409 Dive Log Australasia December 24

DECEMBER 2024 | No 409 digi tal

www.divelog.net.au

AUSTRALASIA

EDITHBURGH JETTY P AUL MACDONALD

Spoilt on the Ribbons C ATHIE CUMMINS

BOOK RELEASE N IGEL MARSH

S AIE'S CAVE , PALAU K EN HOPPEN ELIZABETH SOLICH SPOTLIGHT

S HARK MOVEMENT M IKE SCOTLAND

D AY D IVING at W AKATOBI M IKE SCOTLAND

MVOCEANIA/J' Our newest dive liveaboard operating out of Walindi Resort since 2019. Diving Bismarck Sea and Milne Bay

rest5ft

mv

LIVEABOARD MV FeBrina has been operating from Walindi Resort since 1991. Bismarck Sea, Including New Britain & Kavieng

Walindi Plantation Resort celebrates 40 years of operation. Diving Kimbe Bay Reefs

SCUBAPRO.COM

11/14/24

I have just returned from a week on the Great Barrier Reef. It was my fiftieth scuba diving trip to the reef since I started diving in 1976. Most of these trips have been live-aboards with a few twelve-night camping trips to Lady Musgrave, Tryon and North West islands, down south. I am delighted to say to my fellow ocean lovers that the GBR is very healthy and alive. The fish life is abundant and the coral growth is prolific. The incredible powers of regeneration and the sheer life force of Mother Nature should never be underestimated. It is living proof that good management by the GBR marine Authority, providing pro tection for the blue zones is working. It allows life to recover. Saving the planet is so easy! Plant billions of trees, stop overfishing, create marine reserves. Mother Nature will do the rest. All she needs is time. Many overseas dive destinations remain almost totally unprotected and unregulated. Sadly, you get to see living proof of this in many countries where millions of fishers are chasing the last few fish in their waters. The Mediterranean is devoid of marine life, we are told. The GBR was famous for being the number one dive destination in the world thirty years ago. As a result of negative, irresponsible media and lack of government support, it has slipped far down the list of the top ten. Dive Log is telling the world that scuba diving on the GBR is brilliant, the corals are healthy and there are plenty of big fish. The shock jocks need to be more positive and reveal how good the reef really is. It is one of the greatest living ecosystems on our blue planet. There is great news here. The wheel is slowly turning full circle, my observation is this: if you want to dive with big fish, sharks and manta rays, live-aboards on the Great Barrier Reef are the way to dive. The standard of diving here in Australia is often better than most places I have dived overseas. With some truthful and more balanced, positive media, the reef will rightfully take its place once again as one of the top scuba diving destinations in the world. Dive Log is here to play a small role in the revival of the reef and the Australian dive tourism industry. The corals are healthy, the marine life is abundant and there are many dive operations ready and willing to provide you with a great service. Dive Log is about education, excellence in underwater photography, good quality, well researched and informative articles. Our aim is to motivate and inspire divers to dive, to celebrate the beauty of marine life, to spread knowledge, take better photos and to promote the sport of scuba diving. We have a team of outstanding dive journalists who work hard to write great articles for your enjoyment and edification. From now, our Graphic Artist, Vikki will be taking a much reduced role due to family committments. She has provided total commitment and dedication with unwavering support for dive log over the last thirty OUR COVER PHOTO Our front cover photo is by Paul Macdonald of Downunderpix of a Warty Prowfish from Edithburgh Jetty

years. Her professionalism, hard work and graciousness will be missed but she will be on hand in a lesser role. The good news is that Dive Log will continue to strive to provide Australian divers with a world class scuba diving magazine. It will be better than ever and will continue to aim for excellence in the world of dive magazines under the guidance of Vikki’s apprentice Graphic Designer. Make no mistake, the news and magazine industry are in the fight for life against corporate media giants and economic slowdown. These media corporations destroy countless magazines and newspapers and put millions of journalists out of work. Worse still, we see some try to control content. We see far too much mind control happening in the comfort of our lounge chairs. The future is for local divers to shop lo cally and to support local community media. Your local dive shop are experts and have the advice and knowledge you need. To that end, divers yearn for adventure underwater, for close en counters with sea life and to learn about our precious sea life, safely. DAN gives us insights into diving safety about Skin Bends and how to avoid and treat them. Dr Simon Mitchell warns us about the dangers of hearing from ‘know all’ non-experts in diving forums compared to reading good Science. Some media repeatedly push falsities until most people accept untruths as ‘given’. Simon presents a great op portunity for serious divers interested in advanced diving Science in ‘Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine’ magazine. He discusses The study into deep decompressions stops is a feature . A ‘must read’ for you. Swallow Tail Nudibranchs are featured in David Mullins Nudinotes. His immense collection of great photos reveals an incredible biodiversity. This issue of Counter Strike is another excellent thought provoking read about monsters and bugs. Malcolm Nobbs shows us wonderful photos of the elusive White Spotted Bamboo shark mating in Japan. We are happy to feature an excellent article on Edithburgh Jetty by Paul MacDonald of Downunderpix. He has a superb front cover shot of the sinfully beautiful Warty Prowfish. We get spoilt on the Ribbons courtesy of Cathie Cummins with so many of her excellent photos to showcase its vibrant beauty. Des Williams gives us seventy years of very important diving history about the Victorian Sub Aqua Group and its massive contribution to the sport of diving. John Magee is a well known photographer from Cairns. He presents a really great science article on Octopus. Ken Hoppen takes us back to Palau. Then we head to the Great Barrier Reef on the Spirit of Freedom for a great week of diving. My shark feature continues. We are promoting Steve Sinclair’s “50 great dives” initiative. This challenge is supported by dive operations across Australasia and has huge industry support. There are fantastic prizes on offer. Look into it! The December issue of Dive Log Australasia is another blockbuster dive magazine filled with great diving treasures for your armchair div ing. We proudly provide this service to Australian divers for free to in spire you, to motivate you and to protect marine life. Spread the word and share our magnificent publication with your diving friends. Best wishes for the Christmas season. Get out and dive, enjoy the ocean and as always make sure that you come back safe.

Mike

04

DIVE LOG Australasia #409 - December ‘24

www.divelog.net.au

Customize Your S-Tek Backplate and Wing for Every Dive SCUBAPRO designed the S-Tek technical diving system with premium features and modularity in mind, allowing divers to customize the backplate and wing setup for the specific dive and equip-ment requirements. This interchangeability and attention to detail makes S Tek an excellent choice for technical and avid recreational divers . There are four areas where you can customize your S Tek backplate & wing kit: the backplate material, webbing configuration, weighting/trim, and wing lift capacity. S-Tek backplates are available in aluminum or steel to meet your weight and travel require-ments. Each shows the attention to detail that SCUBAPRO is known for. Webbing slots are carefully angled to reduce wear and increase comfort, a cut out on the top creates a handle for easily lifting the system with or without tank(s) attached, and recessed wingnut sockets keep the innovative S-Tek Ergo Nuts flush. The backplates are available in two webbing con figurations. The PURE version uses the Hogar-thian system of continuous webbing and minimalist features. The PRO version features TEK-LOC adjustable shoulder buckles to ensure a snug fit while making donning and doffing the system easy. This is ideal for those who want more comfort, want to switch between varying exposure protection thicknesses without re rig-ging the webbing and dive centers who will use the system as a rental with divers of all sizes. The PRO version is compatible with an array of Mon-prene® back, waist, and shoulder pads to provide cushioning without adding bulk or buoyancy.

There are several weighting and trim options available with the S-Tek system. Up to two trim weight kits can be added to either backplate supporting a maximum of 8lbs (2lbs per pocket). The S-Tek Pro Fluid Form Weight System can be added if you want a droppable integrated weight system on the waist strap. Finally, you can also keep weight off the system and use a traditional weight belt. There are three S-Tek donut wings available that can quickly be swapped out thanks to the S-Tek Ergo Nuts. These innovative knobs house traditional wingnuts, making them easy to strongly tighten even with thick gloves, while an o-ring creates friction so that the nuts remain tight. The 30lb and 40lb wings are used with the robust S-Tek Single Tank Adapter while the 60lb wing is designed for use with doubles. Each wing has a durable, rounded profile that allows for smooth and controlled air migration. S-Tek trim weight pockets are compatible with the 30lb and 40lb wings. All the configuration options make SCUBAPRO’s S Tek system the perfect platform for avid tech divers, new tech divers interested in slowly expanding their tech kit, and avid divers who might prefer a backplate and wing setup with the flexibility to customize the kit to their diving preferences. Learn more at your local SCUBAPRO dealer.

05

DIVE LOG Australasia #409 - December ‘24

www.divelog.net.au

December 2024

CONTENTS

No 409

Features 17 Lissenung Island New Ireland Paradise 23 Day diving at Wakatobi Mike Scotland 32 Elusive Shark Malcolm Nobbs 36 Edithburgh Jetty Paul Macdonald 44 Spoilt on the Ribbons Cathie &Terry Cummins 54 Spotlight Photographer Elizabeth Solich 56 Octopus Wise beyond words John Magee 60 Palau Saie’s Tunnel Ken Hoppen 70 Spirit of Freedom Mike Scotland 76 Underwater Photo Comp Underwater Australia 4 84 Shark Movement Mike Scotland 100 Trafalgar celebration David Strike

NEXT ISSUE DEADLINE

ISSUE 410 fEB 2025 ADVERT BOOKINGS 7th Jan Artwork Due 15 Jan Editorial Submissions 7th Jan Send to mike@divelog.net.au

Editor Mike Scotland

mike@divelog.net.au Publisher Mike Scot land Graphic Design / Artwork Advertising Mike Scotland tel 0415158168 www.divelog.net.au

Regulars

07 Mike Ball Supersport

68 In Deep

Simon Pridmore

1 10 DAN News

82 Dive Heart Syed Abd Rahman

12 PNG Resort Listings

94 Southern Waters and Wrecks

16 Diving Medicine Dr Simon Mitchell

Steve Reynold

20 Nudinotes David Mullins

102 Dive Boat Directory

31 Counter Strike David Strike 103 Parting Shot Elizabeth Solich 54 Historical Diving Society Des Williams 105 Your Shot Wayne Heming Victorian Sub Aqau Group 106 Your Shot Elena Markushina

6

DIVE LOG Australasia #409 - December ‘24

www.divelog.net.au

Great Barrier Reef on the November

View from the Bridge Trevor Jackson - Spoilsport Skipper www.mikeball.com/blog

PHOTOS FROM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

If angels dared to wet their wings.

Years ago, on a boat that has since sailed into retirement, we had a saying: "Hell Diver." The phrase still pops up now and then in the Spoilsport wheelhouse. It refers to someone like a Navy Seal — a diver with years of experience, exceptional physical fitness, and youthful energy coursing through their veins. No sea too rough, no dive too tough. Got your anchor stuck? Call the Hell Diver. Can’t find the wreck? Hell Diver. You get the idea. I used to fancy myself as a bit of a Hell Diver, but those days are long gone. Now, I prefer a slower pace. I’m no longer charging into 3-knot currents, and my personal depth limit has shrunk to a fraction of what it once was. I’m not alone at this end of the spectrum. There are plenty of like-minded folks — people just starting out, teenagers taking their first plunge, retirees ticking off bucket-list dives. Then there are the 40-somethings rediscovering their love of the ocean from their 20s, and parents sharing the magic of the sea with their kids. Or maybe it’s just someone looking for a good old-fashioned holiday. These divers aren’t after a physical challenge, nor are they out to prove anything. They seek rediscovery, awakening — something that radiates pure joy. They want calm seas, gentle currents, a controlled environment, and, to borrow an Aussie phrase, “No worries.” They don’t aspire to be Hell Divers. Who needs that kind of heat? They prefer cool, calm, and collected. Now, you can find this relaxed style of diving in many places, and it’s damn good, to be honest. But it’s not quite *great*. Think 30-meter visibility, mantas and minkes, postcard-perfect coral, and giant cod. Swell-protected dive sites that are second to none. There’s no substitute for the Ribbons; it’s the ultimate diving experience. We know it, and we want you to experience it too. Next year, Spoilsport is embracing the “work smarter, not harder” approach with a series of 5-night trips straight to this underwater Garden of Eden. We’ll take you to dive icons of biblical proportions: Cod Hole, Steve’s Bommie, Pixie Pinnacle, Lighthouse Bommie, and Crackerjack, all sheltered by the Ribbons. These long, pencil-shaped reefs block out the ocean swell, creating a true oasis of calm. No need for Hell Divers here. If heaven has a place at sea, and if angels dared to wet their wings, the Ribbons would surely be their destination — a paradise waiting to be found. It’s not the Ribbons.

1st. Carlos Donoso-Lillo

3rd. Paul Tan

2nd. Dave Fry

Coral Sea & Great Barrier Reef! The Best Diving on the Dive with giant potato cod, explore deep walls, witness shark action at Osprey Reef.

New Special Expeditions! Check out our website for details.

Ribbon Reefs Suited to both Divers and Snorkelers.

In May 2025, our inaugural Ribbons Only trips begin. We’ll see you there... Amen.

www.mikeball.com T: +61 7 4053 0500 E: resv@mikeball.com #spoilsportlive #mikeballdive

Check out availability of Expeditions on Spoilsport. www.mikeball.com/availability

“The reef systems here are some of the most pristine I have seen anywhere in my dive travels around the globe, and Wakatobi resort and liveaboard are second to none. The diversity of species here is brilliant if you love photography.” ~ Simon Bowen

1 0

DIVE LOG Australasia #409 - December ‘24

www.divelog.net.au

10

DIVE LOG Australasia #409 - December ‘24

www.divelog.net.au

Incident Insight A Skin Bend Cuts a Diving Holiday Short A post-dive itch or change in the colour or texture of your skin, such as a rash or a marbled appearance, may be decompression related. Skin manifestations of decompression sickness (DCS) are also known as cutaneous DCS and are more common than you might think. Divers often mistake cutaneous DCS for a rash due to another cause, such as contact with marine life or an allergic reaction, or they may just ignore such symptoms . Reported Story A male diver (age 46) went on a diving holiday in Cozumel. He made four dives in two days, all on air, with maximum depths ranging from 15m down to 27m, and all total dive times just over one hour long including a three minute safety stop at the end of each dive. He felt no symptoms after the first day and went out for dinner. Later that night he felt soreness in his ribs, but he put it down to sleeping oddly on his pillow. He went back to bed and felt fine in the morning, so he completed two more dives. The pain came back noticeably about an hour after surfacing from the last dive but this time it burned and itched, and he noticed a blotchy rash on his torso. The diver had read a case study about skin bends on the DAN website and remembered the blotchy rash. He went to the dive shop and they commenced oxygen first aid. After a short time, the rash almost disappeared, and the pain reduced. By now, convinced this appeared to be a case of skin bends. The diver went to hospital and was assessed by a doctor who confirmed the diagnosis. He conducted a neurological exam to rule out more serious signs of decompression sickness then advised the diver not to dive again before flying home. The rash dissipated, the soreness resolved, and the diver flew home and made a full recovery. Onset and Evolution DCS-related skin changes usually occur within several minutes to several hours after a dive. The more severe your dive exposure, the more quickly symptoms are likely to be evident. An itch is the first symptom to go away, usually. A rash may resolve within 24 hours. Marbling usually fades out over a few days and never changes colour to blue-green, as a bruise does.

What To Do Risk factors

The main risk factor for cutaneous DCS is your dive profile. However, women and divers with a large patent foramen ovale (PFO) , a fairly common, congenital and generally benign hole between the heart’s left and right chambers may be at increased risk. A history of repeated cutaneous DCS or of DCS accompanied by other symptoms frequently leads to identification of a previously unsuspected PFO. Treatment Oxygen first aid should immediately be com menced for a diver exhibiting DCS-related skin changes, and the diver should be evaluated by a physician. A rash unaccompanied by other symptoms usually doesn’t need to be treated by recompression. But if your physician discovers signs of neurological effects, hyperbaric oxygen treatment in a recompression chamber isusually advised. The appropriate treatment for skin mottling or swelling will depend on the results of the physical examination. Skin changes associated with any other manifestations of DCS should be treated as an emergency. Preserving the evidence If you experience any skin change after a dive, take a photo of it because it may have disappeared by the time you are able to see a physician. We also invite you to send such photos, along with a description of symp toms and any treatment you received, to DAN, at medic@dan.org , to help educate other divers. First Aid

In all cases, call the DAN Diving Emergency Hotline

promptly for advice: 1800 088 200 (Australia) or +1 919 684 9111 (International). World.DAN.org

DIVE LOG Australasia #409 - December ‘24 11

www.divelog.net.au

LOLOATA ISLAND RESORT www.loloataislandresort.com

DIVE KOKOPO & WATER ADVENTURES www.facebook.com/kokopodiveandwateradventures

Luxury Island Resort with 68 - rooms/villas, two restaurants and bar, a swimming pool, recreational beach, fully equipped dive shop, spa and conference centre. Importantly, it sits on the edge of the Papuan Barrier Reef and 29 dive sites around the island where experienced divers can explore its reefs, spectacular sea life and shipwrecks.

Instruction, gear rental, WW2 wrecks, wall dives, reef dives, muck dives, shark dives. Full resort facilities, land & marine tours, wifi, pool. At Kokopo Beach Bungalow Resort with tropical bungalows in the heart of Kokopo-Rabaul with private beachfront. diving@kbb.com.pg

There are also excellent snorkelling sites. Loloata’s PADI-certified dive and activities centre is opened now, so learning to dive is also now an option. t: +675 7108 8000 / 7914 3966 e : gm@loloata.com

NIUGINI DIVE ADVENTURES www.niuginidiveadventures.com

TUFI RESORT www.tufiresort.com

Discover Tufi in a boutique resort with 180 degree panoramic views over the sea and the only fjords in PNG. Experience diving in a secluded paradise with abundant sea life, coral reefs and wrecks. The warm crystal clear waters of Tufi are a divers paradise. Gear rental, water activities, village stays, cultural and land tours. 24 air conditioned ensuite guest rooms, pool, full resort facilities. reservations@tufiresort.com Fly across mainland Papua New Guinea to remote and magical Karawari Lodge. The lodge overlooks the Karawari River whose waters flow towards the Sepik River. Stilted villages line the edges of the waterways. Dugout canoes glide by. Lodge guides introduce guests to the complex and mysterious tribal culture. Conversations with villagers are fascinating. Photo opportunities abound.

The only dive company established within ‘beautiful Madang’; the PADI certified facility, NDA is one of the most experienced dive operators in Papua New Guinea. NDA offers resort courses taught by our team of multi-lingual, PADI certified instructors and dive masters. The crystal clear waters surrounding Madang offer some of the world’s best diving

experiences for divers to discover. Most dive sites are only 5-10mins away! Underwater peaks climbing from 600m to 4m and sheltered lagoons where old wrecks, dating back to World War II, are waiting to be explored... Contact info: nda@madangresort.com

KARAWARI LODGE www.pngtours.com

TAWALI RESORT www.tawali.com

Instruction, gear rental, Nitrox, 22 ensuite rooms, Broadband, full resort facilities.Where it all started, discover the dive sites that place PNG into the world class map of scuba diving. Situated on a limestone bluff backed by densely rain

forested hills overlooking the clear and protected water of Milne Bay, Tawali offers travellers a unique location to dive, relax and enjoy the unspoiled wonders of this magnificent part of the world. reservations@tawali.com

service@pngtours.com

AMBUA LODGE www.pngtours.com

RONDON RIDGE www.pngtours.com

Explore mainland Papua New Guinea based from eco-friendly Ambua Lodge. The lodge is nestled in the highlands, overlooking the magnificent Tari Valley, home of the famous Huli Wigmen. Visit their traditional lands and learn about their fascinating culture. Follow walking trails through mid-montane forest, over traditional vine bridges and along clear mountain streams to secluded waterfalls. Watch for Birds of Paradise.

In the mountains of mainland Papua New Guinea, above the town of Mount Hagen, sits Rondon Ridge. Rising mists enhance the lodge’s panoramic views of the historic valley below. Orchids thrive here. Hours of walking trails offer opportunities to spot exotic birds, including Birds of Paradise. Lodge

guides share the history and traditions of the Melpa people. Rondon Ridge is conveniently accessible on scheduled flights between Port Moresby and Mount Hagen. service@pngtours.com

service@pngtours.com

PACIFIC OCEAN

• Diving is possible all year round with the optimal season typically from mid April to mid June, and mid September to mid December.

KAVIENG

NEW IRELAND

MANUS ISLAND

VANIMO

BISMARCK SEA

• Water temperature from 26º along the edge of the Coral Sea and up to 31ºC in the Bismarck Sea. • Visibility ranges from 50 to 150 ft • PNG has a hyperbaric chamber maintained to international standards • The use of permanent environmental moorings ensures minimal anchor damage to reefs. • Weekly flights to Port Moresby from Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Honiara, Nadi. Daily flights from Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney. • For the best dive and air package pre-book your complete tour with a recognised PNG dive travel specialist.

RABAUL

WEWAK

KIMBE BAY NEW BRITAIN

MADANG

TARI

HOSKINS

MT HAGEN

GOROKA

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

BOUGAINVILLE ISLAND

LAE

SOLOMON SEA

GULF OF PAPUA

TUFI

PORT MORESBY

MILNE BAY

ALOTAU

www.walindiresort.com

www.lissenung.com “Instruction, gear rental, 8 rooms (6 with ensuite, 2 with semi ensuite), free WiFi, full resort facilities. A visit at Lissenung Island Resort is truly exclusive! info@lissenung.com

Instruction, gear rental, Nitrox, 12 bungalows, 8 plantation house rooms, all ensuites, internet, pool, full resort facilities, English. Voted the 'Best diving from a resort anywhere in the world', Walindi comprises fern-draped bungalows set in tropical rainforest gardens on the shores of Kimbe Bay.

resort@walindifebrina.com

MV OCEANIA LIVEABOARD www.mvoceania.com

www.mvfebrina.com

Gear Rental, Nitrox, 10-12 passengers, English MV FeBrina cruises from Walindi Resort, diving Kimbe Bay, Witu Islands, Fathers Reefs, Rabaul and New Hanover. febrina@walindifebrina.com

Gear Rental, Nitrox, 16 passengers, English

MV Oceania is the most recent liveaboard addition to Kimbe Bay. A 27 metre catamaran, Oceania began operation in 2019 with itineraries including Kimbe Bay, Witu Islands and Fathers Reefs as well as further afield at select times of year. reservations@mvoceania.com

Image credit David Doubilet

14

DIVE LOG Australasia #409 - December ‘24

www.divelog.net.au

Diving Medicine

DIVING AND HYPERBARIC MEDICINE JOURNAL: A Valuable Diving Knowledge Resource

Professor Simon Mitchell, University of Auckland I have found that divers who become passionate about our sport are “sponges” for reliable technical knowledge. The origin of such knowledge is science; a process that I will describe in more detail below. Unfortunately, the world of science can be a little impenetrable to non scientists. Although we live in the so-called “information age” where the internet provides an accessible source of technical information, it can be difficult to evaluate the reliability and credibility of on-line information. Indeed, some material, presented authoritatively with the utmost conviction on internet discussion forums, can nevertheless be outright wrong. Scientists often avoid such forums because of the risk of being dragged into arguments with non-experts in a milieu where everyone’s opinions tend to be treated equally regardless of qualification and training.

authors would compare post-dive bubbles in the two groups, and come to a conclusion about the veracity of their hypothesis. They would then prepare a manuscript for submission to a scientific journal. These manuscripts are typically short and to the point. Even a complex study is usually described in 3000 – 4000 words (about 3x the length of this article). They would choose a journal and submit the manuscript for peer review. The journal editor will read the article, decide whether it is of relevance to the journal’s readership and if so, send it to several experts (“peers”) who were not involved in the study who will review it. The peer reviewers will document any concerns about the study and return their reviews to the journal editor who will in turn communicate those reviews to the authors. At this point the study may be accepted or rejected outright, but more typically the editor will want the authors to modify the manuscript to answer some of the reviewers’ criticisms before accepting the study for publication. There may be several rounds of review required before a study gets to this point. By such a process we generally get to the truth. There have been many examples of poor science being published (particularly in predatory journals) or even outright fraud where data are effectively made up. But over time, science tends to be self-correcting; that is, repeat or related studies will identify aberrant results and correct conclusions will eventually be drawn. Publication of scientific studies in journals has traditionally taken the form of printed papers in subscriber only publications that end up in science libraries out of the view of many potential readers. But, and this is the main good-news point of this article, this is changing and scientific publication is steadily transitioning to electronic format, with papers becoming increasingly available on

The true mouthpiece of science is the scientific literature. Collectively, the scientific literature is comprised of peer reviewed scientific journals that are typically published by academic societies with an interest in a particular field. These journals will publish scientific studies, typically without charge to the authors, so long as the study is of interest to the journal’s readership and successfully passes through a rigorous peer review process (see below). Unfortunately, there has recently been a proliferation of so called “predatory journals” published by commercial entities whose focus is on profit; potentially at the expense of scientific accuracy. These journals purport to be peer reviewed, but there may be significant doubt about the quality of this process, and they charge the authors large sums of money to publish studies. You can see the obvious problem, but that is a conversation for another day. For a single study, the process of good science is often lengthy and expensive. The scientist authors will develop a hypothesis they want to test. Let’s say, to take a diving example, they believe decompression procedure A is better than decompression procedure B. The related hypothesis might be something like “for the same depth and bottom time, decompression procedure A will result in less detectable venous bubbles than procedure B”. They will then design a protocol to test the hypothesis. In this case, it would likely be a study in which two groups of human subjects undertake a dive with the same depth and bottom time, but one group uses decompression procedure A and one group uses B. At standardized times after the dive the divers would be examined for venous bubbles using ultrasound. The authors would get ethics committee permission to proceed, arrange funding (very challenging in diving research), and then undertake the study. Once all the subjects had completed the protocol, the

15

DIVE LOG Australasia #409 - December ‘24

www.divelog.net.au

publicly accessible resources. This has recently become true of a very valuable resource for divers. Diving medicine is a niche specialty and has only two journals dedicated to the subject in their entirety: Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine (DHM) published jointly by the South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society (SPUMS) and the European Underwater and Baromedical Society; and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine (UHM) published by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society in the USA. Part of the reason for writing an article of this nature at this time is that I have just taken over as the editor of DHM and I wanted to alert Dive New Zealand readers to its potential interest for those interested in advanced knowledge. DHM is now an exclusively electronic publication. It is published every 3 months and contains about eight scientific articles per issue. The full issues (from 2012 to March 2017) to can be downloaded by anyone from the SPUMS website: https://www.spums.org.au SPUMS members can download full issues right up to the present. In addition, individual articles from March 2017 onwards are available through an on-line repository called Pubmed Central. The most recent year of articles are embargoed (and are available only to members through the website above). But anyone can access articles that are over a year old. As examples, here are links to a few that have become available recently. Spisni E, et al. A comparative evaluation of two decompression procedures for technical diving using inflammatory responses: compartmental versus ratio deco. Diving Hyperb Med. 2017;47:9-16. This study compared post-dive bubble production and inflammatory markers in human divers following dives to the same depth and bottom time with decompression according to a Buhlmann profile (less deep stops) with ratio deco (more deep stops). The findings were interesting! Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6147226/ Sharp FC and Sayer MDJ. A technical diving related burns case: treatment in a remote location. Diving Hyperb Med. 2017;47:127-130. This was a report of an oxygen fire and the resulting injuries in a rebreather accident at Truk Lagoon. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6147225/ Massey H et al. Lost at sea: the medicine, physiology and psychology of prolonged immersion. Diving Hyperb Med. 2017;47:239-247. This is a report of a diver who was lost at sea (in a wet suit) for 75 hours off the New Zealand coast, and who survived. The article reviews the physiology and psychology of prolonged immersion. I will be maintaining a log of these and other high interest articles as they become available on Pubmed Central on the SPUMS Facebook page, so check in there from time to time for more links like the ones in this article. https://www.facebook.com/divingandhyperbaricmedicine/ Divers can also consider joining SPUMS as associate members for direct access to all articles on the journal website. The cost is small, and there are other benefits like attendance at the Society’s meetings which are highly educational, fun, and always incorporate good diving. Honiara, Solomon Is this year in May, and Tutukaka NZ in 2020. See the society website: https://www.spums.org.au/

PROFESSOR SIMON MITCHELL MB ChB, PhD, DipOccMed, DipAdvDHM (ANZCA), FUHM, FANZCA Simon works as an anaesthesiologist at Auckland City Hospital and is Professor of Anaesthesiology at the University of Auckland. He provides on-call cover for the diving emergency service in New Zealand. He is widely published with two books and over 160 scientific journal papers or book chapters. He co authored the hyperbaric and diving medicine chapter for the last four editions of Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine. He has been Editor-in Chief of Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Journal since 2019. He has twice been Vice President of the UHMS and in 2010 received the society’s Behnke Award for contributions to the science of diving. Simon has a long career in sport, scientific, commercial, and military diving. He was first to dive and identify Zealand, including one in 2002 which was the deepest wreck dive undertaken at the time. He was conferred Fellowship of the Explorers’ Club of New York in 2006, and was the Rolex Diver of the Year in 2015. His most recent expeditions were the Pearse Resurgence cave exploration (New Zealand) in 2020, a project to take arterial blood gas specimens from an elite freediver at 60m 2021, and hunted for a shipwreck in the sub-Antarctic in 2022. three historically significant deep shipwrecks in Australia and New

DIVE LOG Australasia #409 - December ‘24 16

www.divelog.net.au

Lissenung Island paradise by MIke Scotland

Crocodilefish at Albatross Passage

L issenung is a tiny island paradise. Resident birds and Cuscus live in the lush rainforest, covering half of the island. You can walk around it in twenty minutes at low tide. I took longer. I had to stop to take photos every few minutes of the serene tropical beaches lined with lush green foliage and mirror pond seas. The horizon dotted with tropical islands and embossed with sunlit cumulus clouds of an early sunset glow. As George Gershwin’s song says, ‘It’s wonderful, it’s marvellous…

Hundreds of islands are dotted along the area between New Ireland and New Hanover. They create channels of sea water, which flow like rivers. The boat ride out to the dive sites is very scenic. Albatross Passage Albatross Passage is widely regarded as one of the best in PNG. The outgoing tide flows over an underwater cliff at about twelve metres depth. The vertical walls plunge down to twenty five metres. These walls are a dense jungle of black coral trees, Fan Corals, Soft corals and large sponges.

Albatross Passage is renowned for its fish and shark life, including Big Eyed Trevally, Black Snapper, Rabbit fish, Rainbow Runner, Batfish and more. Down below on the sand, there are sleeping White Tip Reef Sharks. Grey Reef Sharks patrol the open water. I had two dives where two of them calmly followed me for ten minutes. As usual, I took the macro lens down for the first three dives here. It is not because of bad choice but rather that it offers the maximum versatility to capture the best number of photographs.

Lissenung’s home reef is the best night dive Sleeping Parrotfish on the home reef

17

www.divelog.net.au

DIVE LOG Australasia #409 - December ‘24

Hairy and soft Panda Crab

Schooling fish on the Deep Pete Triplane.

There are loads of great fish portraits to be captured here. I found Crocodile fish, Coral Trout, Sweetlips, several types of Clown fish and loads of different Angel and Butterfly Fish. In addition, there were lots of small Cod and Anthias. World War two wrecks New Ireland was a very important strategic spot during the Japanese invasion and the subsequent Allied counter insurgent movement during World War Two. As a result, it has a rich assortment of wrecks, especially planes. Deep Pete Deep Pete was only relocated a few years ago. This Mitsubishi Floatplane is forty metres deep and on the ocean side. Sapphire blue water makes this tiny reconnaissance plane a very appealing dive. It is festooned with golden coloured Big Eyed Snapper,

Sweetlips and Cod. These floatplanes were one of the last Bi-planes manufactured. They had a triple pontoon system. The large central float is largely destroyed. Two smaller floats on the wing tips stopped it from porpoising as it landed. The two sets of wings gave it great climbing ability and manoeuvrability in the air. These Bi-planes were versatile and could be used as bombers, escort or patrol planes. It was designed to be catapult launched from the deck of a ship. Once back at the mother ship, they were picked up by cranes. American pilots reported being engaged in dogfights with these Bi-planes and stated that they were ‘more than a match’ with the P39’s. The Deep Pete was used to fly ahead, out of range of the ships guns to check over the horizon enemy activity. As such, they were invaluable craft. They were almost certainly used immediately prior to the attack on Pearl Harbour for this ‘over the horizon surveillance’. Sanko Maru US and Allied forces bombed Kavieng from the air as part of the Island skipping policy of the Allies rather than using ground troops. They bombed supply ships and ground installations.

B eautiful Harp shell in two metres on the home reef.

Rob posing near the hatch of the mini sub.

28

www.divelog.net.au

DIVE LOG Australasia #409 - December ‘24

On 16 Feb, 1944, B-25 Mitchell bombers hit the Sanko Maru with several 500 lb bombs. They must have landed quite a few because the Sanko Maru was severely crippled and went down quickly. Mini Submarine The Mini Sub, forty metres from the Sanko Maru may have been deliberately scuttled. Its hatch is open indicating that there was no attempt to escape. Few Australians would be small enough to crawl down the hatch inside the Sub. It must have been extremely claustrophobic. The two man crew would have to be very courageous and committed. Once on a mission, I suspect that they were not expected to survive. Attacks by mini subs were close to an underwater Kamikaze assault on the allies. Mini Sub is a Type C class that has a diesel motor that generates the electric charge needed to power the Sub. This gave it a much longer range. It is the same submarines as the ones that terrorised Sydney Harbour in 1942. It is one of 72 built and possibly one of two or three mini subs in the world, that are can be dived. You can inspect the conning tower, the twin torpedo tubes and the counter rotating propellers at the stern. Night diving Lissenung Island has one of the best home reefs I have seen. I did seven night dives here, over seven consecutive nights Seven nights of Passion. It is true, I am very passionate about night diving. My first night dive was an eighty five minute dip with a maximum depth of six metres.

One of the first marine life encounters were a pair of Horrid Elbow Crabs. These are a long-time favourite of mine. They are the original ‘cement heads’ and have gigantic arms (with huge elbows). Their entire body is a study in concrete. Their body is a sculpture so ugly that it is simply beautiful. Once you encounter these cute crabs, you will be cast under their spell, forever destined to admire their wonderful faces and chunky body form. I met a massive one in Palau a few years ago and decided to have a tug of war with it to get it into a better position for a photo. This is when I found out that they are extremely strong so I took to gently stroking it. This seemed to work better. I am now an aficionado of ‘crab stroking’ which of course is accompanied by lots of gentle ‘crab whispering’. The 20 cm Elbow Crab that I had found responded to my coaxing and as it came out into the open, I was surprised to find that there were two of them. I had interrupted the crabs during a romantic moment. Oops, Sorry! My admiration for the Horrid Elbow Crab was trumped twice by an even more gorgeous crab. The Soft hairy crab, or Panda Crab. Lissenung is a Coral kingdom of the highest calibre. The diving here features vertical Reef Drop offs, fringing reefs, coral gardens and a great diversity of fish life. It is a really remote and wild location. This creates enormous appeal and the sense of adventure diving here is very much alive. After all, the next major landfall to the North East is Alaska, many, many thousands of kilometres away.

19

www.divelog.net.au

DIVE LOG Australasia #409 - December ‘24

Swallow-Tailed Sea Slugs S ea Slugs of the Aglajidae family are not true nudibranchs, but instead belong to a group commonly called the headshield slugs or cephalaspideans - Order Cephalaspidea. The aglajids are ranked second in diversity among the families of Cephalaspidea. They have a broad triangular headshield the broad leading edge of which possesses tufts of sensory bristles - for testing the substate in search of their prey, two large parapodia - lateral extensions of the foot that wrap-up in varying degrees over the mostly tubular-shaped bodies, a pair of posterior caudal lobes or “tails” of varying length and a reduced internal shell. They are active carnivore predators moving quickly across and through the substrate in their hunt for prey. (Note: The sp. numbers refer to species on the NudibranchDomain.org website) An Assortment of Aglajids - Part 1

Above: Four presentations of Mariaglaja tsurugensis ( Mariaglaja sandrana is a well-known synonym as is the less well known Chelidonura babai) . Previously placed in the Chelidonura genus, molecular sequencing found them to be genetically indistinguishable from each other and separate from Chelidonura . This is considered to be a highly variable species in external presentation, as evidenced in the images above.

Above: Two variations of Mariaglaja inornata (also previously Chelidonura ). Presents with a broad white band anteriorly on the head combined with yellow/orange laterally. White spots, sometimes limited to parapodia, but when combined with orange spots covers headshield, posterior-shield and caudal lobes as well. A white edge around the rear margin of the headshield is present.

20

DIVE LOG Australasia #409 - December ‘24

www.divelog.net.au

Above: Chelidonura amoena . This species would seem to have some variation in colouration as well. Some can be quite dark and others much lighter, as in the example above. In some instances the spots are lacking and the darker colour presents as broad patches or a reticulation. Often there can be some translucent yellow on the caudal lobes or their margins.

Above: Chelidonura electra. A most elegant species, without the gaudiness of many of its fellows. Colour is a translucent white with bright lemon-yellow edging to the parapodia and caudal lobes and also to the lateral anterior margins of the head. There has been some discussion that this species is a variation of Chelidonura amoena but molecular sequencing has shown the two to be closely related, but distinct.

Above: Chelidonura hirundinina . This species too, has a range of colour variations, all with a similar pattern but with varying shades of blue or green lines between the black background and orange lines. The head carries a T-shaped marking and the left caudal lobe may be remarkably long in comparison to the right. Molecular sequencing is indicating that there may be a species complex, related to geographic location.

Above: Chelidonura pallida . Presents with a similar colouration as Chelidonura electra except that the yellow is much richer in hue and it is situated submarginally inside a black margin. There are yellow and black transverse bands anteriorly on the head. The pattern is also present around the posterior margin of the headshield. Specimens with random black spots inside the yellow submarginal band are known from some locations.

Above : Biuve fulvipunctata . Can be quite variable in colour, but the white/yellow coloured W-shaped pattern across the anterior margin of the headshield is a good characteristic. Mostly presents as light or dark brown in colour with white and/or orange marks or spots. Another characteristic is the long whip-like left caudal lobe that, just to confuse the identification, may be missing due to damage.

Above: Chelidonura varians . The specimen in the above image displays the typical colours and patterning - deep black background with electric-blue margins and a longitudinal medial line on the head. Different shades of blue are known and the blue lines may even be broken. Due to similarity of colouration it has been confused with Philinopsis gardineri (See Part 2 in next issue)

DIVE LOG Australasia #409 - December ‘24 21

www.divelog.net.au

DAY DIVING AT WAKATOBI

Text & photos Mike Scotland One of the best things about visiting a dive resort is when the dive guide says ‘Do you want to go for a dive straight after lunch on the house reef?’ I love to get straight into it. Drop your bags, grab some lunch and go diving! The house reef became a total surprise. It is very special indeed. The owners at Wakatobi have made an agreement with the local villagers on all of the islands in the area to provide several levels of protection for the reef near the resort. Beautiful and deadly Reef Stonefish in three metres lies in ambush.

Fabulous Sunsets viewed from my verandah on my Ocean Bungalow.

23

DIVE LOG Australasia #409 - December ‘24

The rare Gilded Triggerfish has bright gold tail margins and a blue cheek.

Square Spot Anthias

The ‘House reef” is fully protected. It is a huge wall dive, possibly more than a kilometre so you can do several dives here. Diving here is like a little window into the ultimate act of environmental protection. I often wonder what dive sites were like before human intervention. I imagine millions of fish, sharks whales and a rich and vibrant ocean. The house reef is one of the best dives there. Within a few minutes of entering the water, we encountered a cave with a dozen or so Ornate Crays in eight metres of water. Several huge Green Turtles rested on ledges in the vertical wall. Remora snoozed on their shells. The Turtles were fairly used to divers and did not seem to be bothered by my approach. Although I was careful to introduce myself and creep up slowly before taking a couple of shots and letting her get back to the serious business of her afternoon slumber. Sheer walls hit a sandy slope at around twenty five metres but I do not like to dive deep in the tropics. Most of the life is in the shallows and I like to get in a good solid photo session of at least an hour. This is when I found out that the suggested maximum dive time is seventy minutes. What a joy! My dive guide, Novie, never stressed out even if the dive time hit seventy-minutes and I had found a good photo subject. There was always time for a few more shots. Novie was an outstanding guide, very patient and helpful. nothing was a problem.

I had hired a near new BCD and reg. As always, it takes a while to become familiar with new gear. Once that was sorted, it was all systems go. The fish life here is awesome. Once again, they are used to divers and are present in greater numbers. I was thrilled to spot a great array of Butterflyfish and Angelfish. One highlight for me was the Royal Dotty backs. These tiny little camera teasers are so shy and elusive. However, I managed to employ that most important of all underwater photo tricks: dogged determination. The other ingredient of getting that shot is to spend the time. Some subjects can take a while to capture that magic shot.

24 So many colourful reefs to explore

DIVE LOG Australasia #409 - December ‘24

The main office, guest lounge, dive shop, library and boutique

The general pattern of diving is three dives a day. The resort allocates one dive as a night dive during your week. However, you can basically do whatever you want. The dive staff here are extremely accommodating and will try to fulfill your every wish. I ended up dong three night dives. After the first night dive, Novie discovered that I rated night diving as my favorite of all. She suggested night diving the next evening as well. Naturally, I was delighted at the prospect of swapping an afternoon dive for a night dive. We were able to have the two morning dives followed by lunch, time to check my photos, a siesta and a night dive. That is about as good as it gets, in my book.

Each day we travelled from 10 minutes to thirty minutes to our dive sites. We explored Western reefs, Eastern reefs and Southern reefs and some further afield. The resort map of the reefs with all of the dive sites became a tantalizing drawcard to imagine the treasures therein. Naturally, the choice of dive sites is dictated by the prevailing weather. We did have a few windy days but there is always somewhere that is protected. We did have to wait a few days for the right conditions for the Fan Coral dive. But hey, that is diving and safety is always the best option. We dived at ‘Roma’ with its colony of Cabbage Corals, we dived ridge dives such as Waitii

I think that this is an immature male Flasher wrasse, Note absence of the high dorsal fin.

You can dine in the restaurant or under the shade in the garden with ocean views

25 DIVE LOG Australasia #409 - December ‘24