nooks and crannies offer the perfect place to hide for the more-timid residence of the wreck like gobies, blennies 40 The wreck offers much to explore Rays can be found on and aroundTobrukthe Sidemount diver above the Tobruk
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Hervey Bay Dive Centre are a family run business who are passionate about scuba training, customer service and ensuring every experience is memorable. They offer regular trips out to the ex-HMAS Tobruk, whale watching and snorkelling tours in season and have recently launched a southern Great Barrier Reef liveaboard. The Advance II will visit Lady Elliot Island, Lady Musgrave Island, Fairfax Island and the Tobruk on a four-day, three-night expedition. For more information about all the service and excursions they offer visit: www.diveherveybay.com.au and tiny crustations. Of course, there were more turtles on this dive, more vast schools of fish and large marble rays. After four dives on this monster, I had seen a staggering amount of marine life and plenty of the ship, but I still felt that I had only just scratched the surface of what the Tobruk has to offer. The sinking of the ex-HMAS did not go as planned, but I think that the fact the ship is resting on its side makes it a more-interesting dive site than if it were upright. The wildlife certainly doesn’t seem to care. The turtles clearly love it and are on the verge of being an infestation. The coral growth for such a recently sunk wreck is fantastic and bodes well for the future, and the sheer volume and variety of marine life found here is astonishing. n and then return to find a good resting place for the evening. Also calling the wreck home are nudibranchs, scorpionfish, blennies, butterflyfish, angelfish, wrasse, and a whole host of other small reef fish and critters With all the marine life encounters, it was easy to forget that we were actually here to explore a wreck. So, for the second dive, our guide took us to see the interior of this vast ship. Our first port of call was the wheelhouse, followed by the mess, the infirmary, and various other small cabins and walkways as we made our way up to the vast tank deck. As the wreck is resting on its side, getting properly orientated takes a bit of time. However, navigating the interior is easy enough and adds an extra layer of intrigue and excitement. The endless gangways that span the ship have become artificial canyons, soft corals have already started to sprout from the walls, and with a few more years of growth, the effect will be spectacular. Visibility on our first day of diving was probably around the 10-metre mark, so it was not easy to gauge the sheer scale of the ship. The dives on the second day were in the morning, so with the sun high in the sky, the visibility was slightly better, and it was easier to appreciate the immense size of the wreck.
+61www.passions.com.au740411600email:reservations@passions.com.auDepartingfromCairns,Queensland Come visit the World Heritage Great Barrier Reef with the award-winning crew of Passions of Paradise. Snorkel in pristine waters, go for a dive, or relax with a drink and enjoy the sailing. The best memories on the reef, no filter required. · GREAT BARRIER REEF · AUSTRALIA · Bookings call 0481 776 001 or visit diveherveybay.com.au Dive Courses AUSTRALIA’S BIGGESTEquipmentWRECKhire available Tea / Coffee & refreshments throughout the day Learn to dive with our highly qualified PADI Dive Instructors 2x Guided dives of the ex-HMAS Tobruk Tank & weight belt HIGHLIGHTS & INCLUSIONS
PT Hirschfield chats to marine biologist and underwater photographer Matt Testoni about his most-memorable dives, best animal encounters, and his ‘Seacreatures’ podcast series
Another dive highlight demonstrates Matt’s interest in the relationship between natural environments and artificial reefs: ‘East Timor has nice natural reef diving, but I went to a beach in the main part of town that had a lot of fishing and pollution. I descended 20m to micro-artificial reefs made from tyres chained together. There were ghost pipefish and anglerfish all over them.’ Matt lists anglerfish - including the critically endangered handfish found less than 10km from his home in Hobart - as one of his favourite marine species. Unsurprisingly, they are one of the many fascinating ocean critters featured on his popular ’Seacreatures’ podcast.
MATT TESTONIDiving with…
Once he realised that encounters with marine animals could be so much closer than the bird-life and other terrestrial animal encounters he’d sought previously, Matt was certified in 2010, purchasing his scuba gear from a shop advertising a careers night with free pizza. He quickly signed up for instructor training that included an internship on the Great Barrier Reef, acquiring his first cheap underwater camera. From there he says his love for reef systems and underwater photography ‘spiralled out of control’. Now a Master Scuba Diver Trainer with over 2,000 dives, teaching specialties such as sidemount, deep and photography, Matt relocated from Melbourne to Tasmania in 2021 to undertake a Masters of Marine and Antarctic Science through the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Science. Everything he does is underpinned by one intention - to make the underwater world more accessible: ‘I want people to connect their own dots. There’s so much ‘doom and gloom’ out there, but that can blank people out. My aim is to create an excitement and love through ‘ocean outreach’ that can drive towards an ultimate conservation endwithout being preachy.’ Matt’s passion for underwater photography has taken him beyond Australian favourites such as Lady Elliot Island and the Great Barrier Reef, to destinations such as Cambodia, the Maldives, Tonga, Lembeh, Bali, Komodo and New Zealand. He lists diving a highaltitude lake and an aircraft carrier in the US plus a close encounter in Socorro, Mexico, with two dolphins ‘riding a whaleshark’ shortly after two oceanic mantas chased a pod of dolphins from a school of fish as among his most memorable dives.
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Each of the 30+ stand-alone episodes offer engaging insights into a different marine species found in Australian waters, ranging from charismatic megafauna like whales and dolphins, through to cephalopods, spider crabs, seahorses and dragons, to little-considered but equally fascinating species such as gobies and urchins. Through both his photography and podcast interviews, Matt invites his audience to engage with the beauty of specific marine creatures, to learn more about what makes them fascinating, and to care more about the challengesface. Embracingtheythevalueofdiverobservation
Photographs by Matt Testoni T assie-based marine biologist, underwater photographer and ‘Seacreatures’ podcaster Matt Testoni’s love for the underwater world began during a university snorkelling project focused on seaweed.
43 alongside more formal field and lab derived insights, each ‘Seacreatures’ episode (running 17 to 35 minutes) features conversations with experts including PhD researchers as well as divers diligently devoted to observing a particular species: ‘My background is in traditional science which can learn a lot from social science. Science isn’t just about facts and figures through numbers and data. You can learn just as much from observation as you can from a two-year lab project on squid.’
Having completed the first year of coursework of his Masters, Matt is embarking on a research project focused on how fish assemblages and biodiversity change between natural reefs and artificial reefs. He’s keen to contribute to understandings about the role, environmental impacts and implications of artificial reef structures, beyond standard EI assessments.
Matt believes research can better inform official decision making in the management of artificial reefs and the consequent opportunities and challenges they pose. He explains, ’Functional artificial structures like piers can potentially create ‘ecological traps’. For example, Hula fish may be attracted to piers and leave their natural reefs due to finding a really good food source. Then a school of fish comes through and eats the hula fish, which potentially drives decline of the hulas in their natural areas. Similarly, if we have an endangered marine animal, some might suggest ‘Let’s put a protection zone around it’ but we need to think more about that, and how we might better mitigate our impacts on this animal’s population.’
Discussing how the features of artificial structures can positively or adversely impact marine life, Matt says: ‘Studies have shown that the type and colour of the light installed on a pier can impact fish life in terms of hormones and abilities for sleep and recovery. And it’s been found that ‘complexity plates’ attached to smooth flat concrete in Sydney Harbour can promote marine life colonisation. When artificial structures are put into natural environments, what are the outcomes? What are the pros and cons of trying to make artificial structures mimic natural environments? It’s important to better understand the impacts and to mitigate them through planning. My research is one very small stone in building that bridge of understanding.’
Alongside his research, Matt continues to teach diving at Go Dive Tasmania in Hobart. He reflects that while diving in Tassie can be a bit more remote and challenging than elsewhere in Australia, the effort comes with rewards: ‘Tasmania’s east coast has experienced some of the planet’s biggest warming, increasing by four degrees, and the East Australian Current has extended. Eaglehawk and Bicheno are now about 12 degrees in winter and 17-18 degrees in summer. There are seaweed beds and giant kelp. Fish life is abundant.’ Youcan follow Matt’s underwater photography on Instagram @matt_testoni_photography; and you can listen to his ‘Seacreatures’ podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever great podcasts are found. n
Underwater selfie
Split-level turtleshot Spectacular pier dive image
SAVUSAVU Some of Fiji’s best diving can be found off Savusavu in Vanua Levu – Fiji’s second largest island. Two of the best dive spots are on the Great Sea Reef and the Namena Marine Park. The waters off Savusavu are some of the most pristine in the whole of Fiji and it’s no surprise that this is home to one of the world’s finest pearl brands, J. Hunter Pearls. Natewa Bay, the largest bay in the South Pacific, is also emerging as one of the North’s best kept secrets with dive operators conducting exploration dives in the nutrient rich and diverse waters. Four Savusavu based resorts that are conveniently within reach of these sites at the Namena Marine Reserve and Rainbow Reef, are Jean Michel Cousteau Resort, the Koro Sun Resort, Namale Resort & Spa and Savasi Island Resort.
Nukubati Private Island Resort on the northern coast of Vanua Levu is the only way to dive the Great Sea Reef – one of the largest coral reefs in the world. n
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46 V elvetfish are strange little fish. They lack scales, and instead have a sandpaper-like skin, and are closely related to scorpionfish. They also have venomous spines, so always treat them with respect. These spines tip their long dorsal fin, which starts above the head and continues the length of their body. Velvetfish are ambush predators, feeding on small invertebrates, and as such have camouflaged skin patterns to conceal them from prey. Little is known about their life cycle, but it is known that after spawning, the eggs hatch as pelagic larvae, drifting with currents until they find a new area to settle on. Like other members of the family, the southern velvetfish is a bottom dweller, spending most of its life sitting still on the bottom among rocks, algae, weed or even debris. When they do move they don’t swim, but rock back and forth like a piece of flotsam washed by currents. This species can also get algae growing on its skin, which aids in their camouflage. The southern velvetfish grows to 23cm in length and appears to have a preferred habitat of sheltered bays and estuaries. The southern velvetfish is reportedly found from northern New South Wales to central Western Australia, and off the northern coast of Tasmania. However, finding one across that area is never easy, unless you dive at the right bay or estuary, and fortunately they are found at some popular dive sites.
The best place to see this species is under one of the many piers that jut into Port Phillip Bay, Victoria. They are found on both sides of this bay, but most sighting have been on the Mornington Peninsula, especially under Blairgowrie Pier and Rye Pier. Both these sites are fabulous muck dives, with a most of great critters. To find a southern velvetfish you have to take your time and slowly investigate every algae patch, rocky pile and the base of every pylon. But sometimes you get lucky and find one sitting out in the open. I have seen several southern velvetfish at both these piers, and I know many other divers have seen them here too. Across the rest of Australia, the best place to find this species is at muck sites. Such as Busselton Jetty, Western Australia or Edithburgh and Rapid Bay Jetties in South Australia. They have also been found in many spots in New South Wales, including Jervis Bay, Shell Harbour, at Kurnell and Bare Island in Botany Bay, Clifton Gardens and Camp Cove in Sydney Harbour and Fly Point and The Pipeline at Port Stephens. I got a big surprise when I found a small southern velvetfish on a dive at Cook Island, Tweed Heads several years ago. This was the last thing I expected to see at this subtropical dive site, and it extended the known range of this species. This one must have somehow drifted north as a larvae, against the normal flow of the East Australian Current. Southern velvetfish are a wonderful little endemic muck fish, and presenting in a range of colours they make for fabulous photographic subjects. n
Southern velvetfish
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Whoever picked the common name ‘velvetfish’ must have had a sense of humour, as the prickly skin of velvetfish looks nothing like velvet. Australian waters are home to around 21 species of velvetfish, most of which are endemic and also very cryptic, making them very hard to find. However, one member of the family is occasionally seen in temperate waters, the weird and wonderful southern velvetfish (Aploactisoma milesii)
Photography: Nigel www.nigelmarshphotography.comMarsh
Author: Nigel Marsh
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The Southern Velvetfish has thick skin and a velvet-like appearance. The lateral line along the side of the body has variously developed knobs and filaments. The species has highly variable colour from grey to cream or brown, with mottling.purplish
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There is no universally accepted definition, but the one I push is that supermacro images start when the area we are photographing is the same size or smaller than the hole in an old 35mm slide mount (24x36mm).
Photographs by Alex Mustard
Gear in place, it is time reap the benefits of supermacro. This genre has a devoted following because it opens up a host of new subjects, where Whether you’re into the MCU or PJ Masks, we’re bombarded with superheroes. So when underwater photographers are offered the choice between macro and supermacro, it is no surprise that few want to be normal, when we can be super, as Alex Mustard explains
The most-common accessory used for supermacro shooting is the wet close-up lens, aka the wet dioptre, which is a waterproof lens that can be screwed on to the front of the port underwater, allowing our camera to be able to focus closer, increasing magnification. Those on the market vary, there are few very poor ones, most are good to very good and some are exceptional. The really good ones, pioneered by Nauticam, don’t just boost magnification, but actually correct for many of the problems of shooting through water, giving stunning results. Frustratingly, there is no agreed naming convention for wet lens power, so you need to ask around to understand what you are buying. Image quality can be judged quickly, by checking how sharp the image is, not in the centre of the picture, but in the corners. When choosing wet close-up lens, it is important to remember that power isn’t everything. Plus, there is no perfect power, because that depends on the size of the subject. Most serious shooters tend to own and dive with at least two - a weak one, and a powerful one to cover different subjects. The market hypes every more powerful lenses, but I find the strongest ones now available are actually too strong. Not only are there fewer good subjects in this size range, but because the depth of field goes down quickly as the magnification goes up, we end up with a picture with very little to enjoy. The two I use the most, on my fullframe camera shooting with a 100/105mm lens, are a weak FIT +5 and a powerful Nauticam SMC-1. Wet close-up lenses are the most-popular portal to the world of super because they can be added and removed during a dive. But it is important to note that they are not the only option. Teleconverters narrow the angle of view of the lens and therefore allow us to shoot higher magnification pictures without moving closer to the subject. Furthermore, many serious photographers may already own one for use with their telephoto lens on land. Teleconverters can’t be removed during the dive, and tend to slow down the autofocus, but they are excellent with shy subjects and can be used in conjunction with wet lenses too. Two other options are less popular, despite being much, much cheaper than wet lenses. They come with excellent image quality, but again are ‘on for the whole dive’ options. The first are normal land closeup lenses, which mount directly to the lens inside the housing. Two of the best known are the Canon 500D and the Nikon T series. Specialist companies make them too, like Marumi, but avoid the cheapest single element ones, which give very poor image quality. The main limitation of these lenses is that you can’t remove them, so your camera will no longer be able to focus on distant subjects, which isn’t really a big issue for an underwater photographer planning a macro dive. The final option for super transformation is the humble extension ring. This is simply an empty tube that moves your camera lens further away from the camera, which in turn allows it to focus closer, and since it adds no glass the quality is excellent. Make sure you buy extension rings that allow your lens to communicate electronically with the camera as it usually does. They are typically sold in sets of three, and I find the 12mm most useful.
For many cameras, this means adding an additional accessory to your macro lens, which is also part of the attraction to us snappers. For if there is one thing that photographers love more than being able to say that they are super, it is being able to buy some more toys!
MASTERCLASS
S upermacro is an extreme form of macro photography that kicks in when our images capture the subject at super magnifications.
Mustard’s
Super magnification showcases super subjects The closer you look theyoumoresee
shywellTeleconvertersuitedtosubjects
Some of the creaturesmost-beautifulsea’saretiny
even that site you’ve done scores of times is transformed into a menagerie of the weird and wonderful. Perhaps the biggest benefit is that it is almost impossible to shoot bad backgrounds, which are the scourge of many macro shots. The razor-thin depth of field means anything behind the subject, and often much of the subject itself, is pleasingly blurred away. Of course, working at such high magnification does bring challenges, specifically the three Fs (indeed you may find that you are employing a fourth ‘f’, when shooting super)! Supermacro makes finding, framing and focusing a challenge. Practice and super diving skills are the solutionthe more stable you are underwater, the easier all of these are. Invariably I use back-button focus for supermacro, where I turn off the autofocus on the shutter release and instead focus independently with a housing lever that falls beneath my right thumb. This allows me to get approximate focus with the lever and then fine tune by rocking in and out very slightly. Good conditions are invaluable; surge is supermacro’s kryptonite, while visibility is less challenging because of the close working distance. Supermacro doesn’t require much strobe power and serious addicts often downgrade to smaller strobes, which are easier to position and aim. Depending on the conditions a torch/focus light is either unnecessary or essential. Ultimately, supermacro is tricky when you start, but once you’ve mastered the knack you will get admiring looks from all your buddies as you bring back stunning images of critters that they never even saw! n
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DIVERS ALERT NETWORK: ASIA-PACIFIC Divers Alert Network, widely known as DAN, is an international non-profit medical and research organisation dedicated to the safety and health of divers. WWW.DANAP.ORG
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hen a diver begins to suffer from extreme fatigue, achy joints, and confusion, these will often be recognised as signs of decompression sickness (DCS).
DECOMPRESSIONLYMPHATIC
However, there are also numerous uncommon symptoms, and these are often associated with lesser-known forms of DCS. Because the most-common symptoms represent only a partial list of potential complications, this can lead to a misdiagnosis and delays in treatment. When a diving accident occurs, DAN can be instrumental in facilitating medical care. Kelly, a Master Scuba Diver Trainer with more than 500 lifetime dives, had taken months to prepare for her technical side-mount diving certification. She was ready to tackle the classroom portion of her course, manage multiple gas SICKNESS
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cylinders and complete 12-dives in six days. The course started in shallow water, with dives becoming progressively deeper and longer. Kelly’s overall approach was cautious. She had experienced skin DCS the previous year, and she wanted to follow her decompression stops exactly as her late-model, multi-gas dive computer prescribed. First, she completed two dives to nine metres on air and then three nitrox dives to 27m. After one dive, Kelly had a small problem while exiting the water – rough seas jostled her and she collided with the ladder. For the next two dives, Kelly introduced 100 percent oxygen as her decompression gas. These dives were to 29m for 42 minutes and then to 36m for 67 minutes. Now more than halfway through her dives, Kelly noticed her left bicep was sore and the skin felt taut and warm.
Four days had passed since symptom onset, and the symptoms were worsening – her fingers were tingling, her chest was tight, and her vision was becoming impaired. The boat crew decided to transport Kelly back to shore and take her to the nearest medical facility while her partner called the DAN Emergency Hotline. Once the DAN medic heard Kelly’s symptoms, they became concerned about the possibility of inert gas bubbles in Kelly’s lymphatic system, creating a build-up of lymph fluid in her upper arms and chest, known as lymphatic DCS. At the hospital, Kelly was directed to the nearby hyperbaric chamber for treatments. When she arrived at the chamber, she relayed the information she received from DAN about lymphatic DCS, and that helped inform her treatments. Lung barotrauma was ruled out and Kelly was wheeled into a hyperbaric chamber to undergo a five-hour U.S. Navy Treatment Table 6. Kelly was eventually discharged, and her symptoms diminished as she continued recovery at home. Kelly’s obscure symptoms were consistent with lymphatic DCS, but that’s a manifestation of DCS that is not well known. Her dives were long and deep but did not violate her planned depth/time profile.
Fortunately, DAN knew what to do. The DAN medic’s knowledge and quick thinking gave Kelly’s doctors a starting point
Four days had passed since symptom onset, and the symptoms were worsening – her fingers were tingling, her chest was tight, and her vision was becoming impaired She assumed the injury came from her collision with the ladder and, unphased, kept diving. But the pain worsened and spread to her left breast. The working hypothesis among those on the dive boat was that Kelly had suffered a haematoma on her left bicep. However, the lack of bruising to the area contradicted that assessment.
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World.DAN.org For an extensive range of diving health and safety information and downloadable resources, research studies, incident summaries, and free e-Learning courses, take the time to explore DAN World’s new website.
Fortunately, DAN knew what to do. The DAN medic’s knowledge and quick thinking gave Kelly’s doctors a starting point. DAN helps take the guesswork out of emergency logistics. n
Photographs by Nicolas Remy and Jacob Guy W hen I switched from traditional open-circuit diving to a closed-circuit rebreather (CCR), back in 2011, my motivations were to get closer to wildlife, to stay longer underwater and to breathe naturally without affecting my buoyancy.
beyond technical www.narkedat90.com 56 WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
Fast forward ten years I haven’t looked back, as these advantages made my diving more enjoyable and my photography more productive.
Nicolas Remy takes the Mares Horizon SCR to the reefs of Indonesia to see if it holds its promise of being a travel-friendly rebreather
The one negative of CCR diving is the added complexity when travelling, which saw me turn down several trip opportunities over the years, to places weren’twhich
geared-up for rebreather diving. This travel challenge is the main reason why I started diving the Mares Horizon rebreather in 2021 - its design is quite different from full-blown technical CCRs, which is meant to make travel easier. In May 2022, I flew to North Sulawesi (Indonesia) for 12 days of busy tropical diving, a chance to see if the Horizon held its promise of being a travel-friendly rebreather.
Travelling with the
In total, the rebreather accounted for 13.4kg, but remember that includes BCD and regs. If you’re planning some decompression diving, you would add the Horizon’s second regs (+ 1.4kg), but I didn’t need to take these. For protection, I wrapped the Horizon in a lightweight yoga mat and used the 3mm wetsuit too.
Packing I found all my dive gear fitted in my Mares Cruise Backpack Pro bag, for a total of 27kg, which was below my 30kg check-in allowance. This included the Horizon itself, with its wing (similar to a BCD), its regulator, dive computer, tankrigging kit, and a number of other items (fins, two masks, boots, 3mm wetsuit, hood, SMB, reel, some clothing, etc).
Once I re-positioned my weights, the sidemounted 12-litre tank was easy to tucked‘forget’,behindmyarmpit
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There are multiple reasons why rebreathers can be a useful tool to underwater photographers, including increased bottom time and the ability to go ‘stealth mode’ when getting up close, allowing you to get the perfect shot!
I found all my dive gear fitted in my Mares Cruise Backpack Pro bag, for a total of 27kg, which was below my 30kg check-in allowance
We design, manufacture and retail scuba and rebreather equipment. We have fully equipped test and certification labs, and can pressure test large items in our vacuum chambers, as well as run fully automated leak test and dive simulations down to 400m. Our EMC and EMF lab is filled with state-ofthe-art equipment for testing electromagnetic compatibility and electromagnetic fields. We also have a large in-house laser for cutting and engraving on plastics and metals. www.narkedat90.com
Destination choices and pre-trip arrangements
Fortunately, the Mares Horizon is not a CCR but an SCR (Semi-Closed Rebreather), which means it has fewer prerequisites to function
At home I usually dive the Horizon with a single seven-litre steel tank clipped on my left side, and a buoyant drysuit. The 12-litre tank and 3mm wetsuit which I used in Indonesia certainly required weighting adjustments.
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Secondly, the Horizon requires one nitrox tank (minimum Nx30), but you can use whatever tank size is available at destination. The resorts did not have sorb, but I had it shipped there ahead of my trip, from Tek Dive Asia (Bali, Indonesia). I ordered 18kg of sorb (four 4.5kg kegs) but consumed only 14kg, for 42 hours of rebreather diving. With tanks, I used the standard 12-litre aluminum tanks found in many dive centres, filled with Nx32 gas in Lembeh, and Nx40 in Bangka.
The Horizon is a perfect partner for photographers Nicolas on Horizonhis I used a towel and clothing to wrap individually the breathing hoses and the regs. The only dive-related item I had in my carry bag was a spare Horizon E1 battery, together with cameras and lenses. The rest of my underwater photography equipment (two DSLR housings, ports, strobes, arms, etc) were travelling in a separate Pelican case.
For years I had been wanting to travel to Lembeh for its great muck diving, and to visit nearby Bangka Island for vibrant coral gardens. Although Lembeh Resort and Murex Bangka both offer great service, these resorts are not equipped to support rebreather diving, which is why I hadn’t visited yet, despite years of diving. Fortunately, the Mares Horizon is not a CCR but an SCR (Semi-Closed Rebreather), which means it has fewer pre-requisites to function (see my review in issue #39 for a more-detailed comparison). In fact, there are just two that you need to plan for, when arranging a dive trip. First, you will need CO2 absorbent material (also called ‘sorb’), these are granules which you pack in containers that fit inside the rebreather, their role is to remove CO2 from your exhale gas, allowing you to re-breathe. All rebreathers require sorb.
As one can tell from the bent soft corals and crinoids, the current was blowing hard, but I could swim against it as long as needed to finetune my lighting
To optimize my trim and avoid being ‘leg-heavy’, I positioned a 2kg weight on the top compartment of the Horizon. The 12-litre tank clipped on my left was quite negatively buoyant when full, so I had to also wear lead on a weight belt, pushed to my right hip to balance-out that tank. I could probably have used 1kg or 2kg less weight if I didn’t need these to trim myself.
Setting up the Horizon for tropical diving
Bunaken National Marine Park
Dr. Richard Smith
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Barefoot luxury in the heart of Indonesia
I had a fantastic time at Siladen Resort. The resort itself is a quiet and idyllic oasis, the food was outstanding, but it’s the fishes that will have me coming back. The dive crew were some of the friendliest folk I have met. Always smiling, and so happy. I can’t wait to dive there again.
Still, I was only consuming 50-60 bars per 60 minute dive most of the time, so being a bit overweighted wasn’t problematic. In comparison, when diving open circuit with a 12-litre tank and the same wetsuit (which I did the first day while waiting for my sorb), I would use only 2kg of lead. Since the Horizon is an SCR, the nitrox I breathed was a few percentage points below the Nitrox of the tank. With Nx32 in my tank, I would breathe somewhere between Nx26 and Nx28 (configurable). In Lembeh, we have spent nearly entire dives in 18m-23m depth in search for specific critters, and breathing Nx28 meant I could get into deco. I recommend arranging Nx40 fills if possible, which I got in Bangka, allowing me to breathe Nx32 to Nx35 on the Horizon.
Rebreather daily maintenance I used the Horizon for three to four dives per day over 12 days, with a one-day break in the middle as I was travelling between resorts. As part of a rebreather’s normal functioning, condensation builds up inside during diving. Internal components are designed to sustain some humidity, but it is good practice to let the inside dry out, especially the oxygen sensors, when not in use. Unless we had a double-tank boat dive (in which case I kept the rebreather closed for the whole trip), I would open the Horizon in between dives, store the sorb containers in a dry bag, and let the unit open so that oxygen sensors could dry. I would quickly wipe the inside with a microfiber cloth too. I timed myself at two-and-a-half minutes for doing this. Before the next dive, I would put back the sorb containers, close down the Horizon, run a negative pressure test, to make sure there were no leaks, which took about two minutes. Every three to four dives, I had to replace one of the sorb filters content with fresh CO2 absorbent, which took an extra 10 minutes. So overall, the rebreather maintenance took me 20-25 minutes per day, which is quicker than with my technical CCR. In addition, for good hygiene, I would rinse the rebreather inside/out with freshwater every few days, which I timed myself to do in 18 minutes. In terms of batteries, the Horizon has three (DC, E1, E2), but only E1 is user-accessible. You can charge all batteries at once if a power outlet is nearby, but I found it more convenient to carry a spare E1 battery, swap as needed and then let the fresh E1 battery charge the other two, while the battery compartment remained safely closed. Battery swaps (about every three to four days) would only take a couple of minutes. Which spares to take?
For more images from Nicolas Remy and Lena Remy, visit their website, or follow them on Instagram and Facebook @nicolaslenaremy www.nicolaslenaremy.com
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Nicolas and Lena Remy
All rebreathers depend on a number of oxygen sensors (the Horizon has two) and these have a limited lifespan, typically a year, before they fail and need replacement. One my sensors failed on my ninth day of diving, with the Horizon alerting me to end the dive, just after we jumped. Fortunately, I had spare sensors onboard and it took me 20 minutes to change the sensor, assemble the unit and test that it was ready to dive again. You might not experience any sensor failure in a full year, but just in case, take spares with you when travelling. I also carry a kit of spare o-rings, in case I damage one while manipulating the rebreather, and a spare E1 battery as previously mentioned. So was the extra effort (to fly a rebreather) worth it?
Not only could I approach marine life closer, but the Horizon also let me maximize the time spent in the most interesting parts of the dives. In Lembeh this was the 18m-23m mark, where many intriguing critters seemed to live, and some like rhinopias a little deeper. In Bangka, the most photogenic reefscapes were regularly exposed to currents, but I could keep swimming against these for as long as I needed to take the photo I envisioned. I did consume more gas in these scenarios, peaking at 80-90 bars for a 60-70 minute dive, still far away from restricting my dive profile.
After all, my dive-gear travel weight was about 7kg higher compared to regular BCD and regs, I spent 20-25 minutes per day fiddling with equipment, but would still be limited to one hour bottom time, so was it all worth it? Absolutely!
n
Nicolas and his ‘dive buddy’
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Article written by: PT Hirschfield | Photography: Rudie and Steven Kuiter T he authorial partnership of world-renowned marine life taxonomist Rudie Kuiter and his eagle-eyed underwater photographer son Steven has resulted in ‘Marine Fauna of Port Phillip Bay’ (2022). This hot-off-the-press publication is essentially a Bible for the macro marine fauna most likely to be encountered by divers throughout the 1,920km sq waters of Victoria’s Port Phillip Bay. Within weeks of its first release, the book was sold out (both individually and as part of a package with Kuiter and Kuiter’s companion text ‘Coastal Sea-Fishes of South-Eastern Australia’ 2018), and was almost instantly sent to reprint. Put simply, every diver with an interest in Australian marine life in general or Port Phillip Bay in particular will quickly understand that this 372page, full-colour identification guide is as essential a part of their dive kit as their favourite mask and fins. Both purposeful and engaging, the synergy of two generations of genius ‘mad scientists’ makes this book both a seminal text underpinned by decades of scientific credibility and a completely wildTheride.new publication is comprehensive, covering cephalopods, nudibranchs, urchins, molluscs, echinoderms (sea stars, urchins and cucumbers), crustaceans, jellies, anemones, corals, ascidians, sponges and more (seals, whales and dolphins excluded). Yet the text is kept brief with a page of information introducing each of the categories covered, followed by just a short paragraph of notes to help identify each species represented without being ‘Marine Fauna of Port Phillip Bay’ prohibitively scientific for recreational divers.
The brief descriptive blurbs about each species often give clues about where they originate and their broader distribution beyond Port Phillip Bay. In addition to a generous helping of in-situ identification shots, a few images are labelled with the anatomy of the animal depicted in order to orient readers towards more informed identification. The images themselves are often surprising, a testament to the keen
Despite Rudie’s formidable taxonomic background in describing many species, scientific terminology has been used sparingly, with a strong focus on bright images to aid with species identification (The book was largely birthed in response to the vast number of requests the Kuiters received from divers desiring assistance in identifying nonfish marine life they had encountered).
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An insight into the creation of seminal marine-related book Marine Fauna of Port Phillip Bay, and its authors, Rudie Kuiter and Steven Kuiter
The brief descriptive blurbs about each species often give clues about where they originate and their
distributionbroaderbeyondPortPhillipBay
Port Phillip Bay, is a horsehead-shaped enclosed bay on the central coast of southern Victoria, Australia.
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In addition to a generous helping of insitu identification shots, a few images are labelled with the anatomy of the animal depicted in order to orient readers towards more informed identification
Blueoctopusring
The processes that have made their collaborative efforts possible - and the role of nature versus nurture in the way that genius begets genius in terms of marine fauna knowledge - are as fascinating to me as the book itself (Steven’s grandfather on his mother’s side is also an underwater photographer and some of his images have been included in this book). There seems something almost radioactive in the Kuiter DNA so far as marine life spotting and identification goes. Somewhat sadly and strangely, father and son have only ever dived together once on scuba about two years ago, as Rudie was no longer spending time underwater, just as Steve was becoming scuba certified after a lifetime of snorkelling.
SquidFlabellinashrimp
The authors Rudie Kuiter has been diving since 1964, having amassed many thousands of slide images in his underwater collection. He’s an explorer and discoverer (‘You know how the cuttlefish were discovered at Whyalla don’t you?’ Steven tells me after a night dive. ‘My dad and Mark Norman, the octopus guy at Melbourne Museum, missed a flight in South Australia, so they decided to jump in at Point Lowly and found thousands of cuttlefish there. No-one knew anything about them before that’). In the rare, brief moments when Rudie’s pauses from working on his latest marine life and orchid publications, time spent in his presence is woven into a rich tapestry of tales that bring the human dynamic, humour, joys and frustrations of decades of marine life observation to life (‘Then there was the time I was on Jacques Cousteau’s boat in Antarctica …’).
eye of the father and son photographers, each man with an uncanny ability to capture rare and unusual moments and behaviours: a tiny shorthead seahorse with an anemone growing on its head, a skeleton shrimp apparently covered in feathers which are actually dozens of its tiny offspring.
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An image of a female sand octopus covered by a bevy of suitors was taken by Rudie on 9 March, 1981, the night Steven was born. Rudie rushed to Frankston hospital in his dripping wetsuit after learning that his wife Alison’s waters had broken on the nearby pier while he was in the water beneath it, making this image.
Steven has listened to a lifetime of Rudie’s stories, and still listens intently, he and his father cross-fertilising their observations and understandings of each the species encountered, constantly engaged in the process of reflective understanding that is passionate, joyous and innate for them both. If Rudie is a living legend (and he is), Steven is a land animal and marine life rock star. He’s a dedicated animal rescuer and nature photographer (under the name Wildlife Photographics), cutter and polisher of stones and finder of fossils from massive shark teeth to the remains of mythical beasts of epic proportions and historic significance.
As one of Steven’s dive buddies, I’ve been acquainted with the authors for several years (having first met Rudie on a beach at night as he, Steven and I tracked down the carcass of a mola that had washed up onto one of Port Phillip Bay’s beaches).
Baeolibia
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Above water, Steven looks, speaks and moves like Taylor Hawkins (the late, great drummer of the Foo Fighters). He has that same frenetic sense of energy and celebration for the marine life he is obsessed with that Hawkins had for anything to do with rock music, in particular the band Queen. That passion makes him an effervescent font of knowledge topside and prolific underwater, allowing him to exit every dive with a catalogue of images that would rival the keenest photographer’s collection for many months. His image-making is a rapid fire process: ‘Just a couple of snaps then move on. I can’t understand why anyone would spend 20 minutes photographing the same animal’. His camera rig is configured so that adjustments are rarely needed regardless of the subject or conditions, nailing the perfect ID shot every time.
As we walk the darkening pier towards the water, Steven oozes fascinating facts about the green sarcoglossan slugs he will show me tonight and their unique powers of RudieStevenand Arrow squid Dumplingsquid 66
The book costs $80 (plus $16 postage) and is available through Aquatic Photographic via rudiekuiter@ optusnet.com.au , or $150 in a package with their companion fish book (‘Fish Watchers Guide to Coastal Sea-Fishes of South-Eastern Australia’). photosynthesis. I ponder whether it’s nature or nurture that’s allowed him to absorb so much pre-determined information and to gather so much deep new knowledge through his own direct observation, exclusively through snorkelling and shore diving (with the exception of having only ever done one recent boat dive). Underwater, Steven moves randomly but seamlessly from spot to spot at rapid pace. He knows exactly what he is searching for in each section of the substrate and his eagle eyes don’t miss even the slightest marine life presence. He spots at least three blue ringed octopus throughout the dive. He removes a glove and one of the blue rings stretches out an arm to touch Steven’s finger, recreating Michelangelo’s painting ‘The Hand of God’. The interaction lasts just a few brief seconds and I watch in unsurprised awe (this IS Kuiter, after all). Scaling my dive gear up the pier’s ladder for me at the end of the dive faster than a monkey climbing a tree, Steven is gobsmacked: ‘I can’t believe you didn’t take that f’n photo! You would have won every f’n photo competition with that picture! I would have blown that image up on my f’n ceiling if you had taken it!’ he laughs then vanishes, trolleying all our dive gear back to the carpark faster than I can run. Steven never enters photo competitions, but his stunning imagery which graces so many pages of ‘Marine Fauna of Port Phillip Bay’ is impressive every time. He has a razor sharp eye for details in what’s common, and a unique understanding of what’s rare and how best to capture it (The paper nautilus riding a lion’s mane jelly beneath a pier on the front cover is a classic case in point - a subject typically only captured on exotic blackwater dives). Steven will go ‘hunting’ for a particular species to photograph that he›s never found before and typically exits the dive with Mission Accomplished. Rudie’s unparalleled authority in photographing and identifying marine life coupled with Steven’s transcendent critter-spotting and photographing skills have resulted in the most comprehensive and aesthetically satisfying collection of macro marine life images from Port Phillip Bay ever collated, and one of the most-exciting marine life publications ever produced in Australia. n
Marine Fauna of Port Phillip Bay
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On land and underwater, Steven is a rocket who moves more quickly than I can ever keep up with, and conversations with him are articulate explosions of energy peppered with joyous expletives in lieu of every alternate adjective. He’s been known to enter the water after midnight to capture critters and behaviours that aren’t observable during the day. On any given dive, he easily sees more than triple the marine life observed by his buddies. His dives are frequently two to three hours long. Wanting to observe the processes that have gone into creating such an expansive set of images in this new book, I do a night dive with Steven and determine not to take any photos, just to observe his fast-moving super power at work.
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CONSERVING Tubbataha
T
To fully comprehend the importance of Tubbataha’s atolls and reefs you will need to understand a little about the Coral Triangle and its life-source - the Indonesian Throughflow. Both of which are very complex subjects, but let me try and do the Reader’s Digest version of both…
ubbataha’s remote atolls and reefs consists of two atolls and one coral reef that are located in the middle of the Sulu Sea - effectively the core of the Philippine archipelago. And those ‘exposed reefs’ are the highest tips of the many extinct underwater volcanoes and mountains that form the Cagayan Ridge, which rises up from the 3,000m depths of the Sulu Basin.
Simply stated, the Indonesian Throughflow is the largest volume of water flow in the world, in fact so large is that volume that hydrologists had to come up with a special measurement to quantify it – the Sverdrup… Named after its inventor, Norwegian scientist Harald Sverdrup, one Sverdrup is one million cubic metres of water per second. To conceptualise that, think of a river 100 metres wide, 10m deep and flowing at two knots. Then imagine 1,000 of those rivers all combined together – that is one Sverdrup! It is estimated that the total amount of seawater carried by the Indonesian Throughflow is 15 Sverdrups, or 15,000 of those rivers… A massive volume of water which has to make its way through the Lesser Sundas, the chain of islands that runs along the bottom part of the Indonesian archipelago.
I had heard many stories about the intense biodiversity of Tubbataha’s reefs - which are generally renowned for both what you will see, together with what you might see, and was sorely tempted.
The term Coral Triangle is a pretty neat way to visualise the area of south-east Asia that is universally recognised as having the richest concentration of marine biodiversity in the world. Studies of which have identified some 600 species of coral, together with 3,000 species of reef fish and to put those numbers into perspective – the Red Sea has around 200 coral species and 1,000 fish species while the Caribbean has 50 and 900! While the numbers are impressive and much quoted, what is harder to understand is just why all that biodiversity is there – which is where the Indonesian Throughflow comes in.
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU 69 The Tubbataha Reef Marine Park covers 96,828 ha, including the North and South Atolls and the Jessie Beazley Reef. It is a unique example of an atoll reef with a very high density of marine species; the North Islet serving as a nesting site for birds and marine turtles.Scuba Diver’s Senior Travel Editor Don Silcock extols the virtues of Tubbataha’s atolls and reefs, and the marine life that calls them home Photographs by Don Silcock CONSERVING Tubbataha
All that concentrated biodiversity is nurtured and sustained by the fertile currents of the Pacific Ocean from the east together with the rich deep-water upwellings produced as those currents flow through the Sulu Sea.
Secondly, Tubbataha is some 150km from the nearest landfall on the large, narrow island of Palawan and, up to the 1980s, well beyond the range of traditional fishing boats, plus with no fresh-water available, habitation was impossible. So, the isolated atolls evolved into almost a marine version of the Garden of Eden with almost only natural predation occurring.
Then the early 1980s saw the first motorized fishing boats arrive… Driven from the more-accessible fishing grounds in the Sulu Sea by over-fishing and the dramatic depletion of fish stocks, the rich bounty of Tubbataha’s atolls made the long and perilous journey worth the risk - but to maximise their returns those boats also introduced cyanide and dynamite fishing and by the mid 1980s that Garden of Eden was no longer what nature had made it.
So… What is so special about Tubbataha? There are a few things that are really special about Tubbataha, which combined together create something that verges on theLet’sunique!start with the Sulu Sea, the 260,000 km² body of water that is bounded on three sides by the Philippine archipelago and, in the south by the province of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo, which marine biologists classify as a Large Marine Ecosystem (LME). Basically, the area is extremely rich in marine biodiversity with some 600 species of fish, 360 species of corals, 11 species of sharks / rays and 13 species of dolphins and whales.
Good governance was rarely associated with the Philippines in the 1980s, but through the efforts of a few key, highly motivated individuals, the government was stirred into action and in 1988, then-President Corazon Aquino designated Tubbataha a national marine park - the first in the country - and five years later UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage Site. Nature is an incredibly powerful thing when we humans let it do its job and by 2015, scientific studies of those badly decimated reefs had been restored to a near-pristine and truly natural state!
Turtle relaxedlookingonthe reef Sponges andaboundcorals Vast shoals of fish are common Mooring block 70
found 71
Diving Tubbataha If you like tropical reef diving – and who doesn’t… imagine if you will rolling backwards into blue water that is so clear, the visibility seems to stretch out to infinity. Then arrayed below you on the upper reef margin are vast rolling dunes of staghorn coral with schools of resident anthias swimming up into the light and then darting back down for protection as an endangered green turtle forages for food among the branches.
Anemone on the reef Hard
Variousstructurescoralspecies of moray eel can be
Then head down to about 15m where the margin ends and the reef slope begins its descent into the depths of the Sulu Sea. Arranged to perfection along the slope are rows of huge gorgonian fans that stretch out into the current and feed on the passing nutrients – each one a mini ecosystem of its own with permanent residents like sea stars, brittle stars, ghost gobies, pygmy seahorses and the pygmy’s nemesis, the long-nosed hawkfish. Look up and there is a good chance of seeing the massive schools of jacks that patrol the upper parts of the reef and then out into the blue, where schools of barracuda move up and down the reef wall. Concentrate on the blue and you will see large groups of black-tip reef sharks hunting in the current – often with individual sharks working tag-team with a giant trevally.
At this point you tend to have to make a decision… stay focused on the blue on the chance of a pelagic encounter with one of the regular open-water animals that visit
What you will see at Tubbataha are superb reefs in pristine condition that are bursting at their seams with a veritable smorgasbord of marine life
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Don Silcock
There are certain iconic locations around the world where, when I have been fortunate to experience them, a constant thought runs through my mind – there must have been so many places like this once! Tubbataha is a stunning example of just how powerful nature is in creating such Gardens of Eden and what can happen if we humans get out of the way and let it restore thatWhatbeauty!you will see at Tubbataha are superb reefs in pristine condition that are bursting at their seams with a veritable smorgasbord of marine life. What you might see are those passing pelagics that are roaming the Sulu Sea. Was it worth the wait and the expense – well for me, it certainly was, and was the perfect remedy for two years of Covid-induced half-life! n Healthy reefs await Sweetlips in a barrel sponge
The site is an excellent example of a pristine coral reef with a spectacular 100m perpendicular wall, extensive lagoons and two coral islands. What you might see are those passing pelagics that are roaming the Sulu Sea, which pass like ships in the night!
Don is Scuba Diver’s Senior Travel Editor and is based from Bali in Indonesia. His website has extensive location guides, articles and images on some of the best diving locations in the Indo-Pacific region and ‘big animal’ experiences globally. www.indopacificimages.com
Tubbataha such as whalesharks, giant oceanic mantas and tiger sharks. Or you stay focused on the beautiful and wonderfully biodiverse reef slope because, believe me, it’s hard to do both! And that’s just my description of one of my personal favourite sites - Staghorn Point on the southern tip of the South Atoll. There are another 16 other sites to choose from at Tubbataha and of them at least seven are absolutely world-class in terms of their biodiversity. How to dive Tubbataha Stating the obvious… from a liveaboard, as there is simply no other way to do it, and there are currently around 18 registered vessels all operating from Puerto Princesa midway down the island of Palawan. But the season in limited to about three months from mid-March to mid-June because of the tropical storms from the November to March northeast monsoon and the July and October southwest monsoon. During those months the diving conditions are usually excellent with clear skies, calm seas and vis up to 50 metres! To get to Puerto Princesa, I flew Qantas from Sydney to Manila, did an overnight near the airport and caught a Philippine Airways Express flight. In summary
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With protection against wind and rain, this softshell-style smock is the perfect throwon whatever the season. The durable water-resistant outer allows water runoff during wet weather and keeps you protected from the elements, especially in exposed coastal spots. The soft grid effect lining allows for exceptional warmth and with generous hand warmer pockets, you’ll be cosy even when the worst of the weather strikes. It only weighs in at 1.16kg, so you can take it on your travels, has a relaxed fit with fully adjustable hood. www.fourthelement.com
BARE has made some changes to the standard drysuit to make this X-Mission Evolution stand out from the crowd. It is available in unique Military Green and Anthracite Grey colour combination, and features special ‘50 Years Deep’ badging on the right shoulder. Below the left shoulder, a maple leaf emblem highlights the company’s proud Canadian heritage.
CineBags CB80 Square Grouper is a unique carrying device to transport your assembled underwater housing and strobes while on location. It’s the perfect solution to transport your gear between the hotel, shuttle, dive shop, and your dive boat. Its highly collapsible design makes it fit easily in your dive luggage, and the bag can also function as your personal rinse tank. It is made from heavy-duty tarpaulin, has a padded shoulder strap and a centre carry handle, and features saltwater-resistant YKK zippers. There are also storage pouches for accessories. www.underwater.com.au
CINEBAGS SQUARE GROUPER XL | SRP: AUD$378
74 Each issue, the Scuba Diver test team bring you the latest product and equipment releases from the dive industry. Cannot wait for the next edition? Keep up-to-date with all the latest gear news and reviews by heading over to the Scuba Diver YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/ScubaDiverMagazine WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU FOURTH ELEMENT WINDBREAKER SMOCK SRP: AUD$TBC BARE 50 YEARS DEEP ANNIVERSARY EDITION X-MISSION EVOLUTION DRYSUIT | SRP: AUD$TBA
BARE is celebrating 50 years in business by introducing a very special X-Mission Evolution drysuit for recreational and technical divers. The 50 Years Deep Anniversary Edition X-Mission Evolution boasts timeless iconography and the durability and features divers know and trust. Based in British Columbia in Canada, BARE has been making premium immersion wear and diving equipment for half a century, with many innovations along the way. Today, the pinnacle of BARE’s know-how and expertise is the flagship X-Mission Evolution drysuit. To mark the milestone, BARE’s 50th Anniversary X-Mission Evolution is offered with some unique features and details. This stunning suit is ideal for working commercial divers, advanced technical divers, or recreational divers who want the best combination of flexibility and durability in a travel-friendly package. The suit is offered for a limited period only. This innovative X-Mission Evolution uses the mostadvanced materials and construction methods, designed and purpose-built in partnership with a team of technical cave divers to meet their demanding requirements. With material that’s rated most flexible among all BARE drysuits, this suit is perfect for movement in the water and on the surface, and is highly packable for travel.
Buyers will also receive a free anniversary beanie hat and coozie emblazoned with retro-inspired BARE badging. These are unavailable to buy and limited to Anniversary drysuit owners only. Two versions are available - a men’s and women’s 50th Anniversary Edition X-Mission Evolution. Nineteen standard men’s sizes are offered from S to 4XLS, and 11 standard women’s sizes as well as made-to-measure (MTM) custom fit models in both. www.baresports.com
New Fantasea S-series housings have been released specially designed for the popular Canon G7X II and G7X III, as well as for the SONY RX100 VI / VII compact digital cameras. The Fantasea FG7X II/III and FRX100 VII S housings feature the Fantasea Hybrid Vacuum Safety System (included with the housings), which contains both a pre-dive vacuum check and an on-dive leak detector. The system allows confirming the watertight seal of the housing prior to the dive using the vacuum system and monitoring the housing seal during the dive using the moisture detector.
The Fantasea FG7X II/III and FRX100 VII S housings are manufactured to the highest professional standards of function, style and durability. They are depth rated to 60m and are fully functional with ergonomically designed and labelled controls. The S-Series housings are the ultimate waterproof home for the Canon G7 X Mark II / III and the SONY RX100 VI and VII cameras.
The Fantasea FG7X II/III and FRX100 VII S housings are ideal for outdoor and underwater photography. Underwater photographers can dive or snorkel and capture all the excitement of this fascinating world, while outdoor photographers also have the option of capturing the action of activities such as whitewater paddle sports, sailing, boating, surfing, fishing, hunting, backpacking and camping. The Fantasea FG7X II/III and FRX100 VII S housings are shock resistant and protect the camera from water, sand, dust, frost and other damaging elements, and were designed to be compatible with a complete accessory system, enabling photographers to enhance the quality of their images. Exclusively distributed in Australia by www.underwater.com.au - dealer enquiries welcome.
The new SXS (which stands for Second eXtra Small) is the innovative side of things – this is Mares’ smallest and mostcompact second stage made from ultralight technopolymer, and can be used left- or right-sided, so lends itself to sidemount diving as well as single-cylinder recreational diving. It has an easy-to-use, soft purge button, an extended exhaust tube to vent exhaled gases, and comes with a superflex braided hose. www.mares.com
MARES Mares have always been at the forefront of regulator developments and new technologies, and the SXS 62X maintains that tradition.
The tried-and-tested 62X diaphragm first stage is nothing new for 2022, and is a proven top performer, being Mares’ most-compact first stage. It features Mares’ natural DFC on all the low-pressure ports, ensuring high air flow regardless of depth, and all of the ports – low- and high-pressure – are pre-orientated for optimal hose routing.
The 62X features AST, which prevents water entry into the regulator, and has an eye-catching pearl chrome finish.
The fins have a robust stainless steel spring strap, with a large rubber thumb loop for easing donning and doffing.
Tecline offer a range of fins, but their LightJet is one which will appeal most to the travelling diver, as a large LightJet weighs in at just over 1kg, making them one of the lightest jet-fin-style fins on the market. The LightJets are made from TPV (Thermoplastic Vulcanisate), which is 100% recyclable, which is great news for when your fins eventually reach their end-of-life, though they are also very durable, so you’ll get years of service out of them.
75WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU FANTASEA S-SERIES HOUSINGS | SRP: AUD$799
SXS 62X | SRP: AUD$749.95 TECLINE LIGHTJET | SRP: €124
The LightJets did come in black or white, but now they have have joined by an eye-catching aqua blue colourway. www.teclinediving.eu
Mark Evans: Being eco-friendly and ecoconscious is becoming more and more prevalent in day-to-day life, and the dive industry is following suit. We are seeing more and more products made from recycled materials, be that wetsuits, fins, apres-divewear, and more, but the Ocea is a real first - an environmentallyconscious regulator made from recycled materials and bio-plastics, manufactured in a solar-powered facility.
The compact one-piece machined first stage is based on the expedition-tested Apeks DS4 platform and has a unique over-balanced diaphragm design – as the diver descends, the over-balancing feature allows the medium pressure gas in the hose to increase at a faster rate than ambient. This results in superior performance at depth, and APEKS OCEA | SRP: AUD$TBC it is more than capable of handling cold water. It has two high-pressure ports and four low-pressure ports, so more than enough for all your requirements. The Ocea variant has a subtle engraving into the metal which is certainly eyecatching, while not being in your face.
The flexible nylon braided hose has better cold water performance than a traditional rubber hose, and it has the standard metallic hose connection for interchangeability.
The lightweight second stage improves comfort and helps reduce jaw fatigue on long duration dives, and features a high performance pneumatically balanced lever operated poppet valve, large over-moulded self-flushing and controllable purge button, and ergonomic Venturi lever that is easy to use and locate, even wearing thick neoprene gloves or drygloves.
76 Each issue, the Scuba Diver test team bring you the latest product and equipment releases from the dive industry. Cannot wait for the next edition? Keep up-to-date with all the latest gear news and reviews by heading over to the Scuba Diver YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/ScubaDiverMagazine WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
The Comfo-bite mouthpiece – which I still consider the most-comfortable on the market - has a unique bridge
The Ocea also removes five times its own weight in plastic from the environment, as each purchase of the regulator funds the collection of 5kg of up-stream plastic waste (in collaboration with Plastic Bank).
Based on the trusty XL4+, every single material and process was reconsidered to create the most eco-sensitive scuba diving regulator in the world, so it is made from recycled plastic waste, plant-based bio-plastic and lead-free brass, which can be endlessly recycled and is actually stronger than standard brass.
The Ocea is quite a lightweight regulator, thanks to that second stage, so it would be great for the travelling diver, but because it is cold-water rated as well, it is perfect for diving right here in the UK throughout the year. The Apeks Flight was a great travel reg, but it was not suited to cold water, but with the Ocea handling both with aplomb, it is something you could use most weekends and take on your next foreign jaunt. My wife Penney stole it for a recent trip to Egypt on assignment, in place of her trusty Aqualung Micron, and she loved the Ocea, as the smaller second stage suits women and teenage divers thanks to its compact size, while not losing anything on the performance side of things.
The Ocea can be supplied with either a yoke/A-clamp fitting as we had here, or a DIN connection. As far as colour schemes go, there is a grey version available, but we think this aqua finish sets it apart from the crowd. The regulator comes in a cardboard box that can easily be recycled.
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that fits across the upper palate and does not require bite pressure to stay in place, while re-useable mouthpiece clips make it simple to change mouthpieces in the field.
www.apeksdiving.com
MANTA LODGE AND SCUBA CENTRE t: 07 34098888 e: info@mantalodge.com.au a: 132 Dickson way, Point Lookout, QLD, 4183 Amazing diving all year round. Manta Rays, Sharks, turtles and whales along with a of Paradise.
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SOUTH WEST ROCKS DIVE CENTRE t: +612 6566 6474 e: info@swrdive.com.au a: 98 Gregory Street, South West Rocks, NSW Australia’s best Shark and Cave dive. Family owned and operated for over 40 Years. e: reservations@ladyelliot.com.au a: Lady Elliot Island, Southern Great Barrier Reef, QLD Lady Elliot Island ‘Home of the Manta Ray’ boasts 20 incredible dive sites and is renowned for amazing marine encounters. www.ladyelliot.com.au
www.passions.com.au SCUBA IQ t: +61 (0)404964878 e: info@scubaiq.com.au a: PO Box 588, Port Douglas, QLD 4877 PADI & TDI/SDI Dive operator. Courses for all levels – Guided Diving – Liveaboards to the Ribbon Reefs, Coral Sea + more. www.scubaiq.com.au SCUBA WORLD t: 07 5444 8595 e: info@scubaworld.com.au a: 207 Brisbane Road, Mooloolaba, 4557, QLD We create safe, comfortable, enthusiastic divers who always have a fun, personal and enjoyable experience at Scuba World. scubaworld.com.au SUNREEF t: 07 5444 5656 e: info@sunreef.com.au a: 11-12/123 Parkyn Parade, Mooloolaba, QLD, 4557 World class dive sites & first class service. Dive the HMAS Brisbane Wreck, Stunning Flinders Reef or Swim With Whales! www.sunreef.com.au TASMANIA EAGLEHAWK DIVE CENTRE t: 0417013518 e: info@eaglehawkdive.com.au a: 178 Pirates Bay Drive, Eaglehawk Neck, TAS, 7179 We have world-class temperate water diving, with sites suitable for divers with skill levels from novice to advanced technical. www.eaglehawkdive.com.au QUEENSLANDNEW SOUTH WALES 78 WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
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SCUBA HAVEN t: 0407 457 542 e: info@scubahaven.com.au a: 20 Merrigal Rd, Port Macquarie, NSW, 2444 SCUBA Diving Port Macquarie and Laurieton Areas. Offering Dive trips, Courses, Introductory dives, Sales and services. www.scubahaven.com.au SCUBA WAREHOUSE t: 61 2 96891389 e: info@scubawarehouse.com.au a: 1/50 George Street, Clyde NSW 2142, Sydney We are a PADI 5-Star IDC centre that specialises in personal tuition courses and outfitting divers in all things scuba. www.scubawarehouse.com.au
OCEAN HUT FISHING AND DIVE t: 02 4476 2278 e: darryl@oceanhut.net a: 23 Graham Street, Narooma, NSW, 2546 We are a PADI retail outlet for most diver requirements including hire and air fills. www.compleatanglernarooma.com.au
swrdive.com.au ST GEORGE UNDERWATER CENTRE t: 61 2 9502 2221 e: info@stgeorgeunderwater.com.au a: 1/148 Bellevue Parade, Carlton, NSW, 2218 We have been in the industry for over 62 years. We are a TDI SDI 5 star training centre. We service, train and travel. www.stgeorgeunderwater.com.au WINDANG DIVE & SPEARFISHING t: 02 4296 4215 e: info@windangdive.com.au a: Shop 1, 239 Windang Road, Windang, NSW, 2528 Scuba Diving Courses to Instructor. Spearfishing needs and servicing of all brands of scuba and spearfishing. www.windangdive.com.au QUEENSLAND AQUA ADVENTURES PTY LTD t: 07 55917117 e: info@aquaadventures.com.au a: 95 Marine Parade, Southport QLD 4215 Padi 5 Star Instructor Development Centre, oldest and most experienced operating dive company on the Gold Coast. www.aquaadventures.com.au BLUE DIVE PORT DOUGLAS t: 0427 983 907 | e: info@bluedive.com.au a: Port Douglas – Please call 0427 983 907. Superb private guided dives on the best Agincourt Reefs. Private multi-day dive charters. www.bluedive.com.au BUNDABERG AQUA SCUBA t: 07 4153 5761 e: Julian@aquascuba.com.au a: 17 Walla Street, Bundaberg, QLD, 4670 Bundaberg has world class wreck diving sites, access to the Southern Great Barrier Reef and the best coral reef shore diving in Queensland. www.aquascuba.com.au KPT DIVING & MARINE SERVICES t: 07 4783 1519 e: info@yongaladive.com.au a: 36 Braby Street, Alva, QLD, 4807 We provide unique trips, including a beach launch & a fast, exhilarating ride to the dive site! www.yongaladive.com.au LADY ELLIOT ISLAND ECO RESORT t: +61 7 5536 3644
huge variety of marine life. www.mantalodge.com.au PASSIONS OF PARADISE t: 07 4041 1600 e: Reservations@passions.com.au a: Reef Fleet Terminal, 1 Spence Street, Cairns, QLD Dive, snorkel and sail the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns onboard a sailing catamaran with locally owned Passions
DIVE EDEN t: 04 1002 6990 e: diveeden@gmail.com Guided dives of the wrecks, vibrant wharves and shoreline in Eden, Merimbula and Tathra. Scuba and Freediving courses are available. www.diveeden.com.au DIVE IMPORTS AUSTRALIA t: (+61) 24 367 5512 e: info@diveimportsaustralia.com.au a: Shop 5/188 The Entrance Road Erina 2250 Central Coast NSW The Only PADI 5 STAR IDC Centre in Central Coast and Closest Dive Shop to dive ex HMAS Adelaide which located at Terrigal. www.diveimportsaustralia.com.au EXPEDITION DIVE t: 1800 463 483 | e: info@expeditiondive.com.au a: Suite 683/41/464-480 Kent St, Sydney, NSW, 2000 PADI Courses • Guided Diving • Scuba Equipment. Expedition Dive is a full-service scuba shop with access to the best dive sites around Sydney. www.expeditiondive.com.au FEET FIRST DIVE t: 02 4984 2092 e: enquiries@feetfirstdive.com.au a: 97 Stockton St, Nelson Bay, NSW, 2315 SDI/TDI SCUBA, Snorkelling, & Spearfishing Retail & Training Centre. Shore dives in marine sanctuary, grey nurse shark double boat dives. www.feetfirstdive.com.au LETS GO ADVENTURES t: 02 4981 4331 e: fun@letsgoadventures.com.au a: Shop 8W, d’Albora Marina, Teramby Rd, Nelson Bay, NSW, 2315 PADI facility Introductory dives through to Instructor Courses. Guided shore & boat trips for divers & snorkellers. Retail Sales & Servicing. www.letsgoadventures.com.au
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VICTORIA ACADEMY OF SCUBA t: +61422631110 e: info@academyofscuba.com.au a: 463 Browns Rd, Rye, Vic, 3941 Outstanding service on the Mornington peninsula. Gear hire and professionally fitted equipment sales. For Welcome to our diving family. www.academyofscuba.com.au
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RODNEY FOX SHARK EXPEDITIONS t: 08 8363 1788 e: expeditions@rodneyfox.com.au a: 107 Henley Beach Road, Mile End, SA, 5031 Great white sharks, SCUBA, Ocean Floor Cage, Surface Cage, Australian Sea Lions and our own wine all on the 32m liveaboard MV Rodney Fox! www.rodneyfox.com.au
OCTOPUS GARDEN DIVE CHARTERS t: 0438925011 e: kimroyce@gateway.net.au a: Casuarina Boat Harbour, Bunbury, WA, 6230 Wreck & reef diving (small groups, min 2/max 11). Photographers paradise. Hire gear available. Prolific fish life. 10-18 metres. www.octopusgardendivecharters.com.au
DIVE GEAR AUSTRALIA t: 03 9702 3694 e: sales@divegearaustralia.com.au a: 11/53-57 Rimfire Drive, Hallam, Victoria, 3803 DGA is a PADI 5 star training dive store with a huge range of scuba diving, snorkelling and spearfishing gear. www.divegearaustralia.com.au
SOUTHCOAST DIVING SUPPLIES t: 08 98417176 e: whale@divealbany.com.au a: 84b Serpentine Road, Albany, WA, 6330 Diving Albany means diving anything from wrecks to reef, plunging drop offs to awesome canyons with unbelievable colours and fishlife. www.divealbany.com.au
authority on wetsuits and drysuits. Manufacture custom wetsuits. Miraculous repairs service all brands, styles for over 30 years. www.oceansuits.com.au OCEAN DIVERS t: 03 9579 2600 e: info@oceandivers.com.au a: 223a East Boundary Road, Bentleigh East Ocean Divers is a PADI Five Star Instructor Development Centre and a Scubapro Platinum Dealer. www.oceandivers.com.au SCUBA CULTURE PTY LTD t: 03 9808 0033 e: info@scubaculture.com.au a: 117 Highbury Road, Burwood, Victoria 3125 Full service dive shop providing equipment sales, service, hire, training, dive club, dive travel and air/ nitrox fills. www.scubaculture.com.au NEW ZEALAND AUCKLAND AQUATECH t: +64 2156 3563 e: servicing1@yahoo.com a: 4 WOULDBANK Way, Welcome Bay Aquatech is a scuba service centre. We service scuba regulators / full face masks / oxygen regulators. Underwater Scooters. www.aquatech.kiwi.nz AUCKLAND DIVE DOCTOR t: +09 530 8117 e: info@divedoctor.co.nz a: 20R Sylvia Park Rd, Mt Wellington. (1 min off the M’way) Scuba servicing centre – all brands. Wide range of products and hard to find items instore and online. 300 Bar fills, NITROX, O2. Quality dive training. www.divedoctor.co.nz DIVING ACADEMY LTD (AUCKLAND SCUBA) t: +64 9478 2814 e: info@aucklandscuba.co.nz a: 49B Arrenway Drive, Auckland 5* PADI centre, beginner to Instructor courses (student loan approved), quality equipment retail, rebreathers, scooters, dive trips, servicing, air fills. www.aucklandscuba.co.nz GLOBAL DIVE t: +64 9920 5200 e: info@globaldive.net a: 132 Beaumont Street, Westhaven, Auckland, 1010, NZ NZ’s Premium Dive Store. Leaders in Training, Servicing and Travel. Home of Fourth Element, OMS, Shearwater, XDeep, Light&Motion, DUI, Cinebags. www.globaldive.net KIWI DIVERS NZ LTD t: 09 426 9834 e: info@kiwiscubadivers.co.nz a: 8 Keith Hay Court, Silverdale, Auckland, NZ Air, Nitrox & Trimix fills. SSI & TDI Rec, Tech & Rebreather courses. 2 dive boats. Brands: Hollis, Oceanic, Zeagle, Atomic, Bare/Stahlsac service centre. www.kiwiscubadivers.co.nz WAIHEKE DIVE & SNORKEL t: +64 9217 4892 e: info@waihekedive.com a: 110 Ocean View Road, Oneroa, Waiheke Island, Auckland, NZ, 1081 NZ’s most fun little dive shop! We’re your choice for online retail, diving & snorkeling adventures –just 35 mins from Auckland CBD! www.waihekedive.com CANTERBURY DIVE HQ CHRISTCHURCH t: +64 3379 5804 e: sales@divehqscuba.co.nz a: 103 Durham Street South, Sydenham, Christchurch South Island’s Premium Dive Centre, Specialists in Scuba Diving, Spearfishing & Freediving. Brands: Hollis, Oceanic, Atomic, Zeagle, Beuchat, Bare & Rob Allen. www.divehqscuba.co.nz
BATAVIA COAST DIVE & WATERSPORTS t: 08 99214229 e: info@bcda.com.au a: Batavia Coast Dive, 118 Northwest Coastal HWY, Geraldton, WA 6530 We are a PADI 5 Star dive centre and THE local experts when it comes to oceanic adventures. www.bataviacoastdive.com.au
VICTORIA ALL ABOUT SCUBA t: (03) 9939 4913 e: info@allaboutscuba.com.au a: Unit 17/30-34 Maffra Street, Coolaroo, Victoria, 3048 A fully equipped SCUBA service centre with a passion for servicing so we can safely explore the underwater world! www.allaboutscuba.com.au
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
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ADELAIDE SCUBA t: +61 8 8294 7744 e: diving@adelaidescuba.com.au a: 3 Cygnet Court, Glenelg North, SA, 5045 SA’s premier PADI 5-star IDC scuba, freediving, mermaid and tec diving centre with onsite boats and heated dive training pool. www.adelaidescuba.com.au
EXTREME WATERSPORT t: 03 5982 3432 e: info@extremewatersport.com.au a: 621/1623 Point Nepean Rd, Capel Sound, VIC 3940 Full sales, equipment servicing, training, rental, and Air fill services available onsite. On the water of below it you can’t go past Extreme Watersport! www.extremewatersport.com.au t: 03 9702 4993 sales@oceansuits.com.au Unit 3, 101 Wedgewood road, Hallam, Victoria, 3803 Australia’s foremost
SCUBA COURSES PTY LTD t: 0407 580 580 e: simon@scubacourses.com.au a: 1/83, Mount Barker Road, Stirling, SA 5152 PADI Dive Centre, Open Water through to Assistant Instructor courses, and specialties. Tank fills and shop. PADI MSDT, experienced instructors. www.scubacourses.com.au
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80 WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU MARLBOROUGH GO DIVE PACIFIC t: 0274 344 874 e: info@godivepacific.nz a: 66 Wellington St, Picton, Marlborough, NZ Dive one of the biggest cruise ship wrecks in the world, the Mikhail Lermontov, suitable for recreational to advanced technical divers. www.godivepacific.co.nz NORTHLAND DIVE NOW t: 09 438 1075 e: info@divenow.co.nz a: 41 Clyde St, Whangarei We’re Northland’s largest SCUBA, Spearfishing & Freedive retail store offering great deals on gear along with SCUBA and Freedive courses. www.divenow.co.nz PAIHIA DIVE t: +64 9402 7551 e: info@divenz.com a: 7 Williams Rd, Paihia 0247, NZ We run daily trips to the Canterbury wreck, The Rainbow Warrior wreck and reef sites in the Bay of Islands. www.divenz.com NEW ZEALAND NORTHLAND SUBAQUA DIVE CENTRE t: 09 988 9508 e: subaquadivecentrenz@gmail.com a: 108 Cameron Street, Whangarei, NZ Friendliest dive shop in town. Stocker of Hollis, Ratio Dive computers, Atomic Aquatics, Bare, Oceanic and Zeagle. www.facebook.com/subaquadivewhangarei SOUTHLAND DESCEND NZ – MILFORD SOUND t: +64 (0)27 337 2363 e: info@descend.co.nz a: Deepwater Basin Milford Sound –bookings essential Dive in the majestic and unique Milford Sound where deepwater species such as black coral live in diveable depths. www.descend.co.nz TAURANGA DIVE ZONE TAURANGA t: 0064 7578 4050 e: info@divezonetauranga.co.nz a: 1213 Cameron Rd, Tauranga, NZ Join our friendly crew for a great day out exploring the Bay of Plenty dive sites, you will be well looked after onboard our comfortable boat Ruku Moana. www.divezonetauranga.co.nz WAIKATO DIVE ZONE WHITIANGA t: +64 7867 1580 e: info@divethecoromandel.co.nz a: 10 Campbell Street, Whitianga 3510, NZ Dive charters, training, service and retail store. Many and varied dive spots. Beautiful coastal town location. Offshore islands & Marine Reserve. www.divezonewhitianga.co.nz WELLINGTON DIVE WELLINGTON t: 04 939 3483 e: dive@divewellington.co.nz a: 432 The Esplanade Island Bay, Wellington, NZ Wellington’s Padi 5 Star Centre, right across the road from Taputeranga Marine Reserve. Come and dive or snorkel with us. www.divewellington.co.nz THAILAND INTO THE FREEZER IVANA ORLOVIC ICE DIVING IN THE AUSTRIA AND SERBIA THE CORAL COAST DEBORAH DICKSON-SMITH TOURS THE DIVING HOTSPOTS OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA Q&A ANDREW FOX IN CONVERSATIONTHEGREATWHITESHARKPRO ADRIAN STACEY IS BLOWN AWAY BY THE ‘SOFT CORAL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD’ THAILAND MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY RAJA AMPAT DIVING WITH… JULES CASEY HIRSCHFIELD CHATS TO THE INSTAGRAM PHENOMENON ABOUT FREEDIVING TRULY TUBBATAHA DON PHILIPPINESMAKESSILCOCKITTOPOST-COVID MIKHAIL LERMONTOV PETE MESLEY GOES ON A WHISTLESTOP TOUR OF THE OCEAN LINER HEAVEN Wreck EXPLORING AUSTRALIA’S EX-HMAS ARTIFICIAL REEFS*All subscriptions auto-renew. Subscriptions can be managed online at www.scubadivermag.com.au You can cancel at anytime before the subscription renews. No refunds offered if subscription is not cancelled before the renewal date. • NEWS • HINTS & ADVICE • IN-DEPTH TRAVEL • INTERVIEWS • GEAR • PHOTOGRAPHY AND GET 12 ISSUES FOR ONLY $65! ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS HERE NEXT ISSUE!
Photo provided by Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions
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Before planting the corals, the crew first needed to select and study reef areas with optimal conditions to be restored near the nursery, so the overall environment will be similar, and will create less stress for the corals to adapt.
They assessed the initial reef state by monitoring different aspects along transect lines, such as the presence of corals, algae, fishes, and invertebrates that they will repeat over time to track the impact of our transplantation efforts. Then, when the time came,
transplant,thusTiaiabags.viaofreefcoralssecuredbeforeexcesssurfacecleanedtheythetoremovealgaetheythe7,940ontothewithlittledotsmarinecementpastrypipingThecoralsinarethrivingfarpost-andwe will keep monitoring their evolution. The goal is that they spread onto the reef, eventually, spawn and attract more fish and other reef-dwelling creatures to settle in and bring life back to our ocean!
The team mapped the site with every coral they planted and have randomly tagged a sample of 800 corals to monitor closely for health and growth. The site will also be monitored every year for the abundance of fish and invertebrate biodiversity, and the overall coral coverage will be calculated with the photogrammetry technique that models the reef in 3D. We are amped up by these results and are now getting ready to transplant our two other gene bank nurseries in Cook’s Bay and Piha’ena. We are on track to reach our yearly goal of planting 15,000 corals by 2022 and our long-term goal to plant one million corals by 2025 with the techniques used and tested first in Mo’orea. You can take direct action to help us plant more corals by adopting one on our website: www.coralgardeners.org
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e have officially met our halfway goal towards planting 15,000 corals onto Mo’orea’s reef by 2022. Our restoration crew has been planting almost 8,000 corals from our gene bank nursery in Tiaia over the last few months, creating our largest transplant site yet, spreading across 5,000 square meters - almost one football field of restored reef! This achievement was a long time coming, since Tiaia was the first gene bank nursery we created back in December 2020. In order to make this happen, the team scouted the lagoon for the most-resistant corals and collected fragments of different colonies and species to seed the nursery with biodiversity. For over a year, the team put in the work to monitor and nurture over 4,000 corals to maturity. The corals grew so much that we were able to collect on average between two and three fragments per coral. In some cases, the team was even able to fragment up to ten pieces from the largest corals, while for the smaller species, such as Montipora and Porites, they planted them as a whole onto the reef. The team already refilled the nursery with new corals for the ones that were taken entirely, and the rest of the partial fragments will keep on growing in the nursery to be ready for future transplants. This is the beauty of a gene bank - it will keep on giving!