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Underwater Photography: In Competition

Is it possible to compete in underwater photography? I find that question difficult to answer! What is a good picture? Is it an image of an unusual animal? Nice colours on a nudibranch? Capturing the incredible light on a wreck? An image in which I can see that there has been a lot of planning and work behind it? Or just an image of a diver, on some interesting dive site, where I get the feeling that I also want to dive there?

Wreck of Hanseatic kogge in Trave river
Dives showed that the wreck is at serious risk of erosion and exposed parts were infested with shipworm

375-Year-Old Shipwreck Found in German River

The shipwreck, which has been found to be about 375 years old, was found nearly 36 feet beneath the surface of the Trave River - a river in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, which flows into the Baltic Sea at TravemĂĽnde. The ship was found during routine measurements of the river by the local waterway and shipping authority which detected an anomaly at the river bottom using a multibeam echosounder.

Giant Pacific Octopus - photo by Andrey Bizyukin
Giant Pacific Octopus interact with divers

Do octopuses have an emotional life?

Octopuses have intrigued scientists for years, because they have both long- and short-term memory, they remember solutions to problems, and they can go on to solve the same or similar problems. They have been known to climb aboard fishing boats and open holds in search of crabs. They can figure out mazes, open jars, and break out of their aquariums in search of food.

Buddy Dive Resort Bonaire Announces New PADI Instructor Development Course Dates

The courses offer the perfect preparation for a career in the dive industry. Our Course Directors and IDC Staff Instructors transfer their years of practical experience with great enthusiasm.

When choosing Buddy Dive Resort for an Instructor Development Course, IDC candidates will learn the tricks of the trade at a resort that has been known for its top diving operation for 40 years.

Fin whale feeding aggregation.
Fin whale feeding aggregation of ~70 fin whales encountered during RV Polarstern expedition in 2018

Groups of fin whales spotted in Antarctic, suggesting recovery after whaling

Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus quoyi) of the Southern Hemisphere were brought to near extinction by 20th-century industrial whaling. For decades, they had all but disappeared from previously highly frequented feeding grounds in Antarctic waters. Researchers estimate that by the time whaling was banned in the 1970s over 700,000 fin whales had been killed.  

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Sphinx and Giza pyramids
Sphinx and Giza pyramids

Egypt relaxes photography restrictions for tourists

Egyptian nationals and foreign tourists alike have complained that authorities have requested permits for shooting in public areas, and at times seized cameras and forbidden shooting even if a permit is in place.

In a statement, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled El-Enani announced that 'photography enthusiasts', foreign residents in Egypt and tourists will be able to take pictures in public without permits and that “no one will be allowed to ask you why you are filming in public”

DAN Encourages Safe Diving During Florida Lobster Mini Season

While it’s a fun, challenging and tasty experience for most, more than 20 divers have lost their lives during mini season in the last decade.

Through analysis of these tragic deaths, researchers at Divers Alert Network (DAN) have identified the most relevant contributing factors and most important safety practices for divers participating in the annual event.

These tips probably won’t surprise you, but sometimes the most basic precautions are the most likely to save a life.

Sample images of diving in Portugal provided by Diving Talks.
Sample images of diving in Portugal provided by Diving Talks.

Combine Diving Talks event with some local diving

"Opt to arrive one-week earlier or leave one week later, and chose the stay and dive program for your type of diving and preferences," the organiser of Diving Talks writes in a newsletter.

Make the most of the trips and both attend the event and try out some local diving while you are there. 

Apeks Exotec BCD
Apeks Exotec BCD

Apeks recalls Exotec BCD

The issue at hand

When an affected BCD is inflated, the grey pull dump knob retracts towards the stitched channel of the jacket. The channel then prevents the knob from further retracting and slightly opens the dump valve. As a result, the BCD cannot be fully inflated, which could lead to a lack of buoyancy control.

Scapa Flow Wrecks: Multibeam Sonar Survey & 3D Photogrammetry

Photogrammetry of the mast of the Kronprinz Wilhelm wreck in Scapa Flow by 3DVisLab at the University of Dundee
The mast of the Kronprinz Wilhelm wreck, rendered in 3D photogrammetry by professors Chris Rowland and Kari Hyttinen of 3DVisLab at the University of Dundee in Scotland, United Kingdom

Scapa Flow, located in the Orkney Islands of Scotland, is the site of the scuttling of the High Seas Fleet of the Imperial German Navy in June 1919 at the end of World War I. While many of the wrecks were salvaged following the war, the remaining wrecks have become popular dive sites. In recent times, efforts to learn more about these wrecks through multibeam sonar surveys and 3D photogrammetry have taken place. Rosemary E.