X-Ray Mag #125

Feature articles in this issue with stand-alone pdfs

Ila France Porcher   Ila France Porcher
Illustration image source by Ila France Porcher

Recent scientific efforts have begun to unravel the complexities of shark behaviour, challenging age-old perceptions, and revealing a world of intelligence and sophistication hidden beneath the waves. Ila France Porcher reports.

Peter Symes   Peter Symes
Spiggle Theis Medizintechnik CC BY 4 0 DEED

It can be devastating to your diving career if you are unable to equalise or have a lot of trouble doing so. The underlying cause may be a narrow Eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear to the pharynx. Fortunately, this can be treated. Peter Symes reports.

Peter Symes   Peter Symes
Photo by Peter Symes

Paul Toomer, the CEO of RAID, is a pioneering figure in dive education. With a passion for exploration and safety, he spearheads initiatives to advance dive training worldwide. Peter Symes caught up with him to learn more about his insights and perspectives.

Antonio Chilton   Tomi Mustonen , Rob Taylor , Pekka Tuuri
Photo by Pekka Tuuri

On 29 March 2024, the first-ever concert performed in a cave by technical divers took place in Plura Cave in northern Norway. Technical diving instructor Antonio Chilton has the story.

Cristian Umili   Cristian Umili
Photo by Cristian Umili

Macro underwater photography comes with some challenges, particularly when positioning a subject in the frame. Cristian Umili offers some advice and tips to improve your macro images.

Drew Holder   Drew Holder
Photo by Drew Holder

South Korea has a lot to offer underwater photographers, recreational divers, and technical divers, from wall dives and artificial reefs to a variety of marine life and a wide array of nudibranchs, not to mention topside attractions to enjoy between dives, from beautiful nature parks and scenic trails to cultural events and fine dining. Drew Holder gives us an inside look.

X-Ray Mag Contributors   X-Ray Mag Contributors
Photo by Scott Bennett

We asked our contributors to share their favorite underwater photos that showcase tones and tonality, and they returned with a range of wide-angle and macro shots featuring a variety of marine life, reefs and topography.

Simon Pridmore  
Illustration G Symes - Midjourney

In the second of a two-part series, Simon Pridmore describes a few more equipment-related problems that divers commonly encounter and offers some ideas on how to avoid or deal with them.

Edited by G. Symes  
Photo by Alex Dawson

A poignant image capturing a freediver surveying the aftermath of whaling has earned Alex Dawson from Sweden the prestigious title of Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024. Dawson’s captivating photograph, entitled Whale Bones, emerged victorious from a pool of 6,500 submissions by underwater photographers hailing from diverse corners of the globe.

Pierre Constant   Pierre Constant
Photo by Pierre Constant

The Pacific island nation of Vanuatu is a remote destination in Melanesia that offers diverse diving on reefs, wrecks and in freshwater springs that are home to a number of endemic species. Pierre Constant shares his adventure there.

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Other articles and news in this edition

NOAA Marine Historical Society - Public Domain

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has warned boaters to steer clear of 11 shipwrecks, including a WWII minesweeper, in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Massachusetts.

Photo by PJSC Gazprom Neft CC BY-SA 4 0 DEED

New research reveals that menopausal female whales live significantly longer to support their offspring, offering insights into the evolutionary benefits of extended post-reproductive lifespans.

Photo by Peter Symes

A team of researchers attached cameras to tiger sharks in their quest to discover the extent and character of the seagrass ecosystems of the Bahamas and found it to be the largest known seagrass expanse.

Photo by Peter Symes

The proposed Dive Boat Act seeks to mitigate the impact of the Small Passenger Vessel Act on US-based dive operators facing rising insurance costs and extended liability periods.

John Durban - Holly Fearnbach - NOAA - Public Domain

Orcas are recognised as a single, ecologically and morphologically diverse, globally distributed species. However, biologists have increasingly acknowledged significant differences between two well-known populations of orcas in the North Pacific Ocean, suggesting they may be separate species.

NPS photo by Brett Seymour - Public Domain

A study by the University of California, Berkeley, has shown that these underwater ecosystems have been a part of the ocean landscape for much longer than the scientific community once thought.

Photo by Peter Symes

The ongoing conflict in Gaza and Houthi strikes against commercial shipping at the southern end of the Red Sea are have a negative impact on dive operators in the region, who are experiencing a steep decline in reservations.

Türtscher et al CC BY

Scientists uncover a new species, Aellopobatis bavarica, revealing unprecedented ray diversity in the Jurassic period.

Project Asur - Fair Use

In a bid to safeguard vulnerable shark populations in La Réunion, an EU-funded project is exploring innovative measures to mitigate the accidental capture of sharks by surface longlines.

Photo by Rosemary E Lunn

The National Health Service (NHS) has withdrawn its funding for the Oban Hyperbaric Chamber with immediate effect, leaving the entire west coast of Scotland without an NHS-registered treatment facility, according to the operator.

NOAA - Public Domain

A newly mapped deep-sea coral reef extends from Florida to South Carolina, covering around 310 miles in length and 68 miles in width.

Photo by Rennett Stowe CC BY 2 0

A pod of orcas seen preying on marine mammals, such as sperm whales and a sea turtle in the open waters off the coast of California and Oregon, may represent a previously unidentified population.

MSRA via press release on Facebook

Michigan Shipwreck Research Association announces the discovery of the steamship Milwaukee, lost in 1886, now found intact in deep waters.

Wikimedia Commons - Public Domain

A four-year search culminates in Guernsey divers locating the WWI German submarine UC-18 in the English Channel off the coast of Guernsey.

NPS photo by Brett Seymour via press release

Researchers have conclusively identified a historic British warship, the HMS Tyger, which sank off Florida's coast, shedding light on 18th-century maritime history.

Photo by Sylke Rohrlach CC BY-SA 2 0

A recent study estimating humpback whale populations in the North Pacific Ocean has unveiled a stark decline of 20% over the period from 2012 to 2021. The study suggests that approximately 7,000 whales succumbed to starvation during this time frame.

NOAA photo by Caroline S Rogers - Public Domain

Recent studies illuminate the elusive feeding habits of hawksbill sea turtles, offering insights into their survival and the conservation efforts needed to protect these marine creatures.