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Sucks if you forget your mask....
The helicopter hovers about 7 feet over the reef. You’re in full scuba gear, hanging on to the door strap for the “go” signal. Adrenaline pumping, heart racing you look up to see the pilot’s fist raise in the air, the ultimate green flag in diving, and you let go, plummeting into the depths below. The entry is exhilarating, then you look around you at the pristine reefs and riot of fish, and your adrenaline peaks again. This is going to be a very memorable day.
Helicopter diving, or Heli-diving, is slowly but surely increasing in popularity. For one thing, it makes getting to a dive site a snap. At places like the Great Barrier Reef it replaces a 90-minute boat trip out to the reef with a quick 10-15 minute scenic flight. The view over the reef before the dive is incredible, giving you a bird’s eye glimpse of the coral maze below. And, of course, there’s the accompanying adrenaline rush that few other activities could produce. You’ll have to pay up for the experience; it is definitely not cheap. But, this is one of those once in a lifetime experiences that takes the sport of scuba to a new extreme.
The number of dive operators offering this experience is increasing. You can explore the Great Barrier Reef, Phuket’s Anemone Reef and Phi Phi Islands, and a number of reefs and wrecks in Curacao, to name but a few. If you are looking for a more rigorous experience, Global Rescue offers a PADI course in helo-casting or deplaning (hover exit) from a helicopter for both rescue swimmers and Search & Rescue Divers for the SCUBA industry. No matter how you go about it, it’s sure to be the dive of a lifetime.
One of the lorries on the deck of the Zenobia Wreck
Wreck diving offers a unique twist to the sport – the opportunity to see manmade achievements superimposed on the underwater world. Whether intentionally sunk or not, these structures provide a playground for ocean creatures and divers alike. Below are some of our favorite wreck dives here at Scuba-dive.org.
The Thistlegorm, The Umbria, Mid-East Gulf Region – Many novice divers visit Sharm-el-Sheikh in Egypt to enjoy some of the most colorful coral reefs in the world, but few are aware of the fascinating wreck diving that is also available here. The Thistlegorm, a British Merchant Navy ship that was sunk by German bombers in WWII, was bombed and sank here in 1941, forever destined to become a fascinating dive site rich in marine life. The 400ft long container ship filled with motorbikes, Bedford trucks and even Lee Enfield rifles sank when it was hit by a German bomb that blew a hole in the port side, igniting tank ammunition that was in the hold. The explosion ripped the roof of the ship backwards (rather like opening a tin of sardines) giving divers an inside display of the ships merchandise. This Red Sea dive site has got plenty to see both inside and out, with plenty of marine life around. Sightings of hammer-heads, jacks, trevallies and huge napoleon wrasses are reported here. The only drawback is the site’s busy nature, as it is not uncommon for 20 dive boats stationed above the wreck at a time. In neighboring Sudan, the Italian cargo ship Umbria was scuttled by its crew in 1940 at Wingate Reef after an attack by the British and hit the seabed along with its cargo of unexploded bombs, Fiat Lagunas and wine bottles. Both of these wrecks make up the most interesting dive sites to be found in the Gulf region.
The Blackjack, the SS President Coolidge, South Pacific – Some of the best kept secrets of World War Two lie immortalized beneath the Pacific Ocean. Off the shores of Papua New Guinea at Milne Bay lies the site of Blackjack, a former B17 Bomber aircraft and an intrepid former member of the US 5th Air Force. In 1943 the aircraft took off to attack the Japanese airstrip at Rabaul but crashed into the sea after hitting severe thunderstorms, leaving a relic which even today has remained almost intact. Papua New Guinea’s crystal clear waters and this mint condition aircraft wreck make it a topnotch spot to experience. At Vanuatu in the South Pacific, the SS President Coolidge offers several excellent dive sites of varying depths. Built originally as a luxury cruise liner, the vessel was being used to ferry reinforcements to nearby US bases during the second world war, before the explosion of two mines close to the island’s harbor heralded its final demise to the seabed. This massive luxury liner, built in 1931 converted into a Second World War troop ship, is more than 600ft long. Divers can explore it on both shallow and deep dives. To see the whole ship in its entire majestic splendor sitting at the bottom on the sea bed would require at least 10 dives. What you can expect to see other than the ship itself are heaps of military gear including howitzer cannons, a 10-wheel General Motors Corporation truck, jeeps, tracked vehicles, steering wheels and tires.
Fujikawa Maru, Truk, Micronesia – Yes, Micronesia is in the South Pacific, but Truk’s wreck diving so good it gets its own section. Truk Lagoon, Micronesia is a definite must on any serious wreck divers list. It holds the remains of the almost an entire Japanese fleet including 60 shipwrecks and dozens of sunken air crafts destroyed in 1944. Of these many wrecks to choose from the 7,000 ton freighter Fujukawa Maru is notable as one of the best. This specific wreck stands upright in shallow water, making the 437ft wreck pretty accessible. The bridge area with sake bottles, the engine room and wings in the hold covered in soft coral and frequently circled by grey reef makes this an exciting wreck to dive.
The Zenobia, Mediterranean – Head for Larnaca Bay in Cyprus to see one of the world’s most interesting wrecks. The Zenobia, a Swedish built ferry, has been lying on the seabed here since it sank in 1980 on its maiden voyage to Syria, after the computerized pump system for the ballast developed faults. The fact that the vessel was carrying £200 million worth of cargo including over 100 articulated lorries makes this a truly fascinating undersea treasure trove.
Felipe Xicotencatl, Laguna Mandinga, Patzcuaro, Cozumel – It’s best known for drift diving on sheer vertical walls, but you can enjoy wrecks in Cozumel, too. Take the Felipe Xicotencatl, for example, better known as the C-53. It was originally built as a U.S. Navy minesweeper, measuring 184 feet long with a 33-foot beam. In 1962, she was sold to the Mexican Navy for a dollar, converted to a gun boat and renamed the Felipe Xicotencatl C-53. She patrolled the Mexican Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico until 1999, when she was decommissioned, donated to the Cozumel Marine Park and laid to rest in 82 feet of water off Chankanaab. The marine park has recently restricted access there, so you dive it at your own risk, but it’s generally believed to be safe and she remains one of Cozumel’s most popular dives. Hurricane Wilma spun the C-53 around and broke her in two, and her average depth of 65 feet makes her a perfect second dive. Also upping the ante for wreck divers are two naval patrol vessels intentionally sunk just outside the marine park: the 85-foot Laguna Mandinga and the 42-foot Patzcuaro. At less than 40 feet, divers and snorkelers alike can enjoy them.
SS Yongala, Gothenberg, HMAS Brisbane, GBR - The SS Yongala is a 350-foot-plus luxury passenger ship and freighter that sits smack dab on the world’s largest reef. She went down in a cyclone and sat undisturbed in 50 to 100 feet of water 50 miles off Townsville for almost 50 years, until it was discovered in 1958. Today, it’s arguably one of the GBR’s most popular dive spots, an artificial reef sitting in the midst of the world’s largest real one, clouded by yellowtail demoiselles and Maori wrasse, sea snakes, turtles, grouper and the occasional tiger shark. A protected historic wreck, the Gothenberg isn’t intact but offers shallow depths (maximum 60 feet) for beginning wreck divers. Reef sharks are often seen in the area. Another popular Queensland wreck is the 440-foot U.S.-built, Australian guided missile destroyer HMAS Brisbane, which served in Vietnam and the first Gulf War, and now rests in 115 feet of water off the Gold Coast. Large holes have been strategically cut along the entire length of both sides of the ship to allow divers easy entry and exit. It is virtually impossible to get lost inside the ship or become entangled. Green wrasse, octopi, turtles, scorpion fish and many other interesting sea creatures can be found here.
USS Oriskany, Florida – If the idea of exploring the largest artificial reef in the world inspires you, head to the Gulf of Mexico and dive the USS Oriskany at Pensacola, which was scuttled here in May 2006. A former US navy aircraft carrier, the ‘Mighty-O’ enjoyed a naval career that began in 1950, serving in the Korean War as well as Vietnam. Much can be seen at shallow depths here including the vessel’s gun platforms. But, for a more close encounter with the wreck, the Oriskany dive is a deep dive.
More Wrecks than You can Count, Bahamas – The Bahamas-assembled from more than 700 sandy spits of land sprinkled over an ocean area the size of Wyoming-forms the bottom leg of the Bermuda Triangle. It’s no wonder the islands offer some of the region’s best wreck diving. Off New Providence-home to Nassau and two-thirds of the Bahamas’ population-there are a handful of interesting wrecks tended by a rather sizeable population of reef sharks. Offerings here include the Willaurie, the “Bond” wrecks (movie props including the Tears of Allah from Never Say Never Again and Vulcan bomber from Thunderball), Caribe Breeze, Bahama Mama, Steel Forest (actually three wrecks-the Captain Fox, Fenwick Stirrup and the Manana) and Ray of Hope. The Hope is both a wreck and a big animal encounter-Stuart Cove’s does a very enthusiastic shark feed on it. Other greats include Bimini’s Sapona and Bimini Barge and Grand Bahama’s Theo’s Wreck and Sugar Wreck.
HMCS Yukon, John C. Butler, The Delphy, Chauncey II, Fuller, Woodbury III, S.P. Lee, Nicholas and the Young, California – The sinking of the 366-foot Canadian destroyer HMCS Yukon to create an artificial reef in 2000-the West Coast’s biggest-may have shined new light on the Golden State’s wreck offerings, but local divers have been enjoying dozens of submerged boats for decades. Not too far from the Yukon is the S-37, a 219-foot steel submarine that saw some action in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Her infamously cramped quarters and leaking engine made her despised by her crew. She was ultimately depth-charged by her foes and, as a final insult, used for aerial target practice in 1945, sinking in 30 feet of water off Imperial Beach. The 306-foot destroyer escort John C. Butler sits off San Clemente Island in 60 to 80 feet of water, another war veteran that fought in famed battles including those in Palau, Peleliu, Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Another interesting dive is the 100-foot El Rey, which harvested kelp off Southern California and logged more than 800,000 miles. Near Lompoc, in what is generally considered to be the worst peacetime disaster in U.S. Naval history, seven destroyers wrecked on the rocky reefs at Point Pedernales. The Delphy, Chauncey II, Fuller, Woodbury III, S.P. Lee, Nicholas and the Young are all 314-foot steel destroyers lying in depths above 40 feet with visibility ranging from nil to 50 feet.
No, I have not used Photo Shop software on this picture. This Pacific Ocean beauty really does sport an almost perfectly-formed purple square, a decorative accent shared by all its brethren. This species features a strange yet practical feature: all fish are born female, with specific adults turning into males as needed.
The square-spot anthias or square-spot fairy baslet, Pseudanthias Pleurotaenia, is found throughout the Pacific Ocean from Indonesia to Samoa, north to Ryukyu Islands, south to Rowley Shoals and New Caledonia, as well as throughout Micronesia. It’s usually found in large groups, sometimes numbering in the thousands. It grows to 7 inches and appears in a variety of colors including red, pink, orange, yellow and purple. This geometrical beauty spends its day swimming around the reef, looking for tasty zooplankton snacks. But don’t let its good looks fool you – this fish can swim fast and even become quite aggressive when threatened.
Hawaiian green beauty...
Every diver has favorite things they like to see underwater. For some its sharks, for others rays, but for many people turtles top the list of fun aquatic finds. The Green Turtle (Chelonia Mydas) in particular has been a scuba favorite for years due to its good looks and reef-dweling nature.
Despite their name, Green Turtles are actually a light color all over, with the shell ranging in color from olive green to black, depending on where the turtle lives. Green turtles are migratory animals, traveling thousands of miles each year to nest. In fact, they only nest on the very beach they were born, so in order to lay eggs, they must return to that same beach.
Green turtles are on the endangered species list and therefore protected in most countries around the world. Besides humans, the tiger shark is a Green turtle’s main predator. Adult green turtles can grow to 5 feet long and weigh over 500 pounds, so sharks tend to target younger specimens for snacks.
So if you are determined to dive with these beauties in the wild, where can you go for a guaranteed sighting? The range of the sea turtle extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Interestingly, green turtles react differently to scuba divers depending on their location. On one side of Oahu turtles are curious and friendly, while on the opposite shore they jet the moment they see you, so two different dive sites around the same island can produce very different results. When visiting green turtle waters, it’s important to get the input of the locals to find the best locations for healthy, long-lasting viewing. But planning a trip to a locale with a concentration of these green jewels is the first step.
Atlantic
In the Caribbean, major nesting sites have been identified on Aves Island, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Tortuguero in Costa Rica. Within United States waters, minor nesting sites have been noted in the states of Georgia, North and South Carolina. Florida attracts them in droves especially near Hutchinson Island, Indian River Lagoon, the Florida Keys, Florida Bay, Homosassa, Crystal River and Cedar Key. In South America green turtles enjoy the waters off Surinam and French Guiana as well as around the island of Ascension.
Pacific & the Indian Ocean
In Mexico, green turtles are found in seagrass pastures in the Gulf of California. They are found throughout the Hawaiian Islands, most notably in Oahu and Lanai and west in the waters of the French Frigate Shoals. The Turtle Islands of the Philippines and the Meru Betiri National Reserve in East Java, Indonesia boast healthy populations. Green turtles are scattered throughout the Great Barrier Reef, but exist in high concentrations around Raine Island. The waters around Madagascar support Africa’s population of green turtles. The Arabian Sea also attracts the turtles, especially in Ash Sharqiyah, Oman and Karachi, Pakistan. In the same area, the waters surrounding Astola Island, a large nesting site, have plenty of green turtles to fill your bottom time.
Whether you think of Great White Sharks as ferocious or just misunderstood, you have to admit they are exciting animals. Due to their nomadic lifestyle and periodic deep water forays, we have limited knowledge about them, which perhaps adds to their mystique. We do know that these powerful sea-dwellers can grow to over 20 feet and live to upwards of 100 years. They are found in almost all coastal and offshore waters which have water temperature between 54 and 75 °F, with greater concentrations off the coasts of Australia, South Africa, California, the northeastern US, Mexico’s Isla Guadalupe, New Zealand and the waters of the Mediterranean. Their preferred habitat is the cooler, deeper waters of the ocean and the waters around oceanic islands and rocky outcrops where deep water is within easy reach.
Great Whites are truly apex predators. They are capable of sensing the blood of an injured animal from over a kilometer away. Their Ampullae of Lorenzini organ, which enables them to detect and stalk the electromagnetic field emitted by the movement of living animals, can detect movement that generates as little as half a billionth of a volt. Though Hollywood has spectacularly portrayed them as preferring humans for lunch, they actually live on a diet of fatty fish and animals such as rays, tuna, smaller sharks, dolphins, porpoises, whale carcasses, seals, sea lions, and occasionally sea birds. Diving with Great White Sharks is certain to be on anyone’s list of Most Extreme Scuba. So, where can aquanauts meet these beauties eye to eye?
• Farallon Islands, California, USA – The Farrallones are located 28 miles west of San Francisco. A protected National State Wildlife Refuge since 1969, the Farrallones are an important research spot for great whites. These islands are one of the few places in the world where great whites can be observed in predatory attacks upon seals, birds, and sea lions from dry land. But doesn’t getting in the water with them sound like such a better idea? Cage diving is offered from late-September through November. Divers are offered a tank/regulator or a hookah setup. Since random chumming of the water is illegal in the Refuge, operators often pull along seal “decoys” to attract the sharks. It is an amazing day trip from the city, with many of the operators leaving right from the tourist hub of Fisherman’s Warf.
• Isla de Guadalupe, Pacific Coast, Mexico – Guadalupe Island is a volcanic island about 145 miles offshore of Baja Mexico, 200 miles south of San Diego. Due to the remote location of the island, this trip is done via a live aboard operation over multiple days. The island has a dramatic sheer rock wall extending hundreds of feet up into the air, as well as hundreds of feet into the ocean. The islands’ large population of seals attracts the white sharks in large numbers. The rocky outcrops of the islands have dramatic drop-offs around the edges that reach down into cool, deep water, also attracting our toothy friends. Visibility at this site is fantastic, up to 100 feet or more. Also, the water temperature ranges from 67 to 70 F, making it much warmer than some other Great White watching spots.
• Dyer Island, False Bay, South Africa – South African Great White cage diving occurs mainly in False Bay and the Whale Coast. Dyer Island is a small, low, and rocky island located just offshore from Gansbaai in the Western Cape of South Africa. During winter, the warm Agulhas Current sweeps down from the Indian Ocean, meeting the cold Benguela Current, creating a temperate zone just off the South African coast – providing ideal conditions for the Great White Shark in particular. This island serves as a breeding ground for a wide variety of seabirds, while its neighbor, Geyser Rock, serves as a home for a large resident seal population. White Sharks are seen on a regular basis in the channel between the two islands (“Shark Alley”) where they feed on a variety of seals, seabirds, and penguins. As an added bonus, Great White sharks in these waters often display very unusual, but highly spectacular breaching when chasing their prey, which makes for some amazing topside photos.
• The Neptune Islands, South Australia – The Neptune Islands sit on a shelf south east of Port Lincoln off South Australia. Grey granite and coastal loam make up these picturesque islands, which support an array of wildlife, including many bird species, a large colony of fur seals, as well as a colony of endangered Australian sea lions. Known as the place where the hit movie “Jaws” was filmed, the waters around these islands are a natural feeding area for Great Whites. Most shark diving here is done via a live aboard vessel. Operators practice cage diving combined with surface bait to give divers an unforgettable experience, sometimes with more than one Great White in sight at a time. The water is very cold here, but the shark action is definitely hot.
• Lampedusa, Sicily, Italy –Have you swam off the coast of Sicily or found the offshore waters of Nice to be nice? Oh yes, there were Great White sharks there, and you didn’t even know it. Great White sightings are becoming more common in the Mediterranean, where a high concentration of nutrients attracts some of the whites’ favourite snacks: large pelagic fish, dolphins and turtles. There have been numerous sightings of the Whites along the Spanish, French, Italian and Croatian coasts, but by far the largest concentration of the sharks is in the channel between Sicily and Tunisia. As far as I can determine, no one does cage diving here because of the infrequent nature of the sightings. However, there are many dive companies that operate out of Lampedusa, Sicily, which puts you in waters with the highest density of Great White sightings in all of the Mediterranean. Divers have encountered large white sharks while diving in the open sea at Sicilian Channel sites such as Pantelleria, Malta, and southwest Marretimo. Though rare, these experiences are as amazing as you can get: no chumming, no decoys and no cage bars between you and the jaws of the Great White.
Sexy Cephalopod
Few creatures are as exciting to spot underwater as an octopus. They are smart and good at camouflage, so finding one is always a treat. Plus, they are just beautiful animals to see, with lots of color, shape and size variations. These creatures come in a wide range of options, some as little as an inch, some as large as 16 feet across. The octopus inhabits many diverse regions of the oceans around the world, especially coral reefs, and can exist in water depths from tidal pools all the way down to over 200 feet. For defense against predators, they hide, flee quickly, expel ink, or use color-changing camouflage. Scientists say that most of an octopus’ behavior is learned, not innate, a minor miracle since their lifespan is so darn short (5 years at the absolute most!)
There are about 300 recognized octopus species in the world, too many to cover in depth. But, some are amazing, even by octopus standards, and are worth a mention:
Mimic Octopus – This octopus only lives for 9 months, but boy it accomplishes a lot during that time. This crazy cephalopod takes on the appearance of other species to scare off predators and find food. Imagine a creature burying all but its eyes and two arms below the sand, leaving in view a long thin object with white and black bands running across the elongated body that looks just like the local sea snake. Now you’ve got the mental picture of why the Mimic Octopus is so unique. It usually imitates venomous species, like a lionfish, sea snake, or a poisonous flatfish, though people have also described it looking like a stingray, a crab, and other types of less lethal sea life. Divers can find this octopus off the Indo- Malay archipelago, especially around Sulawesi. Don’t worry though, it isn’t poisonous to humans.
Caribbean Reef Octopus – The Caribbean Reef Octopus isn’t the best looking octopus out there, but if you have been scuba diving in the Caribbean and seen an octopus, chances are this is the most likely suspect. It is common throughout the Western Atlantic, Bahamas, Caribbean and the coasts of northern South America. It is often found at night feeding on reefs and sea grass beds. They have a distinctive blue-green color with occasional mottled-brown markings. Because their blue-green skin is so reflective, they are easy to spot at night with dive lights. Like other octopus species, the Caribbean reef octopus is solitary animal and able to quickly change color using specialized cells in their skin known as chromatophores. They can weigh up to 1.5 kg, but have been known to wedge themselves into miniscule reef crevices and wreck holes.
Wonderpus Octopus – The Wonderpus Octopus has got to be the sexiest cephalopod out there, with a striking color pattern of white bars and spots over a brown-red background. It’s characterized by a small mantle (the part of the body that contains the mouth and vital organs), which is about an inch to an inch-and-a-half long, and long arms that measure about five to seven times the length of the mantle. Its patterns of spots (on the body) and stripes (on the arms) are unique to each individual adult wonderpus, making identification of a specific creature possible. Divers can find the wonderpus in shallow waters from Bali and Sulawesi north to the Philippines and east to Vanuatu, and will fare best looking for the creature when it is most active in the twilight hours of dusk and dawn. This creature is a relative newcomer to the fish identification guides, with the first identification happening only in 1980. Go ahead, say it: won-der-pus. Even its name is sexy.
Blue Ringed Octopus
Greater Blue-ringed Octopus
– No discussion about octopi could be complete without mentioning the little one we love to hate, the Blue-ringed Octopus. Unlike its southern brethren, the Blue-lined and Southern Blue-ringed octopuses that are found only in Australian waters, the range of the Greater Blue-ringed Octopus spans the tropical western Pacific Ocean. Greater Blue-ringed Octopuses can weigh between 10 and 100 grams, though the average is 55 grams. The blue-ringed octopus is the size of a golf ball, but its venom is powerful enough to kill humans, and no known antidote exists. Remember the James Bond movie Octopussy? Yes, it’s that one.
White-spotted Octopus – Humans have been watching the white-spotted octopus since 1826 when it was first spotted off the coast of Nice in the Mediterranean Sea. It spends its adult life on the ocean bottom, and although divers usually see this octopus hanging out near-shore it sometimes it can be found much deeper. This octopus has long arms, with the first arm pair being the longest and stoutest, and has shallow webbing among the arms. It also has a higher sucker count than most octopuses. This is a nocturnal creature, waiting until night to find its favorite snacks of clams and crabs. The white-spotted octopus only lives for 1-2 years after which it goes out with a “bang” (literally) after a single breeding season.
Giant Pacific Octopus – This is the big daddy of all octopi, the Giant Pacific Octopus. As the name would suggest, it is the largest species of octopus in the oceans, averaging 16 feet across and weighing an average of 120 lbs. It is also the longest lived, at 4-5 years. Divers can spot this behemoth from southern California, northward along the coast of North America, across the Aleutian Islands, and southward to Japan, though they usually hang out quite deep, typically at around 215 ft. But just because they are big doesn’t mean they are beautiful: Giant Pacific octopuses have huge, bulbous heads and are generally reddish-brown in color. Like the other members of the octopus family, though, they use special pigment cells in their skin to change colors and textures, and can blend in with even the most intricately patterned corals, plants, and rocks.
I’m not really sure what all of the mollusk fuss is about. To me they look like aquatic portabellas or perhaps marine potatoes. But enthusiasts around the world see so much more in the abalone, enough to dive in cold, shark infested waters to collect the beauties. Fans of Abalone diving and eating go to great lengths to celebrate the sport with festivals, cook-offs, and in prose (All Abalone are Deaf by Felix Macias.) I’m always looking for new diving opportunities, so I decided to find out more.
Where can I find these things? The majority of abalone species are found in cold waters, off the Southern Hemisphere coasts of New Zealand, South Africa and Australia, and Western North America and Japan in the Northern Hemisphere. Due to dwindling natural supply of abalone and increasing demand, some countries have begun farming the critters, including China, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, Chile, Iceland, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Thailand, and the United States. Abalone are mostly taken in depths from a few inches up to 10 m (33 ft.) Abalone are normally found on rocks near food sources like kelp. Divers commonly dive out of boats, kayaks, tube floats or directly off the shore.
How do I dive for abalone? It turns out that scuba diving for abalone is illegal in most parts of the world. Instead you have to freedive for them, which makes sense since they are usually pretty shallow. An abalone diver sports the usual gear like a thick wetsuit, booties, gloves, mask, snorkel, and a weight belt. You also need an abalone iron which is used to pry the mollusk off the rock it is so fond of, and an abalone gauge to make sure the size is large enough to take legally.
This is a good time to mention the insanely stringent regulations surrounding the recreational hunting of abalone due to their severely threatened populations. In addition to the aforementioned no scuba rules, there are limits to the number taken, the size taken and the time of year the tasties are collected. These vary by country and even by city, with strict penalties for non-compliance. Some places like California have law enforcement professionals dedicated to catching abalone thieves not following the rules (where did those taxpayer dollars go?) So before you go setting your mind to hunting abalone, you should check the local regulations.
I found one! Now what do I do with it? Abalone are basically sea snails, conceptually similar to conch. You can serve it raw like sushi, or steam it, saute it, boil it, bake it, or even serve it like a “steak.” Winning cook-off recipes have made it into cakes (like a crab cake, not chocolate, thanks), battered it in beer and even mixed it into tomato sauce over pasta. The key appears to be cleaning the fresh mollusk correctly, removing the lip, tough foot and guts. A thorough pounding of the meat with a heavy mallet also seems to contribute to a tasty outcome.
So although I can’t put my scuba skills to work, it does seem like hunting for the great abalone is an interesting proposition. Although I’m not crazy about continuing to deplete the population of this animal which has been so highly regarded for so very long, I do like the idea of celebrating its existence in so many tasty ways. Perhaps I’ll stick to the farmed version and dive for something else instead.
At some point in ancient history, a land dwelling snake looked at the ocean and thought…maybe I’ll take a dip. Now, sea snakes are widely distributed in the warm Indian and western Pacific Ocean, though some experts believe they may start migrating to Atlantic waters in the near future due to global warming. Singapore, Borneo, Australia and Mozambique have the highest number of species, which vary greatly in color and shape. Their scales distinguish them from eels that have no scales. Sea snakes can dump nitrogen through their skin while getting up to 20% of their oxygen through their skin. This means that no matter how fast they dive they never get the bends.
Everyone knows sea snakes are highly poisonous. If you are bitten, you need to get medical treatment and possibly antivenom quickly. Tell-tales signs that you are not doing well after a snake bite include a headache and thick feeling tongue, though this might just be a hangover you are experiencing. If you then lose the ability to move your legs, you can safely assume the problem is the bite and not the tequila.
Huge aggregations of sea snakes have been reported. For example, in 1932 millions of Astrotia stokesii, a type of sea snake, were reportedly seen from a steamer in the Strait of Malacca, off the coast of Malaysia, and formed a line of snakes 3 m (9.8 ft) wide and 100 km (62 mi) long. Scientists suggest that these large snake gatherings are related to reproduction, basically enormous snake orgies. Nice.
Vinnie the Venomous Fish
Great White sharks get all the press when it comes to discussion of the ocean’s deadliest killers. But, plenty of other things in the sea are just as mean and nasty, if not more so. A selection of some of my favorites:
Vinnie the Venomous Fish – Imagine being a lowly fish, armed only with the ability to school and a sense of sea humor. Now add a little venom to your arsenal, and suddenly you are a Big Bad Swimming Machine. Venomous fish like stonefish, lionfish and scorpion fish produce their own toxins then generously share it with the rest of the aquatic world via their already unpleasant spines. My favorite is the stonefish, who are at their deadliest when lying on the ocean bottom doing nothing at all except looking like…you guessed it…an ugly stone. All it takes is a passerby with a naked foot and a bad aim and bam, you get one unhappy tourist (and the fish is a little flatter for the experience as well.)
Octopussy – James Bond proved one could overcome their enemies by throwing a Blue Ringed Octopus on their face in this classic 1980’s spy movie. Theoretically I suppose this could work, though you are likely to get bitten in the process. Since it injects neuromuscular paralyzing venom that can kill a human in minutes, you won’t really get to enjoy your victory over the forces of evil for very long. Better to remove the bad guy’s shoes and point him in the direction of some stonefish instead.
They Freak Me Out On Land, Too – Sea snakes tend to favor the warm, fish-filled tropical waters that most scuba divers also like. Though shy unless provoked, a single snake produces enough poison to kill not only you, but the rest of the folks on your dive boat, too. Most are a normal snake size, but a few can grow to seven feet or more. I personally am sure that if I ran into a seven-foot sea snake while diving I would give up the sport right then and there.
The "Best Job in the World" should involve some R&R
When Australia launched their “Best Job In the World” contest, I entered right away. Imagine not only being a scuba-diving, beach-blogging island caretaker for six months, but actually getting paid to do it. Sadly, I was passed over in favor of a crazy, blond Brit who, admittedly, seems to be enjoying every second of his experience.
Actually, the job seems to be a lot more active than I thought it would be. A quick review of his blog indicates a lot less loafing and a lot more visiting, island hopping and promotion than I expected. I envisioned myself honing my underwater photography and hammock sleeping skills, but this guy seems to be embracing every plane, train, catamaran and kangaroo on the north shore of the continent in an effort to promote as many square inches of sand as possible in a six-month period. His latest posts sound like he might need a vacation from his vacation.
In an effort to revitalize the excitement around the tourism campaign, Australian tourism officials just announced that they are looking for four more folks to join the Brit. These guys won’t get paid, but will receive an all-expense paid trip to the Whitsunday Islands for the rest of the year – in exchange for more blogging and promotion. Keep in mind there are a lot of Whitsunday islands to cover (50-75 depending on how large a bump of sand has to be to count as an island), so the sleepy and the directionally-challenged need not apply. It’s a dirty (best) job, but somebody’s got to do it.