Undercurrent Online Update for Subscribers

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

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January 15, 2024

A Hammerhead Nursery. Scientists may have found the nursery of tropical Atlantic great hammerhead sharks, where they give birth to their young. It's Biscayne Bay, which stretches south from Miami to the Keys. Remarkably, it's one of Florida's busiest spots for boating and fishing. Despite being large marine creatures (the largest great hammerhead ever caught was as long as the largest confirmed great white shark), little is known about their natural history, but the nursery discovery is a good start.

The 2024 edition of the Travelin' Diver’s Chapbook. The 864-page paperback containing 546 first-hand reports on liveaboards and resorts Undercurrent subscribers dived in 2023 is now available. If you submitted a report or two, you'll find it here. While it's accessible online for subscribers, you can also purchase a printed copy for $39.95 (plus tax and shipping). Click here to order from Lulu.

Sherwood BCs are Still Falling Apart. Mary Clark (Keokuk IA) wrote that hers fell apart while diving in October 2023 in the Bahamas while 15 feet down. Instead of being threaded through the body of the BC as is typical with other BCs, the cam bands of her Sherwood Avid BC pass through separate attached plastic blocks. The plastic eventually grew brittle and broke away, allowing her tank to separate from her and her BC. Luckily, the boat had a safety line out, and she could navigate the choppy waves to get to the boat, but she only used her snorkel as the tank was pulling away from her. She called Sherwood, and "they pretty much said they don't have issues, but if I could send the pictures of the BC and the serial number, they might be able to give her some money towards another one." Her husband has stopped using his. Several of our readers have reported a similar issue with their Avid. We have contacted Sherwood in the past about that problem, to no avail.

Remarkably Bright Creatures is Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel, narrated in part by an ornery octopus living in a public aquarium who explains what it's like to be an octopus. It's sold more than 1.4 million copies since its 2022 release, and if you haven't read it, you're missing a charming and insightful tale. She was inspired by Soul of an Octopus, a nonfiction bestseller by Sy Montgomery, another book essential to a diver's library.

Bob Sachs, Founder of Dive Bequia, died on January 3, piloting his own plane, which crashed in Caribbean waters near Petit Nevis just after taking off from Bequia. Also killed were Christian Klepser, a German actor known for his roles in the Speed Racer, The Good German, and Valkyrie, and his two young daughters. We made a lot of good dives with Bob and are greatly saddened by the deaths.

Blue Sea Dragons Washed Ashore. A deep water nudibranch, distinguished by a vivid blue top side and feathery gills resembling wings, is rarely seen by divers because it inhabits water too deep. However, after floods and an industrial oil spill, hundreds washed up on a beach near Chennai, India. While the blue sea dragon is a rare sight, its captivating appearance, with dual camouflage capabilities -- using the blue side against the ocean's hue and the silver side against the water's bright surface -- adds to its mystique. Blue sea dragons are venomous.

Egypt's Red Sea is Safe? We have noted in previous emails, the Egyptian dive industry is alive and well during the Israeli war, and it still is, regardless of the Houthis’ attacks on ships. The Egyptian Red Sea is more than a thousand miles from Bab el Mendab, where the Yemeni Houthis are causing trouble, and war-torn Gaza is a long way away across the Sinai desert. Port Ghalib is 400 miles from Gaza, Hurghada 296 miles away, and Sharm el Sheikh is 240 miles away. The Egyptian diving industry is booming but not with bombs, and European divers remain plentiful, drawn to clear water and great wrecks. Go join them.

Image courtesy of BBC.com

How Do You Tip on Dive Trips? We'd love to get your thoughts about dive trip tipping. How do you decide whom to tip and how much? Do you tip at all? Do you offer that extra appreciation for all and sundry services? Do you tip individually or in a pool? Let us know to help us prepare a story on what is customary among Undercurrent travelers. Write to BenDDavison@undercurrent.org and tell us how you approach the subject, not forgetting to add your town and state.

Ben Davison, editor/publisher
BenDDavison@undercurrent.org