SCUBA News 294
(ISSN 1476-8011)
January 2025

Wreck diving in the Red Sea Among the most famous is the fabulous Thistlegorm, sunk in the war and still full of motorbikes, guns, trucks and other wartime supplies, but there are many other classic wrecks to be dived each with its own unique story. SEE WHICH�

Totally Tenerife Year round diving and ray heaven. READ MORE�

Coral Reefs: Why do they matter and is it too late to save them? These underwater ecosystems are more than just visually stunning dive sites; they are lifelines for countless marine species and essential to the health of our oceans. LEARN MORE�

5 Liveaboard Deals for 2025 - Save up to 30% this year

More great liveaboard diving deals, to some of the best diving destinations in the world, specially selected for us by Divebooker.com, the liveaboard specialists.

1. Discovery I (Amelia), Egypt, SAVE 25%, Price from £650 per trip. Choose the northern wrecks, including the Thistlegorm, or the southern Elphinstone and Daedalus.

   

   More Info or Book

2. Dancing Wind, Indonesia, SAVE 30%. Visit the famous Raja Ampat or the Whale Shark festival of West Papua. For experienced divers with at least 60 dives.



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3. Tiburon Explorer, Galapagos, SAVE $500. 5-star resort in the sea. Built and designed specifically for sailing in Galapagos weather conditions. See sharks and nudibranchs, turtles, schools of tuna, eagle rays, sea lions and more.

   

   More Info or Book

4. Solmar V, Mexico, Socorro Islands, 15% off diving the fabulous Socorro and Revillagigedo Islands. If you're a shark lover, this is the trip for you.

   

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5. Philippine Siren, SAVE 20%. Visit Malapascua, famous for its thresher sharks, and The Visayas.

   

   More Info or Book

See more liveaboard deals to some of the best diving in the world - Maldives, Indonesia, Cocos Islands...

Dancing white tip sharks take first prize

The Ocean Art contest announces the results, and the best in show was awarded, for the first time, to a black and white photo. Eduardo Labat captured a dancing circle of white-tip reef sharks at Roca Partida, Revillagigedo, Mexico.

Congratulations to all winners. Over $60,000 in prizes have been awarded to 59 professional and amateur photographers in 14 categories. You can see all the winning photos on the SCUBA News site.

The winner of the wide angle category was Hwanhee Kim for her photo taken in Cancun. She explained
"The week before I captured this shot, heavy rains fell in Cancun. Sediment and nutrients from the nearby CARWASH were washed into the cenote, creating stunning colours due to the difference in concentration. Rain is typically a challenge for underwater photography, but in this instance, it produced vibrant hues rarely seen underwater. Sunlight, with its strong vitality, pierced through the reddish waters, revealing a magical moment."

Compact cameras also welcome

The contest wasn't just for photographers with professional camera gear, there were also categories for compact cameras. Marco Lausdei took this fabulous shot with a Sony RX100m5 - Seafrog housing - Seafrog dome in the Maldives at a night dive at Maya Thila. Lausdei said "I noticed a whitetip reef shark moving in cyclical patterns, visibly attracted to a cloud of silverfish positioned along the Thila drop-off. Using a nearby boulder for cover, I carefully hid and minimized my bubbles, trying to get as close as possible without disturbing the predator's behavior. Understanding the subject's habits and behaviour was essential to the success of this shot."

This beauty was shot with the commonly used Olympus TG-6, with Backscatter MF-1 by Jayson Apostol in the Philippines. Wish I could take photos like that with my TG-6..

Macro categories

Back to the non-compact categories, this striking image won first place in the macro category. Taken at Tulamben in Bali.

Marine Life Behaviour

The lovely shot only won third prize in the behaviour section, but it is a stunning capture.

"This year's Ocean Art competition was nothing short of extraordinary" said Nirupam Nigam, organiser of the contest and Editor-in-Chief of the Underwater Photography Guide. "The talent and vision displayed by our participants have set new benchmarks for underwater photography. These images do more than win awards; they captivate hearts and minds, reaching millions globally and reminding us of our shared responsibility to protect the ocean's beauty."

How to win the competition?

If you fancy entering next year - what do you need to do to win? Well, luckily the judges are happy to tell you.

1. Technical Excellence
   Soft focus and/or missing the mark with exposure will weigh against an image. Good use of your frame and a well-composed photograph work in your favour.
2. Know Your Histogram
   If important parts of your image exceed 255 on the right or drop below zero on the left, it's unlikely to be selected.
3. Use a Calibrated Monitor
   Many images with great potential are hampered by inaccurate color. Blues, in particular, are tricky to get right, and the ocean is not purple.
4. Be Judicious with Special Effects
   Gimmicks like filters, multi-colored lighting, and special effects can sometimes produce outstanding images. However, they more often overpower the subject or grow stale. Always ask yourself, "Does this effect enhance or detract from the subject and overall image?"
5. Know Your Software
   Specialized sharpening software, AI editing, and other tools can be both helpful and harmful. Understanding the capabilities and limitations of your tools is essential.
6. Read the Rules
   Carefully consider the most appropriate category for each image. For example, a wide-angle photo doesn't necessarily belong in the wide-angle category if it conveys a strong environmental message or showcases incredible behaviour.

See all the winning photos on the SCUBA News site.

Diving news from around the World

9 divers rescued in Palau after 27 hours in water The 7 guest divers and 2 instructors managed to keep together and used their diving masks to collect rainwater to drink, as the search expanded to find them.

How To Prepare For Cold-Water Diving Cold water diving opens the door to some of the most extraordinary underwater experiences, from swimming through kelp forests to exploring alongside icebergs.

Unique Killer Whale Pod Has Adapted to Hunt Sharks In the Gulf of California, an orca pod have picked up new skills that help them hunt whale sharks: the world's largest fish, growing up to 18 meters long.

Update on accidents involving dive boats operating in the Red Sea UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch is preparing a safety bulletin setting points that divers taking a liveaboard should take into account before booking.

A Guide To Marine Life Identification For New Divers Identifying marine life adds an extra dimension to scuba diving. Easy guide to iconic species like manta rays, nudibranchs, lionfish and reef sharks. Oh, and frogfish.

Bark for a bite? How hungry humpbacks harangue mothers Study releases the first identification of potential begging calls in baleen whales, contributing significantly to our limited understanding of whale vocalisations.

Study highlights key factors for successful restoration of elkhorn coral colonies Coral restoration should prioritize shallower depths with faster currents in low-nutrient environments to promote a healthier microbial community. But of course the real answer is to halt global warming.

Marine animals save energy by swimming in a depth sweet spot Mammals, birds and reptiles swim at similar relative depths when travelling and not feeding to save energy. All travelled at around three body depths from the surface.

Mediterranean sharks continue to decline despite conservation progress Overfishing, illegal fishing and increasing marketing of shark meat pose significant threats to the more than 80 species of sharks and rays that inhabit the Mediterranean Sea.

Truk Lagoon liveaboards - which to choose? Three liveaboards currently visit some of the best wreck diving in the world: SS Thorfin, Pacific Master and MV Odyssey. Discover which one would suit you best.

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SCUBA News is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. This means we are happy for you to reuse our material for both commercial and non-commercial use as long as you: credit the name of the author, link back to the SCUBA Travel website and say if you have made any changes. Most photos though, are copyright the photographer. Please get in touch for details.

Photo credits: Tim Nicholson, Jill Studholme, Tatiana Ivkovich, Rob Atherton/DepositPhotos, divebooker.com.

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CONTACTING THE EDITOR
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Jill Studholme
SCUBA News
The Cliff

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SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011)

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