Flotsam & Jetsam

Blue Heron Magic. Diving under the Blue Heron Bridge, which leads from Riviera Beach to Singer Island at the Phil Foster Memorial Park, is a favorite dive site for macro-life lovers, who also see moray eels, horseshoe crabs, lobsters, octopus, and plenty of tropical fish. But divers and snorkelers on April 10 had a stunning treat when sailfish appeared at high tide to charge after baitfish. For the best diving, enter the water about 40 minutes before high tide and watch out for fishing lines. https://tinyurl.com/53ypunt5

New Allies in the Crown-of-Thorns Battle. The crown-of-thorns starfish has devasted large sections of the Great Barrier Reef, with its only predator being the triton, which are few and far between. University of Queensland researchers have wondered why some sections of the reef are unaffected by the crown-of-thorns when other parts are devastated. Ph.D. candidate Amelia Desbiens, in laboratory studies, has discovered the red decorator crab devours more than five juvenile crown-of-thorns daily, and seems to keep some areas of the reef nearly free of them.

What Makes Some Water So Vibrantly Turquoise? We divers are very familiar with that deep blue water where the reef meets the drop-off, but how can the water in places like the Bahamas, the Caribbean, South Pacific, and Greece be such a specific shade of azure blue? As the Ocean Research Group explains, the waters around the islands are not only shallower but also almost entirely free of plankton, which causes other waters to turn a more greenish hue. These lighter blue waters are usually home to heavier sand and sediment, which churns up less, leaving waters clearer. But it also indicates that while this part of the ocean might be good for surface photos but is less suitable for diving.

Little Cayman's Pirates Point is for sale for US$7.5 million. The delightful Gladys Howard, a superb chef, took it over in the 1980s, and it quickly became a favorite with divers and Undercurrent. Gladys passed in 2015, and her daughter Susan began running it. Since then, long-time staff members Gay, Ed, and Diane have retired, and Susan, wanting to spend more time with her family, has decided to part with the exceptional little resort. She says she isn't "going to sell it to just anybody." Email her at info@piratespointresort.com

The Power of Social Media. Less than 20 dugongs inhabit the underwater grasslands of the Egyptian Red Sea, and one of those was caught by a local fisherman. Ayman H. Taher, a diving instructor and CEO of Blue Heaven Holidays in Cairo, posted his photo on social media. Soon after, an official of Wadi El-Gemal Reserve in Marsa Alam announced that they had identified the fisherman, and he was arrested. Looks like the fisherman will no longer be smiling so much. Nor will his friends, for Egypt has banned all fishing in the Red Sea, at least for now.

Our Next Issue Will Be in July. We publish eleven months a year, which includes our December Chapbook. During our vacation, we'll be updating you with at least two exclusive emails and any special stories that arise.

Mexico Ups the Ante on Illegal Drugs. We warned about taking Sudafed into Mexico, but maybe we should have mentioned illegal street drugs. They are so rampant in Cozumel and the Yucatan now that there is a drug-sniffing dog aboard the Cozumel/Playa del Carmen ferry that has already sussed out a 33-year-old American man. Now we know you wouldn't even consider buying a joint from a cab driver, but before leaving home, make sure you don't have that THC vaping pen or the sleeping aids in your luggage.

Droning On Whales. To tag whales, researchers in small boats typically approach an animal within a few feet and poke them with a pole to affix the tracker. Some use a pneumatic system to launch tags. It's an intrusive task. According to a paper published in Royal Society Open Science, U.S. researchers have begun using drones to attach biologging tags onto free-swimming whales. The average drone flight lasts 2.45 minutes and travels 500 yards. And the whales are none the wiser.

Another Volunteer Underwater Search Team. Divers nationwide have begun volunteering to search underwater for people missing for years (Undercurrent January 22). Recently, amateur divers in the East Bay of San Francisco have formed a nonprofit organization to find and recover the bodies in lakes and waterways across Northern California. We don't know how busy this new nonprofit will be, but you can get more information at https://tinyurl.com/msk4wtd4

A Provoked Shark Attack. We reported on the fatal great white shark attack in Little Bay, Sydney, Australia, where in February 2022, Simon Nellis, 35, was swimming. After studying the attack, the International Shark File has decided it was not a random attack but provoked by fishing in the area. It was Australia's first fatal shark attack in 60 years. Two decades ago, a spate of shark attacks on swimmers off the beaches of Florida was provoked by the sounds of a distressed or dying fish on a fisherman's hook ringing the dinner bell for sharks.