The Scuba News New Zealand

“Scubafest Cornwall 2017 offered more than it had for many years. Diving was always on offer, from several boats, or from the shore. This year there was more to do and see, for the non divers and divers alike.

Rhinopias are a type of scorpionfish, known by many divers as the holy grail. They can only be encountered in certain areas in the Indian and Pacific oceans and dive sites get frequented by divers just because they are known to be there. Here are some fun facts about these amazing creatures, the best destinations for divers to find them and how divers can identify what they find.

When I first discovered swimming in the Top End seas was a rare activity, I was dismayed. I have spent the past five years living and diving from Indonesian and Mozambican beaches almost every day. I wondered how I’d cope without my daily dose of vitamin sea and sea life!

One of the highlights of observing fish as a diver is to find a dragonet. Dragonets are small bony fishes which live between corals or in the sand and are found in tropical, sub-tropical and temperate oceans. There are 191 species of dragonet currently listed on Fishbase, including the well-known mandarin fish.

While many people might glance up at the stormy April skies with a sense of disappointment we in the seasonal boating family tend see it as the first rays of light drawing us out of our wintery shelters. After a seemingly endless cycle of cold weather, icy roads and frozen waterways, like bears emerging out of our caves and blinking cautiously to ensure our eyes have not deceived us, we take our first tentative steps into Spring