The National Geographic Channel will debut a new reality series dealing with the dangerous salvage of shipwrecks around the world.  Currently scheduled to be aired on European National Geographic Channel affiliates, this five-part series, “Salvage Code Red“, will follow the exploits of  William Stender III and  his Titan shipwreck salvage  crew as they respond to shipwreck emergencies to clear valuable shipping channels, avoid economic disaster, prevent environmental damage, and generally clean us the mess left behind when large ships accidentally meet their final resting place.

The National Geographic Channel was first drawn to the world of shipwreck salvage during the filming of  the popular series “The Deadliest Catch” in the Bering Sea.  While shooting film for this very popular series, the camera crew noticed the ongoing work to salvage the shipwreck of the Cougar Ace, a ship that was loaded with 4,700 Mazda automobiles headed for North America.  When the ship floundered, the United States Coast Guard ferried members of the Titan salvage crew over 300 miles out to sea to access the situation.  After pumping the water from the ship and sitting her upright, Stender and his crew towed her ashore.  While much of the cargo was undamaged, all of the automobiles were sold for scrap, and another oceanic disaster was averted.

National Geographic followed the Titan crew for 3 years of filming all over the world, as they tackled various ship salvage tasks with expertise, engineering skill, and a keen sense of the ocean and how it works.  The series will show the trials and massive challenges of shipwreck salvage work all over the world.  The rugged good looks of the leader of this skilled group, shipwreck expert William Stender III, only serves to enhance the image of the rugged types of men that perform this type of work.

The five-part series is now showing on National Geographic Channel in Europe.   We will be watching closely to see if the series is added to the North American National Geographic Channel lineup.   You can click the link to read more about the National Geographic  show “Salvage Code Red“.

Phil Ellis

Discount Scuba Gear - Factory Authorized Dealer - DiveSports.com

For several years, the State of New Jersey debated the idea of using obsolete stainless steel  New York City subway cars as fish habitat materials for their active artificial reef program.  Concern among area commercial fishermen was that the cars might shift  their positions with storms and ocean current and entangle their nets.  In addition, tests using subway cars in New Jersey and other states were not always positive.  In those earlier applications, the construction of the subway cars used was not sufficient to take the punishment of the ocean.   Despite these concerns, the support of  sport fishermen and scuba divers convinced the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council to vote unanimously to support placement of the cars.  Their reasoning was that the geometry of the cars should work well as attractions to sea life and that the stainless steel construction should allow the cars to last at least 30 years in the reef application, much better than other cars used in the past.

The first test introduction of the stainless steel cars was in April of 2008 on the Atlantic City Reef, located 8.8 miles from the famous gambling town.  However, during recent diver inspections, problems have been noted that have stopped the further deployment of the cars.  According to Darlene Yuhas, a representative from the state Department of Environmental Protection, divers recently noticed “unusual damage” to the cars, despite only being in the water for less than a year.  Quoting Ms. Yuhas, “We found unusual damage. We don’t know the cause or the scope of it yet. We’re postponing any further deployments until we see what happened.”

The state of New Jersey, with assistance from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and the New York Transit Authority, will be working to determine why this early damage is evident.  The outcome of this investigation will determine the future of the use of subway cars in the reef program.

Phil Ellis

Discount Scuba Gear - DiveSports.com

Officials of the Discovery Bay at the Minnesota Zoo are getting increasingly excited about the arrival of a new baby dolphin.  The mother-to-be, Allie, will be the first to deliver a newborn calf since the death of three dolphins in 2006.  The April birth will be the start of a complete rebuilding program for the zoo, and no precautions are being overlooked.  Each month, Allie receives an ultrasound test to measure the progress of the calf.  Trainers are working to make sure that the mother is comfortable around human trainers and that she is accustomed to moving from one holding pen to another.  To keep the public informed on the progress and the care of Allie, they have created a special blog to document the weekly happenings as they prepare for this important birth.  You can use the link below to visit this special blog.

Allie’s Pregnancy Blog at mnzoo.org

Phil Ellis

Discount Scuba Gear - Save on Scuba Gear at DiveSports.com

The exploits of scuba divers Joseph Hartranft and Yessic Spencer offer some valuable learning opportunities for anyone who is willing to benefit from their diving story. Unfortunately, neither of these two men will know about any valuable lessons that result from such study. They both died in November of 2008 in a scuba diving accident that should have never happened, on a dive that should never have taken place.

The dive that took the lives of these two men in an underwater cave in Hudson, Florida is a dive that should never have been made.  Cave diving requires intense training, planning, skill, preparation, and experience.  Neither of these two men had what it takes for such a difficult dive;  and neither seemed willing to heed the advice of friends with much more experience and much more respect for the necessity of proper training.

In the months leading up to this fateful dive, Mr. Hartranft had  integrated himself into the local north Florida cave diving community, despite his lack of training and certification for the types of dives that he often openly discussed with friends and on online scuba technical diving chat boards.  Mr. Spencer, the apparent “leader” on this dive had the most basic level of cave diving certification, far less than was necessary for this dive.  Common sense would surely indicate that both understood the importance of  following the rules of  safe and proper cave diving, but they apparently felt the rules did not apply to them.  I remember reading a particular post where Mr. Hartranft chided and openly criticized another diver for diving in conditions for which  he was not trained.   What a shame he couldn’t even abide his own advice.  These two died because they ignored many admonitions to never enter overhead environments, to never attempt cave diving without the proper training, and  to never dive in conditions for which they were not experienced.  The cave in which they perished, known to locals as “Wayne’s World”, presented the worst combination of challenges possible for these two relatively inexperienced divers.   This dive site and the experience of these two divers was a deadly combination.  Their actions were not a bad outcome for what might have happened; they were the result of what will happen when divers do everything wrong and ignore years of collective knowledge about best diving practices.

The news of this event is several months old.  I would not write about this accident today were it not for an article that appeared in many newspapers this week, including the Decatur Daily, our local newspaper.  Written by Christine Armario of the Associated Press, this article gives good insight into the danger of cave diving and the unique factors of this particular disastrous dive.  From the day this happened, I personally followed this incident closely and participated in real-time discussions of the accident on TheDecoStop, an online chat board for technical and cave divers.  While I did not know these two personally,  I know many of their close friends.  During the ongoing discussion of this horrible event, it was painful seeing these friends grapple with the hard reality of such unnecessary deaths.

I would encourage everyone to read the well-written article by Ms. Armario.  I have provided a link to an online publication of the article in The Oakland Press.

Why Did Two Divers Perish in Underwater Caves?

Phil Ellis

www.divesports.com

Note:  For those interested in reading the real-time online discussion of this terrible accident, you can visit that thread on TheDecoStop that deals with these events.  Due to the nature of the technical diving discussions, TheDecoStop does requires registration to view and participate in threads, but membership is free and I encourage everyone interested to take a moment to join.

The working relationship between recreational boaters and scuba divers can often be tense.  In the busy recreational waters off of the south Florida coast, a scuba diver’s biggest threat can be the danger posed by fast recreational boats as they dart about in the congested coastal waters.  Scuba divers spend some amount of time on the surface, and just a slight lapse of attention or judgment can put them in the immediate target zone of a speeding boat.  Divers typically display the familiar red and white dive flag to warn boaters when they are operating in the area, and commercial dive boats always display the flag to alert other boaters that there are divers in the water.  Unfortunately, some recreational boaters don’t see the warning, and many don’t understand the meaning of the flag when they see it.  Just such a case resulted in a disaster last month in south Florida.

Rob Palmer was enjoying the crystal clear Florida waters while diving from a commercial dive vessel.  After surfacing from a dive, Rob and his dive buddy were attempting to make their way back to the dive boat for boarding.  For reasons not yet known, a recreational boat swerved from its course and struck Rob on the surface.  The resulting accident severed both of Rob’s legs.  While he is making a good and rapid recovery from this horrible accident, there are still questions as to the boaters understanding that there was diving in the area.  Despite the large dive flag displayed on the nearby commercial dive vessel, Rob was overrun.

Rob has many diving friends in south Florida.  Their concern for him and their general concern about a seeming rising number of accidents and “close call” between boat and divers has lead them to conduct a Dive Flag Awareness Event on Saturday January 31, 2009.  Representatives from this volunteer group of friends will be at a number of Florida boat ramps informing boaters about the meaning of the red and white dive flag, they laws that impact boaters when a diver is present, and what precautions boaters should take when divers are in the area.

For more information about this safety awareness effort, we encourage you to visit a thread on the popular online scuba diving website ScubaBoard.com.  The link below will lead you to this discussion.  If you are not a member of ScubaBoard.com, we encourage you to join and participate in the conversations.  It is absolutely free and lots of fun.

Dive Flag Awareness Event Thread on ScubaBoard.com

Phil Ellis

www.divesports.com

I have written several posts here on our blog about the dangers of the invasive spread of lionfish in the waters near the United States and Caribbean islands.  The feeding habits and aggressive nature of this fish is a serious threat to our reefs.  Reef.org has recently received the first “official” and documented sighting of the foreign predator in the Florida Keys.   While there have been undocumented sightings for over six months, this is the first to be photographed and reported in a timely manner.  This sighting allowed for capture of the sighted individual.  On January 12, 2009,  Lad Adkins from Reef.org  issued the following news release.

The first confirmed lionfish sighting in the Florida Keys occurred on Tuesday, January 6, 2009. REEF received this specific sighting report at 2:30pm on the 6th from one of our volunteer divers from South Carolina, who was diving on vacation in the Keys. She found the fish near the base of Benwood Ledge (66?) just offshore of the Benwood wreck, Key Largo. Via the numerous REEF media alerts and notices, she knew the invasion of lionfish was an issue and grabbed a few images with her digital camera to confirm the sighting. She then took detailed notes on the location of the fish in relation to the dive site and upon her return to shore, contacted REEF staff to report the sighting. Upon review of her images, we confirmed the sighting and gathered a detailed description of the location of the fish. Following protocols developed in a multi agency workshop held in June of 2008, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) was notified and the report was forwarded to the US Geological Survey (USGS) Invasive Species Program. Response plans were coordinated between REEF and the FKNMS and a removal team was assembled.

The removal effort was initiated on the morning of January 7th. Following the extremely accurate site descriptions provided by the volunteer, the fish was found at the same location reported. The fish was captured alive via hand nets by REEF staff and returned to the shore where it was euthanized in a eugenol solution prior to dissection. No other lionfish were observed in the immediate vicinity. Total time between initial report and successful removal was less than 24 hours.

Additional information collected as part of the response effort included site conditions, habitat characterizations, and prey community assessments. Data on size, reproductive status, and stomach contents were gathered during dissection and tissue samples, genetic material and otoliths were preserved for further analysis.

The process of early detection, verification, warning, rapid response, habitat characterization, collection and dissection follow protocols developed in close partnership by REEF, the NOAA Beaufort Lab, USGS, Simon Fraser University, the National Aquarium in DC, the Bermuda Aquarium and others participating in our June 2008 invasive species workshop held in the Florida Keys and through our work in the Bahamas and Caribbean.

Reef.org is operating an intensive investigative and research project to further study and develop an eradication plan for lionfish in the Florida Keys.  As I reported in previous posts, a few single specimen of this fish can quickly grow to an explosion of individuals combing the reef.

Reef.org is asking for anyone who spots a lionfish in the Florida Keys to develop clear coordinates of the location of the lionfish and to immediately contact Lad Atkins at (305) 852-0030.   Immediate notification is essential if they are to be successful in removing the pests from our waters.

Phil Ellis

Discount Scuba Gear - DiveSports.com

A growing legal battle has been brewing since early 2008 between the states of Ohio and Kentucky…all over a rock.  It appears that local historian Steve Shaffer, a life long resident of Portsmouth, Ohio had heard about Indian’s Head rock, a popular river landmark,  most of his young life.  It seems that Indian’s Head rock was once a popular place to carve your initials, and the majority of the visible surface of the rock contains just that.  The rock was partially visible during the 1920’s as it sat in the Ohio River about 60 feet from the Kentucky shoreline.  When navigational dams raised the level of the Ohio River during the 1920’s, it was lost from sight forever.  But Shaffer, diver David Vetter,  and several  other scuba diving friends were determined to find the notorious rock.  It took a while, but they eventually located the 8-ton boulder and removed it from the river.    The divers donated the rock to the City of Portsmouth for display. City officials, realizing that the Ohio river is actually in Kentucky, promptly offered the rock to the City of South Shore, Kentucky.  When the city of South Shore showed no interest in the sandstone rock, Portsmouth officials made plans to display the rock in their city.  That is when the legal dispute began.

Indians Head rock has long been the subject of much discussion among the residents of  Kentucky and Ohio.  Believed to possibly be the work of Indians native to the area, the rock  was placed in the Ohio registry of antiques.  Just before the completion of the dam that would eventually cover this rock forever, the following entry was made in Volume 30 of Ohio History.

“In all probability, neither the Indian’s head, nor the rock upon which it is cut, will ever be seen again, as it is hardly within the realms of chance that the dam will be broken at such an opportune time. Unquestionably, the Indian’s head was not the work of a quarryman. It bears strong resemblance to other Indian carvings and impresses the mind with the fact that it is thoroughly Indian in its execution. The outline is cut in the southeast corner of the rock and faces east.

“There is another rock, about one hundred years upstream from the Indian rock, upon which someone in recent years carved an Indian profile with feathered head-dress, but this one is not the genuine Indian head, though frequently taken for it.”

Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway wrote a letter to the Portsmouth city government demanding the return of the rock.   The Kentucky Attorney General insists that the well-inscribed rock is actually a  registered antiquity in the state of Kentucky, and that removal of the rock is theft of an antiquity and subject to prosecution.  To make matters worse, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers is claiming jurisdiction over the rock because it was taken from a waterway regulated by the Corp.  Steve Shaffer is making no comments, since his involvement in the removal might be the subject of criminal penalties.   The rock now sits in a maintenance garage at the City of Portsmouth, pending the outcome of this interesting legal battle.

More about this story can be found at NPR.org

Phil Ellis

Save with Rock Bottom Scuba Prices at Divesports.com

Diving in the southeast during the winter and spring months presents unique problems.  Though we seldom experience the conditions that our northern friends would see during the winter, we still have our need to stay warm while diving.  Of course, we all know that a properly fitting wetsuit, or even a dry suit, is essential for diving in lower water temperatures.  Nothing else can properly protect you from lower water temperatures.  However, staying warm BEFORE and BETWEEN dives is also essential for your health and your enjoyment.

When you come out of the water in lower-than-comfortable air conditions, your wet dive suit acts just like an air conditioner.  The evaporation of the water from the suit take swith it valuable body energy and heat.  Add a little breeze to the mix and you have all of the conditions necessary to make you really, really cold.  Of course, being cold is not good for you physically and it certainly is not comfortable.

Divers should remember to IMMEDIATELY cover themselves when they come out of the water.  Any large coat or blanket will probably do the trick.  There are even special coats, made to be worn over your wetsuit.  These “boat coats” will warm you quite nicely.   Anything that blocks the flow of air and reduces the rate of evaporation will make tons of difference and help your body recover the valuable heat lost from the dive.  While you might think you are “tough” enough to stand out in the elements while you change your tank over for the next dive, it is a bad idea.  While already chilled from the previous dive, things do not improve if your body continues to loose heat during the surface interval.  This only makes the second dive even colder and harder on your body.  This is not about being tough; it is about being smart.

ScubaMax Hooded Boat Coat.  This boat coat is designed to be worn directly over your wetsuit or dry suit when you come out of the water.  The long below-the-knee design covers you completely.  The nylon outer shell provides protection against wind, and the carbon fiber inner shell provides the insulation you need to stay toasty warm.  Extra large arms allow you to easily wear this coat without removing your wrist computer.  The dual zipper provides easy closure against the elements.  Available in 4 sizes.

So remember, use your head and stay warm between dives.  Subsequent dives will be much more fun and you will be protecting your health.

Phil Ellis

Shop at DiveSports.com and Save on Your Scuba Gear

The Gulf of Mexico at the northern panhandle of Florida offers those of us in the southeastern United States some absolutely great diving.  The water is warm, the shipwrecks are numerous, and the fish are plentiful.  As the water warms in the spring and heads toward the high temperatures of the summer, we also get another unwelcome visitor……jellyfish.   During the peak of the summer breading season, they are so plentiful that they are present in large numbers, known as jellyfish “blooms”.  Blooms are simply large aggregates of the jellyfish, typically  prospering in a the local area  around a plentiful food source or exceptionally warm water.

Like many organisms found in the ocean, jellyfish are unique characters.  With no bones, no brains, and very little body mass material, they are the most “nothing” creatures in the sea.  The body mass of a typical jellyfish is only about 5% biological material, with the remaining body spaces filled with water.  However, this simple little “nothing” creature sure can cause some pain.  Just one entanglement with the jellyfish’s tentacles will often leave a pretty severe rash and that nice stripped, red appearance many have seen.  There is no doubt that  the stings from jellyfish cause more than a few tears each year among Gulf coast visitors, and the pain from a serious encounter with these creatures can be quite severe.

The two most common jellyfish types found in the northern Gulf of Mexico are the moon jellyfish and the sea nettle.  The moon jellyfish is a bell-shaped, softball-looking character, with the stinging tentacles hanging below.  Almost completely milky-white in appearance, the moon jellyfish can be distinguished by the four pear-shaped darker organs seen just inside the “moon” of the jellyfish.  Divers often tangle with the moon jellyfish as they near the surface, often surfacing into them without realizing they are present.  Of course, any uncovered skin areas that contact the tentacles will result in numerous stings.    The pain associated with the sting of the moon jellyfish is not severe, but it does persist for 15-30 minutes and is uncomfortable.

Sea nettles are also bell-shaped, much like the moon jellyfish, but have a slightly darker appearance and the characteristic brown body color.  Sea nettles also tend to have slightly more tentacle mass hanging beneath, and the sting of the sea nettle is slightly more painful than that of the moon jellyfish.  Sea nettles stings often have moderate to severe pain for up to an hour, and the itching from sea nettle stings can last for several weeks.

There are a number of treatments for jellyfish and sea nettle stings, including household vinegar, weak ammonia cleaning solutions (such as Windex spray window cleaner), and frequent flushes with clean, salt water.  Flushing with fresh water is a no-no and only makes the nematocysts that remain in the skin from the initial contact continue to fire, causing additional pain and discomfort.  Treatment with various cortisone creams can also ease the discomfort of the itching that persists from stings.  In addition, there are several commercial treatments designed just for the treatment of jellyfish stings and reduction of the associated pain.

Safe Sea Jellyfish Protection Lotion.  Safe Sea is a unique lotion that actually makes you “invisible” to the jellyfish.  When protected by Safe Sea, jellyfish do not sense your presence and do not fire the stinging nematocysts that cause the pain.  Safe Sea is effective on about 95% of all users.  Safe Sea is available with or without optional sunscreen protection.

Sting Zapper Gel.  This is a single-use package of gel designed to be applied directly to  sting areas to relieve the pain and itching of jellyfish stings.  This gel contains Lidocaine HCL and provides almost immediate relief when applied  directly on the affected area.

StingMate Sting Neutralizing Gel.  StingMate is a Lidocaine-free treatment that deactivates the stinging cells, providing relief very quickly.  Liberal applications of StingMate, along with scraping of the skin to remove the remaining nematocysts, provides very good remedy for the pain.

So, as you make plans to dive the beautiful Gulf of Mexico this spring and summer, don’t forget to take a few precautions.  Look around when submerging and ascending for the presence of jellyfish.  Avoid direct contact with jellyfish and sea nettles and avoid the pain that can put a damper on your diving adventure.

Phil Ellis

Protection and Treatment  for  Jellyfish Stings at DiveSports.com

Update: January 25, 2009 10:30 AM.  I have provided a pretty neat video of moon jellyfish filmed at the Perth Aquarium.  The use of black light makes this really cool visual effect.  Enjoy.

Like many of my posts, my January 20 post on the lionfish invasion in the Caribbean and the Atlantic coast got me more interested in this species.  I was particularly intrigued when reading an article where an observer noticed a single lionfish eating as many as 20-30 fish in a single hour.  This seems to be quite an appetite and further helps to explain the danger of this invasion to the fragile reefs in these areas.

The lionfish has been known to attack and devour fish almost 1/2 to 3/4 the size of the predator.  When the dorsal and pectoral fins are completely spread, the prey feels completely cornered and trapped and often makes only weak or  no attempts to flee.  This clearly aids the lionfish in the hunt.   The appetite of the lionfish also seems to be gigantic.  They often times consume their own weight in fish in a single day.

The video below gives a good view of the tenacity of the lionfish when feeding.  Notice how a “miss” does not deter the lionfish at all; he simply continues to attack until the attack is successful.  We would love to have your comments on this post and others posts on our blog.

Phil Ellis

Don’t Get Eaten Alive  By High Scuba Prices - Shop at DiveSports.com