Flotsam & Jetsam

Whalefall: The first trailer for the October film, a modern-day Jonah in the Belly of the Whale, has been released, showing a diver caught inadvertently in a sperm whale's hunt for squid. Based on the survival thriller Whalefall, by Daniel Kraus, we'd think some divers will be entranced by the film while others may find it ridiculous. It's all about suspending your imagination. See the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67ho3OxCmmM

Be Careful with That Lithium-Ion Battery. Of course, not every fire aboard a liveaboard can be attributed to faulty lithium-ion batteries. The most recent we reported aboard MV Emperor Explorer started in a tumble dryer in the vessel's laundry area. However, the Guardian reports on May 11, "Fire brigades across the UK are tackling lithium-ion battery fires at a rate of one every five hours . . . Public awareness and government regulation have not kept pace with the ubiquity of this new hazard." Lithium-ion batteries power most rechargeable devices, including underwater lights and photographic equipment that divers regularly subject to the hazards of seawater.

The World's Largest Artificial Reef. The SS United States, the ocean liner that held the Blue Riband for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic, was due to be sunk in June off the coast of Okaloosa County, FL, after a lengthy preparation in Mobile, Alabama. But divers may have to wait a little -- officials now say they are waiting on a federal sign-off to proceed. It will be sunk 12 miles from the wreck of the USS Oriskany, a redundant aircraft carrier that was formerly the world's largest artificial reef, meaning that it will be possible for divers to visit both during consecutive days.

Historic Shipwreck Site Brings Painful Memories. The Henrietta Marie was a British slave ship that sank in 1700 off the coast of Key West, FL, after it delivered 200 people enslaved from West Africa to Jamaica. Now, black divers from Underwater Adventure Seekers wish to make an annual pilgrimage to the site where a concrete marker memorializes those who died. Remnants of the vessel's wooden hull are embedded at the site under layers of sand. The shipwreck was discovered in 1972 by treasure hunter Mel Fisher. Artifacts from the ship cover an entire floor of the Mel Fisher Museum in Key West and include more than 80 sets of shackles, including some child-sized sets. (AP News)

We Don't Need No Healthy Oceans! The current U.S. government is dismantling a $368 million deep ocean observation system that monitored coastal environments, marine ecosystems, and powerful currents that affect global climate. The National Science Foundation says it is sending vessels to begin removing more than 900 deep-sea instruments anchored off Oregon, Washington State, Alaska, North Carolina, and an area between Greenland and Iceland. They have been critical to climate and ocean research, but relay a message the government does not want to hear. This is another example of the Trump Administrations war on science.

America's Giant Manta Rays Saved from Foreign Aquariums. A video of a manta ray being hauled out of the water by fishermen in Florida and posted online last year outraged many people, but a license from the FWC authorized its capture. Wildlife officials continue to allow threatened giant mantas to be taken for display in aquariums worldwide. Eighteen politicians pressed for an outright ban, but it seemed the dollars of theme parks took precedence. But at last Florida has tightened the rules beginning July 1, and the FWC has voted to reserve the right to say when and where rays can be captured for responsible exhibition only in the U.S. -- and not overseas. That said, we think they should ban capture entirely.

The Environmental Impact of the Commercialization of the Scuba Diving Industry: That's the title of a study by Logan Asport, placing significant blame on coral reef destruction directly on the industry. While the industry seems to give it lip service, continuing to put more poorly trained certified divers into the water, the industry certainly knows they are part of the problem. After all, Logan, a certified diver, does, and he just turned 17. You can read his study here.

Dive Photo Guide's World Ocean Day 2026 photo competition results have been announced. To view the selection of the winners' spectacular visual entries across a wide range of competition categories, with corresponding detailed captions, go to www.divephotoguide.com/world-oceans-day-photo-competition

DIN or International A-Clamp? Still unsure about the difference between the International A-clamp (Yoke) and DIN connections between regulators and tanks? Technical divers, who go deeper than recreational divers, say that DIN connections are much more reliable. If you want clarification, go to Undercurrent November 2019: www.undercurrent.org/UCnow/dive_magazine/2019/DINYokeRegulator201911.html