Undercurrent Online Update
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For Subscriber David Denson Whiteside (with username 'dwhitesi' exp: 2024-08-20', at dwhite95815@hotmail.com )
April 17, 2015
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Gabrielle Villarino, who books trips aboard the Indonesian liveaboard MSV Amira, sent me this e-mail about a special liveaboard charter in August 2016 to honor Larry Smith, who helped put Lembeh Strait and Raja Ampat on the map and on divers' bucket lists. "It's August 1-12 of 2016, and we will be visiting areas Larry pioneered, and many dive sites he discovered." The trip will start in Bali and go through the Lesser Sunda Islands and the Komodo region, ending in Labuan Bajo, Flores. It's $3,950 per person, plus $130 for the national park fee. If you're interested, e-mail Gabrielle at gabrielle@amira-indonesia.com

You hear about diver deaths along the California coasts in Mendocino and Sonoma Counties happening this month. A weekend abalone hunt turned deadly for a group of friends on April 12 when three of them drowned in the rocky waters off Mendocino's Caspar Cove. The episode marked the first deaths of this year's red abalone season, which began on April 1 and is often marred by a host of emergency rescues and occasional fatalities. Two of the victims were Tae Won Oh, 49, of Dublin, CA, and Hyun Kook Shin, also 49, of Suwanee, GA. A 53-year-old man from Fort Lee, N.J., also died, but was not immediately identified. Their group ran into trouble in choppy waters before 2:40 p.m.; witnesses said the rough surf had seven- to eight-foot swells. After a nearby fisherman called 911, the survivors were found stuck, uninjured, on rocks at the south end of the cove. But two others were found unresponsive in the water, and the final diver was found shortly after 7 p.m., floating in a small cove. He was brought to the top of the cliff with a winch system and declared dead.

You no longer need to be a subscriber to ask a question, or answer one, in our Divers Forum. Dave Eagleray, our webmaster, says, "We want to encourage more communication among the divers in the Undercurrent community. To discourage spammers, all posts from users not logged in must await approval before they will appear. So register and login to get the full benefit of our forums' features." The latest posts include one from a diver seeking information on diving the Abacos islands, and another looking for housing for his Coolpix camera. Ask a question, give an answer, put your commentary on our Divers Forum for others to read and learn.

How you can find reasonably priced dive destinations with less-stressful travel . . . and how you can negotiate good group travel deals on your own . . . why some divers should consider taking a stress test in the doctor's office before the next dive . . . John Bantin explains how you can get the most from a GoPro underwater . . . Ben Davison gives more information about that amazing Petit Mustique getaway (it's for sale!) . . . and much more.

Many of our readers like good snorkeling when they go diving, either as a way to spend the afternoon or for an activity to share with their non-diving partners. Can you send us a paragraph or two about the resorts you find with the best snorkeling, preferably off the beach, but maybe a short boat ride away? We want to compile them for an article in an upcoming issue. Send your comments to me at BenDEditor@undercurrent.org

A hundred divers submerged 16 feet near the Maldivian capital of Male on April 9 to demand the release of jailed ex-president Mohamed Nasheed, who became popular worldwide as an environmental activist during his term. The divers held banners reading "Free the Climate Hero" and "Democracy in Jail." Nasheed campaigned to raise awareness of global warming, because his country is threatened by rising sea levels, and he famously held an underwater Cabinet meeting to dramatize the threat. Nasheed was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment last month for ordering the arrest of a judge he claimed to be corrupt, but his defenders say the case is politically motivated and casts doubt over the Maldives' transition to democracy, which began after Nasheed was elected in 2008, ending 30 years of autocratic rule by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Nasheed resigned in 2012 after public protests over the judge's arrest, and in elections the following year, he lost to a half-brother of Gayoom. While not many bystanders can view an underwater protest, Maldivian and regional media were all over it, making the news global.

Send them to the ever-popular kids Sea Camp, which is hosting sessions at various Caribbean dive spots, as well as Palau, Fiji and Yap, from late June to late August. Kids ages 5-17 get to learn about diving and the ocean through classroom teaching and hands-on programs (e.g., scuba math, the food-chain game), as well as age-appropriate courses from snorkeling to advanced programs for certified teen divers. The calendar is here.

While Jim Abernethy’s Bahamas shark dives have let hundreds of divers take spectacular shark footage, it’s no secret there have been problems, including one fatal shark bite. Because Florida has clamped down on shark baiting and feeding, Abernethy has focused his MV Shear Water liveaboard expeditions to the Bahamas. But earlier this month, he announced that the Shear Water would now be running Florida-specific trips for two to three days each, along the eastern coast from the Jupiter Inlet south to Pompano, for an all-inclusive day rate of $295. The press release says there will be various dives on wrecks and reefs, night dives and shark dives. The Florida trips are scheduled for April, May and June -- info is here.

Well, there's no way to really know, but this promotional video from Stuart Cove's in the Bahamas has quite interesting footage of a shark wrapped in rope, apparently seeking out the dive guides during an orchestrated shark feed, then remaining still while the guides free it from its entanglement. See the video here.

Ben Davison, editor/publisher
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