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Archive for September, 2009
This is not a Great White, but he plays one on TV...
Great White sharks have invaded Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Only yesterday two were tagged, with at least three more sighted. This marks an interesting point in history, not only for the beach-goers who have to stay out of the water all weekend long, but also for the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries which can now claim the first successful tagging of a Great White shark in the Atlantic Ocean. What I want to know is this: Why were the sharks on Cape Cod to begin with? A few (potentially) compelling reasons:
- Moving further up North made sense since staying too long in the waters off New Jersey causes them to glow in the dark. Not so subtle for a stalker.
- You can get lobster rolls without the shells at the Cape.
- Better dental plans in Massachusetts.
- “Hey Phil, I told you we should have kept going straight when we passed Johannesburg!”
A treasure chest?
You are diving a wreck when you find a shiny trinket that appears valuable. Do you:
a) Leave it where it is..you still remember kindergarten when you learned to “look with your eyes, not with your hands”
b) Hide it in your bathing suit (remember that scene from Pulp Fiction…) you will study it later and hopefully make a million dollars off of it
c) Proudly display it to everyone you com in contact with until the local authorities cart you off to jail for stealing national treasures
CNN recently ran a story about a diver who found a pocket watch near a wreck, and decided to go with a modified version of choice b above. Instead of looking to make a million on it, he spent 9 years researching the history behind it and looking for the current-day, rightful owner.
The story got me thinking about the possibilities of the sunken treasure that lies beneath the waves, and the possibilities of turning my aquatic hobby into a money making venture. After some research I have learned that, sadly, there is no direct line from the sea floor to my pocket. Underwater treasure hunting is governed by the U.N. Law of the Sea, which is about as straightforward as a slinky. The original ship owner, the location of the wreck, the contents of the cargo, the phase of the moon and even the number of goals last scored by Manchester United all seem to play a part in the ultimate meaning of “finders keepers.”
Many privately owned underwater archeology companies (ie. treasure hunters) ply the planet’s oceans each year looking for riches. You’d be hard pressed to actually name one of these companies, however, as they are more secretive than the SPECTRE bad guys in the old James Bond movies (but actually have access to even cooler gadgets.) One such company found $500 million in coins last year, shipped it all back home, buried it in their backyard, then raised their hand and said “Um…we think we might have found something.” The Spanish government is still trying to get the booty back, resorting to armed encounters and public claims of grave robbing in order to “persuade” the salvage shop to return the loot.
Since I’ll be spending my lottery winnings on that $95 million orca yacht, I won’t be able to afford the high tech toys needed for the salvage operation. And since this blog is gathering a healthy following of divers, it looks like the secrecy requirement isn’t going to work either. Guess I’ll have to stick to salvaging the usual abandoned dive gear and old bottles…although a piece of Andrea Doria china would be nice.
So the folks at scubagadget.com have called to my attention the fact that the Mexican drug cartel violence has moved into Cozumel. Since I will be in Cozumel next week this news is, dare I say…mildly concerning.
Really now, what could the cartels possibly need in Cozumel? Perhaps they want a souvenir Senior Frog’s t-shirt? Or, a coconut carved with their name for their mantle at home? Maybe they are looking for a satisfying meal of spaghetti and meatballs or frozen fish fingers from one of the many tourist restaurants that line the ocean. Perhaps they can catch a lift on the merry-go-round of cruises that come through the port.
For all its quirks, I do love Cozumel because of the warm people and the fantastic diving. Like many people, I hope the violence doesn’t take hold of the place, preventing scuba divers or travelers from appreciating its beautiful reefs. The experience there is just too good to miss.
My morning troll for interesting news brought me an amazing story that just had to be the subject of tonight’s blog. This woman, Roz Savage, is in the process of rowing across the Pacific to promote ocean conservation and environmental awareness in everyday living. She’s totally hooked up via satellite to facebook, twitter, her own blog, and countless other communication vehicles so that you can find out how she is doing and where she is.
I am pretty sure I punched my own hole in the ozone layer today with my use of countless plastic bags and Styrofoam cups as well as the copious driving of my gas guzzler. But, her website made me feel better about my own behavior with her “one step at a time” approach, rather than the “eat sprouts and live in a hut” message I thought I would find. Maybe tomorrow I will start using my reusable coffee mug. It is not quite like crossing the Pacific, but it’s a good start.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology apparently have time on their hands and a penchant for aquatics. Awhile back they created a new species of marine “life” called…wait for it…Robotuna! Now they are embarking on their greatest oceanic quest yet – Robotrout. Created for underwater exploration, inspection and possibly even surveillance, these robotic fish do have some potential usefulness, but still I find the concept disturbingly unnatural. I have a few questions:
What happens when another fish eats them? Do you get robodigestion or, even worse, robofishsh*t? Have you seen some of the ridiculous looking lures that fish will chase? Anything that even resembles a tin can with a tail is fair game, so what happens when one of these electronic beauties becomes part of the food chain? If you see fish glowing in the dark during your night dive, you now know why.
Have the researchers missed the kelp forest through the trees? Robotuna was not able to go into the ocean because of external electronic parts and the need to stay tethered to a central control source. But have no fear, the new generation called robotrout, is able to roam the seas freely. If I understand this correctly, their prototype tuna, which appears in nature as a far-ranging, salt water fish, can only go a limited distance in fresh water. And, their prototype trout, a limited range fresh water fish, goes free swimming in the ocean? Is it possible that the computer technology overshadowed the marine biology just a bit? I bet the latest version was actually a robosquirrel until their PR person noticed it and recommended a more eco-appropriate spin.
When do the applications end? Will I see one of these robocritters on my next dive? Is it more cost-effective for aquariums to house these than living organisms? On my next Red Lobster visit will I find a spring sticking out of my flounder? The uses seem, sadly, endless.
When I heard that Hurricane Jimena, currently a category 4 storm and the tenth storm of the season in the Pacific, was barreling down on Baja California, I thought I hope it won’t hurt the scuba diving there. Then I realized I had no clue what kind of diving was there. After a little research I now hope more than ever that Jimena decides she wants an authentic tamale and veers significantly to the right into a low-population area.
The Baja peninsula actually has an amazing array of diving opportunities, from the rocky kelp forests in the north on the Pacific coast near San Diego to the only live coral reef on the western side of North America, Cabo Pulmo, on the Sea of Cortez between La Paz and Cabo San Lucas. The indigenous sea life is insane, including great white sharks, hammerhead sharks, tiger sharks, whale sharks, manta rays, dolphins, marlin, Humboldt squid, octopus, and whales. In some spots divers encounter sea lions frequently eager to play or gnaw the end of your fin.
I can’t wait to book my next trip: the Baja Peninsula has moved up to #1 on my “to dive” list. I’ll just wait until Jimena checks out of the hotel.