Time Is of the Essence

In each issue of Alert Diver, you’ll find advertisements for some of the world’s best and most reputable liveaboard operators. Liveaboards are a great way to explore remote dive destinations for multiple days at a time, giving divers immersive and unforgettable experiences in certain corners of the underwater world.

Bill Ziefle

Optimal Nutrition for Diving 

Scuba diving demands not only physical fitness but also proper nutritional preparation. Like with any activity, we expend energy while diving; surprisingly, the energy required for routine recreational diving is somewhat moderate. Under unusually strenuous recreational conditions, however, it’s possible to burn more than 500 calories. 

A healthy diet is an asset for safe scuba diving as well as a beneficial lifestyle

South Australia’s Great White Shark Adventure

Great white sharks are capricious fish. They are iconic, impressive, photogenic, and awe-inspiring but also frustrating. That frustration is not all about the animal — part of it is how few places in the world you can go to see them.

A great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) swims near the surface cage

Speak of the Spiny Devilfish

The spiny devilfish (Inimicus didactylus) is a member of the family Scorpaenidae, which also contains the venomous lionfish, stonefish, and scorpionfish. These fish conceal glandular venom-producing daggers within their dorsal, pelvic, and anal fins. Divers — especially underwater photographers who may focus on one creature while others sidle up under their legs — must be aware of these animals’ subtle defense maneuvers.

Red Spiny Devilfish

Belize

Our explorations of Belize’s equally biodiverse jungles and reef systems some 4,000 miles (6,437 kilometers) south repeatedly reminded me of that endless summer afternoon in Alaska.

The Great Blue Hole on the northern end of Lighthouse Reef Atoll

Melissa Ilardo

Melissa Ilardo, PhD, is passionate about working in the distinct field of genetic analyses on individuals, primarily in Indigenous populations who have adapted to unique lifestyles or environments.

Ilardo with community members from the Bajau village

Kavieng

As a diver and photographer, I seek remote locations offering unparalleled underwater experiences. The farther away and the fewer the people, the better. Papua New Guinea is such a place.

A split image shows the house reef at Lissenung.

Learning to Thrive in Extreme Environments

My phone’s alarm filled the air, but I was already awake. It was the day I had eagerly anticipated since first learning about the Florida International University (FIU) Introduction to Saturation Diving: Aquarius Operations and Benefits to Science course — the emergency simulation.

Gray snappers and schoolmaster snappers school beneath the moon pool on Aquarius Reef Base.