Here in Westwood (at 6:32PM Sunday evening), it
looks like it's going to rain . . .
WEIRD WEEKEND WEATHER -
So much for thinking summer is right around the
corner. There was rain yesterday morning - most
of the morning in fact - in Westwood and then
some more drizzle late afternoon. And right now,
even though the weather radar doesn't show
anything lurking, there are some dark clouds
overhead, the wind has picked up a bit, and it
just "feels" like there's something coming. Go
figure.
WEATHER LOOKS GOOD FOR MAY 7 -
That's the date of Chamber Day 2025, in case you
were wondering why I'm singling this out.
Granted, 10-day forecasts are not always
accurate. But it's looking good at the moment.
Mid-70s during the day and not much swell for
those doing the Chamber Day dives, and mid-60s
around 7PM for those coming to Chamber Eve at
the Aquarium of the Pacific. Hope to have you
join us for one of those events (although the
Day boats are all now sold out).
STILL HAVESEATS FOR CHAMBER EVE -
The Reef Seekers table is full but other groups
have spots available, some with 2 seats, a few
with more than that. Plus we have an
UNAFFILIATED table that's wide open. Chamber Eve
is $175, doors open at 7PM, you get a great
meal, have a shot at some raffle prizes, maybe
walk home with our Murex Dive Resorts "Passport
to Paradise" Grand Prize, and (best of all) know
that your generosity keeps our Chamber open and
available 24/7/365. Sign up at www.chamberday.org.
MINKE WHALE CAUSE OF DEATH -
You may recall a few weeks ago, there was a lot
of excitement in the Long Beach area as a Minke
whale, smallest of the baleen whales, had
wandered into the harbor and made his/her way
all the way to the basin of the Catalina
Express. Unfortunately, it was eventually found
dead. NOAA scientists did a necropsy and
discovered lethal levels of domoic acid in the
cetacean, which is what led to the
disorientation and death. Domoic acid is caused
by a toxic algal bloom which is seasonal and is
occurring now along our coast, and which affects
many marine creatures but mostly seals, sea
lions, and dolphins. But a juvy Gray whale that
washed up in Huntington Beach also died from
domoic acid poisoning. Although the algae that
produces this toxin is naturally-occurring, the
algae bloom started earlier than usual this year
and seems more widespread than in previous
years. You can read more about this and see a
map of the affected areas here: DOMOIC
ACID MAP AND EXPLANATION.
THAILAND PHOTO RESTRICTION -
As someone who's been shooting underwater for
decades, I can attest that photographers don't
always pay as much attention as they should to
their surroundings and can inadvertently cause
some reef damage when trying to get a shot. With
the advent of simple but decent and inexpensive
point-and-shoot cams, not to mention GoPros and
other "action" video cams, it seems that almost
everyone has a cam in their hands nowadays. And
many people finish their basic certification
class and want to start taking photos right
away. But these folks usually don't have the
finer points of diving - like buoyancy - under
control and that can cause some major reef
problems. The government of Thailand last week
announced some steps to minimize that. From now
on (this is not a belated April Fools joke),
divers with less than 40 logged dives under
their belts are not permitted to take cameras in
the water with them. (There's a similar
snorkeler restriction as well.) It sounds like
the Thai government will rely on dive operators
to enforce the rule, with hefty fines levied if
they don't. The notice I saw was dated April 24
and says it takes effect immediately.
Personally, I think the move is a bit drastic
but I agree with the underling reasons that have
prompted it. And maybe it will raise reef
awareness in both experienced and inexperienced
diver photogs. You can read more about this
here: THAILAND
PHOTOGRPAHER RESTRICTIONS.
SPEAKING OF GREAT PHOTO ENCOUNTERS . . . -
Definitely no reefs harmed here. But whale
watchers off of Newport Beach last week were
treated to a fabulous site as a Humpback whale
basically "adopted" their boat and was showing
flukes and even spy-hopping. Not sure if you
need to be on FaceBook to view this but here's a
video link taken from the boat showing some of
the interaction, plus the ooohs and ahhs of the
passengers being treated to this fabulous
sight: UP
CLOSE WITH A HUMPBACK.
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week and
let's go diving soon!!!
- Ken |