Undercurrent Online Update for Subscribers

For David Denson Whiteside (with username 'dwhitesi', exp: 2024-08-20, at dwhite95815@hotmail.com )

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August 21, 2020

Mauritius Wept as It was Surrounded by Oil. The Indian Ocean island paradise has seen the possible destruction of its tourist industry by the oil that has leaked from a tanker wrecked on its southern shores. On July 25, the MV Wakashio, a Panama-flagged, Japanese-owned freighter, ran aground within swimming distance of two international marine heritage sites. For two weeks, the government did not act to remove it, instead negotiating with the vessel’s insurers to determine who would pay for the effort. The public only learned that it carried 4,000 tons of oil after outraged individuals shared photos on social media. So far, more than 1000 tons of oil have leaked into the ocean, and it’s unclear whether the government can control the spread. Japan has sent a relief team, and France is supporting the clean-up efforts. The wreck has now split in two, making it more difficult to remove the remaining oil. Meanwhile, the oil is spreading up the coast, destroying the formerly pristine white sandy beaches and killing marine life. The Mauritian Tourist Office now says that only a small percentage of its beaches have been damaged. (Mail & Guardian, S.A.)

Have You Been Doing Ocean Conservation Work? Before the pandemic, many dive centers and small groups worldwide engaged in a variety of important conservation projects – spearing lionfish, protecting turtle nests, planting coral, collecting trash, tracking down ghost nets, you name it. Some have been able to continue during the last six months, keeping their staff and volunteers busy, while others have had to shut down. Either way, we’d like to hear about your project, what it takes you to continue, or what the consequences might be when you couldn’t continue. We’re looking to hear about any project, big or small, and if you’re a diver who visited such a project, ask them to get in touch (tell us your impressions as well). We’d like to know just what it takes to keep going. Write to BenDDavison@undercurrent.org and tell us all about it.

Myocarditis Resulting from Covid-19 Can Affect Your Diving. Even if you have only a mild or asymptomatic case of the Covid-19 virus, you stand a chance of having myocarditis, which has little in the way of symptoms and can be fatal while diving. The American Medical Association recommends waiting 6-8 weeks before returning to any physical activity after infection with Covid-19. This includes any sport that causes an elevated heart rate. Cardiovascular complications of Covid-19 have received less medical attention than severe acute respiratory syndrome; nevertheless, the first cases of myocarditis in Covid-19 patients have been reported. Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the heart characterized by inflammatory infiltrates and myocardial injury without an ischemic cause. The most commonly identifiable cause of myocarditis in the United States and other developed countries is viral. Click here to view the article.

Werner Lau Centers in Bali, a Casualty of Covid. Precipitated by the fact that Bali will not be open to visitors until at least September and perhaps longer since all foreign arrivals to Indonesia have been banned until further notice, Werner Lau has closed his long-established dive centers. Both the Alam Anda and the Siddhartha will be taken over by a group of investors. The Pondok Sari will continue with the old owners.

Teenage Snorkeler Killed by Speedboat. Brits Harry & Barbara Genga had sailed west from Jersey via Panama 18 months ago, with their 14-year-old son Eddie and his sister Amelie, 12. They had spent the past nine months in French Polynesia, their stay extended because of Covid-19 restrictions, and were anchored off Moorea when Eddie was struck and killed by a speedboat while snorkeling. (www.divernet.com)

French Polynesia Open to Visitors. Dom McCann at Dive Advice tells us that French Polynesia is now open for visitors with flights from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Vancouver, B.C., to Papeete in Tahiti, and onward to the Tua Motus. With so few possibilities open to American traveling divers, this is one bright spot. One of Dom’s clients reported 16 wonderful days, including diving at Fakarava, a famous hotspot for aggregating grey reef sharks. To be safe, he tested negative for Covid-19 before traveling, and self-test negative about four days after arrival. (www.diveadvice.com)

Indonesian Fire Traps Divers. A forest fire on August 13 that engulfed the Wae Wuul Nature Reserve on the island of Flores, trapped divers staying at the Labuan Bajo resort for five hours. They escaped to the beach to await evacuation. The fire was finally controlled within 100 yards of the resort and did not jump to nearby Komodo and Rinca. (Jakarta Post)

The Philippines puts Safety First as it Reopens for Tourism. Filipino Government guidelines for resorts include providing facemasks and face shields, disposable gloves, and hand-sanitizers with strict physical distancing rules in places. Pre-ordered in-room dining replaces buffets, and only single or double-occupancy rooms are allowed. Tourism-based businesses must obtain a Dept. of Tourism Certificate of Authority to Operate, and rooms must be thoroughly sanitized after guests check out.

Local Diving for Americans. Two companies are cleared to offer guided diving on a World War II-era plane submerged in Lake Mead. The National Park Service has issued permits to Las Vegas Scuba, and Scuba Training & Technology for technical dives on the B-29 Superfortress. The plane crashed into Lake Mead in 1948. The five crew members survived. For information about tours, contact www.lasvegasscuba.com.

Canadian Airlines Return to Cuba. A group of Canadian airlines, including Air Canada, plan to resume regular commercial flights to Cuba in September and October, if sanitary conditions allow. Flights from Toronto and Montreal will include the tourist destinations of Varadero and Cayo Coco. The required documents and entry requirements for Cuba do not vary. Visitors will not have to undergo a prior test before departure, nor will they have to undergo a quarantine upon arrival on the island. Of course, Americans are not allowed to enter Canada because America failed to control it, so for now, the trips are only for Canadians. (Prensa Latina)

Covid-19 Brings Ocean Pollution. While the lockdown has given nature a breather, the discarded PPE gear is littering the planet. With 194 billion masks and disposable gloves used monthly, the pollution is hitting oceans and beaches. WWF (World Wildlife Fund) warned in a report earlier this year: “If only one percent of the masks were to be disposed of incorrectly and dispersed in nature, this would result in up to ten million masks per month polluting the environment.” (Environmental Science and Technology)

Marine Heatwaves Across the World’s Oceans can displace habitat for sea turtles, whales, and other marine life by tens to thousands of miles. They dramatically shift these animals’ preferred temperatures in a fraction of the time that climate change is expected to do the same, new research supported by NOAA shows. For example, the range of smooth hammerhead sharks shifted north more than 1,700 miles during a major marine heatwave that affected the northeast Pacific Ocean from 2013 into 2015. Meanwhile, veteran marine wildlife photographer Doug Perrine reports on Facebook that Hawaii’s cauliflower corals and antler corals are forever lost because of rising water temperatures. (Eco Magazine)

Thailand Closed to Tourists This Year. Thailand is unlikely to reopen its borders to international tourists before the end of the year – so says the deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. But he added that plans are being discussed for safe bubbles that can be formed for leisure travel, with a proposal that all visitors spend a minimum of 30 days in Thailand. This would be in designated areas, probably islands, such as Koh Samui or Phuket. (The Thaiger)

China Agrees to Galápagos Moratorium. It’s reported that as of September 1, China will place its fishing fleet under a three-month moratorium in the high seas west of the Galápagos Marine Reserve. China has also agreed that Ecuador supervises its fishing vessels while they operate in international waters. This is in response to global concern about the activities of its Distant Water Fishing Fleet operating close to the Galápagos Marine Reserve. (www.sharkguardian.org)

More Than 10,000 Baby Turtles were released off Bali Indonesia at the beginning of August, as part of conservationists’ attempts to boost the population of a vulnerable species and promote environmental protection. Conservation groups carried crates full of dozens of tiny turtles to the island’s Gianyar beach and encouraged local people and volunteers to release the hatchlings together. Olive Ridley turtles are among the most abundant sea turtles but are still vulnerable because there are few places in which they will nest. (The Guardian)

Covid-19 Cases Stacked Against the U.S. Veteran underwater photographer Cathy Church reports on Facebook that Cayman is now closed until October 1 instead of opening September 1, thanks to the lack of resolve on the part of the U.S. government in fighting the virus. “We in Cayman have been totally clear of Covid-19 for several weeks because we all followed the rules and stopped this dead-on,” she says. Meanwhile, the U.S. government has issued an advisory against travel to New Zealand due to 23 new cases in that country, while the U.S. has 5.5 million confirmed cases and 170,000 resulting deaths. Just another way to deflect attention to our failure to manage the virus and point the finger elsewhere.

Tracking Blacktips Sight Unseen. Shark researchers have found it is possible to track shark populations without ever laying eyes on the predators, all thanks to their DNA. A study published by Florida International University (FIU) has found sharks leave behind a strong biological footprint when on the prowl. Shed skin, mucus, and even feces leave considerable amounts of genetic material in the ocean that researchers dub “environmental DNA” (eDNA). Now, with just a few gallons of water, the researchers can determine how many sharks have entered Florida’s waters in the spring and summer. The swarms of sharks are typically found in the Terra Ceia Bay on the west coast of Florida, at the south end of Tampa Bay. Florida’s waters are a nursery for blacktips, which typically grow up to 4.0 ft in length, though bigger adults have been reported. (The Express)

The Anti-Mask Saga Continues. A month ago, we entreated divers to wear masks whenever in contact with people, because if we don’t get the virus under control, it will be forever before other countries permit us to enter to dive. We received more than 150 emails of support and about 15 saying we were socialists or communists, or we didn’t love our country, or we’re against freedom. One response really troubled me. A fellow claiming to be a Ph.D., an M.D. and “Director of Medicine, Thorasic (sic) Surgery,” wrote, “I don’t need the politicized propaganda. Until you, like me, have treated hundreds of patients on the front lines with COVID-19, please do not tell me to wear a mask and tell me about paraihs (sic) of American travel. American (sic) typically don’t follow rules, that (sic) why we left Europe in the 1800’s (sic). And we are not communist. And you are certainly not a medical professional with first-hand experience on the front lines with COVID-19. If you are going to send emails like this . . . I will cancel our family subscription.” I emailed to ask where he practiced, but he failed to respond. It wasn’t hard to find him on the Internet; he was no doctor, just a guy on the staff of a small town in Utah, an engineer, not a doctor. That really blew my O-ring because here’s an immoral diver who poses as a physician to persuade us not to wear a mask, not out of concern of public health, to support his political beliefs. He is a poseur, a fraud, a snake-oil salesman, just like most of the anti-maskers. And though he threatens to cancel his Undercurrent subscription, he hasn’t had one for six years. I’m stunned by the lies this guy willingly spins to turn a public health issue into a political statement, as thousands of people die daily. But, he’s just following the lead of the man at the top. Listen to Anthony Fauci, not that other guy. Otherwise, our wetsuits will crinkle, our O-rings will crack, and we’ll all go crazy.

Stay Safe,

Ben Davison, editor/publisher
BenDDavison@undercurrent.org