The Oceanic Whitetip Sharks of Cat Island... It seems almost unbelievable that as recently as the mid-1960’s Carcharhinus longimanus, the Oceanic Whitetip shark, was widely considered to be one of the most abundant large animals in the world. And just over 50 years later, these sharks are on the IUCN Red List as "Vulnerable" globally. And "Critically Endangered" in the north and central western areas of the Atlantic Ocean. All because a diminutive, but incredibly resilient, former PLA general managed to seize control of the Middle Kingdom. And then implemented the economic reforms that have lifted hundreds of millions of …
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Great Hammerhead Sharks of Bimini
The Great Hammerhead sharks of Bimini really are very special... There is literally nowhere else in the world where you can come face-to-face with these incredible animals so reliably. Large, increasingly rare and generally solitary animals - Great Hammerheads are really difficult to see underwater. When underwater encounters do happen they are typically fleeting at best, but not in Bimini! Where every winter a healthy population of Great Hammerheads gathers just off the coast of the island. Great Hammerhead Sharks of Bimini - Discovery The annual aggregation of Great Hammerheads was discovered by the staff of Dr Samuel …
Australian Leafy Seadragons
The Incredible Australian Leafy Seadragon - The great brown land down under, is home to many iconic and often strange-looking creatures. Both above and below the water. But few are as unique and visually spectacular as the leafy seadragon! Typically referred to locally as “leafies”, they are also known by the common name Glauert's seadragon. Leafy seadragons are endemic to the southern and western coasts of Australia. However they are particularly synonymous with South Australia, where they have been adopted as the state’s marine emblem. Found among patches of kelp and seaweed, usually in sandy areas and at depths of …
Giant Cuttlefish Article
The Amazing Australian Giant Cuttlefish - Every year come May, Whyalla in South Australia's Spencer Gulf is host to an incredible animal aggregation. For as the water temperature drops, literally hundreds of thousands of these amazing Australian giant cuttlefish arrive. They come to this sheltered area at the upper end of the Gulf for one specific and very simple reason - sex and the continuation of the species! Normally solitary creatures, Sepia Apama only aggregate together when it is time to mate. But those mating aggregations are usually no more than 10-12 cuttlefish. Whereas at Whyalla there are so many of them it …
Nikon D500 First Impressions
The Nikon D500 Underwater... Why Nikon never released a D400 follow-up to the successful D300 “prosumer” DSLR will probably never be known. Certainly though, the internet forums have plenty of theories! My opinion is that a D400 never saw the light of day is because Nikon had a carefully calibrated strategy. Nikon wanted to get as many photographers as possible to embrace it’s full-frame FX cameras before it replaced the D300. Nikon has a long history of releasing slimmed down versions of their top of the range professional cameras. In the film days that was personified by the F100, which had much of the technology from the …
Aircraft Wrecks of PNG
The aircraft wrecks of Papua New Guinea offer some of the best and most interesting, dives in the country... PNG was a major battle theater during the Second World War. Many lives were lost on both sides in the bitter fighting between the invading Imperial Japanese forces and the Allies. Thus the tide was turned, halting the PNG's occupation and the planned invasion of Australia to the south. Aircraft Wrecks of Papua New Guinea - Lost Souls Allied and Japanese aircraft played a very significant role in the fighting in PNG. Because of that many planes were lost - either shot down in combat, mechanical failure and simply …
Azores Diving – Big Animals
Azores Diving... This incredible group of nine islands rises up from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge some 2000m below. The islands act as beacons to the large migratory mammals in this part of the northern hemisphere. Plus they are home to a resident population of sperm whales and blue sharks. In September last year I set out on the marathon journey from Sydney to the island of Pico in the Azores. An odyssey of nearly 40 hours and four flights! I must admit that before I left I only really knew two things about Azores Diving. The first being the presence of sperm whales... Secondly, and most importantly, that it is possible to get …
Resort Based Diving in Raja Ampat
Resort based diving in Raja Ampat - is it a real option or is a liveaboard the way to go? Raja Ampat is one of the top dive locations globally. Certainly it is the most popular diving region in Indonesia. Deservedly so because there is some spectacular diving to be had there! Come the start of the main dive season in mid-October, liveaboards start to arrive in Sorong in droves. Where just ten years ago you could count the number of those boats on the fingers of both hands and still have a few digits left. But these days, there at least 50 boats operating during the season... So popular has Raja Ampat become that there are now …
The Manta Rays of Milne Bay
Milne Bay Manta Rays - At the southern end of the China Strait is a small island called Gonu Bara Bara. It is quite simply the best place in the whole province to see the manta rays. In fact it is probably the best place in all of Papua New Guinea to see these wonderful creatures!. From a distance there is little to distinguish the island from the myriad of others in this part of southern Milne Bay Province. Reef manta rays - Manta alfredi - had been known to patrol its northern beach of Gonu Bara Bara for many years. But all attempts to try and interact with them were random at best.... Maybe you would see one or more, maybe you …