Hope you're having an
enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend . . .
RECOVERY UNDERWAY IN GUAM -
Guam is frequently on our radar since it's the major
jumping off/transit point if you want to go to Yap,
Palau, Truk (Chuuk), and other places in Micronesia. If
Guam is shut down, there aren't many (if any) other
options to get to those even smaller locales. So we were
quite keen on tracking typhoon Mawar as it took aim at
Guam earlier this week. The island was spared a direct
hit by the eyewall - the strongest part of a hurricane
or a typhoon - but not by much. It passed just a few
miles north of the northern tip of the island but that
still meant that winds up to 140mph battered Guam. There
are no reports of any deaths but there's damage
everywhere and the international airport is supposedly
partially flooded - even though it's on higher ground -
and open only to emergency supply and relief flights for
the moment. The main flight each day is United #201 from
Honolulu and it is canceled at least through Monday.
(The United website shows it's flying on Tuesday but
that could change.) Guam has a population of 150,000
people and its estimated that only 1,000 of those folks
had power after the storm passed through. So there's a
lot of work to do to open the island quickly as well as
repair residual damage from Mawar. The typhoon is now
skirting north of the Philippines and the path is
curving slightly clockwise, which may mean it misses
Taiwan but could strike southern Japan.
SCUBA
SHOW IS THIS COMING WEEKEND -
The Long Beach Convention Center will be the center of
the west coast scuba world this coming Saturday and
Sunday as Scuba Show 2023 comes to town. Attendees will
get to see booths from many scuba gear manufacturers,
some dive shops, and a lot of travel destinations. There
will also be exhibits from organizations like Spotting
Giant Sea Bass, Get Inspired, the Catalina Hyperbaric
Chamber, L.A. Underwater Photographic Society, and more.
Additionally, there will be seminars offered on various
topics both days of the show. You can cover the entire
show in a single day, but many people opt for both days
so they can take their time and really explore what's
being offered. (If you choose to go only for a single
day, Sunday's usually a little less crowded than
Saturday.) You can find out more and get questions
answered at this website: www.scubashow.com .
WHALE
SHARK AWARENESS -
I've always been curious about what the awareness levels
of animals is in relation to us. For some animals, like
dogs and cats, it seems rather obvious. But what about
fish? There are certainly times when the fish seem as
curious as us as we are about them. And, having been
diving at the Aquarium of the Pacific for 25 years, I
can attest that some fish seem amazingly friendly and
receptive to specific divers. We've certainly seen that
in the wild, most amazingly in Palau where the resident
Napoleon Wrasses at Blue Corner seem to know and even
seek out specific dive guides. So it's not totally
surprising to read about the experience of some marine
biologists in western Australia who are studying Whale
Sharks, and have found that when they try to take skin
samples from the fish, the leviathans will actually slow
down to make the task easier. It's almost like they know
that the researchers are trying to help them and they're
willing to co-operate. It could also be that the sharks
have learned over time that when researchers scrape
parasites off of them, much like cleaner fish do, it
actually makes the fish more comfortable, so it could
simply be that type of a reaction. Whatever the actual
reason, it's interesting. And if you'd like to read more
about it, you can do so here: WHALE
SHARKS SLOW DOWN FOR RESEARCHERS.
BOOTIE
ENDORSEMENT -
Depending on how much you dive, it's not uncommon to
wear out your booties (or your gloves) and need to
replace them. I was in that situation recently. I've
always liked booties with a thick sneaker-like sole
which certainly (to me at least) makes walking around on
a boat deck or through a parking lot at the beach or
whatever more comfortable than wearing thinner-soled
ones. So I'm putting in a plug for the XS Scuba Thug
booties, as I just picked up a pair and dove with them
the other day. What I really like about them - besides
the aforementioned thicker sole - is that they're 8mm
thick so they REALLY kept my feet warm, even diving in
60º water. They've got a clever little Velcro tab just
below the top of the zipper which holds it in place and
prevents the zipper from unzipping while you're diving.
If you're in the market for dive booties, give these
some thought.
RAINBOW
NUDIBRANCH FOUND IN THE UK -
It's a rare find but it could also be indicative of
global warming. A woman tide-pooling in the United
Kingdom noticed something unusual which turned out to be
a rare rainbow nudibranch, only the fourth time one has
been spotted in the UK. And that's the troubling side of
this story because it should be found further south in
warmer waters. You can read more about this and see a
pix and video of the gorgeous creature here: RARE
RAINBOW SEA SLUG.
And
that'll do it for now. Have a great week and let's go
diving soon!!!
- Ken |