News
Scubaverse.com’s Underwater Photography Editors Launch New Book in London
Divers, underwater photographers and journalists from across the UK joined Scubaverse.com’s Underwater Photography Editors Nick and Caroline Robertson-Brown at Ocean Leisure in London last night for the launch of their new book ‘World’s Best Wildlife Dive Sites’.
Also in attendance were the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and the South Australian Tourism Commission, both of which organised trips for Nick and Caroline so they could do research and take photos for the book. The two organisations were definitely in the party mood; the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism got things started with some Bahama Mamas (a concoction of white rum, dark rum, coconut rum and fruit juices), and the South Australian Tourism Commission supplied red and white wines from the region and a Virtual Reality headset experience which gave party guests the opportunity to ‘dry dive’ with the fur seals of South Australia.
Underwater Photographer and BSoUP (British Society of Underwater Photographers) Chair Paul Colley, who has written the Foreword of ‘World’s Best Wildlife Dive Sites’, said: “It’s been a superb evening. It’s been great to get underwater photographers together like this to chat and swap stories and ideas – in fact as a community, we don’t do this sort of thing nearly enough.
Nick and Caroline with Anthony, Maria and Iain from the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism
“I’m a huge fan of the book, which is why I was delighted to write the foreword for Nick and Caroline. These days we all have such limited time to fit everything into our lives, and it’s hard sometimes to figure out what to do next; so it’s great when a book like this comes along which is so inspirational and really gets you fired up for your next trip.”
Later in the evening, celebrity wine critic, writer and Nick’s personal friend Oz Clarke joined the party to offer his support too.
Nick and Caroline with Frances from the South Australian Tourism Commission and celebrity wine critic and writer Oz Clarke
Nick and Caroline with Richard and Hayley from Black Manta Photography
“We were overwhelmed by the turnout this evening, and would like to say a big thank you to all who came and of course to Ocean Leisure for hosting the event,” said an elated Nick at the end of the evening.
World’s Best Wildlife Dive Sites is a 288 page hardback book, published by Reed New Holland. It boasts some 250 images from 16 countries. Each of the 32 locations is chosen for a particular key wildlife phenomenon, whether that is coral reefs, whales, seals, manta rays, and so on. Each chapter comprises captivating images, a written account and a concise fact-panel outlining the key species, tips for visitors, equipment to take and the best time to visit.
Experiences include: crocodiles and silky sharks in Cuba; Great White Sharks and Weedy Seadragons in Australia; Whale Sharks of Mexico and Manta Rays in the Maldives; Hammerhead Sharks in the Bahamas; Basking Sharks and seals in the UK; turtles and Humpback Whales in the Caribbean; schooling fish and corals in Egypt; the Sardine Run in South Africa; Manatees and kelp forests in the USA; and the critters of Indonesia. It will be the ultimate tour of the world’s marine wildlife hot-spots, guaranteed to whet the appetite of divers, snorkelers and armchair naturalists everywhere.
Nick and Caroline are a husband and wife team of underwater photographers. They both have degrees in biology from Manchester University, with Caroline also having a masters in animal behaviour. Nick has been awarded a Fellowship from the Royal Photographic Society and he also has a diploma in teaching studies (Dip Ed). They are ardent supporters of marine conservation and hope that their images can help to inspire people to look after our seas and oceans.
‘World’s Best Wildlife Dive Sites’ is available now in hardback for £19.99. Buy it here.
To find out more about Nick and Caroline, visit www.frogfishphotography.com.
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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