
Issue # 23: The magazine that goes deeper
Could submersibles be the next big thing in marine tourism asks our cover story this issue? We also check out what keeps Belize’s reef so ‘remarkable’ and Alfie Minnaar finds another unusual and exotic dive location – Orchid Island off Taiwan. Order your copy now or subscribe for a year from just £9.99.
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Scuba diving was once a specialist niche activity, but today can be enjoyed for a modest price in any holiday resort. Until recently, deep-sea submersible diving was also a specialist niche activity, the exclusive preserve of scientists – and billionaires. Advances in technology are making submersibles more accessible, however, and although they might not be in the average holiday resort brochure just yet, Mark ‘Crowley’ Russell takes a look at that might not be as far into the future as it might first appear…


It’s unlikely that many people would put Taiwan on their list of scuba diving destinations. In fact, most people wouldn’t even know that Taiwan was a place that had dive centres – but Alfie Minnaar paid a visit to Orchid Island, and captured some exceptional diving with his exceptional underwater photography.


The Belize Barrier Reef was described by Charles Darwin as ‘the most remarkable in the West Indies’ – but in recent years it has become a battle to maintain that remarkability against the threats posed by both humans and nature. Graeme Gourlay visited the second largest reef system in the world to explore how the Belize authorities have coped with the struggle and, against the odds, succeeded – so far.


Paul Naylor’s Great British Marine Animals guidebook is so great that a half-column book review just would not suffice. Take a look at some of his outstanding images from around the British coastline, and consider that you might not have to travel as far as you thought for some scuba diving magic.


Eels are one of the most common photographic subjects, but also difficult to capture properly, even when they’re just sitting there menacingly staring at the camera. We had many toothy entries for our Big Shot Eels photo competition, the best of which grace the art-quality pages of our print magazine.