Alex Mustard: Misool Scenery
Articles
Behind the scenes of Cirque du Soleil’s “O”
CNET has just published an article that goes behind the scenes of the famed Cirque du Soleil show “O”. Cirque du Soleil’s underwater show has been running for 18-years now, where it has been home at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. The crew is comprised of 75 performers, and another 122 technicians who work behind the scenes, all of them scuba certified (with the exception of the wardrobe team). There are 14 safety divers who remain underwater for the entirety of the show.
Issue 78 of X-Ray Magazine is available
Issue 78 of X-Ray Magazine is now available to download. It contains articles about the Maldives, Tasmania, Austrian lakes, and wreck diving in Spain. The marine iguanas of the Galapagos are featured and Mike Bartick offers advice about capturing creative images of nudibranchs.
Images: Free Diving World Record under Ice
Predrag Vuckovic shares an amazing series of images taken during a successful world free diving record attempt under ice in the Lago Di Anterselva Lake in the Italian Alps. Free diver Valentina Cafolla completed a distance of 125 meters (410 feet). Predrag found the light levels under the ice challenging photographically with 50cm (1 foot 7 in) thick ice and a thick layer of snow.
Recovery of Raja Ampat reef damaged by cruise ship up to 100 years
As divers begin to assess the damage sustained to a Raja Ampat reef destroyed two-weeks ago by a cruise ship, the full extent of the reef destruction is coming into focus. On March 4th, the Caledonian Sky went off course after taking tourists on a bird-watching cruise and ran aground into one of Raja Ampat’s famously pristine reefs. The reef is irreparably damaged and could take up to “100 years” to recover.
Paper Examines Impact of Divers on Reef Sharks
A paper published in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series contrasts the behavior of reef sharks that inhabit areas with high numbers of divers, with that of sharks that do not come onto contact with many divers. Undertaken at the Palmyra atoll, the study concludes that long term shark numbers and behavior is not really affected by the presence of divers.
Fantasea announces housing for Sony a6500 and a6300
Fantasea has announced its new housing for the Sony a6500 and a6300 mirrorless cameras. The housings are constructed of polycarbonate, have an M16 accessory port and two fiber optic bulkheads. Fantasea will offer an “interchangeable lens port and lens gear system” although lens support is not known at this time.
Coral reef restoration with 3D printing
Scientists and conservationists are beginning to utilize 3-D printers to help save the ocean’s coral reefs. Artificial reefs have been composed of everything from used tires, to retired ships to manufactured concrete structures, but up until now none have exactly replicated the structures of coral exoskeletons. Scientists believe that 3-D reefs may be less vulnerable to climate change than natural reefs. Experiments in reef colonization is occurring now in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Persian Gulf, and Australia.
WWF Releases Shark and Ray Ecotourism Guidance.
he World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has released guidelines entitled “Responsible Shark and Ray Tourism: A Guide to Best Practice.” It aims to create well managed shark and ray tourism operations, conserve species and benefit local communities. The guide bases its findings on a case study basis which interestingly, do not include any of the common shark diving sites in the Bahamas, whilst suggesting that the interaction regulations in place during Mexico’s whale shark aggregation are adequate.
Recent News
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New product - the Quikpod (via African Diver)
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In Pictures: Cracking croc scales (via BBC)
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DIVEMAG English Issue 10 (via )