Top Tips for Traveling Alone

Whether you love solo travel or just lack a dive buddy, no one likes the extra fees often facing travelers who claim a room for themselves. Termed a ‘single supplement,’ this additional fee tacks on anywhere from 10 to a whopping 100 percent of the standard room rate to your bill if you don’t meet the double-occupancy guidelines. Here are our eight top tips for traveling alone and avoiding the dreaded single supplement on your next dive trip.

Travel with a dive shop

Sign up for a group trip and avoid the ‘single’ part altogether. Dive shops often offer group trips to tropical locales like the Bahamas or even far-flung destinations like the Maldives. They’ll also pair you up with a good dive buddy. Though your local dive shop remains an easy first choice, you’re not limited to businesses in your area. Many dive shops also offer out-of-state divers a chance to join their trips.

Share a room

Land-based properties usually require a single supplement unless you’re in a shared room. Often designed for backpackers, these rooms generally house at least two travelers and sometimes many more. You’ll share bathroom facilities but enjoy access to a kitchen, which can also cut down on your meal costs. We adore the Agnes Gateway Hotel on the remote island of Munda in the Solomon Islands, which offers a variety of rooms including these types of budget rooms. The property also houses the award-winning Dive Munda.

While some resorts offer shared rooms, you’ll have more luck on the water as this is usually a standard liveaboard option. Since you’ll be bunking with one to three other divers, a guaranteed dive buddy is a part of the package. While the cost may seem high at first glance, remember that the fee includes the room, all meals, and the diving. These liveaboard rooms can range from bare bones to luxurious. One of our favorites is the Arenui Boutique Liveaboard, which not only offers elegant shared rooms, but some of the best diving in Indonesia.

Link up with a dive group

Online groups are often looking to add divers to their roster for a trip. Search social media and Google, joining every group you can find that piques your interest. Whatever your dive passion, you’ll discover a group and a trip to suit you whether you prefer wreck diving, budget travel, or a remote excursion.

Join a solo traveler-site dedicated to divers

Pair up with a buddy on a network that caters to single divers (i.e., divers not in a relationship) or buddy-less divers (i.e., divers in a relationship without a dive buddy). You can connect with a travel companion to book a trip together, join a diver on a trip already booked, or post a trip looking for someone to join you. Two good sites include Single Divers and Singles Who Scuba.

Look for last-minute rooms

Some hotels and resorts offering last-minute rooms won’t ding you with a single supplement. Sometimes, they just want a full house, so look for trips and rooms available in the next 30 days Better yet, if you’re flexibile enough, look for the next two weeks. Sometimes, you can snag a steal even at a lavish resort.

Ask for a discount on rooms far in advance

Conversely, other hotels and resorts prefer to establish advance bookings and offer discounts for dates far in the future. While this occurs less often than cheap, last-minute rooms, we secured a bungalow at a South Pacific resort a year and a half in advance, minus the 35 percent single supplement they usually include. We also paid the current year’s rates and not the following year’s price raised by inflation. 

Negotiate

A number of hotels and resorts will negotiate if you contact them directly instead of relying on a travel site. Always ask for a discount even if none are listed, particularly during the off season or the shoulder season. They may waive the single supplement, offer a discount, or furnish extras such as free nitrox or equipment rental. The worst they can say is no. 

Enjoy a home stay

Consider a home share or home exchange. At home-sharing sites, such as Airbnb and HomeAway, you’ll pay a nightly, weekly, or monthly fee to rent a room in someone’s home or rent the entire house. Some properties equate to the price of a hotel, but some are incredibly cheap.

At home exchange sites such as Intervac and HomeLink, you’ll pay a small annual fee, around $100, to the home-exchange company and then you’ll swap homes with someone for the length of your vacation. Instead of paying money, you exchange free accommodation.

Bonus Tip: find a place so cheap the fee doesn’t matter

Don’t forget that some places remain cheap enough that a tacked-on single supplement won’t hurt too much. We’ve found this more consistently true in spots like Mexico and Indonesia, so a search in these locations could offer up a bargain trip.

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SECA looks to reduce America’s 20 million tons of e-waste

Electronic waste or ‘e-waste” has become a growing problem for landfills and recycling centers. As electronics age, fail or become obsolete they need disposal. If not adequately handled, e-waste has the potential to leak toxic metal alloys and other components into groundwater sources. While this sounds entirely avoidable, more than 20 million tons of e-waste are produced annually. This includes waste from such sources as hospitals, medical practices, and nursing homes. How can you minimize the potential pitfalls in disposing of outdated and broken electronics? Follow recycling mandates and guidelines while outfitting your facility with compliant and greener solutions to electronic necessities. 

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Off to Vegas!

It’s that time again, my dears! I’m headed to Vegas for Jewelry Market Week.

I’ll be hobnobbing with jewelry designers, chatting with store owners, fondling just-released top of the line jewels and doing my best not to drool on all of the jewelry. And, of course, taking thousands of photos and videos to bring home to share with you!

I’ll be hitting up the cutting edge extravaganza of COUTURE, the vast array of jewelry at JCK, the gemmy wonderland of the AGTA GemFair Las Vegas, and the timeless treasures of the Las Vegas Antique Jewelry and Watch Show. 

Continue reading Off to Vegas! at Diamonds in the Library.

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Scuba diving in Koh Ha, Thailand

Koh Ha is a tiny group of uninhabited islands about an hour’s boat ride from Trang on Thailand’s southwest coast. Much like Thailand’s Similan and Surin Islands, it’s closed to the public for several months each year for the monsoon season, giving the marine environment time to regenerate before the next busy tourist season. However, this group of islands is closed for a few weeks more than the others for another reason — this is where the Thai Royal family likes to dive. What makes the scuba diving in Koh Ha so special?

Diving in Koh Ha

Above water, like a lot of the islands dotting the coast south of Krabi, the islands themselves are stunning, with tall limestone karsts rising dramatically out of the water. On the largest island, a white, sandy bay curves around a shallow turquoise lagoon.

Underwater the landscape is equally stunning featuring large boulders and rocky reefs, all thickly covered with colorful soft corals. There are several caverns and swim-throughs as well.

All manner of reef fish, damsels, wrasse, butterflyfish and coral trout flit about the soft coral. Anemonefish of all different types hover over the many anemones, while schools of snapper, fusiliers, jacks and barracuda swarm in the blue. In the crevices and caverns, giant moray eels, pufferfish and the odd giant grouper hide.

In the Thai language, “ha” means “five,” so, as you’d expect, this tiny archipelago features five islands. Most dive sites are simply named after each one — No. 2, No. 3, etc. — with a few exceptions named for specific features, such as The Chimney and Twin Cathedrals.

Twin Cathedrals

Our first dive is at Twin Cathedrals, named for its two enormous caverns. We descend next to the largest island and swim along the wall toward a few enormous boulders, worth exploring before we enter the first cavern.

Past the boulders there is a sloping reef, covered in a forest of whip corals descending about 82 feet (25 m), looking like something Dr. Seuss would have dreamed up. We swim back around this reef and through the enormous arched entrance to the first cavern where we ascend to a small air bubble to check it out. The cave extends another 160 feet (50 m) above water. It’s an impressive sight, worth checking out before swimming through another grand arch to the second slightly smaller cavern.

No. 2 and No. 4

Our next dive is a combination of No. 2 and No. 4, featuring more rocky reefs and large boulders covered in brightly colored hard and soft corals, as well as large sea fans. Schools of fusiliers and snapper fly over them, and all sorts of damsels, butterflies and anthias dart in and around the coral formations. Down at about 80 feet (25 m), a huge school of jacks appears from the blue and circles us as we try to capture them on film.

The Chimney

Our third dive is named after one of its main features, the Chimney, where we descend to around 65 feet (20 m) before it opens into a small cavern lined with soft coral and full of curious big eyes. Outside the cavern is a large bowl, protected on all sides by large boulders. Smaller boulders hold large garden of anemones, which we spend lots of time exploring before heading into the shallow coral gardens.

Each dive is as stunning as the next, and after only three dives it’s easy to see why the royal family loves it so much.

Deborah Dickson-Smith is one half of Diveplanit, a dive travel website she manages with her partner Simon Mallender, based in Australia.

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Best Scuba Diving in Southern Mozambique: Part II

Scuba diving in southern Mozambique is so fantastic that we’ve split our favorite options into two articles. See our first story here, which features more details on how to get to (and around) Mozambique, what to expect once you arrive, and when to go for the best diving. Here are our picks for our second set of southern Mozambique’s best dive sites.

Tofo and Barra

Where is it: Tofo and Barra are located about six miles (10 km) apart in the bay of Inhambane, located in Inhambane province, about 500 km (800 km) north of Maputo.

What makes it special: The area is probably one of Mozambique’s most famous dive destinations as travelers flock to enjoy the calm, clear waters and to see the mantas and whale sharks that usually migrate through the area. The bay of Inhambane, where Tofo and Barra are located, has calm waters with hardly any waves, offering a contrast to dive locations further south that feature rolling waves and (sometimes) tricky boat launches. The area has three manta-cleaning stations with lots of gullies, overhangs and ledges covered in hard and soft coral. Advanced divers can participate in deep drift dives along the walls and drop-offs. You are likely to see whale sharks, shoals of game fish, ghost pipefish, leaf fish, green turtles and a variety of sharks.

The main attractions in Tofo are mantas and whale sharks. You can see mantas throughout the year, and you’re most likely to spot whale sharks from October to April, although they are generally around most of the year. A trip to Barra lagoon, just off the beach in Barra, will delight you with its seahorse population. You might also see humpback whales between June and October.

Details: There are a number of flights from South Africa to Inhambane. You can travel from there via taxi to Tofo and Barra or arrange for an airport pick up. Travel time in a car from Maputo could take you about 8 to 10 hours with the last part of the way being on dirt road. There are a variety of accommodation options and dive operators to meet your needs.

When to go: Diving is good all year with water temperatures varying from 75 F (24 C) in the winter (June to August) to 84 F (29 C) in the summer (November to February). Reef depths vary from 59 to 130 feet (18 to 40 m. Visibility varies from 33 to 100 feet (10 to 30 m) and can change drastically from day to day.

Pomene and Morrungulo

Where is it: Pomene is located between Vilanculos and the town of Maxixe about 370 miles (600 km) north of Maputo. Morrungulu is about an hour and a half south of Pomene.

What makes it special: Manta encounters are likely on nearly every reef. There are many cleaning stations, caves and swim-throughs. You could also see sailfish, marlin and wahoo, as well as mobula and eagle rays. There are both a horse head, and a hand-shaped rock formation underwater and a cave with frequent bull-shark sightings. Interesting topography, such as fossilized stone gullies and occasional hammerhead sightings make dives on this continental shelf extra special.

Details: Pomene is about three hours from the nearest main road. You can drive to Pomene from Maputo or fly to Inhambane and then drive or take a taxi to your hotel. Driving from Maputo could take between 9 and 13 hours while driving from Inhambane will take from 4 to 6 hours. The dirt road between the main road and Pomene requires a four-wheel-drive vehicle and can be difficult to navigate. There are a few dive centers and accommodation options in Pomene and Morrungulo.

When to go: Diving is good all year with water temperatures varying from 75 F (24 C) in the winter to 84 F (29 C) in the summer. Reef depths vary from 30 to 105 feet (10 to 32 m), offering something for divers from all levels. Visibility varies from 30 to 100 feet (10 to 30 m).

Vilanculos Archipelago

Where is it: Vilanculos is a small coastal town about 435 miles (700 km) north of Maputo.

What makes it special: Here you could see dugongs as well as rays, turtles and game fish. There are humpback whales from June to October, whale sharks most of the year, and sharks ranging from silvertips to hammerheads. There are even Zambezi sharks in the area. Unique underwater topography means you’ll find sites where the coral looks like fairy castles and fossilized trees protruding from the ocean floor. Dive sites run the gamut from calm, shallow and relaxed for beginners to sites with strong currents where more-experienced divers can enjoy drift diving.

Details: You can either drive up or fly from Maputo to Vilanculos airport. The drive from Maputo to Vilanculos takes between 9 and 14 hours, while flights are about an hour and a half.

When to go: Diving is good all year with water temperatures varying from 75 F (24 C) in the winter to 84 F (29 C) in the summer. Reef depths vary from 20 to 144 feet (6 to 44 m), offering diving for divers from all levels. Visibility varies from 30 to 100 feet (10 to 30 m).

Bazaruto National Park

Where is it: Bazaruto National Park is a string of six islands nine miles (15 km) off the coast of Mozambique between Africa and Madagascar.

What makes it special: The sparsely populated Bazaruto Archipelago features one of the largest marine-conservation areas in the Indian Ocean, spanning 540 square miles (1400km²). The national park was created in 1971 to protect dugong and marine turtles and their habitats. You might also see a variety of dolphins and sharks, lots of healthy hard and soft coral and possibly humpback whales. There’s also an abundance of giant lobsters, green turtles, rays and game fish.

Details: You can take a boat from Vilanculos to the Bazaruto islands, and it’s best to discuss this option with your hotel. There are a few hotels and dive operators in the Bazaruto Archipelago and many dive operators from Vilanculos can assist with diving in Bazaruto. 

When to go: Diving is good all year with water temperatures varying from 75 F (24 C) in the winter to 84 F (29 C) in the summer. Reef depths vary from 60 to 130 feet (18 to 40 m), offering something for divers from all levels. Visibility varies from 30 to 100 feet (10 to 30 m).

 

 

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Training Fundamentals: Pros and Cons of Solo Diving

Since the beginning of scuba time, recreational divers have always dived in buddy teams. From your first confined-water dives, buddy checks, descents, ascents and underwater tours are all taught in a team with other student divers. The buddy system’s benefits boil down to essentially three areas: safety, practicality, and fun. When the system is functioning properly — with two or more competent divers diving together — it is an excellent system. Two heads are often better than one and, working together, buddy teams can overcome most minor problems.

However, some circumstances may expose potential problems in the buddy system, usually occurring due to a mismatch in diving ability, mental attitudes, objectives, and responsibility sharing between buddies. That’s not to say the we should disregard the buddy system — far from it. However, knowing the system’s potential problems can help you to plan accordingly.

Solo diving: who is it for?

There is an alternative: solo diving. It’s becoming increasingly popular and some liveaboard vessels now allow it with the proper training and equipment. Some of the major training agencies now offer solo and self-reliant diver training courses as well.

But despite increased popularity, solo diving is often controversial among divers. Our buddy system mentality is so deeply engrained that sometimes divers are unable to see the forest for the trees. As with most subjects — scuba diving or otherwise — there is a lot of gray area away from the extremes of the arguments. What are the pros and cons of solo diving? Is it for you?

Solo diving vs. diving alone

The first thing to clear up is that there’s a vast difference between solo diving and simply diving alone. A solo diver trains, plans and executes her dive within carefully planned parameters, with additional resources and a honed skill set. Diving alone is what a recreational diver is doing if he becomes accidentally (or otherwise) separated from the group.

A solo diver plans the dive considering her SAC (Surface Air Consumption) rate, carries a redundant air source, spare cutting tools, timing devices or computers, SMBs and reels, lights and masks. A solo diver carries back-up resources to help deal with potential problems. Someone diving alone has no additional resources if something goes wrong.

A solo diver has undertaken specific training to understand what to do in the event of a problem. A diver alone is simply diving without a safety net.

Why might you want to solo dive?

It seems counterintuitive to solo dive when we’ve learned from the beginning to dive in groups. So, why would you choose to do it? What are the benefits?

• There may be purely logistical reasons for choosing to dive alone — you may not have a buddy. None of your friends or family might dive. Many people drop out of diving as they feel they have no one to go with. Training to become a solo diver and having the corresponding equipment may open a door to diving activities previously closed.
• Some people may feel uncomfortable taking responsibility for another diver underwater, especially someone they’ve barely met or not dived with before. Diving alone leaves you with responsibility only for yourself.
• A trained solo diver, by definition, has achieved a certain level of experience in order to meet course requirements. They may feel that the benefits of diving alone, while carrying increased risks, outweigh the prospect of being paired with an incompetent buddy who may be more of a hindrance than a help in an emergency.
• Solo diving lets you concentrate on the task at hand and be pure in your dive objective. If, for example, you’re an underwater photographer, you can spend the whole dive in one spot taking photos of a clownfish if you wish – you’ve compromised no one else’s dive.
• As an outsider looking in, the thought of diving alone may seem intimidating. But many experienced solo divers find the solitude of the experience relaxing, focusing and an almost zen-like experience.

What are the drawbacks and considerations? 

While all of the above points are arguably true, there are also many reasons you may choose — even as a qualified solo diver — to dive with a buddy.

• Scuba diving at any level carries risks, and solo diving increases that level of risk. Much like moving into technical diving, you must embark upon a solo-diving career with your eyes open. Some risks can’t be accounted for. For example, if you become ill or sick underwater, for whatever reason, while solo diving there is no one there to help you.
• As with technical and professional diving, your physical fitness and dive conditioning comes even more sharply into focus. In the event of a problem — for example a sudden increase in the strength of the current, surface surge and waves — or if you’re struggling to get back to the boat or shore due to water movement, there is no one else to rely on. You must be sure of your own physical capabilities.
• The responsibility for the whole dive rests with you. In recreational guided diving, despite there often being no legal responsibility, many novice divers simply rely on the guide, divemaster or instructor to navigate around the dive site, remind them to check their NDL limits and gas consumption and bring them back to the boat at the end of the dive. Solo diving means that you must take responsibility for your own actions. Become disorientated on the dive site? Figure it out with your compass — there is no one to ask which way to go.
• You must have a high level of skill, competence and an honest view of your own abilities. Don’t let the Dunning-Kruger effect get the better of you and lead you into situations you cannot deal with. If, for example, you decide to explore a new wreck on your own and become entangled in rogue fishing line, only you can resolve the problem.

This is by no means a complete list and there are many individual scenarios that may amount to either pros or cons.

Several training agencies offer courses in solo or self-reliant diving. If you’re an experienced diver and you meet the individual agency prerequisites, they’re definitely worth considering, even if you have no immediate urge to go solo diving. The courses and training will help you become more self-sufficient, skilful, risk-aware and — ironically — a better buddy.

The buddy system, key as it is, is not infallible. Similarly, the potentially increased risks of solo diving are not necessarily the answer. The reality of the situation probably lies in the middle — we all must make informed choices and take more responsibility for our actions as divers, whether solo diving or not.

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An introvert’s guide to surviving trade shows.

If you’re connected to the jewelry industry in any way, you know that it’s nearly Las Vegas jewelry week: our annual Sin City extravaganza of top-shelf trade shows.

There’s nothing like the Vegas trade shows: ballrooms bursting with countless cases of treasures waiting to be touched. These trade shows are closed to the public and it’s an honor to be invited as a member of the press. It’s an incredible week…and it’s also really intense.

Continue reading An introvert’s guide to surviving trade shows. at Diamonds in the Library.

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A Beginner’s Guide on How to Keep Your Underwater Camera from Flooding

Underwater photography and videography are fantastic ways to remember your dives. But if a camera floods during a dive, it definitely puts a damper on the experience and can cost you quite a bit of money to replace the camera. Here are a few tips for beginners on how to keep your underwater camera from flooding.

Resist the temptation to open your camera

New divers often want to take their camera out of its protective housing straight away to show their photos/videos off or to change a battery for the next dive. Resist this temptation, because it is the cause of most camera floods in the short term. Small water droplets often sneak into the camera housing’s seal when you open it while wet. If the housing isn’t dried before you next use it, these small water droplets can allow a bridge to form across your O-ring and thus can create a camera flood. The camera can also fog up if these droplets are left inside, ruining any photos or videos you take.

Wash your camera housing after every dive

It is extremely important to wash your camera housing after every dive. There are usually wash tubs containing fresh water on dive boats specifically for cameras. Make sure to use these facilities by letting your camera soak so as to remove any salt that can damage your main O-ring. Also, be sure to press all the buttons on the housing. This ensures that the small O-rings on the buttons remain salt-free. Keep a lens protector handy that you can attach to the camera before you place it in in a freshwater tub. This will keep anyone else’s equipment from scratching your own.

Grease your O-rings correctly

Most cameras have a main, rear O-ring and bigger setups will have multiple large, main O-rings. These keep water from entering the camera by providing a seal between two solid pieces. You must keep them in top-notch condition and change them every year or two to ensure they continue to perform well. To make them last, you must apply a thin layer of grease around the ring to keep it from becoming brittle and breaking.

Make sure to use a special O-ring pick to remove the rings when so as other methods often cause small tears or stretching, thus ruining the O-ring’s sealing ability. Once you remove it, apply a thin layer of O-ring grease — make sure to use the correct type. It is worthwhile to buy it directly from the housing manufacturer even if it is a little bit more expensive. Avoid big globs or applying too much as this can also keep a seal from forming when the camera is underwater.

Do a final check every time

Some main culprits for camera flooding are stray hairs or strands of fabric that get stuck accidently across seals, especially if you have pets near your camera gear. Always do a final check of the seals/O-rings to make sure they are free from anything that may form a bridge between the inside and outside of the housing. Even an eyelash can cause a flood. And, although it should go without saying, double-check that your housing is secure each time you splash into the water. As the dive guide is handing you your camera while you’re bobbing beside the boat is not the time to find out the housing isn’t properly sealed.

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Madagascar Emerges as a Hotspot for Endangered Whale Sharks

A new study published in the journal Endangered Species Research has revealed that juvenile whale sharks swim to Madagascar, a newly-identified hotspot for these huge fish, to feed. Eighty-five individual sharks were identified in a single season using photographs of their distinctive spot patterns.

An isolated “island continent,” famous for animals and plants that exist nowhere else in the world, Madagascar’s nutrient-rich waters are also home to an incredible array of marine life attracting increasing numbers of tourists.

Whale sharks are primarily seen around the small island of Nosy Be, in northwest Madagascar. This area is a globally important hotspot for large marine species, including manta rays, sea turtles, humpback whales and even rare Omura’s whales.

The study is part of the Madagascar Whale Shark Project, a collaboration initiated in 2016 by researchers from the Marine Megafauna Foundation, Florida International University, and Mada Megafauna.

Whale sharks visiting Madagascar

“We’ve found that whale sharks regularly visit Nosy Be between September and December,” says lead author and project leader Stella Diamant. “That has led to a growing ecotourism industry, as people travel to see and swim with these gigantic, harmless sharks. We’re still learning about their population structure and movement patterns, but it’s clear the area is an important hotspot for the species.”

Whale sharks are the largest fish in the world, growing up to 65 feet (20 m) long. However, all of the sharks in Madagascar have been juveniles of less than 29 feet (9 m).

“We identified 85 individual whale sharks over our first season in 2016. Some of the sharks were present across several months. They spend a lot of time in the area and seem to come here to feed,” Diamant says.

Tracking the sharks

Marine biologists uploaded photographs of the sharks’ unique spot patterns to Wildbook for Whale Sharks (a global database of sightings) and compared them with data collected from known feeding areas in the Indian Ocean, including Djibouti, the Maldives, Mozambique, Seychelles and Tanzania, but found no overlap.

“Whale sharks are a globally endangered species due to overfishing, accidental catches and boat strikes,” says co-author Dr. Simon Pierce, co-founder and principal scientist at the Marine Megafauna Foundation. “Major declines in sightings have been seen in Mozambique, where we’ve documented a 79% decline in sightings since 2005, and the Seychelles. I was hoping that some of those sharks might have shifted over to Madagascar.”

“Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case. It’s great news for Madagascar though. These sharks can be a major asset for the country. There’s already a good marine ecotourism industry developing,” he added.

As part of this study, the team attached eight satellite tags to immature whale sharks to track their movements in near real-time. They found that the sharks spent most of their time in shallow waters between 81.5 to 86 F (27.5 to 30 C) around the tagging area in Nosy Be.

Half of the tagged sharks also visited a second hotspot near Pointe d’Analalava, 112 miles (180 km) south of Nosy Be. Five of the sharks swam over to Mayotte and the Comoros islands, and two swam down to the southern end of Madagascar. One of those sharks then swam back to Nosy Be, a total track of 2,656 miles (4,275 km).

The sharks are slow swimmers, traveling an average 13 miles (21 km) per day. Three sharks were seen again in the Nosy Be area the following season after having lost their tags.

“It was exciting to see that there is a second hotspot for the sharks in the area,” says Diamant. We will be exploring the area later this year. Madagascar clearly provides an important seasonal habitat for these young whale sharks, so we need to ensure they are effectively protected in the country.”

Population declines due to fishing and finning

Madagascar is a known location for shark fishing and finning. Whale sharks currently have no formal protection except in two Marine Protected Areas located to the southwest and northeast of Nosy Be.

“Over the last decade, shark populations have declined dramatically in Madagascar due to overfishing,” says Dr. Jeremy J. Kiszka, a marine biologist at Florida International University and co-scientific lead of the Madagascar Whale Shark Project.

“However, the most significant threat to this species is the incidental catch in coastal gillnets and industrial purse seiners operating offshore.”

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has listed whale sharks as ‘endangered’ since 2016 and they received an Appendix I listing the U.N. Convention on Migratory Species in 2017. As a signatory to the Convention, Madagascar is obligated to protect the sharks and their migratory habitat in national waters.

By guest author Sabrina Weiss, Press Officer, Marine Megafauna Foundation

The study was supported by Les Baleines Rand’eau, Aqua-Firma, PADI Foundation, IDEA WILD, Waterlust, the Shark Foundation, and two private trusts. Stella Diamant, Christoph A. Rohner, Jeremy J. Kiszka, et al. “Movements and habitat use of satellite-tagged whale sharks off western Madagascar” was published on 17 May 2018 and is available here.

 

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The Importance of a Dive Debriefing

When does a dive end? When you hit the surface? Climb on the boat? Step on to the beach? Hang up your gear? Not really. A dive ends when you’ve discussed what went right and what went wrong among all the dive participants. Only by conducting a thorough dive debriefing can we learn from our dive and avoid repeating any mistakes.

Luckily, most dives end well, with divers returning to the surface having enjoyed their time underwater. And, of course, they will talk about what they’ve seen and whether the current was strong or maybe unexpected. They will likely compare notes on how much air they came back with as well.

But what about when it took two minutes to get someone’s attention, or when one diver in the group followed a downcurrent? What if the group spent a few minutes waiting on or looking for one diver? Or, perhaps most commonly, those times when one diver is signaling something the others simply don’t understand?

Situations like these make dive debriefings invaluable. First things first: debriefings are never about appropriating blame. They are always about learning from the dive and making the next dive better. Talking through a dive is common practice on technical-diving courses, guided technical dives and recreational course dives, but it is beneficial to every diver on every recreational dive. Here’s why.

What’s in a debrief?

One school of thought suggests talking through the dive from start to finish. Beginning with equipment setup and pre-dive checks on the shore or on the boat, divers go through any problems they encountered and literally relive the dive chronologically, ending with everyone back on the boat. The idea is to avoid missing anything by talking through the way it happened.

Doing so is about more than discussing mistakes. Equally — if not more — important is highlighting what went well on a dive. On technical-diving courses, it is common to practice and fine-tune skills over several dives until they become second nature. Providing feedback to the student, positive and negative, is crucial. It’s easy to focus on the negative when it would benefit a student’s — or maybe a new diver’s — motivation to let them know how much better their back kicking was, for example, on this dive than the last.

How does it work for recreational dives?

Looking at fun dives outside of training, what’s there to debrief? A lot. Communications, for one. If divers have learned in different parts of the world, or been taught by instructors from different training agencies, they are likely using slightly different hand signals. Underwater, it’s more complicated to clarify these. So, if it didn’t happen in the pre-dive briefing, post-dive or on the surface interval would be the perfect time to ensure that everyone speaks the same underwater language.

Another consideration is positioning. Most dive guides and instructors agree that one of the worst spots for a diver to be is right above their guide. It’s the ultimate blind spot, making it hard for the guide to keep track of the diver or show them those special small creatures.

Seasoned buddy pairs often fall into a rhythm, with one person usually leading the dive and the other following. They might also have a preference about staying on each other’s left or right side, especially on wall dives. New buddies, on the other hand, might find that they naturally just enjoyed diving together, or have a chat about positioning after they finish their first dive together and establish a routine from there.

It’s a two-way street

Debriefing is a two-way street, especially in teaching situations. An instructor can’t expect a student to perform a skill correctly when he or she hasn’t seen it in the demonstration or is unsure which skill to perform. Clearing up those misunderstandings before the next dive will go a long way toward making that next dive more successful and enjoyable than the previous one.

Why are debriefs so important?

Debriefs are key because after one dive is before the next dive. This is the best time to learn from any mistakes, big or small, or to reward best practice and help turn it into a habit. Ignoring things that didn’t go well will do nothing to help avoid them next time around. Discussing them openly and looking for alternatives, however, will go a long way toward creating an environment where divers are happy to share their experiences.

Unfortunately, we gain much experience the ‘hard way,’ when something goes wrong in the first place. How much better is it, though, to share this experience with others to help them avoid the same mistake? Even better — discuss what happened on ‘that’ dive with your buddies right after it’s over and make sure it won’t happen again. A thorough, positive debrief can go a long way towards creating better, safer divers.

 

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Report about solutions, not just problems, urges veteran journalist

Constructive journalism, a concept for solution-oriented news reporting as opposed to merely describing problems, seems to be gaining ground – but misconceptions remain. "It's not positive journalism, it's not happy news, it's not nice news," says veteran journalist Ulrik Haagerup, founder and CEO of the Denmark-based Constructive Institute.

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The Extraordinary Italian Jewelry headed to Las Vegas!

When I think of Italy, I think of pasta, romance, and extraordinary Italian jewelry; three of my favorite very things!

I have had the good fortune to visit Italy several times to see The Extraordinary Italian Jewelry at the VicenzaOro show, but I’m also about to have a chance to meet with some of Italy’s finest jewelry brands right here in the US!

Considered a global trendsetter since the days of the Renaissance, Italy has long since secured its status as a hotbed of cultural and artistic inspiration.

Continue reading The Extraordinary Italian Jewelry headed to Las Vegas! at Diamonds in the Library.

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Five eco-friendly purchases that reduce your facility’s waste stream

According to the American Hospital Association’s guide, Sustainability Roadmap for Hospitals, healthcare facilities generate up to 25 pounds of waste per day per patient. What if we made a goal to lessen waste by thinking green from the very beginning, during the planning and purchasing stage?

 

 

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Are Women Better Scuba Divers Than Men?

As a female dive instructor in the Philippines, I once had a conversation with a man who insisted that if a dive wasn’t deep and didn’t feature sharks or a strong current, it wasn’t really a “dive.” I’ve had similar conversations with other men during my career, wherein it seemed they wanted to impress me with their hardcore dive stories. And although all male divers aren’t like this, more than once I’ve had to suggest that there’s more to “boring, normal diving” than they think. I gently remind them that questionable judgement calls don’t make for exciting dives — they make for dangerous ones.

Having said that, when I came upon the research done by Mandy Shackleton, a marine scientist, at Hull University in 2007 on how women are better divers than men, I had a chuckle. But is she right? Are women better scuba divers than men?

The power of hormones

Male divers often seek sensations. They look for novel, exciting and intense experiences. This leads to the secretion of cortisol, testosterone and adrenaline, which can lead them to take more risks underwater. Dr. Magnus Johnson, head of Hull University’s center of environmental and marine sciences, also notes that men might take more risks while diving with a woman in order to impress her. Women, on the other hand, are more safety conscious and thus take fewer risks while diving, said Shackleton in her study.

Buoyancy, efficient movement and heat

Michael Messner from the University of Southern California notes that women tend to have a higher percentage of body fat than men. This makes them naturally more buoyant. Sure, they might need an extra weight or two, but this also means that women use less energy while swimming and enjoy a higher degree of insulation against cold water.

The big picture

Women are better at reading non-verbal cues, such as body language and visual cues, as summarized by Nancy Briton and colleagues. Talking underwater is largely limited to grunts and squeals of delight, and divers rely exclusively on non-verbal communication.

Nigel Forman, a professor of psychology at Middlesex University, also found that women were better at picking up on non-verbal, situational and environmental cues.

Because they are fluent in non-verbal communication, women are better able to navigate the underwater environment and adapt to changes.

Spatial awareness

Forman also mentions that because women see the bigger picture, they have a better spatial awareness underwater. This is the opposite of what is true on the surface, where men tend to be more skilled. This, combined with the tendency for women to be more-cautious divers and have better buoyancy control, means women divers make less contact with — and break less — coral than their male buddies.

It’s all in the legs

In general, women tend to harness their lower-body strength more than men, who rely more on their upper body. Scott Mclean and Richard Hinrichs found that men generally kick more than women to cover the same distance while swimming. Combining this with fins designed to propel you further with fewer kick cycles, as explained by Zamparo and colleagues, leads to a more efficient dive-kicking style and thus to lower air consumption in women.

Air consumption

Because women move more efficiently through water and have smaller lungs, they tend to use less air than men. This enables them to dive for longer and leaves more air available in if a buddy runs out.

On your next dive, observe your buddies — male and female — and examine how they dive. Do you notice any differences? Whether or not women are better divers than men, each of us can undoubtedly learn something from the other.

By Juanita Pienaar

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Ten Fantastic Dives in National Marine Sanctuaries

The National Marine Sanctuary System spans more than 600,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters. This sanctuary system stretches from Massachusetts to American Samoa. It also offers plentiful unique dive sites, including coral reefs, kelp forests, shipwrecks and more. So, whether you’re thinking about taking the plunge for the first time or have been diving for years, these 10 dives in national marine sanctuaries should be on your national marine sanctuaries diving bucket list.

Cathedrals of of Lānaʻi, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary

The Cathedrals of Lānaʻi are unlike anything most divers have ever seen. Here, a unique formation of cooled molten lava tubes, caverns, ridges, and passageways create a cathedral effect and an unforgettable experience. The collapsed portions of ceiling structures inside the caverns give the cathedrals their name. Swim through archways and lava structures and watch marine life play hide-and-seek in the caverns. You’re exploring some of the greatest biodiversity Hawaii has to offer. Located within the protective waters of Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, large animals like turtles, manta rays, and sharks, often appear in the area. During peak whale season, if you’re lucky, you may even get to hear a humpback whale serenade.

Middle Reef at Point Lobos, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Located within Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, this dive site boasts one of the most spectacular displays of ecosystem health and diversity. This shore dive begins at a boat launch in Whaler’s Cove, offering a short swim before your descent to a sandy channel. At the shallow start, divers often glimpse playful harbor seals or otters — make sure to give them plenty of space. Large schools of blue rockfish are common as well. As the dive continues, the waters gradually deepen and the habitat turns to kelp forest. Look carefully as you explore: bottom-dwelling creatures adorn rock faces and inhabit nearly every crevice. More-experienced divers can venture into even deeper waters where structures and formations get larger. However you plan your dive, make sure to reserve in advance. Daily access to these protected waters is limited to keep them pristine for years to come.

Hidden Reef, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary

For the adventurous, a hidden treasure awaits in the waters of Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. The excitement begins with an overnight charter across dark waters. As sunrise breaks, Santa Barbara Island appears, a tiny spit of land about 38 miles off the California coast. Here, year-round cold temperatures, as well as the current and swell can be problematic for beginner divers. It is best to dive Hidden Reef in the morning when conditions are usually calm.

Underwater near Arch Rock, divers can explore a 30-foot-wide sponge and Corynactis-encrusted archway that lies in about 35 feet (11 m) of water. A crevice near the top of the arch is full of California spiny lobster. Divers passing through the rock structure swim through a maze of kelp to reach Hidden Reef. A drop-off at 60 feet (18 m) reveals rock formations that provide sanctuary for lobsters, swell sharks, lingcod, rock scallops, and purple hydrocorals, adding to the wonder of the Hidden Reef.

Coral Spawn, Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

Every year after the full moons of late summer, the reef-building corals of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary host a fantastic spawning display. Due to the high density of coral species, the sanctuary is the site of one of the most abundant coral spawning displays in the Caribbean. When the moment is right, coral colonies simultaneously release their gametes into the water to reproduce, creating an amazing experience for divers. This display occurs at roughly the same time each year and scientists are able to predict this ritual using the lunar cycles.

Dives are long and shallow and occur at night. A dive light beautifully highlights the spawning. Tiny, colorful spheres begin to rise from the center of each coral, making the reef look like an underwater snowstorm. As if this weren’t incredible enough, the spawning event attracts many fish and marine life who are in tune with this cycle too. 

Garden Eel Cove, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary

Garden Eel Cove off the Island of Hawaii has been dubbed Manta Heaven – and for good reason. Divers travel by boat to this location to watch a beautiful Hawaiian sunset. As darkness falls, divers descend to the sandy bottom at about 35 feet (11 m) to gather around a “campfire” of stationary lights placed in a circle. As the divers settle in and the sunlight dims, the campfire blazes to life to illuminate the waters above. Tiny plankton swarm to the light source, attracting the highlight of the show: manta rays. From the darkness glide massive rays with wing spans from five to 16 feet (1.5 to 5 m). Attracted by the light and the plankton snack, these gentle giants circle overhead in a glorious ballet.

The Valley of the Giants, National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa

With all the excitement of seeing giants and without the risk of getting trampled by enormous feet, the “Valley of the Giants” is a secret worth sharing. Located in National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa, the waters surrounding Ta’u Island boast some of the world’s oldest and largest coral colonies. The star attraction is the gigantic Porites coral head called “Big Momma,” or “Fale Bommie.”

Big Momma lies at a depth of 50 feet (15 m), stands two stories tall and four stories wide, and has a girth the equivalent of half a soccer field. More than 500 years old, Big Momma continues to grow each year and provides habitat for fish, invertebrates, and other marine creatures. A territory of the United States, American Samoa lies about 1,600 miles (2,575 km) northeast of New Zealand and 2,200 miles (3,540 km) southwest of Hawaii. Divers should bring their own gear and rent air tanks on the island. Because of its remoteness, divers must charter a vessel to get to this dive site, which is 70 miles away from Pago Pago. 

Snapper Ledge, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Imagine a school of white fish with brilliant yellow stripes hanging suspended in the water. They’re so tightly packed together that it appears at first to be a single organism. Pulsing like a heart, it is connected electrically through the water, small movements causing a gentle animation as the mass jolts, stops, starts again, and flows like its own river through a maze of living coral reef. Countless yellowtail snapper in inhabit the shallow reef off Key Largo in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

At Snapper Ledge, the reef surrounds divers as it rises up into a mound resembling an underwater island surrounded by sand. Above the sandy bottom, red, orange, and pink sponges and macroalgae cover mounds of calcium carbonate. Waving brown and yellow plumes of gorgonians and the purple and brown lace of sea fans move with the ebb and flow of the tide and currents. The serene scene is so mesmerizing that if you could stay at this depth forever and observe the life as it moves around you — you would.

USS Monitor, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary

Complete with the world’s first rotating gun turret, low draft, and sleek profile, the ironclad USS Monitor heralded the end of the era of wooden warships. But on December 31, 1862, Monitor met its demise. Caught in a violent storm 16 miles off the coast of Cape Hatteras, Monitor sank as it was being towed. Of the 62 crew members, 46 were rescued, but 16 perished that fateful night. The wreck of Monitor was designated in 1975 as the first national marine sanctuary in the United States.

To dive Monitor today, you’ll need a free permit. You’ll also need the technical-diving experience to navigate strong currents and often adverse weather conditions in 230 feet (70 m) of water. Divers may encounter seasonal migrations of cetaceans, sea turtles, sharks, and manta rays near the wreck. Crabs, brittle stars, sea urchins, sea anemones, tube worms, oysters, and a host of other organisms blanket Monitor’s hull.

Mushroom Rock, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

Marked by a mushroom-shaped rock along the Cape Flattery shoreline, this dive site in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary offers advanced divers an interesting assortment of marine life and volcanic rock formations. Access is by boat and depths reach 70 to 80 feet (21 to 24 m). Boulders, walls, crevices and channels provide habitat for a variety of marine creatures. These include colonies of lightbulb ascidians, strawberry anemones, and red gorgonian corals. Divers report seeing numerous species of rockfish. Giant Pacific octopus, Puget Sound king crabs, and red-eyed jellyfish are also known to inhabit the area. With relatively mild currents for the area and good visibility, along with interesting scenery on the surface and below, Mushroom Rock rarely disappoints.

Middle Island Sinkhole, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary 

Divers from around the world travel to the Great Lakes for stellar wreck diving.  Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is a top destination. However, one dive site within the sanctuary offers divers a truly unique experience: the opportunity to travel billions of years back in time.

Situated off Middle Island, the so-called “Middle Island Sinkhole” is as unassuming as dive sites get. A sanctuary mooring buoy marks the site about 100 yards from the island’s shore. Descending this line, however, divers enter an otherworldly scene. At the base of the mooring is a giant crack in the lake’s limestone floor. Through this opening, cold, mineral-rich water gushes out and over a 20-foot-tall pile of enormous limestone boulders. As it crests this mound, it spills into a flat, circular depression in the lake bottom, 80 feet (24 m) from the surface. Light bends and shifts at the hazy interface between the swelling groundwater flow and the ambient lake water.

Coating the sinkhole’s bottom is a dense carpet of multicolored bacterial mats. Reminiscent of plush, velvet fabric, these microorganisms are woven into thick patches of red, white, and purple. They are the descendants of ancient species of cyanobacteria. More than 2 billion years ago, these tiny little cells were responsible for producing the oxygen that now makes up 21 percent of our atmosphere. Swimming through the haze of mixing water, across a vast field of ancient bacteria, divers are immersed in an ethereal realm where past and present intersect on the bottom of one of the world’s largest lakes.

By guest author Savanna Mahn, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

Savanna Mahn is a certified scuba diver and volunteer communications intern at NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. Also contributing: John Bright, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Brenda Altmeier, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

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