Tabla de contenidos para Issue 2 - 2016 en Scuba Diver/Asian Diver

*The text in this feature was partly adapted from “Myths of the Sea” by Rico Besserdich, which appeared in Asian Diver, Issue 6, Volume 123 The mermaid myth is alive and well today. In fact, when many people mistook Animal Planet’s 2012 docufiction Mermaids: The Body Found for a factual documentary, the National Ocean Service (a branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) was forced to declare that “no evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found”. Yet the myth has infiltrated Asian, European and American legend and lore, and mermaids are still very present in the human psyche. A BRIEF HISTORY OF MERMAIDS The first mermaid tales originated from Assyria (now Iraq), dating back to 1000 BC. It was told that the goddess Atargatis unintentionally killed her mortal…

The Seychelles is the perfect setting for some of the planet’s most awesome dives A remote archipelago of more than 100 islands in the Indian Ocean, around 1,500 kilometres east of mainland East Africa, the Seychelles is every inch the island paradise you imagine it to be. With its sun-drenched white sand beaches, clear topaz water, and laidback vibes, it’s the perfect setting for some of the planet’s most awesome dives. Submerge in its gin-clear waters and you’ll discover miles of beautiful and colourful soft coral reefs, schooling fish in abundance, myriad graceful sharks, WWII wrecks, numerous interesting freshwater pools, and a stunning underwater topography of pinnacles, walls, drop-offs, swim-throughs and canyons. When it comes to the big boys, it doesn’t come any bigger than the world’s largest fish, the…

A remote archipelago of a thousand low-lying islands embraced by lush mangrove swamp, Jardines de la Reina, or “Gardens of the Queen”, is a veritable underwater time capsule – a place that has never been fished commercially nor seen any industry of any kind. Marine biologists regard it as the last jewel of the Caribbean islands. The park boasts the largest preserved coral reef system of the entire Caribbean. It is home to endangered Nassau and Goliath groupers as well as crucial nesting sites for the critically endangered hawksbill turtle. The park is also reputed to harbour an amazing diversity of sharks – including silky, Caribbean reef, blacktip, lemon, nurse, great hammerhead and whale sharks – sentinel species indicative of a healthy ecosystem. For the intrepid diver, however, the most…

What keeps Cocos Island fanatics returning year after year? It certainly isn’t the potential for relaxation, as getting there involves a gruelling 36-hour crossing from mainland Costa Rica. And it probably isn’t the likelihood of idyllic diving conditions, since rainy skies, choppy seas, particulate-filled water, and current-ripped sites are more common than not. It isn’t even the gregarious marble rays, the squadrons of eagle rays, or the massive schools of jacks, though this variety of marine life is present on every dive. Cocos Island’s main attraction is, of course, sharks. Howard Hall once described Cocos as having “more sharks per cubic metre of salt water than anywhere in the world”, and he wasn’t kidding. Reef, nurse, silky, Galápagos, tiger, and whale sharks are a big part of the lineup, but…

If you’ve never heard of Sint Eustatius before, you will almost certainly recognise its more famous neighbour, Bonaire, but this being the Caribbean Netherlands, you probably know that the region has some of the healthiest reefs and most biodiverse marine life anywhere in the world. The water surrounding Sint Eustatius (or “Statia”, as the locals affectionately call it) is a protected marine park, and as a consequence, you are only allowed to dive with a local guide. Unlike some of the more popular Caribbean islands, Sint Eustatius boasts a complete ecosystem, from apex predators to satisfy the wide-angle junkies, down to the tiniest of colourful critters to keep macro lovers happy for hours. The seabed is also littered with massive wrecks, including the famed 100-metre-long Charles Brown. The “Blue Bead…

Divers flock to San Diego to swim through towering kelp forests, explore anemone-encrusted shipwrecks, interact with blue and mako sharks, and cavort with playful sea lions. However, this sun-drenched, wide angle-worthy destination has a well-kept secret: it offers the most phenomenal macro life in Southern California. Submarine canyons just offshore plunge to nearly 180 metres, meaning that cold, nutrient-rich water bathes local dive sites, making incredible critter sightings possible almost everywhere. The shallow sandy slopes and tangles of torn kelp at humble “La Jolla Shores” are home to pipefish, octopus, juvenile horn sharks, seahorses, nudibranchs, and (for the fortunate) market or dumpling squid. At deeper sites, small greenlings perch on rocks while Simnia snails can sometimes be found traversing red gorgonians. A few miles south, the rocky reefs lining the…

Did you think critter and muck diving was a warm water thing? Think again! Despite the water temperatures, Gulen is a hotspot for macro life, offering rare fish species, more nudibranchs than any other location in the North Atlantic, and a plethora of other marine critters. Underwater photographers flock to the Norwegian west coast to get a taste of some northern critters. Gulen Dive Resort alone boasts more than 70 species of nudibranchs on their house reef. In the season, nudibranchs may be seen in the thousands, and on the sandy patches pink clingfish dance for their mates while rare species of gobies look on in astonishment. The diving is easy and suitable even for open water level, as the house reef is in a sheltered location with moderate current.…

1 PYGMY SEAHORSE The first pygmy seahorse known to science was Hippocampus bargibanti. It was found only when a host gorgonian was being examined in a laboratory. At least six more species were named after 2000. The popular bargibanti, high on all underwater photographers’ bucket lists, lives its entire adult life on a single, specific type of gorgonian fan coral, Muricella. 2 WEEDY SCORPIONFISH (RHINOPIAS) Rhinopias, like most scorpionfish, is a nocturnal camouflage hunter, adapting its many colours to its habitat. It rarely swims, rather it propels itself along the seabed with its fins. A relatively rare critter, divers get very excited when they hear one is around, as experienced guides are usually able to locate it repeatedly once they know its general location. 3 HARLEQUIN SHRIMP These pretty, constantly…

Headlining Indonesia’s all-star lineup of diving destinations, Raja Ampat is 40,000 square kilometres of diving paradise that stretches over 1,500 islands straddling the equator. Lying just off of Indonesia’s West Papua province are the “Four Kings” that make up Raja Ampat, the islands of Waigeo, Salawati, Batanta, and Misool. Bucolic and largely uninhabited, for underwater photographers it’s the perfect marriage of macro and wide angle, the embodiment of the pristine colour-drenched reef where strange and amazing creatures from oceanic mantas to pygmy seahorses and wobbegong sharks are almost commonplace. The breathtaking scenery both above and below the surface is made even more spectacular given Raja Ampat’s ranking as the most biodiverse reefscape on Earth, with over 1,500 species of coral and 500 species of fish, including several endemics. With untold…

POSTED BY: OLIVER JARVIS, FEBRUARY 1, 2016 Topics: Marine Monday When NASA launched Apollo 8 – the first manned spacecraft to leave the Earth’s orbit, reach the moon and return – they became the first humans to ever witness “Earthrise”. Floating in the perpetual darkness of space over 300,000 kilometres away from civilisation, they gazed back to take a look at our Earth; only half visible, a blue marble slowly spinning. Our blue planet. Camera FRIDAY Photographer of the Month (January) Laurent Ballesta Travel TUESDAY The World’s Best Places for Shark Diving Skill-Set SUNDAY Tek Diving: 5 Entry-Level Courses uw360 NEWS Belize Bans Offshore Oil Drilling Along Barrier Reef System Share this:…

COLOUR & WIN! Show off your artistic skills in our colouring competition and stand to win attractive prizes! Winning entries will even get published in Asian Geographic JUNIOR! MEET THE ADEX OCEAN ARTIST! It’s all seahorses at ADEX. Make beautiful art with our ocean artists. PUZZLE FUN! Challenge yourself with some amazing puzzles that tell us stories about the ocean! SEAHORSE ON YOUR FACE! Show your support for seahorses. Get a seahorse painted on your face with edible paints! WANT TO BE A DIVER? Let the experts at ADEX help you discover the joys of the underwater world. Children who are at least 8 years old can use scuba gear to breathe underwater and swim around in our shallow water pool. Kids must be comfortable in the water, but no…

Anilao is a unique dive destination located in the Batangas region on the main island of Luzon just 2.5 hours southwest of the Philippine capital, Manila. Anilao’s calm waters have been a favourite amongst the local dive community for more than 50 years and claims to be the birthplace of diving in all of the Philippines. Over the years, countless Manila divers have come to complete their open water dive training, expand their dive skills or just enjoy the quick access to great dives. What many of these divers didn’t realise was the significance of the abundant marine life found here. Ocean and tidal currents, depth and other elements have come together in a way to make this small enclave a very unique dive destination indeed. Geographically, Anilao is located…

The Scuba360 Business Forum* is a series of conferences, panel discussions and presentations that will be held in conjunction with other major dive shows in the region. Industry leaders and key players will be present to discuss the following topics: • Marine conservation • Sustainable marine tourism • Branding & marketing in Asia Pacific • Scuba gear • Underwater photo & video equipment • Dive training and careers • Dive safety SPEAKERS* *Subject to change • Amanda Vincent (Canada) Director of Project Seahorse • Charles Rowe (USA) MarSub Tech Workshop and Exhibition and the Seacil Artificial Reef Creator • Cipto Aji Gunawan (Indonesia) Marine Ecotourism Assessment, Development, and Marketing Consultant •…

Ask Emmy Award-winning cinematographer, photographer, and marine conservationist Shawn Heinrichs if we’ve run out of time to stop the human-driven mass extinction of species that is currently ongoing, and you’ll get a characteristically emphatic answer: It’s not too late. But Shawn knows, more than most, that we have a choice – and it’s ours to make. “Future generations one day will look back on this time and say, this was the generation that stood up and acted to save Earth’s biodiversity. Or they will say, this generation knew what was happening, but stood by and let it all slip away,” he says. And Shawn isn’t only talking about the world’s decision-makers: “The choice is in each of our hands. We must decide individually, as families, communities, nations, and as one…

Kona is far from the postcard image of Hawaii you might have in mind. Yes, there are beautiful beaches and lots of tropical adult beverages to be had. But the landscape is far more rugged and raw than the rest of the Hawaiian Islands. After all, the “Big Island” is just an infant by geological standards – still growing and changing at 700,000 years. Underwater, this rugged environment is a haven for large, pelagic animals passing through the vast Pacific. Perhaps the most famous of these are the wide-winged manta rays that feed on microscopic plankton every evening just a stone’s throw from shore. The mantas perform acrobatic somersaults, scooping up as much to eat as possible, while cameras click away. But the “big birds” are not the only sight…

With around 70 percent of all Indo-Pacific marine species to be found in Kimbe Bay, this jewel of the Bismarck Sea is a world-class biodiversity hotspot. The most famous dive site here is undoubtedly “Father’s Reef”, known for its eye-popping schools of jackfish and barracuda, and seamount dives such as “Bradford Shoals” reveal pelagics such as fusiliers, bigeye trevally and dogtooth tuna. But Kimbe Bay is also home to the spectacular Restorff Island, where macro lovers will find an endless parade of bizarre critters of every shape and colour imaginable. Commensal, harlequin and tiger shrimps as well as countless kinds of colourful crabs come out in the night from their hiding places to scoop up their fair share of the nutrients carried up with the currents. Crawling conches diligently inspect…

Some of the most famous dive sites in the Philippines are located in Anilao, Batangas, just a few hours’ drive from the capital, Manila. Scuba divers have been flocking here for years to experience the huge diversity of its dive sites and marine life. Underwater photographers come in their droves to shoot the rare and elusive critters living on the reefs and sandy slopes along the coast. Suitable for all levels, most of the diving is easy and in shallow water although some sites are deeper and occasionally have strong currents. The dive guides working the area are some of the best spotters in the world and know when to dive each site and where the best critters can be found. Prized subjects such as blue ring and mimic octopus,…

Lembeh Strait is one of the world’s most popular locations for “muck diving”. The small body of water between Lembeh island and mainland North Sulawesi seems to be the gathering place for the weird and wonderful. Most dive sites are black sand, which require a little bit of treasure hunting to find the good stuff. Luckily, local dive guides have eyes like hawks and can pick out a tiny baby frogfish as small as a pea from 10 metres away. The entire strait makes for great critter-hunting, and divers will find plenty to look at just walking off the beach at local resorts or venturing further off into the strait. Popular dive sites include “Nudi Falls” (lots of nudibranchs), “Angel’s Window” (a large pinnacle covered with marine life and a…

Nestled in the isolated southeastern corner of Sulawesi, Wakatobi Dive Resort is easily accessed from Bali via the resort’s own private runway on a neighbouring island. Due to its remote location and protected reefs, it offers some of the most unspoiled diving in Southeast Asia, if not the world. The diving is accessible to all levels, with corals growing all the way from the surface to the deeper realms of the rebreather diver. Some sites are prone to currents, but these encourage the corals into their full splendour and draw great schools of colourful fishes. The wall dives at Wakatobi are first class, such as the aptly named “Cornucopia” and “Magnifica”. If the abundant pygmy seahorses are too small for you, then the reefs also accommodate multitudes of other macro…

The name Stan Waterman is recognised throughout the international diving world as one of the pioneers of underwater film and photography. He took his first dive at the age of 11, when he was given a Japanese Ama diver’s mask while on holiday in Florida. Stan put the mask on and swam along the breakwater at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach. The beauty of undersea life hooked him forever and set his life’s course. The year was 1934 and the first books and films on the sport of diving were many years away. During World War II (1939–1945), Stan was in the US Navy and got to freedive with men from his unit at the Naval Air Station in the Canal Zone. Some of these men were experienced California…

UK Alex Mustard Voice of the Ocean Head Judge Dr Alexander Mustard has been taking underwater photographs for 30 years. Previously, he worked as a marine biologist at the UK’s National Oceanography Centre, Southampton. His innovative underwater photographs are respected and celebrated around the world. He has pioneered many techniques within underwater photography and is held in particular esteem by the underwater photography community for continually sharing his secrets through magazine articles, talks and workshops. Alex is a sought-after writer on all aspects of underwater photography, particularly equipment reviews and technique articles. www.amustard.com TOPICS Main Stage WIDE ANGLE LIGHTING MASTERCLASS: Learn how to create the different wide-angle lighting styles that will transform your images. Photo Video Zone MACRO LIGHTING MASTERCLASS: Find out how to take full control of your lighting…

PHILIPPINES AG Saño ADEX 2015 Ambassador for Dolphins AG, a conservationist and widely published professional photographer, began his career as an assistant to art mentor Fernando Sena. He established Dolphins Love Freedom, which aims to protect dolphins and whales. AG has also done assignments and environmental work with reputable NGOs and institutions and co-founded Balyena.org, a non-profit marine mammal conservation group. MALAYSIA Anuar Abdullah ADEX 2014 Ambassador for Coral Reefs Anuar is the founder of Ocean Quest Southeast Asia (previously known as Ocean Quest Malaysia) and is involved in coral reef rehabilitation in the Southeast Asian region. His projects include coral propagation education and empowering the public in coral conservation. He is also the author of a book on coral reef rehabilitation. SINGAPORE Van Wangye Van Wangye is a self-taught…

There is a place in French Polynesia where, every year, thousands of marbled groupers gather in secret – shadowed by hundreds of sharks… Photographer, diver and biologist Laurent Ballesta wanted to better understand what drives these fish to wait until the exact day of the July full moon to spawn – all at once. With the help of researchers from the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) at Moorea, Laurent and his team conducted numerous experiments to study and witness this unique phenomenon. Each year, thousands of groupers travel huge distances to gather in the southern pass of Fakarava atoll in French Polynesia. These big fish wait for the day of the full moon to spawn simultaneously in one giant frenzied orgy. During the weeks before the main event,…

The Blue Heron Bridge is often referred to as North America’s best location for muck diving. Calm, shallow waters just minutes away from a bustling major US highway boast an incredible amount of life in a very small area. Popular critters include batfish, jawfish (often with eggs), stargazers, flying gurnards, sharptail eels, seahorses, and octopus, all within six metres or shallower. Diving in such shallow water can lead to dives up to two hours long – which is needed to see all the life under the bridge. Diving under the bridge is great for all levels of divers and the site is a popular place for local dive shops to teach Open Water classes. Divers must keep to a certain area though, as continuing west away from the beach park…

Coming face to face with the ocean’s most maligned and intimidating fish, the great white shark, is near the top of every diver’s bucket list, and the Neptune Islands in South Australia are one of only three locations around the world that offer reliable encounters with these amazing apex predators. Shark eco-tourism was born here over 40 years ago when famous shark attack survivor Rodney Fox designed and built the first-ever protective cage in an effort to better understand the animals that very nearly ended his life. Today, these surface cages allow anyone to get in the water to see the sharks, while certified divers can experience the thrill of an exclusive submersible cage that is lowered 25 metres below the boat where animals patrol the reef system surrounding the…

The remote coast of south-central Mozambique is the home of Inhambane City and nearby Tofo Beach. Marked by rolling sand dunes and miles of deserted beaches, these coastal waters are rich in plankton, and filter feeders like manta rays and mobulas thrive here. But it’s the planet’s biggest fish, whale sharks, that snorkellers come to see. In the past, the whale shark experience was something that was done on the way to the famous Manta Reef, which is the big reef dive attraction in the area. But now dedicated whale shark snorkelling trips are common. These impressive behemoths rarely hold still since they are feeding as they swim, and those that aren’t feeding are also on the move, so a good pair of snorkelling or freediving fins is essential. Snorkellers…

The annual migration of sardines up the east coast of South Africa during the months of May to July predictably causes a frenzy amongst some of the most enigmatic animals of our oceans. Because of the cold currents along this stretch of coastline and the sardines’ appetite for plankton, the fish sometimes converge close to the shoreline and to the surface, making perfect targets for hungry predators and exciting opportunities for intrepid underwater adventurers. Imagine thousands of Cape gannets with chisel-sharp beaks plunging from the sky into a massive sardine ball; Zambezi and copper sharks charging in by the hundreds; and the engineers of the feast, common dolphins, herding the sardines towards the surface, where they can be devoured more effectively. Lurking below, unseen in the darkness of the depths,…