Undercurrent Online Update for Subscribers

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

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November 29, 2021

Where's the COVID Risk High for Traveling Divers? While the emerging Omicron variant of the Coronavirus may be a gamechanger, in late November, the U.S. CDC listed many dive destinations popular with Undercurrent members as having the highest risk for COVID-19 infections: French Polynesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Costa Rica, Aruba, Curaçao, Cuba, U.S. Virgin Islands, Dominica, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent (and the Grenadines). In the U.S., Florida is a high risk; however, divers could consider Puerto Rico, where we have reported on some good diving. And Hawaii, as well. Foreign destinations to consider include: Indonesia, Micronesia, St. Eustatius, St. Barts, Saba, and Palau, but some remain closed to travelers, and many countries see travelers from the U.S. as high risk, thanks to people who refuse to wear masks and the unvaccinated. A complete list may be found here.

Open to Tourists. Despite soaring COVID-19 cases among the Cayman Islands’ local population, Premier Wayne Panton says they plan to reopen to foreign visitors soon. He accepted that the risk of people becoming sick or dying would increase, but the high vaccination rate will prevent most people from getting seriously ill if they are infected. Eighty-one percent of the resident population has received one dose of vaccine, and 78 percent have completed a two-dose course. The CDC continues to list the Cayman Islands as very high risk of COVID infections. Caymans New Service

Oops? In our last email, we wrote about a liveaboard being struck by a freighter while making passage in the Bahamas. The ship was the MV Bahamas Master and not the vessel mentioned. We apologize for getting it wrong.

Disappearing Coral: Climate change wiped out 14 percent of the world's coral reefs between 2009 and 2018, and it's not slowing down. Scientists with the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network certainly blame rising sea surface temperatures, though too much fishing, pollution, and coastal construction play a role. Yet, it's coral bleaching -- the death of coral polyps caused by increased water temperature -- that is doing the most harm. (If you don't know, corals evict the algae that they shelter in return for food. The corals turn white if their colorful partners stay away for too long, and they can starve to death.) There remains a shred of hope. Underwater ecosystems have bounced back in the past when they faced less pressure, so if the polluting nations work fast enough to curb emissions, say researchers, we may save coral reefs. Sadly, the Glasgow Climate Convention did little to slow emissions, but get active and support this administration's efforts to fight climate change. https://gcrmn.net/2020-report

Tulamben Dive Porters in Dire Straits. Have you dived Bali's Liberty wreck? If so, no doubt your tank was carried to the water's edge by one of those little ladies who, in their flip-flops, skip across the bowling-ball-like volcanic boulders on the beach with up to three tanks on their heads while you stumble along behind. Their income has dried up since the pandemic, and there's precious little alternative work for them. It's just another harsh side-effect of COVID-19.

We're Working on a Story about Dive Computers and Need Your Help. Let us know whether you use a backup computer. Do you carry two computers with you on every dive? Do you dive with one but have a replacement topside if it fails you? Are your computers identical? If you have ever had a computer problem during a dive, tell us what happened and how you resolved it. And, if you do not carry a backup, and many divers don't because of how they dive, let us know why. Email Ben at EditorBenD@undercurrent.org

Looking for A Christmas Gift for a Buddy?

Amazing Diving Stories, a best-seller here and abroad, is a unique collection of more than 60 true diving tales collected by Undercurrent's Senior Editor, John Bantin. It's fascinating reading, a variety of awe-inspiring, amusing, and sometimes not-so-funny adventures, and always engaging. It's available from Amazon in hardcover, in paperback, Kindle, and even as an audiobook.

. . . Or maybe you want to give a diving thriller. Then how about Tropical Ice, by Undercurrent's publisher Ben Davison (writing as KL Smith) and set in Belize. Part of the successful crime series published by WaterStreet Press, it's an adventure into shark-finning and reef-raping, murder, and politics, on an industrial scale, with plenty of diving. It all takes place at Cap'n Jack's Rum Caye Dive Resort, where Jack's trying to save his failing resort with shark-feeding dives until a body turns up in the damnedest place. Tropical Ice is available online from Amazon in paperback or Kindle, and bookstores.

Want to Spend Time with Dr. Sylvia Earle? The Queen of the Deep is giving a Zoom/Facebook talk on December 1 at 4 p.m. Pacific Time, sponsored by the National Aquarium of Baltimore. The world-renowned marine biologist, diver, and author, Dr. Earle, will unveil her latest book, National Geographic Ocean: A Global Odyssey. She will describe the evolution, beauty, and impact of our ocean, the challenges it faces -- such as climate change, plastic pollution, and overfishing -- and how we can help protect it. Watch from the comfort of your armchair through the Facebook Livestream. You don't need a Facebook account to view the link.

You Have Two Days Left to Submit a Reader Report. Your travel report contributes to a unique database of Undercurrent readers' experiences on liveaboards and resorts, enabling other Undercurrent readers to accurately assess the diving destinations and choose what's best for them. Your reports are the life-blood of the Undercurrent website. They will be included in just a few weeks in our 2022 Travelin' Divers' Chapbook, a compilation of reader reports delivered by email to you for easy reference. If you have been traveling this year, please submit your report so we can include it for the benefit of your fellow readers. You can even include photos if you wish. Click here to write it up.

Stay Safe, Get Vaccinated

Ben Davison, editor/publisher
BenDDavison@undercurrent.org