features
CONTENTS
FALL 2012
ON THE COVER:
Bob Talbot photographed this humpback whale (Megaptera
novaeangliae) in the waters off southeast Alaska against the
hues of the setting sun. Taken from a small boat and using a long
telephoto lens, his water-level perspective allowed illumination
of the water streaming from the flukes and rendered this great
whale in elegant silhouette.
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FALL 2012
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Our NAtiONAL MAriNe
SANctuArieS
The U.S. government oversees a system of 14
marine protected areas, which encompass vital
centers of biodiversity and important cultural
resources. These National Marine Sanctuaries
offer divers some of the best underwater
experiences to be found in U.S. waters.
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Big. BLue. BAhAMAS.
TexT aNd PhoToS by STePheN FriNk
reefs, wrecks, caves, walls, sharks and more;
add clear, warm water and white-sand beaches
to the mix, and it’s apparent why the bahamas’
700
islands are among world’s favorite dive
destinations.
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the Art OF Shipwreck
huNtiNg
by eVaN koVaCS
From U-boats and triremes to pirate ships and
unsinkable ocean liners, the seafloor is littered
with relics of our ocean-going past. Modern
technology is opening the doors of discovery
on centuries of lost ships.
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whAt wiLL the DOctOr DO?
Diagnosing decompression illness
by kaTiNa FoSeN, M.d., aNd
ChriSToPher LoGUe, M.d.
When symptoms occur after diving, divers
know to seek medical care, but how do doctors
determine the symptoms are actually due to
dCi? daN consulting physicians Chris Logue
and katina Fosen shed light on the process of
diagnosing and treating dCi.
Pink river dolphins, also known as boto (Inia geoffrensis), Rio Negro, Brasil. Photo by Clark Miller