X-Ray Mag #98
Features in this issue
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Diving in the Era of COVID-19
Diving in the era of COVID-19: How do we safely go diving again?April 2020 — I come to you as a recreational and technical diving instructor, as a physician consultant for Divers Alert Network, and as a COVID-19 survivor. For me, it was just an occupational hazard. I tested positive for COVID-19 after seeing a patient in my cardiology clinic for an unrelated condition who seemed quite short of breath. He was admitted to the ICU and tested positive for COVID-19.
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From Rust to Rock
Deep in the engine room of Heian Maru, Truk Lagoon, Micronesia. Photo by Pete Mesley.For years and years, people have often asked me, “Hey, why aren’t you a cave diver?” And I would respond simply, “When I have dived all the wrecks of the world (twice), I will then think about diving Wet Rocks!”
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Going Pro – Part I: To Divemaster and Beyond
ImagesBrandi MuellerA thought that crosses the mind of many divers at some point in their diving lives is: “Do I have what it takes to be a full-time dive professional—or even just start a scuba side hustle?” The enticing concept that if you are a keen diver, you can turn your hobby into a career is one that commercial training agencies promote heavily because they make good money from instructor courses.
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Going Through the Paces of GUE’s CCR1 Course
The GUE JJ CCR setup provides a swift and efficient bailout option. If equipped with a BOV, a twist gives access to 14 litres of back gas. This provides plenty of time to make crucial decisions and to figure out what to do next!I completed a Module 1 course on the Inspiration Classic back in the late ‘90s but found that my limited ability meant that maintaining situational awareness while also having to continually monitor handsets was very difficult. In the early 2000s, I also did a series of technical diving courses with Global Underwater Explorers (GUE), and I still rate these lessons as the most significant dive training that I have ever undertaken.
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Jenny Berry Portfolio
South Australian artist Jenny Berry creates marine life paintings and murals that portray the serene beauty and unique species found in underwater Australia. Her artworks feature underwater critters such as the giant cuttlefish, which has an annual mass breeding aggregation in South Australian waters that not many locals know about, raising awareness of special local denizens and the fragile ecosystems in which they live.
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Lens Beyond Ocean submission deadline extended
ImagesDelbos Yannick / Lens Beyond OceanIn light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the dates of the Malaysia International Dive Expo (MIDE) have been changed to 4 – 6 December 2020. As a result, the final submission date for the Lens Beyond Ocean (LBO) international photo competition, which is hosted by MIDE, has been extended to 1 November 2020.
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My Favorite Macro Dive: Contributors' Picks
We asked our contributors what their favorite macro dive was and they answered with stories and images from some of the most beautiful and unique dive sites on the planet.
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Northern California: A Dive Off the American Wild West Coast
ImagesBrent Durand
Metridium anemone and corynactis grow on a rock while blue rockfish swim overhead, Northern California, USA. Photo by Brent Durand.Warm rinse water sloshed in the jug as my car hugged a sharp turn on California’s Pacific Coast Highway. I looked left at the mighty Pacific Ocean, the cliffs tumbling to the sea dotted by rugged pinnacles, stretching farther up the coast than the jam band solo currently playing out of the car speakers. Deep blue, favorable conditions all week, minimal swell, no-wind forecast—only unpredictable visibility could affect the diving today.
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Salmon Sharks of Alaska
Salmon sharks lack a nictitating membrane, so their eyes can be seen following a subject, Port Fidalgo, Alaska, USA. Photo by Jennifer Idol.Sharks elicit strong emotions, be it the thrill of a planned encounter underwater or fear propelled by social media and lack of information. Of the more than 400 species of sharks, it is the small family of mackerel sharks that is most iconic. These sharks prompted me to share why one of them, the salmon shark, is an especially remarkable species.
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Samoa: Polynesian Diving in Upolu
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Tiny blenny hiding in reef, Samoa. Photo by Brandi Mueller.Located in the Polynesian region of the South Pacific Ocean, the idyllic paradise of Samoa, which comprises the two main islands of Savai'i and Upolu and several smaller islands, is part of the Commonwealth of Nations. Brandi Mueller managed to venture to Upolu Island before the coronavirus pandemic forced countries to close borders and stay-at-home orders came into effect.
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Sorting out the Stingrays
The bluespotted ribbontail ray is easy to distinguish from other small rays with blue spots by its oval shape. This one was found sheltering under a wreck in the Red Sea. Photo by Nigel Marsh.Gliding slowly over the rocky reef, I was mesmerised, watching all the colourful reef fishes going about their daily activities. I was so entranced that I was startled to look up and find I was on a collision course with a massive stingray. This was the first stingray I had ever seen, and the giant creature terrified me. In the second it took my panicking brain to work out what to do, the stingray suddenly saw me and also got a shock.
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Take the X-Ray Mag Photo Challenge
Comparisons of colors, shapes and subject matter. Dorid nudibranch, Goniobranchus leopardus, on soft coral in Papua New Guinea (top right) compared to a crocus plant blooming early in spring in New York City (top left). Photos by Olga Torrey; Pair of ocean pouts on Resor wreck in New Jersey (bottom left) compared to a pair of juvenile great horn owls in Ephrata, Pennsylvania (bottom right). Photos by Larry Cohen.Stuck inside? Using found objects at home, or what you can photograph looking outside your window, why not try recreating one of your own underwater photos from your image archives? The five best shots will be shared on our website.
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The WWI Disaster of RMS Lusitania
Diver with one of the davits on RMS Lusitania. Photo by Vic Verlinden.After the Titanic, the RMS Lusitania is probably one of the wrecks in the world which most captures the imagination. It was therefore a great and challenging endeavor for me to be able to see this wreck with my own eyes.
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What UW Photographers Do When Put in Dry Dock
ImagesLarry Cohen & Olga Torrey
use your time to recreate one of your own underwater photos from your image archives, using found objects at home, or what you can shoot looking outside your windowAs countries around the world have placed populations in quarantine with stay-at-home orders in an effort to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, many underwater photographers have found themselves stuck inside with no option to travel or go diving.
