X-Ray Mag #31

Feature articles in this issue with stand-alone pdfs

Pascal Bernabé   François Brun

How to master the complexities of extensive explorations of underwater caves and other overhead environments. Distance of 700 meters from the entrance to the end point. The depth of 164 meters at the beginning of the actual exploration and 186 meters at the end. Duration of the dive, which including deco stops, required a run time 9 hours and 46 minutes submersed.

Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti... boasting a wealth of natural beauty that reads like a lexicon of African icons, Tanzania is a wildlife enthusiast’s dream destination. However, this rich bounty isn’t limited to just the land, as the warm waters fringing its coast are home to some of the most spectacular reefs in all of East Africa.

Edited by Gunild Symes   Marcelo Tatsuyoshi Kato

Do water and paper mix? Yes, they do in the Marcelost World created by the Japanese Brazilian artist, Marcelo Tatsuyoshi Kato, who makes magic in paper sculptures and papercuts with themes related to the underwater world. X-RAY MAG’s Gunild Symes interviewed the artist to find out how he developed his unique craft and what inspires him about the sea.

Barb Roy   Barb Roy
Female kelp greenling, Skookumchuck. Photo by Barb Roy

Viewing a torrent of flowing liquid turmoil while safe and dry on shore is enough to make anybody hesitate about signing up for a dive charter in the Skookumchuck Narrows. This is also the place where rushing tidal currents commonly reach impressive speeds of 14-16 knots (30 km/hr)! Looking down at churning whirlpools strong enough to challenge 30-foot boats (9m) might make any diver question if it’s even possible to pierce this witch’s cauldron.

Four hundred and fifty kilometres north of Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, and half an hour from the historic Portuguese trading town of Inhambane and its airport, Tofo is a laid-back village popular for its endless pristine beaches and, of course, scuba diving.

The warm waters of the Indian Ocean provide sustenance for an abundance of marine life here, but the mantas and the whale sharks are the stars of the show.

The spacious, purpose-built dhow slid through the calm Indian Ocean. We were briefed sitting under the shade area of the deck, then kitted up and went through our buddy checks before a giant stride took us into the 30°C sea. Looking down, I could just make out the dive site, an old British lighter, 27 metres below me. It was 9:30 a.m. and the day was going fantastically.

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