As divers, we love every opportunity to observe ocean animals in their natural environments. While there’s no doubt that the surface waters are home to an incredible diversity of absolutely amazing marine life, the fact is that the vast majority of the world’s ocean – the deep ocean – is only able to be seen by submersibles. Fortunately, marine science groups are exploring these depths with the use of manned and un-manned submersibles, and they are sharing their observations with the rest of the world. The five deep sea creatures listed below are sure to blow your mind, and hopefully help you feel a deeper connection to the ocean animals that are typically hidden in the dark depths of our planet.
If you’re inspired to take your diving deeper… the PADI Deep Diver Specialty Course (now available on eLearning) will help you gain the necessary skills to dive down 130 ft (40 meters) below the surface. While not exactly the deep sea, the ability to explore new depths is bound to bring new opportunities to observe as many weird and wonderful creatures as possible.
Gulper Eel
At first glance, the gulper eel might look like a pretty regular eel, but once it opens its mouth, your jaw will surely drop in amazement. This deep sea eel species gets its common name from its massive gulping mouth, estimated to be about one quarter of its approximately two foot total body length. When the loosely hinged jaw is fully extended, the gulper eel goes from looking like a slender eel to looking like a big black balloon with a tail. They use this gigantic mouth like a net, to scoop up large amounts of small crustaceans; with the excess water that’s ingested being expelled via the gills. The large mouth may also be an adaptation to allow the gulper eel to eat a wider variety of prey when food in the deep sea is scarce.
Found worldwide in temperate and tropical seas, gulper eels typically inhabit depths ranging from roughly 500 to 3,000 meters (1,600 to 9,900 feet). Living completely without sunlight, gulper eels have worked out a way to produce a little bit of their own light, like many other deep sea creatures. A bioluminescent photophore at the tip of the gulper eel’s tail glows pink or flashes red to attract prey close to its enormous mouth.
Giant Seed Shrimp
The swimming orange ping-pong ball featured in the video below is actually a real deep sea creature commonly known as the giant seed shrimp. They got their name because they look like a shrimp inside of a seed pod. Additionally, in the world of seed shrimp this species is extremely large – measuring up to 3.2 centimeters (1.3 inches) across. The body of the giant seed shrimp is suspended in a semi-translucent, globular orb that is about 95% water. They use their feather-like antennae to swim around the vast deep ocean, and have near-neutral buoyancy. (You too can perfect your buoyancy with the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty Course – now available on eLearning.)
If that isn’t strange enough, you can see the eye balls through the transparent orb. Despite living in complete darkness, the giant seed shrimp is equipped with a very large pair of eyes that are extremely effective at detecting light – thought to be able to find bioluminescent prey animals like copepods, arrow worms, and fish larvae. These quirky creatures are found throughout the world’s oceans from tropical to polar regions, typically at depths from 2,000 to 7,500 feet (600 to 2,300 meters).
Deep Sea Angler Fish
While angler fish are some of the most widely known deep sea fish species – famous for the lighted ‘fishing lure’ on their heads – they have very rarely been observed in their natural habitat. In fact, the video footage below is one of the few known videos of deep sea angler fish ever filmed.
That well-known bioluminescent lure on the anglerfish’s head is used to attract prey in the dark depths. Surprisingly, millions of special light-producing bacteria that live inside the lure are actually what make it glow. Some deep sea angler fish, like the fanfin angler fish in the video, also have thin bioluminescent projections surrounding their body, acting like a 3D array to sense movement in the surrounding environment.
Ready to really be blown away? Possibly the most out-of-this-world thing about deep sea angler fish is the relationship between males and females. When a small, free-swimming male angler fish encounters a large female angler fish, he latches onto her with his sharp teeth. Over time, the male becomes permanently fused to the female, forming a parasitic relationship where the male provides sperm and the female provides nutrients. A female deep sea angler fish can carry more than six males on her body at one time!
Long-Nosed Chimaera
The ethereal beauty of the long-nosed chimaera is undeniable. So much so, that they are often called ghost sharks. This nickname also stems from the fact that chimaera skeletons are made of cartilage, just like their shark and ray relatives. These big-eyed wonders are found worldwide, in temperate and tropical seas, in depths ranging from approximately 1,000 to 6,500 ft (300 to 2,000 meters).
The long pointed snout – clearly the long-nosed chimaera’s most distinguishing feature – has numerous sensory nerve endings used to find food like small fish. This species typically reaches a maximum size of about 4.5 feet (1.4 meters), with its long ‘nose’ making up nearly one third of the total body length. Additionally, if you look closely at the rare video footage below, you’ll notice a sharp spine on the first dorsal fin – this spine is venomous and is most likely used for defense in the dark depths.
Dumbo Octopus
Often called the cutest octopus in the world, the dumbo octopus gets its common name from the two ear-like fins that resemble Dumbo the elephant’s big floppy ears. By slowly flapping those ear-like fins, and using their eight arms to steer, dumbo octopuses move around the deep sea foraging for invertebrates that swim above the sea floor. On average, dumbo octopus only grow to about 20 to 30 centimeters (8 to 12 inches) long.
Although they are believed to be found worldwide, dumbo octopuses have actually only been observed around New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, New Guinea, and off the coast of California. Amazingly, dumbo octopuses are the deepest living genus of all known octopuses – living at depths around 13,000 feet ( 4,000 meters). Because there are so few predators for the dumbo octopus at these extreme depths, they do not have an ink sac like most octopus species do.
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Bali to Invite 4400 Influencers to 20 Billion IDR Safe Tourism Promotion
The Government of Bali is to invite 4,400 social media influencers to the island to help promote safe tourism once Covid-19 travel restrictions are lifted.
The ‘We Love Bali’ programme will promote ‘CHSE (Cleanlienss, Health, Safety, Environment) Tourism’ and will take place between October and November 2020, according to head of the Bali Tourist Authority, I Putu Astawa. The invitees, which include teachers, students, civil servants, travel bloggers, photographers, travel agency and media representatives, will be split into groups of 40 to take a three-day tour of Bali, of which 12 different itineraries have been made available.
Within each tourist destination visited by the groups, ‘[Micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises] will be involved as providers of souvenirs that will be sold to the participants,’ said Astawa.
Each group will consist of participants between the ages of 18 and 50, who are active social media users on at least one platform out of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Tiktok. Priority will be given for those who have more than 2000 followers and ‘have a passion for outdoor activites such as swimming, snorkeling, trekking, hiking, cycling’ and also ‘taking a selfie.’
Participants will also be expected to understand and abide by ‘the new normal’ health and safety protocols and publish their activities on social media. They will be required to provide negative results of a Covid-19 PCR test prior to departure.
Indonesia has been closed to international tourism since March, although domestic tourism was allowed to resume in July. Bali’s semi-autonomous regional government had declared that the island would reopen to international tourism in September, but this was called off by the central Indonesian government just weeks before flights were about to resume.
‘We Love Bali’, however, comes with a price tag of 20 billion Indonesia Rupiah, approximately US$1.35million. While a portion of that money will be spent on tour operators over the three-day programme, only those who have obtained a ‘New Era Life Order Certification’ will be allowed to participate. Approximately 350 operators and 8,000 staff will be involved in the programme, according to Rizky Handayani, Events Organiser and Deputy Minister for Tourism.
While the authorities are keen to stress that the programme is designed to promote a resurgence in tourism under the new CHSE Protocols, the news will undoubtedly come as a slap in the face to many Indonesians who have lost their livelihood due to the suspension of international tourism. With no income, no furlough payments and no projected date for post-pandemic reopening, many workers are struggling to provide food and basic necessities for their families.
As of 1 October, Indonesia has counted 295,500 cases of Coronavirus with 10,972 fatalities in a population of 274.25 million people. The last statment on how long the shutdown will continue was simply that it would be at least ‘until the end of the year’.
Sigma has announced the 105mm f/2.8 DG DN MACRO | Art lens for mirrorless cameras. Available in L and Sony E mounts, it offers 1:1 macro at a 5.5” (14cm) working distance and is internally focusing so should work well behind macro ports.
The Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DG DN Macro Art lens is expected to begin shipping in late October at $799.
Press release
New product announcement: SIGMA 105mm F2.8 DG DN MACRO | Art
SIGMA Corporation is pleased to announce the SIGMA 105mm F2.8 DG DN MACRO | Art.
- Make everyday details more magnificent.
- Performance exceeds expectations
SIGMA Art line introduces a supreme edition to classic macro lenses
Mid-telephoto macro lenses give photographers a boost to creativity and a versatile working distance, which makes the lenses a favorite among professionals as part of their basic gear. Introduced as the first macro lens for mirrorless cameras in the Art line of lenses for mirrorless cameras, the 105mm F2.8 DG DN MACRO | Art packs the highest level of performance expected of a mid-telephoto macro lens into its body, from its superb optical performance to excellent build quality. Beyond being a high-spec macro lens that excels in a wide range of settings, the SIGMA 105mm F2.8 DG DN MACRO | Art is ideal for macro shooting or portraits. It can also give photographers an opportunity to rediscover a new way of looking at or enjoying things such as unexpected beauty or something precious in everyday life through its perspective that is unique to a macro lens. It provides performance that goes far beyond the expectation or imagination of what a “classic mid-telephoto macro lens” can be.
Launch : October, 2020
Case, Hood (LH653-01) supplied
Available AF mount: L-Mount, Sony E-mount* The appearance and specifications of the product are subject to change.
*This product is developed, manufactured and sold based on the specifications of E-mount which was disclosed by Sony Corporation under the license agreement with Sony Corporation.
* L-Mount is a registered trademark of Leica Camera AG.
*Appearance and specifications are subject to change.
Everything required in a mid-telephoto macro lens
has been achieved at highest levels
The latest optical design of the 105mm F2.8 DG DN MACRO | Art ensures exceptional sharpness at all shooting distances from extreme close-up, which is crucial in macro shooting, all the way up to infinity. In addition, its aberration correction places a particular focus on longitudinal chromatic aberration which cannot be handled by the in-camera aberration correction. The superior optical design produces clear images with both delicate rendering and free of color bleeding.
Bokeh was one of the focuses in the 105mm F2.8 DG DN MACRO | Art design, which figures largely in mid-telephoto shooting. The ample volume of peripheral light helps create beautiful bokeh circles, while natural bokeh effect in the background, as well as foreground, gives more flexibility to photographic expressions.
Furthermore, when equipped with the TC-1411 (1.4x) or TC-2011 (2.0x), SIGMA’s latest models of teleconverters designed exclusively for the use with L-Mount lenses, it allows photographers to shoot macro at even higher macro magnifications while keeping the working distance.
The 105mm F2.8 DG DN MACRO | Art has achieved everything that is required of a mid-telephoto macro lens at the highest levels.
Performance data
SIGMA Art line class optical and AF performance
The SIGMA Art line lenses prioritize optical performance above all else in their design. This applies to the 105mm F2.8 DG DN MACRO | Art, which produces outstanding rendering performance from the center of the frame all the way up to the edges. It excellently handles chromatic aberration, which often happens at the edges. On the other hand, its abilities to minimize ghosting and flare, which have been validated through rigorous testing from the early stages of its development, ensures that it performs well in backlit conditions.
On top of optimization for the latest functionalities, such as face/eye detection AF, which is something mirrorless camera systems do well, it incorporates a powerful Hyper-Sonic Motor (HSM) in its focus motor system to achieve high-precision, quiet AF operation.
All of these elements are brought to life using advanced production technology at the Aizu Factory, SIGMA’s only production site, giving the 105mm F2.8 DG DN MACRO | Art the highest levels of performance worthy of the SIGMA Art line.
A full range of functionalities and an excellent build quality
On its body, the 105mm F2.8 DG DN MACRO | Art features a (1) Focus Mode Switch, (2) Focus limiter setting which comes in handy during macro shooting, and the (3) AFL button * 1 to which users may assign select functions. The (4) Aperture ring, which is designed to help users work intuitively, has an (5) Aperture ring click switch to turn ON or OFF the clicking sound that isn’t required by some users when shooting macro. It also comes with a (6) Aperture ring lock switch*2 for a ring lock system. Its enhanced functions allow users to customize their shooting operations in accordance with their shooting styles.
*1 Limited to compatible cameras. Also, the functions depend on the camera.
*2 When turned ON at the position A, the iris ring is locked at A. When turned ON at a position other than A, it is locked within the range between the maximum to minimum apertures and will not engage at the position A.
The lens also has a (7) dust- and splash-proof structure with a water- and oil-repellent coating, which is built to handle all manner of shooting conditions. The rings and switches, meanwhile, have a build quality that is superb in terms of durability, as well as how they work and how they feel.
With levels of user-friendliness, adaptability to the environment, and smoothness of operation that are designed for professional uses, the 105mm F2.8 DG DN MACRO | Art pushes the boundaries for photographers and gives them wider creative possibilities.
Features
- Lens construction: 17 elements in 12 groups, with 1 SLD lens
- Compatible with high-speed autofocus
- Compatible with lens-based optical correction*
*Function available on supported cameras only. Available corrections may vary depending on the camera model.
* Dust-and splash-proof
* Water- and oil-repellent coating
In this episode of Wetpixel Live, Adam and Alex chat about the tools that are needed to capture beautiful portraits of reef fish. Among other things, they cover lens selections, lighting and autofocus options.
Wetpixel Live is a series of discussions that aim to answer some of the questions that frequently crop up on the Wetpixel Forum. With over 20 episodes posted, and many more being created daily, they are a resource for all underwater photographers. Please subscribe to the Wetpixel Live channel to be informed when new episodes are posted.
The 2020 San Diego Undersea Film Exhibition will be launched virtually on 2 October. From then, through to 10 October, everyone around the world will be able to view and enjoy the festival’s amazing shortlisted films, free of charge. The organizers recommend streaming the films onto a TV or other large screen in order to get their full impact.
To view the films, just go the the SDUFEX website from 02 October and watch at your leisure until 10 October.
Press release
SDUFEX goes Virtual
When it became evident that COVID19 would prevent our traditional festival from being held at Qualcomm Hall in San Diego, we had two choices: Punt it to 2021, or present it online. The decision was obvious. The call for entries went out on FilmFreeway, and over 150 films were entered. Our panel of independent judges scored each on a ten point scale. The top fifteen were selected for our virtual festival.
The good news is that it’s accessible online throughout the world. From October 2nd through October 10th, you’ll be able to watch all the selected films at your convenience, in your home, on the SDUFEX website. And it’s all free of charge. There will be no commercials, no strings attached. You could binge watch all fifteen at once, or spread them out over the ten days, and even re-watch the ones you like best.
Here’s how to watch the festival. Go to our website. Starting October 2, there will be a link to the films. It will be live through October 10. You can watch it on your phone, tablet, or computer. We recommend streaming it to your home TV via Bluetooth or mirroring. It’s our attempt to give back to the people who have supported SDUFEX over the past 20 years.
If you want to stay informed about SDUFEX, click on the “Subscribe” button. You will receive emails about entries, the 2020 online and future film festivals.
Our thanks to the judges, Pat Brown, Kevin Lee,Barbara Lloyd,Bob Pooley, and Diane Randolph.
SDUFEX board of directors: Cheryl Dean, President, Nick Dean, Secretary, Bill Ring, Treasurer, Directors: Jennifer Black, Rocio Gajon Bunker, Pete Fowler, Weiwei Gao, Eric Hanauer, Matt Meier, Mike Miller, Elke Specker, Karen Straus,
How The DTA Leaderboard Looks With One Month Remaning
There have been a lot of changes during the second month of the 2020 DIVE Travel Awards Vote – so it’s time to check in on the Top 25 scuba diving destinations, dive centres and resorts, and liveaboards as they enter the final month of voting
In the largest travel awards we’ve run to date, 108 different destinations, 329 liveaboards and almost 1100 different dive centres and resorts were nominated for an award during the opening months of May and June. The Top 25 nominees in each category went through to the final vote, which has been underway since the beginning of September.
We appreciate that this year has been extraordinarily difficult for the worldwide dive business; some have even questioned why we would run our travel awards in a year when travel has been so heavily restricted – but we wanted to keep the scuba diving conversation going and try and let our favourite operators know that people out there really still care, and many can’t wait to visit just as soon as it’s possible to do so.
We’ve published the complete list of nominees at this link, but over the next month we’ll be looking to see who makes the Top 10 and win the award as best destination, dive centre or resort, and liveaboard in the world – and that, dear readers, is all down to you.
Here’s the current leaderboard as of 30 September (click here for last month’s update). Some operators have made large strides up the rankings thanks to extensive social media campaigns, but the competition is most intense in the last month in the run-up to the finish, and there is plenty of room for change between now and the vote closing at midnight (GMT) on the 31 October.
DIVE Travel Awards FAQ
My favourite was nominated but I can’t vote for them.
Each year, only the Top 25 in each category of nominations go through to the final vote. The Top 10 will receive recognition as the best dive centres in the world. We’d love to include everyone who made it onto the list, but that would be impossible. We’ve published a complete list of all the nominations at this link.
How can that operator have so many votes?
Some people take the awards more seriously than others. The vote is free and fair and open to all, and some operators will spread the word to as many people as they can. Plus, you’d be amazed at the loyalty some dive centres can command from their customers.
Why have you combined some dive centres?
We wanted to give as many dive centres and resorts as possible the chance to succeed, rather than have a handful of big names dominate the competition. We appreciate that each dive centre is run by its own unique complement of staff, but this way more names will appear on the list. The duplicates have been named in the order they placed as nominees, and will receive the same recognition as winners if they are successful.
Why are you asking for my e-mail address?
Firstly and foremostly, to prevent fraud. Secondly, because it signs up you (if you consent, of course) to our completely free and very fantastic weekly newsletter!
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER AND GET THREE FREE EBOOKS!
Download our FREE gift Around the World in 80 Wrecks – a 70-page, beautifully illustrated, colour guide to the world’s best wrecks – plus Wonders of the Pacific and readers’ favourite Scuba Stories
The DIVE Travel Awards 2020 Vote
How to enter:
- Go to the box below and enter a valid e-mail address.
- If you are using a shared computer and someone has already voted, you may need to click the ‘logout’ button underneath the picture in the voting module –
. - Select your favourites from each category and press ‘continue’ to cast your vote. Select the next category and again pick your favourites.
- If you are using a shared computer or iPad remember to ‘logout’ at the end so the next person can vote.
A Note On Voter Fraud
Sadly, each year, a small number of dive operators receive large numbers of fraudulent votes. Most are caught by the Gleam competition software we are using to run the voting process, and we double-check the entries ourselves on a weekly basis. All such votes are stripped out of the overall total. In this time of crisis for the dive industry, any attempt to game the system will be robustly dealt with. Play fair – be role models for the whole scuba diving world. Thank you.
Small Print: We need an e-mail address to prove you’re not a robot. If you are not currently registered on our newsletter mailing list, once you have entered your e-mail address you will receive an automated e-mail asking if you’d like to join. We’d really appreciate it if you do, but we won’t hold it against you if you don’t (at least, not for very long, anyway!). If you do register, then you’ll receive our free weekly newsletter every Friday, plus we may send you occasional promotions or special offers, stories from our back-catalogues, travel news or competitions that are available exclusively to DIVE Magazine readers. We absolutely will not send your e-mail address to any third party without your express permission. Once you have registered you are free to unsubscribe, without penalty, at any time, using the links available in every message we send.
DIVE’s BIG SHOT Photography Competition Terms and Conditions
By entering this competition; entrants agree to be bound by these rules.
The competition opens at 12:00 on Tuesday 29 September 2020 and closes at 23.59 on Saturday 31 October 2020.
Twenty images from the entrants will be selected by the judges to be published in the Winter 2020 issue of DIVE. One image will be selected as the overall winner by the judges and the overall winner will receive an Aggressor Adventures liveaboard trip to Honduras.
The judges’ decision is final; no correspondence will be entered into.
The prize is a week’s trip for one person aboard the Roatan Aggressor at dates to be agreed with the Aggressor Fleet.
Local taxes, visas, health requirements and travel insurance are the responsibility of the prize winner.
Flights are not included; prize winners are responsible for their own transport to and from Honduras.
All entrants submitting a photograph that is selected for publication will receive one year’s digital subscription to DIVE Magazine.
All entrants will receive an e-mail asking if they wish to subscribe to our free, weekly newsletter. It’s entirely optional, can be unsubscribed from at any time without penalty, and no data will be shared with any third party without express consent.
Prizes are non-transferable, and there is no cash alternative.
DIVE Magazine, and all partners involved cannot accept any responsibility for any damage, loss, injury or disappointment suffered by any entrant entering the competition or as a result of accepting any prize.
Entrants agree on their behalf, and on behalf of their respective heirs, executors, administrators, legal representatives, successors and assigns (‘Released Parties’) to release, defend and hold harmless DIVE magazine and Aggressor Adventures, and any partner involved, as well as the employees, officers, directors and agents of each, from any and all actions, causes of action, suits, expenses, lost profits, indirect or direct damages, consequential damages, incidental damages, punitive or exemplary damages, judgments, claims and demands whatsoever against Released Parties arising out of or in connection with entrant’s participation, acceptance and use or misuse of any prize, including any travel-related activities.
All the photography must be the work of the entrant and the entrants must have full rights for the use of any photograph. All images must be available in high resolution (300 dpi minimum) and must be supplied as a JPEG file on request.
The entrants agree to give DIVE magazine non-exclusive rights to submissions of photographs for the purposes of promotion of the competition in print and online.
The laws of England and Wales govern this agreement.
Adam and Alex provide some advice about one of the unsung but critically important components of any imaging system: Memory cards. They discuss the types of cards available, how to select a card, and what you can do when they go wrong.
If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to the Wetpixel Live YouTube Channel. This will then notify you when additional episodes are posted in the future. It would also be great if you would consider adding your camera history to the comments section below the video.
Wetpixel Live is crammed full of hard-edged technical information and practical advice aimed at helping people create memorable images.
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Interesting Info
Private Scuba Tuition – Learn Scuba Skills.
Joey Ridge offers private scuba diving training for those who would feel more comfortable in a private one to one setting