Issue 61/51www.uwpmag.com

Thediveindustryseemstometobeveryfaddish;diveareascomeandgowiththefashion.WhenIfirststarteddivinginthemid-nineties,nineteenninetiesthatis,placessuchasSangalaki,DerawanandSipidanwerethemostpopularplacesinAsia.TherewereonlytwodivecentresinManado,LembehStraitsareaandRajaAmpatwasn’tevendiscoveredyet.ManyofthegenerationofdiversbeforemehadcuttheirdivingteethinPapuaNewGuinea,whichwasreallytheonlyplacetodiveinAsiaduringtheseventiesandeighties.PlaceslikeWalindi,KaviengandMilneBayprovidedthecoverphotosforthedivingmagazines.ThenpeopleslowlystoppedgoingtoPNGasotherplaceswerediscoveredandbecamemoreheavilypublicisedandattractive.ForthediveoperatorsinPNGthiswasnotagreatthing,butforusasdiversitwaswonderfulasthereefsdidn’tgetwornandtiredfrombeingoverdived.Ithaskeptthenumberofoperatorstothefewthatrunanefficientandwellmanagedbusinessandwhenyougoonaliveaboardyoudon’tseeanyotherdiveboats.

IsigneduptodoathreeweektripwithTonyWuonGoldenDawn,

runbyCraigdeWit,withaspecialguestappearancebyBobHalstead.IhavedonemanytripswithTonybeforeandcounthimasafriend;thereisevensomeevidencethatthefeelingismutual.CraigisoneoftheoriginalskippersintheregionandhasbeenadventuredivinginPNGforovertwentyyears.Bobisalegendindivingcircles.InductedintotheInternationalScubaDivingHallofFamein2008,alongsidesuchluminariesasStanWaterman,DavidDoubiletandJacquesCousteau.OneofthefirsttodivePapuaNewGuinea,authorofeightbooksondivingandfishidentification,contributortomyriadmagazinesandtellerofmanytallstories,aswellasbeinginhis

Golden PNGby Julian Cohen

I spent many dives photographing the ever changing patterns of scads under the pier1-200 sec at f8.0, 10.0-17.0 mm f-3.5-4.5@10 mm, ISO 100, NIKON D7000, Spot-Meter Mode.

This pretty anemone has been on a few magazine covers in the 80’s1-160 sec at f 10, 10.0-17.0 mm f-3.5-4.5@10 mm. ISO 100, NIKON D7000, Spot-Meter Mode

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ownwords‘amaniccompressive’.HeisamanIhavelongadmiredandwantedtomeet,sotheopportunitytodivetheareasthatheexplored,withhimpersonallyasaguide,wastoogoodtoignore.

NoticeIsaidadventurediving,asthistypeofdivingisnotstandardpackagefarestuff.Youaregoingtoplacesthatmaynothavebeendivedveryoftenandthereisnoguaranteethatanyparticularanimalwillturnup.Thatiswhatreallifeislike.There’snopointturningupwithawishlistofcrittersyouwanttoseeandthengettingallshirtyifitdoesn’tgetfulfilled.Ifadivesiteisnotworkingthenit’supanchorandgoontothenext.Ifasiteispumpingthenstayuntilthemediacardsarefulloryourunoutofair,whicheverisfirst,comeup,changecards,fillthetankandgobackinagain.That’sthewonderfulthingforme,notknowingwhatyou’llfindwhenyougetinthewater.

WestartedinPortMoresbyandendedinAlotau,thefirstweekwascruisingthecoastbetweenthesetwospots,thesecondweekspentmoretimeinandaroundMilneBay,andthethirdweek,tendaysactually,wasmorealongthenorthernshoregoinguparoundtheD’EntrecasteauxIslands.Iwasdivingwithanewcamera,aNikonD7000,asmyD3wasnickedinaburglaryfrommyhouse.Iwasalsodivingwithanewhousing,theSeacamPreludefortheD7000andthelesssaidaboutthatthebetter.I’lljustsaythatamongstitsmanyfaultsisalackoffocuscontrol,andalthoughIamquitehappytoshootmacrowithmanualfocus,itdoesprecludefishportraiturewithashallowdepthoffieldforanythingbutastationarysubject.SoIspentthemajorityofmytimewithaTokina10-17onthecamera.Sincewideangleismyfirstlove,thatisnottoomuchofanencumbrancetome.Oftenyoureadinphotographymanualsabout

anexerciseofkeepingonelensonthecameraandthengoingouttolookforimages.SoIdecidedtodojustthat.Forthreeweeks.Iwashelpedinthisbythefactthatthislensisreallyjustthecompleteallroundunderwaterlens.Itfocusesalmostonthe

Sea Jellies come to the surface in numbers during a night dive. 1-40 sec at f 9.0. 10.0-17.0 mm f-3.5-4.5@10 mm. ISO 1000. NIKON D7000. Spot-Meter Mode

Orange sea fans at Deacon’s Reef. 1-40 sec at f 9.0. 10.0-17.0 mm f-3.5-4.5@10 mm. ISO 400. NIKON D7000. Spot-Meter Mode

Bob Halstead looking at the bubble baths. Notice the housing he is using, a twenty year old Aquatica for a Nikon F3. 1-80 sec at f 10. 10.0-17.0 mm f-3.5-4.5@10 mm. ISO 100. NIKON D7000. Spot-Meter Mode

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domeportforclosefocuswideangle,andyoucanzoominto17mmforshootingsubjectsfurtheraway.

IlovedivingontheGoldenDawn.Theboatisperfectlysetup,withaknowledgeableandfriendlycrewaswellasgreatfoodfortheeatingpartofthe‘eat,sleep,dive’mantraforliveaboarddiving.Oftenwewouldstopatasite,suchasSamaraiWharf,wheretheactionwascontinuousandtherewasalwaysagreatphotoopportunity,andthedivedeckwouldbeopen;goinandoutasoftenasyoulike.Ididn’thaveto

worryaboutlookingintherubbleforcritters,asIcouldn’ttakeanyphotosofthemanyway.Ididrelentononediveandwentinwitha60mmmacrolens.AfterfiveminutesIsawawobbegongswimmingtowardsmebeautifullyframedbythejetty.Iwentstraightbacktotheboatwiththehumpandchangedbacktowideangle.Thisisreallythebestwaytogettheshotsthatyouwant,asinbetweendivesyouhavethechancetoreviewyoureffortsoveracupoftea,andthenworkoutwhat,ifanything,wasgoingwrongandgobackin

straightawaytoimproveonthem.DivingDogPassagehasan

underwaterridgewithalargearchcompletelyencrustedwithfansandsoftcorals.Inotedinmydiary‘Anthiasbillowedallovercoral,thecurrentwasrunningbutnottoostrongtoswimagainst.TherewasaleopardsharkrestingontheseabedandBobsawaneagleray;it’swhatdivingshouldbelikeallthetime.’

BlackandSilverisaverylargebommiedroppingdowntobelowfortymeters.Onthesideprotectedfromthecurrentwasaforestofblack

coraltrees,mainlywhitebutalsosomebrownandred.Ihaveneverseenthatmanyinoneplacebefore.Wefoundabeautifulblackandyellowlacyscorpionfish(Rhinopiasaphanes),whichwasaperfectsubjectforaclosefocuswideangleshot.I’dneverseenonethatcolourbeforeandit’ssomethingelsetostrikeoffmybucketlist.

Deacon’sReefisarelativelyshallowtenmeterledgeupagainstawallwithtreesoverhangingthewater.Justfurtheroutthedropoffgoestoacoupleofthousandmeterssothere’s

Samarai Wharf, not named after anything Japanese even though it sounds like it. 1-100 sec at f 8.0. 10.0-17.0 mm f-3.5-4.5@10 mm. ISO 400. NIKON D7000Spot-Meter Mode

The 10-17 is perfect for larger subjects like this rhinopias aphanes. 1-250 sec at f - 8.0. 10.0-17.0 mm f-3.5-4.5@13 mm. ISO 160**NIKON D7000. Spot-Meter Mode

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alwaysachanceofsomethingbigturningup.IspentthewholetimeinfivemetersshootingBob’scoralgarden.Thesearetheorangeredseafansthatovertheyearshavebeenbrokenbycarelessdivers,andBobhaswedgedthebrokenpiecesintotherockandtheyhavecarriedongrowingthere,justlikeafrangipanitreewouldonland.Hehascreatedthisbeautifulsite,withtheblueskyandthetreesjustaboveyourhead.

OntheislandofDobuisadivethatcanonlybedoneinaveryfewplacesonearth.Inthree

metersofwater,sulphurdioxideandcarbondioxidegasesrisingfromthemagmabelowbubblesupthroughthereef.Althoughmostlyseagrassandmudwherethelargergeysersare,therearesomeareasofnormalcoralreefwithgasbubblinguparoundthecorals.Itispossibletoswimstraightoverthetopofthebubblesandfeelthedifferenceinwatertemperature.Itisquiteastonishingtoseeaprofusionoflifeinwhatonewouldthinkwouldbesuchinhospitableconditions.

DroppingdownontoanunnamedreefintheNuakataarea,Craigpulledouthistrustysharkattractor.Basicallyaplasticwaterbottle,ifscrunchedandrubbedtherightwaythesharksaredrawntoit.Craigsawalargegreyreefsharkontheedgeofvisibilityandassoonashestartedtorubthemagicbottlethesharkimmediatelyreactedandcamestraightovertous.WhenshegotwithinacoupleofmetersofusshechangedcoursetoswimbacktothereefbutasCraigrubbedthebottleshewasinstantlydrawnbacktousalmostasifshewasonawire.HoveringnexttoCraigIcouldfeelthevibrationsinmychestsotothesharkitmusthavebeenoverwhelminglyirresistible,likeasiren’scall.

ThereefsinNuakataareonlypartlyexplored.BlackandSilverandLynda’sReefareknownandwereextraordinarilyfishyreefs.AlargeareaofpavonacoralonLynda’sReefwasswarmingwithliterallymillionsofanthias.Yellow,purpleandgreencloudspulsinginandoutoftheprotectionofthereefaslargerfusiliersandjacksswoopedabove.Therearemanymorereefstoexploreinthearea

andthepromiseofgreatdivesonunexploredsites.Someofthedivesiteswevisitedarenamed

afterthegiantsofthediveindustry.Humann’sColourBookisaspectacularreefpackedwithsoftcoralsandfans,namedafterPaulHumann,thefirstmantorunaliveaboarddiveboatandcoauthorofthefishidentificationbooksmanyofususeonaregularbasis.DoubiletReef,Bob’sKnobafterBobHalstead,Calypso,Waterman’sRidge,Deacon’sReefafterKevinDeacon,Carl’sReefandSeaandSeePassnamedforCarlRoessler.FormethistripwaslikewatchingJacquesCousteau’sdocumentarieswhenIwasasmallboy,exceptIwaslivingthedream.

WhenIthinkbackonit,Ican’tunderstandwhyeveryoneissohellbentongoingtoRajaAmpatorwhereeverthenewinspotis,althoughI’mgladthattheyare.ThedivinginPNGisjustasbeautiful,andwhiletheyarealloverthere,IcanbeinPNGwithafewfriendsdivingwithnooneelsetodisturbus.

Julian Cohenwww.juliancohen.com

www.flickr.com/photos/juliancohen

Fans on the Dog House at Diving Dog Passage. 1-60 sec at f9.0. 10.0-17.0 mm f-3.5-4.5@10 mm. ISO 400. NIKON D7000. Spot-Meter Mode