Tabla de contenidos para Asian Diver - Vol. 171 en Scuba Diver/Asian Diver

Whether you’re a big-animal fanatic searching for whale sharks or thresher sharks, a photographer captivated by bustling, healthy reefs, or a critter enthusiast hunting for pygmy seahorses, frogfish and flamboyant cuttlefish, Atlantis offers something for everyone. All these extraordinary dive experiences are available through their two luxurious resorts and two liveaboard vessels. The resorts are situated in prime locations at Dumaguete and Puerto Galera, offering divers immediate access to vibrant reefs and muck diving through a variety of sites right off the coast. Their liveaboard vessels, Adventurer (formerly Azores) and Infiniti, allow divers to explore remote locations in comfort, maximising dive time and providing the opportunity to visit some of the Coral Triangle’s most pristine and untouched sites. In this destination advertorial special, 13 well-known underwater photographers share their thoughts…

Returning home from a dive trip with memory cards packed full of colourful images of reefs, moody shots of wrecks, and video of encounters with impressive marine life is super rewarding. Whether you’re a fan of sharing images on social media or you want big prints on your walls, a photography trip is an investment, and we all want so see a return on our time and money. A dive trip can take up a lot of your vacation time and budget. Every dive is valuable and every moment on a dive can be a chance to take an incredible image you’ll treasure forever. The very last thing you want is to be on the reef, witnessing something remarkable and find you have a camera issue. From a simple error…

The recent official designation of the Bitaug Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Siquijor, Philippines, marks a transformative moment for ocean conservation and local stewardship in Southeast Asia. Covering almost 150 hectares of ocean, Bitaug is home to nowprotected vibrant coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and crucial habitats for sea turtles, sharks, and rays. Bitaug’s success is the product of nearly two decades of unwavering community advocacy, planning, and collaboration amongst the Bitaug Fisherfolk Association (BitFA), local governments, and conservation partners like the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). The protected area emerged from persistent efforts by local fishers, scientists, educational institutions, and government agencies, with BitFA now co-managing the site and playing a key role in enforcement, daily operations, and conservation outreach. Bitaug safeguards some of Siquijor’s most climate-resilient coral reefs, productive seagrass…

When divers and underwater photographers discuss the best sites around the world for macro photography (aka tiny “critter” encounters), the list isn’t very long. Normally it starts with Lembeh, Ambon or Bali in Indonesia, Anilao or Dumaguete in the Philippines, Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea, or even Heron Bridge in Florida. Mabul Island in Sabah, East Malaysia, seldom raises an eyebrow. It pains me that it often gets overlooked, as some of my most memorable critter encounters were in Mabul, including my very first blue-ringed octopus encounter under the Seaventures platform. Perhaps because it’s in the shadow of the legendary Sipadan Island, and maybe it doesn’t have the abundance of critters that Lembeh has, but Mabul certainly has the variety. At my production company, Scubazoo, we have filmed a…

Located just north of Australia, Papua New Guinea (PNG) is spread across the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, along with the Bismarck and Louisiade Archipelagos, the Admiralty Islands, Bougainville, and countless smaller islands scattered through the Bismarck and Solomon Seas. Home to nearly 12 million people, Papua New Guinea is one of the most culturally heterogeneous nations on Earth, with more than 850 languages spoken and close to 1,000 traditional societies existing side by side. This extraordinary patchwork of communities developed over centuries, shaped by the country’s rugged mountains and dense forests, which kept groups isolated and encouraged the formation of distinct tribal identities. Even today, life in PNG is overwhelmingly rural. Fewer than 20 percent of people live in towns or cities and most still follow…

For divers, the name Raja Ampat conjures images that seem almost too extraordinary to be real. Silver tornadoes of barracuda and shark swirling overhead, and manta rays gliding above coral gardens so vibrant as though painted by an artist’s brush. This remote archipelago in Indonesia’s West Papua province has earned its reputation as the epicentre of marine biodiversity – like a window into primeval reefs where evolution has run riot. But today, this rare marine paradise faces an unprecedented threat from above the water’s surface. The same geological forces that created Raja Ampat’s unique marine ecosystems have also blessed (aka cursed) the region with vast deposits of nickel ore, a critical component in the batteries powering our transition to electric vehicles. The collision between conservation and industry has sparked a…

Antarctica represents one of the planet’s last untouched frontiers. Snow and ice blanket the continent in pristine white, whilst the surrounding Southern Ocean supports a thriving array of wildlife above and below the surface. During the austral summer, this sub-zero environment teems with abundant krill supplies, feeding whales, seals, penguins and seabirds. Diving in Antarctic waters presents unique challenges for underwater photographers. Even in summer, water temperatures can hover around–1°C to–2°C (28°F), demanding meticulous preparation and specialised equipment to capture the continent’s extraordinary marine life. “The Southern Ocean supports a thriving array of wildlife above and below the surface. During the austral summer, this sub-zero environment teems with abundant krill supplies, feeding whales, seals, penguins and seabirds.” ANTARCTIC WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS Leopard Seals: Apex Predators with Personality Antarctica’s apex predator garners…

Eight hundred metres beneath the surface of Iron Bottom Sound, the lights of a remotely operated vehicle cut through the eternal darkness to reveal a sight that had remained hidden for more than eight decades. The Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer Teruzuki lay on the Solomon Islands seafloor, her hull a silent testament to one of World War II’s most desperate naval campaigns. For the first time, an international team aboard the Ocean Exploration Trust’s vessel, the E/V Nautilus, had located the World War II Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer Teruzuki (照月) . For Hiroshi Ishii, a Japanese researcher participating in the expedition, the discovery carried profound emotional weight. “I feel so lucky to see this ship,” he said, according to the Trust. “The fact that we have not seen Teruzuki in…

1 SEACAM SILVER CANON R5 II The ultimate multitool Advanced shooters who need a classy home for their R5 Mark II need look no further than SEACAM’s latest housing, which offers the familiar combination of top-notch engineering and elegant functionality we’ve come to expect from the Austrian company. The latest RF-mount lenses are accommodated, but users also have the option of using legacy EF-mount lenses via a Canon adapter. The housing ships with S6 or N5 bulkheads for reliable electrical strobe triggering, and SEACAM’s optical-acoustic leak detector comes as standard. www.seacam.com 2 SHEARWATER PEREGRINE TX Designed for discerning sport divers The Peregrine TX is a fusion of the beloved Peregrine’s large, user-friendly interface, plus core features from Shearwater’s flagship model, the Perdix 2 – air integration and a digital compass.…