SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011): Issue 58

SCUBA News 58

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) Issue 58 - February 2005 http://www.scubatravel.co.uk ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to SCUBA News. A packed issue this month, with a review of a brand new underwater photography book and a guest article about diving the Great Barrier Reef. We're also pleased to launch an "Underwater Photography Group" - details below. We hope you enjoy SCUBA News, but should you wish to cancel your subscription you can do so at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html Contents: - What's new at SCUBA Travel? - Your Letters - 20 Years of Diving - Bookshelf: The Essential Underwater Photography Manual - Diving on a Great Barrier Reef Liveaboard - Creature of the Month: Edible Sea Urchin - Diving News from Around the World __________________________________________________________ What's New at SCUBA Travel? =========================== Underwater Photography Forum One of our readers asked if we'd start an underwater photography group, where people could publish their photos and invite feedback from others. We've done so at http://scubatravel.co.uk/forum/ and await your photos. Also, if you've any photography tips please post them. Diving at Providencia Island, Colombia The diving at Providencia Island, Colombia has been warmly recommended by one of our readers: "The most beautiful place I have ever been...Much better than other places such as Costa Rica. Not only is the diving amazing but the island is magical." http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scuba.html#Colombia Diving in Greece New notes on the diving in Crete and Kefkas Island are now on-line. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scuba.html#Greece Special Offer - Only to SCUBA Travel Visitors Aquastuff.net are offering all SCUBA News subscribers, and SCUBA Travel web site visitors, 25% off "Diana the Diver doll". The offer will soon be posted on the SCUBA Offers board at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/ Until then, contact info@aquastuff.net for more information. __________________________________________________________ Your Letters ============ I am trying to contact an instructor called Debbie. A Canadian lass. Works (Worked) for Dolphin Submarino in Boca Chica, Dom Republic, circa 1997. Anybody know of her whereabouts? Any info to FRED1CHINLEY@AOL.COM.UK Thanks Fred - Long awaited trip to Haiti is coming up. We are looking for information on any dive shop if any and boats to rent. Also and information and locations to dive and shipwrecks in both shallow and deep depths. Thank you for your time and help! Jeffrey Kincheloe Can you help Jeffrey? E-mail news@scubatravel.co.uk and we'll pass your information on. - Thank you for a great online resource for diving information. Keep up the great reporting and researching. I have been a diver for more than 35 years now (since the 60's). I hope that my children will be able to experience the underwater world as I have done over the years. It is disconcerting and disheartening to see what pollution and development have done to places I had visited just 30 years ago. The Florida Keys in many areas are now a wasteland! For me to come up from a dive before 500 psi shows that I was bored and depressed from the lack of coral and schools of fish which I was accustomed to many year ago. Even Bonaire has changed drastically from pristine to a underwater garbage dump in many places. As for the Bahamas, what a mess in many of the more popular areas that use to be meccas for divers. Keep up the information and the reporting. I hope the world can survive man, and that man can survive the world. Tigershark __________________________________________________________ 20 Years of Diving ================== Tigershark's letter above made me think about how long I had been diving, and I realised it was 20 years this month. My first dive was at a flooded quarry called Dorothea in Wales, in February, in a wetsuit. As I walked into the water I had a band of pain around my head. I was sure that this couldn't be right but was assured by my buddy that it was quite normal in cold water and told to get a move on. Things went quite well until my buddy decided we'd swim through an old car dumped in the quarry. I knew I was following too close when he kicked my mask off. It was quite a leap of faith for me to persevere at the sport - if so many other people enjoyed it there must be something good about it. A trip to Oban (Scotland) in April didn't convince me. Still diving in a wetsuit, sleeping in unheated bunk rooms, I was cold the entire week. Finally made it in Autumn to a Scottish marine reserve (St Abbs) and decided that perhaps there was something good about diving after all. Why not drop me a line about your first dive, and any changes you've seen since then? __________________________________________________________ Bookshelf: The Essential Underwater Photography Manual ====================================================== Denise Nielsen Tackett and Larry Tackett Rotovision, 2005 176 pages, £19.99 2-88046-737-3 Most underwater photography books I have come across tend to cover the basics very well but then seem to leave you to discover the rest by yourself. Of course there is nothing wrong with this but it can prove expensive, time consuming and some people become disillusioned and give up. Not so in this book, which for me fills that gap between beginner and starting to take reasonable quality pictures. Three of the ten chapters are dedicated to the basics and equipment so it is an ideal book even if you are a beginner. The book begins with a chapter on film verses digital, by the end of which you are well informed enough to make your own decision. The basics are then covered in chapter two followed by a chapter on equipment. The rest of the book is dedicated to various aspect of underwater photography: lighting, composition, macro photography, photographing behaviour and so on. Each chapter covers its subject fully and includes some very useful same scene photographs shot with different settings to illustrate the point being made. (Why do most of my photographs fall into the poorly taken category?) Each chapter then ends with some exercises, these look great and are split into underwater and on topside, the topside exercises you can do at home and I am particularly looking forward to as I am sure they will also improve my general photography. The book has ten chapters and runs to 175 pages and is as you would expect very well illustrated, it has a splash proof cover but I certainly would not leave it on deck. To sum up I think this is a great book for a beginner as it should see you through to taking some decent photos. I think it is also a must for anyone who knows the basics and can take acceptable underwater images, but they just don't seem to have that..."Pizzazz" factor as this book describes it. About the Authors: Denise and Larry Tackett are professional photographers specialising in underwater and terrestial natural history and travel subjects. Their images have appeared in major magazines like BBC Wildlife and National Geographic. At the moment you can get 30% off The Essential Underwater Photography Manual at Amazon.co.uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/2880467373/1286 It is also available from the publishers at http://www.rotovision.com/ Review by Andrew Reay-Robinson __________________________________________________________ Quality Diving at Budget Prices on a Great Barrier Reef Live Aboard ========================================================== by Tab Hauser (Note, this article has been abridged. For the full version, including dive write-ups, see http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/australia/taka.html) Different thoughts come to mind when one thinks of diving on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. These can include not only the sight of pristine coral reef systems along with a multitude of sea life but also the time and expense that goes with such a trip. For the "average" tourist vacationing in Australia the highlights include places like Sydney, Ayers Rock, the Queensland Rainforest and Cairns to name a few. Cairns (pronounced Cannes) was one of the destinations we recently visited on a family trip in Australia. This water town is major jumping off point for seeing the world's largest living object, the Great Barrier Reef. Many non-divers and some casual divers with limited time or who are on a bus tour use Cairns as the jump off point for a day trip. These day trips take all morning on a quick boat holding as many as 300 people to get to the outer reef. (There is a helicopter option) They spend the day snorkeling or doing a couple of dives before heading back on the long ride to Cairns. By doing this you get the most basic flavor of the Great Barrier Reef as you visit only one spot. Many people also take a day boat to one of the islands on the inner reef not far from Cairns. While this can be nice, the inner reefs are not in the same league as the outer reefs in terms of condition and clarity. Our family decided we wanted to get more out of the reef than simply hopping on a fast day boat to the outer reef or visiting a place on the inner reef. With the help of the internet I found a live-aboard dive boat called the Taka II. The Taka II does not have lots of frills and the prices reflect this. The least expensive category to sleep in was the lowest deck. Here you get a bunk with three others to share your dive experience at a price of $900 Australian. There are no windows in the lower cabins and the heads and showers are shared one level up. This level can also be a bit noisy, because you are closer to the engine. The more expensive cabins are on the top deck and range from two single bunk beds to a single bed over a twin bed. One cabin they call the honeymoon suite had a queen bed and extra couch to store things on. The upstairs cabins all had windows and private bathrooms. Prices upstairs are $1125 to $1300 per person. With the Australian dollar trading at about 25% less than the U.S. dollar there are some real values attained here. The food served on board was basic but tasty and filling. While the salon was comfortable and roomy to fit everyone, it missed having windows overlooking the ocean. They tried to make up for this design blunder by having two large flat screen plasma TVs on each side attached to cameras on the bow and stern. This "outside" viewing was turned off during movies as well as at night. When asked why there were no windows, a crew member told me it would have cost more to design the ship with windows. I thought this was a poor choice when building a boat. As mentioned, the TAKA II is a "divers boat". While the Taka II lacks certain on-board amenities, it more than makes up for this on service for the dives. On all dives there was the option to be guided or go on your own. A better-staffed boat would be hard to find. The crew allows for a lot of dive freedom. They did have one rule that they were very serious about. No one was allowed to bring anything up from the reef. At the first briefing one dive master said that the crew will radio the authorities to report any diver that does not heed this law and that the fine can be $A60,000. Most major airlines fly into Cairns with a stop in Sydney. It should be noted that Cairns is also only 90 minutes by car from the famous beaches and rainforest of Queensland and the two areas can be easily combined in one trip. One last important detail has to deal with anyone that has a tendency of getting seasick. The weather conditions can make the ship rock and roll a bit especially when they travel out side the reef. If you are prone to seasickness I recommend getting a prescription from your doctor for the medicine that is built into the small patch that stays behind your ear. This kept my son and me in good shape for the first and last night. We found they stuck very well behind our ears even after 2 days of diving. Overall we found the TAKA II and the Great Barrier Reef to be a wonderful experience. This boat and the dives we were on were ideal for any diver whether you were a novice or experienced. Tab Hauser is a free lance writer / photographer who has contributed articles in trade magazines and local newspapers on business, travel and community events) __________________________________________________________ Creature of the Month: Edible Sea Urchin, Echinus esculentus ========================================================== For a photograph of this sea urchin, see http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=59 The spines of a sea urchin are mobile, being attached to the test (or skeleton) with ball-and-socket joints. A sea urchin moves using its tube feet, sometimes with the help of its spines. The urchin also uses its spines to rigidly lock itself in a rock crevice. The shape of the test varies depending on the depth of the water; those of individuals living in shallow water tend to be more flat than those of individuals living in deep water. The Latin name for the genus 'Echinus' derives from the Greek for 'spiny'; the test bristles with many protective reddish spines with lilac tips. Urchins are powerful and omnivorous grazers, eating algae and animals like barnacles. They can leave virtually bare swathes across a rock face. Rock-dwelling urchins such as Echinus have a feeding mechanism known as Aristotle's lantern (it was he who first described it), which consists of a complex structure of plates and muscles that supports five chisel-like teeth used for scraping food from surfaces. The species in our photograph, Echinus esculentus, is found from Finland and Iceland in northern Europe down to Portugal in the South. Although its common and scientific names suggest that Echinus esculentus is edible (esculentus is the Latin for edible), only the reproductive organs (roe) can be eaten. The Edible Sea Urchin lives for around 15 years, but some urchin species are believed to live for more than for more than 200 years! Further Reading: ---------------- Great British Marine Animals, by Paul Naylor http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/britishmarine.html ARKive, Images of Life on Earth http://www.arkive.org/= __________________________________________________________ Diving News From Around the World ================================= If you would like to read the diving news as it happens, without waiting for this newsletter, then grab the SCUBA News feed from http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/newsfeed.html It's free and updates you with the latest diving news via e-mail, your web site or any news feed reader. Underwater Photographer Donates Print Profits to Tsunami Appeal Until early April, underwater photographer Linda Pitkin is donating all the profits made from selling her prints to The Disasters Emergency Committee - Tsunami Earthquake appeal. http://www.lindapitkin.net/ Bone conduction plays the main role in underwater Hearing Recent research has shown that even when divers wear masks that allow air in and around the ear, no improvement in hearing occurs. These results support the argument that bone conduction plays the main role in underwater hearing. http://highwire.stanford.edu/cgi/medline/pmid;15699733 Wreck plan aims to attract divers Ambitious plans to scuttle a warship in Scapa Flow are being drawn up in Orkney (Scotland) in a bid to attract more divers. A similar scheme off the coast of Devon has boosted visitor numbers. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4256465.stm US research ship faces Mexican fines for damaging Reef In a significant embarrassment for American scientists, a US research vessel conducting controversial sound-wave research off Mexico's Gulf coast faces heavy fines for running aground on a coral reef. http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/world/10929572.htm Natural barriers reduced tsunami Devastation The first major assessment of the environmental damage caused by the Asian tsunami paints a picture of polluted water supplies, smashed livelihoods and damaged wildlife. But in areas where natural barriers - such as mangrove swamps and coral reefs - had not been degraded by human activity, there was less devastation. There are innumerable reasons to maintain healthy habitats like coral reefs. They are nurseries for fish and magnets for tourists. Now we have another reason to conserve them. http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7053 Scientists Find New Coral Species Scientists have discovered a new species of brushy coral that flames like a white and pink Christmas tree hundreds of feet down. http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=7108 750 divers break world record off Koh Tao, Thailand Thailand broke the world record for the largest mass dive when 750 divers took part in an event off the coast of Koh Tao, an event which the provincial authority hopes will put the island firmly on the world diving map. http://www.mcot.org/query.php?nid=35761 Prominent Scientists Join Call for UN Moratorium on Longline Fishing World renowned primatologist Dr Jane Goodall has added her voice to 705 international scientists from 83 countries who are urging the UN to implement a moratorium on longline fishing in the Pacific to prevent the extinction of the critically endangered leatherback turtle. http://www.enn.com/aff.html?id=366 Sri Lanka's Beaches Will Recover but Coral Damaged Most of Sri Lanka's beaches battered by the tsunami are expected to take up to six months to return to normal but their coral reefs will take longer, according to a global environment group. The study said a reef off the eastern city of Trincomalee had been completely destroyed by the tsunami that toppled massive coral colonies. But there were reefs elsewhere that had not been affected at all. http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=7042 Antarctic Ice Sheet Collapsing The massive west Antarctic ice sheet, previously assumed to be stable, is starting to collapse. Antarctica contains more than 90 percent of the world's ice, and the loss of any significant part of it would cause a substantial sea level rise. http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6962 Only huge emissions cuts will curb climate change To have half a chance of curbing global warming to within safe levels, the world's greenhouse gas emissions need to fall dramatically to between 30% and 50% of 1990 levels by 2050, a new study suggests. This is needed to achieve the European Union's ambition of trying to limit global warming to below 2 oC over this period - a crucial goal which now appears wildly optimistic. http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6964 Strict Action for Diving Resorts still on Sipadan Of five diving operators on the island of Sipadan, only two - Borneo Divers and Pulau Sipadan Resort - had so far fully complied with the Government directive by removing all properties on the island. Strict action await those who stay on the island without permits. http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=32344 Fishermen Barred from Spawning Grounds in US Virgin Islands US authorities have barred fishing in areas of the US Virgin Islands where rare species spawn. Fishing is banned in the area from 1 Feb to 30 April based on two studies last year that found, unless spawning areas are closed seasonally, the fish will not be able to repopulate. Overfishing and destruction of fish habitat, such as coral reefs was to blame for a lack of size and population, the researchers said. http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=6950 Three Thai beaches critically damaged An official survey has found that Kamala, Patong and Hat Yanui beaches in Phuket, Thailand, were critically damaged by the Dec. 26 tsunami. Besides these three devastated Thai beaches, three others have been categorised as near-critical: the Sirinart National Park, Ao Bangtao and Ao Chalong. http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=585b0b3765f27296 Cressi-sub Announce Recall of SCUBA Buoyancy Compensators A slow leak from the shoulder exhaust caused by expansion of an internal cable housing could result in slow deflation. The recalled buoyancy compensators have model numbers J107, J113, J115, and J119. The numbers appear on the shoulder. Customers can return the product to a Cressi-sub authorised dive shop to have the product fitted with a free replacement internal cable housing. http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050223/dcw057_1.html Resource degradation: a subtle effect of bottom fishing Laboratory trials have demonstrated that hermit crabs avoid damaged shells. One effect of bottom-trawling is to damage shells which might have otherwise been used by hermit crabs. Recent research calculates that in some of the intensively fished areas of the North Sea, 24% of the available shell resource will be damaged each year. This means hermit crabs will not reach their maximum size and may have implications for population viability. http://springerlink.metapress.com/ __________________________________________________________ * Copyright SCUBA Travel - http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/ * Reprinting welcomed with this footer included. We are happy for you to copy and distribute this newsletter, and even use parts of it on your own web site, providing the above copyright notice is included and a link back to our web site is in place. Previous editions of SCUBA News are archived at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html SUBSCRIBING AND UNSUBSCRIBING Visit http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html and add or remove your e-mail address. CONTACTING THE EDITOR Please send your letters or press releases to: The Editor SCUBA News The Cliff Upper Mayfield DE6 2HR UK ADVERTISING Should you wish to advertise in SCUBA News, please fill in the form at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/newsad.html PUBLISHER SCUBA Travel, The Cliff, Upper Mayfield, DE6 2HR, UK

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