Scubashooters net e mag issue n30 aug 2017

ISSUE

N°30

A U G 2017

Portfolio

By Jerome Kim

marine Biology

JanUlos sP & savinKini in anilao

Professional architect & Underwater PhotograPher

By

review

contest

BeaUchat aqUaBionic fins

wayne James

deePBlU: the winners

wetPixel

sUBJect maniPUlation By

adam hanlon

travels

scUBa diving in caPe town By

Kate JonKer

Dear readers, In turbulent times, it is important to cultivate global partnerships and here, uw photography and diving industry play a prominent role.

By connecting people around the world, the scubashooters network contribute significantly to international understanding and intercultural exchange and also to raise consciousness about the beauty and fragility of the ocean.

We have readers and members from the five continents and we help people connect each other and learn and see what lies on the bottom of the seven seas of the world. We like to cultivate global partnership in order to be able to bring you always new contents, always new ideas, hopefully inspiring and educational. Under this perspective I’m am pleased to announce that the scubashooters network has just signed an agreement with DRT show of Hong Kong. DRT is the leading company for Diving related venues in Asia. They organize Diving shows in Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and others to come; they choose Scubashooters Network as sales partner for the European region so that we will be able to connect every european manufacturer or diving related company to one of the most important markets of the planet, Asia.

Stay connected with us, as always there’s more to come.

Thanks for following

Marino Palla Owner and Founder Scubashooters Network

Cover image by: Jerome Kim

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CONTENTS August 2017 3

EDITORIAL by Marino Palla

8 A WETPIXEL EXCLUSIVE Subject manipulation

by Adam Hanlon

16 TRAVELS Scuba diving in Cape Town

by Kate Jonker

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PHOTO CONTEST Tor Paterno: by Isabella Maffei MONTHLY CONTEST “Split shot”: the winners PHOTO CONTEST Deepblu: the winners REVIEW: Beuchat Aquabionic fins

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by Jerome Kim

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PHOTO CONTEST Isotta: the winners 4

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REVIEW: Nimar housing Sony α7II - α7RII - α7SII

112 TRAVELS Heaven can’t wait... Siladen Island

by Mauro Mainardi

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MARINE BIOLOGY: Janulos SP & Savinskini by Wayne James

NEXT ISSUE Preview PORTFOLIO: Jatwai So

AN INTERVIEW WITH... Sergio Riccardo

TRAVELS: Million Hope by Michela Di Paola

V erein S cubashooters - 8952 S chlieren G raphic

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E ditor : F abio S trazzi - S witzerland 38668878

design and supervising :

S ilvia B ogni L ayout : S ilvia B ogni , E lisa F urlani C ontributors : C hiara S crigner

In Lembeh with David and Cristina Do you like traveling and diving? Do you have a passion for marine biology and under water photography? Then join David Salvatori and Maria Cristina Di Palma on their trip to the Lembeh Strait, in Indonesia, the undisputed realm of biodiversit y in the Indo-Pacific area!

Save the date for next Februar y 2018, in the beautiful location of the Dabirahe resor t, with special conditions and benefits reser ved exclusively to the members of this group! Sea, diving, professionalism, passion, fun: a "must do" experience!

info: david@ilmaresonoio.com

A WETPIXEL EXCLUSIVE Subject Manipulation Wetpixel (along with PADI) highlighted the issues around the ethics of capturing wildlife images in response to an image that had been widely circulated featuring a day octopus (Octopus cyanea) apparently “hitching a ride” on a Hawaiian green turtle (Chelonia mydas). Further investigation around the image revealed that the Smithsonian Magazine had featured the image as a finalist in their “Natural World” contest.

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Wetpixel reached out to the Smithsonian pointing out the circumstances of its capture as related by the photographer’s own description and eventually received the following response (in full below): “Thanks for the patience in waiting to hear back from us and apologies for the delay. This is in response to your inquiry about Michael Hardie’s photograph of the octopus riding the back to of the turtle.

We reviewed and researched the photo — the caption currently on the photograph is what was submitted — and concluded that his photograph did not violate the rules of our contest, as the image itself was not manipulated, nor did it contain “sexually explicit, nude, obscene, violent or other objectionable or inappropriate content” as described in our rules.

The phrasing about “manipulated” photos pertains to adjustments made to the image itself, such as those that would be made in Photoshop or other editing software. Since the 14th annual contest has long since closed, we aren’t going to revisit Michael Hardie’s status as a finalist, but we are going to take into consideration the issues you have raised with us as we review the rules of upcoming contests.”

The Smithsonian’s response suggests that it considers it is unaccept9

able to manipulate elements of an image during post processing, but that it was acceptable to physically manipulate a wild animal in order to obtain an image of unnatural but eye catching behavior. Of course, this ignores the effect of said manipulation on the animal’s welfare.

Despite the Smithsonian running a contest featuring images of wildlife, they had no rules pertaining to the manipulation or welfare of wildlife subjects.

In this instance at least, their “Natural World” contest awarded an image that depicted behavior that was certainly not natural.

It is interesting to note that the online photography contest site Viewbug also featured the image as their “Grand Jury Winner” in their “Animal Kingdom Photo Contest.”

When the circumstances of its capture were reported to the organizers, it was removed.

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It could be argued that prestigious organizations like the Smithsonian should be held to a high level of accountability.

They reach a vast number of people globally and are responsible for shaping people’s perceptions about many issues, including acceptable practices in the capturing of images.

It is perhaps unrealistic to expect Smithsonian staff or contest judges to be able to discern unnatural behaviors in every instance, but they have been made explicitly aware of the circumstances of this image’s capture.

Their refusal to remove it (and thus far to not publicly commit to preventing similar images from being featured in future) would suggest that they are shirking the ethical responsibility that should be incumbent on all publications that feature, show and share imagery of wildlife.

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Words and Pictures by:

Adam Hanlon (@Wetpixel) All rights reserved

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TRAVELS

Scuba diving in Cape Town Words and Pictures by

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Kate Jonker

Cape Town, known as South Africa’s Mother City, is a cosmopolitan, vibrant and modern travel destination.

Well known for its famous tourist attractions such as Table Mountain, Robben Island and the beautiful Cape Winelands, it is also popular amongst divers for it shark and seal diving.

But Cape Town diving is not just sharks and seals there are fascinating wrecks, glittering kelp forests and colourful reefs to be explored.

The beauty of Cape Town and its surrounds stretches to the shoreline and beyond – beneath the waves, providing divers and underwater photographers with a vibrant and fascinating playground.

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The diving in Cape Town is incredibly diverse and can be split into three main areas – the Atlantic coastline, which stretches from Cape Town’s Table Bay, along the western side of the Cape Peninsula, all the way down to the famous landmark of Cape Point; the western side of False Bay, stretching from Muizenberg, past Simon’s

Town, right down the eastern side of the Cape Peninsula and the eastern side of False Bay where you will find the magnificent dive sites of Gordon’s Bay. Further afield, some 20 miles off Cape Point, are the warmer blue waters that are home to the famous blue and mako sharks.

Within False Bay itself is Seal Island renowned for its great white breachings and great white cage diving.

Diving Seasons When planning a dive trip to Cape Town, it’s important to know that the diving is affected by the wind and weather patterns, and that although Cape Town is a year round diving destination, where you dive will depend on the time of year you visit.

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From October to May (South African summer), the prevalent wind is the south easterly, which brings clear water to the chilly Atlantic coastline and to the warmer waters of the eastern (Gordon’s Bay) side of False Bay. From June to September (winter), the north westerly winds bring clear water and great diving conditions to the western (Simon’s Town) side of False Bay. Water temperatures differ from area to area and as the water along the Atlantic coastline is brought in from the Antarctic by the cold Benguela current, the water is chilly and temperatures usually range between 10º and 13°C, often dropping to 8°C in summer.

The water in False Bay is much warmer and temperatures along the Simon’s Town and Gordon’s Bay coastlines average between 12°C and 15°C, reaching 19°C in summer.

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What to Wear To remain comfortable whilst diving any of the areas in Cape Town, a 7mm wetsuit (or 5mm with chicken vest) with booties, hood and gloves are advised. However, if you own a dry suit or semi dry, you would be better off wearing that.

Also, as you will be wearing booties, open heeled fins will be required.

A dive computer and deployable / delayed surface marker buoy with reel are also recommended for all divers.

Underwater Photography Cape Town offers underwater photographers with amazing wide angle and macro opportunities. It is definitely worth trying to find out what the visibility is like before you setup your camera the night before you dive (try phoning the dive centre you’ll be diving with to find out) as visibility is very variable and can range from 5 metres to 20 metres at any time of the year.

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Wide Angle Dives “into the blue” to see the blue sharks and makos and the popular seal, cow shark and kelp forest dives offer underwater photographers exciting wide angle opportunities.

The sheer walls of the deeper dive sites as well as the wrecks of Smitswinkel Bay and Hout Bay provide photographers with majestic wide angle subjects when visibility is favourable.

My favourite lense for wide angle in Cape Town is my Tokina 10 – 17mm fish-eye, but with wide angle, it’s really what you’re used to.

Macro Photography As a Cape Town underwater photographer, skipper and dive guide myself, my mantra is “When in doubt, shoot macro”. There are many colourful and fascinating macro subjects to photograph in Cape Town waters, and especially in Gordon’s Bay where I do much of my diving.

Macro life includes a huge variety of colourful nudibranchs, spider crabs, colourful fish, octopus, cuttlefish, pipefish, basket stars, feather stars, soft corals and sea spiders.

My favourite lense is my 60mm macro which is very forgiving in surge and low visibility.

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Different Regions The underwater topography and marine life of the three main diving regions varies greatly; giving visitors year round and varied diving opportunities: Gordon’s Bay (Eastern False Bay) – Summer Diving (October to May) Gordon’s Bay, along the eastern side of False Bay is the Cape’s “hidden gem” and boasts some of the most beautiful and varied dive sites in Cape Town.

The topography differs according to dive site and the pristine reefs range from steep sided, ragged walls starting at 15m, dropping straight down to 30m, to shallower ridges and gullies at an average depth of 15m. This is the mecca for macro photography in Cape Town, with an abundance of nudibranchs, spider crabs, cuttlefish, octopus, pipefish, puffadder shy sharks, small colourful klipfish and rock suckers.

The reefs are adorned with vibrant marine life and include colourful soft corals, huge sea fans, brightly coloured noble corals, feather stars and anemones. Divers often encounter playful and inquisitive Cape Fur Seals on dives here.

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Simon’s Town (Western False Bay) – winter diving (May to September) The reefs along the western (Simon’s Town) side of False Bay comprise primarily of huge granite boulders and scattered granite rocks surrounded by fine sand.

A number of the dive sites have beautiful swim throughs to explore.

There are dive sites suitable for both Open Water and Advanced divers.

On the reefs, you will find sea fans, soft corals, sponges and feather stars.

Many of the dive sites are situated within a marine protected area and the fish life is plentiful and varied.

It is quite normal to see the smaller shark species on dives here, including pyjama sharks, puffadder shy sharks, gully sharks and sevengill cow sharks. Macro life includes numerous species of nudibranchs, crabs, octopus and cuttlefish.

Atlantic Coastline – Summer Diving (October to May) The Atlantic coastline is known for its huge granite boulders and granite bedrock covered with invertebrates and plant life, colourful sponges, soft corals, sea fans, nudibranchs, crabs and basket stars.

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Divers also have the opportunity to snorkel with and photograph the playful and inquisitive seals at Duiker Island just outside Hout Bay and explore a number of wrecks in and around Hout Bay. Cape Town should not be overlooked by visiting divers, and with year round diving – whether it be kelp forests, reefs or wrecks, shallow or deep, wide angle or macro – there is something for everyone in this beautiful underwater paradise!

For further information with regards to diving and underwater photography in Cape Town, divers are welcome to find me at

www.oceanimages.co.za

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Leo3 Plus

Leo3

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PHOTOCONTEST Tor Paterno

Words and Pictures

by Isabella

Maffei

Tor Paterno is a marine protected area located in front of Torvaianica, a marine village of Rome municipality, Italy.

Founded by the Italian government on 29th November 2000 is the only one MPA totally submerged, anything is on top to the surface, not islands, any sandy area or coastal zone is included.

We can imagine the area like a mountain landscape, the maximum depth is 60 meters, and the top is about 18 meters to the surface.

The water conditions are real variables, it depends on the currents and the closest delta of Tevere river.

The river strongly influences the visibility, and this is the high point of Tor Paterno MPA. Lots of particulates and food particles create the perfect habitat for filters organisms, like sea fans (Paramutricea clavata) and a false black coral (Gerardia savaglia).

Tor Paterno MPA is a challenge for underwater photographers, most of the time the bad visibility make wide angle pictures hard, but every time you can appreciate the great richest of the ecosystem.

From 1998 the Blu Marlin diving center is a must for diving in the area.

Sabrina Macchioni, the chief, and a proved experience diving instructor guides and share the passion for biology and photo-videography.

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On September 23rd, the Blu Marlin diving Center organize a photo challenge in Tor Paterno MPA. The goal is sharing the incredible biodiversity of the area.

Judges Isabella Maffei underwater photojournalist , uwp pro Pasquale Vassallo underwater photojournalist, marine biologist, uwp pro Adriano Penco underwater photojournalist, uwp pro Join now on www.bluemarlinsport.it

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Puerto Galera - Oriental Mindoro - Philippines

Share your passion for diving wishlist exploring the magical underwater world of Puerto Galera.

This fabulous destination offers the perfect mix of diving and culture, hiding surprises for even the most expert of divers in its unique biodiversity and colourful marine creatures.

An ideal destination for macro photographers.

www.fishermenscove.com

.

+63 917 533 2985

.

info@fishermenscove.com

MONTHLY CONTEST Split Shots

1st

Claudia Weber-Gebert Wins a 100$ VOUCHER by

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2nd

Massimo Giorgetta Wins a CLAMP by

3rd Martin Klein Wins a VOUCHER by

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ISABELLA MAFFEI Pe r s onal Pho to g ra p h i c E xh i b i ti o n ... WHERE IMAGINATION AND REALITY COME TOGETHER THE MAGIC OF A VISION BORN...

15 to 25

from

September

Exhibition Hall of Villa

Casati Cologno Monzese

INAUGURATION: FRIDAY 15 SEPTEMBER AT 20.30

PHOTO CONTEST CHRISTOPHER PEN wins the first ‘NUDI FESTIVAL’ UW Photography Contest.

The underwater photography contest jointly organized by Deepblu and Scubashooters.net concluded with a bang after receiving over 1500 entries.

After a marathon deliberation that lasted several days, a professional judge panel of seven seasoned professional photographers officially announced the winner of the ‘Nudi Festival’, the underwater photography contest that solicited the best nudibranch macro photography from participants.

“It was exceptionally hard to choose from so many excellent images,” said lead judge Henry Jager, “but we finally made a decision.

We consider this contest a terrific success not only in terms of numbers of entries and participants, but also in terms of quality of the entries.”

Deepblu underwater photographers Christopher Pen, Ace Wu, Claudio Ceresi, chandy, and nicdives all took home a fashionable COSMIQ+ Dive Computer and other prizes sponsored by Deepblu.

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A Romanian called Dragos Dumitrescu, also received a COSMIQ+ after winning the popular vote on Deepblu with an exquisite detail of smiling face on a nudibranch’s back.

All winning entries are on display on the Nudi Festival contest page at Deepblu.

The contest, which lasted for 2 months, was jointly organized

by Deepblu, the fastest-growing social network for divers and ocean enthusiasts, and Scubashooters.net, the popular underwater photography community.

The contest received 1582 entries and was widely praised for its exceptionally highquality entries.

Marino Palla, owner of Scubashooters.net had the following to say: “We are very happy about this result.”

James Tsuei, CEO of Deepblu was also pleased with the outcome. “We are honored to work toge51

ther with a partner as prominent as Scubashooters and I’m confident that this outcome shows that Deepblu is a quickly maturing community of divers and ocean enthusiasts.�

About the COSMIQ Dive Computer The COSMIQ is the trendiest dive computer and the only one in its segment to boast Blue-tooth technology to synchronize digital dive logs with the cloud.

Since its launch in April 2016, it has won many awards for its ease of use, clarity and unique design.

About the Deepblu Platform Deepblu is the fastest-growing social network for divers and ocean enthusiasts. It was released in April 2016 at the ADEX show in Singapore and has since brought tens of thousands of divers together at deepblu.com.

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About Deepblu, Inc. Deepblu, Inc. is the company behind the COSMIQ Dive Computer and the Deepblu social network for divers. Deepblu, Inc. is a team of divers and technology enthusiasts whose goal is to use technology and the power of the internet to revolutionize the diving community and lifestyle.

Contact info@deepblu.com

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REVIEW Aquabionic

Beuchat Aquabionic Fins Certainly the most efficient fin in the world

Technologie innovative and exclusive WARP - Precise and easy-to-handle at low finning frequencies - Powerful and reactive when needed - By amplifying displacement velocity (or thrust) with less fin effort, WARP technology reduces air-consumption ertainly thehence most efficient fin energy in the world and the diver’s expenditure

Aquabio

The design of the Aquabionic eliminates lateral spill by producing a directional thrust in line with the blade, making this the perfect multi-purpose fin.

Technologie innovante et exclusive WARP

Ø

Ø Ø

The design of the Aquabionic eliminates lateral spill Precise and easy-to-handle at low by producing a directional thrust in line with the finning frequencies blade, making this the perfect multi-purpose fin.

Powerful and reactive when needed By amplifying displacement velocity (or thrust) with less fin effort, WARP Bio-design technology reduces air-consumption and hence the diver’s energy Inspired by different marine mammals to create the most comfortexpenditure

able and most powerful dive fin ever designed nologie innovante et exclusive WARP

Precise and easy-to-handle at low nning frequencies Powerful and reactive when needed By amplifying displacement velocity (or rust) with less fin effort, WARP chnology reduces air-consumption nd hence the diver’s energy xpenditure

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onic

Exclusive patented WARP Technology Only fin in the world to integrate Water Adapting Responsive Propulsion (WARP) technology.

Beuchat’s exclusive system is designed to amplify the thrust of the diver’s finstroke. The special 45° orientation of the double hinge increases the surface of the blade during the stroke and acts as an energy accumulator. The central deformable part of the fin allows the blade to accumulate a volume of water that is determined by, and proportional to, the effort produced by the diver. On returning to its original form, this mass of water is forced to the rear in line with the fin by the central membrane (shape-memory material).

The Aquabionic fin thus outputs all the energy accumulated to deliver an effective thrust that considerably multiplies the initial effort made by the diver.

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Result: the response of the fin varies according to the demand expressed by the power that the diver puts into their finstroke 1. Precise and easy-to-handle at low finning frequencies 2. Powerful and reactive when needed Outstanding versatility for all types of finstroke and at all levels The design of the Aquabionic eliminates lateral spill by producing a directional thrust in line with the blade, making this the perfect multi-purpose fin.

Result: an excellent fin not only for the traditional scissors kick, but also ultra-efficient for frog kick or reverse finstrokes etc.

A high performance fin for divers at all levels of ability.

Number one for efficiency and comfort By amplifying displacement velocity (or thrust) with less fin effort, WARP technology reduces air-consumption and hence the diver’s energy expenditure.

Result: a comfortable fin that can be used all day long Highly effective for propelling divers bearing heavy equipment with minimum air and energy consumption Powerful enough to enable divers to deal with the most difficult currents and conditions.

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Available colours red, blue, black, fluo yellow and fluo pink in small size

From 1992 Diving & S.P.A

Nature

&

Archeology.

The magic of

’

men s art and

’

nature s art

in a wonderful place to be discovered

Via Miliscola, 163 80078 Pozzuoli (NA) - Italia Cell.: +39 3292155239 - tel./fax: +39 081 853 1563 from Tuesday to Sunday from 9.00 a.m to 8.00 p.m.- (monday we’re close) Email: info@centrosubcampiflegrei.it Web site: www.centrosubcampiflegrei.it

PORTFOLIO Jerome Kim

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Born and raised in Korea, Jerome Kim has been based in the Philippines for the last 17 years.

He considers Anilao as his favorite dive spot in the whole Coral Triangle because of the great macro opportunities.

Also He’s been traveling many diving destinations in abroad such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Maldives and Palau and Thailand and etc for different kind of subject hunting.

He is a professional architect who considers underwater photography as a hobby but he enjoys it immensely.

He is able to translate his skills as an architect into designing the perfect shot underwater.

His works are regularly introduced in many dive magazines and newspapers, which explains how he’s won multiple awards from both local and international competitions

Awards

In Korea – 35 times In the Philippines – 28 times International Competition – 15 times 66

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Featured Photographer

8 times (Scubadivers, Undersea Travel, Underwater World, Sea&Sea Magazine, EZDIVE, Underwaterphotography.com, DAN – Divers Alert, Underwater Macro Photographers Mag)

Medias

South China Morning Post + 3 (H.K), Washington Post, Divers Alert (US), Manila Bulletin, Inquirer (Phil), Chosun, Dongah (Korea), Featured on more than 15 Magazines.

He has been invite as a VIP speaker to several prestige dive shows such as DRTs, ADEX, SPOEX and TDEX. He’s been organizing Anilao UW Photo Festival with Department of Tourism of the Philippines for 3 years and it become one of the most successful UW competition events in Asia now.

More info www.jeromekim.com www.facebook.com/UWJeromeKim

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Explore Cape Town’s top dive sites

Macro Life

Kelp Forests

Beautiful Reefs

Nudibranchs

www.indigoscuba.com

info@indigoscuba.com

+27 (0)83 268 1851

PHOTO CONTEST

Isotta Photo Contest 5th edition - July 6/9-2017

Ustica island and its crystal clear Mediterranean Sea. Snap-shots from the extraordinary marine park of the Sicilian island and all the fascinating colours of its shimmering waters were captured by the photographers competing in the 5th Isotta Underwater Photo Contest, held on July 6th-9th ’17 and promoted by Isotecnic, the Italian company that since 1980 is leading the manufacturing of underwater video equipment, photography and underwater lighting products 100% Made in Italy.

Set up for the 5th consecutive year by the firm owners, the Isotta Underwater Photo Contest welcomes worldwide photographers of all skill levels to test their expertise and photographic technique.

Held each year in a different unique marine environment spot, the competition aims to highlight the wealth of the local territories and to promote the conservation of seas’ pristine depths through the images taken with respect to the marine ecosystem.

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Inaugurated on July 6th in the touristic area of Punta Spalmatore the competition started right away thanks to the organizational support of Ustica’s Diving Mister Jump.

During the opening evening event all the contestants received the 5th Isotta Underwater Photo Contest exclusive welcome kit including: the official underwater inspired T-shirt in our signature red, an uniquely customized Power Bank featuring the photo contest logo and a copy of “Portfolio”, the intimate book of selected underwater images by the Italian journalist Sergio Sarta, internationally recognized as one of the most well-known specialists in the field of underwater photography.

The contest featured 4 themed categories for compact, mirrorless and DSLR shooters: alongside the classic “Wide Angle” and “Macro”, the captivating “Fish Portrait” and “50 shades of red” categories were divided into the two competition days set in the blue waters of the island’s Punta Galera and Punta Falconiera. 3 hours for each dive to catch themes pics.

The 2 days formula has gathered favourable opinions from all the participants and allowed the jury to evaluate all pics more thoroughly in two different sessions.

Three magnificent Gold, Silver and Bronze Trophies were awarded to the winners of the 5th Isotta Photo Contest.

Each statue, crafted after the idea of Isotta’s founder Egidio, represents a victorious shooting underwater photographer and awards literal hours of hard work and patience into Ustica’s island colourful depths, where the contest was held this year.

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The awarded shots were selected by a special jury composed by the technical director Filippo Massari and the expert underwater photographers Marco Gargiulo, Jordi Chias Puiol and Orazio Aloi.

The Isotta Underwater Photo competition has become one of the most acclaimed underwater imagery events in Italy, and over 6.000,00 € of top-class prizes have been awarded, including a Isotta Nikon D500 Housing to the Gold Trophy winner, a complete set of Isotta Ball and Float tubes and 800 € voucher prize to the Silver Trophy winner, a Isotta GoPro S Housing and 400 € voucher prize to the Bronze Trophy winner in the DSLR category.

Top-class prizes were awarded also to the Compacy category winners, such as 500 € voucher to the winner, a 350 € voucher to the second placed and a 200 € voucher to the third one, all to be used to buy Isotta high-end underwater equipment.

A special plaque and Isotta signature red padded soft bag were awarded to the winning shot of the special category “50 shades of red”.

On Saturday July 8th ’17, Isotta owners crowned the winners with the coveted Gold, Silver and Bronze trophies during the awarding ceremony: a special slide-show of the unforgettable images and videos of the contestants in action was followed by the screening of the winning striking images taken in the breath taking scenery of Ustica.

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This is the final podium for the DSLR category 1° Maurizio Longhitano (best “Fish Portrait” Photo of the contest)

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2° Fabrizio Frixa (best “Wide Angle” Photo of the contest)

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3° Santo Tirnetta

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And this is the one of the “Compact” category 1° Raffaella Spagnolello (Best “Macro” shot of the contest) 2°Loredana Iurianello 3°Giancarlo Crimaldi The Best of Show for the appealing “50 Shades of Red” category was awarded to Davide Lombroso for his themed stunning image.

Congratulations to all the underwater photographers who participated, and to the winners from all around Italy who captured vivid postcards of the Sicilian wonderful protected waters.

Moray eels, colourful sea slugs, camouflating octopuses, voracious sea stars and bright fishes, all the dazzling sea views of Ustica’s depths became a true unmissable paradise for the 5th Isotta Photo Competition contestants.

Last but not least, a great thanks to Isotta’s family, Elisa, Andrea, Lilia, Egidio and babies Alice and Gaia! Again this year you have been very successful participants, who hope to increase more and more in the coming edition. We are looking forward to next year’s new contest!

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All awarded shots are available at the following link http://bit.ly/2xE9yqr

Thanks to Mister Jump Ustica www.misterjump.it

Check all our high performing gear for underwater video, photography and lighting on Isotecnic www.isotecnic.it

Words: Davide Lombroso (Isotta International)

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www.revistaaQua.com • aQua #18

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aQua magazine

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The travel does not consist of searching new lands but having new eyes, it must broaden our horizons without prejudices stimulating our curiosity to meet new people and visit new places

Unique travel experiences which are able to make you happy

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REVIEW

Nimar Housing

Sony α7II - α7RII - α7SII

NiMAR was established in the ‘80s by leading-edge company in the field of plastics. The passion for photography and underwater video shooting helped NiMAR to become one of the leading Italian manufacturers in this field.

Thanks to the use of high quality materials and a permanent customer service, NiMAR’s items have always been reliable working tools for photographers and camera operators.

NiMAR’s mission is to continue to invest in innovation and research, to develop pioneering solutions because customers’ satisfaction is NiMAR’s best reward.

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SPECS • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Depth Rating: 328’(100m) White Delrin Body Mechanical Controls Controls Shown: All Interchangeable Lens Port System 3xLatches with Safety Clips: Aisi 316 stainless steel 5-Pin Strobe Connector Dual Fiber optical direct plug-in Optical Viewfinder - 1.5x Magnification Moisture Alarm Buoyancy: Slightly negative Ergonomic Design with Alum. Handles Bracket and T-mounts for connecting optional lighting arms Limited 2-Year Warranty

DIMENSIONS Overall dimensions with handles bracket: L. 35cm(13.77”) H.18cm(7.08”) D.14cm(5.5”) Weight with side handles: 2.87kg (6,32lb) IN THE BOX WITH THE HOUSING • • • • • • • • •

Alum. handles bracket with inox screws Spare main seal Bayonet protective cover Soft bag Silicon grease Camera insert slide Silica gel bag Test certificate and warranty User manual

Visit NIMAR website to discover Sony lens port, strobes, lights, brackets, arms and more http://bit.ly/2qNX2jW http://www.nimar.it/en

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TRAVELS

Heaven Can’t Wait...

Siladen Island Words and Pictures by

Mauro Mainardi

It started out only for fun.

Silvia looks at tropical island images on the web. Suddendly she says “there, I want to go there!”

The island is really small and I’ve never heard about it: Siladen.

“Ok, let’s go!... where is it?” It’s in the north of Sulawesi, Indonesia… not really just around the corner…

I start to gather information: flights, dive sites, resorts, costs.

Maybe it’s just beginner’s luck… but everything seems to fit perfectly.

It seems that we will find there some of the best diving spots of the world ad it’s also affordable. If Silvia has not a sixth sense, surely she has a five and half… Women sometimes are witches.

After a long flight without any cigarette (sigh!) and a stopover in the amazing Singapore airport, we finally arrive in Manado.

An employee of “Celebes Divers” diving center is waiting for us at the airport to take us by car at the Mapia Resort in Manado.

From there, a boat will take us to Siladen Island in half an hour.

The Mapia Resort is really beautiful: small cottages nestled in a large tropical garden.

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I want to see the beach… I’m dreaming about blue water, white sand…

Uh-oh… surprise! it looks… muddy. I did not expect it.

What is it? I’m overthinking now: how would be Siladen Island beach???

While I’m looking at the dark water I see two divers walking out of it.

They are smiling and speaking loudly. I greet them and I ask “how was your dive”? They are so excited, they tell me that Mapia house reef is a muck dive spot. Here you can find a huge variety of nudibranches, crabs and many other small critters. It’s similar to Lembeh, they say.

They arrived here 15 days ago and they go diving three times a day looking for small and rare creatures. They list the scientific names of all the creature they have seen… so many, so rare!

It’s very interesting but… I’m not here to go “muck-diving”… I’m looking for crystal clear water.

I still wonder how Siladen will be!

The boat we were waiting for is getting closer to the jetty. Here we go!

After 20 minutes of navigation we can see the island in the distance: a green emerald embedded in the blue of the sea.

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As we approach, we can see this incredible colour-changing water: deep blue, light blue and finally green-turquoise. It’s crystal clear, full of colorful corals.

I’ve seen in my long life really many tropical Island but I think this is one of the nicest I have ever seen.

The Onong Eco Resort is located directly on the house reef overlooking Bunaken, the Manado Tua volcano and the North Sulawesi coast.

Our cottage is on the beach and the balcony is really near to the water. It’s amazing.

I immediately jump into the water.

In the shallow, while snorkelling, I can see many different kind of anemone fish, many types of shrimps that I’ve never seen before, school of small colorful fishes, a huge amount of different corals.

Such a variety of creatures... in a few inches of water.

I think I will remain in the water diving and shooting with my Nikon the entire holiday...

I need no shoes nor clothes: only my suit, fins, mask, my sea&sea housing... and a hat for my bald head!

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We are in the middle of the Bunaken National Marine Park, one of the most important biodiversity spot.

The Island is beautiful and small, really little jem. People are friendly and kind. You feel confortable and happy‌ at the first sight!

Celebes Divers guides know this place really well. During the dives they can find and show you the rarest creatures. I realize why Bunaken is considered one of the most important place for Biodiversity: clownfish of all kinds and colors (I’ve never seen so many different species in the same place!), nudibranches everywhere, any kind of fish you can imagine, giant green turtles, huge sponges, gorgeous gorgonias and countless small critters. What am I going to shoot with my camera?

I don’t know. Anyway... I am spoilt for choice!

This place is not only the macro paradise, but also the wideangle paradise thanks to its crystal clear water. Farther, on the coral walls you can see countless huge gorgonias, soft corals and colorful sponges.

Siladen is the smallest of the islands in the Bunaken National Park.

It is heavenly quiet, there are no roads or cars, and life is enjoyed at a slightly slower pace.

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You will find here the Padi 5 Star Dive Center “Celebes Divers”, a fully equipped dive center with compressors, equipment room, camera room and cleaning facilities. You can also dive with a private guide and with a marine biologist instructor.

Where to stay Siladen - Onong Eco Resort: sea view cottages, excellent food, the diving boat just 15 meters away from your room, amazing staff, some of the best dives in the world… a dream that comes true.

Siladen - Kuda Laut Boutique Resort: new opening July 2017. Beach Villas, beach Cottages, Superior Rooms, Family garden Cottages, an amazing garden with a pool and a open-air class room for seminars and trainings.

Manado - Mapia Resort: 9 wooden cottages built in the traditional Minahasa style of North Sulawesi. Facilities include a restaurant, a bar, a spa, a swimming pool and, of course, the fully equipped dive center.

Perhaps heaven can’t wait…

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Google maps:

goo.gl/maps/UA28MVCiExt

More info and booking: www.celebesdivers.com

Flights:

www.singaporeair.com www.etihad.com

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KUDA LAUT BOUTIQUE DIVE RESORT – SILADEN

TheKudaLautBoutiqueDiveResortopenedits gates in July 2017. It is located on the idyllic Siladen - the smallest of the islands in the Bunaken National Park.

It consists of • 8COTTAGES(2GardenFamilyCottageswith 2 separate rooms, 4 Beach View Cottages and 2 Beach Villas directly at the beach) • 4 SUPERIOR ROOMS Our DIVE CENTER is a central element of the new resort. It is equipped with a large drying room with separate individual booths for your diveequipmentandwithanAIR-CONDITIONED PHOTO ROOM tostoreandprepareyourphoto or video equipment.

On the upper floor of the dive center there is an open-air classroom for seminars and trainings or for showing your underwater pictures of the day to your friends.

More info and contacts: http://bit.ly/2vtQF8q

MARINE BIOLOGY Janulos sp & Savinskini in Anilao

Words and Pictures by: Wayne Jones

This medium sized Nudibranch has large fleshy cerata often vividly colored. In Anilao waters they appear later in the ‘cold-water’ season which occurs generally December to May. During this time, they can be seen feeding upon hydroids, Halimeda Algae as well as mating which coincides with the availability of the food source.

In Anilao the usual Janolus to be seen is either Janolus sp. and Janolus savinskini and while the outward appearance of these is very similar it is the color differences that separates the J. sp. and J savinskini though sp. has a variety coloration.

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Whilst the vibrant color of this Nudibranch makes it a popular subject for the underwater photographer, another visual feature, and my personal attraction, is the large gelatinous rhinophores that sit atop a stem like extrusion.

This is highlighted by a ‘balding’ or absence of cerata ring around the base of the stemmed rhinophores.

To top this exaggerated feature, there is a frilled ‘crown’ sitting between the two rhinophores.

This beautiful feature sets the Janolus high on my list of Nudibranch to photograph combined with their vibrant coloration

The Janolus savinskini I have usually seen resting upon the green Halimeda.

Here these medium size Nudibranch comfortably sit with their bulbous cerata swaying with the motion of the sea.

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This high position makes for nice photography and reasonably simple black backgrounds.

They are also, to a certain degree, relaxed and photograph easily if undisturbed.

Unfortunately, this photograph is from a few years back and not necessarily the best example but the only J. savinskini I have while on Halimeda J sp. on the other hand seems more at home with hydroids.

Precariously perched upon the fine branches of this food source Janolus sp takes on a vision of flight floating on a summer breeze as they bounce in the water current.

Also fast moving on the silty sea bed they are often seen moving around and here I choose to use a snoot to separate them from the uninteresting sea floor.

The focused light of the “Retra� snoot illuminates the translucent body accentuating their vibrant colors that seem to glow.

Another color variation is this yellow version of J. sp.

This is a new sighting for me and made for a lovely change from the previously mentioned Janolus sp., which were rather prolific for a few 128

months this year, mainly between the moths of January through April.

This yellow variant, while not as prolific was sighted quite frequently in at least two dive sites here in Anilao and also during the same timeframe.

While their range can be many and varied, the Janolus found ‘roaming’ on the sometimes sand/silty sea bottom, can produce problems for photography.

With dull background and particles in the water an obvious solution is to snoot thus eliminating the background and providing artistic potential with any backscatter.

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FOLLOW ME

Located in the center of the Gulf of Kvarner - Croatia, our diving center is in the ideal location for countless different dive sites.

Three wrecks, colorful walls and ideal sites for macrophotography.

We offer the opportunity to dive for every level.

From our beach, with our boat... ...come with us and enjoy your dive!

www.diving-marcopolo.com