X-Ray Mag #49
Malpelo Island: Columbia's Pacific coast; Israel: Journey beyond the three seas; Hornby Island: British Columbia getaway; Hubert Chretien interview; No need to get narked, by Mark Powell; Squid orgy in Southern California; Falkland's South Georgia Island; Point-and-shoot underwater photography; Resande Man wreck; SS Dago wreck; Rebreather Forum 3 report; Rebreather training technology; Plus news and discoveries, equipment and training news, books and media, underwater photo and video equipment, turtle news, shark tales, whale tales and much more...
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Main features in this issue include:
Boil It, Cook It, Peel It – or Forget It
Travelling poses some real dangers, and they should not be ignored. Travellers have paid the price over and over again, many with their lives, many with lifelong suffering, and the main reason is ignorance. That’s right, ignorance.
Travelling the road least travelled and beyond is a whole other matter and requires more preparation.
Diving into a Squid Orgy
My first experience diving with mating squid was in September of 2000 during a rare late summer event off La Jolla Shores of San Diego in the U.S. state of California. To date, it still ranks as one of my all time favorite dives.
Midway through the dive, something big enough to spin me around, hit me from behind and scared me silly.
Improving Rebreather Safety
How can rebreather diving be made safer? That was the question at the core of the numerous presentations and discussions at Rebreather Forum 3 (RF3) held in Orlando, Florida, this May.
The last forum, Rebreather Forum 2.0, which I organized with rebreather builder Tracy Robinette, was held 16 years earlier in 1996, at a time when rebreathers were just being introduced to the sport diving market.
Israel: Journey Beyond the Three Seas
On my first flight to Israel, I stretched out in a comfortable chair on EL AL Airlines, enjoyed a kosher meal and reread notes by the famous Russian traveller and pioneer explorer, Afanasiy Nikitin (circa 1466-1472). Only on the approach to Tel Aviv did I suddenly realize how small a country Israel was, and that it bordered three seas.
With my dive buddy, Yakov Samovarov, I would dive the missile wreck, Satil. I asked Yakov to tell me about the day’s dive. “Six or seven years ago, I did my first dive on Satil,” said Yakov. “It was formally known as the Israeli Navy missile boat with the proud name of Sufa (Storm).”
Malpelo Island
Three of world’s best shark spots are located far off the coast of Central and South American, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The least known of them, the tiny Colombian island of Malpelo, together with Galapagos and Cocos, create a “golden triangle” for big fish fans.
Swarms of doctor-, handle- and butterflyfish could be on anything of it and seemed to dance around us effortlessly.
Point & Shoot
When it comes to cameras, traditionally, gear is divided into compact point-and-shoot or single lens reflexes (SLR). Compact point-and-shoot cameras are simple devices that many people use just for snapshots. In order to keep the price low, the lenses are not as sharp as the ones designed for SLRs. Some compact cameras are compatible with add-on conversion lenses to expand their range.
When it comes to cameras, traditionally, gear is divided into compact point-and-shoot or single lens reflexes (SLR). By definition a SLR camera had a mirror and prism positioned inside the camera, so the photographer could look directly through the lens. This way, they could see the exact framing of the image. When the shutter opens, the mirror quickly moves out of the way, so the film or sensor could be exposed to light. SLRs are advanced cameras with manual exposure control and interchangeable lens systems.
South Georgia
South Georgia is the most well-known of the Falkland Islands, also called Islas Malvinas. It lies nearly at the end of the world in the Southern Atlantic Ocean. To find this place on the map, draw an equilateral triangle with one vertex on Cape Horn and another on the Antarctic Peninsula. The third vertex in the east is our destination.
South Georgia has an interesting historical heritage. It is a whale sanctuary and a cemetery. On the island, one can find the grave of one of the most famous explorers in history, Sir Ernest Shackleton, an undisputed symbol of leadership and courage.