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N O I T I D E E L B A N 4 I 1 0 A 2 T / 7 S : U 9 S 2 E E U S H S I T
PLIGHTS of Our Ocean Dr. Hanny Batuna – Hero of the Sea SUSTAINABLE SUS TAINABLE SEAFOOD
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CONTENT ISSUE
29:7/2014
The Sustainable Edition
FOUNDING SUPPORTERS
ON THE COVER:
THRESHER SHARK photographed by Steve De Neef at Malapascua This edition’s cover received the most votes from OG’s Assoc iate s, Edito ria l Boar d and Pr emier Me mbers .
OCEAN WATCH
ESSAY
09
Fish: To eat or not to eat (Sustainable Seafood) Alex Rose
24 (A Pioneer of the Blue Planet) Peter Scoones
20 64
Gillian McDonald
BLUE (A Global Convergence of the Ocean Arts and Sciences) Ocean Geographic
Garden of the Gods (Art serving nature)
MEDIA PARTNER
Cassandra Dragon, Charlie Fasano
27 (Plights of our ocean)
Killing ourselves ourselves quickly
46
The Shark that Rebuilt an Island
NAUTILUS’S WINDOW
35
Faces of the Ocean Jayne Jenkins
SUPPORTING ORGANISATIONS
Steve De Neef
67
Dr. Dr. Hanny Batuna (A Man of the Ocean) Michael Michae l AW, AW, Dr. Dr. Mark Erhmann, Erhman n,
SOJOURNS
87
Protecting a Phenomenon (The Whale Sharks of Cenderawasih Bay
International League of Conservation Photogapher(s) www.ILCP.com
Michael AW
PhD, Dr. Dr. Carden Wallace, Wallace, Phd, Arlene Batuna
73
A Naturalist in Lembeh Mike Scotland
CAPTURES
57
83
Lionel Unch
An Absolute Essential Essential for Digital Underwater Photographers Gillian McDonald
Nancy Merridew OCEAN INSIDER
55
The Vizl Effect Christian Vizl Mac Gregor
60 (Very Important Bag)
The British Society of Underwater Photographers Photographers www.bsoup.org
V.I.P
2
MissionBlue™ Sylvia Earle Alliance www.thesealliance.org
EDITOR’S EPISTLE
Nature’s capacity for survival is evident. Take Ta Prohm, one of the many temples built in Angkor, Siam Reap, duri ng the 12th and 13th century. Today, Today, most of it is engulfed by the root s of the giant banyan and silk-cotton trees (some of them over 400 years old) growing out of its ruins. These trees start out as seedlings that take root in cracks on the roof. The roots flow down the temple walls between the rocks, pushing them apart, yet paradoxically prov idin g suppo rt . That is, unt il the tree dies… then an enti re section of the temple will collapse. You do not need to be an engineer to realise that over a period of centuries, these trees would eventually pull the temple apart and bring it down. Trees! And let’s not forget the 102-year- old float ing forest ; o rigi nal ly a large steam ship condemned to dismantling in Homebush Bay, Aust ral ia, a fte r the S econd World War, it n ow hous es a fore st! Manki nd’s capacity for survival however, however, is questionable. Despite the plethora of knowledge and technology that surrounds us about climate change, ocean acidification, overfishing, rising sea levels, and the importance of our ocean to our surv ival, we seem happy to continue plodding (more likely rolling uncontrollably at this stage) down the path of self-destruction; not only ignoring but debunking and even ridiculing what scientists have been trying to tell us for decades. Instead of changing our ways, we dump even more toxins, more garbage into the ocean – the very ocean we get our seafood from. How revolting is that? There is a reason why I avoid seafood as much as possible. Perhaps the solution to overfishing is to create more awareness about marine toxic pollution. If more people knew that over 10 bill ion litres of industrial waste (excluding offshore oil and gas effluents) is discha rged directly into U.S. waters alone every day, and heavy metals (arsenic, lead, mercury, cyanide, together with over 30 other dangerous chemicals) are often found in marine life, seafood consumption would probably decrease and overfishing would cease to be an issue. I would also like to give special mention to cancer-causing toxins such as pesticides, dioxins, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), and PAHs (poly-aromatic hydrocarbons) and radioactive waste… all of which are found in our ocean – the very ocean we swim in and eat from. Is it any wonder cancer is on the rise? We are killing our planet, and ourselves. However dismal and bleak it might seem, I like to think we still have a sliver of hope. This issue marks the start of our eighth year of produc tion for Ocean Geogr aphic . We ha ve grow n over the last seven years, and will soon have two print and two online editions. All this is possible only because of of you; just by by being associates or members of the society, you have contributed to the production of a benchmark journal of the ocean, helping to educate and inspire conservation of our ocean. You give us that glimmer of hope for this planet. For that and your support, all of us at Ocean Geograph ic would like to say: THANK YOU.
Evonne Ong Chief Editor
lowepro.com PS: Your views consummate a meaningful relationship and keep the fire for quality burning. We value your views. Write to me at:
[email protected] OG Issue 29 : 07/2014
3
Michael AW – Founder Founding Editors Joe Moreira: David Doubilet : Dr Carden Wallace : Dr Alex Mustard : Dr Ger ald Allen: Emor y Kristof : Stan Waterman : Doug Perrine : Jennifer Hayes : Christopher Lee
Charter Members Adam Rea d Adele ne Lynch Adri enne Sa vage Agnie szka Ma lkowska Alas tair D ow Alet a Pitst ock Amand a Dies Andr eas Jas chek Andr ew Carr Andr ew Aylet t Anne -Mar ee Fros t Anth ony Atki nson Anth ony Tan Aqua P ros Sw im Scho ol Inc Armi n Gelt inge r Barbara Hinton Bari Gowan Barry Stimpson Bernard Hart Bob Hollis Brent Bain Brian Jones Brian Daly Brian Newbold Carl Brandes Carle Parkhill Carly Sorensen Caroline Lim Charles Bowden Chris Kowalski Coreen Lee Pooi Yee Corpus Christi H School Craig Koltasz Craig Grube Dale Ponsford Darren Pill Dave Ball Dave Sorbo David Hettich David Hughes David Kittos David Watson Dean Boyce Deborah Bowden
Dennis Shepard Dennis Olivero Des Paroz Digant Desai Dorothy Schooling Emily Chan Eric Matson Eric Winters Erica Lansley Ernie Brooks Faris Alsagof Fenella Cochrane Ferdie Franklin Freda Ho Gary Wilson Gary Samer Gina Mascord Gordon Brown Graeme Thomas Graham Thompson Graham Reynolds Grant Graves Gwen Shah-Ingram Gwen Noda Halszka Antoszewska Hamish Foster Heather Sowden H Bartram & C Alleway Helke Florkowski Hellmuth Weisser Henrik Nimb Ian Sheeld-Parker Ian Barcham Ian Dewey Ignacio Esparza Inger Vandyke Ingvar Eliasson Janna Jones Janne Hultberg Jason Santospirito Jefrey Bohn Jennifer O’Neil Jeroen Deknatel
Jessica Schoonderwaldt Jim Morrison Joanne Marston Jordan Thomson Jorgen Rasmussen Jukka Nurminen Kal Attie Kathy Nikas Kellie Wood Kian Hing Soo KL Kwang Klaas Mekking Kliment Kolosov K Bilham & F Cosgrove Larissa Cheong Leesa & David Pratt Leon Ebbelaar Lex Beatty Malcolm Neo Malcolm Peisley Marcel Eckhardt Margaret Flierman Marie Goarin Mark Gerlach Mark Seielstad Mark Templeman Martin Havlicek Matt Curnock Maxi Jennifer Eckes Melanie Teloniatis Michael Holme Michal Krzysztofowicz Michelle Chua Mick Moran Mickey Pascoe Mikael Jigmo Natalie Forster Nicholas Kuhn Nick Robertson-Brown Nico Paradies Nicola Goldsmith Novianti Songtono Owen Scott
Patricia Pei Voon Lee Patrick Schwarz Paul Castle Paul Double Paul Turley Paul Gagnon Paul Ryan Peter Maerz Petrina Tay Pij Olijnyk Ramadian Bachtiar Rebecca Simpson Robert Yee Robert Hughes Robert Lupo Dion Ron Currie Ruben Gamoo Sam & Jo Bartram Samuel Ong Sarah Jacob Selwyn Gregory Sng Simon Talbot Sol Foo Sonia Gentle Stacey Herman Steve Tucker Susan Howard Teresa Hemphill Terry Farr Tim Gleeson Tomos Hedges Tony Manning Tony & Phyll Bartram Travis Graham Troy Horsburgh Vict or Len dzion owski Virg inia Fa ge W D Fong Wayde Simes Wendy McIlroy Wendy Campbell Wyland Wendy Benchley
Charter membership is now closed. Join now as Premier Member – see p96.
www.OGSociety.org 4
BEYOND THE ORDINARY EXPEDITIONS
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by
THE MOMENTS THAT TAKE OUR BREATH AWAY BAHAMAS: FEB / MARCH
Great Hammerheads: Tiger Sharks
CUBA – JARDINES DE LA REINA: MARCH MALDIVES – BAA AND NORTHERN ATOLLS: AUGUST
Silkies & Reef sharks, Goliath Groupers and American Salt water Crocodiles
Sharks, Mantas and Rainbow Reefs
INDONESIA – CENDERAWASIH BAY: SEPTEMBER
Whale sharks, Dr Seus Reef and Ancient Sea
SOUTH AFRICA – SARDINE RUNS: JUNE
EXPEDITION LEADERS & PHOTO PRO
Christian Vizl, Mathieu Meur and Michael AW All Ocean Geo graphic expeditio ns are specia lly resear ch and design for optimum interaction oppor tunities. Spots are limited. Ocean Geographic member priority and discount apply. OceanGeographic.org : expeditions@ expeditions@OGSociety OGSociety.org .org
Dolphins, Bronze Whalers, Dusky Sharks, Brydes and Humpback Whales and Gannets
The Editorial Board MICHAEL AW dirECTor & BoArd MEMBEr
Michael’s saturated colour imageries have earn him more tha 60 teatal awas; hs wk have bee featue in BBC Wildlife, National Geographic, the Smithsonian, GEo, ocea GEoGrAPHiC, Asa Gegaphc, Act Asa, natue Fcus t am e but a few. i 2010, he was a ecpet f the WYLAND ICON award for Conservation. His most glorious achievement is a Palme D’or for “Philippines – Heart of the Ocean”, won at the Wl Uewate Pctues Festval, Face 2009. He s als a ecpet f three awards from the Natural History Museum BBC Photographer of the Year Wllfe Cmpett 200 0, 2010 a 2006 he w the Best We awa the uewate categ. Mchael AW s the fue f oceanEvmet’s a chat gazat egstee wth Evmet Austala. i 2008 Sta Waterman conferred Michael with the Peter Benchley Shark Conservation Awa b Sh aks re seach isttu te ec gt f hs hg hl-ee ctve a ueletg campag agast shak sup csumpt the Asa Pacc region. Michael is also the founder of Asian Geographic.
CARDEN WALLACE PhD HonorAry EdiTor & & BoArd MEMBEr
Carden’s research has focused on biogeography and biodiversity, particularly on corals and tropical biota. Her current interests are directed towards other tropical countries, especially Indonesia. She feels strongly that scientists should give back all they possibly can, in communicating and applying the results of their work. With her apptmet 1987 as Cuat Chage, Cae Wallace became the st woman to head the Museum of Tropical Queensland in Townsville. Among the hgh pts he caee was the PoL Pze f Evmetal reseach, awae 1992 t Cae alg wth fu the scetsts fm James Ck University for their exciting discovery of mass annual spawning on the Great Barrier Reef by over a hundred species of coral. This dramatic example of sexual synchronization is unique among animals, and its discovery by the team 1984 attacte mmeate scetc a mea at tet au the wl. Cae s a ba membe f oceanEvmet
JENNIFER HAYES HonorAry EdiTor
Je s a aquatc eclgst wh has cllecte a cuple f gauate egees zlg, mae a shees blg. She came into underwater journalism (photography and wtg) ut f shee ecesst t elve ull scetc presentations and publications . To put it simply, simply, strong images f acet stuges spawg, hatchg, mgatg ae tel more captivating to an audience than bar graphs and pie charts. Photography and science lead to natural history articles and then into popular journalism. Je fme a pateshp wth dav dublet 1999 a c-fue the stck pht cmpa; Uesea images ic. Je a dav c-phtgaph and write for assignment features for numerous domestic and international publications, ad shoots and book projects.
DAVID DOUBILET
David is the world’s most celebrated underwater phtgaphe wth ve ft stes publshe natal Geographic. David challenges himself to redefine photographic boundaries each time he enters the water. His passion is the undersea majesty of light and how to capture it. Completely at home on a coral re ef, a World War II wreck, a deep dark fjord or among the great giants in our sea, David has relentlessly pursued the many hidden layers of cora l reefs around the globe. His cold water wor k has mmese hm the ch wates f new Zeala, Tasmaa, Sctla, Japa, the nthwest Atlatc a n theast Pacc. recet phtgaphc jues have taken him into some of the largest freshwater systems on our planet such as the great Okavango Delta system in Botswana and the St. Lawrence River.
EMORY KRISTOF HonorAry EdiTor
Em’s phtgaph has scvee the uexple wls f the eep sea. i August 1998 Kstf’s pctues f the Titanic were presented in the National Geographic magazine article, “Tragedy in Three Dimensions.” The pictures, taken 1991 emplg hgh-test lghtg sstems, acheve upeceete etal ue t avaces 3-d cmpute veetg. B 1942, Kstf stue jualsm at the Uvest f Ma la at Cllege Pak a eceve a bachel’s egee 1964. Kstf was a natal
6
This is a production from the hearts and souls of a passionate team. We are blessed with the suppor t of some of the most published authors and image makers of our natural world. OceanNEnvironment is privileged to introduce the editorial board of OCEAN GEOGRAPHIC the almanac of our seas.
Board of Directors, OceanNEnvironment Ltd
Gegaphc sta phtgap he fm 1964 t 1994 a has puce 39 atcle s for the National Geographic magazine. Kristof’s accomplishments have earned many awards for both writing and photography photography,, including the NOGI Award for Ats fm the Ue wate Sce t f Ame ca 1988 a a Exple s Club Lwell Thmas Awa f Uewate Explat 1986. That same ea Kristof received the American Society of Magazine Publishers Innovation in Photography Award for their photographic coverage of the Titanic. Kristof was pesete wth the 1998 J. Wt Leme Fellwshp Awa b the U.S. National Press Photographers Association “for being one of our profession’s most imaginative innovators with particular attention to pictures from beneath the ocean brought to the readers of National Geographic magazine.”
STAN WATERMAN HonorAry EdiTor
Stan has been at the forefront of scuba diving since its inception as a recreational sport both at home and throughout the world. Stan was co-director of underwater photography and the second unit in the production of The Deep, a movie based on Peter Benchley’s best-selling novel. novel. More recent productions include documentaries for ABC’s “Spt f Avetue” sees a the “Expet Eath” sees ESPn. Sta has eceve umeus hus a awas f hs wk televs, clug ve Emmes, tw Gl Meals fm the U.K. Uewate Flm Festval, fu Gle Eagles, a lfetme Achevemet Awa fm the Mam Exp a fm Bst Sea rves, the Custeau dve f the yea Awa, the Richard Hopper Day Memorial Medal from the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, and most recently has been inducted to the International Scuba dvg Hall f Fame.
DOUG PERRINE HonorAry EdiTor
Doug is widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost marine wildlife photographers. His photographs have been reproduced in virtually every major nature magazine in the world, as well as in thousands of books, calendars, greeting cards, posters, etc. His photography has won a number of awards, including the prestigious BBC/ British Gas Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition in the animal behaviour category and the Nature’s Best/Cemex competition in the Professional Marine Wildlife category. He is also the author of seven books on marine life, and numerous magazine articles.
GERALD ALLEN PHD HonorAry EdiTor
Gerald is an internationally renowned authority on the classcat a eclg f cal eef shes f the ia a Pacc oceas. He s the auth f 31 bks a 400 scetc publcats. He has a tmate kwlege f sh lfe cal eefs, havg lgge me tha 7,000 ves. Fel studies form an integral part of Dr. Allen’s research, probably more so than any other marin e biologist. He receive d a Ph.D. in marine zoolog y fm the Uvest f Hawa 1971, 1971, havg e hs thess aemeshes. He seve as Cuat f Fshes at the Weste Aust ala Museum Peth f 24 years before leaving to take a position with Conservation International as their Scece Team Leae. He s a past Peset f the Austala Scet f Fsh Biology, an honorary foreign member of the Ame rican Society of Ichthyology and Herpetology, and a recent recipient of the prestigious K. Radway Allen Award for O utstan ding Contr ibutions in Ichthyol ogical Scie nce.
The Editorial Board WYLAND HonorAry EdiTor
Marine life artist Wyland has developed an international reputation for his commitment to marine life conservation. Most notable, is his monumental marine life murals, the Whaling Walls. Spanning thousands of square feet, these massive works of art expose the thrilling diversity and beauty of life that exists below the surface of our ocean planet to more than one billion people each year. Today, this multi-faceted artist works in multiple meums, fm ls, wate clus, aclcs, Japaese k patgs, bze sculptues, e art photography, and mixed media.
HOWARD AND MICHELE HALL HonorAry EdiTorS
Howard and Michele are perhaps best known for their underwater iMAX® flms – it the deep 1994, isla f the Shaks 1998 espectvel. i 2002 Hwa was uewate sequece ect a Mchele was lcat maage f Cal reef Avetue, a lm whch bth he a Mchele ae featue -camea. i 2005 the ecte a puce deep Sea 3d whch was awae Best Pctue at the Gat Scee Cema Asscat Cfeece a Best Lage Fmat Flm at Wlscee 2006. i 2009 the Hall’s elease Ue the Sea 3d. Ths lm w best cematgaph at the Gat Scee Cema Asscat Cfeece 2009 a Best dcumeta at the iteatal 3d Scet 2010. Hwa’s caee as a uewate atual hst lm puce, cematgaphe, stll phtgaphe a wte bega the eal 1970’s. 1970’s. Hs photographs have been published internationally in hundreds of books and magazines clug: Lfe, natual Hst Magaze, natal Gegaphc, GEo, Tee Sauvage, London Illustrated News, and BBC Wildlife. Howard has authored several books including Shaks, dlphs, The Kelp Fest, Successful Uewate Phtgaph, a Secets f the Ocean Realm. Michele Hall is an accomplishe d still photographer whose imag es have bee publshe b natal Gegaphc, Fathms, natal Wllfe, ocea realm, a ma the magazes a bks. Hwa a Mchele have w seve Emm Awas.
DIRECTOR
Michael AW
RESEARCH & PUBLISHER ASSISTANT Jaca EDITOR EMERITUS CHIEF EDITOR
Jgm
Christopher Lee
Eve og
Em Kstf, Wla, Carden Wallace PhD, Gerry Allen PhD, Alex Mustard PhD, dav dublet, Jefe Haes, dug Pee, Stan Waterman, Michelle Hall and Howard Hall, Laurent Ballesta HONORARY EDITORS
FEATURE EDITOR
Gill McDonald
SCIENCE EDITOR Alex FIELD EDITORS
Ro se
Pamela Mat, Steve Jes
COPY AND FIELD EDITOR: COPY EDITORS
Mathieu Meur
Mathieu Meur, Gill McDonald
OCEANOGRAPHER-IN-RESIDENCE Cabell
Davis PhD
PHOTOGRAPHERS-IN-RESIDENCE Mkael
Jgm, Jge rasmusse, Matheu Meu, F Pu We, Chsta Vzl CONTRIBUTORS Mike
Scotland, Steve De Neef, Nancy Merridew, Jae Jeks, Mchelle Westmla, Jae Mga, Elle Culeats, Chale Fasa, Mak Ehma, Alee Batua DESIGNER P.S Looi PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR ADVERTISING & EVENTS
Daniel Tay
Gill Sands
ACCOUNTS & CIRCULATION Aliso n
Redh ead
OCEANENVIRONMENT – EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
CHRISTOPHER LEE EdiTor EMEriTUS
Christopher was the co-founder of Asian Geographic and the managing et f sx eas utl 2005. Chs was als beh the successful transformation of Scuba Diver Australasia, and was its managing editor utl 2005. He has wke a age f mae csevat ssues clug the successful Sa n t Shak s campag. Chs has als seve the ba f oceanEvmet. Bulg hs eal caee ecmc eseach, he s cuetl a Se Ecmst wth the depa tmet f Evmet and Climate Change (NSW) in Australia.
LAURENT BALLESTA HonorAry EdiTor
Laurent is a marine scientist, photo journalist and documentary maker f the Fech TV pgam Ushuaa natue. He was the ugest phtgaphe t have w thee Gl ve awas at the Wl Festval f Uewate Pctues. i i 2005, Lauet authe wth Pee descamp “Plaète Mes” – the bk was late taslate t ve laguages a publshe b natal Gegaphc. He was the s t t captue the Celacath the habtat at 110m. Lauet s als the auth f “Secets e Méteaée” whch was the st t eveal the eep wate (180m) f the Meteaea Sea.
Cassandra Dragon (Australasia), Gillian McDonald (UK), David Borus (USA), Ronny Rengkung (Indonesia) Eml Cha (Sgape) MUSIC DIRECTOR
Ec Bettes
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Sidney Seok (Malaysia)
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EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES
www.OGSociety.org www.OceanGeographic.org SUPPORTING ORGANISATIONS
Published by OceanNEnvironment Ltd Member of Environment Australia CABELL DAVIS PhD oCEAnoGrAPHiC in rESidEnCE
Cabell is a Senior Scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution a s the dect f WHoi’s ocea Lfe isttute wth ve 30 eas’ expeece plakt eclg. He has cucte eseach 50 oceanographic cruises and co-developed the Video Plankton Recorder, an underwater video microscope with automatic imaging of high-resolution fragile plankton data. He re cently worked with MIT engineers to develop a small underwater digital holographic camera for imaging plankton. He is now melg the mpact f clmate chage the shees ecsstem.
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EVONNE ONG CHiEF EdiTor
dacg. dvg. dugs. nt ece ssal that e e a specc combination (in case you are wondering). Drugs are her profession. A pharmacist who has spent most of her career lecturing and training, she cuetl vesees the tag wth Asa-Pacc f a phamaceutcal cmpa. dvg s he lve. A av ve sce 1998, he lve f the ocean and wildlife conservation, led her to progress from land to underwater photography,, and eventually cross paths with Michael Aw. After a good deal of photography cajlg b Mchael Aw, she all state etg he st full ssu e 2011 2011 a has t lke back since. She has since written several ar ticles for the magazine as well as newspapers, been involved in several projects with OG and has also been a judge in several international underwater photography competitions. Dance is her passion. If you want to know more, you will have to ask her when you meet her!
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©OCEAN GEOGRAPHIC, OceanNEnvironment Reproduction in any form, electronic, print, photocopy or extract s whole or in part is prohibited. OG Issue 29 : 07/2014
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The 100th Year Tribute to Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance End urance A ntarct ntarctic ic (1914) Ex Expe pedition dition CAPTURED BY SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST CELEBRATED WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHERS , this limited edition tribute comprises the absolute nest of over 20,000 images. Only 1914 copies Fine Art Production AUTH OR Michael AW
PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHERS Michael AW: Ernie Brooks: David Doubilet : Jennifer Hayes : Andr eas J asche k : Am os Nac houm : Jenny E. Ros s
ART IST Wyland
SUPPORTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Emory Kristof, Steve Jones, Davide Vezzaro, Edward Dixon, Scott Portelli, Jorgen Rasmussen, Carl Brandes, Eric Bettens, Emily Chan, Stephen Henshall, Alhay Avila, Bartosz Strozynski, Henry Yip, Elizabeth Quat, Wendy McIlroy, Gwen Noda, Chris Chan
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Box bound edition with Five ready-to-frame prints packaged A$198 Classic case-bound limited edition A$118
*Each book comes with it own Certicate of Authenticity
Order your Copy now To order an autographed copy, email us at:
[email protected] Part of the pr ocee oceeds ds from the sale sal e of Elysium Ely sium Epic Ep ic will wil l go towar ds the Ocean Geographic Ocean Change Photographic Index (GOCPI). This index focuse s on spec speciation iation,, habit habitat at and clim climate ate change image images s for education and research assessment.
OceanGeographic.org : ELYSIUMEPIC.org
to or
EAT EA T
NOT TO EAT (Sustainable Seafood)
Essay by Alex Rose | Photographs by Michael AW AW
Essay Understanding what sustainable seafood truly means and using our collective buying power to SHIFT GLOBAL DEMAND TOW TOWARDS MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY OPTIONS.
W
all
to shift global demand towards more
growth”. However, our growth has been
up
environmentally friendly options are the
far from sustainable. The Industrial
knowing that
waves of the future. It is no longer a case
Revolution forever changed the way we
seafood is a
of “plenty of fish in the ocean”. In order
fish, and signalled the beginning of the
healthy part
to get a clearer picture of exactly what
of our diet,
“plenty” once was (so that we have a goal
but is it healthy for our planet? Bluefin
in mind when discussing the rebuilding
tuna has been fished to the brink of
of fisheries), we will need to begin by
extinction, wild salmon spawning runs
travelling back into the pre-industrial
get sparser each year, the north Atlantic
world.
e
have
grown
destructive fishing practices in which we currently find ourselves. With the advent of steam-powered ships, humans were now able to regularly
cod fishery collapsed in the early 1990s,
a
employ quite possibly the most efficient,
advancement,
yet destructive method of fishing ever
ways ever invented. This may make a
growth, and invention associated with
conceived: the beam trawl. This piece of
trip to the grocery store to pick up a
hallmarks of progress such as the steam
equipment is nothing more than a large
engine, telegraph, reliable light bulbs,
net held open by a wood or metal beam
canned
assembly
that is then dragged through the ocean,
lines, and incredible expansion of our
but until steam was used to power fishing
and wild shrimp is harvested in one of
The
the most environmentally destructive
period
piece of “sustainable” “sustainable” seafood for dinner seem like a daunting task but it all comes down to being a conscious consumer. We must all be aware of the choices we have and which ones are good for both
Industrial of
Revolution
incredible
food,
large-scale
was
world’s canals, roads, and railways.
vessels, sailing ships driven by wind wind alone alone were not strong enough to haul these huge
our bodies and our environment. Fishery
The foundations of daily life changed
management practices that accurately
drastically as massive improvements
reflect the needs of fish populations
in mining, manufacturing, technology,
instead of the relentlessly increasing
agriculture, and transportation altered the
actually convened commissions starting
human demand, and laws that reward
socioeconomic and cultural landscape of
in the late 1870s with the goal of reducing
sustainable fishing methods and punish
our existence. Nobel Prize winner and
the carnage brought on by trawlers,
the opposite are also necessary if we are
economist, Robert E. Lucas, Jr., once
catalysed by an already apparent decline
to continue harvesting our ocean beyond
said, “For the first time in history, the
in fish catches in the North Sea. These
living standards of the masses of ordinary
efforts did nothing to curb the steady
people have begun to undergo sustained
growth of a fleet of t rawlers increasing increasing in
the middle of this century. Understanding what sustainable seafood truly means and using our collective buying power
10
age of un sustainable and environmentally
Fish…to Eat or Not to Eat
nets. The pestilential power of trawls was recognized and regularly debated long before their widespread use. The English
size, destructive capacity, and numbers.
PRAWN FISHERIES PRAWN FISHERIE S ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ONE THIRD OF THE WORLD'S DISCARDED CATCH, CA TCH, DESPITE PRODUCING LESS THAN TWO PERCENT OF GLOBAL SEAFOOD
Essay Trawling nets are now equipped with chains, rock hoppers and giant tires which allow the nets to be dragged over uneven terrain, decimating al l underwater habitats as they are pulled along the ocean bed.
T
r a w l e r s indiscriminately capture all living things
in
their
path and leave in a
their
wake
complete
destruction
of
the seafloor. This
was evident at the turn of the century when fishermen tried to demand that their governments outlaw the use of these detrimental fishing practices. A New England newspaper article in 1911 stated that, “the continued operation of these trawlers scraping over the fishing grounds
The world’s wild catch remains at an astronomical 170 billion pounds annually; this amount is equal in weight to the entire human population of China!
and destroying countless numbers of young and immature fish, is the greatest menace to the future of fisheries, and the greatest danger the fisheries have
T
ever faced along this coast”. Sadly, not only did these factual proclamations not reduce trawler use, this fishing method has grown ever more efficient. Nets are now equipped with chains (to stir up all remaining wildlife) rock hoppers and giant tires which allow the nets to be dragged over uneven terrain, decimating all habitats as they are pulled along the ocean bed. According to the Alaska Marine Conservation Council, 82% of everything caught by bottom trawling in North Pacific Prawn trawlers catch 10-20kg of marine species in the tropics to obtain just 1kg of prawns. This "bycatch"" is dis carded, dead or dying, overboard. "bycatch
fisheries is unwanted bycatch, which is discarded dead and dying back into the ocean. Factors like this one make it almost impossible to accurately estimate the damage done by trawling, but one does not need to be a fisheries biologist to comprehend the magnitude of biomass loss brought about by trawlers and other types
of
environmentally
destructive
fishing methods such as long lining and dynamite fishing.
12
Fish…to Eat or Not to Eat
ONE-AND-A-HALF CENTURIES OF RAMPANT PILLAGING of our world’s waters by unsustainable shing practices,
has reduced the bounty of our seas to a mere glimmer of what it once was. rampant
collapses began to occur, the validity of
(Gadus morhua) will ever return to their
pillaging of our world’s world’s waters by
the idea that our ocean could be overfished
former levels of abundance, nor will
unsustainable
has
was dismissed as impossible. Even into
they really be the same fish. This is due
reduced the bounty of our seas to a mere
the early 1980s, the U.S was still heavily
to two main factors: our unintentional
glimmer of what it once was. It has been
subsidizing the expansion of the American
selective alteration of the cod genome,
determined that all the major stocks of
fishing fleet to the tune of about $800
and the scarcity of fish for cod to eat. By
large fish in the world such as cod, tuna,
million in order to make up for declining
fishing a stock to collapse, we are taking
swordfish, halibut, and many others
catch numbers. This huge increase in
out the biggest fish first, followed by the
have been reduced to approximately
fishing pressure along with the use of the
next biggest fish, etc. By the time a stock
10% of what their populations were in
ubiquitous ocean destroyer, the trawler,
has reached the stage of collapse, the
the 1950s. Ironically, this is the number
brought about something unimaginable:
only fish left that are still reproducing
associated with the total “collapse” of a
the collapse of the Atlantic cod fishery. In
and consequently passing on their genes,
fishery, a term defined as “a state where
1992, the Canadian government closed the
are much smaller than what the average
90 percent or more of the historical
Grand Banks to cod fishing and in 1994,
sized fish used to be prior to intense
population population is gone.” It has also been
the Georges Banks, known as the most
overfishing. Studies show that “removal
shown that it only takes 10 to 15 years
prolific cod fishing grounds grounds in the United
of 70-80 percent of a fish population
of modern industrial fishing pressure to
States and the area whose abundance
has a certain degree of reversibility…
reduce any healthy fish community to
gave Cape Cod its name, were officially
in a case where 20-30 percent of fish are
this 10% mark. Yet the world’s wild catch
closed to commercial cod fishing. This
still in the water, the population may be
remains at an astronomical 170 billion
“industrial fish” that had been the very
unstable and vulnerable but still has a
pounds annually; this amount is equal in
image of plenty and the definition of
reasonable potential for recovery because
weight to the entire human population
commonness, was nearly wiped out and
the genome of the stock is not likely to
of China! As fish populations shrank, our
only about 5% of the historic population of
have been heavily depleted”. When 90
fishing methods were made even more
cod remained. Great care has been taken
percent or or more of the fish have been been lost,
efficient in order to extract the same
since the closing of these once-fecund
it is probable that the entire fish genome
amount of seafood. Even as I write, our
fishing grounds, and the Sustainable
has been affected and that a full recovery
last giant bluefin tunas are being hunted
Fisheries Act was passed in 1996, to
is unlikely; this is the scenario playing
down by sophisticated sonar in the largely
ensure that these populations are rebuilt
out in the North Atlantic cod fishery. By
unmanageable international waters of the
in a reasonable timeframe. Policy makers
catching all the big animals, fishermen
open ocean, and slaughtered to feed our
are always under extreme pressure from
have inadvertently selected for smaller
bottomless appetite for sashimi. There are
fishing interests to raise allowable catch
fish. The other major problem is that the
too many exploited populations of fish to
limits to satisfy our growing demand for
fish populations that cod depend on for
cover in anything less than a book, but in
whitefish flesh, a requirement on the order
food are also drastically declining. Cod
an effort to succinctly analyse the nature
of 40 billion pounds annually (that is the
eat fish in the herring family, all of which
and condition of our world’s fisheries, I
equivalent of 41,000 fully loaded Boeing
require open access to clean, shallow,
will focus on four representative marine
747s), but have managed to maintain some
freshwater spawning grounds, conditions
animals and the issues associated with
of these crucial cod breeding grounds as
which have all but disappeared as a result
each of them: cod, salmon, tuna, and
no catch zones, allowing their decimated
of dam construction. These prey species
shrimp.
populations populations to recover recover and stabilize. stabilize.
are also being harvested from the ocean at
One-and-a-half
centuries fishing
of
practices,
unsustainable rates, essentially ensuring All the way up until until the 1970s when when some
However, even with these regulations,
that cod will be unable to return to their
of the first documented local fishery
it is unlikely that the North Atlantic cod
original range or density due to a lack of food.
OG Issue 29 : 07/2014
13
Essay
here
been
populations populations has been well documented documented
up to British Columbia, Alaska, and parts
both
since the end of the 19th century when
of Russia, and the fishing of these fragile
and
countless river tributaries were dammed
sub-populations is heavily regulated and
reasonable
for power generation, cutting off the
monitored from one year to the next,
fish,
access these fish need to their natal
but even this has not kept the runs from
which
spawning grounds. There is Atlantic and
diminishing or oceanic salmon from being
entirely
Pacific salmon and both are anadromous
caught.
successful. Farming cod, or any large
fish, meaning that they live, feed, and
predatory fish for that that matter, matter, represents a
grow in the sea, but return to fresh water
While there is not much wild sal mon to be
net loss in terms of marine protein removed
to reproduce. Each fish will come back
had, our supermarkets are all overflowing
from the sea because several pounds of
to spawn only in the waters from which
with their succulent orange flesh. This is
feed are required to make one pound of
it hatched, making salmon extremely
because the majority of the salmon we
saleable fish. This poor feed conversion
susceptible to local extirpations resulting
consume is farm raised. Being a large
ratio
to
from anthropogenic changes in natural
predatory fish, salmon must consume
farm and buy, as well as contributes to
landscapes. Between the damming of
large amounts of food in order to sustain
T makes
overfishing
are lower on the food chain. Replacing cod with different been
attempts farm find
has
predators
been
expensive
SALMON HAS BEEN CALLED “THE KING OF FISH,”
has
the
New
Zealand
hoki
fishery
sustainably hopes
of
themselves
was an effort
in
a
neither
difficult
grow
cod
“replacement”
as well. There to
to
of
small fish that
whitefish
have
of
but unfortunately has not been treated that way. Salmon farms have been linked with a range of
SERIOUS, DEVASTATING, IMPACTS IMPACTS ON THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT
div ert ing
14
and
gain
enough
weight
to
be
able
to
the
incredibly
strenuous
make and
time consuming journey
from
the open ocean back
to
their
fres hwat er s p a w n i n g grounds.
This
means that the feed conversion ratio for salmon
our consumption of cod, but the hoki
rivers and streams, which barred them
is atrocious. Over the last few decades,
fishery also collapsed under the weight of
from reproducing, and the aggressive
salmon have been selectively bred to
demand and improperly set catch limits.
fishing of the largest known aggregation
grow faster and get to “market size” on
Alaskan pollock is currently filling the
of Atlantic salmon ( Salmo
in the
much less food than wild salmon needs.
void left by cod with an annual annual harvest of
waters off Greenland beginning in the
It takes 10 kilograms of small fish and
2 billion pounds, primarily made into fish
1950s, wild populations of these fish are
other prey items to produce 1 kilogram
sticks and other highly processed, cheap
now virtually non-existent and none are
of wild salmon, whereas it only takes
whitefish products. It is yet to be seen
commercially fished. The story of the
about four kilograms of feed to produce
if pollock can withstand this collection
Pacific salmon in the genus Oncorhynchus
one kilogram of farmed salmon. This is
pressure long long term.
is decidedly different. These fish birth
still a problematic ratio that reflects an
and spawn in the rivers and tributaries
unfortunately large net seafood loss, but
The next fish on our menu is salmon.
of the American Pacific northwest and
is probably the least disturbing aspect of
Salmon has been called “The King of
Russia, and spend most of their lives in
salmon farming.
Fish,” but unfortunately has not been
the Bering Sea. Increasingly sparse runs
treated that way. The decline of salmon
of these fish still occur from California
Fish…to Eat or Not to Eat
salar )
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Pollutants are not the only problem facing fa rmed sa lmons. Re cent studies have found contamination with rad ioactive w aste and t here are concerns about the use of malachite green to kill parasites and infections.
F
arming of carnivorous
farm one of the most predatory animals
Atlantic Tun Tuna a (ICCA (ICCAT), T), and every year
fish
presents
in the ocean. As such, the feed conversion
these same catch limits are dramatically
many problems. Salmon
for bluefin tuna is incredibly high at 20:1,
broken because there are few ways to
are
commonly
meaning that it requires 20 kilograms of
enforce the laws governing the take of
farmed in open ocean
food to produce 1 kilogram of tuna. This
seafood from the open ocean. If we are
netted pens where they
may sound like a financially suicidal
to save these fish without imposing a
are in close contact with wild populations
investment, but the desire for this fish
worldwide moratorium on the catching of
of salmon. This is a serious issue because
only seems to be increasing along with its
bluefins, we must radically decrease our
many farmed populations of salmon
scarcity.
consumption of these amazing creatures.
species most
harbour parasites such as sea lice due
“Dining on a 230 kilo bluefin tuna is the
to unnaturally high stocking density, and
This insatiable drive to catch every last
seafood equivalent of driving a Hummer,”
as wild fish swim near the pens, they
bluefin can only be illustrated by the
says Paul Greenberg, author of Four Fish,
become infected too. This is particularly
following: a single tuna weighing 220
and should be avoided entirely.
detrimental to young wild salmon and
kilograms was sold in Japan’s infamous
they often perish. Antibiotics are also
Tsukiji fish market for 1.8 million dollars
Eating one kilo of bluefin tuna is roughly
used to control disease and these are
last year. Considering that breeding adult
the same as eating 200 kilos of less
then released directly into the ocean.
bluefins can weigh over 680 kilograms, this
resource demanding seafood such as
There are usually “dead zones,” areas of
was a small fish, and yet it commanded a
tilapia, sardines, or shellfish. While it
low oxygen where life cannot survive,
mind-boggling price of almost $8,108 per
is favourable to consume sea creatures
beneath these fish pens as a result of
kilo. The breeding stock of these animals
that are lower on the food chain in place
large amounts of animal waste and
is being decimated at an alarming rate and
of eating our ocean’s top predators, this
uneaten pellet food being degraded via
it is estimated that there could be as few
will not necessarily solve our problems.
decomposition, a process that consumes
as 9,000 giant spawners left in the western
Shrimp is a prime example of this paradox.
oxygen. There is also the issue of large
stock of the North Atlantic. As explained
Trawling is still the most common method
percentages percentag es of farmed salmon escaping
by Charles Clover in his book The End of
used to capture shrimp in the wild, a
and competing with wild salmon for
the Line, “The eastern Atlantic bluefin is
practice that is responsi responsible ble for levelling
food. Farming salmon is currently not
now listed as an endangered species and
seascapes and wiping out entire species.
an environmentally friendly alternative
estimated to be equivalent to the giant
Wild shrimp have one of the highest
to catching wild fish, but perhaps the
panda in its closenes closenesss to extinction extinction.. The
bycatch rates of anything in the ocean,
near future will bring us a land-based
western Atlantic bluefin stock is in even
with 10–14 kilograms of unwanted bycatch
polyculture polycultu re system of fish, algae, and
worse shape and is officially described
for every kilograms of shrimp produced.
filter feeders that reduces waste while
as critically endangered. That puts it in
It is estimated that up to 22 billion pounds
minimizing the environmental impact of
the same bracket as the black rhino.”
of seafood may be discarded annually as
eating a predator.
These incredible animals that can travel
bycatch, including not just fish but sea
at speeds topping 64 kilometres per
turtles, marine mammals, and sea birds
A fish that should never be farmed is
hour and accelerate faster than most
as well. According to a 2009 marine policy
bluefin tuna, yet this is an idea being
European sports cars, have been fished to
study, “All modern forms of commercial
promoted as a “solution” to our great
the brink of extinction, making them the
fishing produce bycatch, but shrimp
dilemma with this animal. It is not so
most threatened wildlife that we are still
trawling is by far the most destructive:
much farming; it is really just fattening.
allowed by law to eat.
it is responsible for a third of the world's
This unfortunate practice involves netting
bycatch, while producing only 2 percent
shoals of young bluefins, keeping them in
The
bluefin
sea cages, and feeding them huge amounts
difficult
their
overfishing of all species, annual catches
of wild caught forage fish until they are fat
habitat falls into the category of the
of shrimp are decreasing together with
enough to sell. This method is intensely
“high seas,” a part of the ocean that is
their average size.
flawed because not only is it doing
essentially unmanageable. Catch limits
nothing to reduce the fishing pressure
are set each year by the International
on these animals, but it is attempting to
Commission for the Conservation of
to
fishery manage
is
particularly
because
of all seafood”. As is typical with the
20 KILOGRAMS OF FOOD F OOD TO PRODUCE 1KILOGRAM OF TUNA. TUNA. IT REQUIRES
Essay arming of shrimp
Examining the poor condition of four of
so the fish that are left have somewhere
is a valid option,
our ocean’s most iconic seafood species
safe to spawn and grow, while pressuring
but
way
can be rather disheartening as it seems
governments to limit subsidies that
coastal
as though we may have already pushed
encourage unsustainable fishing practices.
shrimp farming
our fragile marine ecosystems beyond
We need to regulate and monitor fishing
is conducted is
the point of recovery (in some instances
to reduce the amount of illegal catch,
detrimental
to
this might indeed be the case). If global
while
shoreline
overfishing continues at its present rate,
global demand for seafood by choosing
habitats. The organic wastes, antibiotics,
most of our world’s fisheries will collapse
sustainable options in our daily lives. It
and chemicals associated with raising
by the year 2050. We are harvesting
is also important not to underestimate
these marine animals in large densities
seafood at a much faster rate than it can
the power of conscious consumerism,
often wind up polluting ground water and
be naturally replaced; 80 percent of our
and programs such as Seafood Watch,
estuarine wetlands . As stated by the World World
world’s fish stocks are already either fully
Fish Watch, and Right Bite have created
Wildlife Fund, “In some cases, ecologically-
exploited or in decline. Pavan Sukhdev of
“seafood guides” to help us all make
sensitive habitat has been cleared to
the UN Environmental Programme said
better choices.
create ponds for shrimp production. Also,
that, “We are in the situation where 40
some aquifers that supply water to farms
years down the line we, effectively, effectively, are
If
have been contaminated with salt water.
out of fish.”
destroy
F
the
most
our
left
simultaneously
unchecked, the
modulating
our
(overfishing)
will
ecosystem
and
marine
jeopardize the food security of more
Some forms of shrimp farming have had a devastating effect on mangroves around
The good thing about knowing these
than a billion people for whom fish are a
the world. These mangroves are vital for
statistics, however discouraging they may
primary source of protein. The Food and
wildlife and coastal fisheries, and serve as
be, is that we still have time to change our
Agricultural Organization Organization confirmed confirmed that,
buffers to the effects of storms. Their loss
future. Much of the damage that has been
“One in five people on this planet depends
has destabilized entire coastal zones, with
done is at least reversible to some extent
on fish as the primary source of protein.”
negative effects on coastal communities.”
if we are able to accurately measure and
Shrimp farming has the potential to be
effectively manage remaining fish stocks,
Overfishing is ultimately robbing future
both sustainable and highly profitable, but
modify and minimize destructive fishing
generations of their food supply for the
it must be conducted in environmentally
methods, protect vulnerable ecosystems,
temporary
friendly ways that do not contribute to
and change our eating habits. We must
today and must be stopped before there is
pollution and habitat habitat destruction. destruction.
establish more Marine Protected Areas
no chance of recovery. So, what are you
profitability
of
companies
having for dinner?
THE GOOD THING ABOUT KNOWING KNOWING,, however discouraging they may be, is that
WE STILL HAVE HAVE TIME TO CHANGE OUR OUR FUTURE. 18
Fish…to Eat or Not to Eat
YOU ARE
INVITED
TO A BENCHMARK EXPEDITION THAT REDEFINES
A RT RT,, EXPLORATION & THE CONSERVATION OF OUR PLANET. Join the principal team comprising of Dr Sylvia Earle, David Doubilet, Jennifer Hayes, Ernie Brooks, Michael AW, Amos Nachoum, Wyland, Göran Ehlmé, and Leandro Blanco in August 2015, on a mission to capture the sights, sounds and splendour of the enthralling Arctic, in an exquisite book, a film and exhibitions across eight major cities. The expedition will start from Longyearbyen to North Spitsbergen, North and East Greenland and end in Iceland. Besides panoramas of glaciers, icebergs and snowy mountains, the expedition will focus on polar bears, walruses, belugas, narwals, Arctic foxes, auks, snowy owls, muskoxen, Arctic hares, fin and blue whales.
If you are a naturalist, scientist, photographer, fine art artist or musician, consider securing YOUR LEGACY in this expedition by using your
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BLUE
Top : Humpback whales Bottom : Weddell Seal, Terre Adelie Antarctic
COURTESY DISNEYNATURE'S OCEANS
B
Capt Don Walsh presenting at Blue Ocean Film Festival
ringing
together a potent mix of artists, scientists,
Kinder, launched the concept of BLUE
together a diverse ecosystem of ocean
conservationists,
all-stars, industry professionals and the
industry
decision
makers,
five years ago to meet the need for public
inquisitive
teachers,
engagement around an ocean in need.
general public, the BLUE Ocean Film
lively kids and more. Come to be in the
“Film and photography are powerful
Festival & Conservation Summit (BLUE)
company of kindred spirits. Come to
tools for reaching broad audiences about
goes beyond showcasing the world’s best
be entertained, inspired, informed and
complicated issues in ways that people
ocean films. These hundreds of films are
make useful contacts. Come to have a
can understand and relate to,” said
merely the tip of the iceberg, just one
good time… whatever strums your blue
Charlie. “We understand how challenging
facet
heartstring, but just come!”
even the best film ideas can be to get off
of
platform
BLUE’s for
multi-disciplinary
collaboration, collaboration,
leaders,
creative
the ground and wanted to help in that
expression and discussion of complex
BLUE attracts people working to save our
process by bringing the right people
issues. It has become the premier watering
ocean, which undeniably needs each one
together.”
hole for governments, scientists, artists,
of us being innovative and collaborative.
explorers, actors, and ocean enterprises,
Events have included a “blue who’s who”
In 2013, an announcement was made that
providing providing a springboard springboard for individual individual
of luminaries including James Cameron,
BLUE, the Prince Albert II Foundat ion and
empowerment and stewardship to help
HSH Prince Albert II, Daryl Hannah, Jean
the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco
save Earth’s blue life support system.
Michel Cousteau and other celebrities
would team up to host the summit on
who are in the spotlight, along with the
alternate years, between Monaco and
Launched in 2009 in Savannah, Georgia,
ocean’s
the St. Petersburg/Tampa Bay area. The
the festival combines the international
behind the scenes.
greatest
advocates
working
strategic partnership with Monaco allows
ocean film festival with a world-class
the festival to further its international
conservation summit and film-making
The
industry conference. Recognised as a
competition
platform for synergy, synergy, BLUE has become
filmmaking and the visual media. BLUE’s
During the official announcement of
the most magnetic event in the global
Conservation Summit and industry and
the partnerships, HSH Prince Albert
ocean
intriguing
conservation programs play a role in
II emphasised the need to increase
people meet, exchange exchange ideas, and solve
facilitating innovation and professional
environmental consciousness and the
problems together together..
development and in helping to get
important role BLUE plays in bringing
projects afloat. afloat.
ocean conservation to the forefront. “This
community
where
BLUE
Ocean honours
Film
Festival
excellence
in
Dr. Sylvia Earle described BLUE as “more than films, more than a celebration of
reach and collaborations.
event uses the power of film, photography, BLUE’s co-founders, Deborah and Charlie
entertainment and science to educate,
all things wet, the BLUE Ocean Film
empower and inspire ocean stewardship
Festival & Conservation Summit brings
around the globe,” he said. “To awaken consciousness
toward
environmental
protection more effectively, effectively, our best weapons are those that win over hearts and minds.”
Stingray and clouds
DAVID DOUBILET DOUBILET
OG Issue 29 : 07/2014
21
Watch Ocean S
ave Our Seas Fund
BLUE has also leveraged its extensive film archive library to create BLUE On Tour, an international educational outreach program; this travelling show provides global and domestic opportunities to host mini BLUE events with select films and speakers to address issues relevant to the audience. “Unfortunately, most people know very little about our ocean or why they should be concerned about its health,” said Charlie. “We are thrilled by how effective this outreach has been. BLUE On Tour has already been presented in Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, China
Ocean Explorers – Sylvia Earle, Don Walsh, Phil Nyutten, Anatoly Sagevitch, James Cameron, Emory Kristof
and Auburn University in the US.” BLUE is dedicated to a healthy ocean, healthy planet and healthy humanity. Deborah Kinder shared her vision for co-creating BLUE as a multi-disciplinary event. “I knew I wanted to be involved in ocean conservation, but there are so many issues that I didn’t want to choose just one problem to devote my time to because they are all so interconnected,” she explained. “Visual media is the most powerful tool we have for raising awareness
and
inspiring
action.
It’s
how we can reach a global audience in a short span of time and in a way that helps everyone to understand some very complicated issues.” The health of the ocean is not only about protecting marine life but the health of humanity. Not in the future, but right now. It is not something that can be fixed through crisis management. The goal of BLUE is to address the major oceanic issues and engage the public in a fun and interactive way. The BLUE festival can let the world know what is going on beneath the waves, and then create enough momentum to solve problems. Whether a member of the general public or a seasoned professional, everyone
22
BL UE – A Global CONVERGENCE of the Ocean Arts & Sciences ences
can find something of interest. It is easy
BLUE 2014 is bigger than ever, featuring
to get swept up in the BLUE wave that is
more than 150 award-winning ocean
a captivating mix of arts, science, ocean
films
lovers and environmental all-stars. Eco-
provoking provokin g
conscious
as
and technology exhibits that include
corporate sponsors and are afforded the
manned submersibles and the latest
opportunity to directly showcase their
For the first time, Ocean Geographic will attend BLUE 2014, from 3 – 9 November in St. Petersburg, Tampa Bay, Florida. Blueoceanfilmfestival.org
companies
participate
sustainability to an influential audience. James Cameron and Capt Don Walsh Walsh receivin g their Blue Ocean Film Festival award
and
more
than
conservation conserva tion
in ocean innovations.
40
thought-
discussions, discussio ns,
Save Our Seas Foundation is the conservation unit of OceanNEnvironment, an NGO with charity status registered with Environment Australia. CURRENT PROJECTS
• Asia-Pacic Ocean Health Report: Ongoing Assessment & Conservation Initiatives of Marine Protected Areas • Shark Conservation: Conservation: Say No to Shark Fins Campaign in East Asia, from 2001 – present • Coral Reefs: supporting supporti ng initiatives initiati ves led by some of the world’s leading conservation scientists. SOS contributes to projects that monitor marine protected areas, status of endangered and threatened species in the Asia Pacic. • Visual Index: database of species, habitats, habitat s, climate change images for education and research assessment. • Ocean Watch: updates and reports by associates and correspondents TO SUPPORT SOS AS PARTNERS OR DONORS, EMAIL:
[email protected] SOS OCEAN WATCH PARTNERS
The Watch Watch for DIVING LEGENDS A legend among divers’ watche s is reborn ; thi s year Rolex brings back a brand new updated version of the Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller, a model created in 1967. This new 40 mm technical divers’ watch is the latest in Rolex innovation: Cerachrom bezel insert in ceramic, long-lasting Chromalight luminescence, paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring, Oysterlock safety clasp and Rolex Glidelock bracelet extension system. Originally designed for the pioneers of professiona l deep- sea divi ng, the Sea-D weller 4000 is equipped with one of the inventions that contr ibuted to its stature: the helium escape valve, patented by Rolex in 1967. This ingenious safety valve releases helium from the watch case as the gas expands during the decompression phase s of deep w ater satu ration dives, while preser vin g t he waterproofness of the watch. The Sea-Dweller 4000’s Oyster case, guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 1,220 metres is a paragon of robustness and reliability. The characteristically shaped middle case is crafted from a solid block of particularly corrosion-resistant 904L steel. The fluted case back is hermetically screwed down with a special tool exclusive to Rolex watchmakers. The winding crown, fitted with the patent ed Triplock Tr iplock triple tr iple water proofnes s syst em, screws down securely against the case, offering watertight security akin to a submarine’s hatch. It is protected by a crown gua rd that is an integral part of the middle case. The crystal is made of virtually scratchproof sapphire. The waterproof case of the Sea-Dweller 4000, housing its high precision movement, ensures optimal protection from water, dust, press ure and shocks. Without doubt the new Sea-Dweller 4000 is a watch for divi ng legends.
PETER SCOONES A Pioneer of Blue Planet Tribute by Gillian McDonald Photos by Georgette Douwma, Jane Morgan, Anna Kochergina
PETER SCOONES ’S LONG STANDING STANDING ILLUSTRIOUS INVOLVEMENT INVOLVEMENT WITH THE BBC included ‘Reefwatch’, ‘ Reefwatch’, ‘The Trials Trials of Life’, ‘Sea Trek’, Trek’, ‘Life in the Freezer’, ‘The Blue Planet’ and ‘Planet Earth’ There is little, if anything, that Peter
equipment, Peter built a couple of aqua
his camera down to its carcass, wash
did not know about underwater image
lungs using RAF machine shops, recycled
and sun-dry all the vital electronic circuit
making. A BAFTA and two Emmys,
aircraft oxygen tanks and various hoses.
boards and have it working again in as
surrounded
other
“Demand valves are fairly simple things”
little as a couple of hours”.
awards were testament to his creative
he said, with typical understatement
achievements. But it was Peter’s dual
and modesty. It was not long before his
At the end of his nine year stint, he left
expertise in both artistic cinematography
passion for image-making, image-making, diving and
the RAF and joined a colour laboratory
and technical wizardry which made him
nature came together. There was no such
in London. For the next few years,
unique and extraordinarily accomplished
thing as an underwater housing back then
he learnt as much about underwater
in this challenging field. His creative
so Peter had to build his own and in this,
filming as possible. To supplement his
talent took him many times around the
he was truly a pioneer. He would scavenge
strong technical background and optical
world for a string of unrivalled wildlife
discarded aircraft windows, return them
knowledge he thoroughly researched
documentaries, many for the BBC Natural
to stores and claim a replacement, thus
and read everything ever written on
History Unit in the company of perhaps
acquiring pristine sheets of Perspex
the subject, teaching himself. As his
the
distinguished
to
made
reputation grew, there came a knock on
known,
Sir
cement from Perspex chips dissolved in
the door of his workshop in Richmond,
David Attenborough. However, he also
chloroform, controls from used hydraulic
just outside London. London.
designed, built and maintained all his
linkages and created waterproof shafts
Attenborough Attenborough (who subsequently subsequently became became
own equipment, remaining at the cutting
– this was before O-rings were widely
Sir David) and a colleague from the BBC
edge of his field right up to the end of his
available. “There was the Rolleimarin
Natural History Unit who wanted to film
life, with an underwater career spanning
designed by Hass but that was way
a live coelacanth in low-light conditions
nearly five decades.
outside
which
- something that had never been done
Peter was a maverick of the most
evolved out of Cousteau’s Calypsophot
before. Attenborough was heading to the
productive productive kind; he did everything his own
didn’t emerge until 1963, necessity is the
Comores islands as part of the BBCs ‘Life
way, and that was invariably far superior
mother of invention – if it doesn’t exist,
on Earth’ series to follow up on reports
to anyone else’s way. After leaving
build it”. That basically described Peter’s
of local fishermen hauling coelacanths up
school as a qualified naval architect, his
entire life in one sentence.
from the deep. He had heard about Peter’s
greatest
wildlife
by
numerous
and
most
presenter
ever
model
housings
our
budget,
from.
He
Nikonos
It
was
David
latest low-light camera and wanted to
eyesight prevented him from training as an officer. With National Service looming,
In 1967, Peter formed the British Society
hire it. Peter seized his opportunity. Not
he quickly joined the RAF “to learn
of Underwater Photographers (BSoUP),
only had he read about the coelacanth in
something useful”, which turned out to
together with Colin Doeg. Despite being
school and long harboured an ambition to
be photography – ironic considering his
seriously ill at the time, he still regularly
film it, but he also knew his camera was
“poor” eyesight. A keen sailor, he caught
attended monthly meetings in London,
a unique and innovative asset and he was
a glimpse of the captivating underwater
right up until the end of 2013. Colin said of
not about to hand it over for someone
world while cleaning the bottom of his
Peter, “Being a superb camera mechanic
else to use. He recalled, “I told them they
dinghy in Singapore. He then persuaded
as well as accomplished photographer
could have my equipment for free as long
the Navy to teach his group the basics
helped Peter handle with aplomb, the
as they paid for me to go with them and
of diving, and they formed a diving club.
most dreaded event in any underwater
operate it”.
However, due to limited equipment, they
photographer’ photographer’ss life... a flood. It was an
became highly adept at snorkelling and
unforgettable experience to see him
Thus
learned to hold their breath. “I could hold
calmly pour pints of sea water out of his
involvement with the BBC including
my breath underwater for 3-4 minutes,”
custom-made camera housing and begin
‘Reefwatch’, ‘The Trials of Life’, ‘Sea
Peter said in a recent interview. “You
to salvage his expensive video camera
Trek’, ‘Life in the Freezer’, ‘The Blue
can’t film while breathing; it disturbs you,
anywhere on land or sea. Surrounded
Planet’ and ‘Planet Earth’ which was the
makes you wobble”.
by an awe-struck audience and often an
first broadcast in high definition. These
In an attempt to resolve the issue of limited
ashen producer or client - he could strip
began
Peter’s
long
standing
OG Issue 29 : 07/2014
25
Essay which was the forefront of technological
against his condition and it was that
world into the living rooms of the world.
advancement,using
Definition
strong-willed, single-minded refusal to
It is certain that they have inspired many
(HD) technology for the first time. The
give in that shaped much of Peter’s long
of today’s divers to take the plunge.
chances are, each time you take a camera
and illustrious career in the underwater
During ‘Sea Trek’, Peter enhanced the
underwater, you are using some form of
world. It was a great privilege to have
polecam which which he had originally originally invented
technology or technique which originated
spent a couple of months with Peter in
for filming killer whales in Norway for
from Peter’s mind. It would be forgivable
the Red Sea during the last few years of
an Australian broadcaster. The whales
if this uniquely talented man had had a
his life. He was creative and innovative
would not approach if there was a diver
sense of arrogance or conceit about his
right to the end, still building bespoke
in the water so Peter put the camera on
many achievements. However, this was
housings in his well-stocked workshop
a pole over the bow of an inflatable boat
not so. Peter was more than happy to share
and testing them in the field using his
and drove right up to the creatures. The
his knowledge and discuss any topic with
unique blend of vision and technology to
resulting film, ‘Wolves of the Sea’, included
openness and generosity. “I’m just a chap
the utmost. He was a very special man
the first recording of whales ‘carousel
who is learning how to take excellent
and his family, friends and the entire
feeding’, herding herring into balls near
pictures underwater.” underwater.” he told me during
the underwater world will be much
the surface then using their tails to stun
that recent interview. It sounded falsely
worse off with his passing. Peter is
them before scooping them up. The film
modest, but he really meant it.
survived by his wife Georgette Douwma,
productions productions
brought
the
underwater
High
a
went on to win the annual Wildscreen Scoones,
the
legendary
highly
accomplished
Festival. For ‘Sea Trek’, Peter used the
Peter
and
photographer photographer in her own right, and his
polecam to film dolphins in the Bahamas
pioneering pioneering underwater imagery genius,
two children Fiona and Robin from an
coming towards the boat rather than going
passed away peacefully peacefully in his sleep at
earlier marriage.
away, and this was yet another first.
the age of 76 early on Sunday 20 April 2014, surrounded by his family. Peter,
Peter’s most recent, major involvement
from London, had been battling illness
was with yet another BBC/ Attenborough
for a number of years. Despite finally
landmark documentary, ‘Planet Earth’,
succumbing, Peter fought long and hard
Peter Scoones at Celebrate the Sea Festival 2009, Manila
Filming sea lions with pole camDyer Island, South Africa
26
underwater
BL UE – A Global CONVERGENCE of the Ocean Arts & Sciences ences
KILLING Ourselves Quickly… (Plights of Our Ocean)
Report by Ocean Geographic Photographs by Michael AW
Essay
O
ur ocean is the Earth's
for conservation. However, in the last 100
Our ocean sustains all life on earth and
life-support
system.
years, our population population has grown from
yet we continue to neglect it, harming
It provides food and
1.8 billion in 1914 to 7.2 billion (ANU);
innumerable marine life, and polluting
oxygen,
our
coupled with industrial development,
one of our most important resources.
coastal environments,
the use of fossil fuel and a consumerism
In the battle for the preservation of our
and
economy, we have placed immeasurable
environment, the health of our oceans
climate. Through the ages, mankind has
stress on our world’s ocean. The ocean
should be our number one priority. Here,
relied on the ocean and its seemingly
is getting warmer faster than predicted,
we would like to shed some light on the
immense resources with little concern
creating havoc to the world’s climate.
plight of our ocean, and how we are are killing killing
and
regulates
our
shapes
atmosphere
ourselves rapidly in the process.
Overpopulation
28
Killing Ourselves Quickly…
Ocean Acidifcation Ocean acidity has increased by 30 percent
having trouble coping. Increased acidity
globally during the last 200 years. The
in the ocean would lead to a shortage of
changing acidity of our ocean threatens
carbonate, a key building block some
to
chemical
animals (and plants) need to build their
balance upon which marine life depend
shells and skeletons; these animals
for survival. The basic science behind
include shellfish like clams, oysters,
acidification is that the ocean absorbs
crabs, lobsters and corals. Corals are
carbon dioxide through natural processes,
the framework builders of reefs, by
but at the rate at which we are pumping it
far the most diverse ecosystem in our
into the atmosphere through burning fossil
ocean. The effects of acidification will
fuels, the ocean's pH balance is dropping
not stop with coral reefs; corals are
to a point where life within the ocean is
simply the first piece in a domino effect
throw
off
the
delicate
with sweeping impact that will be felt throughout the ocean.
Coral bleaching
OG Issue 29 : 07/2014
29
Essay
Overfshing We have been sucking all life out of the ocean as though resources are infinite. In truth, we are already scraping the bottom of the barrel. Many marine scientists consider overfishing to be the worst impact humans are causing on the ocean. The Food and Agriculture Organization
estimates
that
over
70
percent of the world’s world’s fish species are either exploited or depleted. By capturing fish faster than they can reproduce, we are disrupting entire ecosystems that interact with those species, from the food they eat to the predators that eat them. These losses make the ecosystems even more vulnerable to other disturbances, such as pollution. A complete overhaul of fishing policies is needed to create a sustainable system, and this requires global cooperation.
Irresponsible Fish Farming Aquaculture, Aquaculture, or fish farming, is the growing response to rapidly depleting fish stock in ocean. While it sounds like a good idea, it unfortunately has many negative consequences due to poorly managed operations. The main problem with aquaculture is efficiency: 5 to 20 fish are needed as feed to produce one fish. Nutrient and chemical pollution can occur easily in open-ocean operations when fish feed, excrement and medication are released into the environment. Farmed fish may accidentally be released into the wild, with destructive effects such as loss of native stocks, disease transmission, and
damaging
changes
in
habitat.
Unfortunately, the biggest hindrance to overcoming the challenges of an industry that supplies nearly 50 percent of the world’s fish food supply is that it currently remains relatively unregulated.
30
Killing Ourselves Quickly…
Ghost fishing caused by discarded fishing nets
Ghost Fishing Ghost fishing occurs when discarded fishing nets or lines continue to catch fish and other marine life. Often, the traps trigger a chain-reaction when larger predators come to eat the smaller ones that have been ensnared, only to get themselves entangled in the mess. The issue of ghost fishing is most common with passive gear that has been abandoned, especially with the long liners.
OG Issue 29 : 07/2014
31
Essay
Removal of key species such as sharks and dolphins
Loss of Sentinel Species Decimation of the ocean’s most important
When finned, the sharks are thrown back
regulate. Despite the 1986 moratorium on
predators has significant significant consequences consequences
into the water, often still alive and left
many types of whaling, it still continues
that ripple down the food chain. About 50
to bleed to death. Unfortunately, sharks
to be a problem, with some nations like
to 100 million sharks are killed each year,
reproduce fairly slowly and do not have
Japan looking looking for loopholes loopholes and lobbying lobbying
either as bycatch from fishing vessels or
a large number of offspring, so these
for lax regulations.
directly hunted for their dorsal fins, used
actions have long-lasting repercussions
in an expensive soup popular across Asia.
on the delicate ecosystems they help
Loss of Coral Reefs Keeping the coral reefs healthy is another major issue right now. A focus on how to protect the coral reefs is important, considering coral reefs support a huge amount of small sea life, which in turn supports both larger sea life and us, not only for immediate food needs but also economically. Global warming is the primary cause of coral bleaching, bleaching, but there are other causes as well. Science is working on ways, but it also is a matter of setting aside marine conservation areas. Figuring out ways to protect this "life support system" is a must for the overall health of our ocean.
Coral reefs are the "life support system" of our ocean.
32
Killing Ourselves Quickly…
Offshore Drilling Offshore drilling continues to be a debate, but it is clear that greater oil production would only exacerbate the dilemmas of our oceans. The use of fossil fuels is the reason our oceans have been heating up and becoming more acidic, but offshore drilling takes the risks even further. When oil is extracted from the ocean floor, other chemicals like mercury, arsenic, and lead come up with it. In addition, the seismic waves used to find oil harm aquatic mammals and disorient whales. In 2008, 100 whales had beached themselves as a result of ExxonMobil exploring for oil with these techniques. Furthermore, the infrastructure transporting oil often erodes
the
coastline,
creating
more
problems.
Offshore oil and gas mining
Mercury Pollution Scientists report that mercury levels in our ocean have risen over 30 percent in the last 20 years, and will continue increase another 50 percent in the next few decades. Emissions from coal power plants are the primary culprit, culprit, dispensing poisonous poisonous mercury that that works its way up up the food chain, eventually coming to us through the fish we eat. This neurotoxin affects the development of the brain in foetuses and has been linked to learning disabilities.
Dead Zones Dead zones are areas of the sea floor with little or no dissolved oxygen. These areas are often found at the mouths of large rivers, and are caused primarily by fertilizers carried in runoff. This lack of oxygen kills many creatures and destroys Dead zones
entire habitats. At our current rate, dead zones will increase by 50 percent before the end of this century. OG Issue 29 : 07/2014
33
Essay
Garbage field found at 2.5 kilometres kilometres below the Sulu Sea
Garbage The ocean is among our biggest resources for life on earth, but it is also our biggest dumping ground. It is astounding how much of our trash finds its way into the ocean. Animals become entangled and trapped in our garbage, delicate sea life like coral and sponges are destroyed, sea turtles and dolphins often choke on plastic bags (mistaking them for jellyfish or squid), plastic bits also clog up the digestive system of birds and other marine mammals causing them to starve to death. If that is not bad enough, hopefully the bigger-than-Texas trash vortex in the Pacific Ocean and its smaller cousin in the Atlantic will help serve as a wake-up call.
The dinosaurs did not see the meteors coming.
What is our excuse? 34
Killing Ourselves Quickly…
Nautilus's indow W indow
MANATEE, FLORIDA – HAVE YOU GOT MY GOOD SIDE
Nikon D800E 16mm fisheye F4 @ 1/160 No strobe
Faces of the
OCEAN “I got up and took a good look at the enemy. The dugong – also know n as the halicore – is very much like a manatee, or lamantine. Its body is terminated by a long tail, and its lateral fins by fingers. The difference between the dugong and manatee consists in the former being armed with two long pointed teeth in the t he upper jaw jaw,, which form a defence for each site…Ned Land, his body thrown back a little, brandished his harpoon. Suddenly a hissing noise was heard and the dugong disappeared.” 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Jules Verne, circa 1850
Nautilus's indow W indow JAYNE JENKINS
– Faces of the Ocean portfolio
Coming face-to-face with a great white
you, and if you are calm calm in the water, water, Mum
are so unique and each is so different.
shark has to have been one of the most
will let you be with her calf – and that is
My local dive site in Sydney is home to
exciting and memorable dives of my life.
a feeling of pure joy. Another favourite
many seahorses and I feel so privileged
The black motionless eye pierces your
of mine is the manatee. It is so ugly, it is
I have the opportunity to see them on a
soul, tugs at your heart strings and your
beautiful; some would say only its mother
regular basis. Other marine residents at
protective instinct instinct kicks in. You You just want
could love it. My fascination with them
this local dive site include the adorable
to keep returning to meet them again and
is addictive and I stayed in the water for
and amazing frogfishes. It never ceases to
again, and show the world their beauty.
hours just enjoying their company.
amaze me, how they can open their mouth
But coming face-to-face face-to-f ace with a humpback
so wide and swallow food almost twice
whale (especially a calf), is completely
Seeing the very majestic and fragile
their body size. I love showing someone
different. different . It is curious, playful and shows
seahorse was like a fairy-tale coming true
for the first time all these special marine
you all the new tricks it learnt learnt from Mum. Mum.
as these little creatures look like they
life and seeing their expressions. It always
The eye of the humpback also follows
should only exist in Disney movies. They
guarantees a smile.
actively involved in many facets of the
funding and awareness to protect these
diving industry and has been for over
creatures for future generations. generations.
three
organised
Jayne is currently currently a resident resident photographer photographer
numerous diving expeditions throughout
/consultant /consultant with the Catlin Seaview
the Asia-Pacific region, leading her to
survey. This is fast becoming a game-
work as a safety diver and researcher for
changing creative scientific project. Using
various underwater underwater films, television and
specially designed technology, the Catlin
photographic photographic expeditions, expeditions, including including the
Seaview Survey will record and reveal the
cave diving spectacular, Sanctum. It is
world's oceans and reefs like never before,
Jayne's passion and skill for underwater underwater
in high-resolution, 360-degree panoramic
photography photography for which she she is known best.
vision. Jayne is also Vice President and
Always willing to donate her images to
Board of Director member to the Our
ocean conservation projects and good
World Underwater Scholarship Society
causes, and with a love for many of the
(OWUSS) - a scholarship sponsored by
ocean's
inhabitants
Rolex for young underwater enthusiasts.
such as sharks, whales and seahorses,
Due to her work, Jayne has been honoured
Jayne hopes her images will help to raise
by being inducted into the prestigious
Jayne
started diving in
the chilly waters along the rugged Welsh coastline before moving to Australia in 1973. An avid diver and distinguished underwater
photographer,
Jayne
is
decades.
most
Jayne
has
threatened
Woman Divers’ Hall of Fame and was awarded the OZTeK Industry Recognition Award to acknowledge acknowledge people who have made a significant contribution to the development and advancement of diving within the Asia-Pacific region. Jayne's drive and enthusiasm for the ocean is admirable and she has inspired countless individuals to take up diving and to appreciate the oceans.
36
‘Faces of the Ocean’
POTATO COD AT COD HOLE, AUSTRALIA – OPEN WIDE Nikon D300 Tokina 10–17mm F14 @ 1/160 twin Ikeleite DS125's
OG Issue 29 : 07/2014
37
Nautilus's indow W indow
HUMPBACK WHALE, TONGA –INQUISITIVE CALF Nikon D300 Tokina 10–17mm F9 @ 1/160 No strobes
38
‘Faces of the Ocean’
ORNATE COW FISH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA –READY FOR THE PARTY Nikon D200 60mm macro F14 @ 1/125 twin Ikelite DS125 strobes
Nautilus's indow W indow
PAINTED FROG F ISH, SYDNEY Nikon D800E 60mm macro F14 @ 1/250 Twin Ikelite DS160 strobes
40
‘Faces of the Ocean’
AUSTRALIAN FUR SEAL, SOUTH AUSTRALIA – WHO IS THAT IN THERE? Nikon D800 16-35mm F8 @ 1/160 Twin ikelite DS160
Nautilus's indow W indow
GREAT WHITE SHARK, SOUTH AUSTRALIA – NATURES DENTAL FLOSS Nikon D800E 16–35mm F8 @ 1/160 twin Ikelite DS160 strobes
42
‘Faces of the Ocean’
WEEDY SEA DRAGON, SYDNEY – DRAGONS OF THE UNDERWORLD
Nikon D300 60mm macro F20 @ 1/160 Single DS125 strobe
Nautilus's indow W indow
LEAFY SEA DRAGON, SOUTH AUSTRALIA (Top) Nikon D300 60mm macro F16 @ 1/160 Single DS125 strobe
PYGMY SEAHORSE, RAJA AMPAT (Right) Nikon D300 60mm macro F16 @ 1/320 Single Ikelite DS125 strobe
44
‘Faces of the Ocean’
Gardens of te te
u ue e e n Q
t thh e
the Ultimate Underwater Paradise • Pristine Reefs protected since 1960 : Sharks Galore – Silkies, Caribbean in big numbers : American Saltwater Crocodiles
• Giant Goliath groupers : Tarpons Tarpons in school : Pristine mangrove forest
cu c ubandivingcenter erss.com
mail : info@cubandivn vng gcenters rs..com
[email protected]
OCEAN GEOGRAPHIC CUBA GARDENS OF THE QUEEN EXPEDITION
– find out more at OceanGeographic.org
CUBA
The
that
Rebuilt an an
Essay & Photographs by Steve De Neef
ISLAND
November 8, 2013
is a day that
will never be forgotten by the Filipinos. Super Typhoon Haiyan, locally known as Yolanda, passed over the Philippines that day and proved to be the strongest typhoon to ever make landfall. Yolanda left thousands dead and millions homeless, changing lives forever. Since then, many of the affected people have been struggling to resume their lives and continue their livelihood. The support from the rest of the world has been enormous but even with all this help, it has been very ve ry hard for some to recover, especially in terms of livelihood.
Essay
O
ne
place
managed
that to
r e c u p e r a t e
relatively is
an
quickly
Malapascua, idyllic
island
located just north
of Cebu, where the eye of Yolanda passed. Miraculously, there were no casualties on the island but most houses and boats turned into rubble after this super typhoon passed. One of the main reasons that Malapascua has done well in recovering so swiftly is be found at about nine kilometres offshore, at a submerged seamount called Monad Shoal. Monad Shoal is unique; every morning, many divers descend into the deep blue waters surrounding this seamount, just to observe a special spectacle. At dawn, pelagic thresher sharks ( Alopias pelagicus), locally known as Lawihan come up to the shallower parts (24–32 metres) of this seamount. Seeing these gracious sharks appearing from the deep is a cherished experience. In the early morning light from afar, they are no more than a faint silhouette with that distinctive tail whipping rhythmically from side to side.
Kids playing around the t yphoon wreckage, Malapascua
48
The Shark that Rebuild an Island
A rainbow of hope c omes after every storm
New homes being built on Malapascua
OG Issue 29 : 07/2014
49
As they come closer closer,, these silhouette silhouettess
Fortunately for Malapascua, the cleaning
compared to before the typhoon. Tourists
suddenly turn into one of the most elegant
stations at Monad Shoal, and its thresher
are still coming to see the pelagic thresher
sharks in the ocean. None of the divers
sharks were spared from the wrath of
sharks and this is good for the island’s
are afraid; sharks are nothing like the
Yolanda. In a matter of days after Yolanda,
economy – about 80 percent the income
man-eating creatures some media portray
Malapascua had already received huge
on Malapascua is directly related to the
them to be. They are in fact, not nearly
support from the local dive industry and
dive industry. Some resort owners have
as interested in us as we are in them,
previous tourists who fell in love with
even taken it further and started their own
and we can count ourselves lucky if they
the island and their Lawihan. Local dive
NGO. Rebuild Malapascua is one of them;
do come near. These nocturnal oceanic
resorts and resorts from different islands
they provide livelihood programs for the
sharks come here for one reason only –
all contributed food, money, building
locals and are currently building a modern
to get cleaned by cleaner fishes like the
materials,
more.
medical centre (something the island
cleaner and moon wrasses ( Labriodes
Six months after the typhoon passed,
currently lacks). Another dive resort on
dimidiatus
lunare)
almost everyone who had lost his or her
the island even went as far as buying land
that inhabit the multiple cleaning stations
home managed to rebuild and continue
to build 35 new homes for their employees;
found at Monad Shoal. Nowhere else in
with their livelihood. Some locals even
the houses were all built using funds
the world can you see thresher sharks on
say they have better homes now than
collected from donations worldwide.
and
Thalassoma
a daily basis and observe them up-close. It is this unique phenomenon that makes Malapascua famous.
Shark tourism at Monad Shoal, Malapascua
boats,
labour
and
NOWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD CAN YOU SEE SE E THRESHE THRESHER R SHARKS ON A DAILY BASIS and observe them up-close. up-close. It is this unique phenomenon that makes Malapascua famous.
Many locals on Malapascua rely on
by many of the islanders. The people
marine park fees do not trickle down to
divers visiting the island as some sort
of Malapascua truly love Lawihan. The
all fishermen who use these places as
of livelihood, even most fishermen are
distinctive figure of the pelagic thresher
their fishing grounds. Some fishermen
happy with the dive industry since this
shark can be found all over the island;
have little choice but to continue to fish
allows them to sell fish directly to the
from the numerous souvenir stalls to the
there. On top of that, thresher sharks
resorts for a good price without having
basketball court, pictures of thresher
are still directly targeted and caught as
to leave the island. If it was up to Felimar
sharks are everywhere. And why would
by-catch on a regular basis. In May 2014,
Malagase, a local dive guide, these
anyone not love this shark that brings
pictures of thresher sharks being cut up
sharks would be protected nationwide
fortune to the island?
on the beach in Talisay, Cebu, a place
as the income derived from tourism far
relatively near Malapascua, made the
outweighs the one-time sale of a thresher
It is not all good news though. In 2002,
news. It is sad that these sharks are both
shark at a market. He insists that if
both Monad Shoal and Gato Island
adored and killed in the same province.
there were no thresher sharks around
(another island known more for its
Technically, within the province of Cebu,
Malapascua, tourism would not be what
reef sharks) were declared as marine
thresher sharks enjoy protection but in
it is today. Before there was any tourism,
reserves by the local government of
reality, this law is often not enforced.
he had to rely on fishing as a livelihood;
Daanbantayan. While this was a step in
In other areas, like Donsol in the Bicol
working as a dive guide is far more
the right direction, it has not been able to
region, it is common to see thresher shark
profitable profitabl e and reliable. He also believes
stop illegal fishing. Both places still fall
meat at the local market and in all sorts
many of the donations given by people
victim to destructive destructive fishing fishing methods like like
of dishes; their fins however, never make
after the typhoon are directly related
dynamite and longline fishing. The income
it to the market as they are sold for much
to the thresher sharks – a belief shared
derived from tourism and the associated
higher prices right off the boat.
A
ccording
to
the
sell for around Php8,000 (US$180). The
tourism on Malapascua survives, broader
Thresher
Shark
meat sells for Php90–150 (US$2–3.50)
protection is necessary. necessary. Currently the
Research
and
per kilogram while the fins can go for as
only shark that is protected nationwide
Conservation project
much as Php1000 (US$22) per kilogram.
is the whale shark. All thresher sharks
(an NGO based on
Currently, all three species of thresher
are prone to unsustainable fisheries and
Malapascua)
the
sharks (bigeye, common and pelagic) are
by-catch and with their low fecundity
value of one live thresher shark at Monad
listed as vulnerable on IUCN’s Redlist.
(2-4 pups) and long gestation period,
Shoal can be in excess of Php6,000,000
This means if no active measures are
population population can decline quickly. quickly. In most
(around US$135,000) per year. This same
taken to protect them, they can quickly
places thresher shark populations populations are
shark at a local fish market would only
fall into the endangered category or
already down by more than 75 percent
worse, become extinct – something that is
compared to the 1980’s.
likely to happen since they are among the more demanded shark species for global
For now, there is hope for Monad Shoal.
fisheries. As these sharks are pelagic in
Since April 2014, the local dive shops
nature, protecting them in just one place
have come together and are sending out
is a good start but it will not do much
a boat at night to patrol and ward off
in the long run since they can still be
illegal fishing activities. Oscar and Alvin
caught while travelling out of protected
are two of the locals who patrol Monad at
waters. To make sure thresher sharks and
night; however, without any real authority or resources, they say it is very hard to stop people from fishing here and it can be dangerous to try. They can only ask fishermen to leave, and sometimes they do, sometimes they do not. Both of them agree these sharks should be protected and their importance for the island should be acknowledged. They said that in late April
Thresher shark, Alopia s pelagi cus
Protectors of the thresher sharks of Monad Shoal
2014, they found a discarded fishing net
sharks
happening
that estimates global shark ecotourism
near the shoal with a dead thresher shark
more often. However, the real challenge
brings in US$314 million annually and are
caught inside (other dive shops reported
is getting fishermen to tap into the
expected to more than double in the next
the net had two thresher sharks and a
shark tourism economy, as without an
20 years. If that is the case, then it would
turtle, all dead). In May, they encountered
alternative income, it is hard to stop
exceed the current profit made by shark
four fishermen using dynamite, some
the fishing. It is not entirely impossible
fisheries. In order for this to happen, we
compressor fishermen and long liners.
though, many of the boatmen and even
have to choose to protect these beautiful
They know more enforcement is needed
dive guides in Malapascua used to be
fish just like the people of Malapascua do.
to protect this unique place but in the
fishermen.
And once you have seen one, it is not a
being
caught
are
hard decision to make.
meantime; they will do what they can to protect and preserve Monad Monad Shoal. Shoal.
Tourism on the island is developing well and the thresher’s popularity is growing
It does seem like things are moving in the
and providing jobs. With the right attitude,
right direction in the Philippines. People
some help from the tourism industry,
are slowly becoming aware of the fact
government agencies and NGOs, these
that sharks are essential in maintaining
top predators might still stand a chance.
healthy ocean ecosystems and are worth
Researchers Researchers from the University of British
more alive than dead, outcries on social
Columbia published a paper in 2013
network sites and newspapers about
*Editor's Note: With the assistance of our associate, Jovic Santos of Splash Photography, Ocean Geographic and Michael AW donated proceeds from the sale of “Heart of the Ocean” to purchase chainsaws to help help rebuild rebuild the island. Jovic Santos also sent 1 x 20FCL of brand new clothes clothes for affected areas areas for Malapascua, Leyte and Cebu. The power saw is still being used on the island and is under the care of Gary Cases, owner of Dive Link.
About the author Steve De Neef is a photojournalist who specializes specialize s in conservation, documentary and underwater photography photography.. His main focus is covering covering environmental environmental issues in the Coral Coral Triangle Triangle region and he uses his images and stories to encourage conservation of our blue planet. He’s the chief photographer photographer of the Large Marine Vertebrate Project in the Philippines and a member of the prestigious prestigious Ocean Artist Artist Society. Society. He regularly regularly works with with Greenpeace Greenpeace and other NGO’s. NGO’s.
Steve De Neef OG Issue 29 : 07/2014
53
THE FINEST BEACH & DIVE RESORT IN ANILAO, PHILIPPINES
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the ‘Image of Edition’ award consisting consisting of a Merit of Excellenc Excellence e certificate and an A$200 OG expedition voucher. Get
YOUR PICTURE
Published in Ocean Geographic.
Your images must be submitted as JPEGs, saved at the quality setting 10 in Photoshop, and must be 1920 pixels on the longest dimension. Please name each file using your name and the subject, for example: JessicaTigershark. Each photo must be accompanied by a 60-word short story. Email your pictures and stories to:
[email protected]. Your submission may win you the ‘Image of the Edition’ award – a Merit of Excellence certificate and a A$200 cash voucher which may be used to purchase Ocean Geographic merchandise or offset payment for any OG expedition. Submission of your pictures to YOUR PICTURE constitutes a grant to Ocean Geographic Society to publish the winners at any time in print as well as online.
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CEAN Insider
The VIZL EFFECT
There is something undeniably powerful and timeless about black and white pictures. Black and white images evoke moods, highlight details that are usually ambiguous in colour, and it is a technique we can employ to tell compelling stories through imagery. In this rst edition of Ocean Insider, we share with you the black and white post-production technique embraced by OG's new photographer-inphotographer-inresidence, residen ce, Christian Vizl MacGregor. Ma cGregor.We now n ow fondly fo ndly call his artistic passion, The VIZL EFFECT .
OG Issue 29 : 07/2014
55
P
hotography
the single most important aspect when it comes to creating appealing, inspiring and touching images. Far beyond technical issues, what is most important is how to apply and manipulate the available light in order to create pictures with dramatic effect, carrying depths of emotion, using contrast and tonalities as a means to emphasise form and structure. I focus on the emotional impact of the final shot that will connect on a deeper level, with the people who who look at these photographs. photographs. Just as as a poet uses words words to to create create poetry poetry,, a photographer uses light to create images. So when I am underwater taking pictures, one of my goals is to create poetic images through the use of light. And this is why I love black and white; by eliminating the distraction of colours, I can explore more deeply, the emotional impact of my images. To create them, it is important to "see" the scene in black and white, looking for contrasts that will emphasise the form. Also important, is exposing what you want to achieve in terms of your grey scale and planning for whatever you have in mind for that particular particular image. There are a number of "correct exposures" for the blue of the ocean, but a high exposure will render a light blue that will turn into a light grey; on the other hand, a low exposure will render a dark blue that will turn into a dark grey. Because of the
The VIZL EFFECT
colour. This is one of the most important
information, it is best to capture the image
steps in the process and it involves a lot
in colour, then convert it to black and
of creativity. Here is where I decide if a
white. Once I have converted my images,
light grey is to be taken up to be an almost
I like to give them as much contrast as
complete white or a dark grey into black.
possible.
Currently, I am working on a very high contrast series of images, so I am taking
is all about light, and in my opinion, it is
56
way the digital camera sensor obtains its
For that, I adjust the luminance of each
it to the max. If necessary, I go back to
primary colour. For example, if I have a
the tone curves to adjust the highlights
very dark grey tone of the ocean, since
and the shadows. During this process, it
its primary colour is blue, I reduce the
is important to activate the highlights and
luminosity of the blue, taking that dark
shadows clipping function in the upper
grey into a complete black. I do not think
corners of the histogram to avoid over or
every image is suited for black and white,
underexposed areas.
but when it does, there is nothing like it! Finally, I adjust the sharpening, noise For post-production, I use Lightroom 5;
reduction
in the 'develop' tab I start with the basic
needed. I even add some grain to some of
adjustments like white balance, contrast,
my images. I love the feeling of intimacy
clarity and spot removal. Then I convert it
and profoundness it gives to them. Always
to Black and White. Then I take a moment
keep in mind that there are no fixed rules
to observe the image and try to find out
on how to use all these adjustments. They
what the image needs to bring out the
are all just tools that are available to us
best of it. How can I improve it in all
for use in the creative process, applying
possible ways paying special attention attention
each adjustment individually, depending
to the emotional impact that it conveys.
on your mood and your artistic view.
Then I scroll down to the black and white mix, and start adjusting each individual
and
profile
correction
if
Digital Underwater Photographers
HERE IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FROM THE PROS, THE MASTERS OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHI C CRAFTSMANSHIP CRA FTSMANSHIP,, to create beautiful images of our Ocean Planet in today’ today’ss world of digital photograph photographyy Michael Aw Aw and Mathieu Meur have become the Essential Mentors to thousands of underwater photographers, and here is your opportunity to reach new heights with in underwater photography with this fast track to success book! – Ernie Brooks
Review by Gillian McDonald
ESSENTIAL DIGITAL UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERCLASS is
another excellent book in Michael AW’s AW’s popular ‘Essential’ series.
B
oth Michael and his regular collaborator, Mathieu Meur, have an extremely rich and deep history in all aspects of the art of underwater
e l u d o M
1
photography, photography, which they have shared in this informative book. This is a truly essential guide;
lightweight and portable, yet containing a wealth of practical information, which will serve photographers at virtually any level.
Compact, DSLM (mirrorless) and DSLR cameras.
1/1 Digital Evolution Until the advent of digital cameras, the most frustrating thing for a new underwater photographer was the preposterously low success rate. It was not uncommon for a beginner to return with his first 10 rolls of film, only to find 90% of the pictures either over or underexposed. The successful 10% were, at best, images of perhaps half a fish tail or out of focus pictures of their buddy. Underwater photography was but a cruel joke for most. Digital photography provided sudden advantages over traditional film for the underwater photographer.
Advantages:
1 2 3
Immediate review of images. Underexposed? Shoot again and vary the composition, then shoot another 10, if you need to.
Readers will find the modular structure of the book easy to follow. In module one, the basics of digital photography are broken down to a basic level, addressed in clear language with ample diagrams and examples. Topics such as understanding
9
Digital Essentials
4 5
Understanding Digital Photographic Language In order to get the most out of your digital camera, it is important to first understand a few technical terms. Aperture: The aperture can be thought of like the i ris of the eye. The larger Aperture: The the aperture, the more light gets into the camera, and vice versa. Aperture values are typically represented in f-stops (e.g. f2.0, f2.8, f4, f5.6, etc.). The greater the number, the smaller the aperture is. The aperture you set on your camera also has an impact on the depth-of-field. If all other parameters are constant, the smaller the aperture, the greater the depth-of-field is and vice versa.
By using a large storage media such as a 16GB or even up to a 128GB memory card, you can just about shoot endlessly. Another result of digital i s the tremendous saving on consumables and incidentals – there is now no need to buy film, and pay for processing loads of shots which have a high probability of ending up in the bin. Since it is not necessary to spend much money on storage media, you can afford to be trigger happy, shoot more to hone your skills without risking spending a small fortune. The learning curve can be as steep as you like without making a hole in your wallet. Another advantage of digital technology is the tremendous flexibility that this medium can afford. Whether at home or while on holidays, you can email pictures to your friends and family to share, post them on the web, review them on your computer and create slideshows.
f2.8
f5.6
f11
Depth-of-Field (DOF): Depth-of-field refers to the area of the photograph in front and behind the main focus point which appears sharp. A large depthof-field means a greater portion of the picture is in focus. Conversely, in order to emphasise a certain feature or area of the picture, you may use a shallower depth-of-field, which will result in a blurred background.
exposure, shutter speeds and resolution will provide beginners, who are just embarking on their underwater photographic
ESSENTIAL SSENTIAL DIGITAL UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERCLASS
Module 1 :Digital :Digital Essential
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journey, journey, with the building blocks to make sense of the underwater specifics covered in the rest of the book. e l u d o M
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Shooting Digital Underwater
2 / 1 Seeing Colour & Light Underwater
Module two moves on to the science and practicalities of
Horizontal distance also reduces light. If you are three metres deep and three metres from the subject, the water between you and the subject absorbs red and orange light as though you were about six metres deep. Compounding the two factors, photographs captured at beyond 10 metres are mostly blue and green. The ocean absorbs the long wavelength light (the red end of spectrum) first. Short wavelength light (the blue end of spectrum) is absorbed last.
41
Lighting conditions underwater differs significantly to those on land. Mastering the use and control of light is the essence of successful photography.
shooting underwater as opposed to land, and also introduces different lighting approaches. There are plenty of relevant photos throughout the book, providing a visual context for the
3 metres red is gone. 5 metres orange is gone. 10 metres yellow is gone. 18 metres green is gone. 25 metres blue green is gone. 30 metres only blue remains.
techniques being explained. Colour and Light Underwater
As a scuba diver you would have learnt that colour diminishes with depth; water particles interact with light by absorbing respective wavelengths (see diagram above). First the reds and oranges disappear, followed by yellows, greens and lastly only blue remains. The loss of the colour red is dramatic as it is already noticeable at just one metre depth. Another factor that challenges an underwater photographer is that light also diminishes with depth. The density of water being 800 times greater than air at sea level reduces sunlight penetration.
Module 2 :Shooting :Shooting DigitalUnderwater
module _3rd
.indd
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Shot at 15m natural light – note the blue tinge – lost of red, orange, yellow
HINTS
1. Natural light photography at six metres or more will have a bluish tinge. 2. The use of a UR-PRO or Magic Filter can be used to artificially restore some of the colour, at the sacrifice of one f-stop. But in bright day light the UR-PRO filter will cause a strong orange tinge when used in water shallower than six metres. 3. Alternative light sources such as underwater strobes are absolutely essential to capture the ‘true’ colour of marine animals.
ESSENTIAL SSENTIAL DIGITAL UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERCLASS
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3 The Art of
Aside from necessary technical information, the book also covers the aesthetic aspects of photography in module three – composition and artistic approach. From the machinery of the tools to the magic of the results, the art is as critical as the mechanics in achieving success in this field.
3/1 The Aesthetics of Composition I remember one evening in 1989 when I was heading out for a night dive during a photo shoot-out in Flores. Walking past a member of the jury, Gerald Soury from France, he beckoned my attention and told me “I hope you will make many good pictures.” This stopped me to ponder… he did not use the word shoot nor photograph but instead wished me to make good pictures. Through the years, I have practised following his wisdom. After learning how to play with the camera, there comes a point where you will be thinking about making a nice picture. I have learnt to appreciate photography as a form of fine art; our canvas is of course film and in the case of digital, it is the sensor; the camera and lenses are the paint brushes and the medium in which we work is light.
Module 3 :The :The Art of Underwater Photography
module3_3rd
An Ab so lu te Es se nt ia l fo r Di gi ta l Un de r wa te r Ph ot og ra ph er s
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Underwater Photography
Treat a photograph like a picture – it i s a bunch of little details put together to make the whole. So plan the details, the focus, the statement, pick the big or small details to be part of your finished picture. We need to spend time working on understanding what it takes to make a photograph, not just the technical aspects but more importantly the artistic approach that must be included to get the end result. Approaching photography from this perspective, the science though essential is secondary, the artist in you is controlling the photographic process.
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Tomato clownfish
Nikon D4, single Ikelite DS161, 1/4 power, f22, 1/125s, 60mm f2.8 lens
Taking a picture is really simple – my two-year old can do it just as well as you and I. Place the camera in a stable position and push the shutter to shoot the picture – that is all it takes! But placing the camera in the right position is a very artistic kind of thing – it entails our perception, our point of view. Ask three photographers to shoot at the same subject and you may end up with three picture of the same subject but with three different emphases, three different perspectives. Each picture reflects the photographer’s point of view, and most often we will find one that is more appealing than the other two. In composition we will learn about the lines, the horizon line, putting emphasis on the foreground, placed low you are placing importance on the upper part of the scene and we of course we need to pay attention to the intersections, where lines cross, where tones blend together and become one.
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4 Darkroom The Digital
4/1 Picture Managemen Managementt Just like in film photography, the digital photographic process continues after a tri p. Previously, the continuation required processing film, reviewing and culling images, cataloguing and storing them for various uses. It is essential that you follow the same discipline. However, instead of good old fashioned film, you will be working with the digital medium. As a digital photographer, the following software are essential to manage your pictures. 1. Adobe Photoshop with Bridge (essential) 2. Photo Mechanic – camerabits.com (optional) 3. Lightroom – adobe.com (optional)
2
Create subfolders and name according to the day or sites of your trip. Also create a new subfolder – name it for instance La Paz hi res tiff – – this is where you store processed pictures.
83
Though the world has moved on from the days of film, post-production processing is still as valid and necessary as it was when we consigned our
3
Transfer images from your portable storage device or storage media to respective folders. You should rename all images using the trip location and your name, retaining the original filename (e.g. DSC_1888 to LaPaz_MichaelAW). Renaming using Adobe Bridge is a fast and easy process. Open up the folder revealling all the pictures in Adobe Bridge. On Windows, use Control A, and on Mac, Command A – then click Tools > Batch Rename.
4
Review images with Adobe Bridge. Rate and select those with potential. In Bridge, assign 1 to 5 stars by pressing Control 1 to Control 5 on PC (Command 1 to Command 5 on Mac). Delete those that are not worth keeping.
5
First process Raw images in Bridge; open in Camera Raw – pick the white balance tool and click on a point in the picture you think is white or neutral. Make other adjustments such as exposure, clarity and brightness. Save the processed image as TIFF 300dpi in your hi res tiff folder.
Processing and Managing Pictures
precious films films to a professional professional development development lab. The difference however, is that the darkroom is now in our own hands. Thus, it is vital to understand how to approach picture management and the digital workflow. This is all covered in module four with some really useful tips on
HINTS
Set up a dedicated desktop PC or Mac as your digital workstation. Essentially the faster the CPU, the better. It is also best to have an extra hard drive dedicated to storing images. Again, get the biggest capacity that your budget allows. USB 3.0 or FireWire is essential for speedy download. A high definition monitor is highly reccomended – the monitors of choice for discerning professionals are the Eizo CG series. (Eizo.com)
getting the best from the raw material stored on your memory memory cards after a productive productive dive.
How to Manage Digital Stock? In the assigned hard drive, create a new folder, naming it after the location you have just been to (e.g. La Paz_2013).
1
Module 3 :TheDigitalDarkro : TheDigitalDarkroom
module _3rd
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Finally, module five provides more advanced e l u d o M
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Beyond the Basic
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techniques and much food for thought, including shooting with models, using continuous light and
MASTERCLASS
even entering competitions.
5/1 Painting With Lights Light is everything in photography we are essentially painting with light. Light breathes life, depth and emotion into our picture. Of course, our choice of subject, composition and background are all critical but the way we use light can take our image to whole new level. This is particularly so underwater - less light can be more. Time your photographic ventures sensibly and ensure illumination enhances rather than overpowers. To create spectacular pictures underwater, you must to be able to appreciate natural light. Seeing light in the underwater realm begins with an understanding of how water is affected by light, be it from the sun or your strobe. Most underwater photo images are illuminated in some way by strobes, which bring out the vibrant colours so often associated with marine animals. However, it would be fair to say that all our masters are experts with use of ambient light and most began their career by experimenting with natural light. Seascape imagery lends itself to the use of natural light and most wide-angle images rely on the background blue being ill uminated by the sun. Good use of the sun’s position has a critical effect on the result you will achieve when shooting with natural light. If the sun’s light is coming from your back, your subject will be well illuminated and appear light against a dark deep blue background. The idea is to get as close as possible to your subject to prevent any shades of blue (or green) from merging with those of the background. Be aware though, as harsh, bright overhead midday sun will sap colour from the picture, making it washed out, overpowering shadows and details. Another dramatic art form of underwater photography is silhouetted images.
Module 5 :BeyondtheBasicsMASTE : BeyondtheBasicsMASTERCLASS
module5_3rd
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0 - 05
This accomplished guide is written in an easy This is achieved when a subject is placed i n front of the sun. The subject’s black form is then silhouetted against a pleasant blue (or green) background or sunburst. With careful execution, dramatic ‘cathedral lights’ can be easily achieved with digital cameras.
to read, informal style. In some ways, the most valuable parts of the the book are the comprehen comprehensive sive
Essential TIPS 1
Take your exposure reading from the brightest part of the scene to produce a true silhouette, play with a range of different exposures. Use manual mode and bracket with shutter speed. Capturing the ‘perfect’ is subjective – it is all about capturing moods and emotions
2
Shoot into the sun when it is low in the sky: morning between 9am to 11am and afternoon between 3pm to 5pm are the best times to shoot. These are the ‘magic hours’.
3
Catch the light in the eyes of your subject = remember the eye have it all. Focus to capture the life-giving catch-lights in animals’ eyes – these can give portraits that distinctive sparkle.
4
Experiment with camera angles, especially with large subjects. This often adds extra dimension to the subject.
5
Experiment with single and twin strobes. More, however, is not necessarily better. Some of the most iconic underwater images are illuminated with just one small strobe.
hints sections sprinkled throughout. If you only read these useful little nuggets, you would be well prepared to get in the water and start shooting. However, I highly recommend you read the whole book and I guarantee it will expand your
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knowledge bank and bring your underwater photography photography skills to a whole new new level. level.
A defnitive work work packed with with readily absorbed INFORMATION , tips and techniques that have made his underwater images admired around the world, Michael Aw’s, ‘Essential Underwater Photography Photography Masterclass’ will undoubtedly come to be regarded as a classic of its kind.
David Strike – Editor, Editor, Nektonix/ Nektonix/ “Organiser “Organiser,, OZT OZTeK”
*you can order your author autographed copy now. Ocean Geographic Member Special: $26 postage included (Internationa (International) l) or $23 postage include included d for residents in Australia and Singapo Singapore. re. Email: fi
[email protected] fi
[email protected] m or purchase at MichaelA MichaelAW W.com
OG Issue 29 : 07/2014
59
CEAN Insider V.I.B. (Very (Very Important Impo rtant Bags) – OG’s Honorary & Associates Reveal their Secrets S ecrets DOUG PERRINE – professional: Ocean Geographic Honorary Editor Camera bag of choice:
I have various bags and cases. I choose the bag and the equipment according to the job I'm doing. The one I use most often is a 20 yearsold plus Lowepro photo backpack. It doesn't show a model name or number on it and I don't remember, but I'm sure they still make something similar. What do you put in the the bag?
“Again, it depends totally on what I'm shooting. My current camera of choice is the Nikon D800E. Lenses will depend upon the subject matter, but might include the Nikkor 80-400mm, Nikkor 17-35mm, Nikkor micro 60mm or 100mm, and/or Sigma 15mm fisheye, or others. Essential inclusions are microfiber cloth (for lenses), flash cards, water bottle, lightweight rain poncho, plus plastic garbage bag to cover pack in case of downpour downpour.” .”
Why is this your favourite bag?
“It holds a lot of stuff, has padded dividers and a cushioned back, is water-resistant, and has padded shoulder straps & waist strap, plus a chest strap, to stabilize t he load and make it comfortable on extended hikes.” Your thoughts on underwater photography:
“ If the picture in your mind is one you've already seen – then then there is little reason for you to try to take that picture – it's already been done! If you can envision an image that you have not yet ever seen, and start thinking about how to create it, then you are being creative.”
FOO POO WEN – serious shooter: Ocean Geographic Photographer-in-Residence Photographer-in-Residence Camera bag of choice:
I always carry two bags, Think Tank Airport Accelerator Backpack & Crumpler Seven Million Dollar Home (think tank lightning fast attachment) What do you put in the the bag?
“Think Tank Airport Accelerator Backpack: 1 x MDX-5D3 housing : 1 X optical 7.5" dome port, 1 x 4" Mini dome port : 2 x YS250pro strobes & chargers: 1 x Patima Gopro 2 housing : 1 x Extension Port : 2 x Focus Gears : 2 x Dome Diffusers : 2 x sync Cords : miscellaneous: attachments/ ball joint adapters/Allen Keys Crumpler Seven Million Dollar Home: 2 x 5D MK3 body, 1 35mm F2.8L II USM, 1 x 8-15mm F4L Fisheye USM: 1 x 70200mm f2.8L IS II USM, 1 x EX-580 Flash, 1 x Gopro Hero2”
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V.I .B . (v er y im po rt an t ba gs ) – OG ’s Ho no ra r y & As so ci at es Re ve al th ei r Se cr et s
Why is this your favourite bag?
“Think Tank Accelerator Minimalist look, maximum CarryOn capacity, huge range of included paddings, paddings, thick carry carry strap cushions cushions for maximum comfort. help further reduce scrutiny by hanging a plushie! Crumpler Seven Million Dollar – It fits my required Range of camera gears, thick pads, most importantly, it's a gift from my wife.” Your thoughts on underwater photography:
“ Every photo you take depicts your state of mind at that point in time.”
MICHELLE WESTMORLAND – professional: founding member member of ILCP (International (International League of Conservation Photographers) Camera bag of choice:
Lowepro Pro Roller x 200 AW and also the Rolling Trekker (no longer made) but the replacement is the Pro Runner x 450 AW.” What do you put in the the bag?
“All my delicate camera bodies and lenses along with flashes, computer, hard drives. Sometimes I pack my Seacam housing and delicate fisheye dome port with my carry on.” Why is this your favourite bag?
“Lowepro has always been my bag of choice. I never have issues of early wear and tear – they last a very long time. I can rest assured that the dimensions are designed for carry on for delicate items. In addition, addition, I use use a very very simple Igloo (Isky) rolling cooler for much of my underwater equipment such as strobes, arms, accessories and sometimes include the housing. It’s simple and for use as check-in, I never worry about it screaming “Hey, I have expensive camera equipment inside.” “
Your thoughts photography:
on
underwater
“I have had the privilege of photographing marine life since 1984. Each dive gave me new and dramatic experiences. experiences. From the tiny creatures that hide in the coral to magnificent marine mammals that give our world balance, it is an environment where new discoveries are made every day. I believe in the power of imagery to motivate stewardship stewardship and protection protection of the fragile underwater world. It is equally important to connect with the indigenous peoples of the world – man is, in fact, a part of nature.”
JAYNE JENKINS: – Serious Shooter: Shooter: Ocean Geographic Geographic Associate Photographer Photographer Camera bag of choice:
Lowepro for cameras as carry on. I have two - smaller one for just doing topside and roller one if taking all gear. I also use a Pelican case as check-in baggage.”
Why is this your favourite bag?
“The bag is comfortable to carry and has enough space for what I require. It is also strong and durable.” Your thoughts of underwater photography:
What do you put in the the bag?
“Two x D800, 16-35mm lens, 16mm Fisheye, 60mm Macro lens, 105mm Macro lens. Depends on where I am going – sometimes, 80-400mm Nikon zoom lens, cleaning cloths, compact flash cards, chargers.”
“ I never dive without without one of my cameras. cameras. You never know what you might miss. If you leave leave it in the backpack, backpack, you could could miss out on an amazing opportunity opportunity.” .”
MATHIEU MEUR – Professional, Author: Editor Editor for Ocean Geographic Geographic Camera bag of choice:
Naneu K4L What do you put in the the bag?
“I typically put one or two DSLR bodies along with lenses and a land flash, a dome port, laptop and iPad, a bag full of chargers for all my gadgets, dive computers, a toiletry bag and medicine pack, my travel documents, and a bunch of other things.” Why is this your favourite bag?
“My main concern when choosing a camera bag is to ensure that I can fit all my stuff into it, in a safe and secure
manner. The zippers should be of strong build, as I subject them to severe tests of endurance. The bag should also be waterproof, or come with a splash-proof cover. This is essential when working around water bodies most of the time. The Naneu K4L ticks all the boxes in this respect. The compartments are arranged ingeniously, the bag is spacious, and yet, it fits nicely into the overhead compartment in planes.” Your thoughts photography:
about
underwater
“ I don’t fish, and I don't eat fish. I prefer to capture them with my camera.”
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JANE MORGAN – Professional : Ocean Geographic Geographic Photographer Your bag of Choice: My trusty companion is a Lowepro Pro Runner 450. I use it for camera bodies and lenses both at home and on location. As I'm quite small framed I found that lots of camera bags were too large and put a strain on my back. However, this little number fits me perfectly and I can spend all day hiking in rough terrain and hardly notice that it’s there. The only downside is often not being able to fit enough in, so on travel overseas I put on an extra photo jacket for extra lenses.
Your thoughts Photography:
on
Underwater
Shooting underwater has always been a form of meditation for me, once my head is underwater it’s as if nothing else exists, just my camera and me. Wildlife photography will help you to live in the moment as your entire being is concentrating and waiting for that perfect shot!
ELLEN CUYLAER C UYLAERTS TS – Serious Shooter: Shooter: Premier member member of Ocean Geographic Geographic What is your camera bag of choice?
“ThinkTank 'Logistic Manager 30' as check in bag, National geographic rollaboard as hand luggage with laptop x D800 and Olympus EPL-2 in its housing as spare underwater solution in case the checked in luggage doesn't arrive.” What do you put in the bag? bag?
“Housing NA-D800, Dome Zen 230, Strobes: Sea & sea YS-250PRO, Macro port for 60mm. Nikkor 60 mm, fibre fibre optic strobe cables with spares, diffusers, arms and clamps, extra batteries, 7 x CF 500 32 GB memory cards, 4 x CF 1000 32 GB memory cards, chargers forD800, for YS250 strobes, for EPL-2, Extra O-rings, duct tape, fibre cloth, strips, grease, Sola 1200 & 2000.”
Why is this your favourite bag?
“Filled with my 'basics' this Think Tank bag hold about 22-23kg, the maximum weight allowed by most airlines.” Your thoughts photography:
on
underwater
“ I try to capture not the encounters I have with marine life but the feelings I experience being there at that time. Past, present and future come together in the healing process of life. The oceans give me so much, I want to give back with images that touch people's hearts so they will care, educate and preserve.”
MICHAEL AW – Professional, contributing underwater underwater photographers. photographers. Senior Fellow, Fellow, ILCP Camera bag of choice:
Lowepro Pro Trekker AW 400, Lowepro Prorunner 350 AW What do you put in the the bag?
“Seacam housing, one mini-dome, S45 viewfinder, viewfinder, two x Ikelite DS161, three DSLR, one topside flash, one mini, lenses required for the assignment or expeditions, chargers, one dive computer, laptop, duct tape, spare O rings, media cards, sync chord, fibre cloth, marker. Other housings, ports etc. are checked-in.” Why is this your favourite bag?
“It has my name on it! But seriously, LOWEPRO is innovative and they make 62
V.I .B . (v er y im po rt an t ba gs ) – OG ’s Ho no ra r y & As so ci at es Re ve al th ei r Se cr et s
the toughest bags that simply last and last…. And last. The zips are waterproof and come with their own rain poncho – most importantly, the brand has strong environmental policies.” Your thoughts photography:
on
underwater
“Underwater photographers are ambassadors of the ocean. Our ocean is in trouble. It is essential that we use our pictures to bring greater appreciation and preservation of the ocean. Shoot with passion. Be original, be the first.”
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Founder of African Watersports, Walter Bernardis, has devoted a lifetime of research and work to Tiger sharks, Great Whites, and the most exciting marine animal interaction on our planet – the Sardine Run. Discerning underwater photographic experts such as Michael AW, Amos Nachoum and Franco Banf choose to shoot exclusively with Walter. You too can go with the best!
BLUE – A Global CONVERGENCE of the t he Ocean Arts & Sciences
GODS – Art Serving Nature (An Ocean Geographic Save Our Seas Project)
Report by Charlie Fasano Cassandra Dragon Photographs by Emily Chan
Shiva, the main figure of the Garden of Gods – adopted by Ocean Geographic Society.
Left : Each statue is meticulously meticulously crafted by skilled masons with the deta il and sym metry of fi ne calibre art Above : "Planting" a garden of statues underwater is no easy task
The state of the world’s coral reefs indicate strong signs of anthropogenic damage; in some places, more than others. Pemuteran, Bali, is no exception, with heavy scars in the reef to remind the villagers of a time when dynamite and cyanide were used to extract coral and fish. Even though this is no longer practised, the scars remain. remain. While coral reefs around the world have shown their ability to rebuild after physical damage, we have found several ways to help them along. The Pemuteran Bio Rock Electric Reef initiated by Tom Goreau, PhD, and the Underwater Temple Garden installed by Chris Brown and his team at Reef Seen Seen Divers’ Divers’ Resort, are examples of how artificial reefs have been able to successfully restore nature’s underwater splendour. Garden of the Gods was an idea conceived some three years ago. Inspired by the Christ of the Abyss statue in Florida, Cassandra Dragon shared her concept with Chris Brown after diving the Underwater Temple Garden. As with all successful projects, the meeting happened over a couple of beers, formalised with a handshake, and the Garden of the Gods project was spawned.
As the name suggests, Garden of the Gods is an underwater garden with statues expressing the Balinese culture by giving reverence to the local folklore and beliefs. The word “garden” is appropriate for the project as it is an artistic garden garden installed installed to grow corals for all of nature to thrive. Indeed, garden projects are important both above and below water, to help nature rebuild. It is also essential that this project benefits the local stakeholders, stakeholders, and respects local religious culture as well as village authorities. With over 40 almost life-size statues, the Garden of the Gods is one of the largest and most ambitious man-made underwater art attractions undertaken in Asia-Pacific. This underwater site is in Pemuteran Bay, about 400 metres in front of the beach at Reef Seen. Inspired by the Balinese legend of Dewata Nawa Sanga, the statues of eight Balinese Gods (Brahma, Rudra, Mahadeva, Sangkara, Vishnu, Vishnu, Sambhu, Iswara, and Mahesora), are set in a circle Bleganjur, musician of the Gods
each positioned according to one of the eight directions of the wind. Shiva, the chief God, is positioned in the centre, sitting on a large turtle (this is in honour of a turtle conservation project in Pemuteran), Ganesha is at Shiva’s left side, together with Balinese musicians and dancers depicting the performance of “Bedawang Taksu” – ‘the spirit of the turtle’ dance, created locally and inspired by Reef Seen Turtle Hatchery and Balinese Dance projects. The four species of turtles found in the area are also represented in the garden, along with stone lamps, fountains and benches. These statues demonstrate that the interaction between man-made art and environmental science forms a complex reef structure over time for marine life to colonize, inhabit and increase biomass on a grand scale. These eventual underwater living sculptures will offer divers a mystical underwater experience of another world where art intertwines and develops from the effects of nature with the efforts of man. One of the greatest benefits of an
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Watch Ocean S
ave Our Seas Fund
artificial reef is that it will reduce marine tourism pressure on existing natural coral reefs, allowing repair, regeneration and recovery from human impact. Garden of the Gods touches all aspects of culture, community and the concept of art serving serving nature. It is what makes art art important for man and nature. The statues are an honourable representation of the local beliefs; local villagers can relate to the garden as it is a part of their cultural heritage. The art is shared with everyone in the community and with anyone visiting. The ocean-loving people of Pemuteran can view their gods and share it with the many tourists who come here to dive. The aesthetics and craftsmanship of the statues is excellent. Each one is meticulously crafted by skilled masons with the detail and symmetry of fine calibre art. These structures not only help regrow corals, they provide protection and a place for fishes and invertebrates to flourish. This project drives home the point that art can be used to drive conservation. From a cultural perspective, the Garden becomes a piece of art that gives back to the people through nature and reverence.
Besides the deployment of the statues, it was crucial to get the local community involved and educated on protecting the reef in the surrounding water along with an emphasis on employing and educating the local local villagers. villagers. This meant meant that the local villagers would benefit and profit from their hard work and patience in protecting, repairing and maintaining maintaining their marine assets. They would have to be responsible for monitoring the existing bio-rock installations, as well as assisting in the construction and maintenance of Garden of the Gods. It is important that the local villagers are the main beneficiaries. Foreign and domestic owned businesses coming into the area must ensure that a large majority of their staff are from the village, and help locally-owned businesses to operate in a manner that will ensure economy and conservation of the area can develop, not just for tourism, but also for education education and sustenance. Only then will the Garden of the Gods be able to serve as an example for other villages to follow. Over the last few years, 20 locals in Pemuteran have been trained as “Reef
Gardeners”. This is a team of young people recruited from the various fishing organizations trained to maintain and protect the reefs of Pemuteran Bay. Bay. They are taught methods of protecting the reefs of the area by removing the crown-ofthorns starfish and the Drupella shell. At the same time, they also learnt to repair broken corals that have been damaged, either by careless boat anchoring, nets, divers or by natural causes. Between 1996 and 1998, over 75,000 crown-ofthorns starfish were removed from the Pemuteran Reefs coupled with the repair of broken corals, effectively hundreds of years of coral growth was saved. Much like gardeners on land, the Reef Gardeners attend to their underwater gardens. The Reef Gardeners are now responsible for the maintenance of the Garden of the Gods. With the fanfare of religious ceremonies, the statues were deployed from the 23 to 29 of May this year. It is the aim of the founders and sponsors of Garden of the Gods to inspire conservation of our seas and communities in Bali and beyond. The reef restoration projects in Pemuteran have provided the younger generation with education and new skills for job placements in the tourism tourism industry. industry.
How you can ADOPT A GOD Your sponsorship helps preserve the future of the environment in Pemuteran, along with the development of the existing positive initiatives that allow the community to manage the destination for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations. One hundred percent of the funds donated go directly to the project. Yo Your ur contribution helps support the recruitment and training of new Reef Gardeners to maintain existing and future projects. OceanNEnvironment is proud to adopt the Garden of the Gods into the Ocean Geographic – Save Our Seas program. You can help by sponsoring one of the statues in the garden and/or make a donation to help train new Reef Gardeners. Email:
[email protected] or
[email protected] Statue Sponsors Chris Brown : Paul Brown : Michael AW : Emily Chan : Datuk Dr Saw Huat Seong Wyland: Sven Fautz : Cassandra Dragon : Luisa Sacerdote : Tracey Jennings : Georginne Bradley : Jay Ireland : Larry McKenna : Paul Turley : Keiron Keene : Amanda & Adrian : Paul Tanner : Siva Shanker : Tommy & Carla Hughes Ocean Geographic Society : Ocean Artists Society : Sea Gods Wetsuit 66
The Garden of the Gods –
Ar t Se rv in g Na tu re
DR. HANNY BATUNA A Man of the Ocean “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.” —Albert Pines—
Essay ” I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but PEOPLE WILL NEVER FORGET HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.”
—Maya Angelou— DR. HANNY BATUNA WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMAN; a Hero of North Sulawesi, a Hero of the Sea. He was an adventurer; always curious, intrinsically drawn to the ocean and what it holds; he was happy going where no one else had gone before. The joy of exploration drove him to venture beyond whatever risks and dangers there may be.
1978, in a YMCA open water course while he was on post-doctorate study in New Orleans. Determined to share his piece of heaven with expat friends; Dr. Batuna started NDC, the first dive centre in North Sulawesi in 1981. Unfortunately, he was
He was a visionary who saw the prospect and potential of Manado – training new divers, sharing the splendour of Bunaken Marine Park which he has helped protect and share with the world, not as a business but as an avenue for people to enjoy the gifts of the sea. He was a healer, who tended to the sick throughout the day and night. He was a courageous professional – he was instrumental in bringing in a decompression chamber to Manado, not just for decompression sickness but for treatment of other illnesses as well. Dr. Batuna was a quiet achiever, an honest gentleman who enjoyed pursuing causes he believed in rather than for glamour or expectation of any recognition.
I remembered Dr. Batuna took me for my first dive at Bunaken Marine Park. He showed me the abyssal wall of Lekuan One; that wall was adorned with over hanging soft corals and golden sea fans. In just a couple of days, he introduced me to an underwater paradise so lush and bountiful, bountiful, with reef fishes and sea turtles, that I thought it was a heaven on earth.
Dr. Batuna and Michael AW at Murex circa 1996
Dr. Batuna first scuba dived in the early 1970s; with a curious mind and buddies of pearl divers, he explored Manado Bay in search of pearls. The equipment they received from the local traders was comprised of double hose regulators, harness and tanks with J valves. There was no buoyancy buoyancy device (BCD), no depth gauge, pressure gauge or wet suits. Fins only came much later. After several hundred dives, Dr. Batuna finally got to use a horse collar BCD in
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Dr Hanny Batuna, A Man of the Ocean
I am blessed to have met Dr. Batuna in 1988 in Chumphon – we were both candidates at a NAUI diving instructor program. We We hit it off instantly and it was then that Ineke and Dr. Batuna invited me to Manado. However, as a high-flying advertising professional, I had absolutely no idea where Manado was. In 1992, after retiring from the world of advertising, I finally visited Dr. Batuna at Murex Dive Resort, and my life was changed forever.
ripped off by his local partner. Undeterred, he opened up Murex Dive Resort in November 1987, setting the course for Bunaken to become one of the top diving destinations destinations on our planet. It was in those early years that Dr. Gerry Allen, PhD, an ichthyologist, came and dived with Dr. Batuna. After being introduced to the diversity of Manado Bay and Bunaken, Gerry promoted the area in scientific circles and would return many times.
I was then only an unqualified novice underwater photographer. With tenuous confidence, I asked if I could stay to make more pictures for a book about Bunaken. Of course, at that time I had no idea how to write or produce a book, but it seemed like a good idea, not to mention a great excuse to remain in paradise. Dr. Dr. Batuna and his wife Ineke were generous, welcoming me with open arms and sort of adopted me into the family. I ended up staying for eight months in the loft of the dining area at Murex Resort. ‘Beneath Bunaken’ was finally published in 1993. The Governor of North Sulawesi and Mayor of Manado bought thousands of copies. The Minister of Tourism, Joop Ave, Ave, used ‘Beneath Bunaken’ Bunaken’ in his trade mission around the world and also as a Gift of State at the Asia-Pacific
Economic Co-operation Conference of 1994. Silk Air bought hundreds of copies, and started direct flights from Singapore to Manado in 1994. In plain words, my career was launched all because of Dr Batuna’s faith in me, and the rest is history. I remember going out on the maiden voyage of the MV Serenade, Serenade, the first live-aboard in North Sulawesi built by Dr. Batuna, in 1992. Our journey was to the Togean Islands in Central Sulawesi. There were several chickens on the back deck of the vessel. As we returned from a dive each evening, I noticed there would be one bird less on the deck. When I asked Dr. Batuna what happened, he told me that it had gone to chicken heaven. In the years to come, we made several more exploratory expeditions on the Serenade to Sangie and Talaud, Halmerhera and we returned to the Togean a few times. He showed me several amazing reefs he had previously discovered, underwater volcanoes volcanoes and wrecks, and we also explored many new ones. Dr. Batuna was an adventurer. In my first trip to Manado, together we salvaged the telegraph off the Molas wreck. In 1993, he brought me to explore Lembeh Strait - that was way before it became world famous. We found loads of nudibranchs, and other strange critters we had never seen before. Then Kungkungan Bay Resort was established in 1994 and again, history was made. Dr. Batuna was also a dedicated healer. With a small boat, he often visited remote villages in outlying islands, moving from village to village village to promote promote healthy healthy living living and give free medication. His daughter, Angelique, Angelique, has said that although he owned a private practice, he was not
Batunai damselfish ( Amblygly phidod on batun ai) – named after Dr. Batuna by Dr. Gerry Allen, PhD
a good businessman; he would accept payment with bananas and other crops, sometimes none. Ibu Batuna was the one that kept the business going. In his gentle demeanour, he demonstrated a quiet authority over his staff and crew, and I admired his kindness towards the local villagers we visited in our travels. I feel honoured and privileged to have known and spent time with Dr. Batuna. He has taught me well. I am glad that he had been recognised with the Ocean Geographic Hero of the Sea award in 2011, a well-deserved recognition for a modest visionary who ignited the spark that has made Manado a premier dive destination worldwide.
Dr. Batuna, your legacy remains and you live on through many of us. You You live on in our ocean; I will smile each time I see you through colonies of Acropora batunai, a very beautiful staghorn coral named after you by Dr. Carden Wallace. You were there when we first discovered the species in the Togean Island in 1997. Each time I return to the sea, I shall also look forward to swim among swarms of Batunai damselfish ( Amblyglyphidodon batunai), the damselfish named after you by Dr. Gerry Allen, PhD. From the depth of the ocean and the bottom of my heart, I thank you for inspiring love for our ocean, our families and friends. Michael AW
DR. BATUNA WAS A VISIONARY WHO SAW THE PROSPECT OF BUNAKEN – sharing the splendour of the
marine park which he has lobbied to protect with the world, as a destination for people to enjoy the gifts of the sea.
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Essay
Acropora batun ai, a very beauti ful stag horn coral named after Dr. Batuna by Dr. Carden Walllace, PhD. Pic by Paul Muir.
The fact that Hanny – a highly educated doctor of medicine - was willing to also change the oil on the engine or haul up dive gear on to the beach was something that quietly impressed his staff in a way no other "boss" had ever done. IF ONLY OUR CURRENT WORLD LEADERS SHOWED THE SAME DEGREE OF HUMILITY HUMILITY,, GENEROSITY AND RESPECT FOR ALL, OUR PLANET WOULD BE A VER VERY Y DIFFERENT PLACE. PLACE.
I
first met Hanny Batuna in 1993, as a graduate student coming to North Sulawesi to investigate climate change signals in long-lived coral skeletons. Though our main area of work was to be the Sangihe-Talaud Archipelago, Archipelag o, MUREX served as a comfortable base at the start and end of the 3-week expedition, and my strongest memories of the trip were of the generosity and warmth of Hanny and Ineke. I had spent the past two years of my PhD work living in the relative austerity of a small fishing village island in South Sulawesi. The verdant paradise of the MUREX estate, with excellent homecooking and family aura engendered by the Batunas, immediately made me want to uproot myself and relocate to Manado. The ongoing push to conserve the stunning reefs of Bunaken National Park, inspired by Hanny's dedicated efforts of more than a decade at that point, was an eye-opener to me; my experience with reef management in Indonesia then consisted only of watching my Makassarese neighbours spreading their sea charts on a table and planning their next 1–3 month bomb-and-cyanide fishing voyage! Four years later, later, I made that move. In 1997, my wife Arnaz and I, spent the latter half of our honeymoon at MUREX, and began preparing to move over to Bunaken Island. I eagerly listened to Hanny and Ineke speak of the history of Bunaken and the challenges facing it, and 70
Dr Hanny Batuna, A Man of the Ocean
their opinions on important next steps for conservation work and managing marine tourism in Bunaken. Those talks (and many subsequent ones with their daughter Angelique and son in law Danny) served largely as my initial schooling in marine conservation, and I've drawn on those lessons and perspectives ever since, applying them also to my work in Raja Ampat and and the Bird's Head Head Seascape Seascape over the past decade. Over the next seven years, we lived in North Sulawesi. Hanny and Ineke welcomed us like family into the extended Batuna clan. When Arnaz was pregnant with our first two children, they insisted that we spend the last few weeks of both of her pregnancies at MUREX whilst awaiting labour, and our kids have long looked at the Batunas as their Indonesian family. Indeed, my fondest memories of North Sulawesi are of attending Batuna clan get-togethers - weddings, birthdays, Christmas parties and visits to Hanny's farm in Wowontulap. Always the humble and soft-spoken gentleman, Hanny nonetheless commanded the utmost respect and adoration of the younger Batunas (children, nephews, nieces, grandchildren and in-laws). Paired with the flair and sophistication (but nononsense pragmatic leadership) of Ineke, they were a model couple presiding over a storybook-like extended family whose closeness was unlike anything I had ever experienced in the U.S. Though I doubt I will ever be half as successful, I resolved to try to create in my own family, that same tight-knit atmosphere of warmth and
respect that Hanny and Ineke engendered in their family. The other aspect of Hanny's character that left a lasting impression on me was his quiet and confident style of leadership. His staff, of which there were many (from farm hands to dive guides to boat drivers and cooks), unanimously had an enormous amount of respect for Dr. Batuna and showed a dedication to and trust in him that was without parallel in my experience. Over the years of watching their interactions, it became clear to me that he commanded such respect from them precisely because of the generosity and respect he showed to all, and his willingness to take on any task. I am quite sure that for many of his staff, the fact that Hanny - a highly educated and worldtravelled doctor of medicine - was willing to also change the oil on the engine or haul up dive gear on to the beach was something that quietly impressed them in a way no other "boss" had ever done. If only our current world leaders showed the same degree of humility, generosity and respect for all, our planet would be a very different different place. place. Indonesia, and indeed our Ocean Planet, has truly lost a "Hero of the Sea". Hanny will be greatly missed, but as Michael Aw eloquently notes in his eulogy, eulogy, his spirit and teachings live on – in his children, grandchildren, and the many, many lives he touched during a long and remarkable life. Farewell, Dr Batuna. Mark Erhmann PhD
I truly believe that a legacy of this generosity is a joyful and caring attitude to the ocean that WE SHOULD
STRIVE TO MAINTAIN IN HIS MEMORY. I first met Dr Hanny and Mrs Ineke Butuna in 1994, the second year of what was to become a 20-year enchantment with Indonesian coral reefs. Introduced by Michael Aw, I was astonished to make the acquaintance of such an erudite and respected medical practitioner, practitioner, who had also quite clearly devoted his life to the sport and science of diving! More than this, Hanny and Mrs Batuna held nightly court with a diverse assemblage of divers from around the world, in their tranquil and beautiful dive resort MUREX; they even ran their own live-aboard – theirs was a life deeply connected with the ocean. Dr Batuna was described to me as one of the pioneers of diving diving in Indonesia. Indonesia. I believe that he was paramount in setting standards for dive safety and dive medicine and protocols for the operation of dive teams, while at the same time setting an environmental ethic that has had a strong and continuing influence on the dive industry throughout Indonesia. His generous spirit has been remarked upon by many, and I truly believe that a legacy of this generosity is a joyful and caring attitude to the marine environment that we should strive to maintain in his memory. I look back in gratitude at the wonderful underwater sights revealed to me under Dr Batuna’s guidance – ash slopes and underwater volcanos in Sangihe-Talaud, unique coral faunas of the mysterious Togian Islands, wash-pool headlands in the North Sulawesi peninsula, miniature jewel-creatures jewel-creatures in the Lembeh Straits and the magnificent coral walls of Bunaken. Many of these contributed names to new species of staghorn corals, but the gorgeous Togian Islands table-coral Acropora batunai will always remind me of wonderful trips on the MV Serenade, nights spent in the fine company of the MUREX mob and an exemplary and much treasured Indonesian citizen and man of the sea, Dr Hanny Batuna.
I reminisced about the thrill, my sister and I did not feel scared nor did we panic – it was as if
WITH OUR FA FATHER HOLDING OUR HANDS, WE WERE INVINCIBLE. INVIN CIBLE. What made my father a great man? It was his acts of kindness, his integrity, his genuine care for others, his passion for the environment, and his love to his family. He was a man of few words, yet meaningfully meaningfully communicative. communicative. His departure left a profound sadness, his presence deeply missed. My father had always been my role model, my rock and my hero. I learned generosity, kindness, a love for nature and the outdoors from this wonderful man. A medical doctor by training, my father was a general practitioner who specialized in the treatment of tuberculosis. His encounters with many coastal people fuelled a desire to help cure them of this disease. He had a private practice established at the front part of our modest family home in Manado. Some of his patients were farmers farmers and and fishermen fishermen from remote villages with little means. They would bring their harvest as payments for medicine and consultation, and would travel the great distances with sacks of bananas, sometimes cassavas, and filled his waiting room with anticipation and hope. He gave them the same attentive care and respect, listened closely to their troubles and treated their illnesses. On my travels to these tiny villages years later, later, I would come across people that had received his kindness and it always touched me how fondly he was remembered. So true, the quote from the author Maya Angelou,” I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” His work for the health department often took him to remote places to distribute medicine to the government clinics. With his interest in nature and the underwater life, he would happily do these trips and took his family along with him. Some of these trips were journeys by boats or by
four-wheel drive jeeps on damaged roads, crossing rivers with washed out bridges. This way, he fostered the love of nature and adventure early on in our childhood. My father’s zest for adventure and marine exploration led him to be a pioneer scuba diver in North Sulawesi. When he founded Murex Dive Resort with my mother, my siblings and I went through SCUBA certification and were hooked on the sport as well. One dive I did together with my father and my sister Angelique, was at Ron’s Point at Bunaken. This dive spot is notorious for strong currents. The dive started off with a gentle current along the wall but then the current became stronger, changed directions and swept us off the wall. Suddenly we were in the middle of a downward spiral current. I remember seeing my depth gauge fall from 18 to 30 metres within seconds. My sister, dad and I held hands and started finning furiously toward the surface. We held on to each other with my father right there keeping us calm and assured until we surfaced. We talked about that dive later and still reminisce about the thrill, my sister and I did not feel scared nor did we panic it was as if with our father holding our hands, we were invincible. My parents shared a spiritual bond and were in love with each other till the very end. My father loved to surprise my mother with presents; my siblings and I quickly learned to recognize his giddy smile when he was hiding something special. He overflowed with love for my mother and his family and we were ever so blessed because of him. My father’s tender smile is what I remember most. He left too soon, but I know he lives on in me, in my children, in the ocean he helped protect, and in the many people whose lives he helped change for the better. I love you, Papa. Arlene Batuna
Carden Wallace PhD
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in Lembeh Essay & Photographs by Mike Scotland
MICHAEL AW
Essay
DARWIN HAD AL ALW WAYS REGA REGARDE RDED D WALL WALLACE ACE AS THE CO-AUTHOR CO-AUTHOR OF EVOLUTION EVOLUTION.. He used Wallace’ Wallace’ss collections and an d eld notes for much of his research. THESE LEGENDS OF SCIENCE HAD
ENORMOUS ENTHUSIASM, AND POSSESSED POWERS OF OBSERV OB SERVA ATION AND DEDUCTIO D EDUCTION N THAT THA T WERE SECOND TO NONE. If SCUBA had been available then, Darwin’s Darwin’s HMS Beagle would be full of sh tanks; Wallace’ allace’ss famous collection of eighty thousand t housand beetles beet les would be thirty thousand gobies, and the British Museum would be full of South East Asia’s marine critters.
C
harles Darwin
and snorkelling was rare in 1855. Can you
wrasse are a perfect example of adaptive
and
imagine what they would have written
radiation.
Alfred
W a l l a c e
about if SCUBA had existed then?
were two of the
Today, there are millions of well-informed
greatest
I can only imagine what it would be like
naturalists who love the sea. SCUBA
minds of the
if they were alive today and enrolled in
is a great example of new technology
nineteenth
a scuba diving course. They would most
opening the door to new discoveries. The
century. I feel
likely be chattering away in excited voices
growth of knowledge that we are all a
for them because they missed the best
after their first dive: What about the rays
part of is inspiring. inspiring. In the last forty years,
of the Galapagos and South East Asia –
and sharks? I wonder if they have a
our knowledge of the sea has exploded
beneath the waves. Unfortunately
common ancestor. Those eight species of
exponentially.
for
them, SCUBA had not been invented then
THE NEW AGE OF EXPLORATION
74
Darwin and Wallace were heroes in the
the
the
in Sydney, just a few kilometres from
great age of exploration; twenty-first
Australasian Australasian landmasses. However, there
my home. I had delighted in discovering
century naturalists are all players in the
is no true Wallace line under the sea. This
these beauties in Lembeh just weeks
exploration of the world’s underwater
geographical barrier is irrelevant for most
before.
wilderness. It gives us hope that all
sea creatures. I marvel at the species of
divers can raise the consciousness of the
fish and sea slugs from Lembeh that are
I regard Lembeh Strait as nature’s Noah’s
human race and save the seas for future
not uncommon in Australian waters.
Ark. All manner of marine life reside
generations to enjoy.
The list includes cornetfish, frogfish,
here in a condensed version of the best
aeolid sea slugs, coral banded shrimps
that South East Asia has to offer; an
Lembeh Strait is right on the Wallace
and many more. Recently, we have been
underwater zoo filled with an incredible
line. This deep-water boundary separates
photographing photographing convict gobies right here
biodiversity biodiversity of marine life.
A Naturalist in Lembeh
Malaysian
archipelago
and
The sunset’s burnt orange and mauve hues created a mellow feel as we geared up. We head down to the dark volcanic sand sea floor just seven metres below. It appeared barren for a brief moment and then, I spotted a beautiful mimic octopus. The excitement had begun! I followed John down to 15 metres and within within a few minutes, we had a stunning one metre Bobbit worm. Its head was 20 centimetres out of its burrow waiting in ambush for its dinner. I photographed it left, right and close up, fascinated by its terrifying jaws and shimmering body. I could imagine the excruciating pain if the worm decided to bite me. John found a baitfish and steered it towards the Bobbit worm with his metre long reef stick. The Bobbit worm took the scent. I pre-focussed, making sure that I had the baitfish in focus and room for the Bobbit worm to enter the viewfinder. The monster struck with lightning speed! I pressed the shutter as soon as I could. I had missed it completely! The worm had caught the fish and dragged it into Bobbit worm ( Eunic e aphrod itois) itois) feeding. Lembeh St. North Sulawesi
its burrow within a few hundredths of a second. My reflexes operate only within MICHAEL AW AW
mere tenths of a second. I was out of my league in the lightning-fast game
LETHAL CARNIVOROUS BOBBIT WORMS
of survival in the sea. All I managed to photograph photograph was a cloud cloud of sand. sand. We tried again on another night. John
One of the most dramatic critters that I
my dive guide, John, if we could find
steered a larger fish toward the Bobbit
encountered in Lembeh Strait was the
the Bobbit worm and maybe even feed
worm. It opened its deadly jaws wider
Bobbit worm ( Eunice aphroditis). They
it. John is an excellent dive guide with
and struck with the same lightning speed.
are, without a doubt, the most efficient
intricate knowledge of the seventy dive
This time, the worm had to strike several
predator
sites in Lembeh, making him an invaluable
times to catch its dinner so I could take
asset for divers.
a few shots. It was a gruesome display of
of
the
segmented
worms.
Annelids have have two main classes. The first
predatory power. power. The Bobbit Bobbit worm is one
includes earthworms and leeches. The other consists of polychaetes or bristle
He replies, “No promises, we will try a
of the most efficient killers I have ever
worms. Bobbit worms are the biggest and
dive site called ‘Retak Larry’ tonight.” We
seen; the double clamp jaw of the worm is
most ferocious of the polychaetes.
motor off from Dabirahe Resort into the
an adaptation suited to its killer lifestyle.
sunset, heading north for Retak village.
Watching this ferocious predator in action
They are highly photogenic with their
This dive site was named in honour of
is a brilliant example of natural selection.
iridescent shiny bodies and fearsome
Larry Smith, an American critter finder
jaws. During my stay at Lembeh, I asked
who was famously known as ‘King of the Critter Hunters’ before he died. OG Issue 29 : 07/2014
75
Essay
Crab with eggs
NATURAL SELECTIO SE LECTION N IN SHRIMPS… OVERCOMING THE ODDS. ODDS. Crustaceans are a great case in point
During
that
segment from the front; males release
to illustrate natural selection. It seems
everything was breeding; every crab and
sperm from the eighth segment. The
crustaceans are in the middle of every
shrimp had loads of eggs. Lembeh was
male will place a sperm packet inside the
food chain in the sea. They are a major
like an underwater maternity hospital. I
female’s vulva, and she will then use it to
food
spent a lot of time exploring soft coral
fertilise her eggs over the next few weeks.
trees. With John’s help, I photographed
I spotted hundreds of shrimp eggs under
cowries, soft coral crabs, porcelain crabs,
her tail. Crabs devote a lot of energy to
alpheid shrimps and gobies on these
reproduction. The female crab not only
Dendronepthya corals.
carries the fertilized eggs, she regularly
source
for
most
carnivores
–
everything eats them! Predators,
small
and
large,
gorge
themselves on crustaceans all day, every
my
stay,
it
seemed
day. Just how do crustaceans survive
76
fans them with fresh oxygenated water
against these incredible odds? The answer
Prawns, shrimp, lobsters and crabs are
of course, is via mass reproduction.
decapods
“Make more babies!” is the war cry of the
Alpheid shrimps, like all of the decapods decapods
crustaceans.
have ovaries with vulvas on the sixth
A Naturalist in Lembeh
i.e.
ten-legged
crustaceans.
to help their development.
Zebra crab
THE STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL SURVIVAL IN ZEBRA CRABS Zebra crabs can be found on the toxic and
Under the flap, females have five pairs
ovulates, she releases a pheromone into
elusive sea urchins. They have adopted
of hairy appendages. She glues her
the water. Males detect this ‘perfume’
the same cryptic colouration as their host,
eggs to these appendages, protecting
and come running to her side. She, of
giving them the perfect camouflage. One
them with her broad flap. Males on the
course, cannot mate until she moults.
sea urchin had three large zebra crabs on
other hand, have only two pairs of these
Mother Nature has given female crabs
it. Both females were heavily pregnant –
appendages as the other three pairs
the ability to synchronise egg fertility and
I could see her broad female abdominal
have completely degenerated. These two
moulting. Males have special claspers to
flap protecting hundreds of eggs.
remaining appendages are the equivalent
restrain the females. They can be seen
of crab penises and have been modified to
coupled together for up to two days until
Crabs have tiny abdomens, probably
transfer a sperm packet into the female
her old shell is shed. During this time,
making up only two percent of their total
crabs’ vulva.
she is vulnerable to predators. Males will
body mass (they are all chest and head).
protect her and defend her from predators predators
Female crabs have broad abdominal flaps
Crustaceans have a sense of smell that
while those in males are very narrow.
rival that of sharks. When the female
for a few days until her shell hardens.
OG Issue 29 : 07/2014
77
Essay
MANTIS SHRIMPS AND THE WHEEL OF KARMA
F
emale mantis shrimps use
them until they hatch to increase their
their
chances of survival.
to
front
carry
appendages
thousands
of
eggs in a ball, where she
The wheel of karma however, turns the
protects them until they
tide once these mantis shrimps grow into
hatch. Their eggs and larvae are highly
adults. They turn into one of the most
prized by predators, all of which devour
ferocious predators on the reefs eating
eggs by the millions – few eggs actually
everything from lionfish to puffer fish
survive to adult hood. A mother mantis
and even the deadly blue ring octopus,
shrimp knows that her eggs will be eaten
by literally punching (or slashing) their
immediately once she lets them go, so
lights out.
she must remain vigilant and hold on to Mantis shrimp
CARDINAL CARDINAL FISH FI SH New Born he next dive,
progeny. progeny. They They were were guarding guarding the breeding
a photograph of the eggs being expelled
I
male, presumably prepared to sacrifice
from its mouth, hatching larval fish. It was
their lives to protect him!
all over within seconds – the large mass
a
noticed group
six
of
cardinal
of eggs was expelled. I would have missed
fish. A single
On a night dive, my dive guide John
this very rare event twice over except
male,
with
became very excited. He urged me to
for the persistence of my excellent dive
enlarged
photograph photograph a small cardinal fish. I took
guide. I did feel a little silly!
jaws, had eggs
a fleeting photo and was about to move
in its mouth.
on. John made it very clear that I had to
My buddy on this dive was Godlife, an
As I tried to
look again. It was a male with eggs in its
excellent local underwater photographer.
get some photographs, I quickly realized
mouth. I photographed the eggs and again
He said he had been waiting for this
that the other five were females and only
was about to move on.
opportunity for many years and had never
the
the male had the enlarged jaw, specially
78
seen it. His camera was playing up and
adapted for mouth brooding of eggs. The
John was gesticulating gesticulating excitedly. excitedly. So I
he was so distraught that he was joking
females were preventing me from getting a
turned back to take a closer look at the
about being in tears. I realized I had just
clear shot. I was observing a group of fish
cardinal fish again. I could not believe
had a golden moment. Right time, right
cooperating to ensure the safety of their
it! The eggs in its mouth were actually
place, right camera lens. Sometimes you
hatching. I quickly settled in to coordinate
can be lucky!
A Naturalist in Lembeh
FLAMBOYANT
CUTTLEFISH HATCHLINGS We found a single flamboyant cuttlefish egg in a bivalve shell. By a stroke of luck, John was able to get it to hatch right before my camera! I had my 105 mm macro lens with a close-up wet lens on – perfect for photographing the birth of
The Dr.
world
expert
on
cephalopods,
Mark Norman from Australia, has
confirmed
that
flamboyant
cuttlefish
possess a powerful powerful toxin. It is not
this flamboyant cuttlefish. The shots were
tetrodotoxin like the blue ring octopus
satisfactory, but I knew I could do better!
but a completely new, equally powerful toxin. The flesh of this sepia is inedible. At
A few days later later,, John found another shell with thirteen ripe eggs! We had a golden opportunity. I could see fully developed six
millimetre
flamboyant
cuttlefish
one second after birth, they were making bright displays to warn off predators. These toxic hatchlings can therefore survive in open water.
moving inside the eggs. When the eggs were gently touched, the juvenile used its tail spike to puncture a hole in the egg,
This is a brilliant example of an adaptation to survive the extreme environmental
squeezed out half way and then seemed to
pressure of predation. predation. Survival of the
give up and stopped. Then with a sudden
fittest here means the hatchlings have the
surge of energy, popped out and swam
protection protection of toxins and they also have
off. Its first reaction was to adopt the attack posture and flash its bright colours at me. Beautiful!
fully functioning chromatophores from birth.
We
observed
an
adult
flambuoyant
cuttlefish ( Metasepia pfefferi) feeding. They have eight legs and two hectocotylus tentacles, which are twice as long and these are used for feeding and mating. First, they extend their long feeding tentacles towards their prey. Seemingly taking aim and judging the distance of the strike. Next, the hectocotylus is fully retracted. Then, they strike with full speed. The prey fish (they like fish) is grasped in a split second and delivered into the beak of the cuttlefish. Cuttlefish usually use the beak to cut the fish just behind its head to sever their spinal cord in a single bite. Like all molluscs, the fish is shredded using the flesh-rasping tooth known as the radula, before swallowing smaller pieces of fish.
Flamboyant cuttlefish
OG Issue 29 : 07/2014
79
Essay
RHINOPIAS SCORPIONFISH I had to wait until the 11th day of my trip to find a Rhinopias scorpionfish. These fish specialize in mimicking the colour and texture of the leather coral, Sarcophyton. I took plenty of photos of my Rhinopias from every angle. However, I was thinking about the other night’s dive with the Bobbit worm. As soon as I got
The Rhinopias struck with lightning
back in the boat, I said to my dive guide,
speed and gulped down half the fish. It
“John, I think that Rhinopias is hungry.”
took a moment to rest then gulped down some more. At the end, a huge bulge in
prey was the the same same size size as the frogfish. frogfish. The
Rhinopias often stay put for days. That
the stomach could be seen. It was in the
frogfish might look cute but it is one of the
night, we managed to relocate the lethal
shape of a fish! A large fish tail was poking
most lethal killers in the ocean. It ate the
predator by looking at the depth contour
out of its mouth for minutes.
fish although it took a few minutes to get it
near our prime site.
all in. Both predators have an expandable
John brought a
fusilier close to the Rhinopias. The prey
We repeated the same feeding technique
stomach – a necessary adaptation for
was two-thirds the size of the predator.
with a frogfish one night. This time, the
gorging on enormous meals.
Rhinopias eyeing its next meal.
80
A Naturalist in Lembeh
CRYPTIC CAMOUFLAGE AND WARNING WARNING COLOURS COLOURS I would like to think that many divers
mimicking
flatworms,
leatherjackets
Wallace was the first to explain the
are well–versed (or at least have an
(filefish) mimicking Valentine’s puffer
significance of bright colours to warn
interest) in marine biology and evolution.
fish and even hybridization of species
birds not to eat toxic caterpillars. Warning
We regularly see the effects of natural
of angelfish. The sea is a paradise for
colouration is far more common in the
selection when sharks clean up sick,
students of evolution and Lembeh is a
sea. Lionfish show off their bright colours
injured fish. We see the bright colouration
special Garden of Eden where divers can
to warn preditors about their toxic spines.
of flatworms and nudibranchs warning fish
see real magic in the waters.
that they are toxic. We see nudibranchs
Bright colours in marine animals like the nudibranch and pygmy seahorse warn predators of thir toxicity
OG Issue 29 : 07/2014
81
Essay
WALLACE WROTE ABOUT HIS CONCERN WALLACE WITH WHA WHAT T HE REGARDED THEN AS THE IMPENDING CALAMITY ON OUR PLANET: deforestation and its damaging effects. These days, it has become an even greater threat to the planet. CLIMATE TE My view about ANTHROPOGENIC CLIMA CHANGE IS THAT DEFORESTATION IS THE ELEPHANT IN THE CUPBOARD THAT IS EQUAL TO CARBON DIOXIDE OUTPUT. Wee all need to go and plant a tree every week. The two W culprits are the chainsaw and the internal combustion machine.
I make no bones about it. I am a fan of
When we venture underwater, we can
about the variety of butterfly fish derived
Wallace. He wrote books on thedistribution distributi on
see the marvels of adaptive radiation radiation that
from a common ancestor.
of animals across continents, and is
so captivated Darwin in the Galapagos
only 22 years old when he sailed on the
considered the father of Zoogeography,
Islands. Darwin’s finches are the textbook
Beagle for his five-year round-the-world
the geographical distribution of life. He
example used to teach millions about how
trip. Wallace was in his late twenties; he
observed geographical boundaries and
finches adapted to survive in ecological
did fourteen years of field research.
the effect of isolation on species. He
niches
speculated on pressures that created
developing anatomically different beaks.
If Darwin and Wallace were alive today,
change in species. The basic premise
This meant that finches could survive
they would surely be avid scuba divers,
of evolution is that species change over
on different diets and not compete with
possibly your buddy buddy on the dive boat. You You
time.
Wallace developed the idea of
each other for the same food source.
could tell them about your underwater
natural selection independently and did
Each species developed a niche in which
adventures and discuss the survival of the
many more years of field research than
it could survive and proliferate, avoiding
hairy sea hare and its cryptic camouflage.
Darwin did. Darwin regarded Wallace as
competition.
They
in
differing
environments
Darwin was
by
one of the foremost thinkers on evolution
would
delight
in
seeing
collection of underwater photographs
of the nineteenth century. They were co–
We see many examples of this grand idea
and marine discoveries. After each dive,
authors of these concepts.
at Lembeh that clearly illustrate this point.
you would be engrossed in a sparkling
Darwin’s lecture could well have been
conversation
involving
some
of
greatest scientific ideas of all time.
About the author Mike Scotland learned to dive in 1976 and became a Padi Instructor in 1982. After having having taught actively for many many years, years, he he developed developed the Marine Biology for Scuba Divers course twenty years ago. He loves to teach the anatomy of
marine life. He is a BSc in Maths and Zoology. His first underwater camera was a Nikonos II but he is currently using a Nikon D200 in a Nexus Housing with two Inon strobes.
Mike Mike Scotland Scotland www.mikescotlandscuba.com 82
your
A Naturalist in Lembeh
the
“
”
Lionel Unch (Harvard University Summer School 2013)
Essay by Nancy Merridew
Essay
Y
OU ARE ABOUT
Lionel slaughters freely but is always
CAROLYN MANNING’S FLIP
TO
in the cross hairs. His eyes scan for the
FLOPS
SERIAL KILLER
shadows of octopuses, fish and seals
THE
– Lionel Unch. A quick,
who could snap him right up. Encased
at the Harvard Summer Farmers’ Market.
clean kill is not his style;
in an olive polychrome armour, streaked
Her toenail polish gleamed scarlet, uniting
instead, he dismembers
orange, teal and maroon, with matching
the colour theme of her cotton singlet and
victims and devours them alive. alive. However, However,
gargantuan claws, Lionel’s exoskeleton
the procession of lobsters that decorated
Lionel is not depraved and his struggle
has saved him more than once. But his
her white sandal straps. Each of those flip
to survive reflects the ordeal of all living
shell has no defence against parasites
flop lobsters was around an inch long –
beings. Not so long ago, Lionel was the
and bacteria. If lobsters could talk,
the same size Lionel had been when he
guest of honour at a neighbourhood feast.
Lionel would probably agree that life
first swam out of the plankton. Of course,
Claws snapping away like castanets, he
is precarious, and that only one thing is
back then, he was not scarlet.
jigged his eight other legs in delight and
certain, as the Fight Club adage goes, “on
scuttled through an entrance tunnel.
a large enough timeline, the survival rate
Behind Carolyn’s right shoulder, pastry
Lionel’s long antennae whipped through
for everyone drops to zero.”
seller Ben Van Meter reflected how, at
MEET
A
the royal blue netting rope as he tore flesh
★★★★★
from the corpse.
FLAGSTONES
another time, Lionel’s status might have
BULGED AS HE HAULED THE
days, lobsters were everywhere, like a plague of “insects from the bottom of the
– he is a lobster of the North American
TRAP ONTO THE DECK . Sorting
ocean,” shunned by all but the very poor.
Atlantic, Homarus americanus. Lionel
the catch, he was careful to avoid the
But with overfishing came scarcity, he
never knew his father; his mother left
lobster handshake – years ago one
said, and lobster became the food of the
straight after Lionel hatched from the
had got him right in the webbing of
rich.
safety of her tail’s wide crook. Around
his thumb and forefinger, and he never
seven years ago, as a metanauplius larva,
forgot the introduction. Manning was a
It was coming up to Fourth of July – a big
he entered the harrowing Planktonic
Massachusetts lobsterman; since he was
time of year for cookouts and lobster was
Development Club. Predators ate most
a boy he had loved Hull, loved being on
popular. popular. On Carolyn’s Carolyn’s stall table, right next
of Lionel’s several thousand siblings but
the water and loved lobster. That fine
to a whopping dried claw, shell crackers
he survived the next few larval cycles,
white 42-foot boat, the Carolyn M, was
sold for US$3. Stainless steel scales
metamorphosed to his current scorpion-
named after his wife. When they married,
gleamed on the red-and-white checkered
like form, then descended to a new life
his business became a family affair – C&C
tablecloth, ready to be crowned with
on the sea floor. So far he had beaten the
Manning Lobster and Fish. Carolyn knew
crustaceans. Lionel had weighed in on
odds.
it inside out. So did CJ, their youngest of
another set at 1.5 pounds – a long way off
four kids. At 10 years old, CJ wanted to
the titanic 44-pound lobster world record.
Lionel’s shorter antennae seek out meals
grow up like his dad, with his own 12-foot
Carolyn had sold two of her steamed
for his versatile palate. Breakfast might
boat to play on, and his very own little
lobsters that day, shrouded in foil, at
be a starfish – ambushed as she slides
lobster trap on board.
US$10 each. Other customers preferred
along a crevice, using his cutter claw to
★★★★★
amputate her arms then shred them into morsels. Supper might be a sea urchin
to steam their own but welcomed cooking advice.
LIONEL SPENT HIS LAST NIGHT
– their needled patches fall away, like a
with other lobsters suspended in a yellow
Beaming, Carolyn shared her recipe: Boil
Mohawk being scalped, when his crusher
wire crate off the dock, behind the
4 inches of water, toss in live lobsters
claw flexes. Crack! A mussel’s death throe
Manning family home where his gills were
(they do not need to be covered with
pings through the Atlantic; next stop,
flushed fresh by Hull’s tide.
water), bring it back to the boil then
Lionel’s gullet. Lionel could likely have eaten another lobster or two in his time too.
84
PLAZA
ACROSS
been different. In America’s pioneering CHRIS MANNING’S SHOULDERS
Our killer is well-understood by ecologists
CLICKED
“Lionel Unch”
★★★★★
cook for 14 minutes. When the scarlet metamorphosis occurs, serve with melted
butter and corn on the cob. No seasoning, no garnish.
Van Meter spiced it up. Lobsters are not so passive when it is their turn to play prey, he said. They have been “known to kick off the lid and jump out of the pot.” It is more than a little off-putting when lobsters “scream” while they cook but that sound, he reassured, is just steam escaping the shell. ★★★★★
LIONEL WAS IN THE DARK. Stacked alongside nine companions in the cooler, in relative tranquillity under a damp hessian sack, rubberbands bound their claws. A couple of other lobsters had left earlier and not returned. Lionel might have been wondering what was so good out there, when the lid lifted, light invaded the cooler and a hand plucked Mr L. Unch away.
MichaelAW MichaelAW.com
North American Atlantic lobster, Homaru s americ anus.
About the author Nancy holds three bachelor degrees in Arts (History), Science
(Marine
Biology;
Human
Physiology),
and
Medicine, from Australian universities. In 2013, she completed an intensive Journalism short course at Harvard University, and a Diploma of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in England. Currently working in Australia as a medical doctor, Nancy refuses to let go of her other interests and is thrilled to join the team at Ocean Geographic! Nancy loves nature and geology on all scales – microscopic and colossal – especially fossils, phytoplankton and seaweed. Her favourite topic is the Galápagos Islands. Sir Charles Darwin – epitome of creativity, genius, scientific rigour, humility and endeavour – is her idol. Writing on nature, ecology, history, patient experiences, experiences, public health, infectious diseases and
Nancy Merridew
medical education, Nancy reflects on her global travels, education, work and social life –which deliver extraordinary encounters. OG Issue 29 : 07/2014
85
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Protecting a PHENOMEN PHENOMENO ON The Whale Sharks of Cenderawasih Bay
Essay and Photographs by Michael AW
So journ
T
here are several
Located on the Eastern fringe of the
Like most that came, it was our passion for
places in the world where whale sharks
Indonesian Archipelago, Cenderawasih
sharks that lured us to this remote outpost,
congregate:
Red
Bay is as remote as the Baliem Valley
to document and protect one of our ocean’s
Sea, Galápagos, Belize, the Seychelles,
on the Eastern half of the island of
Western Australia’s Ningaloo reefs, and
New Guinea. The bay itself harbours
Donsol in the Philippines. At each of
substantial secrets to the geological
these locations however, the sharks are
history and tectonic evolution of the
when I had all but an eight-day window
only resident for a period of one to three
region. Geologists established that until
before my next presentation; from London.
months before moving away. Nothing
recent times, the bay was geologically
I flew to Singapore then Jakarta, and several
else in this world compares to the recent
isolated from the flow of the Pacific tides.
domestic flights later, I finally met up with
discovery of the massive congregation of
This isolation has somewhat consecrated
my team in Nabire. It was like going back
whale sharks ( Rhincodon typus ) around
Cenderawasih to be an ancient sea with a
fishing platforms (bagans) in the southern
high percentage of endemic fish and coral
part of Cenderawa Cenderawasih sih Bay Marine Park,
species that are found nowhere else on
in West Papua, Indonesia. Documented
the planet. Conservation International’s
washing lines and dilapidated shacks,
by the fishermen near Kwatisore village,
senior
Allen,
complete with dogs running out to greet
whale sharks can be found simply
an ichthyologist, proclaimed the bay
our aircraft on landing! Our fixer on the
‘hanging around’ their fishing platforms
"the Galápagos of the East” based on
ground, Ronny Rengkung, happened to
throughout the year! This is the only place
documented findings of an "evolutionary
know the local chief of police, so the latter
in the world where you do not have to
cauldron" of new and unique corals,
swim after the sharks – position yourself
shrimps
beneath a bagan and you could have up to
surveys documented 995 species of fish
12 sharks swimming right up to your face.
and over 500 species of corals - about
At the break of dawn the next day, our
Legendary filmmaker and conservationist,
10 times more than the entire Caribbean
convoy of two small fibreglass boats laden
Valerie Valeri e Taylo Taylorr (affectionate (affectionately ly known as
combined!
with camera equipment and dive gear sped
Christmas
Island,
and
fish
Dr.
Gerald
species.
Extensive
exploratory trip) was in November of 2010,
in time; from multi-million-dollar airport terminals to a short airstrip peppered with
picked us up from the airport and made all ground arrangements for our brief sojourn.
the Queen of Sharks), referred to this
across the calm waters of the bay to look
phenomenon phenomen on as the new 8th natural
for the fishing bagans two-and-a-half hours
wonder of our planet. 88
consultant,
most threatened giants. Our first (the
P r o t e c t i n g a P h e n o m e n o n – The Whale Sharks of Cenderawasih Bay
north of Nabire.
One of the many fishing platforms (or bagans as the locals call them) scattered around Cenderawasih Bay.
Cenderawasih Bay is the only place on earth where w here you do not have to swim after the sharks – position yourself beneath the shing platform and you could have
12 SHARKS SWIMMING RIGHT RIG HT UP TO YOUR FACE.
OG Issue 29 : 07/2014
89
So journ It was only in 2009 that we first learnt of the presence of whale sharks in Cenderawasih Bay, and that their
CENDE CE NDERA RAW WASI ASIH H BA BAY Y IS TH THE E FIRST SITE IN THE WORLD
fascination for the fishing platforms (bagans) is much like that of bees to honey. About 23 of these semimobile platforms are located in the vicinity of Kwatisore village at the
TO WITNESS
whale sharks feeding from a shing net.
southern end of the marine park. At dusk, massive nets are lowered beneath these platforms to about 18 metres. Floodlights illuminate the water from the surface to attract millions of ikan puri (three-inch baitfish). In the morning, the nets are raised, bringing up tons of ikan puri. Some are collected collected to be used as bait for bonitos and any excess would be left in the net hanging just beneath the platform. The whale sharks in the bay have learnt to suck these small fishes from the net. Out of amusement or companionship, the fishermen decided to feed buckets of ikan puri to the sharks. The first time we approached a bagan, the fishermen told us there was a shark below. In a flash, we were in the water and found a juvenile about 3 metres in length. We were not satisfied – one small shark was not good enough! We bounced back into the boat and headed to the next bagan. There, we were told, there were many "big fish". We jumped in to find seven whale sharks. They were swimming placidly around under the platform, platform, occasionally rising up to the bottom of the nets filled with small fishes. They hung vertically in the water as they sucked, completely oblivious to our presence, moving on only for a breather or after being bumped off by another shark. The congregation of the seven animals ranged from 3 metres to 13 metres; big, powerful and much more gregarious than any
Whale shark hangi ng v ertical ly, suck ing on one of the fishing nets beneath a bagan.
other whale sharks I had ever seen before. I knew immediately that this was a very special place.
90
P r o t e c t i n g a P h e n o m e n o n – The Whale Sharks of Cenderawasih Bay
MY GRIN WAS WAS AS WIDE Within an hour or so, we had over 12 sharks around us – sharks outnumbering humans! With fishing nets that were brimming with
AS THE SHARKS! It was a moment to die for.
juicy tidbits, tidbits, they hung hung around, around, completely completely at ease with our company, even curious. Not being a predatory animal, their eyes are tiny relative to their body size, with soft surrounding skin that wrinkled up and closed over the eyes as they ate. They would swim right past us, avoiding contact with the exception of the occasional gentle push to get get us out of the way way of their feast. feast. They seemed aware of our presence; apart from the odd gentle sideswipe, they nearly always managed to keep their enormous tails from hitting us. After the three-day recce, we confirmed that whale sharks are opportunistic feeders, able to associate human
companionship
with
food.
Cenderawasih Bay is the first location in the world to witness such behaviour.
A sloppy and rather undignified moment with large, fleshy, colossal mouths all around me.
Whale sharks are opportu nistic feeders able to associate human companionship with food.
OG Issue 29 : 07/2014
91
So journ
Whale sha rks outnumbered d ivers.
climbing on top one another with great urgency, taking in as much food as possible before nightfall. nightfall. Throughout the four days, all members of our expedition were able to approach the sharks up close
Cenderawasih Bay lit the ame of
FERVOUR TO PRESERVE P RESERVE AND PROTECT this magical place place..
and make eye contact both on snorkel and scuba. Once again, they were gentle and swayed their powerful tails in a manner to avoid hurting their human friends! Seemingly unopposed to our presence, some rose vertically alongside to pose with their clumsy bubble-blowing tactile
I
At 7 am, we would usually have two to
Geographic
organised
three juveniles placidly feeding from the
expeditions;
net but by 10 am, there would be about
At one point, I was composing a shot of
we
ten animals, ranging from 2 metres to 12
three sharks confronting fishermen on top
documented 35 individuals
metres, congregating to feed off the net or
of the bagan for more food; unknowingly
beneath five bagans. We
receive handouts from the fishermen on
two bigger sharks approached the bagan
began our observation each
the platform. Noon is the lull period with
from behind me. I felt a push and the next
day at first light, though
only a couple of juveniles still hanging
moment I felt like ham between bread,
sometimes we would start before sunrise
around, hoping for more handouts. At
sandwiched between five animals, each
to find up to six sharks feeding in the
about 4 pm when crepuscular rays radiate
weighing about 15 tons! Albeit a sloppy
dark. However, typical of sharks, lions
through the water like a dinner bell, the
and rather undignified moment with large,
and humans, prime feeding times are in
sharks seems to shed all inhibitions and
fleshy, colossal mouths all around me,
the mornings and evenings before sunset.
frantically rush in with mouths agape,
the sharks were gentle and I managed to
two over
92
friend.
n September of 2011, Ocean 10-day twenty
days,
P r o t e c t i n g a P h e n o m e n o n – The Whale Sharks of Cenderawasih Bay
Conservation International’s senior consultant, Dr. Gerald Allen, calls
CENDERAWASIH BAY “THE GALÁPAGOS OF THE EAST” based on documented ndings of an “evolutionary cauldron” of new and unique corals and sh species escape from beneath them. Flabbergasted
the tags, the five whale sharks actively
should be to protect their well-being and
but my grin was as wide as the sharks. It
collected data of their daily diving and
habitat for future generations. We now
was a moment to die for; a whale of a tale
ranging behaviours. The tags used were
know that the sharks in the bay traverse
(pun intended) that I shall talk about for
pop-up archival satellite-li satellite-linked nked tags; tags; once
great distances into the Pacific Ocean –
the rest of my life.
attached to the shark, they remained there
a few of them have been documented to
for around 200 days. At a programmed
return to feed in the bay. Though data is
Besides the fact that whale sharks rise to
release date, the tag detaches from the
still insufficient to determine the number
the surface of sea to feed on plankton and
anchored tether, floats to the surface, and
of whale sharks that frequent the bay, we
small fishes, very little is known about the
begins transmitting the data recorded
do know if the shark fins merchants move
Rhincodon typus. We do know that they
(depth, water temperature and roaming
in, all the animals in the bay could be
are cold-blooded, breathe through gills
range) to earth-orbiting satellites in the
harvested in just a few weeks!
and they are the biggest fish in the ocean.
Argos system. The tagging exercise was
This year-round congregation and feeding
a significant effort in a far-flung place to
Whale
off the fishing bagans in Cenderawasih
learn more about these incredible animals
Vulnerable Vulnerable in the IUCN Redlist. But
Bay is the first of its i ts kind known. To further
and
mystery
the population at Cenderawasih faces
understand the range of these sharks, in
surrounding them — where and how
imminent danger as they are the prime
December of 2012, Dr. Mark Erdmann led
they mate, how they spend their early
target of ruthless shark fin merchants.
a Conservation International expedition
years. The tags may or may not provide
Known as the king of sharks, whale shark
and successfully tagged five sharks. With
some answers but our primary concern
fins are considered the most valuable
hopefully,
unravel
the
sharks
are
already
listed
as
OG Issue 29 : 07/2014
93
Sojourn and therefore in greatest demand in
a ministerial decree on shark protection
Hong Kong. Our observations confirm
status. The regulation gave whale sharks
that sharks unintentionally entangled or
full protection status; this means that
has
accidentally caught in the fishing nets
killing a whale shark for any reason is
shark
are astonishingly frequent; for now, the
strictly prohibited.
*Since
2010,
been
Ocean
conducting
photographic
Geographic annual
whale
expeditions
to
Cenderawasih Bay on the MSY Seahorse. All divers interacting with whale sharks
fishermen release the animals voluntarily. Cenderawasih Bay is an ancient sea with
now contribute a fee of USD30 per pe rson to the Kwatisore village; additionally, the
Since the publication of a story in National
endemic fishes, a fairyland of soft and
Geographic in 2011, the phenomenon
hard coral reefs. Together with its year-
to interact with whale sharks beneath their
of Cenderawasih Bay gained worldwide
round congregation of feeding whale
platform receive a fee of USD 300 to 500
attention. Besides the incursions of live-
sharks, it is the beauty of nature’s creation
aboard diving vessels, scientists from
personified, personified, lighting the flame of fervour
WWF and Conservation International
in us to preserve and protect this magical
OCEAN GEOGRAPHIC ANNUAL WHALE
also visited to document, research and
place. Cenderawasih Cenderawasih Bay is a global
SHARK PHOTOGRAPHIC EXPEDITION
promote conservation conservation of these animals.
treasure. Ocean celebrity, Valarie Taylor,
Many lobbied for complete protection of
has a better description: the 8th natural
the species in Indonesia. Finally, in late
wonder of our world.
fishing bagans contracted to allow divers
per day.
Such arrangements encourage
the local stakeholders to accord greater protection of the sharks. To participate in
TO CENDERAWASIH BAY in September/ October,
email:
[email protected]
or
check out www.OceanGeographic.org
2013, the Indonesian government issued
Quick Facts about the
BIGGEST FISH IN THE OCEAN Scientific Name: Rhincodon typus Life span :
Estimated to live 70–100 years
Mouth:
Up to 2m wide and can contain more than 4,000 tiny teeth.
Maturity and size: After an early growth spurt , whale sharks grow slowly, reaching maturity around an estimated 25–30 years of age. The smallest free-swimming whale shark measured just over a 30 centimetres and was captured in the Philippines.
Culture: M ost cultures where whale sharks are found have special names for them, typically relating to their size and characteristic spots. In Madagascar they are named “marokintana” meaning “many stars” and Mexicans call them “domino” – like the game. Conservation: Whale sharks are listed as Vulnerable to Extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and listed on Appendix II of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES), which helps to regulate their their trade. Whale sharks sharks are protected in several countries worldwide
Wha le sharks becomi ng uninte ntionally tangled or accidentally caught in fishing nets are astonishingly frequent.
94
P r o t e c t i n g a P h e n o m e n o n – The Whale Sharks of Cenderawasih Bay
— including Belize, Mexico, Honduras, the Maldives, Australia, Indonesia, the Seychelles, India, and the Philippines. However, However, the highly lucrative shark fin trade and the growing megaaquarium trade continue to put pressure on their population. Fishing also poses a serious threat to their survival; these animals can get entangled in purse, drift and gill nets, and risk being struck by ships while they bask or feed at the water’s surface. They are targeted by artisanal fisheries and occasionally by purse seine netters, primarily in the Indo-Pacific region. Although the meat is rarely consumed outside of eastern Asia, whale sharks are increasingly captured for their liver oil (used to waterproof boats) and for their fins (used as shop signs and status symbols).
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