No 9 “Islands & Liveaboards” September 14 2016

 Cover by Alex Mustard

FROM THE EDITOR

It is said the world is a small place these days, and that if every plane in the world was grounded at the same time there would not be room to park them all.

So, are there any truly remote destinations left? Well, yes, plenty! In this jam-packed issue we go Off the Grid among the majestic icebergs and fjords of Greenland with Tobias Friedrich; to wild St. Kilda, the most remote archipelago in the UK with George Stoyle; to distant Truk Lagoon with Andrew Marriott; and review a fantastic new book on the haunting wrecks of tiny Palau by wreck expert Rod Macdonald. 

We also visit the remote Tubbataha reef in the Philippines and the faraway Solomon Islands in our fantastic special feature on “Islands and Liveaboards”, which also includes Spain, the UK, the Caribbean, Bahamas, the Philippines, Fiji, Indonesia, Australia and the Red Sea. Something for everyone indeed.

To top things off, in this issue’s Through The Lens photography section, Erin Quigley of “Go Ask Erin” presents her extensive Underwater Photographer’s Guide to the Maldives, including all you need to know about shooting great underwater images in this stunning area, and the techniques and gear you’ll need to capture them. 

As if all that wasn’t enough, we share the most incredible experience for veteran photographer Kurt Amsler witnessing the birth of a sperm whale calf, chat with charismatic big animal expert Amos Nachoum, and play with orcas in the Galápagos. 

If you don’t find some inspiration in this issue for your next dive trip, you haven’t read it! Dive in to Scuba Diver Ocean Planet, your complete dive travel guide.

Gill McDonald (Editor)

CONTENTS

14 LONG WEEKEND GETAWAY
By Mike Kochalski
Mediterranean Madrid

By Gill McDonald
Bangkok Break

22 OFF THE GRID
By Tobias Friedrich
Four Paws to the Iceberg

30 EAT, SLEEP, DIVE, REPEAT
By Gill McDonald
Bountiful Bonaire

40 FEATURE
NEWBORN
By Kurt Amsler
Veteran photographer Amsler has captured many events over 45 years, but witnessing the birth of a sperm whale calf was the singlemost powerful encounter of his life

46 FEATURE
DESTINATION ST. KILDA
By George Stoyle
Diving on the UK’s most remote archipelago with George Stoyle, the British Wildlife Photographer of the Year, 2016

54 FEATURE
DARKNESS AND LIGHT IN TRUK LAGOON
By Andrew Marriott
Andrew Marriott describes the extreme contrasts of beauty and violence, adrenaline rush and tranquility that prevail in this haunting location

60 OCEANS’ 11
CEPHALOPODS
By Gill McDonald
Cephalopods are amazing creatures, with over 800 species around the world. Widely regarded as the most intelligent of the invertebrates, they have well-developed senses and large brains.

65 FEATURE
ISLANDS AND LIVEABOARDS
By Various Contributors
An eclectic mix of islands and liveaboards for your next diving adventure, from the Caribbean to Australia and the world in-between

98 THE HANS HASS FIFTY FATHOMS AWARD
JAMES CAMERON
By Lesley Leaney
James Cameron has produced the two highest-grossing box office films in history: Titanic and Avatar. He was awarded the 2004 Hans Hass Award for his contributions to science and technology

104 SHOOTER ON TOUR
WHERE THE BIG ANIMALS ARE WITH AMOS NACHOUM
Interview by Gill McDonald
Step into the world of big animals with the charismatic veteran photographer, explorer, expedition guide and President of BigAnimals Expeditions

114 AN UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHER’S GUIDE TO THE MALDIVES
LAP OF LUXURY
By Erin Quigley
One of the ultimate indulgent dive destinations, the Maldives promises photographic riches beyond your wildest imagination

128 WHERE NEXT?
BREATHTAKING BUNAKEN

No 8 “Budget & Luxury” June 15 2016

 Cover by Pasquale Vassallo

FROM THE EDITOR

Diving really is an everyman activity. Whether you are a multimillionaire or an impoverished student, once you slide beneath the sea, the view is the same. We all see beauty and wonder, Nature in its unfettered glory, that takes our bottled breath away. If your wallet is bulging or somewhat flat, our handy “Budget and Luxury” feature, starting on page 65, delivers some excellent ideas for your next diving holiday.

This 128-page issue is jam-packed with travel options, destinations and stunning photography. We also have some exciting new sections. Make sure you always Travel in Style on page 44, check out how a photography pro travels in Shooter on Tour on page 104, or how about trying some underwater hockey in Play on page 18 to get fit while having fun?

Go Off the Grid with Franco Banfi and the magnificent giant oceanic mantas of San Benedicto on page 30. Are you in Sydney or Florida? Take a long weekend break on page 22. Heading for Lembeh? Explore the area on page 38. Perhaps some sea lions in Mexico will inspire you on page 48. Then go Through the Lens on page 114 to find out about the diverse photographic opportunities in California. How about visiting ancient Roman ruins in Italy – underwater? Baia in Naples is on page 54.

All this and much, much more. Dive in, chill out and plan your next diving adventure with Scuba Diver OCEAN PLANET, your complete dive travel guide.

Gill McDonald (Editor)

CONTENTS

22 LONG WEEKEND GETAWAY
By Gill McDonald
Florida’s Gentle Giants

By Jayne Jenkins
Sydney Escape

30 OFF THE GRID
By Franco Banfi and Sabrina Monella
Destination Faraway

38 EAT, SLEEP, DIVE, REPEAT
By Gill McDonald and Cassandra Dragon
Surprising Lembeh

48 FEATURE
THE WORLD’S AQUARIUM
By Alex Tattersall
Sea lions, whale sharks, many whale species, rays, dolphins, nudibranchs and all manner of fish and bird life are found in one of the most diverse seas on the planet

54 FEATURE
A DIVE INTO HISTORY
By Antonio Busiello and Michele Stefanie
An ancient treasure, submerged by volcanic rage, lies waiting to be discovered in the Bay of Naples in Italy

60 OCEANS’ 11
GOOD PARENTING
By Gill McDonald
Marine life has many different approaches to producing young, from male cardinalfish brooding eggs in their mouths to female sunfish (Mola mola) producing up to 300 million eggs

65 FEATURE
BUDGET AND LUXURY
By Various Contributors
A different angle on budget and luxury options from around the world; from camping to liveaboards, from a DIY Safari to the height of opulence

98 THE HANS HASS FIFTY FATHOMS AWARD
BEV MORGAN
By Lesley Leaney
Throughout this almost 70-year adventure Morgan’s name can be referenced in various aspects of diving education, safety, design, photography, filming, writing, Hollywood and successful business development

104 SHOOTER ON TOUR
TELLING A VISUAL STORY WITH MICHELE WESTMORLAND
Interview by Gill McDonald
Professional underwater, travel and lifestyle photographer describes her life on the move

114 AN UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHER’S GUIDE TO RAJA AMPAT
CALIFORNIA’S BOUNTY
By Allison Vitsky Sallmon and Andy Sallmon
Come to America’s Golden State to capture a breathtaking array of sublime seascapes and fascinating photographic subjects

128 WHERE NEXT?
DESERT ISLAND ESCAPES

No 7 “Big & Small” March 14 2016

 Cover by Matthew Smith

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Welcome to the fresh, new SD OCEAN PLANET!

We recognise that you, our readers, are more on the move than ever and want to travel light. So we’ve downsized the magazine format, but upsized the content, with articles and features that fit in perfectly with your busy lifestyle. Whether you’re on your morning commute or on the way to your next dive destination, the new SD OCEAN PLANET is the handy little magazine to have with you!

We’ve got a year of awesome themed issues planned for you, and what better theme for this first issue than “big and small”? In our expansive central feature, “Big Animals and Little Critters”, starting on page 65, we bring you face to face with the largest and the smallest in our compilation of 20 of the planet’s most exciting dive destinations.

As well as a totally new design, the magazine includes great new sections, in addition to old favourites. Our dedicated photography section, Through The Lens, now includes the new Underwater Photographer’s Guide (page 108), this time devoted to Indonesia’s incomparable Raja Ampat – a mind-blowing destination for encounters with all creatures great and small.

And when it comes to big, it doesn’t get much bigger than the largest (and longest-running) dive expo in Asia: ADEX 2016. In this issue, we give you a full rundown of the event’s highlights, including the amazing Photo Video Speakers, the Film Festival programme, and our all-new Book Festival.

We hope you enjoy the new magazine!

John Thet (Publisher)

CONTENTS

14 LONG WEEKEND GETAWAY
By Connie Chan
Philippine Feast

By J. Hoon Park & Christine Lee
Jewel of Jeju

20 EAT, SLEEP, DIVE, REPEAT
By Mike Bartick
Awesome Anilao

58 ADEX FILM FESTIVAL
RACING EXTINCTION
By Ian Bongso-Seldrup
Scuba Diver Ocean Planet talks to Shawn Heinrichs, part of the team behind Racing Extinction, the call-to-action documentary screening at ADEX Singapore 2016

GOMBESSA II
By Gil Kébaïli
Laurent Ballesta and his team unravel the mystery of Fakarava’s grouper spawning aggregation

65 FEATURE
BIG ANIMALS AND LITTLE CRITTERS
By Various Contributors
20 top destinations around the world to encounter some of the ocean’s largest and smallest animals

98 OCEANS’ 11
TINY TREASURES
By Gill McDonald
Discover 11 of the top critters from the Coral Triangle that should be on every diver’s bucket list

102 THE HANS HASS FIFTY FATHOMS AWARD
STANTON WATERMAN
By Leslie Leaney
The name Stan Waterman is recognised throughout the international diving world as one of the pioneers of underwater film and photography

108 AN UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHER’S GUIDE TO RAJA AMPAT
WAKING DREAM
By Hergen Spalink and Kerri Bingham
Everything you need to know about the fantastical underwater world of Raja Ampat

120 PHOTO CLINIC
SMALL WONDER
Laura Waters has her images scrutinised by pro photographers Joseph Tepper and Lia Barrett

128 WHERE NEXT?
WHALE OF A TIME