Articles

Winners of the Underwater Festival 2011 - The Australasia Challenge

by Tim Hochgrebe

From the 2nd to the 11th of September 2011, hundreds of divers from all around the world participated in this 'underwater snapshot of Australasia' in all kinds of ways. They dived their way from Sydney to Cairns in 10 days, circumnavigated Bali, showed off their favourite 'own backyard' dive sites, travelled long distances to participate in one of the organised Fringe Events or created their own.

Sponges: More Than Just a Bathroom Accessory

by Wandy Hochgrebe

One animal that every diver will have encountered, because they don't hide or swim away and are mostly brightly coloured: the sponge. Sponges are single or colonial animals which body bears many pores. Hence the name of its Phylum: Porifera (Latin porus, 'pore'; ferre, 'to bear').

Hiding in Plain Sight - Frogfish

by Karen Stearns

At first glance, divers might mistake this animal for a sponge. But a closer look reveals that this odd looking creature is actually a member of what some have called “the ugliest group of fishes in the sea."