X-RAY MAGAZINE FEATURE

Maldives Recovery: Exclusive Interview With DAN Europe’s Laura Marroni and Sami Paakkarinen

It made headlines worldwide. Five Italian divers died in a cave in the Vaavu Atoll in the Maldives. On behalf of DUIKEN magazine (the biggest diving magazine of the Netherlands and Belgium), editor Patrick Kranenbroek spoke with Laura Marroni, CEO of DAN Europe, and Sami Paakkarinen, a member of the Finnish recovery team.

Words:
Interview by Patrick Kranenbroek
Images:
DAN Europe and Sami Paakkarinen
Team of Italian divers who died in a Maldives cave
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Tech and Training

The team of five Italian divers who died in a cave in the Maldives included (clockwise) Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, instructor Gianlunca Benedetti, researcher Muriel Oddenino and marine biologist Federico Gualtieri. 

 

Laura Marroni, CEO, DAN Europe

First of all, when DAN Europe became aware of the accident, what were the very first priorities in organising the rescue and recovery operation?

Lens Beyond Ocean Photo Competition 2026 Winners

The winners of the international Lens Beyond Ocean (LBO) Photo Competition 2026 have been announced by the organisers of the Malaysia International Dive Expo (MIDE), which hosts the contest. The winning images were displayed at the expo, which took place at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur from 5 to 7 June 2026. 

Long-arm octopus in bottle photo by LBO Macro Category winner Stephanie Doniger
Photo & Video

This year marked the 15th anniversary of the competition, and the 20th anniversary of MIDE. A long-time highlight of the expo, the photo competition, which has been developed and managed by the organisers of MIDE since its inception, attracted great enthusiasm and attention from visitors. It showcased a spellbinding collection of underwater imagery from talented photographers, both international and domestic.

X-RAY MAGAZINE FEATURE

Crucible, Part I: A Deep Dive Into the Early Days of Technical Diving

Today, when you execute planned decompression stop dives using mixed gas and multiple gases, with open-circuit or closed-circuit hardware, in the caves of Florida, Russia or Mexico, the wrecks of Scapa Flow, the Great Lakes or Truk, the abandoned flooded mines of Finland and South Africa or the walls of Palau—whichever of the alphabet soup of agencies trained you in this kind of diving—you will be carrying the same equipment, configured in one of a few recognised, accepted and well-tried ways, and using similar combinations of gases, decompression tables and procedures. Simon Pridmore has the story.

Words:
Simon Pridmore
Images:
Advanced nitrox diving
➥ Download the full article as pdf ⬅︎
Tech and Training

Ed. – In this two-part series, we present one chapter, called “Crucible”, from Simon Pridmore’s book, Technically Speaking: Talks on Technical Diving, Volume 1: Genesis and Exodus, which draws the bolts and picks the locks on the vaults in which are stored the memories of a time in the not-so-distant past, when the sport of scuba diving was on the cusp of change. It is a deep, deep dive into the early days of technical diving that explores how it all happened, why it all happened and who made it all happen.

 

Java Sidemount

Compact sidemount BCD offering a convertible design that can also be configured for backmount diving.

Java Sidemount
BCD's, Wings & Sidemounts
Java sidemount

The Java Sidemount BCD is the first sidemount buoyancy system developed and manufactured in Indonesia for the international diving market. We first encountered the brand at the recent MIDE expo in Kuala Lumpur, where the company demonstrated both its sidemount and backmount configurations. 

Corals That Defy the Rules

From PortMiami to Honolulu and the Gulf of Oman, growing evidence suggests some corals are thriving in places long considered unsuitable for reef-building species, challenging assumptions about what healthy coral habitat should look like.

Ecology & Science

For decades, marine scientists regarded clear, warm, nutrient-poor tropical waters as the essential ingredients for healthy coral reefs. Murky harbours, sediment-laden coastlines and industrial ports were generally seen as hostile environments where corals could only survive with difficulty. A growing body of research is beginning to challenge that view.

MIDE at 20: The World's Largest Dive Show?

Returning to the Malaysia International Dive Expo (MIDE) after an absence of several years was something of a revelation. X-Ray Magazine has proudly supported the show as a media partner since its inaugural edition in 2006, but having local representatives in Southeast Asia meant I had not attended personally for quite some time. That made this year's 20th anniversary edition all the more eye-opening.

MIDE was well visited
Dive Industry News and Matters
MIDE - Malaysia Int. Dive Expo


According to independently audited figures submitted to the Malaysian government, no fewer than 19,887 visitors attended MIDE 2026. The exhibition featured 355 booths, completely sold out the main exhibition hall at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur and, by every measure, was a resounding success.

Those numbers alone are impressive.

The Remarkable Shark Repellent of the Hagfish

Among the many mysteries hidden beneath the waves, few creatures are stranger than the hagfish. Looking more like an eel than a fish, this ancient survivor has puzzled scientists for centuries. How could such a slow, apparently defenceless animal persist in oceans filled with swift and powerful predators? The answer, it turns out, is one of the most astonishing defensive strategies in the animal kingdom—a weapon made almost entirely of seawater.

Hagfish knots itself
Ecology & Science

For centuries, hagfish have been regarded as little more than deep-sea scavengers—primitive jawless fishes that spend their lives cleaning up dead animals on the ocean floor. But underwater video footage has revealed a very different story. Far from being passive scavengers, hagfish are active predators equipped with one of the most extraordinary attack and defence systems in the animal kingdom.

UK Divers Reminded to Register PLBs

BSAC says 406 MHz Personal Locator Beacons carried aboard UK-flagged motorised vessels must now be registered under new UK maritime rules.

UK divers carrying 406 MHz Personal Locator Beacons should check that their devices are registered.
Equipment
BSAC

Divers using 406 MHz Personal Locator Beacons are being reminded that registration is now mandatory when the devices are carried aboard UK-flagged motorised vessels.

According to BSAC, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has warned that it is now a criminal offence to carry an unregistered 406 MHz PLB on a UK-flagged vessel or mechanically propelled watercraft. The rule applies to both existing PLBs and newly purchased units.

Press Release
Received from: DAN

Divers Alert Network Releases Statement About Legal Filing

DAN

The circumstances surrounding the pending litigation involve a tragic loss, and the entire DAN organization extends its sincere concern to all those affected. Out of respect for the family, the parties, our insureds, and the judicial process, we will not comment on the facts of the underlying litigation, the merits of any allegations, litigation strategy, or specific insurance coverage positions beyond the public court record.

Tern TX Limited Edition

Available in two limited-edition colours, the new Tern TX combines Shearwater’s compact dive computer with a marine conservation initiative supporting coral restoration and ocean protection projects.

Tern TX Limited Edition
Dive Computers
Shearwater Research

Shearwater has introduced two limited-edition versions of its Tern TX dive computer, available in blue and purple colourways inspired by healthy oceans and recovering coral reefs. Only 750 units of each colour will be produced worldwide, with a contribution from every sale supporting marine conservation organisations working on coral restoration and marine protection.

Identity of Devon’s Famous Gold Wreck Finally Solved

Nearly three decades after divers discovered hundreds of Moroccan gold coins off the Devon coast, researchers have identified the wreck as the Dutch merchant ship Dom van Keulen, shedding new light on seventeenth-century trade between North Africa and northern Europe.

Gold coins and recovered jewellery from the Dom van Keulen wreck site.
Wrecks & Archaeology

For more than 30 years, one of Britain’s most enigmatic shipwrecks has challenged maritime archaeologists. Since its discovery off Salcombe, Devon, in 1995, the site has yielded more than 400 Moroccan gold coins, jewellery, ceramics, pewter objects and other artefacts, but the identity of the vessel remained uncertain.

Press Release
Received from: Caroline Robertson‑Brown | Marketing Manager | Shark Trust

The Shark Trust Great Shark Snapshot is back!

Shark Trust Great Shark Snapshot
Shark Trust

July will see the return of the Shark Trust’s citizen science initiative: The Great Shark Snapshot. It encourages divers and snorkellers, all around the world, to record the sharks and rays that they see during a 1-week period. This year it takes place between the 18th and 26th July. And the Shark Trust are asking you to dive in! 

The event is back for its 5th year, and it is happening in “Shark Month”, more commonly known as July! To coincide with a series of events that celebrate all things shark and ray.