Underwater photograph of a moray eel taken at world beauty spot | Mail Online

Underwater photograph of a moray eel taken at world beauty spot Mail Online

And you thought you'd had a bad day... Astonishing image of moray eel in underwater photos taken at world's beauty spots

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 12:27 PM on 9th November 2010

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His face says it all. Perhaps fed up with having a camera thrust in his face, a moray eel bares is wonky teeth as he confronts the photographer.
This image of a grumpy-looking creature was one of the top pictures in a competition which shows this years' best underwater photography taken at the planet's most beautiful nature spots around the world.
Big names working in underwater photography have just announced the winners of their two major world competitions aimed at showcasing the best images captured in the depths of our Oceans.

Up close and personal with a moray eel in one of the top pictures in this year's underwater photography prize

A diver swims along a continental trench in Silfra, Iceland in the picture that scooped the top prize

Whittling down thousands of entries, judges selected winners from several categories in their 'Our World Under Water' competition and sister event, the Fourth Annual Deep Indonesia International Underwater Photo Competition.  
Prizes for the events make up the largest prize pool in the world for underwater photography.
A lonely diver traversing a cavernous underwater crack has scooped the 2010 Deep Indonesia photography competition.   
The incredible picture was taken by 45-year-old professional photographer, Magnus Lundgren from Sweden as he was guided though the eerie fissure in Thingvellir Lake, Iceland.
Briton John Hill took the Silver award in the compact cameras category for his action packed image taken from the heart of a school of silver coated jackfish.

John Hill's photo of jack fish in Sipadan, Borneo, Malaysia took second proze

'Mystery Wreck' taken by a diver of his girlfriend in Gran Canaria scooped the best overall prize while  this image of Lion fish in Red Sea, Egypt also featured

Amateur underwater photographer, Mr Hill was diving off Sipadan Island in East Borneo, Malaysia during September 2009 as part of a year he spent travelling south-east Asia with his girlfriend, Jenny.
'I was diving at the edge of the school simply observing them,' said the 30 year-old construction worker and ex-dive instructor from Portsmouth.
'Another diver from my group accidentally drove them towards me and before I knew it I was surrounded.
'Luckily I had the presence of mind to quickly reach for my camera and take my shot.
'I was amazed by the results and thrilled to have gained a silver award in such a prestigious competition.'
My advice to anyone who hasn't tried diving is to jump in and have a go.'  The Deep Indonesia competition was launched alongside the Our World Under Water competition as a unique international mega-event which supports underwater photographic expos under the same names held in Jakarta, Indonesia and Chicago in the US in February next year.

Baltic herrings struggle for freedom inside a net in Baltic Sea

A diver explores a continental trench in Silfra, Iceland

A multitude of Schooling Catfish fill the photographer's frame in Indonesia

The competitions are so big that a total of over $120,000 (£74,000) worth of prizes were up for grabs this year,   The aim, according to organisers, is for Our World Under Water and Deep Indonesia to showcase the art of underwater photography and seeks to underline the mystery, beauty and delicacy of the underwater realm.
The categories for Our World Underwater included macro traditional, macro unrestricted, super-macro traditional, wide angle traditional, wide angle unrestricted, compact cameras and novice.
Deep Indonesia categories included compact cameras, divers, animal portrait, animal behaviour, reefscapes, environment and conservation, and Indonesia residents.
The two competitions attracted over 5000 entries and winners were picked from 20 countries across the world.
David Barrio, 37 from Spain took the overall prize 'Best in Show' for the Deep Indonesia award for a haunting image of his girlfriend, slowly rising through a cabin of a deep sea wreck off the coast of southern Gran Canaria.

Sailfish attacking schooling fish in Port St. Johns, South Africa

A Stargazer in Blue Heron Bridge, Florida

A Frogfish and Shrimpfish in Indonesia

A Mantis Shrimp with eggs in Anilao, Philippines

Other award winning pictures included a dramatic picture of a leopard seal snapping its' jaws directly at the lens of Bartosz Strozynski from Poland, landing him the gold award for animal behaviour.   
'I was playing with the seal,' said 35 year-old Bartosz from Poznan in Poland.
'They are curious and they do try to test you in the water.
'This one saw his reflection in my lens and must have thought I was another leopard seal.
'So she displayed her teeth as a warning.
'I'm very happy with this photo. Braving the cold was worth it.'  The competitions threw up other gems such as the poignant picture of a male sea horse moments after he gave birth to his first born, a photograph of hunted baltic herring battling vainly against fishermen's netting and an image of colourful sweetlip fish racing over the reef.
The two competitions are organised by Eric Cheng of Wetpixel Online and Jason Heller of Dive Photo Guide, who each run the two acclaimed websites for dive photographers.
They launched underwatercompetition.com which hosts Our World Underwater and Deep Indonesia after the overwhelming popularity of their first underwater photography competition in 2005.

A juvenile Flying fish in Raja Ampat, Indonesia

A hungry Leopard seal in Antarctica

A Leopard seal in the Antarctic perches on an iceberg

Harlequin shrimps in Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia

Praying underwater in Bohol | ABS-CBN News | Latest Philippine Headlines, Breaking News, Video, Analysis, Features

Praying underwater in Bohol ABS-CBN News Latest Philippine Headlines, Breaking News, Video, Analysis, Features

MANILA, Philippines – Adventurous Catholics now have another place of meditation and worship.

Bohol, a province known for its natural wonders, now has another tourist attraction – an underwater grotto at the Danajon reef in Bien Unido town.
Here, experienced divers can pray and pay their respects to 14-foot statues of Mother Mary and the Holy Child Jesus, which were installed 60 feet below sea level.

Our Lady of Danajon-Bien Unido

Santo Niño
“(Divers) can pray underwater to have a moment of deeper reflection than those normally experienced, and be thankful (to God) for safely guiding (them) through all their diving adventures,” a statement from the mayor’s office of Bien Unido read.
It continued, “Because in diving, one is immersed in another amazing world where everyone can really appreciate God’s wonderful creation.”
Bien Unido officials thought of installing religious statues underwater to discourage illegal fishing in the Danajon reef, which slowly deteriorated due to excessive dynamite and cyanide use.
To encourage more tourists, a mini hotel, a dive shop and other basic facilities have been put up in the area.
“(The underwater grotto was created so that) No man can destroy it for the sake of the future generation,” the statement said.
It added, “The double barrier reef represents a potential global attraction for divers and eco-tourists, potentially providing numerous jobs and stable tax revenue.”

Celebrity Invention: Harry Houdini's Diving Suit - Rebecca Greenfield - Technology - The Atlantic

Celebrity Invention: Harry Houdini's Diving Suit - Rebecca Greenfield - Technology - The Atlantic

Some celebrities aren't just pretty faces. A few of them are also touched with that Yankee prowess for tinkering and invention. In this weekly series, we introduce you to the Patents of the Rich and Famous. And maybe you learn a little bit about how patent literature works along the way.
Inventor: Harry Houdini
Known For: Harry Houdini was one of the greatest entertainers of all time. While we have David Blaine and his days-long stunts, Houdini was escaping impossible situations more than a hundred years ago to titillate the top hat-wearing and petticoat-clad gents and ladies. Impossibly muscular and flexible, Houdini could escape from anything, even, as we see below, from a straightjacket while being suspended in the air.

While many remember him as a famous magician, more accurately, Houdini practiced escapology; he understood how to get out of things. This involved not only knowledge of human anatomy, but also of the apparatuses in which he encased his hunky figure.
Given that Houdini mastered escaping deadly situations, it makes sense that he would share his expertise with America, patenting a device which might prove helpful for those less skilled in escapology during a risky situation.
Invented Apparatus: "Diver's suit"

The master escapist created a diving suit which the wearer could easily remove while submerged underwater. The suit's design includes separate upper and lower sections connected by a lever-operated metallic belt, allowing the diver to more easily escape, unaided, while submerged.

The lower section having means to allow the diver when submerged to step out of the lower section, and the upper section having means to allow the diver when submerged to draw the upper portion of his body out of this upper section, and instantaneously operably releasing an automatic separable means at the said overlapping ends the said means having exterior actuating devices under the control of the encased diver to permit the latter when submerged.

Rationale Behind Invention: Master escape artists think things through. Houdini created his suit to help divers avoid death by any means. And obviously, it might come in handy for underwater tricks.

Its object is to provide a new and improved diver's suit arranged to permit the diver, in case of danger for any cause whatever, to quickly divest himself of the suit while being submerged and to safely escape and reach the surface of the water. Another object is to enable the diver to put on or take off the suit without requiring assistance. Another object is to prevent the diver when submerged from being crushed by the pressure of the surrounding water in case the air supply gives out or the air line becomes fouled for any cause. A further object is to enable the diver to go quickly down to a greater depth and to readily rise therefrom without consuming as much time in effecting a "compressing or a decompressing action" as now required and practiced.

That's right, his suit not only allows self sufficient easy escape, preventing drowning, it also counteracts underwater pressure, preventing that kind of death too.
Off Label Uses: This diving suit has three possible uses: underwater stripping, Steve Zisou costume prop, or a combination of the two.
Future Directions: Kenneth Silverman's Houdini biography attributes the magician's death to a punch to the stomach. While this invention addresses every possible danger while submerged, it doesn't protect from possible underwater punches -- or other attacks. Like shark bites. Insulate the suit with body armor or this shark-resistant chain mail.

Toilets and chatrooms - the challenges of freedom

Toilets and chatrooms - the challenges of freedom

Sat, Nov 06, 2010 The China Post/Asia News Network

What would Dadaist artist Marcel Duchamp say to a group of divers who left a toilet carrying their signatures underwater off Taiwan's Green Island? What would the Chinese government say to Taiwan's Ministry of Education which recently suggested the island's top university harness its online chatroom posts? These two episodes made minor headlines this week in Taiwan media that has otherwise been overwhelmed the upcoming mayoral elections. But they provoke some thoughts about a fundamental value in this country - namely freedom, or the abuse of it. Those recreational divers apparently were not satisfied only with being able to enjoy the natural beauty of the coral reefs around the small island off the eastern coast of Taiwan. They wanted to do some "plastic surgery" - so to speak - to the marine world by creating their piece of installation art, which they reasoned would add fun to diving there. They brought along a new clean toilet, and signed their names on it. They carried it with them on their underwater trip, and left it there among the reefs. They filmed the entire process, and posted the video online. They did enjoy the trip, but their fun sparked the rage of many netizens who condemned their stupid, selfish and polluting act. They have since pulled the video from the Internet, and the authorities are mulling whether they have to be slapped with a fine for their act of pollution. These divers are not the only ones who have left such "we were here" objects around the Green Island. To be fair, underwater installation art is nothing new, though still quite rare. But is the Green Island toilet a work of art? What would be the verdict of Duchamp, who provoked a controversy by submitting a urinal to an art exhibition in 1917? In private, artists may embrace their own definitions of art, but when their works enter the public domain, the general public will have a say. Banksy's graffiti is widely recognized as art although many British people may not think so. But in Taiwan we can see many examples of graffiti that are much closer to vandalism than to art. These graffiti "artists'" messages - if any - fail to convey anything meaningful. They have the freedom to express their thoughts, but they abuse it. Those divers abused such freedom in a similar fashion. Freedom of speech and expression is also the core issue in the case concerning the education ministry's suggestion for National Taiwan University (NTU). After receiving complaints about political postings on a NTU-run social networking site, the ministry suggested the university tighten control to prevent students from being manipulated by politicians. The suggestion has prompted many of the site's users to accuse the ministry of trying to clamp down on the freedom of speech. The ministry has responded by claiming that it simply passed on the complaints to NTU. NTU's response is that it will ask the managers of the site to strictly enforce the house rules and watch out for libelous postings. The ministry may have committed the same kind of mistake that those divers did: they both attempted to force something on others. The divers tried to force others to share their "fun," while the ministry attempted to force its ideology on NTU and its students. Freedom of speech and expression is fundamental in Taiwan although under certain circumstances it has to be harnessed. The NTU students, as well as their counterparts from all other universities, must be allowed to exercise such freedom, as well as making their own judgments, instead of being told what they can say or read. In the divers' case, it is obvious that their "freedom" to have irresponsible fun should be restricted. Let's return to the questions we asked at the beginning of this editorial. The Chinese government would probably tell NTU to down the networking site, or filter out anything political or anti-government. And we are not sure what the French artist would tell the divers. But we suspect that Duchamp would tell the NTU students to speak freely, and not be afraid of expressing themselves or challenging the authorities. -The China Post/ANN

Incredible pictures of great white sharks taken by a diver with only a broomstick for protection | Mail Online

Incredible pictures of great white sharks taken by a diver with only a broomstick for protection Mail Online

Menacingly circling just a few feet away from unprotected divers these great white sharks are known as the most curious in the world.
Intrigued by the movement of these divers swimming in and out of cages 40ft under the water, the 14ft-long great whites even get close enough for intimate mug shots to be taken.
The great whites of Guadalupe Island off the coast of Mexico have gained a reputation as some of the most relaxed on Earth and offer brave divers like two-time BBC Wildlife of the Year photographer Amos Nachoum the chance to get up close and personal with the huge predators - his only protection against the sharks is a broomstick.

Serene: A Great White Shark approaches the camera of diver Amos Nachoum of the coast of Mexico

Brave: Amos uses a broomstick to push the sharks away if they get too close

The sharks were spotted last month as they made a migration to feed on elephant bull seals that congregate on Guadalupe at this time of year.
'Of course they are wild and unpredictable animals, but I have 45 years of diving experience to call upon to understand the movements and behaviour of these graceful creatures,' said Amos, 60.
'We use some small fish dangling from cages and allow their natural curiosity to take over. If you behave correctly In the water the sharks will only be interested to see only what you are doing.
They will come to within feet of myself out in the open water or close to a cage and then they will simply swim off.'
As the owner of Big Animal Photographic Expeditions, ex-Israeli special-forces member Amos takes paying members of the public to interact face to face with great whites.
'Great white sharks are one of nature's misunderstood creatures,' he explained.

'The great whites are not approachable': Amos insists his clients treat the predators with respect

A Great White Shark approaches the camera of Amos Nachoum

Operating adventure trips to see the planet's most spectacular animals since 1990, Amos has a 100 percent safety record in the water and most importantly with his customers and friends.
'During my latest expedition I took a group of 11 customers to observe the sharks in their natural habitat,' he explained.
'We would make up to five dives a day for a week, each one lasting up to one hour. Over the course of that week 15 different sharks came to see us and according to my own rules we would never continue an encounter when more than three sharks arrived.
'The aim of these expeditions is to show my clients that great whites are not the ferocious snarling creatures that we see in movies or in some documentaries.'

Close encounter: The wealthiest and most curious tourists can dive outside of the cage, perilously close to the sharks

Deadly: While the great whites of Guadelupe Island are typically relaxed, they could kill in an instant

Amos' clients pay £3,700 to travel on a privately chartered boat 150 miles off the coast of Mexico to Guadalupe.
'That enables them to go down 40 foot inside the cage as many times as they want,' said Amos.
'However for another £2,200 my clients can leave the cage and dive with me. Not all of the customers who come with me will be allowed to do this.
'I choose and me and my assistant Fernando only allow one person at one time to leave the cage under our supervision.
"They will never be as experienced as me and so I can not deal with more than one person. If you go near these creatures without proper guidance, then it is fair to say that you will get eaten.' 

'We should all realise that the danger is in your mind': Amos has a 100 per cent safety record on his shark expeditions

Trained by South African white shark expert Andre Hartmann in the 1990's, Amos is still stunned by the reaction of first time customers to his great white excursions.
'They have this look in their eye afterwards,' says Andre who has been diving since he was 14 and a photographer since he was 12.
Each customer must sign a legal disclaimer that in turn must be signed by the legal representative of the client.
'They have to exhibit a full awareness of what they are asking me to do with them,' says Amos.
'They must realise that I only have a broomstick to push the shark away. I do not carry a spear gun. It wouldn't help in an attack anyway.'
In addition to his incredible great white excursions Amos also takes clients round the world to encounter other big animals such as humpback whales and leopard seals.
'These high end holiday's enable me to indulge my photography and love of these giant creatures in the wild.'

U.S. Navy Divers are Made in Panama City

U.S. Navy Divers are Made in Panama City

Panama City - Recreational divers know the Gulf waters near Panama City as a hot dive spot, but few know that all U.S. Navy divers get their start at Panama City’s Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center (NDSTC), on Naval Support Activity.

Over 89 days, young men and women - some fresh out of Navy boot camp, others with years of service under their belts - must pass grueling physical tests, designed to push them beyond their limits. They must excel in the academic arena as well, before they can earn their Class “A” Diver certification.

By the time they arrive at dive school, students’ ranks have already been culled. It takes more just to get to NDSTC these days, and once here, the rigorous training will diminish their numbers even further. The first weeks, especially, are physically and mentally exhausting. Physical training starts at daybreak, and can last three to four hours, as Navy Chiefs try to find out what the students are made of, and expand the student’s threshold for pain.

As Chief Michael Duff, USN, explains, no matter what their prior experience is, no one gets an easy ride through the program.

“Intestinal fortitude is a challenge here for just about everybody. When I was a student here they told me, 'Everyone here is going to have THAT day. Your day may be today, it may be tomorrow, it may be next week, but you're going to have THAT day while you're here. It's the day when you've got nothing left to give, and you're going to have to reach inside and find it when you think you can't go any further. As a student here, I remember being in the leaning-rest -- the push-up position -- and saying, 'Okay, if I'm still here in 2-minutes, I'm quitting. I can't possibly stay here.' And five minutes later, you're still there, and you're going to have to tough it out, to find that within yourself.'"

While the physical training is tough, inside the classroom, students are hitting the books just as hard. Even in recent years, the classroom curriculum has expanded, and as the dive manual has grown from a couple hundred pages to nearly a thousand, instructors have been forced to find new and better ways to make the information stick. Technology aids the learning process, and students are schooled on technical skills in a “see, do, teach” method. Even instructors are monitored and graded, to make sure they’re on their game. According to Chief Timothy Alexander, the result is worth the effort.

"The quality of student we have now, and what we're expecting of him in the academic arena, is a lot tougher than when I came in. It makes them better divers. We have a lot better thinkers than we used to have."

But in the water, it’s not enough to just be good thinkers. Good decisions must become instinct, and panic is not an option. To take someone who may never have dived before, and turn them into rock-solid Navy divers in the space of three months, instructors guide their students through the basics of scuba and underwater welding, then take them well out of their comfort zones, testing the students in what may seem to be underwater attacks, as instructors yank regulators and masks from the students, turn their air off, and confront them in what are called underwater “hits.” The students must learn to work together, and recover without losing composure. For Navy divers, breathing and working underwater becomes a complete comfort zone.

By the time students near the end of their time in dive school, they posses a new confidence, and teamwork has become second nature. They have been trained, tested, and emerge trustworthy. In part, it’s knowing that they all share the same harrowing introduction to diving at NDSTC that forms the brotherhood shared by Navy divers.

With typical understatement, Chief Alexander explains the brotherhood like this, "We're not the sexiest or the fastest or the tri-athletes of the Navy. We're just guys that can grind it out."

 

SERMC Divers Keep Ships Ready | jacksonville.com

SERMC Divers Keep Ships Ready jacksonville.com

By MC2 Sunday Williams
Navy Public Affairs Support Element East Detachment Southeast
Do you think that U.S. Navy Divers have the easiest, most laid back job in the Navy? Southeast Regional Maintenance Center (SERMC) diving division proves that the job is not only hard, but very dangerous.
Chief Navy Diver (DSW/SW/PJ) Mark Cooper says he gladly will dispel the myth that diving is easy.
“People assume that we just dive in the water and look at stuff and play with equipment, they don’t realize that we fix things on ships and ensure that they stay mission ready.”
Cooper and his team of 10 divers perform task such as replacing and rebuilding Auxiliary Propulsion Units, (APU), replacing propellers and plugging valve holes for valve replacements. They work on various underwater jobs on the ships in the area in order to keep them mission ready at all times.
Cooper says the job is very physically demanding, which is why divers have to be in excellent physical condition.
Navy Diver applicants are tested in five areas of physical fitness: push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups and running and of course swimming. The applicant must be able to swim 500 meters using either a side or breaststroke nonstop in less than 14 minutes. They have only a 10-minute rest and then must perform 42 push-ups in two minutes. The applicant gets a two-minute rest and they must perform 50 sit-ups in two minutes. After another two-minute rest, applicants are not timed but must do six pull-ups. They get a final rest period of 10 minutes long, then complete their test with a 1-1/2-mile run in under 12:45 minutes and Cooper says all of that is just to get into dive school.
Once an applicant is accepted into the dive program, the Navy Diver Preparation Course begins in Great Lakes, Ill. where the candidate endures 32 days of intensive training in engineering, academics, emergency medical services, physical training and water adaptability. Students become proficient in SCUBA, tying knots, using a mask and snorkel, and being comfortable under water. Once the prep course is completed, students move on to complete a 70-day training school at the Navy Diving and Salvage Training Center in Panama City, Florida, for Second Class Diver training.
SERMC Diving Division Leading Petty Officer, Navy Diver 1st Class (DSW) Christopher Coreil says being physically fit is one major part to the job and the other major part is safety.
“It is really important to have your head on straight on the job because when you have guys in the water we are having to not only focus on the job, but also make sure the guys are getting enough air and that they are getting it correctly as well as making sure that whatever equipment is being used is operating correctly,” said Coreil. “There is absolutely no room for error in this job,”
Coreil said though the job can be dangerous he and his team do not really worry because they know they can trust the guys above and below the water to take care of each other.
“This job is about teamwork, there is no room for individual thought here,” said Coreil. “One thing we all know as divers is that up and down the chain throughout this community we all know how important it is to be safe and we all know that all of our lives depend on each other doing what we are supposed to.”
Cooper and Coreil say “Customer service is job one,” but they make it very clear that safety of their team is top priority.
Cooper said the team he is working with at SEMC is some of the hardest workers he has had the privilege of working with.
“I am very lucky with the group of guys I have here,” said Cooper. “No matter what time it is when we call them in, no matter what the mission is, they deliver top performance and they never complain. They really are a great team.”
So no matter what the task, Cooper says his divers will do their very best work and they will do it safely and with 100 percent.