AD 2016 Q3

More documents

Recommendations

Info

One of the mostphotographed waterfront views in Curaçao, the Handelskade features colorful examples of colonial Dutch architecture. Opposite: Green turtles sometimes gather in the shallows near fishing piers, hoping to get an easy snack. proper. When we approach, I figure that solitude has gone out the window. It is a weekend, and the lee of Klein looks like a mild traffic jam, with several other dive boats weaving between moored speedboats and large snorkeling charters. The aqua hue of the shallow water and cerulean tint of the cloudless sky are interrupted only by a strip of powder-white sand upon which a pair of swimsuit models cavort for a photo shoot (no, I’m not kidding). Given the scene, I feel fortunate that anyone’s attention can be swayed by scuba at all. We leave the crowds behind, and by the time we have pulled up to the northernmost point of the island, diving is all anyone can think of. This site, Shark Cave, is accessible only on the calmest days, and it seems that we have hit the jackpot. Green and spotted morays gape from a softcoral- and sponge-covered wall as we descend 120 feet to the (shark-bereft but tarpon-filled) cave. The adjacent reef is dotted with anemones and large purple tube sponges, and a glance into deeper water reveals the nurse sharks, watching us smugly from under a rock. We swim into the shallows for our safety stop, passing narrow ledges caked with cup corals and sea fans, as a cluster of reef squid observe us from just beyond camera range. For our next dive, we head toward South Point on the opposite tip of Klein for a completely different experience. We descend to 110 feet, where we are followed by several large barracuda as we admire a sloping wall thick with vase sponges and black coral trees. The next day we head toward Westpunt to dive two of Curaçao’s most famous sites, and although most of the island’s dive operations run regular trips here, we seem to have the area all to ourselves. Watamula looks nothing like what we’ve seen at either Eastpunt or Klein. The seascape here is composed primarily of hard corals, with so much pillar coral that some areas resemble towers of melting ice cream. A variety of moray eels peer from the reef as schools of grunts and squirrelfish weave past. We surface, and our captain asks, “Want to see something interesting during your surface interval?” We know better than to turn down an offer like that, and the boat motors toward a nearby pier where several small fishing boats are moored. In one, a fisherman cleans a pile of feathery lumps. “What the heck are those?” I ask. “Lionfish,” the captain replies. A moment later, we watch in confusion as a gaggle of snorkelers passes us, shouting excitedly to one another. I am all for limiting the spread of this invasive species, but it seems odd that tourists would be so gleeful about seeing fish carcasses. I look at the captain questioningly, and he laughs and says, “Look down.” We peer into the clear water just as four green turtles swim past. The smallest turtle is lugging around a chunk of fish gill as big as its own head. You’ve never seen two people enter the water faster. An hour (or possibly two) later, after we’ve shot our fill of turtle photos and heartily debated whether we should bother with another dive or stay put, we clamber back into the boat. We’re still hooting with delight over the turtle bonanza when we gear up to dive at Mushroom Forest. This shallow site, like many others near Westpunt, is dominated by hard coral, but with an unusual twist: The bases of the coral heads have been so eroded that they resemble outsized versions of their namesake fungus. Add in some encrusting sponge for a bit of color, and a dive here has an otherworldly Alice in Wonderland feel. This is likely why it is considered Curaçao’s signature dive. But once again we seem to be the only ones in on the secret. We thank our captain profusely and bid him farewell; the next morning we’ll begin exploring one or two of Curaçao’s numerous shore dives. At this point we have yet to encounter a single other diver underwater, but we fully expect that to change when we pull up at the beach adjacent to the Superior Producer, hailed as one of the best wreck dives in the Caribbean. The ship sank just outside of the harbor in December 1977 when her cargo shifted, and since that cargo included quite a bit of liquor, the event kicked off a party that — according to locals — lasted for two glorious days. The Producer has long since 76 | SUMMER <strong>2016</strong>
ALERTDIVER.COM | 77
Page 1 and 2:
THE MAGAZINE OF DIVERS ALERT NETWOR
Page 3 and 4:
Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe BLANCPAIN
Page 5 and 6:
Diving and Travel Adventures Save 2
Page 7 and 8:
Respond Smarter With DAN First Aid
Page 9 and 10:
FEATURING LINING Immerse yourself i
Page 12 and 13:
FROM THE SAFETY STOP PERSPECTIVES E
Page 14 and 15:
FROM THE SAFETY STOP PUBLISHER’S
Page 16 and 17:
FROM THE SAFETY STOP LETTERS FROM M
Page 18 and 19:
DIVE SLATE 16 REMEMBERING THE ANDRE
Page 20 and 21:
DIVE SLATE ANDREA DORIA As a result
Page 22 and 23:
DIVE SLATE CASHES LEDGE CASHES LEDG
Page 24 and 25:
DIVE SLATE CASHES LEDGE From left:
Page 26 and 27:
DIVE SLATE THE CLICK EFFECT FRED BU
Page 28 and 29: BONNIE TOTH By Maurine Shimlock Hom
Page 30 and 31: DIVE SLATE DAN PSA, EDUCATION AND T
Page 32 and 33: ENCOUNTERS PRETTY BOYS Text and pho
Page 34 and 35: DIVE FITNESS The DAN Guide to Healt
Page 36 and 37: LOCAL DIVING DIVING GEORGIA’S JEW
Page 38 and 39: LOCAL DIVING GRAY’S REEF business
Page 40 and 41: LIFE AQUATIC PARROTFISH: GRAZERS OF
Page 42 and 43: LIFE AQUATIC PARROTFISH in some loc
Page 44 and 45: RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE DAN
Page 46 and 47: RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE ADVA
Page 48 and 49: RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE ADVA
Page 50 and 51: RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE EXPE
Page 56 and 57: RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE SAFE
Page 58 and 59: RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE FROM
Page 60 and 61: RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE FROM
Page 62 and 63: RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE SKIL
Page 64 and 65: RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE INCI
Page 66 and 67: Be Ready To Respond Every day, dive
Page 68 and 69: [ ast of lores INDONESIA’S ALOR A
Page 70 and 71: 68 | SUMMER 2016
Page 72 and 73: sinister sneering dogtooth tuna and
Page 74 and 75: urrow like liquid mercury to move a
Page 76 and 77: Curaçao AN ISLAND TO OURSELVES [ T
Page 80 and 81: een relieved of her booze, but dive
Page 82 and 83: “WE MAKE OUR DIVERS SAFER, SO THE
Page 84 and 85: etain their null hypothesis: Trimix
Page 86 and 87: Above: NEDU’s Executive Officer L
Page 88 and 89: [ BY THE PHYSIOLOGY OF COMPRESSED-G
Page 90 and 91: Hb is normally 97 percent saturated
Page 92 and 93: IMAGING 92 SHOOTER 100 PHOTO TECHNI
Page 94 and 95: IMAGING SHOOTER 92 | SUMMER 2016
Page 96 and 97: IMAGING SHOOTER 94 | SUMMER 2016
Page 98 and 99: IMAGING SHOOTER a secretary at the
Page 100 and 101: IMAGING SHOOTER Chandelier Cave, Pa
Page 102 and 103: IMAGING PHOTO TECHNIQUES THE BIG LI
Page 104 and 105: IMAGING PHOTO TECHNIQUES COMPOSITIO
Page 106 and 107: WATER PLANET CONTINUING A TRADITION
Page 108 and 109: MEMBER TO MEMBER THANKS TO SCUBA, T
Page 110 and 111: GEAR ACCESSORIZE YOUR DIVE By Reill
Page 112 and 113: MARKETPLACE We can attach any under
Page 114 and 115: PARTING SHOT By Imran Ahmad Among W
Page 116: ITS MOST POWERFUL FEATURE IS YOU. Y
show all

AD 2016 Q3

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?