Tabla de contenidos para Issue 3 - 2016 en Scuba Diver/Asian Diver

We were enthralled by an incredible wall of bait fish being harangued by tuna and giant and blue trevally. It made an astounding, pulsating, high-octane backdrop and a stunning contrast in energy to these beautiful pink fans. However, focusing on framing the shot amid all the action was something of a struggle! EQUIPMENT Nikon D810, Nauticam housing, 2 x Sea and Sea YS-250 strobes SETTINGS f/7, 1/320s, ISO 100…

The sea was like a glittering mirror, without a ripple visible in the morning sun. As I put my head underwater, I suddenly saw it approaching head-on, spreading out its wings like a plane hovering in mid-air. In a flash, I jumped off the boat and submerged into the blue. A manta ray had approached a huge rock about 10 metres below the surface. Soon, four giant mantas had arrived, circling the rock in quick succession. The most populated and developed island in the Yaeyama Island chain 2,000 kilometres from Tokyo, Ishigaki’s opalescent sapphire water, sandy beaches and tourism infrastructure make it one of the most visited places in the Okinawa region. With a year-round tropical climate and enervating humidity, it’s a mere speck in the Pacific Ocean about three…

ALL THE DIVES that we undertake carry a degree of risk that needs to be assessed and managed. In order to increase the likelihood of a problem-free dive, it is the responsibility of all divers to honestly ask themselves, “Should I be doing this dive?” In determining whether the answer is “Yes” or “No” you need to consider numerous factors: the dive plan, the conditions, your level of training and experience; as well as your health and fitness. No diver should undertake a dive they are not 100 percent prepared for. Even the most simple of dives carries risk, which increases if the diver is not properly equipped, physically and mentally, to deal with issues that may arise whilst underwater or on the surface. Conditions are usually easy to assess:…

Some effects of marine pollution are visible, such as the plastic garbage that often litters reefs and beaches. Other effects are similarly obvious, such as the brimstone stench of a nearshore dead zone caused by sewage and fertiliser runoff. Unfortunately, marine pollution goes even further than most people can easily witness, and these less-apparent aspects of pollution have elusive but far-reaching consequences. I first came to understand the significance of sunscreen lotion in marine pollution during an investigation into declining coral reefs in the U.S. Virgin Islands. A local resident complained to my investigative team about an oily, iridescent sheen on the surface of the water that lingered after the mass of tourists had gone home; it was supposedly caused by sunscreen washing off the swimmers. “Oxybenzone is toxic to…

Blue Lasso Using home-made snoots carved out of plastic funnels over my two strobes enabled me to highlight the details of the blue tendrils of this Portuguese Man O’ War without lighting the dirty, green, onshore waters it was in. WHERE Shellharbour, NSW, Australia WHEN December 2015 EQUIPMENT Nikon D810, Nikkor 16mm F2.8 Fisheye, Aquatica housing and port, Inon strobes SETTINGS f/22, 1/320s, ISO 64 Glaucus Atlanticus Very specific conditions and lots of luck are needed to find these pelagic nudibranchs. They’re not something you can plan for. Luckily when I found these guys I had my fibre optic snoot in the car, which helped me to separate them from their dirty water surroundings that they were floating in. WHERE Port Kembla, New South Wales, Australia WHEN November, 2015 EQUIPMENT…

POSTED BY: OLIVER JARVIS, MAY 4, 2016 Topics: Wildlife Wednesday While shark diving has been around for decades, the latest big predator encounter sweeping through the dive world like a crazy current, is diving with crocodiles. Hugging the riverbed, creeping within a scaly-tail swipe’s distance of this prehistoric predator is now a fully established “thing to do”. So, where to go to explore this latest trend? We bring you four of the best, and most croc-friendly, places to dive with crocodiles. Camera FRIDAY Photographer of the Month (April) Lynn Funkhouser TRADE360 BECOME A CORPORATE MEMBER FREE • Basic Corporate Member SGD200 • VIP Corporate Membership DIVEAHOLIC BECOME A DIVEAHOLIC MEMBER FREE • Basic Diveaholic Membership $$$ • VIP Diveaholic Membership MEMBER BENEFITS • Deals and Promotions uw360 NEWS The Great Barrier Reef Coral Bleaching Explained…

ISLANDS GOING UNDER It’s a well-known fact that sea levels are rising as a result of human-induced climate change. However, climate change is a complex process that will involve many unpredictable, knock-on effects. One such potential effect is now being revealed by recent scientific modelling: As the ice sheets melt, the freshwater released into the system will create a “feedback loop”, increasing the rate of warming, accelerating the melt rate of polar ice and the rate at which sea levels will rise. It is now thought that we could potentially live to see sea levels increase by as much as much as six to nine metres in the next 50 to 150 years. SIGNPOST ARE YOU THE FUTURE OF AQUACULTURE? Take part in The Blue Economy Challenge, and you could…

Touching a hard coral can stop the polyps being able to communicate and share nutrients. HARD CORALS • Grow into coral reefs • Live within an exoskeleton cup (or calyx), produced as the coral secretes calcium carbonate to stick to the ground and also to its polyp friends in its colony. • Polyps are interconnected via a system of gastrovascular canals that allow them to share nutrients and zooxanthellae. These canals run through a very thin tissue on the surface of the coral colony. These tissues can be easily damaged. CORALS ARE VITAL! • Coral reefs provide goods and services worth an estimated SGD375 billion each year. • Coral reefs protect shorelines from wave action and prevent erosion, property damage and loss of life. Reefs also protect the highly productive wetlands…

FLYING OVER THE ROCKY CLIFFS of Christmas Island, you realise that this place has to be one such gem, being host to many prized pelagic species, while remaining relatively accessible. Although technically part of Australia, the tiny island is actually located barely 500 kilometres south of Jakarta. Formerly administered by Singapore until the 1950s, its quaintly-named capital of Flying Fish Cove (“the Kampong”, locally) exudes a definite air of nostalgia of Singapore’s old days. Pure clarity Taking a jump into the crystal-clear waters, the first impression is that of incredible purity. The visibility seems to go on forever, and the underwater scenery appears as pristine as the topside landscape is untouched. Most dive sites start off with a shallow plateau at about five metres depth, followed by a steep drop-off…

1 INDONESIA THE FORGOTTEN ISLANDS Pioneer liveaboard operators recently stumbled upon the latest discovery in the Indo-Pacific region. Long ignored in favour of traditional, more-direct routes used for crossing the Banda Sea, this stretch of islands between the eastern tip of Timor and Tanimbar comprises the southern edge of the Malukus. The Banda Sea has some of the deepest ocean trenches in world, some up to 7,500 metres deep in places, and the reefs here thrive on nutrient-rich upwellings. The results are intact hard coral gardens climbing all the way to the surface, huge schools of fish, and the presence of large pelagics, from giant groupers to schools of giant trevallies, big tunas and large schools of hammerheads. By Ricard Buxo 2 INDONESIA GUNUNG API Gunung Api, or Snake Island,…

In the crystal-clear waters of the tropical Pacific, our research team from the Baum Lab at the University of Victoria studies coral health and diversity to understand the future of reef ecosystems. We document the reef and conduct coral surveys on a remote and relatively undeveloped Pacific island. On a recent expedition, a seemingly small issue turned into an emergency that, if not for the support of DAN and a great team, might have ended very differently. We were surveying corals in around 10 metres (33 feet) of seawater. This particular dive, which turned out to be our last that day, was different from others. I felt slow and unable to concentrate. I tried to count corals – four, five, six… what comes after six again? My brain felt foggy,…

How salty is the ocean? Surprisingly, the answer to this isn’t as straightforward as you might think: It depends! The ocean is salty as it’s full of dissolved sodium chloride (the same stuff you put on your chips) that has leached out of our planet’s rocks. Salinity is measured in parts per thousand, and, on average, the concentration of salt in the sea is about 35 parts per thousand, or roughly 3.5%. This means that for every kilo of seawater, about 35 grams is salt. But this varies! THE SALINITY OF SEAWATER DEPENDS ON THINGS LIKE: Climate The northern Indian Ocean is less salty during monsoon season, when rain dilutes it Time of year The Red Sea, one of the world’s saltiest at about 4.1%, is even saltier in the…

Scuba Diver AUSTRALASIA brings you everything you need for expanding your underwater horizons in Asia Pacifc! With gear and gadgets, the most desirable destinations, in-depth creature features, and insights into dive training, SDAA is a long-standing pillar of the dive industry, and a must read for anyone exploring the blue. #uwphotography #sealife #conservation #wow #bucketlist #whatitfeelslike #scuba101 #portfolio #buyersguide (New in stores) #portfolio #divetrip #icon Free Digital Copies With Your Print Subscription Get Scuba Diver AUSTRALASIA delivered to your tablet or mobile when you subscribe to the print magazine SDAA is the official media partner of DAN Asia Pacific, the region’s only established, international specialist dive medicine and safety organisation that also covers divers in the event of any dive related accidents. SDAA includes 24 pages of authoritative, engaging dive…

VISITORS This year, ADEX was simply phenomenal. With a record numbers of visitors, all hopped up on the ocean, the energy was astonishing. 2010 21,200 2011 23,000 2012 31,856 2013 38,342 2014 39,687 2015 41,053 2016 57,793 BREAKDOWN: Local Visitors: 35,520 Foreign Visitors: 24,273 OPENING CEREMONY 2016 15 ARPIL 3PM “ Having come of age to successfully position itself as the region’s premier diving event – one whose reach and influence is global in scope – ADEX has become so much more than just another dive show; it’s now a dynamic, exciting, informative and inspirational experience – a market-place that’s become the ‘one-stop-shop’ for every imaginable underwater adventure. In short, the annual ADEX event is one that no diving enthusiast can afford to miss."David Strike “ The attendance at ADEX…

OUR STORY BEGAN with the awakening of one person in the quiet world under the water. But this would have remained a dream without the passion, dedication, and expertise of all those who have contributed to what we are today. The personal epiphany In 1989, Ms. Rili Djohani, a marine biologist and seasoned diver, had already logged long hours underwater in the North Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean. Still, the waters of the Coral Triangle were a revelation. Nowhere else is the underwater world so riotously colourful and rich, and no other place on the planet teems with such an abundance and diversity of life. During her early dives back in Indonesia, Rili was reminded of how fragile this world is. Fishing with dynamite and explosives had left parts…

ENGLISH EDITION Our three magazines, Asian Diver, Scuba Diver AUSTRALASIA + OCEAN PLANET reach out wide across the blue planet. Translated into four different languages, our media aims to lead and inspire a wide international readership. Now you can enjoy our much-loved print magazines on your desktop, tablet or handphone, making our content accessible anytime, anywhere. CHINESE EDITION Simplified & Traditional Version The world of diving cuts across borders and cultures. Increasingly, Mandarin-speaking divers from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia are becoming regular customers at destinations across Asia Pacific and the world. This is a growing market within the dive industry and NOW is the time to get in on the action by becoming a part of the Asian Diver/Scuba Diver Chinese e-magazine.…

“The idea grew and grew. My final idea was to have an event that lasted for 48 hours, with several divers diving in relay for two full days and nights at a marine protected area, during which they would collect data about marine life. In the end, three of us were involved in organising this first-of-its-kind undertaking. The decision about the dive site had to be made quickly. I talked to a lot of my friends in the dive industry and they all wanted me to do the event at Maaya Thila.” Dive48: How an idea became a reality The real planning started in November 2015 and we decided to aim for it to take place in February 2016 to take advantage of the weather and water conditions. But we…

Nobody likes bad news, but sometimes a diving tragedy serves as an important reminder. A fatal dive accident on a liveaboard in the Maldives was just such a case. The accident involved carbon monoxide contamination of breathing gas, which caused the death of one diver and injured nine others. Among the disheartening details from the news reports: The shipboard emergency oxygen system was broken, and thus oxygen could not be provided to the victims. In a diving emergency, oxygen first aid can save lives, but only if the emergency kit is filled with oxygen and in good operating condition. Proper maintenance is vital, especially in tropical environments. MAINTENANCE CONCERNS Emergency oxygen systems do not require an inordinate amount of maintenance, but they do require periodic attention. The problem becomes one…

TA’AHIAMANU BEACH, MO’OREA Kick back and relax on this clean, secluded public beach. Golden sand, crystal clear water to cool off in, or if you are missing out on your underwater fix, there is always snorkelling. TROPICAL GARDEN, MOOREA A tranquil location, with a tour of the operations, the vanilla plantation and amazing island and sea views. Have lunch, ice cream and buy local jams and produce, or enjoy a refreshing drink as you watch a spectacular sunset. MO’OREA, THE AQUARIUM For: Lagoon dive with three wrecks, perfect for a first wreck dive. See lionfish, angelfish and triggerfish Conditions: Gentle, easy dive, occasionally a bit of current, outstanding visibility and warm water When: Year round MO’OREA, TIKI POINT For: Dolphins and whales, crystal clear water and an abundance of blacktip,…