Latest

Wrecks of Russia's Lake Ladoga

Islands of the Valaam Archipelago in Lake Ladoga, Russia. Photo by Stanislav Trofimov.
Islands of the Valaam Archipelago in Lake Ladoga, Russia. Photo by Stanislav Trofimov.

Ladoga is a magical lake—a location and natural monument that fascinates many tourists. In Europe, it is the second largest lake after the Caspian Sea. Sergey Kulikov takes us on a journey to this body of fresh water, located in northeastern Russia, just outside of Saint Petersburg, and reports on an expedition to some of the wrecks that can be found here.

Gostiny Dvor exhibition hall is quite close to the Red Square which can been seen in the upper left corner

Moscow Dive Show to go ahead as planned

With restrictions on public shows, events and exhibitions being lifted by the authorities on 25 January, rates of covid-infections in Moscow and Russia going down and the country's vaccination campaign picking up pace, the organisers of Moscow Dive show intend to go ahead with their 2021 edition.  

The show was initially scheduled to be held in February, as in previous years, but was postponed due to restrictions imposed by Covid. Moscow officials now consider it likely that all remaining restrictions will be lifted within two to three months.

X-Ray Mag Photo Challenge: Comparisons

Comparison III and Comparison IV by Sheryl Checkman
Comparison III and Comparison IV by Sheryl Checkman

Back in 2020, we challenged underwater photographers—many of whom found themselves stuck inside or unable to go diving during the pandemic—to search through their image archives and match a topside shot with one of their own underwater shots, in a side-by-side comparison.

Ghost Diving establishes a new chapter in the UK

The international volunteer diver organisation—formerly known as Ghost Fishing—was founded in 2012 to locate and remove lost, snagged and entangled fishing gear or "ghost fishing" equipment from our oceans and seas, across the globe.

From day one this important role has always been conducted by groups of highly experienced, specially skilled, volunteer technical divers who are used to team diving on standard gases, using a set equipment configuration. The divers involved understand and appreciate the hazards of these dives.

Correction Notice

Dr Rich Walker, Chairman of Ghost Fishing UK advised us in writing on the 15 February 2021. 

"In addition GF-UK focuses on writing and selling removal courses to non-technical divers.

"Our course was written years ago, and we categorically do not "sell” them. The course is free of charge to all that are selected to attend. Delivering courses is not a primary focus of Ghost Fishing UK. It is a necessary component of maintaining a safe and effective team." Rich Walker

Ten Commandments of Tech Diving Ops, Part I

An excellent strategy to guard against complacency and protect you and your dive team from becoming too casual about your diving is to establish set operational procedures for all your technical dives.

Today, technical diving is well into its fourth decade. We now have better tools, technology and systems than we did in the past and we know far more about which methods, decompression strategies and gear configurations work well and which do not.

Adventure & Archaeology

Underwater archaeologist working on a site of amphorae on the shipwreck of the Mazotos, in Cyprus
Underwater archaeologist working on a site of amphorae on the shipwreck of the Mazotos, in Cyprus

On opposite sides of the planet from each another, two historic shipwrecks sit in a constant state of change. Both bear historical witness to the story of their day, yet they are very different: One is a Mediterranean cargo vessel from over 2,300 years ago, the other a Norwegian tanker that sank off the coast of New Jersey in 1964.

Proper Export of Underwater Images in Postproduction

Lionfish, the image to be used for this tutorial
Lionfish, the image to be used for this tutorial

In this series of articles on postproduction of underwater images, we have worked a lot on white balance settings, basic and advanced exposure corrections, contrast and curves, advanced techniques of removing colour casts, basic and advanced retouching, final colour boost, cropping and sharpening. Finally, our image is ready! And now, we arrive at the question: What do I do with it?

Vanessa Barragão Portfolio

Geri Coral, by Vanessa Barragão
Geri Coral, by Vanessa Barragão. Created with 100% recycled wool, 120 x 230cm

Portuguese textile artist Vanessa Barragão creates beautiful, exquisite artworks inspired by the textures, shapes and forms of corals and invertebrate life found on ocean reefs. Employing handmade ancestral crafts, she uses only sustainably sourced upcycled materials.