Tabla de contenidos para 3/2022 - 124 en Scuba Diver/Asian Diver

Sri Lanka’s waters are home to countless rare and unique marine creatures, including sperm whales, Bryde’s whales, Eden’s whales, Omura’s whales, Cuvier beaked whales, pilot whales, whale sharks, and various species of dolphins and turtles. We once even spotted a pod of killer whales. But nothing compares to seeing a blue whale. “Blue whales hold just about every record for animal size. They are also larger than any dinosaur ever was” I vividly remember my first encounter when I jumped into the water with only one fin in Sri Lanka. I was so excited. Diving alongside a blue whale is definitely one of my life’s most amazing experiences. My first encounter with these magnificent giants was in 2016 and it became an annual affair ever since. My last visit to…

If you are like most divers, you’ve probably dreamed of that once-in-a-lifetime dive trip – exploring some far-off, exotic ocean on reefs that have never been dived before; walking on deserted, white sand beaches where there is no sign of another human being; and sailing, day after day, never seeing another vessel. In 1993, a small group of us had the rare opportunity to live out such a dream. Aboard Howard Rosenstein’s 37-metre-long dive boat Fantasea II, chartered by David Doubilet of National Geographic, we explored and dived a remote, virtually untouched area of the western Indian Ocean. In what was thought to be the first large-scale diving expedition in this area since Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s famous discovery-voyage in 1954, we visited the exotic places he chronicled in his book, The…

Images of the underwater world seem to come from another universe. Whimsical inhabitants, graceful sharks and huge mammals have long fascinated divers, inspiring people to capture their encounters with a camera. As an underwater photographer, you are entering completely new territory, and you must adapt to the conditions of the underwater world. And what better way to begin your journey in underwater photography than with the camera you know best – the one in your phone. Smartphones are capable of taking excellent photos (and video), and image quality, resolution, and features are improving all the time. And with more waterproof housings available for smartphones, it is very likely that this type of underwater photography will become even more popular in the future. “What better way to begin your journey in…

One of the assignments I worked on as an underwater cameraman was a documentary about great white sharks off Guadalupe Island in Mexico. I spent a month filming for the production team, much of which was spent in cages attached to the boat or lowered to a depth of around 15 metres. The highlight of the assignment, however, was when they deployed the roving submersible cage. The roving submersible is a cage designed specifically for divers to manoeuvre underwater safely in the presence of great whites – much like a submarine. The cage resembles the shape of a tube and has ballast and compressed air tanks built along the top of the hull. Thrusters/motors on the side provide propulsion and the vehicle is controlled by a pilot sitting in the…

When I was born, I was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. The disease causes a loss of muscle function, affecting mobility. Since elementary school, I’ve lived in a wheelchair. I started diving in my fourth year of university in 2020 and because of the pandemic, I had a lot of spare time. I was inspired to dive by my father, who came from a seaside town in Guangdong Province, China. In the 1990s, my father became a sailor and went to Europe and Morocco on a boat. His story has always motivated me to be near the sea and so, I thought I should finally embrace it, too. I contacted the Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA) instructor in China, and started diving soon after. I obtained my HSA-approved diving certificate on August…

No matter where we are from, a lot of us are taught to fear sharks. I created Sharks4Kids because I believe kids can change the world. They give me hope and they inspire me. I have dived all over the world and have seen majestic mantas and delicate nudibranchs. I have danced with wild dolphins and have been in awe of 10 great hammerheads. I have to say, though, that some of the most amazing moments have been seeing kids experience the ocean for the first time. Through our Sharks4Kids outreach programmes, we take students to The Bahamas on field trips to see sharks and rays. Despite living on an island, many of these students do not know how to swim or have never been on a boat. When we…

“It’s so hard to find good, cheap sushi here,” Sarah exclaims as she tries to find nori sheet sellers on Instagram. The bell of an ice-cream vendor clinks away as the Singaporean sun blazes down on asphalt – an incentive for more residents to consider a cooling refreshment? I increase the fan speed, listen to the clink clank of the bell subsiding as I refocus on the interview subject sharing one half of my screen. I suddenly catch the unintended irony of Sarah’s statement. “Wait, you live in the Maldives surrounded by fish. You work in fisheries!” I blurt out. “When I’m reef diving, I can see things on the outside and see the idea of it, but you can’t poke your head into a rock or crevice,” Sarah explains,…

It was only on our 16th dive that we first saw something bigger than ourselves in the ocean. We had descended to the “Cathedral” in the clear warm waters of Fiji, the perfect place for us as new divers to have our first “real” shark encounter. It wasn’t long before that feeling arose. It’s hard to explain, but every diver knows it – the feeling that something much bigger than you is near, but you can’t yet see it. Soon, a number of dark shadows emerged, slinking their way through the water column. Their shape and colossal size soon revealed their identity as not one, but six “friendly” Fiji tiger sharks. Our hearts, which were calm moments earlier, began beating faster, and although our breathing quickened, surprisingly we felt far…

Anita Verde and Peter Marshall have a passion for the planet’s wild places, and through their images and narratives hope to inspire better appreciation and protection of the natural world. Based in Melbourne, Australia, they have professional backgrounds in tourism strategy, environmental sustainability, and government relations. When they are not underwater or on a mountaintop, they also work professionally as strategic consultants, advising governments and industry on sustainable destination planning and development, investment attraction, government relations, brand strategy and marketing. Read more about them at www.summitstoseasphotography.com.…

The newlyweds pose for the camera So, what does it feel like to get married underwater with 50 shark guests? Two words – wet and wonderful! It was the best day of my life and the most unforgettable dive of my career. My husband and I are both divers and my family are all divers. Diving has been my passion since I had a mouth big enough to hold a regulator, and for as long I can remember, sharks have been my absolute favourite creature that swims. So when my husband popped the big question, it was only logical to do it underwater. And why not travel somewhere where they have a high shark population – and an underwater preacher? Turns out the Bahamas ticked all the boxes. Underwaterpreacher.com (really!)…

We never thought about diving as a career, nor did we ever think about setting up a dive centre. But as husband and wife who have been diving for more than 10 years, we have always had a little dream in our hearts: a comfortable holiday hut on a beautiful white-sand beach. With just a few steps, you can go into the water and take photos and enjoy all kinds of delicacies on the shore – a coffee or fresh coconut juice. We were just blessed to have a chance to make this little dream come true! During the long process of planning and building the dive resort, we have been busy dealing with various problems every day. Although we live by the sea, we dive less than before. In…

It all started in 2016 after I did a dive event called Dive48, where I had a team of divers diving every hour in the same location for 48 hours. After that event, I planned to do a 24-hour dive just by myself but I couldn’t get the support I needed and it was delayed. Then last year, the Minister of Tourism of Maldives announced that 2022 was the 50th Anniversary of Tourism in the Maldives. That got me thinking: Why not do a 50-hour dive? It took a lot of planning, logistics, and a good team to pull this dive off. Plus, I had a great team of divers and an event management team supporting me. I was really nervous on the day of the dive. A lot of…

Wreck diving is really an exploration of the past. I’m not talking about surplus ships that have been cleaned up and sunk. These sites could just as easily be called “artificial shipwrecks”, just like “artificial reefs”. What makes my heart pound is exploring a wreck site with history. Picking one great shipwreck to talk about is tough; so, let’s not do that. Think one dive, two shipwrecks touching. This unique dive site is found in Apra Harbor, Guam. While not your typical South Pacific clear blue water, the visibility in Apra Harbor is acceptable for underwater photography and wreck exploration. Because of the prevalence of “harbour slit” in the water, I try and use natural light over strobes whenever I can.   This dive site is the WWI wreck of the German auxiliary cruiser/armed merchant raider…

When teaching the Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA) programme, I experience a deep sense of gratitude for my students. These students have come out of their “comfort zone” to experience what it is like to dive and teach someone with a disability. They too go on to not only dive, but to teach the art and sport themselves and pass on their skills through our leadership programmes across the world. My gratitude then turns to pride as I see these students perform difficult skills required for a disabled diver. In teaching the HSA programme, I am continually amazed at the types of divers the HSA attracts. For example, while teaching an HSA instructor class in Malaysia, one of the students, a young lady, came to the very front and sat directly…

Scuba diving has a great rehabilitative effect on people living with disabilities – so great that it restores their self-confidence and dignity, as well as gives them a new perspective in life. I can attest to this, as it changed my life in so many ways. My name is Melissa Leonard. Doctors diagnosed me with muscular dystrophy and I have been using a wheelchair for 26 years. Scuba diving was a dream that came true and it opened a whole new world of possibilities and opportunities for me. I was finally able to take part in a sport. Taking my first breath of air underwater was one of the most amazing experiences I have had. Being in the safe hands of a qualified dive buddy/instructor enables me to enjoy the…

Starting with only a diving mask and snorkelling gear, I am now a certified scuba diver. As an SSI Junior Open Water Diver, I learned how to control my buoyancy and the physical implications underwater. I also learnt how to save and support colleagues underwater during a crisis. As a young diver, it was interesting to learn about the ocean and explore a new world. One person in particular who inspires me is Jay Moriarty; his passion for the sea and the way he thinks about the ocean and respects it – his attitude inspires me to become a part of the ocean. Initially, it was stressful getting into diving because I didn’t know how my body would cope or what would happen when I encountered different sea creatures. At…

It is 1963 at Aldinga beach, 50 kilometres south of Adelaide, South Australia, and Rodney Fox, the South Australian Spearfishing Champion, signals he is in trouble. Rodney’s blood quickly taints the water. His aggressor: a great white shark. With 462 stitches to his chest, right hand, and arm, including 92 to his hand alone, the incident is regarded as one of the most severe shark encounters ever to be survived by a human. Fast forward almost 60 years later, and here we are on Rodney’s shark expedition ship – the MV Rodney Fox. At the ship’s stern, two shark cages beg to enter the blue. The soft morning light gives them a sinister yet ethereal beauty, resembling some kind of strange adult water park. A ROLE IN HOLLYWOOD Designing the…

It was the last day of an incredible Tonga whale trip aboard the well-known dive vessel Nai’a. The sea had turned rough, the winds blustery. After cruising all morning, hoping for one last encounter, we had finally given up and began packing away our gear. Then, there came the familiar cry: “Whales!” What appeared to be several whales, with perhaps a mother and calf, had been spotted in the distance. With 45 minutes to spare, several of us jumped at the chance of an encounter and sped off. As we approached, the water became alive with splashing, jostling whales – two males were fighting over a female with her calf in tow. We entered the water and approached the melee cautiously. The calf, disturbed by the aggressive behaviour of its…

Beluga whales gather every summer in Canada’s Hudson Bay, close to river estuaries like those of the Churchill River. These Arctic whales use the warmer waters to give birth to their calves, shed their winter skin by swimming over shallow rubble, and feed on spawning capelin. The visibility in Hudson Bay, most of thetime, is very poor due to the runoff from rivers. After visiting one year and returning without any images, I planned to entice the belugas’ to come to me instead of my looking for them. I needed them to come in close in order to take any image through water plagued with visibility issues and thermoclines but full of the “canaries of the sea” – which until then I could only hear due to the high pitched…

Jim’s love for extreme sports and underwater photography perfectly combines adventure and art. Since 2008, Jim strives to capture transient beautiful moments more precisely every time he dives. His works have been published in numerous magazines and newspapers, and have won over 43 awards to date. Lynn has a similar passion for underwater photography, especially shooting macro subjects. She has won 53 domestic and international awards and has been published in magazines and newspapers worldwide.…

For Stuart, who founded Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas, there is an underwater world he wants to share with us all. The coastline waters offer world-famous underwater film sets for scuba divers, snorkellers, and swimmers. There’s a whole cinematic masterpiece beneath the surface to be seen. From stunning, lively reefs and an expansive array of marine life (most notably the sharks) to dramatic drops and mysterious wrecks, the experiences on offer are a treat for every diver, whether you’re a newbie or veteran – or a celebrity with a film crew in tow. Will Smith’s fear of sharks had haunted him his whole life thanks to Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. This fear of sharks would come up in any environment, even irrationally in the bathtub, as he admits in his Facebook Live…

Working on yachts has always been understood as a job for males – at least that is what I noticed when I first set foot in the Maldives in 2015. Packing my bags and moving to the country has given me invaluable life lessons that I would never have imagined experiencing if I had stayed in my corporate position back home. I first entered the diving scene in 2013 and have loved every opportunity that it has presented me. After graduating from Murdoch University with double majors in Hospitality and Tourism, and Marketing, my interest in the industry peaked and I knew I wanted to live overseas to immerse myself in the different cultures of the world. The opportunity to work in the Maldives was one that I grabbed immediately.…

When a diver begins to suffer from extreme fatigue, achy joints, and confusion, divers may recognise these as signs of decompression sickness (DCS). 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 cylinders and complete 12-dives in six days. The course started in shallow water, with dives becoming progressively…

When in the Philippines, visit Bohol’s famed Chocolate Hills, see the area’s oldest Christian settlement, and keep your eyes peeled for the world’s smallest monkey! Go on to explore Coron’s world-class beaches, snorkel pristine reefs bristling with marine life, and climb the steps to the summit of Mount Tapyas for a spectacular view of Coron Town BALICASAG, ISLAND Just 30 minutes by boat from Panglao Island, Balicasag Island is a turtle paradise. The island is home to a half dozen dive sites, with impressive schools of jack, barracuda, snapper, and grouper, and spectacular walls with beautiful sea fans Conditions: Great drift dives, best between 5–35 metres. Visibility can be over 30 metres CABILAO ISLAND A dozen dive sites on offer. Very healthy soft corals on the northern west side. A…