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June 19, 2019  

Wrecked in the Galápagos

During the last day of May, the liveaboard vessel, Majestic Explorer (formerly the MN Galápagos Majestic) and part of the Explorer Ventures fleet, sank near the island of Santiago, between Isla Isabella and Isla Santa Crus, after running aground not far from where the Galápagos Aggressor I ran aground in 2013. The hull was breached in the bow area. All 26 passengers and crew were rescued before the ship capsized and sank with 2 tons of fuel on board. No injuries were reported. If you have a booking you should contact Explorer Ventures immediately. info@explorerventures.com

Taking Cameras Into Shark No-Go Areas

The Humane Society International’s Australian arm has called for permits allowing it to continue to document shark kills by the Queensland State Government. It highlights the impact of the lethal shark control program and the fines of $26,000 for anyone caught within 66-feet of its baited hooks and shark nets in the Great Barrier reef marine park. HSI rejected the argument that drum lines had stopped shark attacks on beaches as superficially attractive albeit non-scientific.

Scuba Island For Sale

Fancy buying your own Mediterranean island with access to good scuba diving on its doorstep? Some aristocratic Italian families are struggling to maintain a lot of property that they’ve had in their possession for generations. That means bargains are to be had. For less than the price as a Manhattan loft apartment or a Tuscan villa, Isola delle Femina, close by the coast of Sicily, a place with strong connections to New York, is for sale for $1.1 million. Could be a bargain.

Big Tiger Shark Killed

Fans of diving at Tiger Beach in the Bahamas will be depressed to read in news reports that a massive tiger shark was caught off Captiva Island, FL, at the end of April. Elliot Sudal, of South West Florida, may be recognized from his social media accounts. He posted pictures of himself with a 13-foot shark he’d killed. Tigers have a wide range. We hope it isn’t one of the regulars so often encountered on shark dives by thrilled divers.

Shark and ’Gator Together in a Florida Creek

It was a magic moment in movie history was when Paul Hogan, playing Crocodile Dundee, asks an aborigine friend if he’s not worried about swimming the creek with sharks and he’s told, “Don’t worry about the sharks. The crocs have eaten them all.” Alachua County Sheriff’s Dept, in Florida, must have had similar thoughts when they received a call to say that a crocodile and a large shark were seen together in Lake Forest Creek, 60 miles from the ocean, on May 19. Was it an opportunity to get both PADI shark-diver and ’gator-diver specialties at the same time? Deputies investigated, tweeting that the creek was not shark-infested. The dead five-and-a-half footer had been caught elsewhere and dumped. The alligator was merely responding to the scent of an easy meal.

Corals Immune to Bleaching?

Japan Times and NHK World – Japan reports Koji Kinjo, a Japanese coral breeder from Okinawa, has succeeded in making coral almost fully immune to bleaching. His findings could be used to protect coral from the deadly effects of global warming. It’s still unclear just how the corals adapted to warmer water temperatures, but Japanese marine biologists now hope to save the country’s reefs with the help of Kinjo’s new breed of corals.

Planning on Cuba?

The U.S. government will no longer allow the group educational and cultural trips to Cuba. How this affects diving will be featured in our July issue.

Delay Reporting Tubbataha Tragedy

A Filipino diver went missing while diving Amos Rock at Tubbataha Reef near Palawan in the Philippines on June 5. Bryan Nazareno, 43, was with a group aboard the liveaboard MY Palausport, but his disappearance was not reported for 19 hours. It was a charter led by award-winning Filipino underwater photographer Scott Tuason, regarded as a leading expert in open-ocean diving.

iPhone to Work Underwater?

As reported we reported in our June issue, available only to subscribers, Apple has applied for patents that will automatically adjust an iPhone for taking pictures underwater. An assortment of sensors will determine the murkiness of the water, how much light is absorbed by the water, and the color adjustment necessary to account for the selective absorption of the light. The latest iPhone is due to be announced in September, so let’s see if there is something special for underwater photographers.

Free-to-Read in Undercurrent

Surviving deep underwater with nothing to breathe. Most diving deaths are finally due to drowning but imagine being 330-feet deep and losing your supply of breathing gas. That’s what happened to oil-rig diver Chris Lemons, yet he survived for 38 minutes and lived to tell the tale. You can read-it-for-free here.

Top tips on getting good photos underwater. Underwater photography has never been easier, thanks to the digital revolution. But still those new to it can get disappointing results. We list the problems and give you pointers to overcome them. You can read-it-for-free here.

Also In Undercurrent this Month

Caribbean Explorer II – a liveaboard less than perfect . . . Why do some operators still have a fuel surcharge? . . . Are Americans good tippers or just total suckers? . . . An adventure at El Galleon resort in the Philippines . . . Does Apple plan to lure underwater photographers with the iPhone? . . . What’s your real risk of a diving death? . . . More global shipping means more invasive marine species . . . Top tips from dive photo pros . . . Galápagos - a book review . . . The 2020 Mission to save our oceans from plastic . . . Helium is getting hard to get . . . and much, much more

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Ben Davison, editor/publisher
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