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Photo courtesy of Matthew Meier

Stings & Scrapes — Part 2

Stingrays

Stingrays are frequently considered dangerous or threatening but largely without cause. These are shy fish that generally present no threat to divers unless stepped on or deliberately antagonized. Most stingray injuries occur in shallow water when beachgoers step on the animals. Stingrays can vary in size from just a few inches to more than six feet wide and have a serrated barb at the end of their tails that can cause serious injuries. At the base of the barb are two venomous glands that can cause infections and exacerbate an initial penetrating wound.

Scirè: IANTD Expeditions to the WWII Italian Submarine Wreck

Historical photo of the WWII Italian submarine Scirè
Historical photo of the WWII Italian submarine Scirè

Today, the wreck of the Italian Regia Marina submarine Scirè lies at a depth of 33m in Haifa Bay and four IANTD expeditions were necessary to survey the wreck, collect measurements for a 3D reconstruction and accomplish historical, cultural and scientific research.

Boot show 2021 rescheduled to April

“At the present moment in time, we cannot reliably gauge whether a trade fair can be implemented in January 2021. This is due to current infection rates, ongoing travel restrictions and existing legal provisions which do not permit trade fairs to be held currently. In consultation with our boot advisory board and the associations we have selected the new dates in April with caution," Messe Düsseldorf’s CEO Wolfram Diener writes in a press release.

Japan Underwater Photo Contest 2020 Winners

Gold Medal winner: "Survival," a photo capturing a butterflyfish feeding on spawning corals in Yakushima, Kagoshima
Gold Medal winner: "Survival," a photo capturing a butterflyfish feeding on spawning corals in Yakushima, Kagoshima

From October to Novem­ber of 2020, the Japan National Tourism Organ­ization (JNTO) held its second annual Japan Underwater Photo Contest, seeking photos taken by divers that showcase the undiscovered beauty and artistry of diving in Japan to the world.

Researchers pick up nine new calls made by Weddell seals

Most of these sounds were measured at more than 21 kHz, which is beyond the range of human hearing of 20 to 20,000 hertz. A particular high-pitched whistle came in at 49.8 kHz. When the seals harmonised multiple tones, the resultant sound may exceed 200 kHz, which is beyond what even cats and dogs can hear).

The discovery was the subject of a paper published online in the journal The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

WW2 Soviet Destroyer 'Moscow'

What sank the Soviet destroyer Moscow?

About 13 hours later, at 4:40 pm, three submarines—Щ-205, Щ-206 and Щ-209 (Щ is short for Щука or shuka, which means pike in Russian)—received approval from the Kremlin to move towards the eastern shores of the Black Sea, while the M-33 and M-34 left for long-range patrol near the main base. It was the first day of the war in the Black Sea.

Octopuses are highly intelligent creatures.
Octopuses are highly intelligent creatures.

Octopuses seen punching fish

Called "active displacement" of fish, this behaviour usually takes place during collaborative hunting efforts that both the octopus and fish engage in.

In such a situation with multiple parties, a complex network is created where investment and payoff can be unbalanced, and this gives rise to partner control mechanism, said marine biologist Eduardo Sampaio from the University of Lisbon in Portugal. A paper on this behaviour was published in the Ecology journal.

Sunset House offering Future Travel Vouchers

We are going to miss you this Holiday Season but you don't have to forget about us. Purchase Vouchers Now for Future Travel.

$750 per Voucher and receive these extras:

  • $100 towards your package
  • $100 dive credit
  • $50 food & beverage credit

That is a saving of $250 per person.  Or a whopping $500 per couple. No need to worry about choosing travel dates right now, just pay it forward with our future travel voucher.