Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 169 i ASIAN Geographic

IN CONJUNCTION WITH ADEX Wave of Hope for OCEAN TRIBES Festival (Bali) A timeless collectible archiving the best dive sites in Indonesia with stunning detail and imagery. Known for its unparalleled biodiversity and vibrant reefs, Indonesia offers endless underwater thrills. The new master list for scuba divers, Dive Atlas of Indonesia immerses readers in top sites at locales such as: APRIL DIVE ATLAS OF INDONESIA GUIDE BOOK Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced diver, our atlas provides essential information to help you plan your diving adventures across Indonesia’s breathtaking underwater landscapes…

ASIA FUTURE TECH & TRAVEL ASIAN Geographic No. 168 Issue 1/2025 Asia is poised to lead the future of tech, driven by rapid innovation and government investment in emerging fields like artificial intelligence, robotics, 5G connectivity, and drone technology. Countries like China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore are at the forefront, pioneering advancements in smart cities, autonomous vehicles, and renewable energy. With Asia’s growing tech talent and thriving startup ecosystems, the region is becoming a global hub for innovation. This issue explores all the latest tech emerging from the region. OCEAN TOURISM ASIAN Geographic PASSPORT No. 169 Issue 2/2025 This issue focuses on understanding Asia’s marine animals and their role in ocean tourism. It highlights the importance of respecting and conserving marine ecosystems while enjoying activities like diving, snorkelling, and…

The fluorescent coral pigments are all related to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) from Aequorea victoria, which is involved in the bioluminescence reaction of this jellyfish. The stunning colours of corals attract many divers to the reefs of the world. The Indo-Pacific region in particular, a hotspot of coral biodiversity, is home to a large number of species with spectacular colours. While the brownish appearances of some corals under daylight is due to the photosynthetic pigments of the symbiotic algae that live in their tissue, most of the green, red and purple-blue hues are caused by a family of protein pigments. Some of these pigments glow green or red under ultra-violet or blue light, a physical phenomenon called fluorescence. This is a process during which light of a distinct colour…

That July morning is grey – as grey as our beings after days and nights on the road, and our ears are still ringing from the sound of the car engine. But every road has an end, and ours finishes at the gate of Utrish Marine Station, on the Russian coast of the Black Sea. My husband, photographer Viktor Lyagushkin, and I have driven 1,500 kilometres to get here, in search of a dolphin with an unusual destiny – a female bottlenose dolphin named Pashosh. The bottlenose dolphin is the most common representative of the Delphinidae family. Bottlenose dolphins can be encountered almost anywhere in temperate and warm waters – from the Falkland Islands in the south to the coast of Greenland in the north. The Black Sea, however, is…

The whale shark is perhaps one of the great mysteries of our ocean; the biggest fish in the sea and yet it was not described by science until 1828. Though estimated to have existed for over 60 million years, however, only a meagre 320 records of its occurrence existed until 1986, mainly noting that the adults of this species weigh tens of tonnes, yet only feed upon microscopic plankton, while recent years have brought with them research programmes, tourism, plenty more sightings and a lot more science. Today, many questions still remain. How did such a large animal escape our notice for so long? And how is it that now, with hundreds of papers published, there are still great holes in our knowledge of this species? Let’s start with what…

Mantas and other mobula rays are fascinating and captivating creatures. Giants of their kind, they range throughout the tropical and subtropical oceans of the world. Born into a life of perpetual motion they must keep swimming to survive. Driven forward by powerful beats of their winglike pectoral fins, they travel the oceans in search of food and the urge to mate. Despite the fact that manta rays in particular are hugely fascinating to divers and snorkellers around the world, it has only been in the last 20 years that widespread research into the mysteries and complexities of these animals’ lives has begun in earnest. This article details the fundamentals of what we know today about these fascinating creatures. FAMILY HISTORY AND GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION Like all cartilaginous elasmobranchs, mobula rays have…

The Philippines is renowned worldwide for its breathtaking marine biodiversity, crystal-clear waters, and vibrant coral reefs. Boasting over 7,000 islands, the archipelago offers countless diving spots that cater to beginners and seasoned divers alike. Whether you’re seeking thrilling encounters with sharks, exploring world-class wrecks, or immersing yourself in colourful coral gardens, the Philippines has something extraordinary to offer. Here are 10 of the best diving experiences you should add to your bucket list. 1. Anilao, Batangas 2. Balicasag Island, Bohol 3. Malapascua, Cebu 4. Moalboal, Cebu 5. Dumaguete/Dauin, Negros Oriental 6. Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Palawan 7. Coron Bay, Palawan 8. Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro 9. Apo Reef Natural Park, Occidental Mindoro 10. Sogod Bay, Southern Leyte EXPEDITION INFORMATION HOW Philippines Airlines services Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport daily across more…

Scientific Name : Tursiops truncatus ponticus Habitat Black Sea bottlenose dolphins inhabit the coastal and deeper waters of the Black Sea, with a preference for shallower areas (under 200 meters) Diet Primarily consists of various fish species, including herring, horse mackerel, mullet, anchovy, flounder, and red mullet CONSERVATION STATUS Extinct Threatened Least Concern…

1. LOGGERHEAD (Caretta caretta) Caretta caretta is classified as “Vulnerable” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. It prefers areas around the coast but also tends to swim far upriver to inland water bodies. It can be found worldwide throughout temperate, subtropical and tropical waters. It is named for its massive head and strong jaws that allow it to prey on its favourite food: molluscs and crustaceans. The loggerhead has a reddish-brown shell that can grow to about one metre and it can weigh up to 150 kilograms. Its shell has more encrusting organisms such as barnacles than any other species. DID YOU KNOW? generally 80 to 100 YEARS • Loggerheads typically disappear from the time they are hatched until they are about 8 years old 2. GREEN…

0.3 sec 1 A dolphin takes only 0.3 seconds to exhale and inhale. Dolphins control the opening and closing of the blowhole voluntarily 2 A network of complex nerve endings senses pressure changes so the animal knows when its blowhole is clear of the water and it is safe to breathe 3 Dolphins have been serving in the US Navy for more than 40 years as part of its Marine Mammal Program, and were deployed during the Vietnam War and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The highly intelligent animals are trained to detect, locate and mark sea mines 4 A dolphin’s body has adapted to avoid decompression sickness by completely collapsing its ribcage, forcing the air under pressure out of its lungs into the windpipe 5 Dolphins sleep by resting one side of the brain at…

IT’S NOT A HORSE OF COURSE Seahorses are unusual little marine creatures that belong to the fish family Syngnathidae, which includes seahorses, pipefish, seadragons and pipehorses. They occur throughout the oceans of the world (except in the coldest seas at both poles) and can be found living in a variety of habitats including seagrass meadows, coral reefs, sponge gardens, and even on artificial structures such as jetties. THE MALES HAVE IT One of the most fascinating things that make the seahorse so unique is their reproductive biology. In seahorses, it’s the male that becomes pregnant, carrying the young in a pouch-like opening. The female deposits her eggs into the male’s pouch, which contains sperm, and the pregnancy lasts about two weeks to one month, after which the male gives birth.…

MINIATURE MYSTERIES I could never have foreseen what fascinating subjects these diminutive fish would make. Setting out to discover the private lives of pygmy seahorses, I embarked on my doctoral research, studying the biology and conservation of pygmy seahorses, based on what we already knew of the larger seahorses. Male pregnancy had already been confirmed from dead specimens, but their natural behaviours on the coral reefs of Southeast Asia remained a mystery. Ultimately, my notes after a research dive read more like an E.L. James novel than scientific records, but I was able to uncover many of these mysterious animals’ darkest secrets. You might not expect pygmy seahorses to have distinct personalities, like characters from a soap opera, but after almost 1,000 research dives watching every last detail of these…

Scientific Name : Rhincodon typus Subspecies : R. typus Diet One of only three known filter feeding species, the whale shark survives on a diet of planktonic and nektonic prey. It feeds by swimming with its huge mouth open through nutrient rich water and capturing large quantities of zooplankton and phytoplankton, krill, roe, small crustaceans, squid and fish through a filtration process Habitat Typically seen offshore, whale sharks have been found closer to land, entering lagoons, coral atolls and river mouths. This species is capable of diving to depths of at least 1,928 metres, though they are most often seen at the surface. Seasonal aggregations occur at several coastal sites, where hundreds of individuals gather to take advantage of a reliable food source Geographical Distribution Whale sharks are a primarily…