It was a day of unbelievable violence. Sometimes Nature decides to wake up and with an unforgettable result. This was the case on 26th December 2004 when the giant earthquake struck and a day that will be remembered for long time in areas as Simeulue and Nias Island, North Sumatra, Indonesia which were the nearest points to the earthquake epicentre. From this day on life changed profoundly for the islands’ inhabitants.

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Andre Hartman - the shark man

Daniel Beecham Edwin Marcow & Daniel Beecham

Ecology & Science Profiles & Interviews

Nowadays, sharks are big business and many divers and scientists have made a name for themselves by making new discoveries about shark behaviour and biology. There is however one man who for many shark enthusiasts needs no introduction. A true pioneer, Andre Hartman is the original shark wrangler who, in an age of misunderstanding, has pushed the boundaries of shark diving to learn more about a species that has been misunderstood for too long.

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Andre Hartman - the shark man

Daniel Beecham Edwin Marcow & Daniel Beecham

Ecology & Science Profiles & Interviews

Nowadays, sharks are big business and many divers and scientists have made a name for themselves by making new discoveries about shark behaviour and biology. There is however one man who for many shark enthusiasts needs no introduction. A true pioneer, Andre Hartman is the original shark wrangler who, in an age of misunderstanding, has pushed the boundaries of shark diving to learn more about a species that has been misunderstood for too long.

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Antibes Festival of Underwater Images 2005

Photo & Video

Once more, for 32nd time, the World Festival of Underwater Images was held in Antibes on the French Riviera. During the last sunny days of October (27th –30th ) 18,000 visitors passed the turnstiles and were captivated by the cosy atmosphere and special ambience in this special world of underwater imagery.

Dolphin Ecology

Ecology & Science

When you are on the way back to the harbor after the afternoon dive, wild dolphins often swim in front and along the dive boat. They seem to love following boats. Sometimes they then perform for us, in form of huge jumps out of the water and “tail shows”, keeping the tail up for minutes remaining still in the water.

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General von Steuben

Michel Tagliati Michel Tagliati

Wrecks & Archaeology

German ocean liner General von Steuben was torpedoed by a Russian submarine in 1945 taking thousands of refugees fleeing the advancing Red army with her to the bottom. She now rests at 72 meters in the Baltic Sea making it one of the most impressive Baltic wrecks and daunting technical dives.

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Getting it all right

Leigh Cunningham

Tech and Training

Mask clearing and deployment of the Surface Marker Buoy. What's the connection between these two unrelated skills, you may be excused for thinking. They are both giving many students problems during training, that's what. In both cases it's all about getting it right from the beginning.

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Let there Be Light

Dan Beecham

Equipment

As any diver knows, at depth light is absorbed, and one by one the colours of the spectrum disappear. Red is the first to go which disappears at around six metres, followed by orange, yellow… Underwater photographers are constantly battling against the effect water has on colour and light, and use various methods to return good colours to their images.

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Polluce Wreck - the Recovery

Peter Symes Peter Symes

Wrecks & Archaeology

It was one of those highly unlikely chains of unforeseable events that led us to Elba the pictoresque but somewhat mislaid lump of land in the Meditterean made famous by emperor Napoleon’s exile here: The fact that the treasureship Polluce was finally being excavated.

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South Africa

Compiled by Edwin Marcow

Travel & Trips

Covering an area of over 1,200,000 sq km, with nearly 3000km of rugged coastline, South Africa boasts some of the worlds most awe inspiring diving.

From the Great whites of the Western Cape, to the epic Sardine Run, the pristine coral reefs of Sodwana Bay and the Ragged Tooth Sharks of Aliwol Shoal, many of the sights and experiences must ofbe seen to be believed. Since the end of apartheid eleven years ago more and more people have started travelling to South Africa, not only to experience the breath taking diving but also the spectacular scenery, vineyards, safaris, architecture, and local people that together make this destination a must for any seasoned traveller. Over the following pages we’ll take you through some of the best dives sites, as well as looking in more detail at some experiences you can enjoy there.

Join us now, as we discover South Africa

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Thomas Peschak

edited by Gunild Pak Symes Thomas Peschak

Lifestyle & Art

Thomas P. Peschak is a marine biologist based at the University of Cape Town’s Marine Biology Research Institute, where he conducts scientific research on kelp forests, illegal fishing and the ecology of sea otters. He is an experienced field biologist and professional diver who has worked extensively in Africa, Central America, the Middle East and the South Pacific.

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