Weather
Subscribe!
Archive for February, 2010
NOT a pony...
The coastal south of Belize is not an international tourism hotbed. It is, however, authentically beautiful to humans and whale sharks alike. For nine months of the year, the few people who do visit enjoy the peace and tranquility of the sugar-sand beaches with absolutely no crowds. The place is the antithesis of Cheers, the famous TV bar; there nobody knows your name and few care to, either.
Then the spring comes, and everyone goes crazy because of the fish sex. During the April, May, and June full moons, the whale sharks visit to dine on the spawning Cubera Snapper eggs, bringing excitement to the sleepy waters of the offshore formation known as Gladden Split. Crazed divers from around the globe overrun the largest coastal town near the Split, Placencia, using it as a base from which to launch their whale shark efforts, hoping to spot the nomadic, majestic animals.
A few years ago I had the opportunity to swim with these ginormous beauties off of the Split. The creatures amazed me, as did the profoundly odd way in which some humans reacted to them. Therefore, I propose the following things NOT to do when you see a whale shark:
Do not make like a plankton – I once heard a fellow diver complaining that he was afraid of being eaten by an enormous whale shark. I’m not sure if he would have fit in the shark’s mouth, but I do know the shark would not have wanted him in there. Whale sharks are filter feeders, passing large volumes of water through their gills and straining out the tastiest that float about. If you are not a planktonic tasty, then remove sacrificial shark feedings from your list of “to do’s” when meeting a whale shark.
Do not break out your saddle – There is something about the ocean that turns some divers into fondlers. Though on land they seem to be able to keep their hands to themselves, once submerged they inexplicably want to touch everything. A whale shark is not a pony. It does not want to be grabbed and ridden. Even more importantly, touching all manner of sea life is usually detrimental to the item being fondled, as it frequently messes up their external chemistry and introduces disease. If you must touch something, go find the dog that belongs to the scuba shop and give it a good scratch. (Then wash your hands…Scruffy absolutely has fleas.)
Do not announce you have seen better ones in an aquarium – There are places in the world where you can see whale sharks in captivity, for example in the Osaka Aquarium and the Georgia Aquarium. I myself have dove with the whale sharks in the Georgia Aquarium and enjoyed the experience immensely. But nothing can compare to seeing them in the wild, where their appearance during your dive is never guaranteed and their behavior is not dictated by the tank walls. (cue the Born Free movie theme here…)
Do not deploy your fishing gear – Unbelievable as it sounds, there are some people, especially in Asia, who see a whale shark and think…lunch. I have read that the shark has the consistency and taste of tofu. So, why not eat tofu, and leave the poor fishie alone? The tofu has got to be easier to catch than the shark anyway.
Diving an oil rig has always seemed a daunting task to me both in terms of accessing the site as well as taking on the monstrous-looking structure. On the surface, many people find these rusty rigs to be an eyesore, a hulking man-made blight on the beautiful ocean surface. But, under water it’s a very different story. The thick metal supporting beams of the oil rigs act as a magnet for a vast array of marine plants and animals, creating a kind of artificial reef, a haven for sea life in the middle of the open ocean. Twenty-three oil platforms breach the waters off the coast between Oceanside and Santa Barbara, with names like Eureka, Ellen-Elly and lots of other girly monikers.
Diving the rigs requires special permission. All divers must sign a safety waiver, promising not to touch the structure or harvest any of the creatures that live on the beams. Your best bet for easy, comfortable, and legal rig diving is to go with one of several companies take charter boats out to the platforms. Anchoring is impractical due to depth, and tying off to the rig is prohibited. This type of dive is best handled by intermediate or experienced divers due to the conditions. Surge is common. Visibility can be 10 feet one day, 100 the next, with 50 feet the average. Currents, too, are ever-changing and can be strong, but it’s nearly always possible to shelter behind pilings and girders. The best marine life is found from the surface down to about 80 feet. Prime diving season is generally June through December.
And when I say ‘prime diving’ I really do mean prime. The underwater structures are absolutely teeming with sea life. Upon entry and exit divers usually see sea lions and dolphins, some which may even follow the divers around during the dive. The structures themselves are covered wall-to-wall with strawberry anemones, enormous scallops and mussels, acorn barnacles, and a variety of sponges. On top of all of that growth crawl, crabs, nudibranches, huge sea stars, multi-colored brittle stars, and scorpion fish. In the water column swim a variety of fish including calico bass, sculpins, gobies, sheephead, jellyfish and garibaldi, California’s bright orange state marine fish. Fish schools are common too, with hundreds of mackerels, groups of sardines and packs of halfmoons cruising the waters together.
Blue Hole, Gozo
Unlike the cold European waters to the north, the Mediterranean Sea is frequently thought of as a scuba diver’s dream destination. Many places in the Med offer great diving with the added bonus of some very interesting topside cultural experiences. Some interesting sites in the Eastern Mediterranean include:
Cypress
The Zenobia is a 178 meter long ferry that went down in 1980 with over 100 large vehicles onboard, giving this dive plenty of exploration possibility and making multiple dives here a must. It lies on its port side which starts at a depth of 15m and descends to 42m. Visibility is usually quite good; some days it stretches to 35m. Experienced divers can penetrate the wreck to see the interior, including two trucks still hanging upside down from their chains, but visibility can drop drastically in the confined spaces. Though the wreck is the main attraction, triggerfish, barracuda and enormous grouper can also be spotted here.
Manijin Island is a very scenic dive with a wall, a spectacular algae covered cave and a swim-through with a blowhole to keep a diver continuously engaged through the dive. This dive is ideal for beginners as well as experienced divers with dive depths ranging from 5m to 24m. Marine life highlights include slipper lobsters, big grouper and large shoals of saddle bream. Also, octopi are relatively common around Cyprus, so taking the time to peer into the nooks and crannies on this dive is frequently rewarded with at least one good critter sighting.
Egypt
Alexandria boasts no significant reefs or colorful tropical fish, but rather a wealth of archeological treasures such as sunken cities, palaces and numerous wrecks. Experts estimate that some 7000 monuments belonging to the Pharaonic and Roman dynasties are preserved under Alexandria’s waves. The Underwater city of Cleopatra and her Palace, located just inside the Eastern Harbor, dates back to 300 BC, and was built by Alexander the Great. The city collapsed and fell into the sea after several earthquakes. Divers can see Cleopatra’s royal districts, the statue of Mark Anthony, Cleopatra’s sun boat and the wreckage of a 2nd World War plane that exists inside the ruins. Various monuments, carvings and building ruins can be seen throughout the site.
Crete, Greece
Navagio Wreck, the wreck of a German WWII Messerschmitt 109 fighter, lies 20km West of Agia Pelagiaat at depth of 24m. The wings and fuselage are intact and you can see inside the cockpit. One of the machine guns is clearly visible with one of the ammunition belts lying on the sea bed nearby. Though the plane’s parts are still identifiable, they are covered in a wide variety of coral and sea life, with groupers and moray eels calling the place home. A healthy reef covered with anemones and small colorful fish schools sits nearby in shallower water, offering the diver an interesting way to work off some of the nitrogen after the deeper wreck portion of the dive.
Malta
Cirkewwa offers 7 different dive sites amongst crystal clear blue waters. One in particular, the Rozi tugboat wreck, offers more to see than a diver can possibly accomplish on one dive. The boat was sunk in 1991 as an underwater attraction by a company offering submarine trips. Lying in a depth of almost 40m, the wreck can be seen completly due to the exceptional visibility which is frequently over 30m. This wreck can be dived from shore or by boat. The abundant sea life in the area includes: barracuda, morays, octopus, cuttlefish, wrasse, bream, nudibranchs, scorpion fish, morays and even dolphins. Some parts of the wreck can be penetrated, but with so much going on around it, you may forget to do so once you get down there.
Blue Hole, Gozo is a hike to get to in your gear, but worth the trip. Divers drop over the lip into the calm blue waters, surrounded by fascinating underwater topography of rocks worn down by the tides of time. At about 5m deep, an opening leads to the sea. Outside the opening divers can see coral gardens, small caves and plenty of sea life, but the star of this show is most certainly the natural formation.
Scapa Flow blockship at low tide
Mention scuba diving, and most people conjure up images of warm, tropical locales in the Caribbean or the Pacific. But many places in Europe offer great diving too with the added bonus of some very interesting topside cultural experiences. In particular, the United Kingdom and Ireland offer fantastic diving, enhanced by the water that surrounds them as well as their rich history.
So, yes. The water is cold up there. In winter the ocean temperature ranges between 45-55F degrees. And, yes. The visibility is not always crystal clear, like in some warmer climes. BUT, if you get past these small challenges, there are some amazing wrecks to dive and even spots of prolific sea life to explore. Some examples:
Scotland
Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands is one of the most famous dive sites in the UK. Numerous warships from the early 1900’s litter the ocean bottom. These wrecks are in remarkably good shape, in particular the Blockship Tabarka, scuttled to prevent a submarine attack during WW2. The Tabarka is covered in sea life and offers a fascinating window into the past. On this and some of the rest of the sunken fleet, huge guns protrude from the wreckage. Sea life includes wrasse, brittle stars, large jellyfish, sea urchins, sponges and starfish, which are often seen on the wrecks and in the kelp forests nearby. Divers may also be joined by seals on the surface.
Oban, on the west coast of Scotland, also offers high quality wreck and wall dives. This area is known for visibility that allows divers to easily explore the wreckage of several ships, such as the shallow Shuna and the more demanding Rondo. The abundance of wrecks is a result of the bad weather that plagues the area. Rocky outcrops, such as Calve Island, provide interesting wall dives with faulted ledges and overhangs. The water is generally clear and green and there may be strong currents, particularly after a lot of rain. Life is abundant and varied, with dogfish, pollack, octopus, cuttlefish, wrasse, corals, crabs, hydroids, nudibranchs, plumose anemones and sea squirts being found. Sometimes even porpoises and whales can be seen here.
England
Eddystone Reef around the Eddystone lighthouse lies 10 or so miles outside of Plymouth Sound. Visibility here is okay, usually at about 40 feet. The reef is from 8 to 60 m, and encompasses large boulders, walls and plenty of crevices that encourage sea life. The numerous rock gullies are lined with kelp and house anemones, sponges and sea fans. Divers can spot dogfish, bib, pollack, congers, wrasse, lobsters, edible crabs, star fish, urchins and loads of cucumbers. Lucky divers might even spot smooth hound and basking sharks. On the way back to shore, a second dive can be made on the James Egan Layne, one of the most famous dived wrecks in the UK.
The Mohegan Wreck sits on the Manacles granite reef off the Lizard Peninsula. The bow is at a depth of about 65 feet with the rest of the ship deeper. This ship sank in 1917 after repeatedly hitting the reef. Pieces of the ship, including the boiler, can still be seen, while a great deal of sea life has moved in, including jewel anemones and coral fans. Visibility varies, but can stretch to 65 feet on a really good day. Over 200 wrecks lie around the Manacles, making it an excellent area to see multiple wrecks on a single dive trip. In the months of May and June basking sharks are regularly seen as well as orca whales and dolphins.
Ireland
North Wall, Rathlin Island of the coast of Northern Ireland is an amazing, high-vis wall dive with sometimes fierce currents. The wall starts at the shoreline with a steep descent, after which it plummets to 200m. A sea arch and a series of large sea caverns are found at depth. The kelp forest in the shallows hides healthy communities of wrasse, sea hens, mackerel, pollack, and sometimes even moon jellyfish. Huge numbers of actinithoe anemones cover the bottom, and nudibranches of many varieties can be found in abundance.
Fanore, located about 7 miles south of Black Head, offers what some call the “nicest shore dive in the country.” This Atlantic site offers crystal clear water, but is very exposed, so it can only be dived in fair weather. All along this reef there are ledges and overhangs, which teem with a great variety of fish. Lobster, crayfish, pollack, congers, ling, bib, whiting and wrasse are here in abundance. Also spotted here occasionally are John Dory, shark and even electric ray. The underwater topography doesn’t disappoint, either, with an enormous rock feature called “The Cathedral” that looms over the curious diver.
Diamond Rocks, Kilkee is a very popular, cold-water dive site situated on the South West Clare coastline in a natural break in the cliff wall facing the Atlantic. The bay is fairly sheltered, but is graced with high visibility and filled with rocks and gullies to poke around. There is a reef teeming with sea life at about 6-9m deep, which protects a deep valley about 30m deep between itself and the shore. Two circular holes at the narrow entry to the reef are often filled with crabs. The sea face of the reef falls in steps from about 20m down to 40+m, and has lots of sea life hiding in the cracks and crevaces for a diver to find. There are over twenty surveyed dive sites in Kilkee, so pair this with another of the many nice dive sites in the area for a great day of Irish scuba diving.
Fastnet Rock, near Cape Clear Island in Roaringwater Bay sticks straight out of the water and is topped by a stone lighthouse that can be explored by foot on calm days. The visible rock is in the middle of a narrow reef running SW – NE about 1km in each direction with depths of 45m. Strong and sometimes erratic tidal flows and deep water all around the rock make diving here only for the experienced during calm weather and water. But when conditions are right, the clarity of the water can be incredible, and the underwater scenery is spectacular with huge shoals of fish and fantastic growths on every rock face.
Ohhh...shiny
If a tree falls in the woods, but no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? If a person dreams up a gynormous yacht, but never builds it, do they get to claim they now have the biggest boat? Belgium-based Emocean Yacht Design recently unveiled plans for an extravagant new mega yacht, tentatively called Project 1000, that — if built — would be the world’s largest vessel of its type. The key being “if built” of course. The yacht would be a ridiculous 656 feet, and cost in the absurd range of $500 million to $900 million to build. That means if you won both the PowerBall and Big Game lotteries, you still couldn’t afford this behemouth.
Of course, for all of that cash you do get some sweet perks. For one, the ship does look sexy as heck. In addition to good looks, the design includes a 100-foot swimming pool, health spa, nightclub, casino, a dual-level cinema, drive-in garage, two 98-foot day boats and a helipad with a hanger. You can bring 44 of your best dive buddies with you wherever you go and also include 70 crew members, so you’ll never sail alone, or have to lift a finger while onboard.
So, Emocean did get quite a bit of press for their announcement, but the reality is that no one has jumped up to order this luxury good yet. Even when (if) they do, the company says it will take another 4 years from the date of order until completion. Perhaps by then they will figure out how to squeeze in a dive shop onboard.
Some people are just never satisfied. Richard Branson has taken scuba to a new level by introducing an underwater “plane” that takes divers flying through the ocean. Beginning on Feb. 20, two riders and a pilot will be able to don their scuba gear, climb aboard, and dive up to 5 nautical miles per hour down to a depth of 100 feet. Some restrictions apply:
- 1. In order to use the thing, you have to be staying on Branson’s island in the Caribbean, Necker Island. Also, you have to “rent” the underwater plane while there. Total cost island+underwater plane: $325,000/week.
- The cockpit is open, so you need to wear full scuba gear and follow all diving procedures like ear clearing, deco times, etc, making it more like a giant scuba scooter than a sub.
Cool gadget? Yes. Good for actually seeing sea life? Probably not. If you are flying along the bottom in this craft, most sea life will probably head in the opposite direction. Even if they do stick around, you won’t be able to stop and take a good nosy look at them as you fly by. End result? Nifty to read about, but I’ll stick to good old fin-propulsion.
Get out your dive gear, fishing gear or marinara sauce. The Giant Squids have fulfilled their promise of “I’ll be back!” showing up in huge numbers on the California coast off Newport Beach. These charismatic cephalopods are averaging 30 lbs each, but some are up to 60 lbs. That’s enough calamari in one animal to feed a family of 5 for a week, and still have some left over to pair with linguini for a Saturday snack. Anglers have caught 400 of the beasts so far, though far greater numbers are still out in the ocean.
Though the name ‘Giant Squid’ elicits visions of huge sea monsters with a chip on their shoulders and a bloodthirsty appetite, the official name of these beauties is Humboldt Squid (far less menacing, I grant you.) They can grow up to 100 pounds and 6 feet long. They follow their food sources through the ocean, which explains their appearance on the west coast. The squid have also recently been spotted off San Diego, Oregon and Washington.
Less accurate than a coin flip?
Punxsutawney Phil, America’s most famous rodent weather predictor, saw his shadow last Tuesday, signaling six more weeks of winter. CNN meteorologist Chad Meyers, citing stormfax.com, said Phil is correct 39 percent of the time. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration goes even further, saying Phil has “no predictive skill.” I propose we replace Phil with his amphibious cousin, Phish, in order to achieve a more accurate weather prediction.
Anglers and scientists alike agree that fish behave differently before changes in weather. They have an incredible array of pressure-sensing systems—such as their ‘lateral line’—that key them in to changes in barometric pressure. Barometric changes can also cause changes in suspended sediment and plankton, which alter a fish’s feeding habits. Light intensity—due to wave action, cloud cover or water clarity—can also have a huge impact on feeding behavior. It’s worth noting thought that fish and other creatures living in shallow water are more susceptible to the affects of changes in atmospheric pressure than their deep-water counterparts.
Sharks too are excellent weather predictors. They have something known as the ampullae of Lorenzini on their snout that contain small electric sensitive cells. Among other uses, these sensors pick up changes in pressure, currents and temperature brought on by weather. For example, Florida summers with frequent hurricanes produce a much lower instance of shark attacks (ex. 2005) in part because the animals head to deeper water for safety.
Even shrimp can be good predictors of prolonged weather changes. Production of farm-raised shrimp usually increases along the Pacific coast of South America during El Niño years. Shrimp like the warm El Niño waters and grow rapidly in the brackish-water environment created by the heavy rains. Wild shrimp reproduce in great numbers during El Niños, so if the shrimp population is up, you may be looking at an El Niño event, rather than just a quick series of passing storms.
So, pick a sea creature, figure out what it’s unique, weather-related behavior is, and then watch it to determine the forecast. How wrong could it be? After all, even a coin flip would achieve more accurate results than poor, fuzzy Phil.