During a recent dive at Laha in Ambon Bay, divemaster Toby Fadirsyair and Maluku Divers’ owner Buck Randolph found this unusual fish. Toby, who has been diving the region for over 18 years, had previously only seen this fish once before, 15 years ago. The specimen pictured here is one of a pair and is about 10cm long.

Unable to identify the frogfish, Maluku Divers enlisted help from photographers Beth and Shaun Tierney, who were equally fascinated, but unable to ID the critter.

Maluku Divers has sent these images to fish experts around the world, and is seeking your help to identify this frogfish. If you’ve seen this fish before and/ or can help identify it, please contact Maluku Divers

Dive Rite’s popular LED light is getting a boost. The light now delivers 500 lumens of light (a 67% increase!) in the same package for the same price!

Dive Rite’s popular LED Dive Light delivers 500 lumens of illumination for over 12 hours on eight ordinary AA 1.5V alkaline batteries or AA 1.2V NiMH rechargeable batteries. The light’s design incorporates a unique LED system created especially for divers that delivers an outstanding combination of high light output and very long burn time.

With a brightness equal to 10W HID lights, the durable LEDs offer a 10,000-hour life and also resist breakage. The 6500° Kelvin color temperature provided by the LEDs is whiter than light emitted by HID bulbs. The LED light burns at full brightness for at least 12 hours, and then dims as battery voltage declines, yielding usable light for up to 30 hours.

For more information click here.

Falling somewhat outside the scope of normal dive gear is this new, award-winning concept vehicle dubbed the Volitan from Turkish design company DesignNobis.

Reminiscent more of an X-wing Fighter from the movie Star Wars than a normal boat, this concept craft (meaning it’s just a design, so you can’t actually buy one yet…drat!) is a set of blueprints for a lightweight, futuristic sailing vessel that incorporates solid sails, solar energy and wind power so you can be green and clean, yet oh-so-mean.

An onboard computer (what self-respecting spaceship sailing the seven seas doesn’t have a sophisticated onboard computer, preferably one that speaks to you in a sultry, yet intelligent voice?) controls the upper wings to ensure optimal generation of solar- and wind-derived power without compromising speed and cruising comfort.

The computer also stabilises the vehicle in up to 60-knot winds, so you don’t inadvertently end up doing one of those acrobatic Luke-esque manoeuvres that made R2D2 scream like a little girl droid.

The motors on the lower in-water wings also adjust to provide optimal performance and balance, meaning the vessel should be nimble enough to turn on a dime in order to zap unidentified incoming vessels. (No word yet on standard armament configuration, but we’d expect nothing less than precise high-energy particle beam weaponry.)

Now all we need is someone to come up with a scuba suit based on the chic Darth Vader look and an amphibious assault vehicle that resembles an Imperial Tie Fighter.

Who knew diving could be so much fun?

Photographs taken by FiNS Magazine reader Margaret Pang will be on display from 22 to 24 February at the atrium of the Paragon Shopping Centre in Singapore. Sponsored by the Belgian Embassy, Nikon Singapore, Paragon and Evershine Projects & Flora Deco, the event will feature over 60 prints taken by Margaret, and proceeds from the sale of images, postcards and Margaret’s book will be donated to the Singapore Association for the Visually Handicapped.

The opening ceremony will be at Read more…

FiNS Magazine Associate Editor Tony Wu has recently returned from an extended visit to Papua New Guinea, where he dived with Loloata Island Resort and MV Golden Dawn. Check out his trip report.

Most people have heard of giant squids…deep-sea dwelling cephalopods that are believed to be a primary sources of food for sperm whales, and perhaps the origin of ancient sailors’ yarns about blood-thirsty krakens and sea serpents. Stories of giant squids these days generally refer to a species known as Architeuthis dux, which can grow to an estimated 13 metres in length.

What most people don’t know, however, is that there’s an even bigger squid out there, Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, otherwise known as the colossal squid.

First identified in 1925, colossal squids still remain shrouded in mystery. Researchers believe they grow somewhat longer than giant squids but attain much greater mass. With only a handful of specimens to study, it’s difficult to ascertain much more.

The first adult colossal squid caught intact measured 10 metres long and was captured by a New Zealand fisherman in early 2007. One squid scientist commented that calamari rings prepared from the enormous squid would look like tractor tires.

For more information, click here.

Overfishing is a rapidly escalating problem, decimating fish populations in all the world’s oceans from cold water to tropical seas, from shallow areas to the deep, dark abyss.

Recent reports suggests that up to 20 percent of all fish catches may be illegally caught. Read more…

Our friends at Wetpixel have just released the second issue of Wetpixel Quarterly, featuring the work of James Watt, as well as images from many of the talented Wetpixel team. Click here for more information.

It’s out at last - the much-awaited A Divers Guide to the Art of Underwater Photography by Andrea and Antonella Ferrari is now available worldwide!

Eight enjoyable chapters about motivation, equipment, technique, mindframe, philosophy, artistic influences, cameras, housings, strobes, macro, wide-angle, portraits, topside surface interval photography and many, many other subjects.

Illustrated with a spectacular selection of some of the authors’ top shots, plus image contributions from some of the world’s best professional and amateur underwater photographers - including Doug Perrine, Tony Wu, Charles Hood, John Scarlett, Alex Mustard, Eric Cheng, Stephen Wong, Takako Uno, Alberto Luca Recchi, Fiona Ayerst and many, many others.

A Diver’s Guide to the Art of Underwater Photography strives to be completely different from other guides currently on the market. Not only is it produced on heavy glossy paper with the highest colour separation and printing quality, but the book also features scores of spectacular images from some of the world’s most influential professionals and also many extraordinarily gifted amateurs.

This reinforces one of the basic themes the Ferraris strive to convey: that taking great underwater images has less to do with camera models or technical trickery than with the “art of seeing” and the willingness to react on instinct, recognising beauty when it appears.

The book is a large, high-quality paperback measuring 25 cm x 22.5 cm, with 360 pages, 300+ large photos, and printed on glossy heavy paper. Each photograph (all 300 of them!) is extensively captioned, illustrating technique, equipment used, location, creative choices and final results.

The book is available from selected shops, including NHBS and Amazon UK at EURO 37,00 / GBP 24.99 / USD 51.00. Coming to the FiNS Online shop soon!

The holiday festivities are over (at least for the time being) and it’s time to plan your next dive trip. Peruse the pages of the first issue of FiNS for 2008 and you’ll find enthralling stories on destinations like Myanmar, Tonga and Ambon, as well as our regular collection of informative articles on photography, gear and marine life.

Our one-and-only Gadget Guru finds himself wondering whether whistles work well, while in Dive Diary, we take a look back on a year of dive training and draw lessons from Plub’s experiences.

We’re also very happy to bring you three new and unique columns: Discussions with Dirk and Dermot, Really Richard?, and Urban Diver.

Look out for issue 7.1 in your mailbox, or even better, download your free copy here or via our iTunes podcast.