In January of this year, we made a blog post about the selection process for the Best Job in the World…..a unique marketing scheme to promote tourism in Queensland, Australia.  This contest asked for applications to serve as the caretaker of Hamilton Island, one of hundreds of beautiful islands on the famous Barrier Reef in Australia.  The lure of this six-month job assignment offered everything a care-free, adventurous person could want…..a great job assignment , all living and travel expenses paid, and a pretty good salary for the assignment.  As we reported, the applications came pouring in from all over the world.  With little surprise, video applications were submitted by over 34,000 applicants.  It seems that everyone wants the Best Job in the World.  Queensland Tourism Minister Desley Boyle reports that tourism staffers had a very difficult time reviewing the video applications and narrowing the list down to the top 50 finalists for the position.   It is now up to visitors to the efforts unique website to vote for the one individual best suited for the Best Job in the World.

Unfortunately, the popularity of this unique promotion is causing a few problems.  First, many of the videos submitted were not applications at all….just promotional plants from various commercial enterprises.  The sheer volume of the submitted videos caused last minute applicants to be completely shut out and unable to submit applications.   The strain on the internet site causes frequent downtime and voting is obviously impacted by this.  Despite the problems, the voting continues until March 24, 2009.  On that date the decision will be made;  someone will get the Best Job in the World.

Phil Ellis

www.divesports.com

Since writing my post about the psychedelic bouncing fish several days ago, I have been watching YouTube for a video that had proper embedding permissions.  Late this afternoon, I found this short video from ITN News.  This fish is surely a weird character, like many of the new discoveries in the ocean.  I hope you enjoy this video.

Phil Ellis

DiveSports.com - Your Scuba Gear Online Connection

Several new sources are reporting the identification of a new species of fish, first discovered by a scuba diver in Indonesia over a year ago.  According to a recent National Geographic web article, the new species,  identified as Hystiophyrne psychedelica, is a member of the  anglerfish family and shares many of the traits of the frogfish, a well known member of that family.  Confirmed and identified through DNA testing as a new species by researcher  Ted Pietsch, this is a surprise addition to a family of fish that were thought to be extensively explored and understood.  Finding a new species in such a well-researched family of fish is rare and unique, and the traits of this new fish are especially unique.

The new fish uses its fins in a form of  “walking” like other members of the family.  However, there are also considerable differences from other frogfish discovered.  The “psychedelic” fish appears to “bounce” around as a means of propulsion.  When the fish settles to the bottom, is uses its fins to spring back into the water column, while simultaneously squiring jets of water from tiny gills.  This jet action propels the fish forward.  These unique propulsion methods, combined with the strange off-centered tail, makes the fish appear as if it is bouncing around at random.  Mark Erdman, a senior adviser to the Conservation International’s marine program, said, “I think people thought frogfishes were relatively well known, and to get a new one like this is really quiet spectacular. … It’s a stunning animal.” The new H psychedelica “psychedelic” fish is fist sized, has a tough skin for protection, and features a flat face with frontal eyes much like a human.

For additional information about this new fish, visit the National Geographic source article.  Photograph by National Geographic.

Phil Ellis

Shop and Save @ DiveSports.com

Many folks of a certain age grew up with fears that a giant octopus would snatch them from the edges of the beach.  This was likely fueled by the many episodes of Sea Hunt, many which involved a giant octopus and a fight for life.  Of course, Mike Nelson always won these thrilling battles, but most of us were well aware that only Mike could survive such an attack.  For ourselves, we had fear.

Once I became a scuba diver, I realized that there was considerable myth in the “octopus attacks man” story, and seeing an octopus in the wild became a thrill instead of a nightmare.  However, we cannot dismiss the sheer power and speed of the lowly octopus.  In fact, it appears that some of them can even do battle successfully with the MOST feared apex predators in the ocean…..the shark.

While digging around on the web, I found this video.  It is several years old, but still very interesting and surprising.  Take a look at this amazing footage produced by National Geographic and see the real story when a large octopus goes up against a shark.  Enjoy.

Phil Ellis

Discount Scuba Gear at DiveSports.com

There are many things that could be considered “over the top” at The Palm Resort Atlantis Hotel in Dubai.  The gazillion dollar resort is built on a completely man-made group of islands known as the Palm Islands.   Fashioned to resemble a palm leaf, the island is the result of a United Arab Emirates  initiative to utilize state wealth to expand developable shorelines and to provide a place for the richest people of the world to retreat for a little rest and relaxation.   To many around the world, the opulence  is an in-your-face reminder that most of the countries of the world are exporting massive amounts of hard-earned money in exchange for oil; which is then used by the oil-rich countries for boondoggles like Palm Island.  Now, the resort is getting even more pressure because of Sammy the Whale Shark.

The shallow waters around the man-made Palm Island are not very conducive to the survival of a migratory species like the whale shark.  In August of last year, a small female whale shark was spotted near the island and fishermen feared that the animal was in distress due to water conditions.  The owners of the Palm Atlantis resort responded by capturing the shark and placing it in the gigantic lagoon at the hotel.  From the beginning, they promised to simply provide the shark with a protected place to recover from the stress and to provide around-the-clock protection and medical care.  From the moment of capture, they insisted that the shark would be released.

Pressure is now building for the hotel to do exactly as they have promised.  Officials from wildlife preservation organizations all over the world say that the risk of releasing the animal now are far smaller than the continued risk of maintaining the shark in this captive environment.  However, there is fear that the resort is moving extremely slow on the promise because the visitors to the hotel simply love seeing this majestic animal.  Simply put, the Sammy the Whale Shark is good for business.

While resort management claims that the circumstances around the capture were necessary because of  the immediate stress that the shark was experiencing, some employees of the resort say that management intended to capture a whale shark all along.  Regardless of the motives and no matter what the current circumstances are, support for immediate release is building.  We will provide updates as more information is released about this situation.

Phil Ellis

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An article published by the Savannah Morning News reports that divers from the Georgia Aquarium are undertaking a study of the rapid expansion of lionfish in U.S. coastal waters.  The recent collection dive, on a naval tower 20 miles of the shore of South Carolina, was more fruitful than anticipated.  According to Jeff Reid, diving safety officer for the Georgia Aquarium and group leader for this collection dive, they found the first lionfish as soon as they hit the bottom.  Using nets and plastic cages, they quickly brought a number of fish to the surface.  In fact, in just three 20-minute dives, the species collection teams found a total of nine lionfish, nearly half of the total needed for the display at the aquarium.

According to Gail Kreuger of the Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, the lionfish are spreading like wildfire and really represent a plague on this popular Atlantic reef.  Says Kreuger, “They’re a big problem.  They’re voracious and they eat everything. And what they like to eat best is baby grouper and snapper“.  This is a serious problem on Gray’s Reef, because this is a protected area for grouper and snapper.   According to officials, the lionfish are so foreign to native fish that they don’t even attempt to evade the predator.  According to Mark Hixon of Oregon State University, “Fish in the Atlantic have never seen them before. They don’t even see them as fish, that’s the scary part.”  Says Hixon, “Small fish don’t even do anything. They take no evasive action. They’ll be sitting there in a school and a lionfish comes up and it’s like, ‘Oh, Bob’s gone. Oh, Ed’s gone.”   In the slightly less than two years since they were first reported on this Atlantic Gray’s Reef,  these traits have allowed them to spread to the point where they are a common sight  for divers on the reef.  Most interesting, they are expected to begin adapting to the colder winter temperatures of the Atlantic, according to George Sedberry, superintendent of the Gray’s Reef Sanctuary.  This will make it even more likely that this species will thrive and spread on Atlantic reefs.

I have written several previous posts about the invasion of the lionfish in the waters off of the United States.  You can read these articles by following the links below.  I am sure we will have more to say about this evolving lionfish story in future posts.

The Lionfish Invasion

Feeding Habits of Lionfish

Official Lionfish Sighting in Florida Key Reported

Phil Ellis

Save on Discount Scuba Gear at DiveSports.com

Scuba divers live for the opportunity to see large sea animals, and among the most desired encounters is the manta ray. These gigantic and graceful creatures have been known to grow as large as 25 feet from wing tip to wing tip, but encounters by scuba divers are typically with specimen much smaller than this.

While searching around on YouTube this morning, I spotted a video of one pretty lucky scuba diver.  I don’t know the details of this video, but it is purported to have been made in the waters off of Maui.  Take a moment to view this very short video and see the reaction of this diver after spotting an 18 foot manta ray.  I have to say that the underwater trim and form of this diver is pretty poor, but form errors must be forgiven when a diver encounters a surprise like this one.  It is pretty cool to see the reaction of this diver when he realizes what he has just seen, and is REALLY hoping it was caught on video.  Enjoy.

Phil Ellis

Discount Scuba Gear at DiveSports.com

Howard Hall, renowned underwater filmmaker and oceanographer, has released a follow-up documentary to this famous 2006  “Deep Sea 3D” effort, which grossed over 37 million dollars at IMAX theaters all over the country.  This time, Hall takes the gigantic and unwieldy IMAX cameras to remote and beautiful locations in Southern Australia, New Guinea, and elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific region to expose viewers to more amazing sea life and to document damage to the ocean’s reef system and the impact of that damage to the fish and animals that thrive on coral reefs.

Released to IMAX theaters across the country this past weekend, the new film “Under the Sea 3D” is narrated by famous actor and funny man Jim Carrey.  According to those who produced this documentary, Carrey lent his wit and experience in narration to this film, without turning a serious film effort into a comedy.  “Under the Sea 3D” provides the stunning IMAX effects to allow the viewer to see some of the most unique and stunning creatures in the ocean, including the amazing cuddlefish, stonefish, and garden eels.  Early reviews say the  real stars of the film, the  amazing underwater creatures, jump out with the IMAX technology, making viewer feel as if they are in the ocean with the fish.  Hall says that achieving this effect was quite a task with the 1,300 pound IMAX 3D camera, capable of filming for only 3 minutes before being brought to the surface for reloading.  Some individual shots required up to 6 hours of continuous shooting before the animal subjects could become accustomed to the sound and confusion of the gigantic camera.  Patience was clearly the keyword in  filming these animals in their natural behavior and obtaining the final footage that would make the 40 minute final product everything that IMAX viewers have come to expect.

“Under the Sea 3D” is currently playing on the IMAX screen at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  It also  opens on March 14, 2009 on the IMAX screen at the McWane Science Center in Birmingham, Alabama.  We will update this post when additional information is available for other local IMAX screens.

Phil Ellis

Shop and Save at DiveSports.com

“Your Scuba Training Starts Today” with DiveSports.   With warmer weather right around the corner, now is the perfect time to get started on the adventure of a lifetime, Scuba Diving.  In just two weekends, you can become a certified scuba diver…for life!  Scuba Lessons the DiveSports way are fun and exciting.  First, you’ll need to register for a course at our retail store; you’ll then go home with your PADI Open Water Diver Crew Pack, which contains your textbook, dive tables, a logbook, and a few other items.  You’ll read your textbook before the first day of your class, so that when you arrive, we can get under the water as soon as possible.  On the first day of your PADI Open Water Class, we’ll spend just a few hours in our on site classroom reviewing the home study material, then you get into the swimming pool to start learning the skills to become a safe and competent scuba diver.  On the second day of your class, we’ll spend more time in the classroom and in the pool, then you’ll be ready to go diving in a real open water environment.

During the second weekend of your Open Water Class, you will travel to an open water dive site, where you will put the skills you learned in the swimming pool to the test under real diving conditions.  You will conduct four “checkout” dives over the course of two days under the direct supervision of your instructor.  During those dives, you’ll demonstrate the skills you learned in the swimming pool, and you will also learn a few skills that are unique to diving in open water.  At the completion of the weekend, you’ll earn the title of “Open Water Scuba Diver.”  The Open Water Diver certification will be your passport to scuba diving all over the world.

To help you become a certified scuba diver, we are currently offering a discounted tuition special on any regularly scheduled Open Water Class at Dive Sports.  The tuition portion of the course regularly sells for $220, but for a limited time, you can purchase the tuition for ONLY $99.  Thats a savings of over $120 off of the regular tuition price, a savings you could put toward the purchase of your personal equipment, a wetsuit, or even an entire package of your very own scuba equipment.

To find out more about the Open Water Scuba Course and tuition special at DiveSports, give us a call anytime between 9am-6pm Monday thru Saturday, or you can check out our website for more complete course details.

Open Water Scuba Course Details @ DiveSports.com

Brad Ellis

Phone:  (256)-350-1122
Toll Free: (800) 601-DIVE

Artificial reefs certainly play a gigantic role for those of us who enjoy scuba diving in  the Florida panhandle.   Famous scuttled shipwrecks such as the Black Bart in Panama City, the Three Barges in Destin, and the world famous USS Oriskany in Pensacola have provided hours of fun for scuba divers and millions of dollars in visitor revenue for the local communities.  The ongoing artificial reef program all along the panhandle coast moves steadily forward, with additional efforts planned for 2009 and beyond.  There is even a special non-profit organization, Reef Ball Foundation, dedicated to the expansion of artificial reefs.  Of course, not all artificial reefing efforts are as successful as those listed here, and there is considerable debate as to the importance of artificial reefing on ocean fisheries.

Since the origin of the idea of depositing structures on the ocean bottom to enhance fish life, there has been a scientific question that is asked many times over.  Does an artificial reef actually increase the sea life in a given area, or does it simply act as a magnet that draws existing sea life to the new reef?  Clearly, the answer to this question is not yet proven, but the debate is active, and sometimes heated, on both sides of the issue.  There is no doubt, the number of individual fish species expands when artificial reefing efforts are undertaken.   This is evident on any of the successful artificial reefs.  The successful ones certainly seem to indicate that reefing is a good idea.  But not all artificial reefing efforts are successful.

I wrote earlier on this blog about the misfortune with the Atlantic City Reef using abandoned subway cars.  The state of Florida is still paying the cost of the damages  for the use of millions of automobile and truck tires in an artificial reefing project.  The state of Alabama saw less than perfect results from the use of old automobiles as an artificial reef structure.

Despite the damage from some of the unsuccessful artificial reefing efforts, most scuba divers and fishermen would argue that shipwrecks, oil drilling platforms, bridge rubble, and other similar materials make wonderful fish attractions in our local oceans.  We are not dealing with the dominant scientific questions, we are simply observing the improvement we see in the fish population as a result of reefing efforts.

We would love to hear your comments on this issue.  Please share your thought in the comments section of this post.

Phil Ellis

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