Scubapro has launched the latest model in its popular Galileo range of dive computers with a titanium-cased version of its popular Galileo G3 dive computer.

The new Galileo G3 Titanium – G3 Ti – watch-style computer weighs in at around 40 per cent less than the 2023-launched G3.

The G3 Ti retains the high-contrast full-colour display and the scratch-resistant sapphire glass screen of its stablemate, with the same stainless steel rotatable bezel, distinctive deep blue finish and efficient backlight.

The four-button control system to navigate the six dive modes remains unchanged, and both computers provide a choice of algorithms between the Predictive Multi-Gas (PMG) Bühlmann ZHL-16 ADT MB (Microbubble) PMG or the ZHL-16 GF (Gradient Factors) model, and three dive modes – Scuba, Gauge and Freediving.

Scuba mode has settings available for predictive multi-gas, trimix, CCR and sidemount diving; and wireless air integration through the optional Smart+ Pro transmitter monitors tank pressure to provide both true remaining bottom time (RBT) and allow air consumption to be factored into decompression calculations.

The G3 Ti is priced at £529 without an air-integration transmitter, compared to the standard model’s price tag of £449.

However, between now and September 2025, Scubapro is offering discounted bundles for purchasing either of the computers with its Smart+ Pro transmitters, with savings of up to £160 over the usual retail Smart+ Pro retail price of £280.

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Scubapro G3, G3 Ti features:

• Max operating depth: 300 m
• Number of Gases: 8
• Gas Capability: 21-100% Nitrox, Trimix
• Algorithm: Bühlmann ZH-L16 ADT MB PMG; Bühlmann ZH-L16 GF
• Operating Modes: Freediving, CCR, Scuba, Gauge
• Display Type: Colour
• Memory Capacity: 485MB
• Battery: Rechargeable Li
• Control Buttons: 4
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB
• Built-In compass: Yes

MSRP:
G3 without transmitter: £ 449 – link
G3 Titanium without transmitter: £ 529 – link
G3 Ti with transmitter: £ 649; G3 with Transmitter: £ 559 – special offer bundle link

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By DIVE Staff

The government of French Polynesia has announced the creation of a marine protected area (MPA) that will extend around the entirety of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), making it the largest MPA in the world.

The new MPA will cover almost 5 million square kilometres (1.9 million square miles) of the nation’s waters, approximately one-fifth of which will be designated as Class I and Class II MPAs under standards developed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Class I sites are designated as ‘fully protected’, in which all tourist activities and extractive practices including commercial fishing, dredging and deep-sea mining are completely forbidden.

Removal of anything from fully protected areas is allowed only for scientific research or invasive species control, although indigenous artisanal fishing are permitted an exemption as long as it is conducted in accordance with cultural tradition.

Class II – ‘highly protected’ – sites have many of the same restrictions regarding extraction, but sustainable marine tourism is permitted.

IUCN standards for MPAs also stipulate that management of the MPAs has a conservation focus, defined goals, objectives and boundaries, and a management plan which addresses the resources required for the protection to be implemented.

The announcement was made during the recent United Nations Ocean Conference held in Nice, France, by French Polynesia’s president, Moetai Brotherson, and represents an extension of French Polynesia’s 2018 classification of its EEZ as a ‘Marine Managed Area’.

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‘We have been managing this EEZ wisely for centuries, using the techniques that were passed on from the generations before us and our ancestors,’ Brotherson told reporters at the conference. ‘But now we wanted to take a bold step to be in line with the international standards of the IUCN.’

‘In French Polynesia, the ocean is much more than a territory,’ he added. ‘It is a source of life, culture, and identity.

‘By strengthening the protection of the Tainui Atea – the existing marine managed area that encompasses all French Polynesian waters – and laying the foundations for the future marine protected areas in the Austral, Marquesas, Gambier, and Society Islands, we are asserting our ecological sovereignty while creating biodiversity sanctuaries for our people and future generations.’

The fully protected areas will be created as an artisanal fishing zone that extends 15 nautical miles (28km) from the Austral, Marquesas, and Gambier islands and up to 30 nautical miles from the Society Islands, an area of 186,000 sq km (72,000 sq mi).

Combined with the highly protected areas, the total reach of the most protected areas will cover 1,086,000 square km (420,000 sq mi) – about twice the size of France.

‘This is an extraordinary achievement and a globally significant contribution to the protection of our One Ocean,’ said Dr Grethel Aguilar, IUCN Director General.

‘By prioritising biodiversity, traditional knowledge, and future generations, French Polynesia has set a new standard for leadership in marine conservation.

‘These commitments show that small Island territories can have a massive impact on global sustainability.’

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By DIVE Staff

Indonesia, Fiji, The Bahamas, and Malta are among the latest countries to ratify the United Nations’ Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdictions (BBNJ) treaty – also known as the High Seas Treaty.

The popular scuba diving destinations are among 19 other nations to ratify the agreement at the recent UN Oceans Conference in France.

Jordan, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, and the Solomon Islands have also added their names to the list, bringing the total number of nations to have ratified the treaty to 50.

The High Seas Treaty, the first ever global agreement to protect 30 per cent of the open ocean, was signed into existence in 2023 after nearly two decades of negotiation.

The treaty will allow member states to establish marine protected areas (MPAs) in international waters, something that is currently only possible with the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of a nation’s territory.

A total of 135 countries and the European Union have now signed the treaty – 20 of which happened during the conference – but it needs to be formally ratified by at least 60 nations before it comes into effect, leaving ten more signatories required.

The treaty will come into force 120 days after the 60th ‘instrument of ratification’ has been deposited at the UN.

‘The surge of ratifications for the High Seas Treaty is a tidal wave of hope and a huge cause for celebration”, said Rebecca Hubbard, Director of the High Seas Alliance, an association of non-governmental organisations and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

‘This marks a powerful victory for everyone who worked relentlessly to put High Seas protection at the heart of the global environmental agenda.

‘We must keep our foot on the #RaceForRatification accelerator,’ added Hubbard. ‘The Treaty’s power lies in the number of countries that join, so while we celebrate this incredible progress, we urge all remaining nations to ratify without delay and help drive this Treaty past the first 60 to make it a truly global force for ocean protection.’

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A 16th-century shipwreck discovered by accident in March has proven to be the deepest in French waters and appears ‘frozen in time’, according to the archaeologists who have surveyed it.

The ship, which has been named Camarat 4, was discovered at a depth of more than 2.5 kilometres (1.5 miles) by a team from the French Navy’s Expert Center for Human Diving and Underwater Intervention (CEPHISMER), who were conducting a military survey of the seabed in the area off the coast of Ramatuelle, near Saint-Tropez.

Archaeologists from the French Department of Underwater and Submarine Archaeological Research (DRASSM) were invited to survey the wreck using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and found a cargo of almost perfectly preserved ceramics.

The ship, which is approximately 30 meters (100ft) long by 7m (23 ft) wide, has been identified as a merchant vessel and was carrying at least 200 ceramic pitchers and 100 yellow plates.

The wreck was also carrying anchors, six cannon and two large cooking pots, indicating it was kitted out for long sea voyages and protection against pirates.

The pitchers are decorated with several different styles, including flowers and geometric designs. Some bear the inscription ‘IHS’ – a Christogram used as a symbolic reference to Jesus Christ, based on the first three letters of the name in ancient Greek.

The design of the pitchers has been attributed to well-documented 16th-century ceramics from the Ligurian region of north-west Italy, and it is thought the ship would have sailed from a Ligurian port en route to its destination.

The wreck has been well-preserved by its depth and shows a remarkable insight into 16th-century maritime trade in the Mediterranean. It also shows some of the problems created by modern maritime pollution, with a drinks can photographed among the 2.5km-deep wreckage.

Camarat 4 has been recorded as the deepest wreck in French territorial water, 200m deeper than its predecessor, Minerve, a French Daphné class submarine which sank with the loss of its entire crew in January 1968.

DRASSM has said that ‘multi-year research’ operations will be made to explore the history of the wreck, which will include surveys, limited salvage and the creation of a photogrammetric 3D model of the wreck.

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The 2025 iteration of the Underwater Awards Australasia – an underwater photography competition focused on the Australasia region is now open and accepting entries.

The competition, a three-way collaboration between Underwater Australasia, underwater photography and videography resource DivePhotoGuide, and underwater imaging equipment and dive gear distributor UW Images, will culminate in an exhibition at Go Diving Show ANZ in September 2025.

The judging panel this year comprises internationally renowned underwater photographers Tobias Friedrich, Jayne Jenkins, Matty Smith, Tanya Houppermans, Scott Portelli and William Tan; and video judges Philip Hamilton and Ross Long.

The prizes, worth more than AU$70,000 in total, include dive trips with the world’s top resorts and liveaboards, as well as the latest underwater photo and video gear—even an underwater photography drone and an underwater scooter with photographic platform.

Entrants compete for prizes in 9 categories, including Sharks, Sydney, Conservation, Australian, International, Tough GH, Portfolio and Smartphone/Action Cam.

Videographers can enter the competition’s unique ‘Reels Showcase’ video category by creating an Instagram Reel of 90 seconds or less, at least 50 per cent of which must. The top image or video among the category winners receives the distinction of Best of Show.

The competition calls for passionate underwater photographers from around the world to submit their most captivating images and videos from the Australasian region.

Winners will be revealed on UnderwaterCompetition.com and published by supporting media partners worldwide shortly thereafter. There is a US$10 entry fee per image or video entered.

For more details and to submit your photos and videos, head to the Underwater Awards Australasia 2025 entry page.

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