411 Dive Log Australasia April 2025

APRIL 2025 | No 411 digital

AUSTRALASIA

www.divelog.net.au

Coral sea Odyssea CATHIE and Dr TERRY CUMINS

Tufi My year in paradise MATT WATERS

Photographing Sharks MIKE SCOTLAND

Diving from Pelagian MIKE SCOTLAND

Belugas MALCOLM NOBBS

Timor Whales NIGEL MARSH

Only big things please. KEN HOPPEN

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

One of my favorite Harry Nilsson songs is “Jump into the fire” which is has a simple message about how we can ‘make each other happy’. Of course, that is a modern version of “Love one another” by Jesus Christ. The sentiment is exactly what the world, humanity and Mother Nature needs right now. From this point, we can adopt the meditation technique of soaring, higher and higher. Let your inner eagle fly way, way up to a thousand kilometres above the earth and take a look. Most of the earth’s surface is dramatically altered. Half of the forests from the stone age are gone, chopped down, burnt, buried in tar and cement most important of all, not replaced! The Sahara Desert has grown tenfold in our lifetime! Same is true for the world’s oceans. Whales and fish stocks plundered down to less than 1% just a few years ago. A few species are slowly cling onto survival and some are thankfully are coming back from the brink. Many have gone forever. Mankind must stop the endless over-exploitation of the sea! As time passes, it is more and more plain to see that the ocean is a finite resource and it is in dire straits. Scientists keep on telling us about extinctions, threatened species, the dangers of overfishing, the collapse of entire fisheries and coral reefs. Humanity’s struggle to survive has left our earth in a total mess. There is the use of the ocean as a sewage disposal place. When will we ever learn? Mother Nature is in tears. She is in dire need of protection right now. When Mother Nature’s tears fall on to the Earth, we are in danger of cutting off the very lifeline that she provides for us. Next, we learn from Chomsky. Our rulers tell us about insurmountable problems, identify our deepest fears and give promises of hope so that we relinquish all power to them while they take the power and make wars and exploit Mother Earth even more. Most world rulers pander to massive corporations to the point that they now control our lives. This includes the rape of the ocean, the land and the air and the destruction of Mother Nature, all for profit. Then there is the marketing of sugar, tobacco, drugs and so much more. More importantly for Dive Log, the total control of the media by a few giant corporations. Mind Control in the comfort of your living room is big business. Worse still, thought control is the fastest growth industry courtesy of massive corporations that filter information, knowledge and the way we think. Now, real individual intelligence is being replaced by computers. So many of us are divorced from Mother Nature and live in little concrete boxes. Far too many people have most of their views of the world mapped out by their mobile phones and laptops. Far too few have a garden. How did this happen? What will happen next? When we have lost all of our personal freedoms including the ability to write, imagine, think for ourselves and debate issues intelligently, where will we be? We are turning into economic slaves and automatons of corporations so powerful that they dwarf entire countries. As a result, some people cannot listen to any alternate viewpoint on any subject. The science is done and the debate is dead. Really? This tragedy comes from narrow biased mass media. Hopefully, the day will come when we have more of an awakening and people take back their freedom to think for themselves, to have unbiased media free from absolute corporate manipulation. Shakespeare will be impressed that children will write stories, sonnets and drama using their brains and their own imagination again rather than getting a machine to write it for them and thus giving up the very OUR COVER PHOTO This outstanding photo of a Blue Ring Octopus, taken in 2008, has been sent in by David Mullins. The camera was a Nikon E5000.

thing that makes them human, their imagination and their individuality. Wouldn’t that be great? Shakespearwe can stop rolling in his grave! We might even have more governments that actually do good for the population instead of yielding to big business and taxing us to death. Governments are happy to allow massive overfishing and over exploitation of our marine and land reserves. Australia could build a sovereign wealth fund and provide free education and health care for all from our natural wealth instead of allowing overseas corporations take almost all of the profit, leaving oh so little for the people. There is a way forward and it is oh so simple! Help Mother Nature! She has such great powers of recovery. The life force she possesses is the greatest force in the universe. The miracle of life is the most precious thing. It is all we have got! Plant a tree. If you can, plant ten! Help Mother Nature get a smile back on her face. She will reward humanity infinitely, year on year. She will restore entire ecosystems. Lifeforms on the brink of extinction will recover rapidly in just a few decades and repopulate the Earth. Paradise will be regained; the birds and whales will sing everywhere and the flowers bloom. So, we come full circle. We can make Mother Nature happy. Every nation on earth could plant billions of trees. Mother Nature will do a great deal to return the world’s biomes to health very quickly. This will help to correct climate issues and ameliorate the Greenhouse effect that the media hysteria has been banging on about for decades whilst the rape of the planet goes on unabated. We are told that the Amazon creates its own weather systems just as cities create major weather changes. Just how much of the deforestation of earth is a cause of variations in carbon dioxide, the most valuable gas, after water, to life. No media outlet would print that life would benefit from a co2 level of 500 ppm but it is true. Photosynthesis loves elevated co2 levels and plant growth improves dramatically. That is why glass climate controlled greenhouses pump Co2 until it reaches one thousand ppm. About 2 and ½ half times our atmosphere. Look it up if you do not believe me! It is called Science of photosynthesis. It is one of two of the most important chemical processes in the universe. It turns CO2 and water into glucose, it replenishes oxygen and it is the basis for all of the food on the planet. Someone please remind our leaders about using the knowledge of science to make a better world. You are the solution! You can do something to help to rebuild the Garden of Eden. You have the power! Dive Log’s contribution is to provide education, to reveal the miracle of life forms in the ocean and to celebrate adventures with marine life. To that end, this issue of Dive Log is superb. Every diver in the world deserves to read and enjoy the wonderful contributions by our team. We have stunning images of Belugas by regular contributor, Malcolm Nobbs. You will fall in love with Belugas after reading his story. David Mullins showcases outstanding photos in his Spotlight and continues his excellent series on Nudibranch defences. Nigel Marsh takes us diving with Blue Whales in Timor. Ken Hoppen shares amazing Tiger shark adventures in the Maldives. Dr Terry and Cathie Cummins go on an exciting Coral Sea Odyssea. I share live aboard adventures on the Pelagian, The Spirit of Freedom as well as a few tips on how to photograph sharks. My article on the GBR off South QLD near the town of 1770 shows the enormous benefits of protecting the reef. It provides superb diving and shows how quickly the ecosystem can rebuild from the misuse of the past. The GBR will surely become the world’s number one dive destination because of this protection in the next decade. Read on and enjoy this blockbuster and share will your diving friends. We are always looking for good photos and good articles. Send them in and get the thrill of seeing your work published.

Mike

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As a professional Marinelife/Wildlife photographer perpetually seeking unique, rare and spectacular subjects, I often find myself travelling to remote Worldwide destinations with the aim to seek out a specific subject. This was the case with my trip to Socorro Island, 270 Nautical Miles west in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. This island is famous for its resident Giant Manta Rays, a species that is almost impossible to predictably encounter anywhere else. Giant Manta Rays measure on average 7 meters from fin tip to fin tip & weighing 3000 Kg, much larger than the common Reef Mantas at 3.5 meters & weighing 700 Kg. Fortunately Giant Mantas love scuba bubbles and will often pause to enjoy a spar providing a perfect photographic opportunity. But not for long as this pause also causes them to sink so our Mexican Dive master, while providing an excellent reference of scale and spar bubbles, needed to be very aware that the manta and he would not find themselves far deeper than planned, with me in pursuit. Image by Kevin Deacon. Location: Socorro Island. Revillagigedo Archipelago, Mexico. Giant Manta Ray and Diver.

Genre: Wide Angle, Sunlight and Flash Fill photography. Photography Data: Nikon D800, Nikkor 16 MM Full Frame Fisheye Lens. F8 & 1/125 th Second. ISO 400. Seacam Housing and Seacam Sea Flash Strobes. Photo Hints: Image capture of big animal marinelife subjects such as mantas requires a combination of balanced sunlight exposure and strobe exposure. Best achieved with Manual Control rather than TTL. However it is often best to reduce the strobe power to ensure white underbellies common to most pelagic ocean creatures, including mantas, does not get overexposed. In this case I needn’t have worried, this one was a Rare, All Black, Giant Pacific Manta Ray. Interesting Facts: Up until 2017 marine science only recognised manta rays as one species, thus the occasionally sighted very large mantas were considered mature examples of the same rays. DNA testing revealed two separate species, now named Reef Manta and Giant Manta Ray. Scientific Name: Mobula birostris

Kevin Deacon is a pioneer of Underwater Photography. His images have been published World Wide in prestigious books, magazines and advertising media. Kevin & Cherie Deacon operate DIVE 2000 based at Sydney’s, Northern Beaches providing Photo Guided Dive Travel Tours, Photo Guided Africa Wildlife Safaris & Sales of Seacam Underwater Photographic Equipment. www.dive2000.com.au

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Dive Log Australasia #411 April 25

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CONTENTS

APRIL 2025

digital

N o. 411 NEXT ISSUE DEADLINE : Issue 412 JUNE 2025 Advert bookings 7th May Artwork due 15th May Editorial material : 7th May EDITOR Mike Scotland mike@divelog.net.au Editor/Designer Mike Scotland divelog@divelog.net.au PUBLISHER mike@divelog.net.au ADVERTISING mike@divelog.net.au MENTOR Barry Andrewartha barryandrewartha@outlook.com Tel: + 61 0415158168 mike@divelog.net.au www.divelog.net.au Editorial and photographic contribution guidelines: divelog@divelog.net.au The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the

Features

015 PELAGIAN by Mike Scotland 023 CORAL SEA ODYSSEA Dr Terry & Cathie Cummins 032 IMAGINATION ISLAND GIZO - Mike Scotland 037 SOUTHERN BARRIER REEF 1770 AGNES WATERS 041 SUMATRA by Pierre Constant 046 TIMOR WHALES - Nigel Marsh 054 SPOTLIGHT Photographs by David Mullins 056 RED SPOT BLENNY b-y John Magee 060 ONLY BIG THINGS PLEASE. Ken Hoppen 70 SPIRIT OF FREEDOM by Mike Scotland 073 BELUGAS World s friendliest whale Malcolm Nobbs 079 TUFI: MY YEAR IN PARADISE Matt Waters 085 PHOTOGRAPHING SHARKS by Mike Scotland

publishers or its editors. REPRODUCTION OF CONTENTS

No part of the contents of this publication may be reproduced without the prior written consent of

the publisher. All images are copyrighted by the authors and photographers.

Regulars

58 - DAN News 60 - Only big things please Ken Hoppen 65 Your Shot - 67 - In Deep - Simon Pridmore 94 - Southern WrecksSteve Reynolds 97 - Dive Boat Directory

07 - Mike Ball Expeditions 05 Manta Ray Dive 2000 Kevin Deacon 12 - PNG Resort Listings 19 - NudiNotes - David Mullins 29 Marine Biology in the wild 31 - Counter Strike -David Strike 51 - Historical Diving Des Williams 58 BOOK REVIEW Diving with sharks

99- Parting Shot 100 ADEX SYDNEY

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View from the Bridge Trevor Jackson - Spoilsport Skipper www.mikeball.com/blog Great Barrier Reef on the March

PHOTOS FROM JANUARY/FEBRUARY

The Reef Report: Still GREAT!

The refit was done. All the welding, noise, and dust… The travel lift released the mighty lady back into the water, and she slid silently backward… unleashed to her heavenly domain. Ocean-bound again after a month on the concrete. If boats could breathe, there was an almost discernible sigh of relief and joy as the motors slipped into gear and she surged forward. A few hours alongside was all we had. There was work to do—loading fuel, food, and crew. We had just a few days before our first official charter to sneak in a vital mission. Effectively, we were going to check our stomping grounds to see if they remained as pristine and untouched as before our month-long grounding. The question sat deep behind our eyes… Had this summer brought any bleaching? Were our reefs still GREAT? The weather had been calm, and the daytime temperatures… well… tropical, to say the least. The right combination—or in this case, the wrong combination. Water temperatures rise when there are no waves churning and blending the surface layer. We had eight sites to check, over 100 “Eye on the Reef” surveys to complete. By the end of it, in just two days’ time, we’d know. We had to move fast. Getting that much done with just a crew of eight in the timeframe we had would require almost military discipline. I wrote the dive times on the whiteboard—four dives a day, three hours apart… early starts and late finishes. The standing order of the day: “Be ready when we get there. Completely ready. There’s no time to waste.” We started the first dive before sunup—probably a little too early, but it signaled our intent. Things went seamlessly, and the first report was positive. No bleaching. Some heat stress, yes, but the kind of stress the coral comes back from. We moved on. The dives went like clockwork, a well-oiled Mike Ball crew. As each dive team returned, those on board scoured their faces, searching for signs that something might be wrong—that the rainbow colors of our playground were fading to white, that the tempera tures had ravaged each scene. Site after site, dive after dive, again and again… Day 1, Day 2… the answer was the same. “Any bleaching?” “Nope!” Now, I’m a ship’s captain, so naturally, it’s part of my nature to be transparently honest. There were signs it had been a hot summer—but you had to look REAL hard. Up in the reef-top shallows, there were signs of heat. Deeper down, it was as it should be… AWESOME. The corals of the Ribbon Reefs had remained—as we say around here— GREAT… as in GREAT Barrier Reef. It was the last day of February. The most golden of sunsets marked the end of our survey trip. It also marked the end of summer—officially. I nudged the mighty ship into gear, and she swung around to the south, Cairns bound… and a new year of adventures awaits. Quite simply put… ‘Twas not to be! “Any bleaching?” “Nope!”

1st. Libby Sterling

2nd. Linda Russell

3rd. Andreas Nilsson

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.

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

See you soon.

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

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EVERY DIVER SHOULD BE A DAN MEMBER

For over 40 years DAN has helped divers, like you, in need of emergency medical assistance and has prepared millions of divers for a lifetime of safe diving. That’s why every diver should be a DAN member.

Thomas Bauer Recreational Diver Member since 2003

Marty Snyderman Marine Photojournalist Member since 1988

Kayla Feairheller President & Founder Blue World Member since 2021

Kelly Park PADI IDC Staff Instructor Member since 2013

Paul McQuigg Dive Professional The WAVES Project Member since 2015

Cristina Calderon Signature Dive Veterans Member since 2017

World.DAN.org

SAFETY – MEDICAL – RESEARCH – EDUCATION – DIVE ACCIDENT ASSISTANCE

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18/12/2024 2:52 pm

DAN Dive Log FP Advert (200x275).indd 2

DIVE LOG Australasia #410 - February ‘25

www.divelog.net.au

Up to one third of diving deaths are due to heart conditions, mainly in divers aged 45 or more.

Many of these divers were unaware of any problem.

Diving includes many stresses on the heart, including: immersion itself, exertion, breathing restriction, and gas changes in the body, among others. PREVENTION: Have your heart health checked by a diving doctor at age 45, or earlier if unwell.

Photo by Dave Bryant

Don’t dive if feeling unwell.

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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

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DIVE LOG Australasia #401- February‘25

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PELAGIAN REMOTE LUXURY DIVING

The Pelagian is a ‘super yacht’ designed for comfort and elegance. Built in 1965, she has been renovated with the plan to create athe best possible uxurious experience for the ultimate dive trip into one of the more remote locations on planet earth. It is all about a better dive experience and providing the highest level of service. She only takes ten guests and there are ten crew. These include Captain, Dive crew, personal service/ wait staff. You get the feeling that you have a personal butler to look after anything and everything that you may need for your comfort. It is a very special dive operation. The crew are very professional. Pelagian is spic and span, spacious and provides superb on-board life style. All of the crew have a genuine, friendly nature and are very attentive to the guest whilst being unobtrusive. Somehow, they allow you plenty of space but manage to turn up when you need

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their help. Nothing is a problem and that is the way it should be. You feel like they are really looking after you. They are a wonderful well trained professional team. I met some non-divers who go to Wakatobi regularly to relax and enjoy the exceptional service that strives to equal or even go above and beyond the very best of hotels in Europe. They have a chef on board and each meal is ‘a la carte’ but you can order special meals if you have dietary requirements, you like and it will be delivered. We only had a few guests so I was upgraded to the Super Lux cabin with a king size bed. The cabins are huge and have a beautifully appointed modern en-suite with personal toothbrush, razors, pens and even a comb. The live aboard does an itinerary of about 350 Nautical miles to the west Island of Buton. Wakatobi is an ‘acronym’ of the four main islands in the region. Many dive adventures await and

many great underwater experiences are on offer. Our check out dive, was just outside the distance that the day boats do from Wakatobi about an hour and a half away. The system here was one dive guide for dive one and two with another dive guide for dive three and four of each day. My dive buddy was not so good on buoyancy and seemed to have a herd of camels following him constantly so I was happy when I was able to move away to clear water. Better still, when my dive guide found some of the highly prized Mushroom coral Pipe fish, I need to spend some time to get a good shot. No problem! He looked after my buddy whilst I got into some serious photography. This is my idea of diving perfection. Camera working to perfection, total freedom and great subjects to capture but I do wish the dive staff had given him a refresher lesson on controlling his buoyancy from day on. I was able to catch up easily as the pace was nice and slow. We found a few male Jaw Fish with mouths full of eggs. These little burrowing fish are super nervous and the best they you can

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do is to get withing 2.5 metres. I turned my self into an invisible coral rock, stopped breathing and got as low as possible. After about ten minutes, I was able to get to within five feet. My quarry was so alert and watched me like a hawk as I tried to get ‘that shot”. This is my dream dive challenge! Then the final revelation was that dive time is seventy minutes. My ideal! When I dive at a place and they say dive time 45 or 50 minutes, like most divers, my heart drops. Someone should tell those dive operators that is a really bad idea for experienced divers to be restricted like that. Might be ok for newbies but… The next dive was a drift dive at Kaledupa point. It featured giant sponges, fan corals and some pelagic fish. It was a very photogenic wide-angle dive but the overcast cloudy sky meant low light, not good for capturing these reefs at their best. The next dive was at Hoga pinnacle and could not have been more different. It had plenty of current. However, the dive guide took us to the protected side and showed us some Bargibanti Pygmy Sea Horses. Nearby, a hot pink Leafy Scorpionfish was hiding. I followed a Black Banded Sea snake, a Sea Krait as it hunted for it

lunch across the coral and watched as brilliantly coloured Parrotfish scraped algae off the corals. The night dive here was absolutely superb. Another Sea Krait hunting in the dark using only its sense of smell. A dark Feather Star had two juvenile Sweetlips hiding in the ‘safety’ of its feathery tentacles doing that furtive dance they do to avoid predators. The dance makes them impossible to photograph especially with their black bodies in the inky blackness of the night. I went into quiet ecstasy when I spotted a Saron Shrimp out in the open but as usual, they duck for cover as soon as my red light shines on them. Immediately, an Imperial Angelfish weaved its way back and forth inside a small coral cavern. Then, Bingo! I spotted a huge Spanish Dancer with its bright mantle display of brilliant bright red velvet. It was right out in the open making a superb subject. I was distracted by an even larger Sea Snake, some Butterfly fish asleep and scurrying crustaceans. I do like night diving! As we sailed west across the South-East Sulawesi Sea, we encountered so many great dives on our way to our turn around point of Buton Island. The huge bay at Buton is home to excellent muck diving. This was in complete contrast to the coral diving. Our first dive was a sandy slope festooned with plenty of Fire Urchins and nudibranchs. Like all muck diving sites, you need to spend time here. I know that each dive would reveal more and more diverse lifeforms. We were fortunate to spot a brown triangular leaf with eyes. That was a baby Bat fish disguised to perfection as a piece of composting leaf. Nearby, a Thorny Sea Horse was trying to be inconspicuous up side down. Mantis shrimp had burrows in the seaweed garden. The second dive was on ‘New pier’. It was extremely silty and you had to swim a metre off the sea floor with head down posture well away from my bulldozing dive buddy. This dive featured Blue Ribbon eels, one adult Blue one and a black juvenile. The highlight of the day was Magic Pier. I was told that there are more Mandarin fish here than

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anywhere else. I know for sure that I saw somewhere between fifty and a hundred. These very large Mandarin fish live in protected hidey holes in the rocky rubble beneath the pier. Hundreds of dangerous and highly toxic Long Spined Sea Urchins emerge at dusk. This is one place where you have to adopt supreme buoyancy control. I feared for my buddy with his sloppy careless dive skill set. I was surprised that he survived the dive intact. The romance of the Mandarin fish is a sight that is always endearing. They dance in perfect unison up into the water column simultaneously releasing eggs and sperm in a perfect dance of bliss. Males are up to twice the size of the smaller females. They do not seem to mind the torchlight and continue to act as normal, that is dancing the night away. The dive plan was to enter the water well before dark, spend 45 minutes exploring the Mandarin fish site and then heading down to the reef proper. This is where we found a huge gnarly Moray as fat as your leg, some huge Hermit crabs and schools of Razor Fish. The following day, we headed East toward Wakatobi diving the final days on so many great reefs. My report on further adventures on board

Pelagian shall be continued. For more information, go to www.wakatobi.com

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STAYIN ALIVE THE DEFENCES OF SEA SLUGS - Part 1

A ll life is programmed to produce their next generation. To achieve that goal, survival to reach maturity is essential in order to reproduce and spawn. In addition to finding food, its consumption and the location of a mate to procreate and to then spawn, sea slugs have to avoid becoming a meal of the hundreds of possible predators with which they share the marine environment. Defence – by way of appearance, behaviour, structure, chemistry, adaptation and the integration of some or all of these, is just as important as the finding of food, to their own survival.

Above: Successfully Feeding and Defending itself allows the sea slug to survive and go on to …..

Below: Mate and Spawn to produce their next generation that will inherit the same “successful tools” for defensive survival.

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Above Left: The variation and elaboration of sea shells almost knows no bounds. Many have gone down the path of a heavier shell or thickened ridges (such as exhibited here with a Harp shell) or spines and radiating processes that prevent crushing or making getting a grip on the shell more difficult. Sea slugs, however, have taken different paths in defence methods. Above Right : The primitive Ringicula headshield sea slug has a well-developed shell that is inflated, thick and robust but also possesses extra weapons in its armoury - compound toxic defensive glands located in the posterior region of its headshield.

Perpetually Evolving Life is a continual battle of defence and offence between prey and predator, the one for protection to survive, the other to feed to survive. Both of these elements are perpetually evolving, simultaneously, by natural selection through the process of selection pressure, and it must be said, that this is not just limited to different species where one is the prey and the other the predator. Within the one species there are pressures acting upon it in its own dual

roles as both predator and prey. There are many of these pressures on a species population - some subtle, some manifest. Let’s ignore climate, food sources (although many of the defences employed by sea slugs are dependent upon their diet), habitat change and disease for the moment and look at predation. Predation has to be considered a manifest type of selection pressure. Those individuals in the population that get to pass on their genes have survived predation.

Above: Although the shelled molluscs have been a very successful group the external shell is not the ulti mate defence. Here we see the compromised defence of some shelled sea slugs that have been attacked and penetrated through the external shell by other molluscs using a “drilling” radula - Left, Pupa affinis and Centre, Tornatina sp. In the Right image the shell of this Roxaniella leucampyx has been cracked most probably by a crab or the strong jaws of a bottom-feeding fish, but has managed to effect an escape00

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Many non-nudibranch sea slugs still possess a shell that may be robust or light and fragile or it may be an external or internal remnant. Some examples Left: Bubble-shell headshield slugs have a well-developed shell, such as that of Hydatina physis . Centre: Sea Hares have an internal shell, sometimes partially visible through the mantle foramen, such as Aplysia concava . Right: Some sacoglossans have an external shell that in some families are well-developed. The example here is Lobiger viridis .

The naked soft bodies of most sea slugs certainly look like an inviting target for voracious predators. Most are slow moving, seemingly unprotected and many with colours and patterns that, incredibly, advertise their presence. Just what methods then, are employed to avoid becoming a meal? Shell Loss Although not all sea slugs have lost their shell most have as adults, or possess only a much reduced remnant and in losing the protective shell had to replace it with other forms of defence. And so they have. Some of these are quite sophisticated and are combined with particular behaviour patterns. This is not to suggest that the shell was lost and then they needed to develop those other forms. It would not have been an abandonment of the shell followed by an emergence of novel methods. The question should not be, why did they lose the shell but rather, how was it made possible that the shell could be reduced? It is reasonable to suppose that shell loss and development of alternative methods would have

unfolded as a trend towards shell reduction and a compensating trend towards reliance upon alternative methods including the enhancement of others already established, though rudimentary, as well the implementation of those novel. Changes in defensive methods facilitated the loss of the shell, i.e. they would have been a prerequisite, rather than just occurring due to the shell loss, although the reduction and eventual loss of the shell did diminish the anatomical restriction imposed by the shell therefore permitting radical body redesign, movement into different habitats and exploitation of other food sources. The two are inextricably entwined. The ability to exploit new food sources has led in many instances to the sea slugs, for example, utilising certain metabolites in those new diets for their own chemical defence purposes whether they are pigments for camouflage and warning colouration or directly as antifeedants in tissues and glands, against consumption by predators.

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Helpless? No true nudibranch possesses a shell as an adult. The shell is lost when as a veliger larva it settles out of the plankton and metamorphoses into the “naked” adult form. Similarly, those with direct development crawl out of the egg capsule leaving the shell behind. The two major types of true, shell-less and seemingly defenceless, nudibranchs, Left: A typical Dorid nudibranch. Centre & Right: Cladobranchs - an Arminid and an Aeolid as examples.

No change happens in isolation. As already mentioned, there are many selection pressures on a species and the combination of all of these has resulted in the species we see today – not just what species but also how they appear, how they behave and how they survive. The various defensive methods to be described in this series are divided into two broad groups – passive and reactive. PASSIVE DEFENCES Passive defences are those that are not specifically designed to react when the sea slug is threatened or attacked, examples being lifestyle to avoid predators; structural, such as, protective appendages around the gills that absorb damage thereby diminishing impact on the vital gills themselves; Spicules and toughened flesh; repugnant chemicals in the flesh that render it unpalatable; Colours and patterns that warn of toxic bodies; crypsis or camouflage, that serve to reduce the chance of the sea slug even being encountered by any predator.

REACTIVE DEFENCES Reactive defences are on the other hand those that respond directly to the threat or attack including, retraction of vital body parts; release of acid from glands in the mantle; clouding the water with noxious ink; autotomy whereby specific portions of the body are cast off as a sacrifice distraction; avoidance behaviour such as swimming; deimatic behaviour where the sea slug, for example, unfurls its mantle to reveal startling colours and patterns; discharges, chemical and nematocyst. However, no defensive method can be considered absolute i.e. preventing predation completely. They serve but to mitigate the frequency or severity of predation on individuals or the species as a whole. The specialist predator will always have developed means and methods to overcome or circumvent a specific type of defence. - References supporting this article will be appended to a related article to be placed on NudibranchDomain.org in the near future. We will examine all of these methods in future issues.

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Simply put: the Coral Sea must be firmly placed on every diver’s bucket list. Finishing our drinks it was a short 5 minute stroll along the wharf to be met by the happiest and most professional crew you will find anywhere in the South Pacific. Now it was all about self-introductions, the layout of Spoilsport and safety briefings. Understandably, there were several divers on board that had been out on ‘Spoily’ before and earned the “VIP” tag as a repeat customer. A testimony to the quality of diving experienced with MBDE. It is worth noting at this point that ‘Rumrunner’ conducts short excursions to Coral Sea Odyssey Text and photos by Dr Terry and Cathie Cummins

Coral Sea Odyssey – Travel Blog 5 Article & photography by Dr. Terry and Cathie Cummins With keen anticipation we were sitting in the famous Dundees restaurant on the Cairns boardwalk. After a magnificent late lunch/early dinner we were waiting to board Mike Ball Dive Expeditions (MBDE) Spoilsport for yet another excursion to the Coral Sea. For us Holmes, Bougainville and Osprey Reefs hold a magnetic attraction like no other dives sites on the planet and we are always up for another expedition.

Holmes out of Cairns for those on a tighter budget. ‘Spirit of Freedom’ also run charters to most of the destinations in the Coral Sea. We would be operating in remote areas that in many cases are up to 150 nautical miles off the Far North Queensland Coast, so safety is a number one priority. With a maximum of 28 guests – most with cameras and torches needing regular charging, it is worth noting that Spoilsport banned unattended charging of batteries in cabins several years ago due to the potential for a fire breaking out. Following the MV Conception tragedy in 2019 (California, USA), plus several incidences since, MBDE has installed on Spoilsport a sizeable charging station on the dive deck. This station is monitored via CCTV 24 /7 including by the ever vigilant night-watch crew. This is just one example of the high level of safety exhibited by ‘Dive Queensland’ operators who follow a long-established Government endorsed ‘Code of Practice’ and who incorporate additional safety procedures to suit their specific operation. MBDE require any diver with

Captions

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Cathie poses with schooling Trevally at False Entrance at Osprey Reef

medical concerns, particularly those contra to diving, produce a ‘fit to dive’ medical certificate. This is understandable since it is not all about you, and not fair on the other divers if someone has a medical incident that requires a long journey evacuation resulting in missed diving opportunities for those still onboard. Similarly, MBDE require those heading to the Coral Sea to have an ‘Advanced Diver’ certification, or 15 logged ocean dives including 5 in last 12 months. The Coral Sea is not an area to be foolhardy or for the totally inexperienced. In some places the depth of water can go from 5m to 2,000m within a relatively short distance and there is always the potential for currents to develop. For the safety of the divers, Spoilsport orientates and equips every diver with a ‘Nautilus’ marine GPS surface tracking device just in case. Spoilsport has high quality equipment for hire and a choice of air or Nitrox 32. Up to five dives a day are offered which includes a night dive most evenings. CCR and Solo diving is also an option. In the Coral Sea, water temperature varies from 25C to 30C depending on the time of year, while underwater visibility is usually around 30m depending on the tide and the proximity of the dive site to the larger reef formations. Diving takes place between 12m to 30m, with a maximum of 40m. On our departure the lights of Cairns quickly disappearing off Spoilsports stern as we headed Northeast on our over-night crossing to

Holmes Reef. Since we were transiting the open ocean, it can get a bit bumpy at times so MBDE advise those prone to seasickness should utilise appropriate remedies before leaving the dock and as prescribed until you get your sea-legs. On reaching Holmes Reef we started our expedition with an early wake-up call and the rest of the day like most others rolled out like this: first breakfast (continental style), dive #1, second breakfast (full menu), dive #2 and #3, lunch, Dive #4, snacks, Dive #5 (night dive) and then dinner. In the space available we are not able to list and describe all the marine creatures we encountered on our Coral Sea adventure. But just about on every dive we encountered numerous species of Angel Fish, Batfish, Chromis, Coris, Anthias, Damsels, Coris, Chaetodons, Fusiliers, Cardinal and Squirrelfish, Blennies, Gobis, Dotty Backs, Rainbow Runners, Yellow Snapper, Parrot Fish, Bream, Pipefish, Nudibranchs, Sea Stars and Clams. Holmes Reef is split into two sections, known as East and West Holmes, and both have large lagoons with safe anchorages. Steep drop-offs and pinnacles feature great hard coral formations with and an abundance of marine life. Popular wall dives include apply named: ‘Golden Wall’, ‘The Cathedral’ and ‘The Abyss’, with each site perched on walls dropping into 1,000m of water. Adorning these walls are

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Schooling Yellow Snapper hovering over a giant Elephant Ear sponge

massive soft coral formations and large Gorgonian fans, while out in the blue are various pelagic fish, turtles, eagle rays and an abundance of reef sharks. The two giant pinnacles at ‘Turbo’ and ‘Nonki Bommie’ are fantastic dives rising from 35 metres and covered in beautiful soft corals which provided refuge for a enormous array of reef fish. Also common are schools of Big Eye Trevally, Barracuda, Stingrays, Green Turtles and the odd Tawny Nurse Shark can be spotted. We also found lots of Nemos, giant orange Gorgonian Fans, Clown and Triton Trigger Fish, Batfish, Lionfish, Grey and White Tip Reef Sharks. Another wonderful site, appropriately named: ‘A-maz-ing’, is comprised of coral outcrops with small caves and swim-throughs separated by sandy patches providing a suitable home for Sand Gobies and their ‘housekeeping’ Shrimp, Goatfish, Rock Movers, Sea Cucumbers and Garden Eels. There were also lots of Nemos on top of reef, while Cuttlefish, Lionfish and turtles commonly seen. After a wonderful dinner and an hour or two sharing our diving experiences amongst the crew and guests we were heading to Bougainville Reef due North and 250ks Northeast of Cairns. Bougainville, although only four kilometres in diameter, offers some of the best diving and snorkelling experiences on the planet. Surrounded by numerous pristine dive

sites such as ‘Anchors Away’, ‘Little Bay’, and many more, Bougainville is an absolute must visit destination. For example, at ‘Dungeons and Dragons’, we found some striking gutters full of fish species the number of which were too hard to keep a track on. Meanwhile, at ‘Crystal Plateau’, a cluster of small bommies coming up from 30m to 15m from the surface, we have always found a great dive for our style(s) of photography with lots of fish species including Flame Angels, Hump Head Parrot Fish, reef sharks, the occasional Potato Cod and big schools of Barracuda out in the blue.

So many colourful reefs to explore

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Bougainville. Here we found magnificent coral formations with abundant small fish life, a large Eagle Ray and reef sharks hovered about everywhere. After another wonderful dinner and more story telling amongst the crew and guests we were heading to Osprey Reef, 85 to 100 nautical miles to the North of Bougainville. Osprey is a submerged oval shaped atoll, measuring 12km by 25km and covering just under 195 square kilometres (75 sq mi). It has a perimeter of 70km (43.2 mi) consisting of almost vertical reef walls, rising from a depth of 2,000m (6,600 ft). Because of its size, Osprey has numerous highly desirable dive sites such as those with descriptive names like: ‘Rapid Horn’, ‘Trout Forest’, ‘Shark Reef’, ‘Fairy Grotto’, ‘Big Blue’, ‘The Abyss’, ‘Round the Bend’, ‘Fast Eddies’, ‘Halfway’ and ‘West End’. Many like ‘Nautilus’ have swim-throughs and steep drop-offs where schooling Barracuda and reef sharks abound. After several trips to Osprey, ‘Admiralty Anchorage’ and ‘False Entrance’ are our favourite dives in the Coral Sea. Admiralty Anchorage has a multitude of canyons, caverns and swim-throughs that are full of various fish species. Moray Eels, often with Cleaner Wrasse, Leopard, Grey and White Tipped Reef Sharks and palegics out in the blue complete a brilliant vista. Meanwhile, ‘False Entrance’ is a cluster of small bommies coming to within 5 m of the surface. The variety and condition of the corals there are spectacular including massive yellow soft corals and giant orange Gorgonian

For the wreck diving enthusiast there is the wreck of the SS Atlas located on the northern face of Bougainville Reef. On November 9, 1945, she became stuck on the reef and was abandoned. Today she is well-preserved with remnants that extend above the waterline and thus is a popular dive site although it is known for the strong currents that surround it. Therefore, when diving the SS Atlas the divers are clearly briefed, made aware of the potential dangers and to take conservative measures to avoid any risk. There is also the wreck of the SS Antonio Tarabocchia: an Italian steel cargo ship built in 1956. She had a single diesel engine, a length of 140m and a beam of 18m. On the November 13, 1961, she hit the seaward side of Bougainville Reef. While there was no loss of life and ocean-going tugs were deployed to save the vessel, by mid-December, she had broken up considerably and was declared unsalvageable. Parts of the vessel can still be seen on the reef, especially at low tide. Underwater we dived the ships boiler, engine block, anchor and chain and in just 5m of water the ships propellor. One of the most amazing things about dive excursions to remote areas, especially when the conditions are just right, there is always the potential to discover new dive sites. We were able to anchor on a lee side of the reef at a site we named: ‘Weather Station’ as it is immediately adjacent to the weather station

Propeller of the SS Antonio Tarabocchia

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