Undercurrent Online Update
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For Subscriber David Denson Whiteside (with username 'dwhitesi' exp: 2024-08-20', at dwhite95815@hotmail.com )
June 14, 2015
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As we wrote in our February 2013 review about Loreto, Baja California, billionaire Carlos Slim loves to anchor his big yacht there for the peace, quiet, and masses of dolphins and sea lions in the protected marine preserve. But you don’t have to be as rich as Carlos to enjoy the excellent diving there. Villa del Palmar Beach & Spa Resort is offering a special deal to Undercurrent readers – its Diver’s Paradise package offers five nights in a deluxe ocean view studio with two days of diving (boxed lunch, six people maximum on the boat), and a spa treatment for $264 per day. For more information, visit their website or call them at 800 790 4187 and reference promo code "DPEP15", or consult their offer on our Special Offers page. Loreto is around two hours by air from Los Angeles.

In last month's newsletter, we gave a heads-up for the June sinking of 15 concrete Easter Island-style statues off Deerfield Beach, FL to create the Rapa Nui reef. Good intentions came to a disastrous end, however when the top-heavy barge carrying them flipped over and landed atop the statues ( see the sad video ). When asked if she thought the Polynesian gods depicted in the sculptures played a role, Rapa Nui benefactor Margaret Blume said, "I don't think they're angry. I think they are just giving us a teachable moment." The artist who raised $500,000 to fund the art installation said he won't give up - he plans to raise more money to create new heads and add them to what's now, unfortunately, a pile of wreckage, 50 feet deep.

Amos Nachoum, a great guy and award-winning photographer of big-animal behavior, is the subject of a documentary about him and his work. To complete the film (the final shoot is to be Amos filming polar bears in the Canadian Arctic), the producers have a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, seeking $30,000 funding, and if you participate, you'll receive great perks. A $25 donation will let you download the film free when it is finished, $1,000 will let you attend the film premiere, $50,000 will let you attend the Arctic expedition and get you credit as executive producer. All donations are tax-deductible. Deadline is June 20, so contribute now.

John Bantin explains how you can get the most from a GoPro underwater . . . part II about why amateur divers entering photo contests need to know more about the changing state of professional underwater photography. . . the case of injuries suffered by father and son that led to the biggest settlement for a dive-related lawsuit on record . . . how to breathe better underwater so that you can "sip" more air. . and much more.

Attend virtually, that is. Watch the Summit as it unfolds through video presentations given by 34 top names in diving, from Sylvia Earle to Stan Waterman, from Jill Heinerth to Jean-Michel Cousteau. The Summit kicked off on June 8 (World Oceans Day); it's free to view online while the summit is happening (through June 19), but you must register to watch the video recordings. Summit creator Laurie Wilson told us, "This year, we are going to talk about big ocean issues and answers, and what the dive community (including recreational divers) can do to be part of the solution. Mainstream dive industry gurus have not dared to talk about an ocean in peril, but our speakers are going to go 'there' during the Summit." Register here.

In the April issue, a reader lamented that Sony doesn't sell replacement O-rings for his underwater camera housing. Two other readers offer sources for any hard-to-find O-rings. Jim Rogers (Silverdale, WA) says to contact the industrial supplier McMaster Carr. Jonathan Blake (Los Angeles, CA) also recommends Orings and Things in Fontana, CA , saying, "If they don't have it, it doesn't exist!"

From August 20-23, Florida Keys dive shops are sponsoring a "reef crawl" for divers, snorkelers, kayakers, and stand-up paddlers to explore the reefs from Key Largo to Islamorada. According to the Reef Crawl website, "It's just like a Pub Crawl, but instead of going from pub to pub, Reef Crawlers go reef to reef, exploring the reefs, wrecks, and mangroves of Florida's Upper Keys." Crawlers can also sign up for seminars and specific dives covering fish ID, coral restoration and more. Registration starts at $79, and a portion of each fee goes to help local reef conservation efforts.

Ben Davison, editor/publisher
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