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THE MAGAZINE OF DIVERS ALERT NETWORK SPRING 2016
Publisher
Editorial Director
Managing Editor
Director of Manufacturing and Design
Art Director
Graphic Designers
Editor, AlertDiver.com
Editorial Assistant
DAN Executive Team
Stephen Frink
Brian Harper
Diana Robinson
Barry Rouxel-Berg
Kenny Boyer
Rick Melvin, Diana Robinson
Diana Robinson
Ani Govjian
William M. Ziefle, President and CEO
Panchabi Vaithiyanathan, COO and CIO
Rachelle Deal, Vice President, Marketing
Petar Denoble, Vice President, Mission
VISION
Striving to make every dive accident- and
injury-free. DAN‘s vision is to be the most
recognized and trusted organization worldwide
in the fields of diver safety and emergency
services, health, research and education by
its members, instructors, supporters and the
recreational diving community at large.
Volume 32, No. 2
FOR SUBSCRIPTION OR MEMBERSHIP ASSISTANCE, PLEASE CALL +1-800-446-2671,
OR EMAIL member@dan.org
FOR ADVERTISING SALES, PLEASE CONTACT:
Stephen Frink, National Sales Director, sfrink@alertdiver.com, +1-305-451-3737
Diana Robinson, Ad Services Manager, drobinson@dan.org, +1-919-684-2948
Alert Diver (ISSN 1084-2985) is
published quarterly (four times yearly)
by DAN, Inc., 6 West Colony Place,
Durham, NC 27705 USA.
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DAN Department Managers
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Research, Education and Medicine
Contributors This Issue
Insurance: Robin Doles
Medical Services: Dan Nord
Member Services: Jeff Johnson
Training: Patty Seery
Inquiries or letters may be edited for
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considered for publication.
Letters may be sent to letters@dan.
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Place, Durham, NC 27705 USA.
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particularly as it relates to the improvement of
dive safety, medical treatment and first aid.
Third, DAN strives to provide the most
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information on issues of common concern
to the diving public, primarily — but not
exclusively — for dive safety.
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safety or dive medicine is considered for
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4 | SPRING 2016

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For residents of New York, please contact DAN member services. In Canada, this plan is underwritten by AIG Insurance Company of Canada.

CONTENTS
Spring 2016
Features
64 THE MALDIVES
A NEW LOOK AT AN
OLD FAVORITE
Text and photos by
Stephen Frink
The 1,200 islands of
the Maldives are
spread over 35,000
square miles of
Indian Ocean. This
vast wilderness of
reefs and atolls
features a stunning
variety of reef
dwellers and
pelagics both great
and small.
72 FINDING
TREASURE
IN THE BVI
Text and photos
by Tanya G. Burnett
Steeped in pirate lore
and warmed by
tropical breezes, the
British Virgin Islands
are a playground for
sailors and divers.
The wrecks and reefs
of “nature’s little
secrets” teem with
color and life.
78 GIANTS
OF THE
UNDEAD MED
By Doug Perrine
Far from being dead,
the Mediterranean
Sea is home to
abundant marine
mammals and other
wildlife, including
fin whales, sperm
whales, pilot whales,
many species of
dolphins and more.
ON THE COVER:
PILOT WHALES
Nice, France
By Greg Lecoeur
7th
Place
While sailing in the Mediterranean with
friends, we spotted several big dorsal fins
on the horizon. No sooner had we changed
course to approach them than they came
to us. We stopped the boat, and I put on my mask and fins,
grabbed my camera and eased into the water for one of the
best underwater encounters I’ve ever had. These whales were
very interested in me and swam around me for five long minutes.
Nikon D7000, Tokina 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 lens, 1/160 sec @ f/9, ISO 320,
Nauticam natural light housing; www.greglecoeur.com
82 DIETARY
SUPPLEMENTS
AND HEALTHY
FOODS FOR
DIVERS
By Petar Denoble,
M.D., D.Sc.
Might certain foods
and vitamins provide
some measure of
protection for divers?
Petar Denoble
explores the potential
benefits of a variety
of healthy foods and
dietary supplements.
86 OCEAN VIEWS
2016: CHANGE
THE WORLD
The entrants in this
year’s Ocean Views
photo contest are
truly ambassadors
for our ocean world.
As photographer
Brian Skerry states
in his introduction
to the contest
gallery, “The images
we produce bear
witness to the fact
that this stunning
realm exists.”
A polar bear mother and cubs take a break from hunting seals in Svalbard,
a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. Photo by Amos Nachoum
6 | SPRING 2016

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CONTENTS
Spring 2016
Wire-coral gobies such as this one in Fiji are
widely distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific and
the Red Sea, often found in pairs on the same
branch of wire coral. Photo by Jan Andrews
Departments
10 From the Safety Stop
16 Dive Slate
30 Encounters
32 Dive Fitness
34 Local Diving
38 Life Aquatic
41 Research, Education and Medicine
42 DAN Was There for Me
44 Advanced Diving
48 Expert Opinions
52 Safety 101
54 From the Medical Line
58 Skills in Action
60 Incident Insight
104 Water Planet
106 Member to Member
108 Gear
112 Parting Shot
8 | SPRING 2016

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FROM THE
SAFETY STOP
PERSPECTIVES
SOMETHING FOR
EVERYONE
By Bill Ziefle
For 35 years DAN® has been providing
support to divers in need regardless of
location, time of day, type of diving or
nature of the problem. DAN is always
available with expertise and resources
to handle a wide variety of water-related
emergencies. Whether a recreational diver shows signs
of decompression sickness or a public safety diver
sustains an injury during a rescue, DAN will help that
diver get the medical care he or she needs. The body of
knowledge and experience DAN has cultivated over the
years is available to support the full spectrum of divers,
including recreational, technical, breath-hold, scientific,
public safety and even commercial and military divers.
Divers today are going further than ever before.
Recreational divers, empowered by new technologies
and advanced training, are venturing into the world
of technical diving. The population of technical divers
is small but growing. These divers often experience
extreme environmental conditions, diving beyond
recreational boundaries and often outside welltested
limits. Although these practices are becoming
normalized with time, these divers face many questions
that are not fully answered by current diving research.
Recently, researchers and divers presented on known
safety issues at Rebreather Forum 3, a meeting DAN
co-sponsored. Recreational, professional and military
rebreather divers discussed the latest developments and
evolving best practices. Safety was the key theme, and
participants learned about the most common causes of
rebreather incidents and fatalities in hopes of reducing
their future occurrence. Educational seminars explored
incidents, forensics, equipment design and testing,
advances in medicine and physiology, training and
operations. Future workshops will continue to explore
these issues.
A resurgence of interest in freediving, both recreationally
and competitively, can be seen in the astounding increases
in diving depths and breath-hold times achieved. These
changes in performance have far-reaching implications for
human physiology and safety. DAN continues to monitor
incidents and fatalities associated with breath-hold diving
and has organized research studies to deal with the
specialized nature of the sport.
Scientific divers are another important segment of
the diving community. Many scientific diving programs
rely on DAN’s suite of first aid courses to train their
divers. Developed by physicians and subject experts,
DAN’s Diving Emergency Management Provider
course provides training in first aid, CPR, neurological
assessment, emergency oxygen administration and
hazardous marine life injuries.
Most recently, DAN has begun to explore ways to
support the police officers, firefighters, emergency
services personnel and volunteers who are our public
safety divers. This diverse group of individuals handles
emergencies in some of the most hostile conditions
encountered by divers: inclement weather, zero
visibility, high-velocity currents and waters polluted
by chemicals and biohazards. While their emergencies
may be different from those of recreational divers, they
too suffer short-term and long-term effects from their
diving activities. DAN is now collecting data from public
safety diving incidents and using it to develop new
initiatives to minimize health risks to those divers.
Regardless of the type of diver you are, DAN is working
to make the diving you do safer. Through innovative
research designed to improve our understanding of diving
injuries, improved dive-accident management protocols
and enhanced insurance products to cover the cost of
injuries, DAN is here for all divers.
Last year alone DAN’s medical services department
received 15,793 inquiries and managed 3,460 medical
cases for injured divers. DAN is available to members
and nonmembers alike. More than half the queries
received via the DAN Emergency Hotline come from
nonmembers, so if you know divers who are not DAN
members, encourage them to join. AD
10 | SPRING 2016

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FIRST-AID BACKPACK
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CPR AND LIFE SUPPORT
TRAINING
Basic Life Support: CPR and First Aid Course
Includes a waterproof cover stored in
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In this course, divers will learn life-saving skills
such as how to perform CPR, use an automated
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and symptoms of heart attacks and other medical
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Learn more at DAN.org/TRAINING
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FROM THE SAFETY STOP
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
Capt. Spencer Slate feeds a barracuda with a
ballyhoo clenched in his teeth (photographed in
the early 1990s). Emulating this behavior has
sent several divers to the emergency room over
the years. Just because you see it in a photograph
doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to try it.
DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME
By Stephen Frink
STEPHEN FRINK
Some images take on a life of their own.
That’s my thought each time I see a
Facebook post by Capt. Spencer Slate,
because his profile picture is a shot I
took of him decades ago. Back in those
days he did a “Creature Feature” each
week in which he introduced divers to the critters and
fed ballyhoo to the resident marine life on Key Largo’s
City of Washington shipwreck — usually with the bait
clenched between his teeth. This was an odd thing
to do, even given the tenor of the times in the dive
industry, but fish feeding at this particular site was the
continuation of a long tradition begun by Steve Klem,
celebrated as the “Pied Piper of Pennekamp Park” in a
long-ago Skin Diver magazine feature.
I took that photo when I was shooting for Skin Diver,
and it was one of those crappy days when the wind had
been blowing for a week and the visibility was less than
30 feet. The only way I could get the shot was by using
an extreme wide-angle lens and getting so close to the
action that there was only a foot of that turbid water
between us. Slate and I were so close together that
there was only a very narrow channel for the barracuda
to race through to get the bait. It took a dozen
attempts, but I finally nailed the shot: a frozen moment
in which the barracuda’s mouth was wide open just
nanoseconds from consuming the ballyhoo and made
all the more impressive with close-focus perspective
distortion. The shot made the cover of Skin Diver,
and then it went beyond. I’ve seen it as a postcard for
diving the Red Sea and the Turks and Caicos and on
Ripley’s Believe It or Not as well as in other, mostly
unauthorized, uses.
Carlos Jaile related via Facebook a similar experience he
witnessed while diving the City of Washington some years
after the photo was published. “I remember this picture
well.… I also remember back in the mid-1980s seeing a
photographer and a diver trying to do something similar,
feeding this barracuda or another damn big one and the
guy losing two fingers in the process.”
I can see how that could happen. Given this image’s
wide distribution, it’s not surprising that other
12 | SPRING 2016

photographers would try to replicate the shot. I
tried it again myself with a more beautiful model
(no offense, Slate): My wife, Barbara, was modeling
for me in one of my photo classes in Key Largo, and
she fed the barracuda. Happily, she did so by hand
— even at the height of our youthful risk tolerance
she figured it was not a great idea to put dead fish
in her mouth in hopes that a barracuda might come
by to snatch it away. I was shooting video at the
time, which was unusual for me and bad for Barbara
because it meant I was detached from the action,
seeing the world only through a tiny electronic
viewfinder. Had I been fully engaged I might have
realized the pace was too frenetic and tried to calm
things down a bit. When I played the tape back,
what happened was obvious: The barracuda grabbed
a piece of bait and then hung in the water behind
and to the right of Barbara’s head, just outside her
peripheral vision. She turned her head right and left,
searching for but never seeing the barracuda. She
took another piece of bait from the bag, and faster
than we could comprehend — let alone react — the
barracuda hit. It didn’t bite down (if it had, she would
have lost her fingers as well), but its teeth slid along
her fingers like twin scalpels, shredding them to the
bone. It was a terrible injury, the scars from which
she would carry for life. We left the fish feeding to
the pros after that.
This sort of thing is bound to happen when
photographers and magazines conspire to publish
dangerous in-water activities. There’s a fine line to
walk because no one wants to sanitize all the fun
out of scuba diving. But an enlightened publication
shouldn’t sensationalize reckless behavior or suggest
that it’s something its readers might wish to do on a
dive. Words matter, and so do photos.
I think about that these days when I choose
which shark photos to publish. Shark populations
are being decimated by unconscionable finning
operations, and I don’t want to perpetuate the myth
that sharks are mindless predators eager to devour
all the humans in the ocean. Divers know better than
that, but the general public remains susceptible to
misunderstanding, and sharks can lose big as a result.
For the same reason we shouldn’t take photos of divers
touching coral or puffing pufferfish or riding turtles,
we shouldn’t overhype the hazardous marine life angle.
There are those who, unlike us, haven’t experienced
the world through a face mask. If their only view of
our world is through our lenses, we should carefully
consider their perception of our reality. AD
CLAUDIO CONTRERAS KOOB
CAS DOBBIN
WHAT’S NEW ON
ALERTDIVER.COM
MARVELOUS
MALDIVES
Manta rays, sharks, turtles
and friendly fish — marvel
at the imagery in the
Maldives on Page 64,
then continue the journey
in Stephen Frink’s online
photo gallery.
ART AND DIVING
Discover how the aquatics
team supports the artists
in Cirque du Soleil’s O
(Page 44), then go online
to catch a behind-thescenes
video of how it all
comes together.
CHANGING THE
WORLD
Photography can change the way
people look at the world, and
the winning images of the 2016
Ocean Views photo contest
(Page 86) are proof. Let the
images in the bonus online
gallery continue to amaze you.
REDISCOVERING
A MINE
Travel with Jill Heinerth
to Bell Island on
Page 16, and see more
of her discoveries in the
bonus online gallery.
ALL THIS AND MUCH MORE AWAIT
AT ALERTDIVER.COM
STEPHEN FRINK
COURTESY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL
ALERTDIVER.COM | 13

FROM THE SAFETY STOP
LETTERS FROM MEMBERS
JENNIFER IDOL
CHEERS
Alert Diver has a captive audience
worldwide because of its
storyboard, design, imagery and
attention to detail. Your Winter
2016 feature by photographer
Jennifer Idol, “My Journey to
Dive All 50 States,” was a perfect
example. Thank you for years and
years of promoting awareness of
our ocean planet and engaging the
next generation to create a brilliant
future for diving.
— Ernie Brooks, Lacey, Wash.
My congratulations to Dr. Petar
Denoble on the Winter 2016 article
“The Future of Dive Medicine.”
It is a very clear explanation of
genetic effects in medicine and
a straightforward explication of
molecular mechanisms in genetics.
He is to be applauded. I would like
to see more articles like this.
— Michael Shwayder, M.D.,
via email
SUNSCREEN SOUNDING BOARD
In reply to your Winter 2016
article “Sunscreen Pollution,” I
am saddened to hear that I have
been polluting the environment,
especially coral reefs. I am a
Boy Scout as well as a diver,
and we pride ourselves on being
ambassadors for the environment.
To find out that what we use to
protect ourselves is hurting the
underwater world makes me feel
like I am not doing my part.
I am glad to share that information
with my fellow scout divers, and I
have limited our polluting with the
use of clothing that blocks ultraviolet
(UV) radiation. I will talk with my
dive shop to see if they carry a
marine-safe sunscreen. I will also try
to persuade my fellow divers to use
clothing to cut down on pollution. I
think this will help protect our own
local dive environment, the fresh
waters of the Midwest.
— Robert Fagan, via email
I recently returned from dive trips
to Roatán and the Mayan Riviera.
Increased education and awareness
about sun exposure and its effects
would go a long way to reducing
pollution in our waters.
I think aerosol sunscreens
should be eliminated. I routinely
saw sunburned people spraying
themselves in gusty winds.
14 | SPRING 2016

Their reddish skin suggested the
ineffectiveness of their technique
(or the product), and much of the
sunscreen blew onto other people
or directly into the ocean.
Having had some early warning
signs of skin cancer I have taken
some simple steps to reduce
further effects of the sun, including
the use of UV-protective clothing
such as rash guards, hats and face
buffs. When snorkeling, a full UV
suit with a hoodie lets me play in
the water without worrying about
reapplying messy lotions, which,
as mentioned in your article,
are absorbed into the body with
potentially negative side effects. In
addition to being more effective,
UV-protective clothing is also
more cost effective.
Just taking a close look at the
scum on the surface of resort
swimming pools will give you
some idea what we are doing to
our waters.
— Scott Bodnarchuk,
Beausejour, Manitoba, Canada
My first reaction to Dr. Craig
Downs’ article on sunscreen
pollution on coral reefs was:
“Give it a rest!” Recalling my own
experience diving and snorkeling
in Hawaii while wearing a skin suit,
however, I remembered the futility
of using sunscreen in the water at
all. With my skin suit I was able to
stay in the water for hours with no
WRITE US
Tell us what’s on your mind
by writing to us at:
MAIL
Alert Diver
6 West Colony Place
Durham, NC 27705
ONLINE
Send email to:
letters@dan.org
All letters included in this
column are subject to editing
for length and content.
sunburn. These suits are available
for around $35 online.
— Mark Bergendahl, via email
U.S. COAST GUARD NATIONAL
STRIKE FORCE DIVE TEAM
David Helvarg’s article “Always
Ready: The U.S. Coast Guard
Diving Program” (Winter 2016)
states, “They had a rescue
swimmer program that grew out
of a helicopter rescue tragedy in
1983, but no dive program.” This
is incorrect. I was one of the divers
assigned to the U.S. Coast Guard
National Strike Force Atlantic
Strike Team in Elizabeth City,
N.C., in the 1980s after having
completed the U.S. Navy Second
Class Dive School at the U.S. Navy
base in Coronado, Calif.
The U.S. Coast Guard National
Strike Force dive team consisted
of a 13-member dive team that
had two diving officers and a mix
of U.S. Navy-trained First Class
and Second Class surface-supplied
divers. As a dive team, we traveled
and performed various diving
operations such as safety diving
at the dunker in Norfolk, Va.,
conducting emergency hazardous
material diving training with other
agencies and participating in
the recovery of the space shuttle
Challenger in 1986. The U.S. Coast
Guard National Strike Force dive
team ended in 1986, when the
dive team was disbanded due to
budget cuts.
— Linda Moroz, via email
I really enjoyed the article “Always
Ready” about the U.S. Coast Guard
diving program. It’s good to hear
about collaboration between the
recreational dive community and
our armed forces.
— Wes, Parsippany, N.J.
EYE ALERT
While diving I developed eye
irritation that was so painful I
visited my local emergency room.
The medical staff said it looked
like a chemical burn and irrigated
my eye. After speaking with the
doctor, it seemed that the most
likely cause was the mask defogger
I used. My eye is fine now and back
to normal. In thinking about the
injury, I believe the problem was
that the defogger had gelled when
I used it (it was cold [45-50°F] and
windy). Thus, instead of applying a
couple of drops, I applied a couple
of globs. In all my dive and first aid
training, I have never heard this
mentioned as a hazard. If you use
mask defogger, read the label, and
take care when applying it.
— Darrell Barabash, via email
GOING STRONG
I am extremely grateful to be
able to continue diving at age 90.
My comfort and confidence in
the water are as good today as
they were when I was certified 45
years ago. Of course, I am more
selective about the areas and
conditions in which I dive now. To
minimize accidents, I believe the
certification agencies should try
to ensure everyone who dives is,
first, psychologically capable and,
second, a member of DAN®. I am
certain my physical condition is a
major factor as well — I go to the
gym seven mornings a week for a
vigorous hourlong workout. AD
— James Monaco, via email
RYAN CARPENTER
ALERTDIVER.COM | 15

DIVE SLATE
Cas Dobbin approaches the
anchor hanging from the
bow of the wreck PLM 27.
JILL HEINERTH
16 | SPRING 2016

16 EXPLORING THE HEART OF BELL ISLAND | 20 LIONFISH
23 ELEVATING THE STANDARD OF CARE | 26 DAN MEMBER PROFILE
28 PUBLIC SAFETY ANNOUNCEMENT | 29 TRAVEL SMARTER, EDUCATION SPOTLIGHT
EXPLORING THE HEART
OF BELL ISLAND
By Jill Heinerth
My heart skips a beat as I descend
into the chocolate-brown water
at the entrance to the Bell
Island mines in Conception Bay,
Newfoundland. A freak winter
gale has washed more than 3
feet of brown runoff into the mines during the night.
Our floating dock is stuck to the ceiling, and the diver
prep area is submerged beneath an inflowing river of
melted snow. It’s bone-chillingly cold, the visibility is
low, and I am lugging a large camera, lights and strobes
to capture images in water that I hope will be clear a
few hundred feet into the submerged passages.
The Royal Canadian Geographical Society has honored
our project as its 2016 Expedition of the Year, recognizing
our efforts to reveal the unseen depths of Canadian
geography. The Explorers Club has granted Flag #80 to
our mission, likewise acknowledging the importance of
sharing the secret, submerged assets of Bell Island.
Few people know that Bell Island was attacked during
World War II. In 1942 German U-boats blitzed the
island twice in attempts to disrupt the flow of the highgrade
iron ore being extracted from the mines. Raiding
U-boats sunk the SS Saganaga, the SS Lord Strathcona,
the SS Rose Castle and the Free French vessel PLM 27,
and they blew up the loading wharf on Bell Island. In all,
70 men were killed, and the region’s inhabitants were
awakened to their precarious position on the front lines
of the Battle of the Atlantic.
The goals of our project are ambitious. We are
establishing a visual archive of the history that was
submerged when the first mine closed in 1949 and
the last mine closed in 1966. With no inventory of
mine assets, we’ll be the first to reveal the cultural
history that was abandoned when it became too
expensive to continue the extraction of ore. In addition
to documenting the mechanical and engineering
history of the mine, we will be collecting biological
samples from ferrous oxidizing bacterial colonies and
hydrogen sulfide pools for DNA analysis. For me the
greatest revelations of all will come from physiological
examinations conducted by a team of scientists led by
DAN® research director Neal Pollock, Ph.D.
INNER SPACE
After each dive we rush to stow our gear as quickly as
possible and move up the 650-foot slope to the public
museum area of Mine #2. Pollock and Stefanie Martina
have set up a makeshift lab where they are poised to poke,
prod and query our bodies and minds. I peel off a sweaty
heated drysuit undergarment and lay prone on a mattress
while Martina preps a cold ultrasound probe to place
onto my ribcage. She gently rotates the device to find her
landmark, and a miraculous image appears on the screen.
I watch my beating heart, the valves of which look like a
downward-swimming mermaid in a black void. Martina
doesn’t have to tell me that my mermaid is navigating
a field of bubbles on the right side of the heart. My
decompression stress is clearly visible as rogue white dots
that bounce off the walls and move upward on the screen.
The first time I see it I am slightly alarmed. I feel great,
but Martina informs me I am showing grade IIIb on the
scale of bubbles (0, I, II, IIIa, IIIb, IVa, IVb, IVc and V,
with 0 being no visible bubbles and V being a whiteout).
I assure her that I am an open book and am ready to
publicly share every detail of my results. The questions
begin pouring out of me: Have I been bubbling for my
last 7,000 dives? Is this happening after most or all of my
dives, or is it particular to these cold, physical dives? How
closely correlated are these bubbles with decompression
sickness (DCS)? Pollock is generous with his educational
offerings but careful to explain that these investigations are
anecdotal. We’re all guinea pigs in this world of technical
diving, trying to apply mathematical probabilities to an
infinite set of parameters encompassing bodies, plans and
diving history. We can’t conclude which of the myriad
factors were most important in leading to my bubbles
after so few dives — or even know if the bubbles might
cause long-term issues — but we can certainly try to
reduce stress in future dives in many ways.
ALERTDIVER.COM | 17

DIVE SLATE
BELL ISLAND MINE
Neal Pollock examines expedition diver Steve Lewis using 3-D ultrasound. Jill Heinerth swims
down a mine tunnel, documenting artifacts. Cas Dobbin photographs the SS Saganaga.
JILL HEINERTH
CAS DOBBIN
JILL HEINERTH
Pollock tells me about research that was done on
commercial divers in the 1960s and 1970s, when
many occupational divers were experiencing dysbaric
osteonecrosis. This condition involves lesions of dead
tissue in long bones such as the humerus (upper arm)
and femur (thigh). An extensive monitoring program
of North Sea divers led to changes in diving protocols
that resulted in a reduction in the frequency of cases.
Three factors were identified as important risk factors
at the time: a history of repeated dives below 165 feet,
a history of DCS and a pattern of diving profiles that
could be considered experimental. That sounds much
like technical diving today, which is the reason Pollock
started this study. We tech divers are an odd lot,
participating in an edgy aquatic experiment with our
bodies over time.
The battery of tests, which lasts for two hours
after each dive, includes collection of blood for
microparticle analysis (cell fragments in the blood that
could show signs of decompression stress), collection
of DNA samples for epigenetic study (analysis of how
stress factors can reprogram gene expression) and
testing of lung function.
The tests also include questionnaires about our
dives. Were we comfortable? Were we using active or
passive heating? Was our exertion level high or low?
For me, the questions bring insight and revelations
about my personal diving protocols. I have always
assumed that a warm and cozy diver would be a safe
diver, yet my active heating efforts could be promoting
increased ongassing of inert gas during the deepest
portions of my dives. As I chill during decompression,
relatively still in the cold meltwater, I might not be
offgassing as effectively as I thought. Or perhaps my
additional exertion when taking photographs means
added decompression stress. Diving with me is like
walking a dog. I swim laps around my subjects to
get a shot, shifting my vertical position in the water
column while panting and handling heavy camera gear.
I suppose it’s no surprise that my hardest photo and
video dives netted the highest bubble scores.
One might ask how Pollock’s research could ever
result in valid conclusions if every dive is such an
uncontrolled mess of variables. It might be tough
to publish, but the value of his mission goes far
beyond a published article in a scientific journal. His
most important work may be to reveal to the diving
community that even if we feel great and follow what
we believe to be a conservative algorithm, we may
still face risks now or later in life. His questions and
careful observations create a framework for education
and discussions in the technical diving community.
We really don’t know a lot about our experimental
technical dives, but if we can push for more research
in this field, we should be able to improve our
understanding and safety in the future.
I’ve emerged from the heart of Bell Island with an
indelible image in my mind. My downward-facing
heart-valve mermaid is strong, but I don’t want to
see her navigating a field of bubbling blood again. I
know I need to make some changes that can reduce
my decompression stress. I’m going to re-evaluate
how or whether I choose to use active heating on
cold-water dives. I’m going to add more light exercise
to my decompression hangs and lengthen my last
decompression stop. I hope that with more of this
cutting-edge research we’ll acquire better data to
enlighten our community and usher in a set of
safer protocols.
INTO THE MURKY DEPTHS
The chocolate-brown water yields to a wispy veil of
vaporous white. A dive light casts a warm glow in the
distance, and I emerge into clear water that reveals a
17-foot-high tunnel with squared-off walls. A pair of
rusting metal pipes covered in gelatinous silt lures us
deeper down the shaft, and a hulk of gears and wheels
takes form in the dark room ahead of us. We find a
large pump system and a junction of broken pipes
and gear. Cas Dobbin, an engineer in the oil and gas
industry, looks around at the equipment, noting the
broken valves and severed connections. He files away
18 | SPRING 2016

the information for later, trying
to create a picture of how
steam pipes and dewatering
equipment allowed this mine
to function.
We note a caricature and
name on the wall. Apparently
James Bennett had an idle
moment while working in the
mines and painted his own
pipe-smoking visage on the wall
in lamp black. I photograph our
targets and begin the inventory
of the abandoned mine that
was vacated so quickly that
nobody bothered to take stock
before allowing it to flood.
Around another corner, a small
white cross on the wall gives
us pause. A miner died here,
perhaps from a rock fall or
from being run over by an ore
cart that plunged down the
slope on the tracks below us,
now buried under silt.
The first phase of our project
concludes; we remove the
safety tanks from the mine and
sum up our successes. We’ve
laid the essential guidelines
that will be necessary for
future visiting divers. We have
begun the enormous task of
documenting the submerged
industrial artifacts and will now
begin to share our findings with
the world. The tiny community
of Bell Island will once again
become widely known. The
descendants of the miners
generously recount the folklore
of the region, welcoming a
new wave of curious visitors to
explore the mines and wrecks,
diving through time to touch
the face of history. AD
LEARN MORE
For more information, visit
www.IntoThePlanet.com/
Newfoundland or
www.BellIslandMines.com.
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ALERTDIVER.COM | 19

DIVE SLATE
LIONFISH
COURTESY STUART COVE’S
LIONFISH
MANAGING THE INVASION
By Lad Akins
Why in the world would
someone catch an invasive
lionfish only to let it go again?
First documented along
the east coast of Florida in
1985, most likely as a result
of aquarium releases, Indo-Pacific lionfish have quickly
spread throughout the Western Atlantic, Caribbean and
Gulf of Mexico. The invasion is likely to continue well
into South America through Brazil. Much is now known
about the invasive fish, including their distribution,
reproduction, predation impacts and genetics, which
have all been subject to rigorous scientific study.
Divers and the dive industry have been very
effective at controlling lionfish populations in some
locations through regular, ongoing removals, but
eradication is not possible at this time. One-day
fishing events, such as lionfish derbies, have been
shown to remove large percentages of lionfish across
a wide range, but recolonization can occur within
months. Lionfish removals have been incentivized
A new method of tagging lionfish at depth
eliminates problems associated with barotrauma,
anesthesia and displacement, improving the
data researchers collect about site fidelity,
movement patterns and growth.
by the establishment of lionfish as a highly regarded
food fish, but removal efforts to date have amounted
to “weeding the garden,” with no long-term solution
in sight. Much work is now focused on researching
more effective control tools and techniques, including
lionfish-specific traps, attractants and other hightech
approaches such as deep-sea rovers, undersea
vacuums and more. More information about lionfish
is still needed, however, to better inform control
efforts and design new removal tools, which leads us
to letting lionfish go.
Essential information about any invasive species
includes when, why and how much they move. When an
area is culled, lionfish recolonize it through both juvenile
recruitment and adult fish moving into the territory.
Knowing how much lionfish move is one of the keys to
designing effective diver removal programs, and one of
the best ways to determine movement is through a markand-recapture
study. But marking lionfish can be tricky.
Handling a venomous fish is always a challenge,
but poking, prodding and piercing one with a tag can
20 | SPRING 2016

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be downright dangerous. Most traditional tagging methods involve the
collection of fish using a trap or net followed by a lengthy, slow ascent to
minimize swim bladder expansion and the associated barotrauma. Once on
the surface, the fish are sedated using a specific type of anesthesia. Then the
tag is applied and the fish kept for recovery, which can sometimes involve a
lengthy holding period. (The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires
a 28-day holding period for potentially edible fish that have been subject
to anesthesia.) When the fish are finally released, there can be significant
displacement as well as behavioral changes due to their long absence.
In 2008 researchers at the Reef Environmental Education Foundation
(REEF) along with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) scientists and aquarium professionals began pioneering a
new lionfish tagging method to eliminate barotrauma, anesthesia and
displacement. A 2014 article in Ecology and Evolution describes the
methodology and utility of the new technique, including step-by-step
images and video (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.1171/
full). The article describes a REEF-led study demonstrating that this new
tagging method has significant promise in helping to answer key questions
related to fish movement.
In the study, divers collected lionfish using hand nets in three different
areas in the Bahamas. They applied visual Floy streamer tags (thin strips of
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ALERTDIVER.COM | 21

DIVE SLATE
LIONFISH
plastic with serial numbers and contact information) using the underwater
protocol described in the article. The tagging procedure took approximately
three minutes per fish, and the tagged fish were released back to their
original capture locations within minutes. The lionfish handled the tagging
procedure extremely well; no post-tagging mortality or unusual behavior was
documented in any of the fish.
Opportunistic sightings of lionfish by divers visiting the tagging area and
nearby reefs provided an indication of the success of the tagging work. Of
the 161 lionfish tagged, 24 percent were resighted or recovered between 29
and 188 days after tagging. Of those, 90 percent were found at the same site
where they were initially tagged. Of the fish that were documented to have
moved, movement was primarily between patch reef sites in shallow water.
While 24 percent is an extremely high return rate for a mark-andrecapture
study, one may wonder what happened to the other 76 percent
of the tagged lionfish. Some may have died or been eaten, some may have
moved far beyond the survey area, and others may have migrated deep down
the wall beyond recreational diving limits. For the fish tagged in this initial
study, we’ll never know.
To help mitigate this uncertainty, some researchers are now using surgically
implanted acoustic transmitting tags and remotely deployed receivers that
monitor lionfish positions 24 hours a day. The surgical procedures used in
the acoustic tagging closely follow the visual tagging method and are proving
to be very successful in initial trials. The primary differences between the two
tagging methods are that the surgical procedure requires suturing the tagged
fish following insertion of the tag, which is about the size of an AAA battery,
and also involves a slightly longer procedure time — approximately five to
six minutes per fish. A more detailed study using an acoustic receiving array
is planned for this summer and will provide continual movement data to a
resolution of approximately 1 meter.
In science as in life, the more we learn, the more questions we have. As
the lionfish invasion progresses, the need for information about new tools
and technologies for management and removal continues to increase.
Combining the efforts of divers with the knowledge gained through research
projects enhances our ability to combat the invasion more effectively and
protect our native marine life from a fish that doesn’t belong in this part of
the world. AD
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LIONFISH QUICK FACTS
Distribution: North Carolina to Venezuela;
shallows to 1,000 feet deep
Density: more than 200 per acre (up to
1,200 per acre in some locations)
Reproduction: 12,000 to 40,000 eggs
as often as every two days, year round in
warmer waters
Maximum Size: 18.77 inches (official
measurement); 20.47 inches (unofficial
measurement)
Age of 18.77-inch specimen: 4 years,
9 months
Maximum age: up to 15 years (One
specimen in an aquarium lived for 30 years.)
Genetic makeup: only 9 haplotypes in the
entire invaded territory
Removal success: Two divers removed
815 lionfish in a single-day derby event in
Jacksonville, Fla., in 2015. Derbies have
been shown to reduce lionfish populations
by about 70 percent across 58 square
miles in the Bahamas.
For more information, visit REEF.org/
lionfish or facebook.com/REEFLionfish.
22 | SPRING 2016

In late 2015, as part of
DAN’s Recompression
Chamber Assistance Program
(RCAP), DAN sent staff
to Saba to help improve
medical care for divers.
ELEVATING THE STANDARD OF CARE
By Nicole Berland
MATÍAS NOCHETTO
Saba is a small island, with fewer than
2,000 residents in its 5 square miles
of steep forested mountains. Lovingly
referred to by its inhabitants as the
“Unspoiled Queen of the Caribbean,” the
diminutive Dutch municipality attracts
tens of thousands of tourists to its scenic vistas and
pristine waters each year. Most visitors to Saba return
home with stories about the volcanoes they climbed,
the reefs they explored and the locals they met. Most
will not have had any reason to use the island’s medical
facilities. But the unfortunate few who do become sick
or injured on Saba will find themselves in good hands.
Such was the case during last winter’s Saba Day —
an annual islandwide celebration of local culture —
when a local dive operation activated emergency
medical services (EMS) to investigate a possible case
of decompression sickness (DCS) on one of its boats.
The diver had recently surfaced after a moderately
aggressive dive when symptoms began. By the time
the dive boat arrived at the pier, medical personnel
were waiting to assess the patient’s symptoms
and administer oxygen. The patient demonstrated
signs and symptoms that suggested a mild case of
neurological DCS.
While there’s no such thing as a good day to get the
bends, this was as close to that as possible: Three DAN®
representatives were in Saba, and for the first day in
years a fully staffed and operational hyperbaric chamber
was only meters away. If the incident had occurred any
earlier, the diver would have needed to be evacuated to a
neighboring island, but this was the day the staff at Saba’s
Fort Bay chamber had completed their formal training
through DAN’s Recompression Chamber Assistance
Program (RCAP) and was prepared to receive patients.
The process of reopening the chamber began when
Kai Wulf, parks manager for the Saba Conservation
Foundation and longtime DAN supporter, applied for
a DAN RCAP grant. RCAP is an International DAN
(IDAN) initiative designed to provide assistance to
recompression chambers in need and, through the
international DAN organizations, has served more than
120 underfunded chambers around the world since its
inception. Typically these chambers are on small islands
in remote locations and are sustained by whatever
money they make treating patients or by charging
nominal fees through local dive operations. DAN
provides RCAP grant beneficiaries with the training,
equipment and emergency support they need to deliver
quality care to injured divers.
Saba’s chamber is a perfect example of the type of
operation poised to benefit from RCAP. Donated by
the Netherlands to Saba in 1991, the decommissioned
naval chamber is humble but well maintained and
ALERTDIVER.COM | 23

DIVE SLATE
DAN OUTREACH
in good operational condition.
Because of Saba’s small
population, however, the island
has only two practicing doctors
and not much collective clinical
experience treating divers. The
Fort Bay chamber and its staff
required training and support.
To provide this support, DAN
sent Matías Nochetto, M.D.,
Marty McCafferty, EMT-P, DMT,
and Eric Schinazi, CHT, to Saba
for a weeklong site visit. Nochetto,
DAN’s director of medical
programs, runs DAN America’s
regional RCAP program out of
DAN headquarters in Durham,
N.C. As a DAN medic for the
past 13 years, McCafferty is
frequently a main point of contact
in dive medical emergencies.
Schinazi, a certified hyperbaric
technician (CHT) at Duke
University Medical Center, often
works with DAN because of his
vast expertise with hyperbaric
chamber operations.
The RCAP outreach project
in Saba had three primary goals:
Perform a risk assessment,
conduct training for chamber
operators and attendants, and
establish relationships with the
local physicians and chamber
staff. Risk assessments are tailored
to each facility and allow DAN
to make safety recommendations
and create a customized plan
to help each chamber conduct
its own future inspections and
basic maintenance. During the
Fort Bay inspection, for example,
Schinazi discovered that the
chamber’s fire extinguisher was
out of service — a level-one risk
that would prohibit the chamber
from reopening. The team was
able to service it and leave it
in operational condition with
instructions for preventative
maintenance.
24 | SPRING 2016

MATÍAS NOCHETTO
Saba Health Care Foundation’s
A.M. Edwards Medical Center
Right: The Saba Conservation
Foundation’s hyperbaric
chamber at Fort Bay
MATÍAS NOCHETTO
silver
The team conducted training
modules, introducing, reviewing and
practicing essential skills with the
chamber operators and attendants.
Nochetto also conducted a threehour
session for three local doctors
and 12 nurses that included lectures
about recompression therapy,
oxygen first aid for scuba diving
injuries and a series of case reviews.
According to Dr. Gijs Koot, one of
Saba’s two practicing physicians, “I
learned more in those three hours
than I learned in a week the last
time I underwent training.”
Establishing relationships with
remote chambers is one of the most
mutually rewarding elements of the
site visit, as it makes future emergency
calls run more smoothly. “When you
spend a few days with these people,
share meals with them and get to
know them, you bond with them,”
Nochetto explained. “Then when
they have a case it is easy for them
to pick up the phone and call. That’s
great for us because we won’t make
blind referrals; it’s great for them
because they know we won’t send
them a patient they’re not equipped
to handle; and last but not least, it’s
great for divers because we will only
send them where they can be treated
effectively.” Koot reiterated Nochetto’s
sentiment, saying that the visit “makes
future calls for advice much smoother
now that we know each other.”
When the Fort Bay chamber
received its new patient, the RCAP
visit was nearing its end. Within
15 minutes of being notified that
the diver was demonstrating
symptoms, Nochetto was at the
pier with the attending physician,
Gina Boorsma, M.D., and the EMS
crew, McCafferty was in scrubs and
ready to join the patient and other
attendant in the chamber for the
duration of treatment, and Schinazi
was helping staff prepare the
chamber. It was the first treatment
conducted in that chamber in years,
and for most of the staff it was their
first time treating a patient.
“Nobody likes to hear about a
diver developing DCS,” Nochetto
said, “but this ended up being an
extraordinary opportunity. Not only
did the staff have the opportunity to
put their skills to use immediately
after training, but they also
demonstrated their commitment
to providing exceptional treatment
and did a wonderful job.” After
a U.S. Navy Treatment Table 6
recompression treatment with two
extensions, the patient emerged
almost completely free of symptoms.
With its chamber now up and
running and chamber staff properly
trained, Saba can add recompression
therapy to its repertoire of medical
capabilities. By raising the level of its
operation, the clinic serves not only
the dive community, but also any
members of the Saba community who
may require hyperbaric treatment for
other medical conditions.
Overall, the visit was constructive
for the Saba chamber team and the
DAN team alike. “It was quite an
experience,” McCafferty recounted.
“Everything I saw showed me they
really wanted to know how to take
care of people when necessary. I
would feel very confident if one of
our members needed treatment in
Saba.” Then he added, “And I can’t
even remember the last time I ate
fish that fresh.” AD
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ALERTDIVER.COM | 25

DIVE SLATE
DAN MEMBER PROFILE
STEPHANIE ARNE
By Wendy McDowell
Hometown: Pierre, S.D.
Years Diving: 10
Favorite Dive
Destination: Ningaloo Reef,
Western Australia
Why I’m a DAN Member:
Because accidents happen, and
it’s good to know you have that
extra protection just in case.
Below, clockwise from top left: Preparing to film
Caribbean reef sharks off Grand Bahama; swimming
with porkfish in Key Largo; entering the water in
Bimini, Bahamas, to film great hammerhead
sharks; diving with manatees in Crystal River, Fla.
Opposite: Planting corals with the Coral Restoration
Foundation in Key Largo, Fla.
Scubapro Deep Elite Ambassador and Wyland
Foundation Ambassador for the Planet Stephanie Arne
has the distinction of being the first female host of
Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. She considers diving
a big part of how she came to have the job. Arne’s giant
stride into the underwater world took place at Looe Key,
Fla., in 2006 — only one year after she first set eyes on the ocean.
How has diving changed your life and career path?
Diving is a huge part of my life. I love working in the ocean, showing
people amazing marine life and helping them learn how they can
protect it and be more connected to it.
I always knew I wanted to be a wildlife educator, but I didn’t know
exactly where I would find my place. I’ve worked with zookeepers,
animals, conservationists, ecologists, trainers and rescuers and loved
it all. I also loved teaching at the zoo and in the classroom. In diving I
MUTUAL OF OMAHA
FRAZIER NIVENS
MUTUAL OF OMAHA
MUTUAL OF OMAHA
found a perfect opportunity to educate, and I went to work as a dive
guide and whale-shark spotter in Australia.
Doing educational presentations on the boats was different because I
could teach people about wildlife and then say, “OK, now let’s jump in
and go see everything I just told you about.” I’m always thrilled to see
people experience the feeling they inevitably get when the mysteries
of the ocean world are unveiled to them. I just love watching people
reach the surface and say, “I get it — I see what you were talking about
— everything on the reef is connected, and now I understand how it’s
like that on land, too.” [Stephanie breaks into a Disney song:] I can
show you the world — I wanted to be people’s Aladdin!
You were in your mid-20s at the time. It was just the beginning
for you.
Yeah! After Australia I went to the Honolulu Zoo Society. Even though
26 | SPRING 2016

MUTUAL OF OMAHA
I was working with land animals again, I was on an
island and still involved with the ocean. I collaborated
with Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the
Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine
Sanctuary and the Hawaii Invasive Species Council. I
began doing educational videos for the zoo and became
a regular on the local news channels. Then Mutual
of Omaha had a contest to find the next host of Wild
Kingdom, and boom! When I won, I had the mindblowing
realization that I likely wouldn’t have gotten the
job if it weren’t for diving. The diving was critical for
developing the experience and credibility that helped
me land the job. And now, instead of being limited to
the people in front of me on the boat or in the zoo, I
can share messages about wildlife and conservation with
countless people around the world.
So what’s next?
I started a company called the Creative Animal Inc.
as a speaking platform to raise awareness about the
interconnectedness of everything. Recently
our team started a nonprofit outreach
called the Creative Animal Foundation
to develop a curriculum to take to
corporations and schools all around the
United States. This nationwide tour will
connect people to the planet, empowering
LEARN MORE
www.stephaniearne.com
www.wildkingdom.com
www.creativeanimal.org
them to engage their inner ceative animals and find
ways to live, work and play more sustainably.
Of course you see some really beautiful things while
diving, but you also see the impact of pollution.
What have you seen that has affected you the most?
Ugh. The trash. It’s so bad. And most of it is plastic,
which never disappears. It just breaks up into smaller
and smaller pieces. Animals throughout the food chain
ingest it and absorb the toxins. Take tuna, for example.
Tuna are large predators that eat smaller fish, which
are full of these chemicals, and this concentrates the
toxins as they move up the food chain. When we eat
tuna, we are ingesting the toxins, too.
Then you see animals being strangled by or
choking on trash. It’s heartwrenching to see an animal
struggling with something that could very well have
been yours. Witnessing these things really resonated
with me, and that’s why I’m so incredibly determined
to teach people about plastics and the ocean. Why, for
example, are we even using straws?
I think the key is to learn about how truly
connected we all are — to the food web
that sustains us and to that plastic. It
doesn’t just affect wildlife, it ultimately
affects humans as well because everything
is connected. I think that’s the most
important thing I can teach. AD
ALERTDIVER.COM | 27

DIVE SLATE
DAN PSA, EDUCATION & TRAVEL
PUBLIC SAFETY ANNOUNCEMENT
ARE YOU READY FOR LOBSTER SEASON?
If you’re planning to hunt lobsters this season, it’s
never too early to prepare. Whether you will hunt “bugs”
during the mini season or regular season, here are some
tips to keep in mind.
Evaluate your fitness to dive.
One of the most common causes of diving injuries
is underlying health problems, with cardiovascular
issues leading the way. Participation in lobster hunting
requires good physical fitness. Regular moderate
exercise without vigorous exercise may not prepare you
sufficiently for the physical challenges that can arise
during lobster hunting. Be thorough and honest when
assessing your health status.
Refresh your skills, and check your equipment.
Enroll in a refresher course if you have not used your
dive skills recently. If you have limited experience
hunting lobsters, learn how to do so safely. Review your
gear, and make sure it is properly maintained and in
good condition. Familiarize yourself with new equipment
before using it while hunting lobsters. Most important,
make sure your buoyancy and weighting systems
are dialed in. Good buoyancy reduces your workload,
minimizes stress on your cardiovascular system and
improves the efficiency of your buoyancy compensator.
Know the dive environment.
If you plan to hunt for lobsters at night, be sure you are
comfortable with and experienced in night diving. Boat
traffic may increase during lobster season, so be alert at
depth as well as on the surface. Be familiar with the dive
site, and know if it poses specific safety hazards, such as
entrapment or entanglement hazards or strong currents.
Check your gauges.
Don’t be so distracted by hunting that you ignore your
instruments or your dive plan. The most common factors
in dive accidents are rapid ascents, running out of gas
and panicking. Avoid diving deeper than you otherwise
would, and be continuously aware of your breathing
gas consumption. Constantly monitor your gauges, and
make sure you’ll have enough gas for a safety stop, a
slow ascent and an emergency reserve.
Are you
READY
On average, lobster mini season results in two dive fatalities each year.
1
State
2 20
Days
Hunters
Florida attracts
Mini season lasts
20 deaths
thousands of hunters. for two days in July. in 10 years
GREATER
29%
Completed 60+ Dives
130x DEATH RATE OF
HUNTER DIVERS
IN MINI SEASON
76 FT
Fatal Dive Max Depth NORMAL DIVING DAYS TWO-DAY MINI SEASON
Over 10 years Over the same
there were 3,633 10 years there
48 days outside of were 20 hunting
Average Age
mini season. In deaths out of 20
Florida, 28 divers mini-season days.
50% died while hunting.
Married
DEATHS
28 vs.
DEATHS
2
Average
DAYS
DAYS
Body Type (BMI) 3,633
2
TWO TIPS FOR SAFER MINI-SEASON DIVING
1
MONITOR YOUR GAUGES.
2
Diving fatalities that
TIP
ran low on, or out of,
TIP gas were twice as
likely to be hunters
for
than nonhunters.
THINK THIS CAN’T
HAPPEN TO YOU?
THINK AGAIN.
Mini
LESSON: Check your
gauges often.
REDUCE CARDIAC STRESS
Hunting adds to the
physical demands of
diving. Navigate into
a current to reduce
effort getting back to
the boat, and stay
neutrally buoyant
while diving.
For more information, call DAN toll-free at (800) 446-2671. For emergencies, call our 24-hour emergency line: (919) 684-9111.
28 | SPRING 2016

Travel Smarter
DIVE BOAT ETIQUETTE
To many people, one of the most rewarding aspects of diving is the
communities it brings together. You may find yourself on a dive boat
halfway around the world with people you might never have met
were it not for your shared enthusiasm for breathing underwater.
In such situations you might discover that
conventions can vary widely based on where
you are, who you’re with and what type of boat
you’re on. When this happens, remember that
you can always return to a few basic guidelines
that will help you share the deck with anyone, no
matter where your travels take you.
Don’t talk during the briefing. Learn
what you need to know while also
demonstrating courtesy to your divemaster
and fellow divers.
Mind your gear. Keep your equipment neat
and in designated areas, and avoid putting
heavy objects on elevated surfaces.
Respect the designated dry area. Don’t walk through it
while wet or place wet gear there.
Ask before you click. Not everyone likes showing up on
social media.
Keep your photo equipment tidy. Your dive gear isn’t the only
equipment that takes up in-demand space.
Review hand signals with everyone in your group. Not all divers
are trained by the same agency or speak the same language.
Don’t brag. Diving isn’t a competition, and there are lots of
reasons other divers might use more breathing gas than you.
Manage your time. Show up on time, and
pack/unpack efficiently. (Practice at home if
you need to.)
Know your skill level. If you’re having trouble
perfecting any of your skills, tell a divemaster
or guide.
Use the correct rinse bucket. No one wants to
rinse his/her regulator with your wetsuit.
Be supportive. If another diver seems anxious,
ask how he is doing, and remind him it’s always
OK to call off a dive.
Be respectful and helpful. If another diver is
struggling with something on deck, don’t ignore
it, but always ask before you help out.
STEPHEN FRINK
One of the great benefits of honing your dive boat etiquette is
that there is considerable overlap between courteous and safe.
Sometimes the most basic things are the most overlooked.
Engage smarter: Visit DAN.org for more information on dive
etiquette and many other topics.
Education Spotlight
eLEARNING
DAN ® has recently enhanced and expanded its eLearning platform to include
all DAN first-aid courses. The platform, which can be used with all desktop and
mobile devices, complements the practical portions of each course by allowing
students to review crucial first-aid training material on their own schedules.
“We’re excited to provide this option to our students and instructors,” DAN
Chief Operating Officer Panchabi Vaithiyanathan said. “Not only does it permit
more flexibility, it also frees up more time for hands-on instruction during the
interactive portion of the courses.”
The online learning platform, which DAN will share with allied training
agencies, facilitates the circulation of DAN course materials to broader audiences.
It also has the potential to promote development of new courses.
DAN’s mission is and has always been about safety, and in expanding its reach,
the organization hopes that more people will acquire important first-aid training.
PHOTO CREDIT
ALERTDIVER.COM | 29

ENCOUNTERS
ON ANOTHER PLANET
JAPAN: PART2
Text and photos by Ned and Anna DeLoach
shouldn’t be a diver if
you’re not willing to be blown
out from time to time.” That’s
the advice I’ve been spouting
for years, which has come
“You
back to haunt me as our
traveling troop of five divers stuffs gear into a van doubleparked
in downtown Tokyo. It has been less than two
days since a typhoon chased us off the southern island
of Hachijo. And here we go again, running ahead of the
weather, this time leaving a prepaid apartment two days
early in an attempt to beat a second storm marauding its
Below: Koke-ginpo (blenny),
Neoclinus bryope
Opposite, clockwise from left:
Cocktail wrasse, Pteragogus
flagellifer; juvenile John dory,
Zeus faber; Japanese searobin,
Lepidotrigla japonica; pinecone
fish, Monocentris japonica
way toward our next destination, Japan’s Izu Peninsula.
Did I mention it’s not yet dawn and it’s beginning to rain?
Four hours later Shingo Suzuki, our dive guide and
driver, pulls onto an overlook of Suruga Bay with iconic
Mt. Fuji rising in the distance. Shingo points below to the
inner bay at Osezaki — the most visited dive park on Izu.
Much of the site’s popularity is due to Cape Ose, a long
finger of land sheltering a beach-lined basin a quarter mile
across. In fair weather, experienced divers prefer the rocky
slope on the outside of the cape, but with the seas still
unsettled from last week’s storm, the inner bay is our best
bet for getting into the water. Ten minutes later the van
30 | SPRING 2016

disappears inside a warren of multistory hotels, restaurants
and dive shops crisscrossed by a maze of walkways, paths
and blind alleys cluttered with indecipherable signage.
Without Shingo we would have been totally lost; instead
he has us underwater within an hour.
As expected, much of the bay is a mess. We are 20
feet down the sand slope before the visibility breaks in
our favor. By 40 feet it has improved enough for us to
concentrate on the animals. Unlike Hachijo’s volcanic
shoreline that has plenty of hiding holes to attract sea
life, open sand bottoms offer few safe havens. But as
always, life adapts. Over the ages a thriving community
of crustaceans, mollusks and worms has evolved to
live beneath the surface. To combat all the burying and
burrowing, predators came up with some nifty tricks
of their own. The pair of searobins we encounter at
70 feet are a prime example. The delicate rays of their
ventral fins have transformed into claws for raking
animals out of the bottom, and their pectoral fins have
grown into wings flared to exaggerate their size.
While swimming back up the slope we run into
an assortment of boat hulls and other nautical trash
sunk over decades as fish attractors. They have done
their job well. Through 10 feet of haze we see fish
everywhere inside the sanctuaries. It’s a kaleidoscope
of species different from the Caribbean or Indonesia or
even from the fish we discovered at Hachijo earlier this
week. Diving, like Paris, is truly a moveable feast.
The next morning the weather is worse, but Shingo
is upbeat. He has been checking around and believes
he has the bearing on a juvenile John dory, a species
we have to look up in a field guide to know what he’s
talking about. In the world of Japanese fish watchers,
this is a trophy — a piece of pop art with spines like
spears and a big bullseye tattooed on its side. We
eventually find our fish at 50 feet. But afterward
everyone agrees it’s time to move on.
Futo, the only other dive park open, is a two-hour
drive east across the mountainous peninsula. On the
way, Shingo keeps our minds off the bad weather with
tales of pinecone fish and the possibility of finding a
baby horn shark. When we arrive, fishermen are hauling
boats onto shore, and the few divers around are heading
back up the slope. A motorized cart takes us to a staging
area where a guide rope leading down a concrete ramp
disappears into chest-high rollers. We are able to sneak
in three dives before the growing storm surge forces us
out of the water the following afternoon.
By nature we are a happy bunch, but that evening
while sitting around a table in our hotel restaurant
enjoying a third tokkuri of sake, we’re all feeling
especially good. Even though the edge of the typhoon
howls outside, for the first time in two weeks no one
feels obliged to check on or even mention the weather.
It’s as if all the fretting and anxiety from our dashing
about for two weeks went up in smoke with the stroke
of a magician’s wand. Only good memories remain.
After two more days in Tokyo, I head home with a
tailwind and a new adage to spout, à la Yogi Berra: “A
trip doesn’t have to be perfect to be perfect.” AD
ALERTDIVER.COM | 31

DIVE
FITNESS
The DAN Guide to Healthier Diving
LOWER-BACK
PAIN PREVENTION
GET THE MOST OUT OF
EVERY DIVE VACATION
By Jessica B. Adams, Ph.D.
Photos by Stephen Frink
You have planned financially for
your dive vacation. Isn’t it time
to implement a health and fitness
plan to ensure you feel your
best and can make the most of
your trip? Chronic back pain is
a major health challenge that limits comfortable
participation in many physical activities such as
scuba diving. Prevention is generally much more
practical and effective than treatment. Regular
exercise is a great way to free yourself from lowerback
pain. Getting into the habit of doing exercises
such as the ones in this article is a great way to
promote good spine health.
These stretches are frequently prescribed to
people with lower-back pain for rehabilitation, but
if you currently have lower-back pain, be sure to
consult with your physician or physical therapist
prior to doing these exercises.
Complete these stretches five to 10 times. You
can (and should) perform these exercises daily.
One of the most important areas to stretch for
prevention of lower-back pain is your hamstrings.
Your hamstrings run down the backs of your
legs from your sitting bones (ischium) to just
below your knees, crossing both your hip and
knee joints. Tight hamstrings place unnecessary
pressure on your lower back, which can lead to
pain and musculoskeletal imbalances.
LYING HAMSTRING STRETCH
This stretch is done near a door or wall. The position places minimal stress
on the lower back, allowing you to relax and move deeper into the stretch.
1. Lie on your back with one leg near the vertical surface.
2. Place the opposite leg on the floor.
3. Work the first leg up the wall toward perpendicular, and hold for
20-30 seconds.
4. Lower the raised leg back toward the starting position.
5. Slide your butt closer to the wall, and repeat on the opposite side,
holding for 20-30 seconds.
Tip: Remember to breathe while holding the stretch.
SCISSOR HAMSTRING STRETCH
This stretch allows you to engage both hamstrings simultaneously.
1. Step your right foot in front of your left, about a foot apart.
2. Place your hands on your hips.
3. Keep your hips and shoulders facing forward (the hip of the leading
leg will move forward, make a conscious effort to bring it back).
4. Keep your chest up and your head in a neutral position.
5. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and down.
6. Flex at your hips toward your front leg as far as you can without
bending your knee.
7. Hold for 20-30 seconds while breathing.
8. Repeat on the opposite side.
Tip: Keep both legs straight, but be careful not to hyperextend your knees.
You can avoid locking your knee by maintaining an imperceptible bend in
your front knee.
32 | SPRING 2016

BENT-KNEE SCISSOR HAMSTRING STRETCH
You will feel this stretch higher in the hamstring of your front leg.
1. Step your right foot further forward than in the last stretch.
2. Place your hands on your hips.
3. Bend your right knee.
4. Make sure your weight is in your heel, not your toe.
5. Keep your chest up and shoulder blades down and back.
6. Flex forward, folding at your hips as far as you can.
7. Hold for 20 seconds.
8. Repeat on the opposite side.
Tip: Be sure to have your front foot far enough forward to keep your
knee behind your toe. You can hold onto a secure surface such as a
chair or wall for balance.
PIRIFORMIS STRETCH
The piriformis muscle runs through the gluteal region. A tight
piriformis can place pressure on the sciatic nerve, causing lowerback
and leg pain. This stretch affects both the lower-back and
piriformis muscles.
1. Lie on your back with your knees bent.
2. Place your right ankle on your left thigh.
3. Pull your left knee toward your left shoulder.
4. Hold for 20 seconds, and repeat on the opposite side.
Tip: Make sure you are pulling your knee to your shoulder on the same
side. Try to resist the tendency of the knee to drift toward center.
DEEP PIRIFORMIS/HIP STRETCH
1. Start on your hands and knees with your hands under your
shoulders and your knees under your hips.
2. Keeping your knees in place, swing both ankles to the right.
3. Extend your right leg and step it over your left.
4. Move your hips backward, sliding your right foot back and
bringing your right shoulder toward your left knee.
Tip: Try to keep your left foot from falling behind you. AD
NOTE: To avoid an increased risk of decompression sickness, DAN ® recommends that divers avoid strenuous exercise for 24 hours after making a dive.
During your annual physical exam or following any changes in your health status, consult your physician to ensure you have medical clearance to dive.
ALERTDIVER.COM | 33

LOCAL
DIVING
KEYSTONE JETTY, WASHINGTON
Text and photos by Brandon Cole
Washington state has a wealth of great local dive
sites, and among the standouts is Keystone Jetty
in Fort Casey State Park. After a short ferry
ride from Seattle to Whidbey Island and a
10-yard stroll down a cobble beach, you’re
in the water and surrounded by critters.
When I first dived here more than 25 years ago, I was skeptical. Shore
dives, foreign and domestic, rarely seemed to deliver the abundance
of interesting marine life that has always been my primary
motivator for submersion. But Keystone was an exception and
still pleasantly surprises today. From obscure little species that
will light up the eyes of fish geeks to the big-name Pacific
Northwest celebrity with eight tentacles, it’s extraordinary
what you might bump into.
There are two different dive sites here. The most
frequently explored is “the jetty” — a 75-yard-long
sloping boulder pile stretching from the waterline
out to 60 feet deep that is a manmade breakwater
for the Coupeville (Keystone)–Port Townsend
ferry terminal in the harbor to the west.
Scuba divers should stay on the east side
of the rocks, well away from the
ferry’s pathway. About 250
yards to the east of the
dive site: an abandoned
jetty is the second
wharf 10 yards offshore with
a jungle gym of pier pilings.
We begin our creature quest
in the lee of the jetty in just a few feet
of water. I’m in hot pursuit of pencil-sized
gunnels — eellike beasties in red or camo green that
slither among iridescent algae — when I stumble upon
a decorated warbonnet sporting a spikey hairdo and pouty lips.
It’s definitely one of the coolest characters in this emerald sea. I manage
to get a portrait before it disappears. I could gladly devote an entire dive to this
species, but my buddy shakes her head and points toward deeper water. I obey. I guess
some people feel an hourlong dive in 5 feet of water is not an impressive logbook entry.
The tumbling boulders at 20 to 30 feet are painted pink by coralline algae and orange by
colonies of tunicates. Sculpins, greenlings and surfperch flit about like scaled tropical birds. We
find opalescent nudibranchs, a clown dorid and a lovely alabaster sea slug. The nooks and crannies
are absolutely crawling with crabs — sharpnose, decorators and hermits along with juvenile Puget
Sound kings, kelps and even cryptic hairy heart crabs. Dozens of scallops lie about, smiling at us,
until I move too close for a shot and launch them into a swimming fit. Clapping madly to jerkily jet
in random directions like maniacal sets of flying false teeth, the scallops are a hilarious sight.
34 | SPRING 2016

A northern kelp crab balances
nimbly on a stalk of bull kelp.
Opposite: A smallish giant
Pacific octopus jets through
inky blackness on a night
dive on the jetty.
ALERTDIVER.COM | 35

LOCAL DIVING
WASHINGTON
From top: An old male wolf-eel chomps
a crab; a drysuited diver explores the
maze of pilings underneath the wharf; an
18-inch-long juvenile wolf-eel sports much
brighter colors than its parents.
Lingcod are everywhere. Some valiantly guard clutches of eggs that
look like balls of Styrofoam. At 40 feet deep, I see nestled in a forest of
ghostly white plumose anemones a 4-foot-long monster big enough
to make one’s blood run cold. Rare on many Northwest reefs thanks
to overfishing, lingcod numbers (and epic sizes) here are proof that
protection works. All marine life in this underwater park is protected, so
the rockfish, starfish and cabezon — along with the big brutish lingcod
with his bullying stare — should be here in the future, fat and happy.
With fingers intact we continue deeper, acting on a friend’s tip that
a wolf-eel was recently seen hanging out at 55 feet. I’ve seen both
juveniles and adults at Keystone and never tire of their Muppet faces.
But a pile of crab carapaces and scallop shells catches my eye, and I
forget all about Anarrhichthys ocellatus. The messy midden of a well-fed
giant Pacific octopus (GPO in local diver-speak) is a lure I cannot resist.
Flattening myself on the sand like a halibut, I shine my light into the
shadow under the large rock beside the garbage heap. Sure enough, I spy
a tangle of tentacles with suckers the size of silver dollars. It appears to
be a good-sized specimen at 7 or 8 feet across, perhaps.
For the next 10 minutes we wait, wiggle our fingers, mutter curses
and say prayers; we even offer up tasty-looking bits of already devoured
shellfish, all in hopes of coaxing the wily devilfish from its den. But
there’s no luck today. This octo is more patient than we are, and
probably smarter, too. The current, barely noticeable for the first half of
our dive, is now steadily building, bending the plumose anemones and
trying to tug us toward the jetty end and out into Admiralty Inlet. It’s
time to go. We retrace our fin kicks and return to shore.
Current is the lifeblood of the Pacific Northwest marine ecosystem,
critical for moving the nutrient-rich waters that nourish life large
and small. And things can really get moving at the deeper end of the
breakwater during large tidal exchanges. To safely and enjoyably dive
Keystone, schedule your dives for slack water, the period of minimal
water movement that occurs between changes in current direction. On
days with small exchanges, slack may last 90 minutes or more. On days
with large exchanges, you may have only a few minutes of true slack, but
there is usually enough time for a dive.
Keystone’s second dive site should also be timed for slack tide. The
subsea scenery here provides a nice contrast to the jetty’s jumbled
rocks. While weaving between the wharf’s wooden pilings between
10 and 35 feet, we move slowly to allow close examination of the
encrusting invertebrates. Bouquets of giant feather-duster worms
extend deep purple feeding plumes into the water to snag passing
plankton. Brightly striped painted anemones bloom in green, red,
yellow and mauve — it’s easy to see why they’re nicknamed dahlia
anemones. Sponges and the ubiquitous Metridium anemones carpet
the vertical supports, while leather stars and blood stars use tube feet
to march across the cobbled bottom.
Up pilings, around, down and back up again, we search the matrix
with masks pressed close to the many layers of life. A male buffalo
sculpin is parked on lime-green eggs, while jellyfish drift by. Snails lay
whirls of eggs as the usual crustacean contingent of shrimps and crabs
go about their scuttling business. These pilings are high-rise condos
forming a city in the sea.
36 | SPRING 2016

HOW TO DIVE IT
Getting There
To get to Keystone Jetty, take the
Mukilteo Ferry (25 miles north of
Seattle) to Clinton on Whidbey
Island. Then drive 22 miles north on
state Highway 525, turn left to the
Port Townsend Ferry and Fort Casey
State Park, and drive the remaining
3.5 miles to Keystone. Park facilities
include bathrooms, hot showers,
cold freshwater showers for gear
rinsing, picnic tables, barbecue pits
and plenty of parking. A one-day
pass costs $10, or an annual pass costs $30. For night diving, contact
the park office. Hotels, a campground and restaurants are nearby.
Conditions
Diving at Keystone Jetty is possible year-round. Sea temperatures range from 45°F to
52°F, and visibility ranges from 10 to 50 feet. In general, fall and winter deliver the best
visibility, and summer and fall have the best topside weather. Current is almost always a
factor here; it can be quite strong during large exchanges, so be sure to plan your dives for
slack. Check current tables (use Admiralty Inlet, subtracting 31 minutes for slack before
flood, and adding 1 minute for slack before ebb), and consult the local dive shop. Usually
you’ll want to enter the water about 30 minutes before the predicted time for slack current.
Don’t dive Keystone during a strong south or southeast wind, because the wind chop and
surf break can be formidable.
The abandoned wharf provides
yet more habitat for critters.
Adventure awaits.
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PHOTO CREDITS
My better half with her better eyes spots a pipsqueak of an octopus no
bigger than my fist. It’s going to take many a meal before this little guy
resembles the bruiser we glimpsed earlier. I find a larger GPO tucked
inside a rotted-out piling stump. Then we spot another recluse well down
into a hollow metal pipe lying on the bottom. If only it were nighttime, I
muse, the octo army would likely be out and about, prowling for dinner.
My mind drifts back to an 11 p.m. dive here years ago under a full
moon, when we encountered a big, bold octopus on the sand just beyond
the pilings. What a fantastic dive that was — GPOs, sailfin sculpins, a
wolf-eel, warbonnets….
Oh well, we’ll just have to try again tomorrow or the next day. Great
diving at Keystone is as easy as falling out of the car and rolling down the
beach. So we’ll be back. Keeping it local is hard to beat. AD
800-328-2288
www.caradonna.com
Rates are per person based on double occupancy and include
roundtrip airport transfers (except for Parador Villa Parguera),
hotel taxes and service charges. Rates do not include airfare,
may require specific qualifications, and are subject to availability,
currency exchange and standard terms and conditions. Blackout
dates, holiday surcharges and other restrictions may apply.
CSOT #2111993-40 • WASOT #603254639 • FSOT #ST38781
Tanya Burnett
ALERTDIVER.COM | 37

LIFE
AQUATIC
IN THE COMPANY OF POLAR BEARS
ABOVE AND BELOW THE SURFACE
Text and photos by Amos Nachoum
My life began in Israel, far from
the polar latitudes. But in the
sweltering days of my youth
I dreamed of the polar bears,
icebergs and Inuit of the high
Arctic. I became obsessed with
the vision, and I made it my life’s mission to observe,
study and understand Ursus maritimus — the polar bear.
A half century later I am in Svalbard, hoping to
document female polar bears nursing their cubs and
hunting. Late spring is when to find mothers with cubs;
having recently given birth, the mothers will be wandering
about the shrinking pack ice hunting for sustenance.
Polar bears’ range is largely
within the Arctic Circle, which
encompasses the Arctic Ocean, its
sea ice and its surrounding seas
and land masses. Although polar
bears are typically born on land,
they spend most of their time on
sea ice. They hunt at the ice edge
and live primarily off their fat
reserves when no sea ice is present.
These bears have evolved to
occupy a narrow ecological niche:
They are highly adapted to the
cold and capable of covering great
distances over snow, ice and open water. They’re also
very adept at hunting seals, which make up most of their
diet. Because of expected habitat loss in the changing
global climate, the International Union for Conservation
of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has classified
polar bears as “vulnerable,” and at least three of the 19
polar bear subpopulations are currently in decline.
Each day we set out on snowmobiles with camera
gear and enough food and clothing for 12 to 14 hours.
We synchronized our days to optimal light and the
bears’ hunting patterns. There are no words to describe
the experience of driving fast through totally white
hills, moving from one fjord to the next and stopping
every so often to take in the amazing landscape before
us — it engendered a profound feeling of being alive.
On the third day our guide, Einar, spotted movement
about two miles away. Through his balaclava he
whispered, “Mother and cub.” I looked through my
binoculars and beheld the remarkable vision of a bear
moving slowly along the ice with two cubs strolling
behind her. They sniffed the air and the ground, trying
to find a seal hole. Our guide calculated the wind
direction and set about determining our best position
with regard to light and proximity.
For the next three hours we shadowed the family.
Before long the mother bear stopped to sit. She exposed a
black nipple to nourish the cubs with her milk. We closed
the distance to 100 yards, and I quietly set up a tripod on
the ice and mounted my camera’s 600mm lens to capture
this tender moment among apex predators (see Page 6).
The feeding lasted for about 15
minutes, and then the family fell
asleep on the ice right in front of
us. We had no choice but to stay
put until the two rambunctious
cubs began chasing each other and
the somnambulant mother moved
them on their way again. Only then
could we move as well.
The mother had to hunt. She
would not have eaten during
her pregnancy, and nursing two
demanding young ones meant she
needed food for them all. I saw her
place her head close to the ice, sniffing, and then raise
her head, close her eyes and sniff again. Einar informed
us she was seeking a seal somewhere nearby.
Stopping his snowmobile, Einar went totally silent,
picked up his binoculars and with a hand signal
demanded we be still. The mother bear had positioned
herself with her hindquarters in the air and her nose
nearly touching the ice. Einar whispered to us that she
was on high alert and that this was a good hunting hole.
We would have to be extremely quiet as any sound above
the ice would be amplified greatly beneath it. We could
scare the seal away from the hole and cause the bear to
lose her opportunity. Slowly and with great care we set up
our cameras and tripods. For once I was wishing for those
hot sunny days in Israel — I was freezing my butt off.
We had been there for almost two hours when
suddenly the bear stood up tall and with lightning speed
38 | SPRING 2016

Photographing polar
bears has been a
lifelong obsession
for Amos Nachoum.
Staging expeditions to
the Arctic specifically
to encounter them has
been rewarding and,
at times, harrowing.
For more information,
visit BigAnimals.com.
ALERTDIVER.COM | 39

LIFE AQUATIC
POLAR BEARS
straightened her front legs and used them like a hammer
to smash through the thick ice. Her rear legs went up
in the air as her body plunged through the ice. Seconds
later she was buoyed up in a big gush of water, holding
a seal tightly in her powerful jaws. The circle of life was
complete. The seal would provide the nutrition for the
bear and her cubs, and, thanks to Einar, we
were there as silent witnesses.
My obsession with polar bears likewise led
me to the water. Eleven years ago I went in
search of a diving adventure in the High Arctic,
eager for an opportunity to dive with a polar
bear. Upon spotting a bear, I planned to hang
motionless in the frigid water at 30 feet, along
with a safety diver, and wait for the bear to
come toward us. At least that’s how I thought it
might work out.
Instead, I entered the water to find the bear was already
making its way toward me. Looking behind me for my
safety diver, I discovered he was not there. Smart of him!
When I turned back, the bear was only 10 feet away from
me. At that point, my best move seemed to be to descend,
but every time I looked up, the bear paws above my head
loomed nearer. Cold fear entered my mind, but with each
breath I took comfort in knowing I still lived.
We dived together, the bear and me, in a deadly race
to the depths. I equalized as well as I could and purged
all the air from my drysuit. A quick glance at my gauge
told me I was at 80 feet, and that’s when the bear finally
leveled off and began to ascend. I would survive to try to
photograph a polar bear underwater another day, but the
experience was terrifying. Back on the boat I discovered
my safety diver had an equipment malfunction and had to
abort. Would the polar bear have been so aggressive with
two divers in the water? I’ll never know.
In August 2015 I finally had a chance to redeem
myself with another attempt at the underwater polar
bear encounter of my fantasies.
As luck would have it, a brilliant photographer and
filmmaker from Israel, Yonatan Nir, had decided to
produce a movie about my life and career in the company
of ocean giants. He was aware of how important it was to
me to get that underwater polar bear photo, for there are
few such images in the world, and I had yet to get mine.
We trekked back to the High Arctic accompanied by
remarkably talented Arctic filmmaker and longtime friend
Adam Ravetch and his team of Inuit guides.
We were finally able to set out to sea on the third
day of our expedition; the first two days had been
far too windy to safely be out in our boat. Our quest
was to document a mother and her cubs swimming.
We saw a single bear at first, but I passed on that
There is very
little conventional
wisdom about how
polar bears will
interact with scuba
divers because few
have actually dived
with them.Based
on at least one
of the encounters
Nachoum has
had, considerable
caution is prudent.
option, thinking of my
previous misadventure.
A few hours later we
spotted a female and
her two one-year-old
cubs climbing onto
a small island. Our
guides expected them
to traverse the island
and swim to the mainland. By the time we motored
around the island, the family of three was already in
the water.
We moved along slowly, 300 yards from the bears,
trying to determine what direction they were headed.
When it appeared their course was firmly set, Adam
and I dressed for an in-water encounter, waiting until
the last minute to splash to be sure we were in the
bears’ path.
We stayed in place, treading water on the surface. As
long as we could see the bears and they could see us,
all was well. We remained where we were, and the trio
continued swimming in our direction. So far, so good.
When the bear family got within 25 feet of us, we
exchanged a thumbs-down signal and started our
descent to 20 feet. We had 50-foot visibility and 40°F
water (pretty good conditions, all things considered).
During my slow descent I kept my eyes on the
approaching bears, preparing to dive to safety if needed
but hopeful to capture iconic images instead. Happily,
the bear family swam peacefully over our heads. While
Adam filmed and I photographed the passing bears,
one of the cubs couldn’t resist diving down toward me
for a closer look. It came within 3 feet, looked at me
and left me in its wake to follow its mom and brother.
I hovered in the water, transfixed by the realization
of what had just, finally, happened to me. The pursuit
of this image had been more about the quest than the
photo. My sense of what an in-water encounter with
polar bears could be had been recalibrated. My personal
mythology of the polar bear had a new dimension. I
found myself considering our mutual vulnerability and
envisioned a world in which the future of polar bears,
Inuit culture and the pristine wilderness of the High
Arctic could survive — even flourish. AD
40 | SPRING 2016

RESEARCH
EDUCATION
MEDICINE
A pod of beluga whales gathers in
the relatively warm, shallow waters
of Hudson Bay near Churchill,
Manitoba, to give birth, molt and
feed on capelin before heading
back to the Arctic.
ELLEN CUYLAERTS
42 DAN WAS THERE FOR ME / 44 ADVANCED DIVING / 48 EXPERT OPINIONS
52 SAFETY 101 / 54 FROM THE MEDICAL LINE
58 SKILLS IN ACTION / 60 INCIDENT INSIGHT
ALERTDIVER.COM | 41

RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE
DAN WAS THERE FOR ME
An Unusual
Diagnosis
By Marty Snyderman
The expedition
began in
confused
seas with a
37-hour-long
crossing that
should have taken 10 hours.
Following that delightful opening
act, during my safety stop at the
end of our first dive I watched
an expedition member ascend so fast from 80 feet that the
upper half of his body launched out of the water.
I surfaced and signaled for help. By the time we got
the diver aboard the boat, he was showing signs of
decompression sickness (DCS). The divemasters tended
to him, and I contacted DAN® to arrange an evacuation.
That event, which took place in the early 1990s, was the
first time DAN’s emergency medical support team was
there for me. To ensure I was prepared for that sort of
scenario is exactly why I became a DAN member in 1988.
I never imagined how DAN would help me the
most recent time I called on them. I was at a party one
evening during the Diving Equipment and Marketing
Association (DEMA) annual trade show. One minute I
felt fine, and the next I felt really strange. I was spatially
disoriented and had difficulty keeping my balance.
I fought the symptoms for a few minutes, but I
couldn’t will them away. I needed help getting back to
my hotel room, and that journey took several hours,
during which I had to sit down, put my head on a table
and close my eyes. When I tried to walk I was told I
was walking in a straight line, but I couldn’t tell. My
world felt surreal.
I went straight to bed and felt much better when I
got up the next morning. After eating breakfast, I went
to the convention center. I felt normal for a couple
of hours, but then my body betrayed me again. Once
again I needed help.
I flew home to see my doctor as soon as I could.
Based on my report and his exam, he sent me to a
neurologist, an audiologist, a seizure specialist and an
ophthalmologist. All were looking for tumors or other
significant problems in my brain and my auditory and
visual systems. This was serious stuff.
As I went from specialist to specialist several times a
week for almost two months, I heard statements such as,
“If we see things we don’t like today, we will take away
your driver’s license” and “This could end your diving
career.” I was scared — about my health and my future.
I was also frustrated. When I tried to describe my
symptoms, I felt there was a serious disconnect between
what I was saying and what the doctors were willing
to hear. I am not suggesting that the tests I had were
unnecessary — of course we had to consider the possibility
of a tumor or similar problem. But long before that night
at the DEMA show I had experienced some things while
diving that I thought might be relevant, and I wanted the
doctors to listen. Every time I tried to discuss the issue
with the specialists, however, I was told that my diving
history was not relevant. I wasn’t so sure about that.
So I called DAN and spoke with Jim Chimiak, M.D.,
who advised me to continue with the medical tests and
keep him posted.
Nothing notable showed up on any of the tests, but
I experienced a few more minor episodes that were
similar to what I experienced at the DEMA show.
During a long and thorough follow-up call a few
weeks later, I told Dr. Chimiak that the sensations I
experienced at DEMA reminded me of how I felt when I
had a very serious bout of ciguatera. I had the foodborne
illness almost 20 years earlier after I ate some grouper
or snapper in the Bahamas. The symptoms also were
reminiscent of how I felt after experiencing carbon
monoxide poisoning during a dive four years earlier.
KAREN VAN HOESEN
42 | SPRING 2016

MARTY SNYDERMAN MARTY SNYDERMAN
MARTY SNYDERMAN
Clockwise from top: Great white shark at Guadalupe Island,
Mexico; California sea lion in the Gulf of California; spinner
dolphin in Hawaii
Note from Snyderman: “These photos were taken after I was cleared to
return to diving. I would not have enjoyed any of these encounters or
captured these images without DAN’s help.”
Opposite: Ian Grover, M.D., examines Snyderman at the
UCSD dive medicine clinic.
While Dr. Chimiak found this information
interesting, he couldn’t say there was a direct link,
but he told me that a statistical correlation exists
between people who have had ciguatera and/or carbon
monoxide poisoning and those people experiencing
severe optical migraines later in life. These migraines
can manifest in some very strange ways.
The DAN team referred me to the dive medicine
clinic at the University of California, San Diego, for a
follow-up exam. This clinic is staffed by doctors who are
board certified in undersea and hyperbaric medicine. At
the clinic I had a comprehensive interview that covered
my medical and diving history, and during this fourhour
evaluation I shared my experiences with ciguatera
and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Ian Grover, M.D., the attending physician, spoke
with Dr. Chimiak several times during my
appointment, and they concluded that I was very
likely experiencing some unusual — and unpleasant —
optical migraines. They agreed that I could dive as long
as I could manage these events. That meant I could
continue my career as an underwater photographer
and keep doing what I love in life.
The doctors I saw previously were on the verge of
telling me I should end my diving career. But the DAN
team listened to me, considered unusual possibilities,
discovered the root of my problem and referred me to
a physician trained in dive medicine, who evaluated me
and cleared me to dive.
In yet another follow-up call, Dr. Chimiak suggested
that I wear sunglasses in places with unusual or
unpleasant lighting, which can trigger the type of
migraines I experienced. On several occasions I have
felt a migraine event coming on, and in every instance
so far my symptoms
have subsided within
minutes after I put on
my sunglasses — and
I look cool.
I am truly grateful
that DAN was there
for me. AD
SHARE
YOUR STORY
Has DAN been there for you?
Tell us about it at
ThereForMe@dan.org.
ALERTDIVER.COM | 43

RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE
ADVANCED DIVING
Empowering a Spectacle
By Robert Soncini
Cirque du Soleil’s O is a
performance like no other.
Its stage is a 25-foot-deep
pool, and its artists require
carefully choreographed
assistance from a team of 14
divers throughout the show.
It is 6:30 p.m. in Las Vegas, Nev. In a small
office at the Bellagio Resort and Casino, the
dive plan is called into action: “… Jorge as
Philemon, Anja as Aurora, Benedict as Le
Vieux … duo trapeze with the Alimovas … 15
artists in Barge ….” This is not a typical dive
plan. At this briefing, members of the aquatics team are
discussing the lineup for tonight’s performances of O
by Cirque du Soleil. Meanwhile, 1,800 guests are filing
into the theatre to witness the spectacle.
For more than 8,000 shows, the team of divers,
known as artist handlers, has functioned as the show’s
safety divers, trained its staff
and given support behind the
scenes and beneath the surface
of “the stage” The stage is a
1.5-million-gallon, 25-foot-deep
pool that is heated to 87°F and
equipped with seven hydraulic
lifts that allow the performance
to take place anywhere from 18
inches above the surface to 17
feet below.
During each show 14 divers
work in perfect synchronization
— according to their own
choreography — with what is
happening on stage. They rely
on guidance from “the crow’s nest,” a console 45 feet
above the stage, in which a member of the aquatics team
monitors six carpenter divers and two rigger divers.
These divers are responsible for prop manipulation and
scene set up and teardown, all of which they do while on
scuba. Four other members of the aquatics team focus
on supporting the artists by providing them air and
swimming them to and from various places in the pool,
which is integral to the theatre magic.
Two aquatics team members wear full-face masks
and function as “divecomms.” These divers are in
direct contact with the crow’s nest via hardwired
communications — they observe firsthand what
is occurring underwater and report any delays or
maintenance needs to the crow’s nest. In the crow’s
nest, the operator monitors seven closed-circuit
television screens that show different views of the
stage both above and below the water. The crow’s nest
monitors the status of the pool and communicates with
stage management about when it is safe to take the
next cue to keep the show moving forward. Between
artists and technicians, it takes nearly 200 people to
put on the production that is O.
Though the name of the show is simple (O is the
phonetic pronunciation of the French word for water,
eau), the production is anything but. Before the show’s
creation in 1997, there was no precedent for such a
performance. The creators literally wrote the book that
laid the foundation for this sort of production, and other
shows around the world have since been modeled after
O. The technical team is well
versed in stagecraft, having
worked on other shows in Las
Vegas and around the world, but
the aquatics team is unique to O.
The aquatics team, which
is made up of divemasters
and instructors with diverse
experiences and backgrounds,
includes recreational scuba
professionals, engineers,
commercial divers, search and
rescue divers, boat captains and
cruise ship workers.
The artist handlers’ job is
quite different from that of a
traditional stagehand. First and foremost, these divers
focus on safety. The entire production team is proud
of the show’s safety record. Aquatics team members
frequently rehearse rescue procedures, emergency
responses and contingency plans. Each team member
completes a custom lifeguard training program as
well as an American Red Cross Emergency Medical
Response course. Aquatics team members also provide
scuba training for their colleagues when the show
requires it, training technicians as rescue divers and
artists as basic confined-water divers. They also train
the technicians in DAN’s Emergency Oxygen for Scuba
Diving Injuries course.
The artist handlers’ diving rig is truly unique. Each
diver has four second stages attached to the first stage:
one for him or her and three to hand to artists as needed.
In the pool, an additional 35 regulators are connected to a
hookah system that artists can swim to and breathe from
COURTESY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL
44 | SPRING 2016

COURTESY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL
ALERTDIVER.COM | 45

RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE
ADVANCED DIVING
at any time. At one point during the show each artist
handler has to support six synchronized swimmers
while preparing to establish a platform for other
artists. The artist handlers hand off two regulators
from their rigs and carry small pony bottles with
four more regulators for the artists to use.
Following the preshow briefing, divers conduct a
series of in-water checks. The opening act is known
as “Pied Deux,” which translates to two feet. The lifts
are positioned 15 feet underwater, and a large red
floating curtain lies on the surface. The aquatics team
spreads out and places a matrix of 15 regulators,
which are connected to a hookah system. Artists
enter the water approximately three minutes before
the show begins. As they swim to the center of the
pool they receive regulators from the divers and
are hidden from the audience until the show starts
and the curtain opens. Once the artists are in position, the
divecomms hit the cue lights to indicate that everyone is in
position and the show can begin.
When the show starts, the lighting in the pool
fades to black. Relying on ambient light, the divers
watch the artists as they invert to begin Pied Deux
and then drop the regulators from their mouths.
When all the regulators are clear, the divers strike the
hookah lines from the stage and stow them for their
next use. This kind of sequence plays out many times.
Each artist handler is responsible for his or her own
“cue track,” a predetermined sequence of actions that
take place during the show. Each cue track proceeds
independently of the other cue tracks but is completely
reliant upon the execution of the others. The aquatics
department is responsible for six in-water cue tracks.
Built into each cue track is a series of “catches,” which
are some of the most difficult elements of a cue track.
During a catch, an artist enters the water from
above, usually from an elevated platform. The
crow’s nest watches and calls out the action over the
underwater speakers. When the artist enters the water
he holds his hands out and waits for the handler to give
him a regulator. The artist then places the regulator in
his mouth, purges it and swims with the diver to the
next position or exit. At this point in the performance
the diver and artist exhibit significant mutual trust.
This trust is cultivated from the time a new artist or
artist handler joins the show.
Cirque du Soleil artists are world-class athletes;
some are Olympians with gold medals. They regularly
perform feats such as a six-minute trapeze routine
followed by a drop from 40 feet in the air into a pool
where they await a regulator so they can take their next
breath. The divers must be dynamic in the way they
The aquatics team, artists
and technicians are a
close-knit group; together
they put on 475 shows
in 2015.
work underwater, responding quickly to unforeseen
situations with artists.
O is a melting pot of talents, backgrounds and
cultures, which brings challenges as well as rewards.
Currently 20 countries are represented in the show,
and the many native languages — not to mention
regional scuba jargon and hand signals — often present
communication challenges. Translators assist as
needed to ensure information is clear and understood.
The O cast and crew are proud of their heritage
and nationalities. A few times a year the entire team
gathers for an international food day during which
they bring a dish from their home countries. There is
also a green room in which the artists and technicians
gather for holiday parties, potlucks and sporting
events. American football games are always popular,
but international sporting competitions such as the
FIFA World Cup or the Olympics bring particular
excitement to the green room as everyone roots for his
or her home country.
Due to the nature of show business, O team
members often work on holidays and always perform
on Saturdays and Sundays. The full schedule — there
were 475 shows in 2015 — means cast and crew
members must often miss birthdays, anniversaries
and holidays with family. The O cast has become a
second family for many team members, who celebrate
holidays, births and marriages together.
As spectators exit the theatre, they leave with a
vision that allows them to create their own story of
O based on how it affected them. Ask cast members
why they like working at O, and they often will say it is
because of the people. While the aquatics team is just
a small part of the show’s success, its role is vital for
creating the spectacle that is O. AD
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL
46 | SPRING 2016

Smarter Diving
Begins Before Your Dive.
Dive Smarter With DAN’s Online Resources.
Before getting into the water, smart divers learn how to identify and effectively manage the risks of
diving. With DAN’s Online Case Summaries, divers can read about real diving incidents with expert
commentary on how to prevent similar scenarios. With topics ranging from out-of-air emergencies
to hazardous marine life encounters, every diver can enhance their dive safety knowledge. To prepare
smarter for your next dive or to report a diving incident, explore DAN.org/DIVING-INCIDENTS.
DAN.org/DIVING-INCIDENTS

RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE
EXPERT OPINIONS
Physical Fitness for Diving
By Neal W. Pollock, Ph.D.
The physical fitness requirements
for diving depend on a number of
factors. While this makes establishing
a single standard challenging, it can
also lead to interesting discussion.
At the most basic level, divers need
to be able to easily meet the normal demands of diving
with a fitness reserve sufficient to meet the additional
demands of emergency situations. Environmental
conditions dramatically influence “normal demands.” Calm,
warm tropical waters are generally much less taxing than
colder water. The demands increase as equipment, sea
state, and entry and exit conditions intensify.
Diver skill also plays an important role in determining
the demands of a dive. A diver with excellent buoyancy
control wearing minimum ballast weight will work far less
than a diver fighting improper weighting or having less
refined buoyancy control.
Similar issues exist in
establishing reasonable
physical fitness buffers to
handle emergency demands. Open-Water Testing Scenario*
Environmental conditions, 219-yard (200 m) surface swim in
equipment worn, proximity full gear
to a safe exit, available
109-yard (100 m) rescue tow (both in
surface support and even full gear)
the buddy’s physical fitness, Beach/dock/boat removal of victim
size and skill have influence.
While the highest level of
physical fitness is desired, Basic life-support simulation
a practical approach
35 (male) / 25 (female) military-style
is to consider minimal
push-ups
competencies.
HOW TO EVALUATE
PHYSICAL FITNESS
A review of health history may be sufficient for healthy,
active individuals. Functional fitness tests help ensure
that a person is fit for diving. These can often be
conducted in a pool or in open water. Lab-based tests
of physical capacity may be appropriate in the case of a
poor history of physical activity, concerns about safety
during performance tests, or the presence of potential
medical issues.
FUNCTIONAL FITNESS TESTING
Functional fitness testing has natural relevance to
real-world activity. One simple series was proposed to
evaluate recreational divers. 1 Divers would demonstrate
the following capabilities: 1) lift and carry individual
items of diving equipment on land; 2) stand from sitting
and walk 100 feet in standard scuba equipment; 3)
ascend a 5-foot vertical ladder from the water wearing
standard scuba equipment; and 4) swim underwater at
0.5 knot for 30 minutes and at 1.2 knots for 3 minutes
wearing standard scuba gear.
Another approach was proposed for scientific divers,
focusing on rescue capabilities. 2 Evaluations followed
a normal dive to start with typical fatigue levels. Since
open-water environments are not available year-round
in all places, a pool modification was also provided.
The details can be seen in Table 1.
Table 1. Proposed physical fitness test for scientific divers to be completed
in continuous sequence
* immediately following a working dive
** immediately following underwater skill drills
Pool Modifications**
328-yard (300 m) surface swim (full gear,
no suit)
220-yard (200 m) rescue tow (full gear,
no suit)
Poolside removal of victim with both victim
and rescuer wearing 15-pound (7 kg)
weight belts
Same
Same
CORKY WAGNER
48 | SPRING 2016

TRANSLATING FUNCTIONAL FITNESS
TEST RESULTS
Aerobic capacity (VO 2 max ) is defined as the maximum
amount of oxygen that can be consumed per unit of
time. This is classically determined with a continuous,
progressive exercise test to exhaustion. While too involved
for general use, VO 2 max is a standard for referencing
overall fitness. The complicated units of milliliters of
oxygen consumed per kilogram body mass per minute
(mL/[kg·min -1 ]) can be simplified by converting VO 2 max
values into metabolic equivalents (METs). MET max
is determined by indexing VO 2 max to resting oxygen
consumption (assumed to be 3.5 mL·kg -1·min -1 , or 1 MET).
The higher the MET score, the higher the aerobic fitness.
An example of the conversion follows:
MET capacity (MET max ) = VO 2 max (in mL·kg -1·min -1 ) ÷ 3.5
e.g., 49 mL·kg -1·min -1 (VO 2 max ) ÷ 3.5 = 14 METs
GETTING FIT FOR DIVING
The key to being physically fit to dive is to find a way to
stay active. The goal is to build or maintain reserves to
delay the point at which activity patterns have to decline.
Optimally, divers will be significantly physically active
daily and bolster this with 30-60 minutes of trainingquality
activity three to four times per week. A mix of
activities is generally best to reduce the risk of injury and
boredom. (For suggested exercises, read our Dive Fitness
articles in each issue or online at AlertDiver.com.)
Physical training should target three key elements:
strength, aerobic capacity and flexibility. Low-impact
activities reduce the risk of injury, and activities that
involve water provide the added benefit of improving
comfort in the diving medium.
FIELD MEASURES OF PHYSICAL FITNESS
We conduct field evaluations of diver physical fitness as
part of many of our research studies. We record a variety
of measures to provide a snapshot for participants, often
motivating them to improve their numbers.
BODY MASS INDEX (BMI)
Body mass index (BMI) is not a measure of body
composition; it is simply a ratio of weight to height (weight
in kilograms divided by squared height in meters). Despite
this, BMI is used to predict body composition since it is
more common for an increase to reflect an accumulation
of fat than lean tissue. While convenient, BMI can provide
a poor estimate on an individual basis, requiring common
sense for interpretation. With this caution in mind, those
with BMI values outside the desirable range should have
their body composition evaluated further. If a high BMI is
the result of excess fat, lifestyle changes that incorporate
additional exercise and dietary changes are recommended.
Table 2. BMI measurement classifications
NEAL POLLOCK
A diver with good buoyancy control should work little
during a typical dive. A skilled diver swimming at
no more than 0.5 knot could be working at around 3
METs. A diver maintaining a pace of 1.2 knots could
be working in the 10-12 MET range. We inferred
workrate from open-circuit gas consumption during
959 recreational dives and conservatively estimated a
mean workrate of 5 METs. 3
Classification BMI (kg·m -2 )
Underweight

RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE
EXPERT OPINIONS
age-dependent (see Table 3). Ratios
(and health risk) can generally be
improved by modifying exercise and
dietary patterns.
BODY FAT
A certain amount of body fat is required
to maintain health. Too much fat,
however, puts a strain on the heart and
other systems. A slow upward creep in
body fat with age is common and can
be problematic. The best way to reduce
excess body fat is to combine diet and
exercise efforts. Dieting alone will
cause the loss of muscle tissue
and a reduction in metabolic
rate that will ultimately make
excess weight come back faster.
Numerous formulas can predict
percentage of body fat using
different skinfold measures.
PUSH-UP CAPACITY
Push-up capacity is a convenient
measure of strength. The
normative data require a military
push-up through the range of
motion from full extension of
the arm to the elbow bent at 90
degrees. Starting from the upright
position with the elbows fully
extended, the push-ups are done
at a steady pace until they can no longer be continued.
Performance can be markedly improved with training.
SIT-UP CAPACITY
Sit-up capacity is another convenient measure of
strength, but it is important to note that the norms are
based on a style of sit-up that should be used only for
testing. Anchoring the feet flat on the floor allows a
strong hip flexor (psoas major) to power the movement
instead of the abdominal muscles, potentially
increasing back discomfort that sit-ups are also used
to reduce (because the psoas major pulls the lumbar
spine forward). Sit-ups (or “crunches”) are more
appropriately done from a starting position with the
thighs perpendicular to the floor and the calves lying
unanchored across a chair or similar surface to make
the movement reliant on the abdominal muscles.
Table 3. Waist-to-hip ratios and risk of heart disease
Age (years)
Classification 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69
Men
Low Risk

JENNA WILEY
GRIP STRENGTH
Grip strength is a simple measure of strength. The
dominant hand will often score 10 percent higher
than the nondominant hand. As with many of the
tests we use, comparison of an individual’s pre- and
posttraining period performance can be useful.
Table 6. Grip strength scores by gender
Classification Males (kg) Females (kg)
Excellent >64 >38
Very Good 56-64 34-38
Above Average 52-55 30-33
Average 48-51 26-29
Below Average 44-47 22-25
Poor 40-43 20-21
Very Poor

RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE
SAFETY 101
Hypoxia in Breath-
Hold Diving
By Marty McCafferty, EMT-P, DMT
There is an appeal to being able to
venture underwater using a minimum
of equipment. The desire to explore
unencumbered has led to increasing
interest in breath-hold (apnea) diving,
also called freediving. There are,
however, potential hazards associated with this activity that
should be reviewed. Understanding the basic components
of the human respiratory drive can help reduce the
potential for life-threatening or life-ending complications.
Human respiration is primarily an autonomic function,
requiring no conscious effort. We can exercise control
over our breathing, but only for short periods. Most of us,
at some time in our lives, have attempted to determine
how long we can hold our breath. Regardless of the length
of time or circumstance, there is a point at which the urge
to breathe is overpowering, and we end the breath-hold.
With practice and observation we may have discovered
techniques for increasing our breath-hold time.
One common technique is taking multiple breaths in
rapid succession just before holding the last inspiration.
This is known as hyperventilation: effectively,
ventilation in excess of metabolic need. Some think that
the multiple breaths increase the level of oxygen (O₂) in
the blood, but the increase is actually fairly trivial.
With the exception of a few chronic medical
conditions (which are generally disqualifying for diving),
respiration is driven by the increase of carbon dioxide
(CO₂) in the blood. The concentration of CO 2 in the
blood is not maintained at the same concentration
as air but at much higher levels to provide proper
acid-base balance. The normal concentration of CO 2
is 140-160 times greater than that of air. Because of
this, hyperventilation can create drastic drops in blood
CO 2 levels. The reduced CO 2 present at the start of
breath-hold prolongs the breath-hold time necessary to
accumulate enough CO₂ to trigger the urge to breathe.
While the urge to breathe is delayed, the trivial
increase in O₂ content means that O 2 levels can fall too
low to maintain consciousness before there is an urge
to breathe (see the figure on the next page). Reduced
O₂ is known as hypoxia, and excessive hyperventilation
alone is sufficient to cause blackout. When combined
with a vertical dive, the decrease in ambient pressure
With proper training and
dedicated one-on-one
supervision, breath-hold
diving can be an enjoyable
pursuit.
Opposite: Hyperventilating
before breath-holding
increases the risk of loss of
consciousness by delaying
the urge to breathe.
during ascent further hastens the drop in O 2 , increasing
the risk of loss of consciousness.
This latter phenomenon is commonly known as
“shallow-water blackout,” since loss of consciousness
is most likely to occur during the final stage of ascent,
where the decline in relative pressure is greatest, or after
surfacing before the freshly inspired oxygen reaches
the brain. Taking a maximum of two full ventilatory
exchanges prior to breath-hold is probably a reasonably
safe level of hyperventilation, but great caution is
required since hyperventilation works by compromising,
if not obliterating, our natural protections.
Some advocates will claim to not rely on
hyperventilation but to instead employ “work-up
breathing” or “cleansing breaths” prior to breath-hold.
These are just different names for hyperventilation and
thus must be employed thoughtfully and cautiously.
The risk remains, regardless of what it is called.
Physical activity during breath-hold will increase O₂
consumption. Expected “safe” breath-hold times can
easily be overestimated.
STEPHEN FRINK
52 | SPRING 2016

Competitive or extreme breath-hold diving is a
serious undertaking. These dives encompass a host
of logistical challenges and require rigorous safety
planning to conduct properly. Spearfishing and
recreational apnea diving are far more common
but do not have the same safeguards as organized
events. The buddy system, typically using a one-upone-down
protocol, can offer some protection for
simple shallow activity in good visibility and water
conditions and with great diligence on the part of
the safety diver, but it can easily break down as
complexity increases. Dedicated one-on-one supervision
is critical even for swimmers doing laps underwater in a
pool — the presence of a lifeguard is not sufficient.
It is important to remember that close supervision
is required even after an apnea diver returns to the
surface. This attention should continue for no less
than 30 seconds to ensure that delayed impairment
of consciousness does not occur. Beyond breath-hold
physiology issues, the use of dive flags and floats and
selection of a dive site away from boat traffic can
increase safety.
Breath-hold diving can be safely enjoyed with a
minimum of equipment. Manage the risk by seeking
proper and professional training before undertaking
apnea diving. Multiple training agencies are dedicated
to freediving and freediving safety. For additional
background, download the proceedings of the 2006
breath-hold diving workshop 1 at DAN.org. AD
REFERENCE
1. Lindholm P, Pollock NW, Lundgren CEG, eds. Breath-hold diving. Proceedings of the Undersea and Hyperbaric
Medical Society/Divers Alert Network 2006 June 20-21 Workshop. Durham, NC: Divers Alert Network; 2006.
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RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE
FROM THE MEDICAL LINE
Aging and Diving
DAN MEDICS AND RESEARCHERS
ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS
ABOUT DIVE MEDICINE.
Q:I am 79 years old and healthy. I have not
been diving in several years and would
like to get back into it. Are there any
recommendations, prohibitions or limitations for a
diver my age?
note that DAN® is not a regulatory
agency and does not set standards or
A:Please
guidelines for participation in diving. Any
age or fitness limitations you encounter would
come from training agencies or dive operations, not
DAN. The responsibility for the decision of whether
or not to dive is generally that of the individual
and his or her physician. This decision, however,
should be based on the most current diving medical
information available.
Many people in their 70s and 80s continue to dive,
although their diving style may change over time.
The key to safe diving is physical fitness, not age. Or
as some people glibly state, “It’s not the age but the
mileage that counts.” An athletic, physically fit senior
citizen may be a better candidate for diving than a
25-year-old in poor physical condition. But that same
person will never match the physical capabilities of an
athletic 25-year-old. All tissues — blood vessels, heart,
lungs, muscles, etc. — age.
A thorough cardiac workup and stress test are
prudent and probably the first priorities. Many
cardiologists familiar with dive medicine recommend
a cardiac stress test targeting a score of 13 metabolic
equivalents (METs), while others recommend a
minimum of 10 METs. Either level is rigorous exercise.
While most diving is relaxing, a strong current, a
long surface swim or rescuing a buddy (or oneself) all
require a high level of exercise tolerance.
Awareness of underlying medical issues is of
practical use. The basic aches of arthritis could be
confused with decompression sickness, so conservative
profiles are recommended for anyone who deals with
this issue. Also, diving in locations with reasonable
access to medical care is prudent. Anyone can have a
medical or diving emergency, and age makes medical
emergencies more likely. A minor issue that occurs
within reasonable access to medical care can be
STEPHEN FRINK
STEPHEN FRINK
handled easily. The same issue can be much more
problematic on a remote island or liveaboard hours or
days from medical care.
— Frances Smith, EMT-P, DMT
Q:
I know nitrogen is not metabolized by the
body, and I’ve read that tech divers are facing
issues with helium bends. Is the size of the
molecules relevant? Helium molecules are smaller
and lighter than oxygen molecules, while nitrogen
molecules are larger. Some people are filling their
car tires with nitrogen
because it supposedly
leaks out of the tire
more slowly than air.
A:
There are times
when size
matters and
times when it is a red
herring. This is one
of those cases where
it’s a little bit of both.
Nitrogen is a slightly
larger molecule than
54 | SPRING 2016

oxygen (by about 2 percent), but that does not have
anything to do with its reactivity in the body. A
better analogy would be how wood and steel
interact with a magnet. The steel reacts, while the
wood does not.
A helium molecule, on the other hand, is one-third
the size of a nitrogen molecule. Molecule size can
make a difference in passing through some barriers,
but it is almost certainly not the only factor in uptake
and elimination or its nonnarcotic nature relative to
nitrogen. Interestingly, while helium is considered a
fast gas in terms of exchange, it can cause challenges
in decompression, resulting in the need for more
buffering of limits based on expectations of exchange
speed. You may be hearing more about decompression
related to helium in large part because of its increased
use by recreational technical divers. Broadening the
use sometimes brings out new issues not discovered in
more limited traditional use.
As I like to say, physiology does not equal math.
Physiology is much more dynamic. Seemingly logical
ideas, such as size being a critical factor, can be attractive
but do not answer the question. Asking questions,
though, and having a lifelong interest in learning are
critical in getting closer to the elusive truth.
By the way, it is not worth paying to fill your tires
with nitrogen.
— Neal W. Pollock, Ph.D.
Q:
Why does it seem like the answers I
read in Alert Diver or on DAN.org are
so conservative? You advise caution for
medical issues I would never give a second thought
to when participating in other activities such as
skiing, tennis, basketball or exercising at the gym.
It seems like your organization is afraid for anyone
but the healthiest people to dive.
A:
Many divers have medical conditions and/
or take medications and enjoy diving without
any problems. DAN’s role is to provide
information based on the available literature and
prevailing expert opinions in diving medicine, not to
decide who is allowed or prohibited from diving. We
advise divers (and potential divers) and their doctors
so they can make thoughtful and informed decisions
about diving. Sometimes DAN recommends that
divers or potential divers be evaluated by a physician
who has special training in diving medicine.
Hazards exist in the diving environment that are
not present in most other recreational activities. If
someone playing basketball gets dizzy or short of
breath, he or she can easily stop the activity and rest.
If a medical emergency arises, emergency medical
services are readily available. The underwater world,
however, is unforgiving, and problems can increase
the risk of drowning. Shortness of breath, for example,
does not always resolve with rest while underwater
because of the increased resistance involved in
breathing through a regulator. It is important to
remember that when scuba diving we are using lifesupport
equipment to explore an environment not
conducive to human survival.
— Scott Smith, EMT-P
Q:I recently returned home from a two-week
liveaboard dive trip. After experiencing
some initial motion sickness while adapting
to the motion of the boat, I had a wonderful trip. At
the end of the trip, however, I felt like the dock was
rocking when we disembarked. I was queasy and
almost vomited. This feeling continued for nearly a
week before resolving. Why did this happen?
A:
While we cannot say with certainty what caused
your symptoms, you may have been suffering
from condition that’s known by various names
COLIN FIELD/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
ALERTDIVER.COM | 55

RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE
FROM THE MEDICAL LINE
including land sickness, disembarkment syndrome
and mal de debarquement syndrome (MdDS). This
syndrome occurs when the brain, having adjusted to
the constant movement of the ship, has essentially
forgotten how to handle a solid surface beneath the
feet. The body finds the sensations of being on firm
ground unfamiliar and abnormal. The vestibular
system, which controls the body’s balance, is disrupted
and typically takes a few hours to a few days to readjust
to being on a nonmoving surface. Some individuals,
however, report a much longer time for resolution.
No test can definitively diagnose disembarkment
syndrome; diagnosis is based on the exclusion of
reasonable alternatives.
While the main symptoms are a persistent rocking
sensation and a sense of imbalance, other symptoms
may include dizziness, fatigue, migraines, depression,
nausea, difficulty concentrating and confusion. Typically,
the condition is more pronounced when the person
is sitting or lying down. Unlike motion sickness, the
symptoms of disembarkment syndrome may improve
with motion such as walking or riding in a vehicle.
It is impossible to predict whether an individual will
suffer from disembarkment syndrome after a cruise
or voyage. Those who readily adjust to the motion of
the sea seem to be more susceptible. Disembarkment
syndrome is more common in women than men, but
a specific hormonal tie has not been detected. To
decrease the likelihood of disembarkment syndrome,
start seasickness-prevention measures a few days
before boarding a ship and continue them for a few
days after returning to land.
According to the MdDS Balance Disorder
Foundation, there is no treatment for the condition
since it typically subsides on its own. Motion-sickness
YURLS/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
DAN
Cares
Together,
we save lives.
Whether it is assistance provided
over DAN’s 24/7 diving emergency
hotline, an important discovery through
our continued research, or application
of emergency first aid — all of these
elements directly impact diver safety.
With your help, we continue to invest
in these initiatives because we care.
Together, we make a difference.
DAN.org/DANCares
All contributions are tax deductible and benefit the DAN Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, Tax ID # 56-1696689.
56 | SPRING 2016

medications such as meclizine
or scopolamine are not effective
with MdDS. Instead, clonazepam,
benzodiazepines or amitriptyline
may be beneficial. Additionally,
light physical activity such as
walking or yoga, taking naps,
and possibly acupuncture may
help strengthen the vestibular
system.
Resources for additional
information include the National
Institutes of Health, the National
Organization for Rare Disorders
and the MdDs Balance Disorder
Foundation.
— Frances Smith, EMT-P, DMT
a recent DAN
article about exercise
Q:In
and diving, I read
the following:
Intense physical activity —
generally with substantial
muscular forces and joint
loading (the application of
forces on joints) — is believed to
transiently increase micronuclei
activity, the presumed agent of
bubble formation.
Are these micronuclei
preexisting? Where do
micronuclei come from, and how
are they formed or created?
A:
The source point for
bubble formation is one
of the great mysteries in
diving science. We know that
bubbles form at relatively low
gas supersaturations, suggesting
some biological facilitation of the
process, but we do not yet have
the imaging tools to see the initial
formation. This technology will
come, but it’s not available yet.
Other methods to identify the
sites of formation also continue.
Micronuclei may comprise
multiple structures. Whatever
they are, they are preexisting, and
their activity of facilitating bubble
formation can be influenced
by acute events (most notably
recent pressure excursions that
act as preconditioning to alter
the responsiveness). Altered
responsiveness appears to be
transient, indicating a dynamic
state or ongoing replacement. If
you want to see micronuclei in
action, look at a glass of beer. You
can often see streams of bubbles
originating from apparently
singular points on the side of
the glass. These points are often
associated with defects in the glass,
effectively small cracks within
which micronuclei formation
points exist. It is thought that
the micronuclei are lodged in the
cracks and act to crank out bubble
after bubble. Even if this cannot
provide all the answers, it can
make for a pleasant interlude if
you enjoy beer.
Ultimately, we can see bubbles
best in the vascular system, and
we have a good idea when they
develop and what effects they can
have. When we are vague on the
specifics of the actual formation,
it is an honest acknowledgment of
understanding yet to come. AD
— Neal W. Pollock, Ph.D.
RICHARD RUDISILL/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
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ALERTDIVER.COM | 57

RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE
SKILLS IN ACTION
Teamwork and Training
By Curtis Snaper
DENNIS LIBERSON
The day started like any other June day. It
was warm, a little windy and perfect for
diving one of our favorite training sites:
Lake Mohave, Ariz. Our instructor
team was teaching three classes that
morning — Open Water Diver, Peak
Performance Buoyancy and Underwater Navigator —
and we had a productive morning of dive training. After
successfully completing the certification dives, a group
of nine of us decided to delay packing up our gear and
instead celebrate with a dive for fun. We headed to the
site of a sunken cabin cruiser two coves over.
After a short hike in full gear over a couple of small
rises in the desert, we arrived at the entry point. As soon
as we got there we heard yelling — a woman floating
in an inner tube a short distance offshore was clearly in
some kind of distress. A member of our group swam
over to assess the situation and learned that someone
had gone underwater and had not come back up.
Our training kicked in. One member of our group
returned to our base camp to phone for emergency
assistance, two swam to assist the woman and get
a better understanding of what had happened, and
the rest descended to conduct a search pattern. Five
minutes into our search I discovered an unresponsive
man on the bottom in approximately 40 feet of water.
As I approached him I formulated what I would do
when I surfaced with him, mentally running through
the countless scenarios that have unfolded in the
Rescue Diver courses I’ve taught.
When I reached the man I grasped him, brought
him to the surface, held his head in a way that would
ensure his airway was open and began to administer
rescue breaths as I swam with him to the closest point
on shore. The rest of the team helped move him onto a
flat part of the rocky ground. One instructor deployed
a pocket mask that he always carries in his BCD, and
we immediately began CPR. Every couple of cycles we
shifted responsibility for compressions and ventilations
among the rescuers — it’s exhausting to keep up
effective CPR as the adrenaline begins to run low. We
continued performing CPR for 20 minutes while we
waited for the arrival of emergency medical services.
The National Park Service had dispatched a couple of
boats, and we placed the patient aboard one of them so
he could be moved back across the cove to where the fire
department paramedics could take over care. They placed
him into a helicopter for transport to the hospital.
By the time the ordeal was mostly over, one of our
divers started having some breathing issues due to
58 | SPRING 2016

the combination of swimming,
moving the unresponsive victim
and enduring the general stress
of it all. We deployed our DAN®
oxygen unit to help him recover.
Later we learned the victim,
who was the boyfriend of the
woman in the inner tube, had
swum across the cove in pursuit
of a small raft that the wind was
blowing across the water. He
failed to reach the raft, became
exhausted and submerged about
20 feet away from the far shore.
The man unfortunately never
regained consciousness and was
later pronounced dead.
Looking back on the incident I
think about what we as individuals
carrying rescue gear such as
pocket masks with you — they
are extremely effective for giving
rescue breaths and shielding
you from bodily fluids and
possible disease transmission.
The instructor who had one
with him always keeps it in an
add-on trim pocket secured under
his dive-knife grommets. Now
each member of our instructor
team includes this as part of our
normal kit.
We always keep a DAN
Rescue Pack oxygen unit with
us whenever we are at a remote
dive site. We have an emergency
action plan that acknowledges
that cell phone reception is often
“Our training kicked in. One member of
our group returned to our base camp
to phone for emergency assistance,
two swam to assist the woman and
get a better understanding of what
had happened, and the rest descended
to conduct a search pattern. Five
minutes into our search I discovered
an unresponsive man on the bottom in
approximately 40 feet of water.”
and as a team did right and what
we will do better if we ever find
ourselves in such a situation again.
After this experience, I cannot
overstate the importance of being
prepared. I believe all divers
should learn and stay current in
CPR skills and emergency oxygen
administration. I also advocate
bad at our local dive sites and that
multiple agencies may be involved
in an emergency.
I was proud of our team’s
response and how closely it
followed what we teach in our
Rescue Diver program. I believe
we gave the victim the very best
chance possible. AD
ALERTDIVER.COM | 59

RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE
INCIDENT INSIGHT
We should not forget one of the first lessons
we were taught as new divers: Don’t force it
— if it’s hard to equalize, end the dive.
If You Can’t Equalize, Abort
SINUS BAROTRAUMA CAN BE VERY UNPLEASANT.
By Matías Nochetto, M.D.
THE DIVER
The diver was a 26-year-old woman with approximately
200 lifetime dives.
THE DIVE
She did a single, morning dive to a maximum depth of
88 feet. She reported no troubles equalizing or other
complications during her descent. Approaching her safety
stop near the end of the ascent, however, she was struck
by a sudden massive headache, nausea and vomiting.
She skipped the safety stop and ascended directly to
the surface. The headache and vomiting continued on
the boat, and she also experienced an onset of what she
called dizziness. The crew helped her remove her gear
and administered oxygen. After a few minutes with no
improvement, the crew recalled the rest of the divers and
called emergency medical services (EMS) and the DAN®
Emergency Hotline.
ANALYSIS
Further discussion revealed that the dizziness the diver
reported was likely true vertigo. Vertigo is characterized
by a spinning sensation and is usually accompanied by
nausea and vomiting, while dizziness is a sensation of loss
of balance.
In a diving context, a sudden onset of vertigo during
ascent or descent is suggestive of ear barotrauma, with
inner-ear barotrauma (IEBT) being most concerning. Ear
pain may or may not be present. Vertigo is also common
in cases of inner-ear decompression sickness (IEDCS).
Symptom onset for IEDCS is usually not so sudden and
dramatic, and the dive profile did not seem to be aggressive
enough to immediately suggest IEDCS.Nevertheless, such a
diagnosis could not be completely ruled out.
Distinguishing between IEDCS and IEBT can
pose a significant diagnostic challenge, but doing so
is critical because the two conditions require very
STEPHEN FRINK
60 | SPRING 2016

different therapeutic approaches, and misdiagnosis and
mistreatment could be harmful.
Headaches are a common postdive complaint, often the
result of a sinus barotrauma.
Although much rarer, another possible diagnosis was
a very bad sinus barotrauma with gas leaking into the
cranial cavity (pneumocephalus). The sudden onset of a
massive headache associated with a significant drop in
barometric pressure accompanied by nausea, vomiting and
vertigo was suggestive of such a rare diagnosis. The diver
did report some difficulties equalizing and what seemed
to have been some sinus pain during descent as well as a
sensation of pressure later during ascent. The diver’s recent
history of a cold increased the likelihood of a very bad
sinus barotrauma. Pneumocephalus is usually diagnosed
using imaging, but small amounts of gas can be reabsorbed
in a short time. Because of the relatively small window
for a positive diagnostic image and the harmful — even
fatal — nature of pneumocephalus, ruling it out should be
a priority.
The mechanism of injury is assumed to be a reverse
block of the sinuses. The presence of mucus and
inflammation of mucous membranes are the most
common causes of transient sinus blockage. These
generally pose no greater risk than inflammation in
the mucous membranes of the sinuses, but with the
ambient pressure changes involved in diving, a partial
or intermittent blockage may act as a valve that impairs
normal gas flow in the sinuses.
Gas expansion from a reverse block can be significant
enough to disrupt the thin bone walls separating the
sinuses from each other and from the cranial cavity.
When a sinus cavity suddenly relieves its pressure into
another one, this usually manifests as pain, a headache
and possibly a nose bleed. Gas leaking into the cranial
cavity (pneumocephalus), on the other hand, can result in
anything from headaches to life-threatening neurological
deficits.
Potential consequences will depend on the amount of
gas and the degree of displacement of normal anatomical
structures. This sort of injury can initially manifest as a
moderate or severe headache or, in severe cases, result in
seizures or even death. Most cases of pneumocephalus
resolve spontaneously without surgical intervention.
Management involves breathing oxygen, keeping the head
of the bed elevated, taking antibiotics (especially when
traumatic injury is involved), managing pain and performing
frequent neurologic checks and repeated CT scans.
EVALUATION AND TREATMENT
The diver’s X-rays revealed subtle signs that could indicate
pneumocephalus, which warranted admission to the
hospital. These findings, however, could not be reproduced
during a CT scan several hours later. These diagnostic
discrepancies prompted some discussions, but based on
the case history, symptom presentation and initial imaging,
the diagnosis was still thought to be pneumocephalus
following sinus barotrauma. The patient had been
breathing pure oxygen since surfacing, including during
transportation, evaluation and hospital admission, which
could have sped up the reabsorption of the gas.
In the absence of concrete evidence of pneumocephalus,
the treatment plan was for the patient to continue to
breathe oxygen, begin a course of antibiotics, undergo
repeat CT scans and be observed for no less than 48 hours.
A six-month follow-up appointment revealed the diver
had a very good outcome and had no complications during
or after her hospital stay. She has not resumed diving.
DISCUSSION
One of the first rules we learn as student divers is
to discontinue diving when we experience difficulty
equalizing. This is probably the first rule we all break.
Questions about the use of decongestants are among the
most common asked on the DAN Medical Information
Line. (Learn more about decongestants and diving at DAN.
org/medical/FAQ.)
With regard to barotrauma risk, the most critical
phases of a dive are the descent and ascent, during which
massive barometric changes take place. When divers have
difficulty equalizing during descent, dive leaders often go
to excessive lengths to avoid aborting a dive, encouraging
divers to try different equalization techniques and
instructing them to alternate between ascending a few feet
and trying again to descend. It is also not uncommon to
see divers pinching their nose and blowing during ascent,
presumably because they are experiencing equalization
difficulties while ascending. Both of these practices are
counterproductive and significantly increase the risk of
middle-ear, sinus and inner-ear barotrauma.
Problems with sinus inflammation and congestion may
be amplified by the sinuses’ natural responses to cold
temperature. Exposure to cold triggers a reflex to limit heat
that manifests as increased mucus production and swelling
of mucous membranes. This is known as “cold-induced
rhinitis.” Sea water can also have an irritating effect on
mucous membranes, further stimulating mucus production.
Normally this has no negative consequences other than
copious amounts of clear mucous when we surface, but
be careful when diving: If you are recovering from a cold
or have other predisposing factors such as active allergies,
gas movement between sinuses may be significantly more
difficult. If you experience mild difficulty equalizing at
the beginning of a dive, chances are the increased mucus
production and swelling of mucous membrane may make
equalizing even more difficult near the end of the dive.
Remember you can always abort a descent; aborting an
ascent is a lot more problematic. AD
ALERTDIVER.COM | 61

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THE
Maldives
A NEW LOOK AT AN OLD FAVORITE
[
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY STEPHEN FRINK
[
The last time I went to the
Maldives was in 2010.
Although it was a wonderful
trip, I felt a nagging bit of
guilt about it. At the south
end of Ari Atoll is a place
where whale sharks come to
feed on plankton. It’s also the
site of a resort development, and a gaggle of tourists
can be found there at any given time. The masses
of snorkelers flocking to the few whale sharks in the
vicinity create a bit of a melee. When I was there I
swam down to take an upward-angled photo, and
when it was time to ascend I struggled to find a spot
on the surface free of human bodies or whale shark. It
wasn’t lost on me that I was part of the problem — as
culpable and frenzied as the rest. In the end I felt bad
for the whale shark, which had to deal with so much
interference while simply trying to feed.
Reliable whale-shark encounters are one of the
Maldives’ iconic attractions, but that day I decided
that the next time I visited I would find an itinerary
that was outside of the mainstream. Fortunately, in
an archipelago of 1,192 islands in 26 atolls, there are
plenty of options.
Regardless of where you intend to go in the
Maldives, your first stop will be the international
airport in Malé. From there you’ll transfer to a
liveaboard or an island-based resort. With 35,000
square miles of sovereign nation but less than 115
square miles of land, a boat or seaplane will be
necessary to get you where you want to go.
This trip was a hybrid of new (to me) areas to the
north and familiar dive opportunities in the south
that are simply too good to ignore. Even though we
boarded our liveaboard in the early afternoon and
could have done our checkout dive that same day, we
opted to motor north, steaming overnight while we
checked into our cabins, assembled our cameras and
had our first (of many) dive briefings. This was good,
because it allowed us to be better educated about how
the geographic diversity of these islands gave rise to
distinct and unique reef structures and to learn about
the challenges and opportunities each might present.
The channel, or “kandu,” is a deep cleft in the rim of
an atoll that connects the inner lagoon with the open
ocean. These channels feature swift currents at times, as
the tides move massive amounts of water through these
relatively narrow openings. They are best dived during
incoming tides when clear water streams into the lagoon
(and if a diver is swept beyond the intended pickup,
it will be into the shelter of the lagoon rather than
the open ocean). Our group of dedicated underwater
photographers groaned audibly when presented with
the possibility of diving in heavy currents, as they
make composition difficult, but not all divers share this
concern, and diving in the current can be a rush.
A “faru” is a circular reef that rises from the ocean
floor within a channel. Featuring ledges and overhangs
where marine life congregates, farus tend to attract
pelagic life because of their exposure to currents.
A “thila” is a shallow reef within an atoll — like
a small seamount that rises from a 20- or 30-foot
seafloor. Because of the influence of tidal currents,
significant coral and fish life may be found on thilas.
Thilas and farus are relatively easy dives, mostly free
of current and easily well suited to multilevel diving or
prolonged ascents.
64 | SPRING 2016

The Maldives anemonefish is
endemic to Sri Lanka and the
Maldives. The Maldives are
known for abundant small and
medium-sized tropical reef
fish as well as larger pelagic
creatures such as whale
sharks and manta rays.
ALERTDIVER.COM | 65

At certain times of the year mantas can be seen throughout
the Maldives. In the winter they tend to congregate at
cleaning stations in the southern atolls, areas well known to
dive operators.
Below: Redtail butterflyfish are fairly common in the
Maldives, but seeing large schools of them is a special treat.
66 | SPRING 2016

THE DIVES
Our first dives were at Lhaviyani Atoll. We descended
on Fushifaru Kandu at slack tide, which gave us the
opportunity to effortlessly navigate the shallow reef,
but the water clarity was worse than it would have
been in an incoming tide. No matter, the attraction
here was schools of reef tropicals so massive they
obscured the water.
I was initially surprised to find such a large
congregation of redtail butterflyfish (Chaetodon
collare), as I’d forgotten how common they are in
the Maldives. We found them pretty consistently
throughout the cruising range, mostly as singles or in
pairs, but on this reef they were present by the dozen.
We also saw bluestripe snappers in large schools at
several bommies throughout the trip; here they were
comingled with schoolmaster snappers.
Turtle Cave was a site that came by its name
honestly. The crew briefed us to expect green sea
turtles throughout this dive, but they really undersold
it. The site seemed fairly underwhelming at first —
just a sloping reef populated by the usual Indo-Pacific
suspects. But then we drifted into a portion of the wall
with small pockets and overhangs that must be highly
attractive for resting turtles, because they were literally
everywhere. I don’t know if I saw 24 turtles or the same
dozen twice, but it was incredible how abundant and
mellow they were. If I never took another turtle shot
the whole trip (though I did, of course), I would have
been happily satiated after this dive. Once we drifted
out of that portion of the reef, things got pretty tame
again. But in that spot, Turtle Cave was world-class by
any standard.
Our next stop was Shaviyani Atoll. At Danbu Thila
the most compelling feature was a large congregation
of extraordinarily friendly batfish. We dropped into
the water upcurrent of the reef structure, and the first
thing we saw were batfish swimming right up to us in
crystalline visibility. I think most of us maxed out our
bottom time at 80 feet working with the batfish only to
have them follow us into the shallows at 30 feet. Their
behavior was the same throughout the dive, but the
attractive reef backgrounds in the shallows made for
even better images. If I never took another batfish shot
the whole trip (though, again, I did), I would have been
happily satiated after this dive, too.
Up until we dived Eriyadhoo Beyru we hadn’t seen
much soft coral on the northern reefs — I was actually
surprised by how low-profile the decoration on the
walls was. The soft coral was dense, and it made for
wonderful backgrounds for fish photos, but I had the
thought that if I were to photograph a diver against
these soft corals and wanted to make the corals appear
impressively large then I’d need to book Ant-Man as
the model. That didn’t diminish my appreciation of the
thoroughly beautiful and productive dive, but it was
one of those random thoughts that passed though my
mind during the safety stop. Later I searched online
for “soft coral in the Maldives” and found plenty of
contemporary photos and videos of reefs draped in
soft coral, so I won’t project my experience on this
reef to the broader Maldives underwater experience.
Nor is the soft coral the only attraction here: The hard
corals, particularly the staghorn variety, were vast and
pristine. The contrast of the orange anthias amid the
golden branching corals was particularly inspiring.
At Noonu Atoll’s Raafushi Cave, my most significant
photo opportunity was with a giant moray at a cleaning
station. A school of orange anthias swam close to the eel
— perilously close, perhaps, but I suppose such a large
eel might be pretty ponderous in pursuit of a nimble
anthia. Anyway, I saw no evidence of any fish being
alarmed to swim near the cavernous eel maw.
The next day at Raa Atoll I saw Nemo City on
the briefing board. Having dived many sites called
“Anemone City” or something similar, I am rather
desensitized to such names. In fact, I’d forgotten the
name of the reef until I began seeing lots of anemone
clusters, many of which were curled up with their
crimson or lavender mantles exposed and the resident
endemic Maldives clownfish within. It was really quite
beautiful, and once again I felt the dive was more
significant than I had expected.
Baa Atoll is most famous for the large aggregations
of manta rays and whale sharks that frequent Hanifaru
Bay between July and November each year. Being there
on Valentine’s Day I realized I wasn’t likely to get much
manta love, but I found other things of interest. The
dive that most resonated with me was Horubadhoo
Thila — the fish were especially friendly there.
There are 32 marine protected areas in the Maldives.
The expanses of reef they cover are not necessarily
large, but the dive sites within them are especially
vibrant. These are total no-take zones, and because the
dive operators are there so often, they are self-policed.
Here I saw surgeonfish calmly being cleaned and
emperor angelfish boldly swimming toward my dome
port. Had I not already been told about the protected
status of this reef, I would have known based on the
behavior of the marine life.
With five days of diving under our weight belts, we
headed southward to some of the most iconic dives in
ALERTDIVER.COM | 67

With anthias in the background
at Noonu Atoll, a giant moray
eel gapes.
Insets, from top: While it is possible
to enjoy a solitary encounter with a
whale shark in the Maldives, in some
areas their predictability attracts
groups of snorkelers. Colorful
schooling fish are a hallmark of the
Maldives, as seen here in photos
of bigeye and bluestripe snapper.
At Turtle Cave dozens of green sea
turtles can be encountered on a
single dive.
68 | SPRING 2016

ALERTDIVER.COM | 69

HOW TO DIVE IT
TEMPERATURE
Expect air temperatures
of 79-86°F and water
temperatures of 82-85°F
year round. A 3mm wetsuit is
generally sufficient, even for
four dives per day.
CURRENCY
Get just enough Maldivian
rufiyaa (MVR) for island tipping
and pocket change. Most
restaurants, hotels, car-rental
companies and shops accept
major credit cards. Banks
accept 2004 or newer U.S.
dollars and euros with no tears,
rips or markings.
SEASONS
The prime diving season
is from November to April,
although dive tourism is now a
year-round attraction.
DHONI DIVING
Most liveaboards operate in
tandem with a traditional
dhoni, typically a 50- to
60-foot yacht with diesel
engines that houses the
compressors for air and
nitrox fills as well as most
Raa
Atoll
Baa
Atoll
Rasdhoo
Atoll
North Ari
Atoll
South Ari
Atoll
Shaviyani
Atoll
of the dive gear (though not
cameras). Guests step from
the mother ship to the stable
and spacious dhoni (usually
in calm water) for transport to
the nearby dive site.
CURRENTS
Each diver should carry and
know how to deploy a surface
marker buoy. Also recommended
are a personal air horn, mini
strobe light and a radio or GPS
locator. Most divers carry a reef
hook as well.
ALCOHOL
Alcohol is generally prohibited
in the Republic of Maldives.
There are no liquor stores
or bars where it can be sold
or consumed, and tourists
may not bring alcohol into
the country with them. All
incoming luggage (including
carry-on bags) are X-rayed,
and authorities will confiscate
any liquor found. There is a
specific exception for licensed
tourist operations catering to
international clientele.
DEPTH
By federal law, scuba divers
may not dive deeper than 30
meters (98 feet).
This tends not
to be a problem
because the
seafloor at
most dive sites
Noonu
Atoll
Lhaviyani
Atoll
North Malé
Atoll
is around that
depth.
the region. The first was at North Ari Atoll
among the sharks of Rasdhoo Ridge. Here
we dropped onto the ridge, which topped
out at about 60 feet, spread out and waited
for the gray reef sharks swimming in the
blue to approach us. We were advised to
not swim toward the sharks, as this tends
to keep them away; gratefully, everyone
rigidly adhered to the directive. The result
was sharks that came within 6 feet of us and
occasionally as close as 4 feet. There was no
bait in the water, just a calm interaction with
a beautiful species of shark.
The day began with a high-voltage shark
dive and ended with a mellow night dive at
Maaya Thila. Rising to a depth of 22 feet, this
thila was small enough to circumnavigate a
couple of times in the course of a 60-minute
dive. The most significant photo ops were
sleeping turtles, marbled rays, free-swimming
morays and lionfish.
Fish Head is another marine reserve, also
on North Ari Atoll. The site was named
during an era when local fishermen were
likely to bring nothing but a fish head
onboard, so ravenous and plentiful were
the sharks. While the area may not be as
shark infested as in days of yore, we were
still able to perch atop a rocky knoll at 60
feet and watch a half dozen gray reef sharks
pass to and fro, edging ever closer as we
remained motionless. A massive school of
bluestripe snapper was at 90 feet, and were
I not reluctant to have my bubbles disrupt
the shark action, I would’ve loved to drop
into their midst. But it was just as well — at
the top of the reef in only 30 feet of water
was another school. Once I’d filled the frame
with 100 fish, it didn’t really matter that
there were 500 somewhere else.
We had come southward specifically for
manta rays. At certain times of the year
mantas are abundant in the north as well,
but this was February, and the dive staff
knew that for us to interact with mantas we
would do well at the manta cleaning stations
at North Ari Atoll. The first we tried was
Himendhoo Rock. The plan was to swim
to a small coral bommie that hosted the
cleaner wrasses that drew in the mantas.
We saw one manta on a flyby, but despite
70 | SPRING 2016

the frequency of success others have enjoyed
at this site, lovely reef tropicals were all that
populated my image download. It was the same
story on our second dive at Moofushi Rock:
The visibility was marginal, and the manta
action was sparse.
That changed the next day at South Ari
Atoll on Rangali Madivaru (“madivaru”
means “ray” in the local language, appropriately
enough). We swam along a shallow sloping
reef that featured incredible manta activity —
in terms of both the number encountered and
the ease of proximity. Everyone in the water
had wonderful close encounters with the rays
and captured images with two or three in the
frame. As if to underscore how special this dive
was, our second dive on the site three hours
later featured a few encounters but nothing
at all like the rich rewards of the morning.
Whether the tide or the current or karma was
the differentiator, the lightning in the bottle on
that morning dive had escaped by noon.
Maldives reprised was a great success. We
hit our marks. We found the iconic mantas in
the south and enjoyed our time in the north as
the only liveaboard on the horizon. We didn’t
get a whale shark encounter, but on balance
that was fine with us. I doubt the whale sharks
missed us very much either. AD
Clockwise from
above: Batfish
are resident at
Danbu Thila. At
some point in
the cruise most
liveaboards put on
a beach barbecue,
complete with
sand sculptures.
The gray reef
sharks at Fish
Head benefit from
the location’s
protected status.
Giant squirrelfish
swim at
Himendhoo Rock.
Emperor angelfish
traverse the reef at
Horubadhoo Thila.
ALERTDIVER.COM | 71

Finding Treasure in the BVI
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY TANYA G. BURNETT
I
have fond memories of snorkeling
crystalline shallows beneath the lush
hillsides of the British Virgin Islands
(BVI) as a youth in the early 1970s. Back
then, our friend’s sailboat navigated many
a zigzag course across the Sir Francis
Drake Channel to the islands’ various
anchorages, each steeped in pirate folklore.
Some 300 years ago the golden age of
piracy was alive and well in these waters.
That history of piracy, both real and fabricated, is still
vividly prominent throughout these islands in bars,
restaurants and location names. But as a kid I didn’t know
I was frolicking amid the inspiration for the enchanting
pages of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island — it
was the islands’ underwater world that enchanted me.
Now, after more than 30 years of diving around the
globe, I am again suspended over that radiant blue water,
geared up on the stern deck of a dive boat moored off of
Salt Island. We are floating above one of the BVI’s most
famous dive sites: the wreck of the RMS Rhone. I pierce
the placid surface and waste no time heading down toward
the swirls of color that glide and surge around the wreck.
As I swim past the mast and the sponge-encrusted crow’s
nest I find it hard to imagine the last hours aboard the
310-foot Royal Mail Ship. A hurricane in 1867 shoved the
Rhone unrelentingly into Black Rock Point and sealed her
fate. As I fin past shadowy recesses I see shimmers and
flashes — a huge school of baitfish has taken up residence
and darts about to avoid my strobe flashes. A pair of
coney groupers lies on a rusty section of hull, awaiting
the right moment to lunge and snatch a single silverside
from the mercurial mass. It is little wonder that these
vibrant remains are such a captivating and sought-after
underwater backdrop for photographers and filmmakers.
FIFTY ISLES IN EASY REACH
The BVI comprise a double strand of 50-plus rocks,
cays, islets and islands spread along the northeastern
perimeter of the Caribbean, just east of Puerto Rico and
[
the U.S. Virgin Islands. Affectionately referred to as
“Nature’s Little Secrets,” the islands are gilded in tropical
greens and range in size from Tortola at 21 square miles
to tiny Sandy Cay, just big enough for a picnic with a few
friends. Sixteen of these islands are inhabited, and most
of the islands’ 28,000 residents live on Tortola, Virgin
Gorda, Anegada or Jost Van Dyke.
My home for the first few days of the trip was on Peter
Island, which boasts five white-sand beaches and many
remarkable vistas of the rest of the BVI. My bungalow
featured a stunning view of Deadman’s Beach and, a
mile out to sea, the distinct shape of Dead Chest Island.
I soon learned that the island was alleged to be the place
Blackbeard marooned 15 of his men, each equipped with
a cutlass and a bottle of rum. They take their pirate lore
seriously in these parts, so I felt it was best to embrace it
all as fact and hope to uncover a doubloon somewhere
along the way.
WHERE THE TREASURE REALLY LIES
At least 40 moored sites dot the waters of the BVI,
marking an array of pinnacles, walls, tunnels, caves and
shipwrecks. The shallows in the BVI are also some of the
Caribbean’s finest, and many sites are ideally suited to
multilevel profiles. The aforementioned wreck of the RMS
Rhone, for instance, can be explored at several levels, and it
takes at least two dives to experience it. Almost every dive
on this unique site brings new discoveries; many artifacts
remain, and large sections of the structure are remarkably
intact, including a “lucky porthole” (rub it for good luck).
Nearly every solid surface we swam past was
splashed in gold, orange, crimson and indigo from
decades of rampant coral, sponge and tunicate growth.
The bow rests on its starboard side at 90 feet at its
deepest point. My favorite area is the midsection; it
features upright columnar framing at 60 feet, which
allows huge “windows” for life to meander through
against a blue background. The stern sits in less than
30 feet and offers an enormous bronze propeller that
can be admired while offgassing at the end of a dive.
[
72 | SPRING 2016

A diver begins his
descent onto the
wreck of the RMS
Rhone off Black Rock
Point, Salt Island.
[
ALERTDIVER.COM | 73

On one Rhone excursion, the divemaster helped
me find a coral-encrusted spoon on the wreck that
is rumored to be the captain’s silver teaspoon. The
divemaster had set the stage for this discovery in
elaborate fashion during his briefing. I had to admit it
looked authentic — maybe too authentic, but I felt no
inclination to argue about it — legends seem to grow
like coral in these waters.
Another must-dive site was Blonde Rock, located in
mid-channel not far from the Rhone. During our descent
we could see that every square inch of ocean-floor real
estate was covered with sea fans, large sea rods, pillar
corals and a garden of gently dancing soft corals. The
labyrinthine topography features a striking ledge with
deep overhangs filled with schooling jacks, snappers,
chubs and a colorful riot of crustaceans, including
lobsters, huge channel clinging crabs and banded coral
shrimp. A sleeping nurse shark almost ran into me as I
peered deeper under one ledge. Just as I started my ascent
I could see dense schools of yellow wrasse gathered in the
shallows for their late-afternoon spawning ritual. They
collectively rose from the bottom and then exploded like
yellow confetti away from the spawn event.
The next place I dived was an open-ocean site not
far from Peter Island called Shark Point. This is an
unusual dive site that ranges in depth from 20 to 80
feet. The underwater terrain consists of a series of rocky
pinnacles, some rising to within a few fin-kicks of the
surface. Much to my delight, larger pelagics such as
eagle rays and reef sharks tend to keep things exciting
here, so you learn to keep one eye on the blue. Three
Caribbean reef sharks made pass after pass, while a large
school of silvery bar jacks swarmed around us.
An easy boat ride away, Painted Walls made for a
great second dive after Shark Point. Here the converging
walls and valleys are a canvas for marine life to work its
Jackson Pollock-style artistry. We made our way through
the meandering vertical faces draped with tropical
shades of mango, passionfruit, lime, turmeric and
cinnamon. Our divemaster had wisely recommended
bringing a light to reveal the true intensity of the vibrant
hues and to explore the shadows for hidden surprises.
From my second BVI home on Scrub Island I set out
on a sojourn to The Chimney, which is named after
surface rocks that submerge just enough to create a
swim-through. The seas were a bit bumpy on the way
out, but the water to the north of Great Dog Island was
calm and provided unreal visibility. The fairly shallow
site (45 feet) offered some great photo opportunities.
In one of its many canyons, the coral-laden walls
eventually led to a picturesque archway where the
chimney rocks came to a meeting point. My focus
light illuminated brilliant scarlet sponge growth and
tangerine-colored cup coral lining the walls of the arch.
As the week progressed, we ventured to the aptly
named Wreck Alley off of Cooper Island. The site
consists of the Beata and Pat tugboats and the Marie L
cargo boat, all intentionally sunk to create marine
habitat. This site is a magnet for larger pelagics and
southern rays. The wrecks are small enough for easy
circumnavigation, and encrusting growth is overtaking
the structures. During our dive we had very little
current and an incursion of incalculable numbers of
moon jellies. What started out as a somewhat eerie
experience transformed into a surreal and mesmerizing
through-the-looking-glass dive as we gently pushed
aside the harmless pulsing blobs of translucence and
finned as carefully as progress allowed. The wrecks were
virtually draped in jellies, whose constant motion made
the structures appear strangely amorphous and alive.
Back on the surface I was babbling like a mad woman
about how it was better than many of the more famous
“jellyfish lakes” I had seen. But our divemaster insisted
this was the only time she had ever seen anything like it.
I didn’t reach Anegada on this trip, though from
past experience I know its reefs are stunning and its
allure is substantial on many levels. The 10-mile-long
island is the only nonvolcanic island in the chain, and
it features spectacular 18-mile-long Horseshoe Reef.
With so many shallow reefs, the snorkeling and diving
are superb, but Anegada’s reefs have proven treacherous
as well. They’ve claimed more than 300 ships, and a
number of the remaining wreck sites are dive-worthy
and fascinating. Those pirates who learned the reefs well
often used the mazelike waters to their advantage. Of
course there are plenty of legends about pirate treasure
in Anegada’s environs.
On my last day I woke determined to get to one
more famous and very special location: The Baths on
Virgin Gorda. I was still on Scrub Island, but it’s easy to
get around in the BVI. After a quick ferry ride to Beef
Island followed by another to Virgin Gorda, I rented
a car and set off. I was on the hunt for treasure, and I
would not be denied. Gold doubloons would be nice,
[Opposite, clockwise from top left: Moon jellies on the Beata,
a tugboat that’s part of Wreck Alley off Cooper Island; sponge
growth on the Rhone; a dive boat secured to one of the BVI’s
many mooring buoys; silversides in the Rhone’s bow section;
a reef shark; The Baths, Virgin Gorda; wreckage of the Rhone;
nurse shark with remoras at Painted Walls
74 | SPRING 2016

[
“WHAT STARTED OUT AS A SOMEWHAT EERIE EXPERIENCE TRANSFORMED INTO A
SURREAL AND MESMERIZING THROUGH-THE-LOOKING-GLASS DIVE AS WE GENTLY
PUSHED ASIDE THE HARMLESS PULSING BLOBS OF TRANSLUCENCE....”
[
ALERTDIVER.COM | 75

HOW TO DIVE IT
CONDITIONS
Diving can be done year round; the water
temperature averages 78°F in winter and 82°F
in summer. I recommend a dive skin or a 3mm
wetsuit during the summer and a 3mm-5mm
wetsuit in the winter.
All diving is by boat. There are numerous
sheltered dive sites throughout the year, but
more are typically available in the summer when
the trade winds are lighter and the Atlantic swells
are smaller. Diving depths range from 10 feet to
120 feet, with visibility ranging from 30 feet to
more than 100 feet. In the summer, occasional
plankton blooms can reduce visibility. Currents
can range from nonexistent to strong, depending
on the site.
Jost Van
Dyke
Norman
Island
Tortola
Peter
Island
Salt
Island
6
2
1
4
3
5
Dog
Islands
Cooper
Island
7
Virgin
Gorda
1. RMS Rhone
2. Blonde Rock
3. Shark Point
4. Painted Walls
5. Chimney Rock
6. Wreck Alley
7. The Baths
GETTING THERE
The BVI are about 60 miles east of Puerto Rico and
are easy to reach via Puerto Rico or St. Thomas, U.S.
Virgin Islands. Fly directly to Beef Island, Tortola
(EIS), or fly to St. Thomas (STT) and then take an
hourlong ferry ride to Tortola. Remember to bring
your passport. From Tortola, the other islands can be
accessed via ferry or charter flight, which adds an
island-hopping charm to the adventure.
TOPSIDE ACTIVITIES
Sailing among the islands is the BVI’s No. 1
attraction. Charter a sailboat, or head out on a day
sailing adventure.
Island hop by ferry, and discover the islands
by rental car or tour bus. Discovering the islands’
countless scenic overlooks is its own adventure
— you will be rewarded by stunning vistas of the
other islands and the endless sea.
Take a ferry to Virgin Gorda, and rent a car or
catch a taxi to The Baths. Go later in the afternoon
to avoid the masses of cruise ship guests. Enjoy
the light hiking and wading through water; it’s
beautiful every step of the way.
Take a day trip to the BVI’s only coral island,
Anegada, and enjoy its stunning beaches and
delicious grilled lobster.
For more information, go to bvitourism.com.
[
Below:
Deadman’s
Beach, Peter
Island
Opposite:
Squirrelfish,
French grunts
and goatfishes
hide from the
currents on
the Rhone.
76 | SPRING 2016

[
[
“THE CONVERGING WALLS AND VALLEYS
ARE A CANVAS FOR MARINE LIFE TO WORK
ITS JACKSON POLLOCK-STYLE ARTISTRY.”
but I had come to realize the immeasurable wealth that
surrounded me every day in these islands.
The skies were postcard perfect; the roads were friendly
and easy to drive. Locals smiled and waved. I spotted
other tourists I had met during the week, and we shouted
greetings. I stopped in the middle of the road for an
iguana crossing. The Caribbean breeze blew fragrances
both familiar and exotic through my open windows.
And then I arrived. It’s a spot so iconic that it
has graced the pages of a hundred magazines and
thousands of postcards. The Baths were still every bit
as breathtaking and alluring as I remembered. Massive,
smooth granite boulders framed the water’s edge, and
powder-white coral sand stuck to my bare feet. Suddenly
I was 9 years old again and exploring the wonderful play
of light and water around the boulders, this time with a
camera in hand. Paradise was briefly mine alone.
Then the cacophony of approaching tourists from
a cruise ship ended my reverie, but I had found
treasure. The BVI had once again shared their wealth
in countless little ways. I could leave enriched and
committed to return soon for more. AD
ALERTDIVER.COM | 77

Strapped into the bow of a
small inflatable boat, holding
a crossbow and scanning
the water intently, Simone
Panigada, Ph.D., was patrolling
the coast of Lampedusa, a
small Italian island. A sudden
flash of reflected sunlight
alerted him to something on
the surface just ahead. He
signaled Giancarlo Lauriano at the helm, and the boat
lurched forward, racing at full speed. Panigada raised his
crossbow and fired.
The projectile arced across the water, striking its
target with two sharpened points that buried into flesh,
securing a barnacle-sized packet of electronics to the
dorsal fin of a fin whale. The Low Impact Minimally
Percutaneous Electronic Transmitter (LIMPET) tag
would attempt to contact an Argos satellite every time
the whale surfaced, transmitting the animal’s position
for the next six weeks.
Almost simultaneously, Nino Pierantonio, Panigada’s
colleague at the Milan-based Tethys Research Institute,
fired another crossbow, which launched a hollowtipped
arrow at the whale’s flank. The arrow struck the
whale and then fell into the water, cradling a small plug
of skin and blubber for analysis of DNA and toxins.
The whale reacted to both insults with a small twitch,
as if stung by a mosquito, and returned to its business.
That business was the ingestion of massive
quantities of krill, which were swarming in sufficient
density to stain the blue surface water a startling pink.
The krill, normally found hundreds of feet deep, were
feeding at the surface due to massive upwellings that
bring cold nutrient-rich water to the surface around
Lampedusa during the first few months of each year.
The upwellings result from the interaction of deep
currents with dramatic bottom topography.
Fin whales have been known to inhabit the northern
Mediterranean during the summer since ancient times
— Romans referred to Italy’s Ligurian (northwestern)
coast as the “coast of whales”— but rumors of winter
feeding aggregations around Lampedusa (in the
southern Mediterranean) were not confirmed until 2004.
Researchers found that the whales not only were feeding
out of season but were doing so right at the surface and
78 | SPRING 2016

This image is a digital
composite of several photos
taken of a fin whale in
the Pelagos Sanctuary
for Mediterranean Marine
Mammals. Stringy white
copepod parasites can be seen
attached to the whale.
[
BY DOUG PERRINE
DOUG PERRINE
[
throughout the day. Fin whales in the Ligurian Sea (the
area of the Mediterranean south of Italy’s Liguria region
and north of the island of Corsica) feed mostly at night
and at depth. Around Lampedusa, the whales were also
feeding in groups, possibly collaborating to herd prey
— a behavior not previously recorded in Mediterranean
fin whales. The question that most bedeviled Tethys
founder Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara was if these
whales belonged to a separate southern Mediterranean
population or if they were the same whales his
organization was studying during the summer in the
Ligurian Sea near the border of France and Italy.
The fin whale is one of the most mysterious and
elusive large animals on the planet and is in many
ways an oddity of the animal kingdom. In nearly all
vertebrates the left side of the body is a mirror image of
the right. Fin whales are an exception. The lower jaw on
the left side is a typical whale gray, while on the right it’s
a brilliant white. The right dorsal surface has swirling
patterns known as “blaze and chevron” that are unique
to each individual and allow the Tethys researchers to
photoidentify each whale. Scientists speculate that the
reflectivity of the white lower jaw may be used to startle
and herd prey, but any functional advantage of the blaze
and chevron is harder to conjecture.
Fin whales push the extremes of the animal kingdom
in speed, size and feeding ecology. They are one of
the largest creatures on the planet and one of the
fastest swimmers in the ocean. Calculations predict
a theoretical maximum speed of around 30 miles per
hour, and Pierantonio believes he has seen one swim
at least that fast. (Faster estimated speeds by marlin,
sailfish and dolphins are based on the animals jumping
above water or riding in boat wakes.) Fin whales,
which are thought to plunge to nearly 2,000 feet in
the Mediterranean in search of krill, may also have the
deepest feeding dives of any baleen whale.
Fin whales do not simply swim along with their mouths
agape to filter plankton (as right whales do); instead
they capture their prey of krill or small fish by lunging
repeatedly at high speed, engulfing volumes of water
that may actually be larger than the size of the whale’s
body before it opened its mouth. Each lunge requires
rapid acceleration and an enormous expenditure of
energy. Researchers at the University of British Columbia
described this process as “one of the most extreme
ALERTDIVER.COM | 79

feeding methods among aquatic vertebrates.” To fuel
the intense energetic demand of maintaining and
operating a huge body at high speed, fin whales must
consume more than a ton of krill every day.
Fin whales can maintain high speeds over large
distances when traveling between areas with
large concentrations of prey. A whale Panigada
tagged in March 2015 swam from Lampedusa
to the northern tip of Corsica, traversing the
Mediterranean from south to north in five days.
It averaged more than 100 miles per day while
crossing some of the world’s busiest shipping
lanes. A second whale tagged the same day made a
similar migration, confirming that the same whales
feed seasonally on both sides of the Mediterranean.
“The fog surrounding our understanding of finwhale
movements in the Mediterranean seems to be
lifting to some extent,” Notarbartolo di Sciara said.
The dramatic results were more cause for concern
than celebration, however. Ship strikes are the
leading known cause of death in fin whales, and these
whales swim close to the surface and come up to
breathe regularly while migrating. The confirmation
of the Lampedusa area as an important feeding
ground is also of concern due to the “exponential
growth of fishing effort” in the region, according to
the report Panigada and his colleagues submitted to
the International Whaling Commission.
Fin whales are classified as endangered worldwide.
Commercial whaling has never targeted the
Mediterranean fin-whale population, but ship
strikes, fishery interactions, chemical pollution,
sound pollution and disturbance by whalewatching
operations are all significant threats. The
Mediterranean fin whales constitute a genetically
distinct subpopulation that has been isolated from
the North Atlantic population for 200,000 years. The
Mediterranean whales rarely leave the Mediterranean
except for short forays into the Atlantic just beyond
the Strait of Gibraltar. Researchers can distinguish
Mediterranean and Atlantic whales by the unique
characteristics of their calls.
After a long campaign by the Tethys Research
Institute, Italy, France and Monaco created the
Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine
Mammals in 2002, making it the world’s first
marine protected area (MPA) that is international
and the first that is mostly in pelagic waters. The
sanctuary covers almost 34,000 square miles,
stretching from just offshore of the French and
Italian Riviera almost to the northern coast of
DOUG PERRINE
ALESSIA SCUDERI / TETHYS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
SIMONE PANIGADA / TETHYS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
DOUG PERRINE
DOUG PERRINE
From top: Viridiana
Jimenez-Moratalla Pelhate
of the Tethys Research
Institute and Capt.
Roberto Raineri of the R/V
Pelagos prepare to deploy
a plankton sampling net
in the Pelagos Sanctuary.
Krill are the primary
food for fin whales. A
giant devil ray performs
an aerial maneuver in
the Pelagos Sanctuary.
Longfin pilot whales swim
in the Strait of Gibraltar.
Nino Pierantonio of the
Tethys Research Institute
studies acoustic data from
a towed hydrophone array
aboard the R/V Pelagos
during a research cruise.
80 | SPRING 2016

Corsica. It includes territorial waters of all three nations,
but much of it is in international waters or areas beyond
national jurisdiction (ABNJ). With the Pelagos Sanctuary
as an example, the United Nations has created a process
to establish additional MPAs in ABNJ, which cover 40
percent of the earth’s surface.
Marine mammals found within sanctuary waters
include fin whales, sperm whales, Cuvier’s beaked
whales, long-finned pilot whales, striped dolphins, shortbeaked
common dolphins, common bottlenose dolphins
and Risso’s dolphins. Fin whales and striped dolphins are
the most abundant. Sperm whales in the Mediterranean,
like fin whales, constitute a distinct subpopulation
characterized by a unique vocal repertoire (and possibly
a smaller body size). Unlike male Atlantic sperm whales,
which make enormous migrations between highlatitude
feeding areas and low-latitude breeding areas,
Mediterranean sperm whales are believed to spend their
lives within the Mediterranean.
Scientists did not recognize the abundance of
whales in this region until Notarbartolo di Sciara
began studying cetaceans there in the late 1980s. Many
divers, however, still believe “the Med is dead.”
“That’s not true,” said Sylvan Oehen, a member of
the Tethys Cetacean Sanctuary Research team. “The
Mediterranean is overfished for some species, but the
primary productivity is still there, and it supports a
lot of life.”
Photographer Danny Kessler was surprised and
intrigued when he learned about the Tethys research
while on a family vacation in Sardinia. He had assumed
that the clear blue waters of the Mediterranean
indicated a sterile environment, not realizing that
ocean giants were diving deep to utilize food resources
hundreds or thousands of feet below the surface. He
was also amazed when Cetacean Sanctuary Research
director Sabina Airoldi showed him maps of seasonal
upwellings, and he learned that the fleet-finned fin
whales could dash hundreds of miles to get from one
temporarily productive area to another.
Numbers of fin whales in the sanctuary have been
declining in recent years, but this may simply reflect
movement out of the Ligurian Sea into other parts of
the Mediterranean. Sperm whale numbers, however,
appear to be increasing within the sanctuary. Similarly,
common dolphin numbers have crashed, but striped
dolphins are abundant. Overfishing of the primary
prey species of common dolphins is suspected in their
decline. Striped dolphins eat a much wider variety
of prey and are thus able to prosper. Risso’s dolphin
populations have declined since 2005, with abundance
estimates in 2012 and 2013 only half of the average.
Risso’s dolphins and Cuvier’s beaked whales feed
primarily on squid, but Tethys’ studies showed that the
two species were using entirely different habitats.
Almost nothing was known about Cuvier’s whales in
the Mediterranean before Tethys began its research in
1999, collaborating with other researchers to describe
a resident population of about 100 of these rare
animals feeding in a deep canyon region off Genoa.
Long-finned pilot whales, once commonly found
in large pods, are now rarely seen in the sanctuary.
The researchers are particularly excited when they
encounter a pod, not just for the opportunity to add
points to the database, but also because these whales
are much friendlier than most cetaceans in the area
and than pilot whales in most other parts of the world.
Tethys researchers have also been involved in research
seeking to manage severe threats to bottlenose-dolphin
populations in the nearby Adriatic and Ionian seas.
While marine mammals continue to be its primary
focus, Tethys is involved in research concerning a
wide variety of species. A collaborative study with
the University of Salento is looking at the increasing
abundance of sea jellies in the Mediterranean
and the resulting ecological, social and economic
consequences. A study of giant devil rays (Mobula
mobular) provided the first estimates of their
abundance in the northwestern Mediterranean, and
this work is continuing with Palestinian partners to
show the effects of a fishery for the species off Gaza.
These studies in collaboration with the Italian National
Institute for Environmental Protection and Research
and the International Whaling Commission are funded
by the Italian Ministry of the Environment and use
aerial surveys to census the rays and cetaceans as well
as loggerhead turtles, bluefin tuna and swordfish.
Marine animals here as elsewhere face a variety
of threats, but the unique international structure
of the sanctuary poses great challenges to enacting
regulations to manage those threats. Thus, Tethys
works with user groups such as ferry operators,
whale-watching companies and fishermen to try to
mitigate the threats.
Most important, the
organization continues
its research to enhance
our knowledge of these
species’ biological needs
and of how they are being
affected by a changing
marine environment. AD
GET INVOLVED
Every summer Tethys opens
research cruises to volunteers
who both assist with the
research and help cover the
cost of the expeditions.
For more information,
see www.tethys.org.
ALERTDIVER.COM | 81

[
Dietary
Supplements
and Healthy
Foods for
Divers
[
BY PETAR DENOBLE, M.D., D.Sc .
RONSTIK/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
Dietary supplements are
popular among health- and
fitness-conscious people,
including recreational divers.
Divers often ask about the
possible benefits and adverse
effects of supplements, used
for either general wellness
or protection from certain diving injuries. Dietary
supplements are clearly helpful to people with a chronic
deficit of specific nutrients such as vitamin C (scurvy) or
vitamin D (rickets), but effects of supplements in healthy
people who eat a balanced diet are less obvious. The large
number of supplements available today far exceeds our
cumulative scientific capacity to study them all, and so use
of supplements grows beyond evidence of their benefits.
OXIDATIVE DAMAGE
Antioxidants are molecules found in cells throughout the
body where they help control the free radicals that result
from oxidative metabolism. Free radicals are reactive
oxygen species (ROS): chemically reactive oxygencontaining
molecules that may damage cells and tissues.
Most ROS are successfully contained by antioxidants.
Some oxidative damage to cells occurs all the time, but
most is repaired. Sustained damage, however, may cause
genetic changes, various diseases and faster aging.
Breathing hyperoxic gas mixes — those containing
more than 21 percent oxygen — for prolonged periods
causes oxidative damage in divers. This can affect the
eyes (causing myopia), the lungs (causing difficulty
breathing) and/or the central nervous system (causing
various symptoms, including convulsions). After
decades of research we have not managed to prolong
the time of symptom-free diving with hyperoxic
breathing gases; instead we have learned there are
limits on oxygen exposure that divers must obey.
In addition to hyperoxic breathing gas, factors such
as immersion, cold, hypoxia and exertion may increase
oxidative stress. Accumulation of low-level oxidative
damage over time may damage DNA and possibly
reduce longevity.
One manifestation of oxygen damage is loss of
arteries’ self-regulatory capacity, also known as
endothelial dysfunction. The endothelium, the inner
layer of the arteries in contact with the blood, releases
nitric oxide (NO), which relaxes the smooth muscles in
the arterial walls to increase their diameter and change
their tone. These mechanisms increase blood flow and/
or reduce blood pressure.
82 | SPRING 2016

FLOW-MEDIATED DILATION
A noninvasive test called flow-mediated dilatation
(FMD) can evaluate endothelial function by measuring
the increase in diameter of an artery after five minutes of
occluded circulation. Normally the diameter of an artery
increases when circulation is reestablished, but not so
with endothelial dysfunction. Several factors, including
exercise and eating various foods, can elicit transitory
endothelial dysfunction. It is suspected that repeated
endothelial injury may contribute to atherosclerosis and
acute heart conditions.
Using FMD, researchers found endothelial
dysfunction in divers during open-water diving and
in hyperbaric chambers. Studies showed that FMD
reduction was more pronounced after nitrox dives
but practically unchanged after successive dives and
air dives. Variability of response was large, however,
and there is no obvious link between FMD findings
and cardiovascular disease in divers. Diminished
endothelial function is a reality of aging, and diving has
not been proven to exacerbate it.
ANTIOXIDANTS
Antioxidants include vitamins
such as vitamin A and vitamin C as
well as minerals such as selenium,
plant products such as flavonoids
and animal products such as
melatonin and omega-3 fatty acids.
Antioxidants are used in attempts
to control oxidative stress and
prevent related diseases. The big
three are vitamin E, vitamin C
and glutathione. Numerous other
small molecules — including
polyphenols, carotenoids, bilirubin
and uric acid — function as
antioxidants. These are contained
in foods and drinks including meat, citrus, chocolate, tea
and wine.
In addition to supporting many bodily functions,
vitamin E (tocopherol) is also an antioxidant, readily
reacting with and inactivating ROS. Used vitamin E is
recycled with the help of vitamin C. Natural sources of
vitamin E are abundant, and normal nutrition provides
enough to meet physiological needs. Larger doses of
vitamin E have been used in efforts to treat various
diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, cancer
and more, but studies have not found any unequivocal
proof of benefits. High doses of vitamin E can lead to
hypervitaminosis E with possible vitamin K deficiency
and increased risk of bleeding. Vitamin E was one
of the first supplements used to try to prevent acute
oxygen toxicity in humans, but it was unsuccessful.
Vitamin C enhances wound healing. Animal studies
have shown that vitamin C can prevent vasoconstriction
of coronary arteries caused by hyperoxia. In human
studies, vitamin C blocked hyperoxic vasoconstriction
and maintained forearm bloodflow. Researchers studied
possible protective effects of vitamin C and vitamin E
in healthy divers. Divers who received a single dose of
2,000 mg of vitamin C and 400
IU of vitamin E two hours prior
to diving had normal endothelial
function, and those who received
a placebo exhibited endothelial
dysfunction. In another study,
divers who received 1,000 mg of
vitamin C and 400 IU of vitamin
E daily for four weeks showed
attenuated postdive decrease
in FMD. In the same studies,
vitamins prevented changes
in other measurements of
cardiovascular function that seem
to occur regularly in diving.
VANATCHANAN/SHUTTERSTOCK
Oxidative Stress
The energy necessary to sustain life is produced within cells by oxidative metabolism. This process breaks down complex molecules from
micronutrients, freeing their chemical energy and storing it in ready-to-use packages called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This can occur
through several pathways, but the only sustainable process includes oxygen as a receiver of electrons freed from the energy-rich chemical
bounds. In that process, various forms of very reactive oxygen-containing molecules arise. Called reactive oxygen species (ROS), or oxygen
radicals, these molecules play important roles in health and disease.
The amount of ROS increases with physical activity and intensity of metabolism. Exposure to hypoxia, hyperoxia and ionizing radiation may
also increase production of ROS. White blood cells in contact with bacteria release huge amounts of ROS, which kills bacteria. Surplus ROS
can be neutralized by various protective substances called antioxidants. Oxidative stress is a condition in which the amount of generated
ROS exceeds existing antioxidant capacities. Mild oxygen stress can improve bodily functions (promoting muscle growth, for example), but
excessive stress can cause various diseases and speed up aging. Efforts to prevent diseases and extend life include strategies to reduce
oxidative stress and increase the availability of antioxidants in the body.
ALERTDIVER.COM | 83

Despite a small number of subjects, these findings
prompted discussion among divers about the use of
vitamin C to protect them from possible adverse health
effects of diving. Evidence-based justification is not yet
available. It is not known what transitory endothelial
dysfunction means for long-term health or if vitamin C
can provide divers with any measurable health benefits.
Regular intake of vitamin C is necessary for health
maintenance, but the recommended dose is about 100
mg per day, which can be obtained from one orange or
a serving of green vegetables. The dose for treatment of
scurvy is 400 to 1,000 mg per day for one week, and the
maximum recommended dose is 2,000 mg. There is no
evidence that higher doses of vitamin C improve health.
CHOCOLATE
Cocoa contains polyphenols, flavonoid compounds
with antioxidant effects, blood-thinning properties
and possibly other beneficial effects. The mechanisms
involved in these effects include reduction of oxidative
stress and increased production of endothelial NO,
which supports normal endothelium-dependent
vasodilation. This reportedly both lowers blood
pressure and reduces risk of heart disease. The majority
of studies claiming benefits of chocolate are small-scale
studies sponsored or even conducted by chocolate
manufacturers.
Benefits of chocolate have been tested in both
breath-hold and scuba divers. The scuba dive study was
conducted in 91°F water at 108 feet (33 msw) for 20
minutes with no decompression stop. Twenty-one divers
ate 30g of dark chocolate (85 percent cocoa) 90 minutes
before the dive, while 21 divers in the control group did
not have chocolate. The breath-hold study had 10 divers
in the chocolate group and 10 in the control group. Both
studies found that dark chocolate reduced endothelial
dysfunction. Further studies conducted by the same
authors found that eating chocolate had no effect on the
amount of postdive venous gas bubbles.
WINE
In vitro studies of resveratrol, a compound found in
wine, showed antioxidant and other effects that may
provide protection against aging, various diseases and
death. Further animal studies appeared to confirm the
beneficial effects.
Among the benefits were effects on skeletal and
cardiac muscle functions similar to the effects of
endurance exercise training. It was also claimed that
resveratrol improves perfusion of the brain and provides
neuroprotection, both of which may be helpful in
reducing the risk of decompression sickness (DCS).
Because resveratrol is suspected to prevent endothelial
cell dysfunction and platelet aggregation, some scientists
assumed it may help prevent DCS. Recent resveratrol
studies claimed several additional health benefits
that could be appealing to divers, but the amount of
resveratrol used in these studies would require drinking
JUDITH FLACKE/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
84 | SPRING 2016

OLGA KRIGER/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
50 to 3,000 liters of wine per day. In studies of whole
wine, benefits could not be determined in light of the
confounding effects of alcohol consumption.
BEET JUICE
Beets are a great source of nitrates, which the body
can change into NO. Some studies have found that
NO can promote improvement in FMD, lowered
blood pressure, decreased oxygen needs for the same
level of exercise and enhanced exercise performance.
Mechanisms for such enhancements at the cellular and
muscular tissue levels, however, were not found. Other
studies contradict these findings and claim no effect of
nitrate supplementation on exercise performance or
other physiological functions.
Researchers studied the use of NO supplements in
divers with the rationale that NO may be involved in
bubble formation and the endothelial damage caused
by bubbles. In one study, nitroglycerin (an NO donor)
was given
intravenously
to animals 30
minutes before
decompression
from a threehour,
130-foot
(40-m) dive.
The amount
of venous gas bubbles after decompression was 10
times less in experimental animals than in controls.
Researchers also tested nitroglycerin in open-water scuba
divers to 100 feet (30 m) for 30 minutes and in hyperbaric
chamber dives to 60 feet (18 m) for 80 minutes. The
same divers did each dive twice. Thirty minutes before
the second dive in the same conditions, divers received
nitroglycerine by oral spray. The postdive amount of
venous gas bubbles detected in divers was smaller
when they received nitroglycerine before the dive.
These findings seemed promising at the time, but the
evidence was not sufficient to consider recommendation
of nitroglycerine to divers — the potential benefit
was demonstrated in experiments involving extreme
exposures not common in recreational diving.
Since that study, no other research has reproduced
these results or moved further toward a possible
practical application. Nitroglycerin is a powerful drug
that should not be used without a prescription. It can
cause side effects when taken alone or in interaction
with other drugs or supplements and thus should not
be taken for diving.
Supplements with L-arginine (another NO donor)
may help to lower blood pressure, and people who
take it should be aware of possible interactions with
any medications they are using. Beet juice, on the
other hand, may be added to your diet without much
cause for concern. Just remember that neither of these
products has been proven to offer specific protective
effects for divers.
TO SUPPLEMENT OR NOT TO SUPPLEMENT
Consuming dietary supplements and certain foods
may change the availability of substances such as NO
that participate in basic physiological processes. It may
even cause measurable but temporary changes in some
functions such as FMD. In experimental settings it may
affect the amount of venous gas bubbles present after
dives. But these effects are not so pronounced as to
suggest, for example, that an antioxidant will decrease
the risk of DCS in real-life diving or that without
these supplements diving would lead to long-term
health problems.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which regularly
reviews evidence and provides recommendations, found
that vitamin C, vitamin E and some other minerals and
supplements
studied provide
no benefit to
healthy subjects
with regard to
heart disease,
cancer and
mortality. 1 Many
other supplements on the market make various health
claims with little or no supporting evidence. A healthy
and balanced diet will provide all the micronutrients
you need. If you like chocolate, beware of excess sugar.
If you drink wine, enjoy it in moderation, and do not
drink before diving. Remember, your safety underwater
depends on your dive behaviors and good judgment, not
the foods you eat. AD
ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
Reference
1. Fortmann SP, Burda BU, Senger CA, Lin J, Beil T, O’Connor E, Whitlock EP. Vitamin, Mineral, and Multivitamin Supplements for the Primary
Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer: A Systematic Evidence Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Evidence Report
No. 108. AHRQ Publication No. 14-05199-EF-1. Rockville, Md.: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; 2013.
ALERTDIVER.COM | 85

IMAGING
OCEAN VIEWS 2016
B Y B R I A N S K E R R Y
C H A N G E
Since the advent of photography, mankind
has recorded nearly every important
historical event through still frames.
When we think of the U.S. Civil War,
the Kennedy assassination or the moon
landing, we visualize photographs. This is
the way the human brain works — even
when we think of motion pictures or video,
we see individual still frames in our mind’s eye.
Humans are visual creatures. Tens of thousands of years
ago people painted pictures on cave walls to record the
things they witnessed in their lives and the things that
mattered to them. But photography captures a moment
— a brief, fleeting scene that would otherwise vanish in an
instant. And in the image that remains lies great power.
Images have the power to educate, entertain, motivate and
inspire. From a single still frame we can evoke emotion.
With a solitary photograph we can change the world.
Since the beginning, photography has been used to honor
the natural world. Photographers working in far-off, exotic
locales or in their own backyards share images in a collective
celebration of our planet. They show us things we have never
seen before and inspire us to see familiar things in new ways.
This year, 2016, marks the centennial of the National Park
Service, caretakers and protectors of the U.S. national parks.
Called “America’s best idea,” national parks were created in
large part because a photographer named William Henry
Jackson accompanied the Hayden Geological Survey to
America’s West in 1871 and returned with stunning images
of places many people had believed were only myths. When
JELLYFISH WITH TREVALLY
Alor Archipelago, Indonesia
By Eric Madeja
11th
Place
SURFING PYGMY DEVIL RAYS
Ixtapa, Mexico
By Carol Brooks Parker
12th
Place
I came across this rarely seen jellyfish on a dusk dive in Indonesia’s Alor
Archipelago. The trevally was very protective of its companion and bit me on
the hand multiple times before retreating to hide within the jellyfish’s mantle.
Rough seas made this split-level shot a challenge, but the overcast sky added a
dramatic element to the image.
Nikon D300, Tokina AT-X 107 AF DX 10-17mm fisheye lens @ 10mm, 1/125 sec
@ f/18, ISO 400, Sea & Sea YS-250 strobes (2), Sea & Sea MDX-D300 housing;
www.ericmadeja.com
During a trip along Mexico’s Pacific coastline we stopped in Ixtapa, which possesses a
beautiful curving beach. The surf rolled in, backlit by the early morning sun, and I was
startled to see the rays gliding in the breaking waves. With the sun behind the clear
aqua water, the rays appeared suspended as if behind the glass of an aquarium. I was
shooting hand held, and I kicked up the shutter speed to freeze the action.
Nikon D4S, Nikon AF VR Zoom-Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ED zoom lens
@ 400mm with a circular polarizing filter, 1/1000 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400,
hand held; www.cbparkerphoto.com
86 | SPRING 2016

T H E W O R L D
Congress saw the images, they took action and created
Yellowstone National Park in March 1872.
Although we live on a water planet, the majority of the
population is not divers. Thus underwater photography
plays a vital role in sharing what we as divers know: Earth’s
oceans are magnificent and must be protected. The images
we produce bear witness to the fact that this stunning realm
exists. Though few will ever experience it personally, what lies
beneath the waves matters immensely to all who live on land.
As underwater photographers, we are explorers and
ambassadors. We travel to places with a camera in hand
and return with images that enlighten. Underwater
photographers reveal a netherworld to celebrate sharks
and shrimp, dolphins and damselfish and so much more.
Underwater photographs speak for those that have no voice
and for places that
might seem to be
mythical.
Photographers
holding cameras have
before them a limitless
palette with which
they create. They
share through photography that which matters to them —
the things about which they are passionate. And passion is
contagious. Most of us begin making pictures for no other
reason than our personal enjoyment, but inevitably the
pictures reach others and effect change. Our friends, family
and colleagues are educated, entertained, motivated and
inspired. And with that, we change the world.
MAURICIO HANDLER
SPOTTED DOLPHINS
Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica
By Juan José Pucci
Highly
Honored
JUVENILE ELEPHANT SEAL AND KING PENGUIN
Gold Harbour, South Georgia Island
By Jayanand Govindaraj
Highly
Honored
I have traversed this gulf many times and always hoped to encounter the pods
of spotted dolphins that come here to feed but had not had any luck. While
traveling to a nearby hotel for a photography assignment, a pod of dolphins
suddenly appeared and played around our boat just long enough for me to take
a few shots. That brief moment was magical for me.
Nikon D810, Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, 1/1000 sec @ f/8,
ISO 800, hand held; www.pucci.cr
While I was on a trip to South Georgia Island in January 2014, Gold Harbour was
full of juvenile male elephant seals lying in heaps, moulting and mock fighting.
The weather that day was dreary, and a light snow was falling. Neither the seals
nor the penguins were afraid of humans and would allow us to get quite close.
Before I photographed this seal, I noticed the penguin coming, so I waited until it
was in the frame to take the shot.
Nikon D800E, Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/4G ED VR lens @ 200mm,
1/800 sec @ f/8, ISO 640, hand held; gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand
ALERTDIVER.COM | 87

GANNETS AND DOLPHINS
Port St Johns, South Africa
By Greg Lecoeur
Grand
Prize
We spent hours looking for action during the sardine
migration along the coast of South Africa. The gannets’
frantic sounds became louder, and the birds seemed
to accelerate as they shot straight down to pierce the
surface of the sea. Before I got into the water I could
not imagine the incredible spectacle that I would find
below the surface.
Nikon D7000, Tokina 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 lens,
1/200 sec @ f/9, ISO 200, Ikelite DS160 strobes (2),
Nauticam housing; www.greglecoeur.com
88 | SPRING 2016

ALERTDIVER.COM | 89

SOFT CORAL GOBY
Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia
By Adriano Morettin
1st
Place
I was about to end my dive when my attention was
drawn to something very small that moved and hid
among the branches of a soft coral. I approached to
find two tiny gobies jumping from branch to branch.
I pointed my camera toward part of one branch that
was not covered by polyps and waited patiently until
one of the gobies stopped right in this spot.
Nikon D800E, Nikon 60mm micro f/2.8 lens, 1/160 sec
@ f/22, ISO 200, Seacam Seaflash 150 strobes (2),
Seacam housing; www.facebook.com/adriano.morettin
90 | SPRING 2016

ALERTDIVER.COM | 91

POLAR BEAR CUB
Olgastretet Pack Ice, Spitsbergen,
Svalbard, Norway
By Jayanand Govindaraj
2nd
Place
We were following this frisky cub and its mother, and
the cub would get distracted by everything around it.
Suddenly it looked up and saw that its mother was
some distance ahead, so it hurried to catch up with
her. It took off in this graceful leap when going from
one ice floe to another; as soon as I could see its full
reflection in the water, I took the shot.
Nikon D800E, Nikon AF-S Nikkor 200-400mm f/4
ED-IF VR lens @ 400mm, 1/1600 sec @ f/13,
ISO 800, Gitzo GT3542LS tripod with a Really Right
Stuff BH-55 ballhead and Wimberley Sidekick;
gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand
92 | SPRING 2016

ALERTDIVER.COM | 93

SOCKEYE SALMON
Adams River, British Columbia,
Canada
By Todd Mintz
3rd
Place
Sockeye salmon travel from Canada’s west coast more
than 300 miles inland to spawn. The salmon surmount
waterfalls and battle cold rushing rivers to reach their
birthplace, attract a mate, spawn and die. I spent a
week exploring this river, hiking and shooting in my drysuit
for eight to 10 hours each day. After four straight
hours in the river one morning, I was shivering and
exhausted but was rewarded with this close approach.
Canon EOS 50D, Tokina 10-17mm fisheye lens
@ 10mm, 1/200 sec @ f/13, ISO 400, Inon Z-220
strobes (2) on Aquatica arms and clamps, Aquatica
50D housing; www.tmintz.ca
94 | SPRING 2016

ALERTDIVER.COM | 95

HUMPBACK WHALE CALF
Tonga, South Pacific
By Scott Portelli
4th
Place
Each year between July and October, humpback whales
return to the calm, warm waters of the Kingdom of
Tonga to mate and give birth. The encounter in this
image was special because of the obvious bond between
the mother whale and her young calf. The mother would
remain vertical for up to 40 minutes at a time, while the
calf surfaced every three to five minutes to breathe.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 15mm fisheye lens,
1/320 sec @ f/8, ISO 320, Seacam housing;
www.scottportelli.com
96 | SPRING 2016

GRAY SEAL
Farne Islands, Northumberland, UK
By Ellen Cuylaerts
5th
Place
Though it was dark and rainy as we departed the village
of Seahouses for the Farne Islands, we found ourselves
in the middle of some very playful and curious seals from
the moment we entered the water.
The seals were not at all bothered
by our presence, taking breaks from
their natural behavior of courting each
other and resting in the kelp to closely
inspect our fins and cameras.
Nikon D800, Nikon AF Fisheye-Nikkor
16mm lens, 1/200 sec @ f/7.1,
ISO 800, Light and Motion Sola Video
3000 lights (2), Subal housing;
www.ellencuylaerts.com
RED OCTOPUS
San Diego, Calif., USA
By Allison Vitsky Sallmon
6th
Place
I have adored red octopuses ever
since I read about the one that
went undetected in a well-known
aquarium for a year, dining on
crabs in its exhibit area until it was
discovered crawling across the floor late one night. These creatures are not uncommon,
but they can be small, quick and elusive. This tiny, colorful juvenile, however, was very
interested in me, and I was able to photograph him in a variety of poses on the kelp.
Canon EOS 7D, Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 lens, 1/200 sec @ f/18, ISO 320, Sea & Sea
YS-D1 strobes (2), Sea & Sea housing; www.avitsky.com
(ON THE COVER)
7th Place
PILOT WHALES
Nice, France
By Greg Lecoeur
(FEATURED ON PAGE 112)
8th Place
LARVAL CUSK EEL
Kailua-Kona,
Hawaii, USA
By Jeff Milisen
ALERTDIVER.COM | 97

GIANT MANTA AT CLEANING STATION
Revillagigedo Biosphere Reserve (Socorro Islands), Mexico
By Claudio Contreras Koob
9th
Place
This giant manta approached the island and slowed its pace near where I was waiting.
Immediately a group of clarion angelfish left the security of the reef, approached the
manta and, to my delight, began cleaning it in front of me. Mantas often travel great
distances to reach cleaning sites like this one in the middle of the ocean, which is a
testament to the importance of cleaning fishes in the health of the system.
Canon EOS 5D Mark ll, Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX DG fisheye lens, 1/80 sec @ f/11,
ISO 160, Nikonos SB-105 strobes (2), Seacam housing; www.claudiocontreras.com
EYE OF THE STORM WAVE
Hapuna Beach, Big Island of Hawaii, USA
By Nick Selway
10th
Place
There is nothing more powerful than
being in the water and experiencing
huge waves crashing over your head in
the Hawaiian Islands. On this particular
morning I went to Hapuna Beach, and
the waves were breaking with 6- to
8-foot faces. This wave pitched up,
sucking in all the sand and foam from
the previous waves, and barreled right
over me. At the end of the barrel a bit of
light came in, giving the image a stormy
mood.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon 15mm
fisheye lens, 1/1600 sec @ f/6.3,
ISO 400, SPL Waterhousing;
www.lavalightgalleries.com
98 | SPRING 2016

MENS
LOGO
PMS 877 C PMS 187 C PMS PROCESS
BLACK C
PMS OPAQUE
WHIT C
SPECIAL THANKS TO
OUR SPONSORS:
Pantone 877C Pantone 187 C Pantone Opaque
White C
CARIBBEAN FLAMINGO FEEDING CHICK
Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico
By Claudio Contreras Koob
Highly
Honored
Both Caribbean flamingo parents care for their chicks, which hatch about one
month after the egg is laid. Covered with white down for their first week, the chicks
are fed a blood-red secretion rich in hemoglobin, and they grow very fast. Flamingo
colonies are highly sensitive to human presence, but I was able to get very close to
the nests without disturbing the birds by hiding underneath a camouflage throwover
blind and crawling on all fours.
Canon EOS 5D Mark ll, Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens with a Canon Extender
EF 2x II, 1/500 sec @ f/11, ISO 200, ground pod; www.claudiocontreras.com
ALERTDIVER.COM | 99

PHOTO RESOURCE GUIDE
FROM POINT & SHOOT TO PROFESSIONAL
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USA West HQ +1 831-645-1082 Backscatter_West USA East +1 603-432-1997 Backscatter_East
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100 | SPRING 2016

PHOTO RESOURCE GUIDE
www.samstours.com
ALERTDIVER.COM | 101

PHOTO RESOURCE GUIDE
“It’s Like Live Aboard Diving
with All the Comforts of Home!”
Diving Freedom
@SunsetHouseCayman
~Morning Spectacular Wall Dives off Custom Boats
~Second Dive on Amazing Reefs
~Unlimited Shore Diving 24/7
~USS Kittiwake Wreck
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with
Comfortable Rooms, Restaurant, Fantastic Bar
&
Cathy Church’s U/W Photo Centre
reservations@sunsethouse.com
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(800) 854-4767 or (345) 949-7111
Please Dive Responsibly
Always Dive with a Buddy!
Walls•Reefs•Wrecks•Sharks•Movie Sites
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102 | SPRING 2016

PHOTO RESOURCE GUIDE
ALERTDIVER.COM | 103

WATER
PLANET
SYMPATHY
FOR THE
DEVIL
EYES ON
MANTAS
AND
MOBULAS
By Rachel
Graham and
Sarah Fowler
Mantas in
Hanifaru Bay,
a marine
protected
area in the
Maldives and
a core site in
the recently
established
Baa Atoll
UNESCO
Biosphere
Reserve
Despite increasing public
attention on the plight
of sharks during the past
decade, many people still
forget the sharks’ cousins: the
rays. Perhaps it’s no surprise
that rays don’t garner as much media attention
as sharks, but they likewise lag behind sharks
as both subjects of scientific research and
beneficiaries of legal protections.
For divers, however, few sights are
more breathtaking than the graceful and majestic
underwater flight of the manta ray, which can
reach the remarkable size of more than 20 feet
across. This animal, which plies the world’s
tropical seas on large muscular wings, has been
poorly understood until recently. Much of what
we know about manta rays has been discovered
within the past decade, and today divers can
predictably encounter mantas at an increasing
number of dive sites.
Devil rays (as they are commonly known due
to the hornlike appearance of their cephalic fins)
are under an ever brighter public and scientific
spotlight. The three manta ray species and
their nine lookalike cousins, the mobulas, are
now highly sought after, both alive and dead.
Wide-ranging Manta birostris is the largest of
the mantas; Manta alfredi is a smaller, more
coastal species that primarily occupies the Indo-
Pacific and eastern Atlantic; the third (not yet
fully described) species is found primarily in the
Western Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. These
12 large and highly migratory rays all subsist on
CLARK MILLER
104 | SPRING 2016

planktonic prey and share other common traits such as
longevity, late maturation and low reproductive rates.
These characteristics, combined with predictable
surface-swimming behavior while feeding, have made
rays particularly vulnerable to overexploitation. They
generally produce a single pup after a 12-month
gestation, and there may be up to five years between
gestations in some species. Their brains are large
relative to their body size (the largest of all sharks
and rays), which implies that they are as smart as an
intelligent and sociable bird, a fact that won’t surprise
anyone who has had a protracted encounter with a
manta. Their behavior is a key driver of the growing
manta tourism industry, which generates an estimated
$73 million in direct revenue annually.
Differences in the habitat preferences and life cycles
of these migratory rays expose them to different but
overlapping threats. Coastal mantas (M. alfredi) and
some mobulas are threatened by small-scale artisanal
fisheries that use nets and harpoons in countries
such as Indonesia and Mozambique; oceanic mantas
(M. birostris) and other mobula species are further
threatened by pelagic tuna purse-seine fisheries.
Fisheries that target mantas intentionally seek not the
animal’s meat but rather its breathing apparatus — the
gill plates, which are dried and sold in Asia for their
supposed medicinal properties.
Studies estimate that the mortality of mobulas
captured and released from tuna purse-seine nets is
close to 100 percent. Reducing the threat of purseseine
capture has been tackled by the Western and
Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), which
in 2015 proposed procedures for rapid and careful
release of the animals from the nets. These measures
have not yet been widely implemented, and the
common practice of gaff-hooking rays caught in the
nets further contributes to purse-seine mortality.
Several countries, including Mexico, Indonesia, Peru,
Australia, Ecuador, Maldives, Seychelles and Yap, have
now enacted legislation to protect mantas, in light of
dramatic declines in their numbers following the growth
of fisheries that target them. Yet the gulf between
legislation and actual implementation of protective
measures is wide. Unsustainable fishing of mantas
continues, even in countries that have protections in place.
Additional measures to reduce threats from fisheries
and trade have been recently implemented through two
key international agreements: the Convention on the
Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals
(CMS) and the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
CMS Appendix I requires parties to the treaty
to protect CMS-listed species in their country,
while the complementary Appendix II encourages
range states — countries through which migratory
species pass — to collaborate internationally for the
conservation and management of species. An example
of such collaboration is the 2010 Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) on the Conservation of
Migratory Sharks, which originally listed a small number
of shark species in its Annex 1. In 2011, the oceanic
manta was listed in both CMS appendices. This listing
was followed in 2014 by the addition of the coastal manta
and all nine mobulas, partly in acknowledgement that
the similar appearance of unprotected devil rays could
thwart protection of the giant mantas. In February 2016,
participants at the Second Meeting of the Signatories
to the MOU on the Conservation of Migratory Sharks
added all species of mantas and mobulas (and some more
sharks) to Annex 1 and adopted a revised conservation
plan (Annex 3) for 2016-18 that will improve our
knowledge of both the species and the fisheries.
CITES prohibits commercial trade in species listed
in its Appendix I (most endangered), establishes
processes for ensuring that trade in its Appendix II
species is sustainable and has the capacity to impose
sanctions if parties fail to comply. CITES listed all
mantas in Appendix II in 2013, recognizing that
fisheries driven by international demand for gill plates
caused stock depletion. CITES Appendix II requires
exporting countries to confirm that exports of listed
species were obtained legally (e.g., not taken from
protected areas or using illegal fishing gear) and that
the harvest from the wild population was sustainable,
among other things. In September 2016, parties will
debate adding all the mobulas to CITES Appendix II,
partly because some species face the same threats and
also because of “lookalike” issues, which can undermine
the protection of the most threatened species if their
products (i.e., gill plates) cannot be differentiated.
These international conservation measures are timely,
providing hope that it will be possible to reverse declines
in several known manta/mobula fisheries and mitigate
threats from other not-yet-fully-described fisheries.
Furthermore, the International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN) Global Devil and Manta Ray Conservation
Strategy, developed by manta experts in Durban, South
Africa, in 2014, will soon be released to guide research
and conservation priorities and drive future conservation
and collaborative efforts for all devil rays.
The considerable advances made worldwide in the
research and conservation of mantas and mobulas are
encouraging. It is clear that we are finally beginning to
show much deserved sympathy to these devils of the
sea. This is no time for resting on laurels, however; we
need to move faster and more efficiently to mitigate
the multiple threats to these magnificent marine icons
so their populations may thrive once again. AD
ALERTDIVER.COM | 105

MEMBER
TO MEMBER
ALLISON SALLMON
ANDY SALLMON
ANDY SALLMON
REEF RECHECK
By Douglas Klug
Many of us started diving to be
explorers. We descend into the
underwater world to seek out
new places and new critters.
Adventure is in our nature,
which is why it’s not unusual
for divers to be disappointed by repeated returns to
the same dive site. Some divers think they won’t see
anything new. After diving a site once, they believe they
already know it and would rather go somewhere else.
Ask the pros about this, and you’ll hear a different
story. Divemasters and underwater photographers will
tell you that you can’t possibly know a particular dive
site after only one dive. Watching TV footage or leafing
through a dive magazine you’ll see some spectacular
coverage. This is rarely the product of a single dive;
instead it probably represents countless hours spent
on a site. Thirty seconds of footage might be the result
of weeks of diving. And that image on the front page?
Professional photographers may do numerous dives to
learn about an area and its inhabitants before achieving
just the right angle, lighting and subject.
A well-known underwater photographer once said,
“After you’ve done 50 dives on a site, you really get to
know it — you learn all the inhabitants of that particular
corner of the reef. You know where individual fish hang
out and learn their routines, and you can even track their
lives.” Sometimes we forget that our window into the
underwater world is brief. It would be as if someone got
a glimpse of your world while you were standing in line
at the airport: They would have no idea where you came
from or what adventures you were about to embark upon.
I got my first sense of the “recheck” concept while
teaching open-water scuba classes at the Channel
Islands in the mid-1990s. A particular cove at Anacapa
Island worked very well for certification dives, so I
usually asked the captain to take us there. After a skills
session in the shallow sand flats, I routinely took the
students on a short tour of a nearby rock reef. Among
the attractions was a pair of resident moray eels. For
several summers I took groups near that pair of eels,
stopping while the eels showed off their stuff, on an
almost weekly basis.
At another favorite Channel Islands spot I always
encounter a very bold garibaldi. Even as the kelp forest
and anemone bed wax and wane with the seasons, I
can find a garibaldi. While I can’t be sure it’s the same
fish, every time I visit that part of the reef a garibaldi is
there flashing its bright orange body at me.
Other reefs I return to hold their own special
creatures. Octopuses, bluebanded gobies and island
kelpfish all have their own routines and habits. They
reside near features in the reef that don’t change with
the seasons, and I find I can revisit these creatures
whenever I do a reef recheck at a particular site.
I invite you to take the recheck approach whenever
you return to a particular dive site. As you gain
familiarity with the site and its residents, you may
discover that you are exploring a particular dive site at
new levels and discovering new things. AD
SHARE YOUR STORY
Diving a site repeatedly is a great way to
really get to know its denizens. From left:
garibaldi, moray eels, two-spot octopus
Do you have tips, advice, travel strategies, dive techniques,
lessons learned or other words of wisdom to share with your
fellow divers? Alert Diver wants your story! Email it to M2M@
dan.org, or mail it to “Member to Member,” c/o Alert Diver,
6 W. Colony Place, Durham, NC 27705.
106 | SPRING 2016

Engage Smarter
With DAN Educational Resources
Your Go-To Resource for Dive Safety Information
We believe a smarter diver is a safer diver, so we want to arm you with the information
needed to stay safe both in and out of the water. Available online and in print, DAN’s
Educational Resources address topics relevant to the new and experienced diver.
Engage smarter, and join DAN in the goal of making every dive accident-free.
n Health & Diving Reference Library
n Online Incident Reporting and Case Summaries
n Medical FAQs and Information Line
n Social Media Channels
n Webinars, Safety Quizzes and Online Seminars
DAN.org

GEAR
STEPHEN FRINK
GEAR-RELATED
INCIDENTS
By Peter Buzzacott, MPH, Ph.D.
The sun was out, and the visibility
down at 30 feet was excellent. It was
nearly time to ascend, so my buddy
tapped her watch and then gave me
the “OK” signal; I happily signaled
back. This down time was just what I
had needed after a busy week at work.
Then, just when everything was going perfectly, I
heard some bubbling. I removed my second stage from
my mouth and held it with the mouthpiece facing
downward. To my dismay, I saw bubbles coming out
— my regulator was leaking. We were almost at our
safety stop, so I put the regulator back in my mouth
and double-checked that my buddy was within reach in
case something unexpected happened. Thinking about
it, I realized I hadn’t had my regulator serviced since
last summer, so I resolved to drop it off at the dive
shop later in the week. Better safe than sorry when it
comes to having gas to breathe.
When I got back to work at DAN®, my first task
for the week was to look at the latest diving incident
reports, which are submitted by divers who have had
or have witnessed a near-miss. These are unexpected
events that could have resulted in an injury. Curious,
I counted how many of the incidents were the result
of equipment malfunctions. Of the first 92 reports I
reviewed, 16 incidents (17 percent) involved equipment
issues. Based on other data, we know this number likely
overrepresents the incidence of equipment problems,
but this overrepresentation stands to reason because
equipment failure is a matter of concern to many divers. I
found it interesting that 13 of the 16 equipment problems
reported (81 percent) related to air supply, and the other
three reports (19 percent) related to buoyancy control.
While studying the air-supply problems, I soon
identified a common error: failure to watch the
submersible pressure gauge (SPG) while test-breathing
the regulator. Here is an excerpt from one of the
incident reports:
The group went out with four divers and two
guides. The drop-in was a back roll, and I dropped
in first. Prior to entry I checked all my gear and
tested my regulator and inflator. I then dumped
the air from my BCD [buoyancy control device]
and moved into position. The deckhand checked
all my equipment and made sure my tank valve
was opened. I rolled in and dropped down 6-10
feet and took my first breath: nothing. Now I was
underwater, slightly negatively buoyant, with no air
for breathing or inflation. I kicked for all I had and
was able to reach the boat and grab ahold of the
swim deck. The deckhand was then able to reach
over and turn my air back on.
Another incident report highlights a common error
that’s reported to DAN every year: turning the valve
the wrong way.
While diving in Florida, I noticed that upon each
inhalation the needle of my SPG fluctuated. It dipped
down with each breath before returning to the correct
pressure reading for my tank. I continued diving while
keeping a close eye on the gauge, and upon reaching
a depth of approximately 55 feet it suddenly became
very difficult for me to breathe. I looked at my SPG
mid-breath and saw the needle drop to 0 psi, and it
did not readily move back up. I felt like there was no
more air available to me even though I knew there
108 | SPRING 2016

STEPHEN FRINK
STEPHEN FRINK
Reduce your risk of a gear-related incident
with a few simple steps: take two breaths
from your regulator on the surface while
watching your gauge, test your power inflator
before entering the water, and make sure
your tank valve is always either fully open or
fully closed.
was at least 1,200 psi in my tank. I signaled “out of
air” to my buddy and used her alternate regulator.
We made a controlled ascent to the surface, and I
was not injured. Upon inspecting my gear I realized
that instead of turning on my tank all the way and
then half a turn back, I had turned it all the way off
and half a turn on. Upon descending below 33 feet
I experienced inadequate air-pressure delivery from
my tank to my regulator because the tank was barely
on and could not continue to deliver the same volume
of air at the increased ambient pressure.
Together these two incidents highlight how to avoid
most gas-supply problems. First, make sure your valve
is all the way open or all the way closed. The days
when divers needed to turn the valve back a quarter
turn are long behind us. Second, and this is essential
for diving safety, every diver should look at his or her
SPG while taking two breaths just before entering the
water. If your tank is turned off or you are wearing an
empty tank, then as long as your valve is all the way
open or all the way closed you will be able to tell if you
are good to go by taking a couple of test
breaths. If the needle drops, then your valve
is closed, but if it stays still in the full zone,
then you should have adequate gas supply to
enter the water.
Buoyancy problems, although not reported to DAN
as frequently as gas-supply problems, may still be
common. Most are easily avoided by following these
three simple tips:
• Always test your power inflator before you enter
the water. If it is going to stick, then this is when it
is most likely to do so.
• Always check that you can orally inflate your BCD
before entering the water in case you need to do
so in an emergency.
• Look at your weight-removal system. If you are
using unfamiliar equipment, make sure you know
how to drop your weights, if needed. If you are
shore diving on a calm day, consider a quick
practice weight drop while floating on the
surface in 4 feet of water.
Keep in mind these few simple tips to prevent
the equipment problems most commonly reported
to DAN: Make sure your tank valve is fully open
or closed, and familiarize yourself with your BCD
and weight-removal system before
For more tips and incidents
reports, or to report a diving
incident, visit DAN.org/
diving-incidents.
diving with them. By following these
suggestions, you can avoid many rare
but potentially serious equipment
problems. AD
ALERTDIVER.COM | 109

MARKETPLACE
AUSTRALIA
GREAT BARRIER REEF • CORAL SEA
& REMOTE FAR NORTHERN REEFS
> Dive remote region
Great Barrier Reef
> Coral Sea shark dive
& 3000ft walls
> Australia’s premier
liveaboard
spiritoffreedom.com.au
Available at
your fingertips!
The Alert Diver archive is waiting for you
at the iOS and Android app stores. Search
“Alert Diver” for the free app.
All content is free to DAN members. Paid
subscriptions are also available.
TSA SOF Alert Diver Ad.indd 1
26/5/14 4:03:14 PM
We can attach any underwater camera to
any underwater strobe or light.
20 YEARS IN BUSINESS
Often copied, never equaled.
100% customer satisfaction guaranteed.
Pan and tilt tripod in stock.
For product information, call 805-484-3334.
Visit our website: www.ulcs.com
Made in the USA.
GoPro accessories available for Hero 2, 3, 3+ and 4.
SOLOMON
ISLANDS
Bilikiki Cruises
bilikiki@bilikiki.com tel: 1 800 663 5363
www.bilikiki.com
110 | SPRING 2016

MARKETPLACE
Aggressor Fleet.......................................2-3
Anthony’s Key Resort................................ 53
Aqua Cat Cruises..................................... 59
Arenui.................................................... 101
Backscatter........................................... 100
Bahamas................................................. 59
Bilikiki Cruises...................................... 110
Blackbeard’s Cruises............................... 59
Blancpain........................ Inside Front Cover
Caradonna............................... 9, 19, 21, 37
Dancer Fleet...........................................2-3
DAN Cares............................................... 56
DAN Dive Accident Insurance..................... 5
DAN Educational Resources................... 107
DAN Online Resources.............................. 47
DAN Programs...............................11, 62-63
ADVERTISERS INDEX
Q2 SPRING 2016
Dive Provo................................................ 22
Explorer Ventures................................... 103
Fish ’n Fins.................................... 103, 111
Florida Keys......................Inside Back Cover
Henderson................................................. 7
Ocean Views Photo Contest.................... 100
Odyssey Adventures................................. 53
Sam’s Tours........................................... 101
Scubapro....................................Back Cover
Seacam................................................... 25
Spirit of Freedom................................... 110
Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas............ 59, 102
Sunset House......................................... 102
UltraLight Systems................................ 110
UNEXSO............................................. 57, 59
Worldwide Dive and Sail........................... 24
Connecting with DAN
DAN Emergency Hotline: +1-919-684-9111 (collect calls accepted)
DAN Medical Information Line: +1-919-684-2948
DAN Toll-Free Numbers: Dial 1-800-446-2671 in the USA and
Canada for Membership, Medicine, Education and Development
programs. Dial 1-877-5DAN PRO for DAN Business Members.
Moving? Go online to the Members section at DAN.org to change
your address, or mail DAN your new address.
DAN TravelAssist ® emergency assistance can be accessed
through the DAN Emergency Hotline at +1-919-684-9111
(call collect from anywhere in the world).
DAN medical and membership calls are recorded but are
not published or released without written permission of all parties.
Other questions?
For complete contact information, all other services and general
inquiries, please visit DAN.org/contact.
DAN.org
ALERTDIVER.COM | 111

PARTING
SHOT
LARVAL CUSK EEL
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA
By Jeff Milisen
8th
Place
We spotted this larval cusk eel on
a blackwater dive off Kona. These
eels have many adaptations to
help them survive to adulthood, including fin spines
that increase their surface area to help keep them
from sinking into the abyss, a transparent body that
makes them harder to see and an external stomach to
promote nutrient consumption and enable this little
alien to grow as fast as possible. Eventually it will
grow to about 18 inches long and live on the slope of
the Big Island between 650 and 2,300 feet.
Canon EOS Rebel T1i, Canon 60mm macro lens,
1/160 sec @ f/10, ISO 200, Ikelite DS51 strobes (2),
Light and Motion 2000 lumen video lights (2), Ikelite
housing; MilisenPhotography.yolasite.com
112 | SPRING 2016

The Reef Explorer Challenge.
Sound the trumpets.
Dive at least one designated reef in each of the five regions in The Florida
Keys, and you’ll receive a poster certifying that you’re an official
Florida Keys Reef Explorer. Whether you’re a novice or experienced
diver, it never hurts to toot your own horn.
fla-keys.com/diving
ISLAMORADA
KEY LARGO
KEY WEST BIG PINE KEY & THE LOWER KEYS
MARATHON
Marina Del Mar Resort & Marina, Key Largo
Pet friendly rooms & suites on deep water marina.
Free light continental breakfast.
800-451-3483 or 305-451-4107
marinadelmarkeylargo.com
Dive Key West, Inc.
Keys’ Premiere Dive Center. Our 45th year.
Dive “The Vandenberg”!
Custom dive and lodging packages.
800-426-0707 or 305-296-3823
divekeywest.com
Florida Keys Dive Center, Islamorada
PADI 5 star CDC. Diving REEFS & WRECKS
of Key Largo, Islamorada & Pennekamp Park.
800-433-8946 or 305-852-4599
floridakeysdivectr.com
Key Largo Cottages @ Key Lime Sailing Club
FREE kayaks, bicycles, sailing, fishing,
snorkel, sunset sail with cottage $175 NT.
305-451-3438 keylimesailingclub.com
Hall’s Diving Center & Career Institute, Marathon
Beautiful Wreck and Reef diving. Lessons for
starters and Career Training for professionals.
Great fun at Hall’s. Come see us.
800-331-4255 or 305-743-5929
hallsdiving.com
Amy Slate’s Amoray Dive Resort, Key Largo
Waterfront rooms, pool, beach, scuba, snorkel instr.
& boat charters. 3nts/2dive pkg from $345 ppdo
305-451-3595 or 800-426-6729
amoray.com
Key Largo Bay Marriott Beach Resort
Escape to paradise featuring endless blue skies,
fishing, diving and more!
855-410-3911
keylargobaymarriott.com

Beautifully simple.
simply intelligent.
M2
Below its stunning surface, the air-integrated M2
offers all the robust features you expect from
SCUBAPRO dive computers. Featuring powerful biometrics that
customize your dive profile, and an intuitive design—you can
spend less time with a manual and more time underwater.
DESIGNED WITH HUMAN FACTOR DIVING
Paired with the SCUBAPRO belt, M2 uses your heart rate,
breathing rate and skin temperature to calculate a
personalized dive profile. Just put it on and let it do the work.
SCUBAPRO.COM