X-Ray Mag #92

The name “Sodwana” comes from the Zulu words Siso dwana, which mean “us alone.” History has it that a group of Zulu women were harvesting mussels on a deserted stretch of beach along the northern coast of KwaZulu-Natal when a landing party for the British Royal Navy came ashore and asked them who they were and what they were doing there. Not understanding this strange language, the ladies replied “Siso dwana” (“us alone”) and from that day, this beautiful piece of unspoilt coastline has been known as Sodwana Bay.

Do manufacturers hype junk science to sell exposure protection? The short answer is yes!

British artist Gerry Miles paints marine life and reef scenes in brilliant color and dynamic compositions, often with abstract backgrounds that capture the thrilling vitality and sublime ambience of the underwater world.

X-Ray Mag interviewed the artist to find out more about his artwork and perspectives.

Why travel far when good things lie right at your doorstep? In our case, the “good thing” was Lake Zurich, a midsized lake in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. The city of Zurich is located on the northern end of the 40km-long lake, which still holds some secrets in its depths. In this article, we present two wrecks recently found in the lake and the journey of their exploration.

The Malaysia International Dive Expo hit new heights in its 14th year, taking place at the Putra World Centre in Kuala Lumpur on 3-5 May 2019. This year, there was a 20 percent increase in visitors, totalling 12,656 from 50 countries.

— Why you dive computer is not always right.

A model may mean different things. It can signify a miniaturisation, like the kit airplanes some of us assembled when we were kids or an electrical model railway. It can mean mimicking or resembling something, the appearance or behaviour of which we want to emulate or replicate—what is also known as a simulation. Furthermore, it may also stand for simplification. In the framework of this article, all of these meanings will apply to some extent.

The sixth biannual international Rebreather Meeting took place 1-5 May 2019 on Ponza Island in Italy. Peter Symes reports.

The sixth biannual international Rebreather Meeting took place 1-5 May 2019 on Ponza Island in Italy. Peter Symes reports.

Michael Menduno details the highlights of the various presentations given during the sixth biannual international Rebreather Meeting, which took place 1-5 May 2019 on Ponza Island in Italy.

Michael Menduno details the highlights of the various presentations given during the sixth biannual international Rebreather Meeting, which took place 1-5 May 2019 on Ponza Island in Italy.

Michael Menduno details the highlights of the various presentations given during the sixth biannual international Rebreather Meeting, which took place 1-5 May 2019 on Ponza Island in Italy.

What is the difference between a snapshot and a masterpiece in photography? This is a question that is often asked but is often already answered. Even though some opinions may differ, there is one very correct statement: It is all about the light.

For a relatively small nation, Japan has an exceptional degree of marine biodiversity—especially among sharks and rays. Exotic elasmobranchs can be encountered virtually anywhere along the meandering coastline of southern Honshu (Japan’s large central island), but there are a handful of hotspots that shark fans should try not to miss.

The appearance on the radar of a new world-class area for scuba diving is a rare and extremely welcome event. It is even better news when it is a place as steeped in history and culture as this one.

The scene for this story is a liveaboard in Southeast Asia, which, on most of its itineraries, would offer guests four dives a day and imposed a 60-minute maximum dive time for each dive. Divers were also asked to stay together on a dive, and follow their guide. There were 12 divers and three guides, so each guide would usually be leading four divers.

Diving at a location where only few have gone before is every diver’s dream. Viroit Cave in southern Alban­­ia is such a place.