In celebration of the Third International Year of the Reef, Our Singapore Reefs is organising a two-day event, The Fun Odyssea, to bring a fun-filled, learning experience for everyone. The community-driven event is FREE for all, and is one of the largest gathering of Singapore’s blue groups. Together, these interest groups, agencies, marine conservationists, and research groups have curated a range of exciting hands-on activities to spread the awareness of coral reefs and other associated marine habitats such as mangroves and seagrasses. From March 17-18, 2018, head over to the Sentosa Palawan Pirate Ship and be greeted with a host of interactive booths, workshops, community activities, and movie screenings.
Visitors can look forward to a marine clay modelling session with NUS marine scientists, quizzes on marine environmental issues with LepakInSG, and a live mural painting with Wu Yanrong, a Singaporean Illustrator whose paintings of marine animals have been featured by Hermès and Uniqlo. For the young and young at heart, Cicada Tree Eco-Place will be hosting a storytelling and colouring session. Inquisitive individuals can approach one of the local marine scientists who will be roving around for those looking for a brain to pick.
For the moviegoers, feast your eyes on the incredible underwater world of reefs at the screening of the highly-acclaimed documentary Blue Planet II by BBC Earth. Watch how a cuttlefish and a grouper work closely together using fish ‘sign- language’ to catch their meal, and how others such as the bobbit worm survive alone. Closer to home, and for one day only on March 17 (3-4pm), join Rachel Quek, filmmaker and producer of Ubin, Sayang, for an in-depth conversation about her experiences working on Singapore’s last offshore kampung. The film follows Xiao Ting on her journey learning about mangrove restoration and the kampung spirit on our most charming island.
Not all activities are available on both days, so be sure to catch your preferred programme on the right day! On March 17, come nerd out with TeamSeaGrass as the ladies educate the public about seagrasses in Singapore through games and take-home activities. If you have concerns regarding Singapore’s haze occurrences, People’s Movement to Stop Haze (PM Haze) will be sharing transboundary issues of haze and the palm oil we consume, as well as provide tips on supporting sustainable businesses. On March 18, join Craft Lagoon in making marine animals using recycled materials, while the Herpetological Society of Singapore will be crafting out nifty reptile origami!
To find out more about The Fun Odyssea, head over to their FaceBook event page to get the latest updates, or like the Celebrating Singapore Shores FaceBook page. Entry to Sentosa is free for all local and permanent residents of Singapore.
What is the International Year of the Reef (IYOR)?
2018 has been declared as the third IYOR by the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) to strengthen global awareness of coral reefs. The marine community in Singapore, together with 60 other countries and international groups are working hand in hand to celebrate our magnificent reefs.
UW360 is proud to be the official media partner of The Fun Odyssea.
Slated to be the world’s largest oceanarium, Resorts World Sentosa’s Marine Life Park (MLP) is scheduled to open later this year in 2012 in Southeast Asia’s city-state of Singapore. The Marine Life Park will feature a colourful array of some 700-odd aquatic species, from eagle rays to batfish and even dolphins. But even before opening its doors, the new commercial aquarium has sparked controversy, and reopened debate on the ethical and conservation issues behind dolphins in captivity.
The Marine Life Park first came under fire when it acquired 27 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins from the Solomon Islands. Of these 27, two died due to a water-borne bacterial infection, Melioidosis, which is not exclusive to animals in captivity; it is also known to affect those in the wild and even humans. The dolphins were being housed in a facility that had been built as a temporary home for the dolphins, in Langkawi in Malaysia.
“Alongside the other marine species to be housed at the MLP, our dolphins will play an integral role in our mission to create awareness and greater understanding of the complex marine ecosystem and the unique and beautiful marine biodiversity, amongst the large number of people who would not have the opportunity to explore the oceans,” said a MLP spokesperson. Additionally, the Marine Life Park has plans to collaborate with Sea Research Foundation to develop a marine environmental curriculum for students of all age groups in the Southeast Asia region – all in the hope of inspiring and educating the future generation.
Dr Naomi Rose, senior scientist of the Humane Society International, has little faith in such intentions. “I believe that dolphinaria mis-educate people more than they educate them. I also work on a large number of other marine mammal protection issues besides the welfare of captive dolphins – whaling and dolphin hunting, marine noise, emerging diseases, ship strikes, fisheries entanglement, pollution, marine debris – and I honestly don’t see that the millions of visitors to dolphinaria are learning much about these serious threats,” argues Dr Rose. To better understand the severity of the captivity issue, explains Dr Rose, one needs to examine more closely just where these dolphins are coming from.
For unknown reasons, spinner dolphins appear to go limp and “give up” when held
Back to the Beginning
Far from the city streets of Singapore, waters are being stirred inthe remote archipelagic nation of the Solomon Islands. Dolphin hunting in the Solomon Islands was established as a way of life many centuries ago. Prized for their teeth (used as currency and jewellery) and to a lesser extent, their meat, dolphins were highly sought-after by seafaring locals, especially from the island Malaita. To capture the dolphins, traditional dolphin hunting methods involved driving the mammals to shore with noise created by banging stones together in their small boats. These tribes commonly caught the spinner (Stenella longirostris) or the spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuate). Only rarely did they catch the stars of aquaria all over the world, the common dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus).
Between 1998 and the early 2000s, the people of the Solomon Islands were caught in an intense civil conflict. As a result of this national crisis, many Malaitans were left homeless and jobless. Seeing this as an opportunity, international dolphin traffickers began paying locals attractive fees to do what they have done for millennia – hunting and capturing dolphins. But according to activists, instead of spinner and spotted dolphins, the traffickers requested live bottlenose dolphins.
Local government officials of the Solomon Islands soon became aware of the trade and the growing controversy, and today, they limit the capture and export of dolphins to 100 individuals per year. These laws and policies however, have been on a rollercoaster ride since the mid-2000s. One year, exports might be banned altogether, and the next, a quota might be imposed. And the question remains, is the capture of 100 dolphins per year sustainable?
Dr Naomi Rose argues that preliminary surveys in the Solomon Islands show that there are no more than a few hundred Indo- Pacific bottlenose dolphins in the entire island chain, in distinct groups of approximately 100 to 150 individuals each. But the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has not yet completed its review on the conservation status of Solomon Islands dolphins due to the lack of population estimates, research, and information. This poses a major concern, especially for the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, one of the species sought after by aquaria. The species was only identified as a being separate from the common bottlenose dolphin in the late 1990s, and little is known about the Indo-Pacific bottlenose. But for many, whether or not the capture is ecologically sustainable misses the point entirely. For some, it’s an ethical issue.
That’s where activists like Mark Berman come in. The associate director of Earth Island Institute’s International Marine Mammal Project has been working on the issue for over 20 years now. Together with other conservationists like Ric O’Barry, Campaign Director of the Save Japan Dolphins project (featured in the Academy Award-winning film The Cove) Berman is currently talking to locals, policymakers, organisations and fellow activists to change the rules of the game, and put an end to this controversial trade. “We made deals with Malaitan villages, like Walande and Fanalei. There have been no dolphin kills [in the Solomon Islands] since 2010, and that’s because we’re supporting the communities with funding projects to help them get out of the dolphin business and find alternative methods [to make a living],” says Berman.
Captivity in Question
While the dolphin kills have come to an end, the capture for aquaria trade continues. After the dolphins are driven to shore by the locals, they are placed in nets and are either brought to sea pens or swimming pools. Once it is determined which dolphins are fit to be transported to a commercial aquarium, the selected group is brought to their new home via an airplane, reportedly for a price tag of $60,000 each. “Dolphins never get used to the trauma of being removed from the water, put in a sling, transported in a truck or plane, and put into an enclosure in a new facility. It is always hard on them, physically and mentally,” stresses Dr Rose.
In its defence, Singapore’s Marine Life Park states that the 25 dolphins are currently being well taken care of by an expert panel of highly respected specialists and veterinarians. Together, these marine mammal veterans represent over 300 years of relevant experience working in more than 60 marine mammal facilities internationally. It also claims that the acquisition of its marine animals are in compliance with CITES, which regulates the trade of animals to ensure sustainability and protect wildlife species from extinction.
Dolphin hunting has sustained villages in the Solomon Islands for centuries, but recently, the practice has been commercialised for aquarium
Challenging Beliefs
After the captures that led to the deaths of two dolphins, the Marine Life Park has received quite a bit of negative feedback from activists, scientists, as well as the general public. This has led people like Berman and Dr Rose to question just how ethical it is to keep these highly intelligent and social mammals in an enclosed area for the rest of their lives.
Dolphins travel great distances, up to 50 to 100 miles daily, cooperatively hunting for prey, and spending a great deal of time socialising with other dolphins. So what are the repercussions of capturing these animals and stripping them of their freedom, fresh food, and social time? Dr Rose believes that the capture itself is a traumatic experience for dolphins, no matter what method is practiced or how experienced the captor is. “[Capture] can cause a condition called capture myopathy, or capture stress. It can kill. The science on this is not controversial – it is well-established.”
“Capture stress” is the meat of virtually every argument, from both sides. Aquaria argue that it is something they take into consideration very seriously and deal with by building state-of-the-art facilities and hiring only the best trainers and specialists in the field. Activists retaliate by saying that no matter how a facility is built or how they are cared for, a dolphin would naturally be subject to stress living in an area which bears no resemblance to their natural habitat. “This stress [also] compromises their immune system, which makes them more susceptible to infections and diseases that their wild counterparts can fight off more easily,” says Dr Rose.
Adding on to their arguments, Berman and Dr Rose both feel that the elements of dolphin shows stress the animals even more. The noise crowds generate, and the tricks the dolphins are conditioned to perform for the reward of a handful of dead fish, are all believed to be contributing factors to the mortality rates of dolphins in captivity. Further, if these programs were all in the name of “education and conservation” rather than being motivated by profits, activists argue, then why charge admission at all?
Richard O’Barry signs an agreement between Earth Island Institute and the villages of Fanelei and Walande for a threeyear moratorium on dolphin hunting
The Smoking Gun
The issues that surround the trade and the captivity business are seemingly endless. But both Berman and Dr Rose believe the public need only to look in the mirror to see who holds the real power in this controversy. When we buy tickets to these shows, the companies that finance the commercial captures of these wild animals make millions of dollars. And unless that changes, the reality is that dolphins will continue to be taken from the wild, and risk premature death in captivity.
As a scientist and advocate herself, Dr Rose argues that performances in particular, a practice that began in the 60s, should be abandoned. “How many reputable zoos still have chimpanzees riding tricycles or dancing bears? Virtually none. Yet dolphins are still performing flashy tricks in shows with loud music in the name of ‘education.’ In the 21st century, we should be more enlightened… There are simply some species of wildlife that do not thrive in captivity and dolphins top the list.”
The future of Resorts World Sentosa’s dolphins seems to be sealed. The 25 remaining animals are now being held in the Philippines, “in a well-established facility” and are expected to arrive in Singapore later this year. Activists in Singapore and abroad continue to campaign for a change in those plans.
In an on-going effort to support marine conservation across the scuba diving community, the Sea of Change Foundation is launching a new fund to help support the immediate response to coral reef damage from anchor drops, vessel groundings, oil spills, and other localised, anthropogenic and acute impacts to coral reefs. The Sea of Change Foundation team first envisioned the Reef Rescue & Rapid Response Fund during the 2016 implementation of the Foundation’s Cayman Islands Coral Nurseries project with feedback from multiple local dive operators and partners. On March 4, 2017, the 4,290-tonne Caledonian Sky cruise ship grounded on a treasured dive site in Raja Ampat, Indonesia and damaged or destroyed approximately 1,600 square meters of some of the most biodiverse and pristine coral reef habitat in the world. This event solidified the resolve of the Foundation to create a fund dedicated to helping enable a timely response to such incidents. Reef Rescue & Rapid Response Grants
The fund provides for mini-grants that range from $500 to a maximum of $5000.
The grants will support divers, and their communities in responding quickly to a reef damaging incident by helping to cover immediate costs such as boat fuel, staff time, video cameras, lift bags, transect tapes, and handheld GPS units.
A short-form, 1-page application is required that describes the date and cause of the incident and the planned response. Applicants need only send an initial email inquiry to info(at)seaofchange.com to begin the short process to acquire the requested funds. A brief follow-up report and photo-documentation will also be required.
Anticipated responses may include damage assessment and documentation for future litigation and restoration, and/or collection of coral fragments for regrowth, and/or up-righting of larger corals that may recover in situ.
It is the hope of the Board of Directors of the Sea of Change Foundation that this new fund and the grants it provides will empower and enable the global dive community to continue to act as first-responders to reef damaging incidents. “The reefs are where we dive, and often they are why we dive; it is our duty to do all that we can to help protect them,” said Samantha Whitcraft, Director of Conservation & Outreach for the Foundation and Platinum-Pro 5000 diver. And, she continued, “we hope divers everywhere will make use of and support this new fund.” Importantly, “through the Foundation, 100% of donations go directly to such conservation initiatives around the world to ensure future generations of divers can also experience the sea and its wonders,” concluded Wayne Brown, CEO of Aggressor Fleet® and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Foundation.
About the Sea of Change Foundation: The Sea of Change Foundation funds marine conservation and research initiatives that directly impact the oceans we all love to dive and explore. Their mission is to create positive change for the oceans. Learn more about the Sea of Change Foundation and how you can help make a positive change for our oceans, here: http://www.seaofchange.com, or email mailto:thankyou@seaofchange.com.
It was like nothing he had ever experienced before: vibrant, bursting with life, pristine and perfect in almost every way. On a personal quest to find a sheltered place, unspoiled by the progression of civilisation, Andy Miners, a seasoned dive guide from the UK, had chosen Indonesia as his base and had explored just about all the diving that the region had to offer. But it was not until he discovered the reefs of Southeast Misool, hidden away in a corner of Raja Ampat in the Papua region of eastern Indonesia, that something deep in Miners’ core told him his search was over. He found his home. And Miners knew his mission: to do all he could to protect this place.
Embracing the Papuan laws of Indonesia, which recognise traditional and exclusive ownership of marine zones to local villages, Miners established connections with several of these communities and negotiated a lease for an island, 168 square miles of water and the resources beneath. He and a small group of supporters then build Misool Eco Resort entirely out of recovered wood, using (and now continuing to use) all local labour. They manage the resource as a No-Take Zone, and with the support of their partner WildAid, patrol the area with a team of local rangers. In only five years, blacktip reef sharks have returned to the region – an astounding example of resiliency, considering that the resort was built on the site of a former shark-finning camp.
Misool has quickly become one of the most desired dive destinations in the world, largely based on Miners’ work and that of a small group of like-minded people. The new economy provides not only sustainable jobs and public works in the local villages where local fisheries had severely declined, but protects the resource for the recovery of the fisheries themselves. In a testament to the success of this project, Mark Erdmann of Conservation International observed: “In the context of my work with Conservation International in Raja Ampat, I have dived the spectacular reefs in the vicinity of the resort several times each year since 2003. During this time, the passionate efforts of Misool Eco Resort and its local ranger patrol to protect these world-class reefs have been highly successful in improving the fish biomass in the area and bringing an end to previously rampant destructive fishing practices.”
The remarkable example set by Misool helps set the stage for more widespread conservation efforts in Indonesia and demonstrates how marine reserves can restore both the environment and the local economy. “We’re helping to protect the birthright of these children.” Miners says, “and so we play a small part in protecting the ocean itself for future generations.” He sweeps his arm, indicating the crowd of laughing children, all eyes flashing, all jumping off the crude dock into the water and climbing back up the pylons to do it again.
Raja Ampat, Indonesia, has quickly become one of the world’s most sought-after dive destinations
Daram Dreams
But Minders’ work was not yet done and in October 2010, after more than a year’s negotiation with the local villages, he signed another lease with Misool Eco Resort for a chain of islands known as Daram.
The unique beauty of Daram is overwhelming. The main islands are heavily forested with old-growth hardwood trees reaching out from the thick jungle canopy. White sand beaches fade into the turquoise waters. Approaching the islands, sea eagles hail you as they circle and dive, while hawksbill and green turtles peer up from the water with curiosity. Stretching northeast, limestone islets jut from the sea like ancient fortresses, worn by the ages. This beauty is only surpassed by what lies below the surface. An extensive labyrinth of reefs rises to within metres of the surface, forming a multitude of pinnacles, ridges and plateaus. Ocean currents drive nutrient-rich water across these features, feeding an unfathomable diversity and abundance of marine life. The splendour and complexity are almost impossible to comprehend. These are reefs from a time before we had badly damaged our oceans – vibrant and thriving reefs, perfect in every way.
The Daram chain more than doubles the size of the existing No-Take Zone. Funding from private foundations, WildAid, and generous private donors will support similar patrols and public work programmes in villages. In collaboration with Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy, Miners and the team at Misool Eco Resort are working to employ key aspects of this model in other communities, with the goal of creating a network of similar marine conservation areas (MCAs) in Raja Ampat and other parts of Indonesia. But so much depends on the local will to protect what is essentially their natural heritage. “We are extremely fortunate to have such visionary community leaders as our partners. Through our joint efforts we are safeguarding the fabulous biodiversity upon which we all depend, “ said Miners. “By patrolling this MCA together, we can protect the area and pass on a thriving ecosystem to their children.”
Not long ago, the waters of the new sanctuary were prime fishing grounds for shark finning. But the locals now have new sources of revenue, and the sharks in this area, at least, have a second chance
Eco-Expansion
Building on the success of these marine protected areas, Miners arranged a meeting with top officials in the Raja Ampat regional government. Seizing the opportunity, Miners delivered a key media presentation created in collaboration with Shark Savers that included powerful video, striking images, definitive studies and a petition with one thousand signatures supporting the critical need to conserve sharks and rays in Raja Ampat. Miners put forward a formal request to the Regent to issue a decree banning shark and manta fishing in all of Raja Ampat. This visionary legislation would lay the foundation needed to protect these threatened species throughout Raja Ampat.
Raja Ampat is believed to be the home of the highest marine biodiversity on the planet with at least 1.397 species of fish and over 600 species of coral recorded. Historically, it had also been the scene of destructive overfishing that has severely threatened sharks, mantas and other vulnerable species. “Sharks are being killed for their fins, mantas for their gills, and rare reef fish are being caught for aquariums,” said Peter Knights, Executive director of WildAid. “it’s a tragic that so much of Raja Ampat’s biological treasure is destined for consumers who are unaware of the impact.”
The request was accepted and on November 16, 2010, Misool Eco Resort and Shark Savers announced that the Shark Sanctuary had been declared for the entire 15,000 square miles of Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Bupati Drs Marcus Wanma, the Regent of Raja Ampat, made this historic declaration, putting him at the forefront of marine conservation in Indonesia.
The Raja Ampat Shark Sanctuary provides full protection for sharks, manta rays, mobulas, dugongs and turtles. It also prohibits the highly destructive practices of reef bombing and the aquarium fish trade. The Shark Sanctuary is the first of its kind in Indonesia, which is the largest island archipelago in the world. The Shark Sanctuary declaration was in part driven by a campaign mounted by Shark Savers that won the support of over 8500 divers and conservationists, with hundreds of tourism and diving companies and NGOs from around the world.
With the future assured, local shark populations now have a chance to recover from years of targetted fishing
Sweet Success
“This new shark sanctuary owes its creation to thousands of ocean advocates who expressed the urgent need to protect sharks, mantas and other marine life,” stated Michael Skoletsky, executive director of Shark Savers. “Divers experience the oceans from the inside and are increasingly taking responsibility for ocean and shark conservation. Underwater ecotourism is a vital tool to counter the rampant exploitation of the world’s remaining sharks and bio-rich marine ecosystems.”
With the sanctuary declared, Miners is ready for the next challenge in conserving Raja Ampat’s incredible marine treasures. “Our MCA is constantly patrolled with support from WildAid and Coral Reef Alliance, enabling shark numbers to increase dramatically,” said Miners. “To achieve similar success, the new Shark Sanctuary will require a broad coalition of these great conservation organisations together with local communities, the Regency government and the tourism industry.”
Perhaps there is a lesson for all of us here. In the case of Miners, a dream to protect a reef grew, inspired others to join the cause, and ultimately sparked the establishment of the first shark and ray sanctuary in all of Indonesia, a country that is consistently among the world’s biggest shark and ray fishing nations. These victories demonstrate that we can make a difference in the face of insurmountable odds, and each of us can join a movement and collectively, create a voice that changes the world.
The mighty Rocky Mountains greet you as you wind your way north to Port Hardy, where black bears, deer and bald eagles flow by on the highway. Port Hardy is a small fishing port, but it is the gateway to some of the world’s best cold water diving. The islands around Port Hardy are flooded twice daily, hidden underneath powerful tides that provide vital nutrients to the walls and reefs.
With so much life, the walls provide little room to find a finger hold to steady your camera while shooting to your heart’s content. But the action doesn’t stop when you surface — Stellar sea lions come up to arriving boats, bald eagles perched on the trees search for salmon, harbor seals sing from the rocks, and lucky visitors may be treated to humpbacks and Pacific white sided dolphins, or a pod of resident orcas making their way through one of the passages.
A photographer’s favorite: the lion’s mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata)
The walls are unimaginably colorful and the subject matter is both miniature and large. The world’s largest octopus, the giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini), resides on these walls along with nudibranchs the size of dinner plates. One of your toughest decisions each dive is which lens to set your camera up with because you know opportunities for both wide-angle and macro always present themselves.
Getting to Port Hardy is just as much a part of the adventure. Start your trip from the south of the island in British Columbia’s capital city of Victoria—where artificial reefs of sunken warships— and Race Rocks, are a must if you need an adrenaline boost. Further north, consider saving a few days to view grizzly bears up close in the wild along with whales, seals, sea lions and eagles en route to Knight’s Inlet.
On the seafloor, a colorful sea pen (Ptilosarcus gurneyi) is framed with a diver
Subjects
A crowd favorite fish, the decorated warbonnet, hides on Port Hardy’s walls, using its set of antlers to blend in with the rest of the reef. The grunt sculpin has adapted its body shape to mimic the giant barnacles clinging to the reef walls. The grunt’s nose looks like a closed barnacle, while the tail represents the barnacle in feeding mode. Rarely, the grunt abandons the empty barnacle shell and sifts through the reef for food, flitting about the reef ledge on its pectoral fins.
Numerous brilliant nudibranchs tile the reef wall while fish of all the colors of the spectrum provide great subjects for the camera, and tend to be more open to a close approach as they sit on the walls. Red Irish lords sit motionless, as if you cannot see them, eyes flecked with red specs that reflect the light like stars in the night. Smaller varieties of sculpins, with brilliant eyes, always warrant an image. The crab and shrimp life is abundant all over the reefs but the star of the show is the candy stripe shrimp on its host anemone. But don’t rule out the many other decorators and hermit crabs. Various varieties are found throughout the reef, so don’t forget to look in the swaying kelp while on your safety stop.
With your head stuck in the viewfinder, it is very possible you are being watched and visited by a sea lions or seal without even knowing it. Make sure to pick your head up from the camera every once in a while to see if any furry friends are about.
A fantastic find — a juvenile wolf eel (Anarrhichthys ocellatus)
There are some challenges to shooting successfully in Port Hardy. Bulky drysuits make it harder to maneuver, low light can push the limits of digital noise, particulates in the water light up with bad strobe positioning, and ripping currents can make the challenge as great as the reward.
It’s very important to stick with the dive schedule—slack tides have to be timed to the minute. Enter too late or early, and you may finish your dive in Alaska. Staying down beyond the suggested dive time could throw off the schedule for the next dive. So listen to the briefing, follow instructions and be ready to go when the time is right!
Low light, especially at depth, makes exposing moving subjects a challenge. Boosting ISO, as not to sacrifice motion blur or depth of field, can be a great way to brighten up images with the low noise ability of the newer digital cameras.
During certain times of the year, particulate in the water poses a problem to photographers. The quick solution when visibility decreases is to rely on shooting macro, which in Port Hardy is as equally productive as wide-angle. Focus lights are a must. A trick I use for shooting wide-angle is to limit your artificial lights to the foreground, keeping the strobes aimed down and inwards. Try to light as little of the water column as possible.
The highly sought after decorated warbonnet (Chirolophis decoratus)
Wide-angle zoom lenses are popular in Port Hardy, as they allow the photographer to shoot a diverse array of large subjects. By filling most of the frame with the subject and concentrating the strobe light on the foreground, the ambient light in the rest of the scene brings out the rich green water in the background.
Typically, the divemaster will be focused on your safety and getting the divers in and out of the water, so photographers are on their own for subject hunting. Go slow and take your time. Work a small area. Wait for movement. A mosshead warbonett may be right in front of you, blending in with its surroundings. The reefs and walls are full of subjects and a good light is helpful.
When the dive is over, use the bull kelp to help with your safety stop. The current can pick up with no notice and it’s a great way to have a relaxed stop. Back on the boat, try to get warmed up again. Layers help and it’s time for a cup of hot chocolate as you give thanks for the abundance of critters, frisky sea lions, and – above all – disposable toe warmers.
Image taken with the Canon Powershot G1 X Mark III, f/8, 1/200s, ISO100 (Photo by Jonathan Lin)
During a recent invitation to conduct a workshop, I had the opportunity to test out the PowerShot G1 X Mark III. With recent compact cameras closing the gap between compacts and DSLRs, I was looking forward to finding out how Canon’s new flagship compact performed when shooting marine life. Excellent low-light capabilities, high–speed continuous shooting, and responsive controls are all vital when capturing images in the ever–changing conditions underwater. Upon receiving the PowerShot G1 X Mark III, the first thing that caught my attention was its sturdy build. As a person with relatively large hands, I’m often wary when holding a small camera, constantly afraid that I might drop it, but the protruding grip, coupled with the textured coating, provides enough support for the camera to feel secure in my hand. My review unit came with the Canon WP-DC56 underwater housing, which is depth-rated to 40 metres. Most of the compact housings I have encountered don’t offer access to some critical controls that are needed for quick adjustments, but the WP-DC56 allowed me to alter all the necessary settings with the push of a button or the turn of a knob. While doing a wall dive, my dive guide led us to a site with relatively fast currents. Spotting a subject in the distance, I swam over, struggling to fight the current while attempting to frame the subject. Though I only had a few seconds to capture what I was after, the DIGIC 7 image processor, together with Dual Pixel CMOS autofocus and Dual Sensing image stabilisation, ensured that the camera snapped to focus at a blazing fast speed. Regardless of the conditions, I managed to capture razor-sharp images every time, and with up to 7fps burst shooting with continuous autofocus, it was a breeze to capture fast–moving subjects. In situations such as diving in strong currents, I sometimes use continuous shooting mode to increase my chances of getting a good shot. This isn’t a problem if I’m diving in shallow water and there’s plenty of ambient light. But when diving deeper, it’s necessary to increase ISO to compensate for the reduced available light, as strobes wouldn’t be able to refresh fast enough when in continuous shooting mode. With the PowerShot G1 X Mark III’s 24.2-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, which is similar to those found in DSLRs, the very low noise at higher ISOs was really noticeable. Combined with the WP-DC56 underwater housing, this easy-to-use but powerful compact camera is ideally suited to beginners, but more-advanced shooters who want to travel light will appreciate the impressive image quality and performance of the PowerShot G1 X Mark III, no matter how challenging the diving conditions.
Egypt is an ancient land full of mysteries, contradictions, contrasts and beauty. Located in the northeast corner of Africa, this desert nation is bordered to the north by the Mediterranean Sea and to the east by the legendary Red Sea. Scuba divers arrive in droves to sample the Red Sea’s bountiful underwater riches, which have been lauded by such notable diving legends as Jacques Cousteau and Dr. Eugenie Clark. My wife Lauren and I have returned to Egypt for these reasons, but even more, to see the famed oceanic whitetip sharks (Carcharhinus longimanus) that are becoming increasingly rare in the Red Sea.
Oceanic whitetip sharks, or oceanics for short, used to be one of the most plentiful shark species on the planet. Growing up to four metres in length, this apex predator is a muscular shark with a tall, rounded dorsal fin and long, paddle-like pectoral fins. Oceanics once ranged throughout most subtropical and tropical oceans, but overfishing, such as with the use of longlines, has decimated their populations worldwide. The World Wildlife Federation’s Position Statement on these vulnerable creatures states: “Once among the more abundant pelagic sharks within their range, available catch data indicate that the species has undergone severe historic and recent declines.” This and other bleak declarations by marine scientists fueled my urgency to visit the Red Sea.
Exploring the wreck of the Numidia, which sank in 1901, near Big Brother Island, Egypt
Ready for Red
On the advice of Terry Simpson from Emperor Divers and expert Dr. Elke Bojanowski, Lauren and I learned that the months of September through December in the Southern Egyptian Red Sea sites offer the best odds to find and photograph this revered species. Once aboard the Emperor Divers’ MY Emperor Elite liveaboard for a one-week charter, the visual contrast between the land and the Red Sea is striking. I have read that on days when the sea is calm and the sky is clear, the setting sun’s rays reflect off these mountains and stain the waters a brilliant shade of crimson, hence the name the Red Sea.
I am somewhat anxious to speak with the dive guides, Nick Salt and Lisa Matthews, to find out if they saw any oceanics during the previous voyage, but the entire crew is busy getting the Emperor Elite underway. Nick finally takes a breather and stops by the camera tables near the dive deck to talk with me. He tells me sightings have been unpredictable, no sharks were seen on the two most recent trips and that I should have been on the boat last month when guests had four healthy specimens near them for an entire dive at Daedalus Reef. I smile, thank him for the information, and start to wonder. I tell myself there’s no reason to panic just yet.
The checkout dive at Tobia Arbaa reminds me the Red Sea is quite a bit saltier than typical ocean water when I realise I am unintentionally bobbing like a cork at the surface. The arid climate and semi-closed basin of the Red Sea causes evaporation to be much greater than the rainfall. The combined effects of this precipitation deficit, the limited freshwater input from rivers and the reduced salt water exchanges with the Indian Ocean make the Red Sea the saltiest body of water in the world that is still attached to an open ocean. I need more weight!
Utterly fascinated with its reflection in the camera’s glass port, a lionfish moves in close during a night dive at Mangrove Bay.
The Brothers in Blue
An overnight cruise of 105 kilometres southeast takes us to the Brother Islands or El Akhawein (“Brothers” in Egyptian). These two small, rocky islands, known as Big and Little, are the tops of undersea mountains and separated by one kilometre. They are the only substantial reefs in a vast area and constantly bathed by open sea currents that provide valuable nutrients. The islands’ isolation and pristine underwater conditions attract large pelagics and support a diverse variety of reef inhabitants.
Our initial dive at Big Brother, which sports a Victorian style stone lighthouse, is most eventful. Your chances of seeing an oceanic or any other large marine animal, for that matter, are significantly reduced if you spend your entire dive looking in holes and crevices. With that in mind, I constantly scan away from the reef and up towards the surface as we leisurely swim along the southern point of the island. We are only fifteen minutes into our dive when I spot the familiar, graceful, flapping wings of a manta ray (Manta birostris) swimming towards us. With a wing span in the neighborhood of 4.5 metres, this magnificent ray circles our group.
A signature image of the Red Sea is of anthias swarming over hard or soft corals. The first part of my dive at Little Brother is spent trying to capture such a shot. Lauren attempts to draw my attention away from the anthias, but I am lost in my own world. A loving rap to the back of my head finally does the trick. I not-so-politely turn to see her pointing at a Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) the size of a small billboard about seven metres below us. Plump, blue, pouty lips and small, beady eyes give it a cartoonish appearance. Ornate markings on its face and flanks are reminiscent of the hieroglyphics that epitomise the temples and tombs of Egypt. Perhaps Napoleons, a favorite fish of mine, are living monuments to the artistry of creation.
A diver studies a sea fan at Little Brother.
Fleeting White
As we gradually rise to the surface, I see a shark disappearing into the haze at the edge of my vision. It might be an oceanic, but I cannot be sure, and there is not enough air left in my tank to investigate. These two days at the Brothers provide us with memorable dives, but also leaves us with an ever-growing itch needing to be scratched. We push further south to Daedalus Reef during another overnight crossing. Daedalus is very similar to Big Brother Island in that it is remote, relatively small (less than a kilometre wide), home to a lighthouse and part of the Egyptian Marine Park system. It is also our best and possibly last chance to photograph an oceanic.
When oceanics are present here, their curious nature often draws them to the thrumming generators and other associated stimuli of tied-off boats. The more boats, the greater the noise, the stronger the attraction. To maximise our chances of spotting a shark, Nick and Lisa strongly recommend we eschew the reef sites in favour of shallow five to eight metre dives in the vicinity of the Emperor Elite. Our first dive offers an extraordinary amount of blue water and little else. I stare into the distance so long I start to see mermaids. We blow bubbles and then almost resort to a game of Charades before deciding to head-up for a short break.
Refreshed in mind and spirit, we forge ahead with our second dive under the vessel. Almost as soon as I finish checking my gear to make sure everything is in order, I get the unnerving sensation that someone or something is watching me. I turn to the left just as a 2.5-metre oceanic, with 12 pilot fish in tow, swims past at a mere two metres away. There is no time to raise my housing for a shot. And, though the shark appears to be in no hurry, the deliberate, powerful strokes of its tail make it clear a chase would be futile.
Lauren and I stare at each other as if to say, What’s next? We decide to stay put, face in opposite directions and keep watch. Ten minutes later, I see what looks to be the same shark with pilot fish entourage approaching from the same direction and at about the same depth as the previous pass. It is obviously a return engagement.
I simultaneously reach behind to signal Lauren and raise my camera. The shark has the sun slightly behind it and the resulting glare is making it difficult to track its movements through the viewfinder.
The shark barely seems to register our presence as it deliberately swims past. I fire off a series of ten shots, then watch it disappear yet again. The oceanic whitetip reminds me of a patrolling prison guard assigned to a designated path. I quickly examine my photos and do not like what I see. The exposures are way off; the result of yours truly improperly compensating for the intense sun rays in such shallow water.
A school of barred flagtails (Kuhlia mugil) near the surface at Big Brother.
Wait for White
If the shark is on patrol, it might just come our way once more. We resume our back-to-back positions and wait. As if on cue, in another ten minutes, here comes Mr. Longimanus. Its pace has quickened, which makes it difficult to photograph. Thankful I have already adjusted my settings, I squeeze off another ten frames.
Lauren huddles next to me as we look into the back of the housing to check the images. The outcome is much more pleasing this time and allows me to release a sigh of relief. We wait another twenty minutes or so, but the shark does not return. Two subsequent lengthy dives yield only distant views of one or more smaller specimens. Even so, we are pleased knowing that oceanic whitetips still reside in the Red Sea, despite the hardships wrought on this and other shark species globally.
There are an almost infinite number of reasons to visit Egypt and the Red Sea. The land and the ocean are married to and even mirror one another. Oceanic whitetip sharks will continue to be a major reason we choose to return to Egypt. But, even if these impressive sharks become as numerous as the stars in the nighttime sky or ultimately disappear altogether, Egypt and the Red Sea will still beckon us from afar.
