Flotsam & Jetsam

Shark Releasers Pardoned. President Donald Trump has made a gesture of support for the ocean environment by issuing a presidential pardon to two Florida shark divers who, in 2020, were convicted of theft after releasing 19 sharks from a fisherman's longline catch and later destroying the line. Captain John R. Moore was an underwater photographer, freediver, and former commercial fisherman, while Tanner Mansell described himself as a professional shark diver and cinematographer. They had been found guilty by a Southern District Court jury in West Palm Beach two years ago. (Undercurrent October 2022)

A Dive Travel Specialist Wrote to Us. The owner of a scuba travel business complained to us that Undercurrent's reporting on Red Sea vessel disasters is irresponsible and that we should "support the diving industry, not dry it up." She fails to understand that Undercurrent does not exist to support the dive industry -- we are a counterbalance. We exist to support divers. Business Week once called us The Consumer Reports for Divers. We protect sport divers, not the industry. We have no interest in keeping businesses operating in an atmosphere of no regulation, where boats go to sea with divers aboard without sufficient guarantees of safety. Rather than writing to us, she should be raising hell with boat operators and pushing for proper regulation.

These Fires are a Regular Occurrence. In a valiant effort to maintain the Egyptian daily batting average, the crew of an Egyptian diving day boat allowed it to catch fire at the Empire Beach Hotel jetty in Hurghada on May 2. It was a total loss. These vessel fires are becoming so regular that we're tired of reporting them. But we will continue, regardless of what our travel agent friend asked of us.

The Worst Bleaching Event Ever. It's hitting coral reefs nearly everywhere. This news on reefs comes, the Associated Press notes, as our government has moved to boost fossil fuels and reduce clean energy initiatives, a cause for concern to coral researchers. Still, corals are highly resilient, and, if given the chance, could bounce back. Scientists say that global efforts to mitigate climate change are necessary to help them recover. This involves implementing additional policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. (Smithsonian)

Lionfish Can Be Deadly. A 25-year-old experienced Brazilian diver died after being stung three times by a lionfish. Tiago Rodrigues da Silva had been diving from a fishing boat off the coast of Grossos, Brazil, on May 18. His father, who was on board, said his son exclaimed, "Dad, I've been stung by a lionfish," before he took off his wetsuit and lay down. Despite attempts to help him, Tiago died on the boat before it reached shore, where medics were waiting to treat him.

HEAD poised to take over Aqualung: Aqualung was kick-started by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Émile Gagnan in 1943 when they formed the company after inventing the aqualung. Air Liquide acquired the company in 1946, and it evolved into the Aqualung Group, which eventually included the Aqualung, Apeks, US Divers, and Aquasphere brands, as well as a military and professional division. In 2016, Air Liquide sold it to Montagu Private Equity, which knew nothing about scuba diving but thought it knew plenty about making money. They didn't and ran into financial trouble. Now, the HEAD Group, comprising brands such as Mares, rEvo, Liveaboard.com, and SSI, is conducting final discussions to acquire the Aqualung Group, and executives appear confident that they'll consummate the deal.

Catfish Ballet in Bali. Anyone who has dived in the far east of the Indo-Pacific will be familiar with the phenomenon that when striped eel catfish swim together in a close group, they look much more intimidating to potential predators. In a fascinating video shot in Bali by diver Marie-Laure Vergne, a group of striped eel catfish (Plotosus lineatus) performs a beautiful ballet that not only looks stunning but also keeps the fish safe from harm. You can see the video here: www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/marine-animals/striped-eel-catfish-bali

More Invasive Species or Just Visitors? Diving scientists from the Charles Darwin Research Station in the Galápagos Islands have recently observed eight Indo-Pacific species thousands of miles from home, including a large surgeonfish, the sleek unicornfish, the low fin moray eel, and the spotband butterflyfish. They attribute their arrival to El Niño, the current that usually moves from South America toward Southeast Asia but temporarily reversed direction, which it does every two to seven years. Researchers also suggest the fish could have drifted in with marine debris, a method known as "rafting."

Amazing Diving Stories. When an international publisher invited John Bantin to write a book entitled Amazing Diving Stories, they didn't want a first-person account. So, he simply gathered together scores of diving incidents in which he had been involved or witnessed and rewrote them in the third person. Ironically, he didn't include his lucky escape from Sipadan in the year 2000. (See the sidebar in this issue.) You can read the other 64 true tales in Amazing Diving Stories, available in both hardback and Kindle on Amazon.