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GirlDiver

Edited by Cindy Ross The Girl Text by Cindy Ross GirlDiver.com Photos by Bill Battan and Chris Padilla In the Bubble

Time travel becomes reality, as scuba world—recreationally, not commer- are collectors of diving helmets and equip- I descend beneath the waterline cially. ment from our past. The suit I dived in was I sought out dive gear made for small a “Men’s Large” size—the smallest avail- in a 1944 Mark V Hard Helmet, the women, found easier methods to don the able suit size. standard U.S. Navy dive equip- heavy equipment and slowly developed With enough lacing and strapping, pull- ment used for undersea salvage the “dive specific” muscular operations in World War II. structure by hauling countless tanks to and from dive sites. I “So, what’s under the water?” I asked honed my instructional skills to Maurice, the aged Greek instructor from a ease the entry of other women local training facility for commercial divers. into the sport. I was 19 years old, and my only experience Now, I’m taking the plunge with the underwater realm was a five min- as a hard helmet diver. Using ute dive in a college swimming pool. “modern equipment” from He told of the brilliant sea life inhabit- another century. Descending to ing the chilly waters of the Puget Sound the depths in an authentic Mark in the northwestern corner of the U.S. V helmet. He explained what the guys were doing This level of helmet was pro- underwater, welding and cutting, and how duced by the they would eventually use it to work in the and Salvage Company (now offshore oil fields. known as DESCO) for the U.S. “I want to learn how to dive!” Navy from 1927 until the Mark I exclaimed. Maurice just shook his head XII surface supplied system in and in a thick accent said, “Girls like you… the late 1970’s. you no dive. Girls like that, (pointing to a tall, stocky girl on the dock) they dive. Girls Donning the Gear like you… you date the divers. Come, I’ll The dive was coordinated by introduce you to my boys.” And with that, it Tim and Steve King of Smokey was done. Point Diving. As members of the I was 19, in college, and so the introduc- Historical Diving Society, they tion to the boys on the dock sufficed. In the four months following, I helped the RIGHT INSET: Mark V Girl guys get in and out of their dive gear, Cindy Ross dons the learned about the dockside , hard helmet breast plate rinsed and stored the commercial dive FAR RIGHT: Underwater – Feeling equipment. But I knew I could never dive, what it was like to do work under- for I wasn’t big enough, or strong enough. water. Robotic and difficult to It took a full decade for my entry into the move. Definitely a respect builder! Bill BaTTan CHris Padilla 44 X-RAY MAG : 25 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED It takes two tenders to put the suit on . Here, they strap the GirlDiver leather laces of the canvas leg- Hard Helmet gings which are then slipped into brass tipped boots with flat wood- en insoles

suit brales, with a able to maintain correct pos- decrease flow by turning the knob with of 56 pounds (25 kilos) ture, but as the weight beared my left hand. alone. Underwater, the down, my spine began to Overhead, a communication unit, top heavy helmet con- bend. In my mind, I was secret- made of telephone wiring, allowed me figuration, even with air ly wondering if the two inches to speak with my “dive guide” on the added, would turn div- of compression my spine was surface. His voice would be guiding me ers on their heads. So, undergoing would be able to on my journey, and my responses would to counteract the tipsi- be undone. assure him that I was both safe and com- ness, boots weighing 17 posed underwater. pounds (8 kilos) each, The helmet and a weight belt of 85 “Ok, here we go,” said Steve, Taking the plunge pounds (38.5 kilos) was as he lowered the “brass hel- Hoisted up, and six heavy steps later, I added to the standard met” onto my head. The hel- was on the edge of the dock ready for a diving dress. Total weight met of an authentic Mark V is giant stride into the water. While the Mark of the equipment is 190 not actually brass, but rather V had four “lights” (windows) in the hel- pounds (86 kilos)—almost spun copper two times my weight! with tin plating, As the donning of and all of the equipment commenced, original helmets the suit engulfed my were spun by a frame, and my two dive single individual attendants began the who had mas- task of strapping the tered the craft. leather laces and belts. The helmet, My canvas clad feet Bill BaTTan complete with were slipped into the brales and wing brass tipped boots with were not in the plans either, apparently.) nuts, had a weight of 56 flat wooden insoles. The Next, the breastplate was attached to pounds (25 kilos), and this legs were laced in the the suit with wing nuts. I can feel the became the final piece. back to avoid over infla- weight on my shoulders, but it’s not as As the faceplate on tion once below the bad as I thought it would be. Movement the bonnet closed and surface. Ergonomics and is definitely getting difficult, no yoga sealed, my world changed comfort were definitely today. to a sepia toned view of not in the design phase Now for the final touches. First, the what early salvage divers on this equipment. leather harness was suspended from my were faced with using the They stood me upright shoulders holding 85 pounds (38.5 kilos) of “modern equipment” of (definitely not moving lead weight around my waist. This would their time.

Bill BaTTan anywhere with the metal counteract the internal lift from the air, as Final instruction included slippers on my feet) and well as help my center of balance under- operation of the chin The smallest suit available was a men’s large. How does a five finished tightening the water. button (purge valve) to foot tall girl fit? lower part of the suit to fit They released the weight onto my release the air as it flowed my small frame. I’m sure shoulders… “I’m standing! Ok, I can do into the suit. My surface ing and tugging, they fitted me into the Desco Company never expected a this,” I thought to myself. “This is not that air supply was connected the rubber coated canvas suit, promis- five foot nothing (152 cm) girl to don this tough.” to a turn valve mounted ing no leaks in a suit manufactured the outfit. At this point, my tenders had me sit on the front of the suit, to year after Jacque Cousteau took his first The rubber seals at the end of each on the dress platform. It was time for the which I could increase or experimental dive in his Aqua-Lung. arm were pushed up my forearm to find a helmet. As I was sitting on the platform, The was bolted to the thick enough place to seal. (Dainty wrists the belt started to take its toll. I had been The breast plate is attached

to the suit with wing nuts Bill BaTTan 45 X-RAY MAG : 25 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Bill BaTTan

Giant Stride entry - Unable to see the Hard Helmet GirlDiver water but trusting Just Waiting – With the heavy shoulder the voice in the harness and helmet, waiting for entry hood sayiing, is challenging on the spine “Just one step with your right foot.”

Giving the ok, I lowered down the rope to the bottom. Theoretically, you are supposed to clear your ears by pressing your nose against the side of the met, helmet and blowing the through it. I tried, but to no suit only avail. allowed a As I lowered down, the pres- diver to see sure built up. However, I landed directly ahead, to on the bottom with the pain the sides or above, not diminished. down. The giant stride was Now, it’s time to “work”. Walking made without any visual refer- in the Mark V suit is a challenge. ence to the water below, trusting, We all believe the water makes for the first time, the voice coming us weightless, however, not so in through the speaker overhead. a suit designed for walking on the As I splashed in, I took a quick look bottom. Each step entrenches the about the helmet…. no leaking. Sigh boots into the soft mud, and the of relief. suction must be overcome with The voice overhead told me to each lift of the leg. Bill BaTTan turn and find the blue rope. Using my My safety divers directed me, hands for mobility, as I have no fins, I along with the voice in the helmet, Definitely the shortest hard hat diver they’ve put in the water turned and held the blue nylon rope. to turn and walk in the suit. —190 pounds, and I’m walking!

Bill BaTTan 46 X-RAY MAG : 25 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED GirlDiver Hard Helmet were dressed air demand knob back down, and I in recreational was once again on my feet. scuba outfits, As the voice overhead melded with full face with the bubbles, each inhale and communica- exhale, I walked the floor of the tion masks on. sea. I experienced, for a moment, They could what the pioneers of underwater easily retrieve work went through. I imagined the mask. But going 240 feet down a line, as the what if I, in my rescuers in May of 1939 reached robotic attire, the sunken U.S. submarine, Squalus, wanted to and saved 33 crewmen from the reach down bottom of the Atlantic. The slow, and get the deliberate movement, each reach mask? and step carefully thought out, “Go ahead as the suit was difficult to travel or and sit down,” maneuver in. the voice in I am thankful to those who pio- the helmet neered the modern day self con- directed. tained gear we used. Against my Men like and Jacques better judge- Cousteau, who enabled common ment, I fell people to be able to experience slowly back the underwater realm without don- into a seated ning 190 pounds (86 kilos) of gear. position on the Allowing us to use adaptive equip- sticky bottom. ment in a foreign environment, “Now stand rather than shield ourselves in a rub- up,” the voice berized canvas balloon. offered. Right. I thought of the female commer- Stand Up. I’m cial divers worldwide who, even stuck in the with lighter helmets and gear, are mud, and he still operating in a world where a says stand up? “Mens’ Size Large” is the smallest I rolled to dive suit available, and who walk my front and the floor of the sea, the tanks of push deeper nuclear power plants or inspect with my hands hazardous sites in full suits. into the bot- Still very much a man’s realm, Bill BaTTan tom silt. “This I applaud the women who are Climbing the ladder isn’t working,” reaching into the world of commer- I informed my cial diving, not succumbing to the I imagined doing work in the suit, dive safety officer. belief that they are too little or not holding a welding torch, or rescue- “Try adding some air,” he sug- able to build the strength. ing men trapped in a downed sub- gested. I found the valve on the As I climbed the ladder, and marine, while moving quite like an front of the suit, turned for higher air again felt the full weight of the oversized robot in the clumsy dive output into the suit and sprang to gear with each step up the rung, I outfit. my feet. returned to our modern times. Spotting a pink mask on the bot- Chin on the exhaust control Having made my first surface sup- tom, I motioned for the safety div- valve on the side of the bonnet, I plied dive, I knew I had experi- ers to retrieve it. The safety divers released the excess air, turned the enced the past in a vivid way. ■

47 X-RAY MAG : 25 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Diving with WMDs Divers & dumped chemical weapons in the Baltic

Text by Commander Carl-Gustav von Konow Photos courtesy of the Swedish Coast Guard

The Swedish Coast Guard in storage. When the is responsible for surveil- war was over, none of lance of and response the chemical weapons to oil and other harmful had been used on the substances at sea. Why German side, so every- do we have these prob- thing was still in stored. lems today? While a com- The large number of plete history is beyond the chemical weapons was scope of this article, I will a problem for the allied discuss dumping at sea countries. According from German stores. Before to the Potsdam agree- and during the Second ment “all munitions shall In Skagerrack (see map on next World War, the Germans be destroyed”. The most page) off the Swedish west coast, fully loaded ships were dumped produced a lot of different functional way to get rid of and sunk in rather deep water, chemical weapon agents, them, was to dump them 200-700m. Today, the ammunition LEFT TO RIGHT: Hulls of boats take a beating in the Baltic; Map of areas in the Baltic Sea at risk for chemical and in December 1944, at sea. is still on the ships, or underneath weapons agents and other dangerous objects; INSET: On the seabed in dumping zones, one can find artil- they had about 65,000 tons in the clay on the sea bottom. The lery shells, a complete bomb, or a lump of mustard gas with a hard surface, but ‘fresh’ mustard gas inside 48 X-RAY MAG : 25 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Please have a look at the map focus The total amount of dumped ammunition on the previous page. with and without chemical weapons agents was Today the risks are: approximately 300,000 tons. • in the dark blue areas, where there is a high risk of finding FOI-R--0148--SE dangerous objects like mines, oxa and chemical weapons September 2001 agents; ISSN 1650-1942 • in the light blue areas, where Underlagsrapport there is a moderate risk of find- ing chemical weapons agents; • in the white areas, where it is possible that one can find dan- gerous objects when exploring the seabed for laying cables, pipelines, drilling, building wind power stations or doing scien- tific research.

The explorer must be prepared to meet these threats. Fishermen never know when they may catch They have to build a decontamination station war gas or a bomb. Today, the dumped ammuni- before diving. They must check that everything Annica Waleij tion is spread all over the southern Baltic. works beforehand, because in case of an acci- The diver doesn’t know if he or she will meet dent, they will have a very short time for minimiz- dangerous objects, especially when digging into ing the injury—within 20 minutes, if it’s mustard the bottom sediment. Perhaps the diver does not gas. The surface organisation must be protected. see the object. Don’t think that water will minimize the threat from Divers taking samples risk contamination. mustard gas. Dumpade C-stridsmedel i Skagerrak Seabed ploughs, ROV, and their umbili- The diver must have help with decontamina- cal cables can be contaminated. tion and must be 100 percent clean before he What can you find on the seabed? takes off his breathing device (helmet or diving och Östersjön en uppdatering • Artillery shells, a complete bomb. The bomb mask). Other personnel have to wear protective shells are made of thin material and are often clothing. Even very small amounts of mustard gas completely corroded by now. The mustard gas can give symptoms after 24 hours or more. If a has solidified (slow oxidation) but we don’t know diver is contaminated, check the diver with the what it looks like on the inside. The dumped use of indication equipment! It must be 100 per- ammunition was normally not armed—it could cent clean before the diver can leave the decon- have detonators— but the main charge is always tamination line. Remember, if a contaminated there. diver goes indoors, there is a risk of contaminat-

most problematic areas are in the Baltic where • A lump of thickened mustard gas. The surface is ing other persons, too. Don’t forget that when the dumping was in more shallow waters at an hard but can break, and then there is “fresh” mus- it’s cold outdoors, some war gases will become approximate depth of 30-90m. In the Baltic, chem- tard gas inside. Mustard gas does not react with more dangerous when reaching higher tempera- ical weapons were dumped as well as artillery water, so even after a rather long time in water, it tures. Mustard gas starts gassing at approximately shells, air-mines or bombs—either one by one, or in will not be destroyed. It will only wash away slowly +14°C. The influence of is important containers. Even containers with pure agent were and oxidize. The same goes for findings of sneez- to know. Don’t forget the diver could have con- dumped. They were even dumped by hand, most- ing and tear gas. Approximately 90 percent of the taminated the lift or ladder. ly by war prisoners (Germans). The total amount of findings in the southern Baltic is mustard gas. Indication equipment is simple and reliable. dumped ammunition with and without chemical Divers can’t rely on help from the SCG or other AP2C is a very good field instrument for this pur- weapons agents was approximately 300,000 tons. rescue units for some hours. So, one has to take pose. Common indicating paper is easy and care of oneself. The surface crew and other per- cheap. ABOVE: The Swedish Coast Guard patrols the Baltic Sea. sonnel or divers must also be protected against Commander Carl-Gustav von Konow is LEFT INSET: Rotting fish tainted with chemical weapons the threat. head of responders, Swedish C o a s t G u a r d : agents. TOP RIGHT: Map of dumping zones where there [email protected] ■ is a risk of finding chemical weapons agents 49 X-RAY MAG : 25 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED

whale tales P ETE r S ym E s Blue whale calls have

Edited by Peter Symes mysteriously grown deeper

Hungry seals navigate by the stars

It has been discovered that seals can identify a single star in the night sky.

Navigating in the open ocean so they often find themselves in is essential for seals to move open water with no visible land- Bj O rns T ad

T . between foraging grounds that marks for nights on end. How may be hundreds of kilometres these seals learn the relationship Calls and songs Southern Ocean, which surrounds because, as density increases, to see anything that would apart and this is the first evi- between a star and their feed- have been steadily Antarctica, would drop the pitch there are more individuals com- have impacted all of those dence that marine mammals, ing ground is still unknown. It is of their songs. Each blue whale peting to find mates. It seems that populations and made them all like humans, use stars to navigate suggested that seals might learn dropping in frequency population has a distinct tempo with the blue whales, the songs decrease frequency other than in open water. the position of the stars relative for seven populations and tone-set to its vocals. are getting both lower and a little the increase in the population. to foraging grounds during dawn of blue whales around less loud. Although it is easier to The global blue whale popula- The European team of research- and dusk when they can see the world over the past 40 A male thing make a powerful sound at high tion was thought to have been ers, headed by Dr Guido both the stars and landmarks on It is believed that only male blue frequencies, lower-frequency around 200,000 animals, but Dehnhardt of the University of the coast. years. whales sing, with female blue sounds tend to travel farther. numbers fell to just a few hun- Rostock in , simulated whales choosing their mates However, in the blue whale vocal dred by the 1960s when a hunt- a night sky above two cap- The researchers think that marine Scientists at the Scripps Institution based on size. This selection proc- range, which is 10 hertz to 100 ing ban was introduced. The tive male seals and monitored mammals might use star paths, of , among others, ess has therefore led to the spe- hertz, there is no practical differ- population has since recovered the movements of the animals or kaveingas, as Polynesian sea- have analysed data collected cies’ great size. And deeper songs ence in the sound transmission to around 4,500 animals. through six hidden infrared cam- farers call them. These people with hydrophones and other tools, might signal bigger. properties in the deep ocean. eras. Initially, the seals were guid- navigate by heading towards a and found that the songs, which John Hildebrand, professor of Dialects ed to one of the brighter stars by star on the horizon until it moves they believe are by males adver- oceanography at Scripps and an Population rebound Professor Hildebrand has also a laser pointer, and encouraged too high, and then swap over to tising for mates, had lowered in author of the study, said the drop It is estimated that there are discovered that blue whales in to swim towards it. follow another star, and so on, frequency by as much as 30 per might signal a rebound in the now up to 25,000 blue whales, different parts of the world use guiding their way until dawn. cent in certain populations. Much population of blue whales since compared with perhaps 300,000 different “dialects” in their songs. Once the seals got the hang of of the songs are at frequencies commercial whaling bans began before whaling. The number may Only the males sing, and it is navigating by the one star, the Seals, sea lions and whales are too low to be detected by the to take effect in the 1970s. When have risen from a low of about thought that they are attempt- night sky above them was swiv- often seen elevating themselves human ear. populations were smaller, whales 10,000 animals with blue whale ing to attract mates or to com- elled around and the seals were out of the water as they swim in The study, as yet unpublished, may have had to be louder to populations growing by up to 5 municate to other males during watched to see if they could still the open ocean. This act of com- has been reviewed by several make their calls heard. Now, the percent each year. the mating season. orientate themselves. With a little ing out of the water vertically experts in the field who called males might be competing to The population-rebound expla- But other researchers believe practice the seals swam in the and staying above the surface the global decline both signifi- make their calls deeper. nation, while speculative, is whale song is a more compli- right direction 100 percent of the momentarily, in the same way a cant and unequivocal. Scientists compelling to David Mellinger, a cated form of communication time. human treads water, could allow cannot explain why blue whales A matter of evolution? professor at the Hatfield Marine than simply trying to attract a marine mammals to set their from places as disparate as It is thought that we can expect Science Center at Oregon State female. ■ In the wild, the foraging trips of course, the researchers specu- the northern Pacific and the the mating display to change University. He said that it is hard seals can take several days and late. ■

50 X-RAY MAG : 25 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED whale tales An arrest warrant First Humpback Whale has been made for the Japanese whal- in the Baltic in 30 years ing fleet

In the past century and The last time a living humpback spend the summer in the Arctic. In four months time, the Sea a half there have been whale was spotted in German Although the animal will probably waters was nearly 30 years ago, remain in the Baltic Sea for a few Shepherd ship, , exactly three docu- in August 1978, also off the coast more weeks, it is likely it will look will depart from mented sightings of liv- of Rügen. But to find a prior docu- for other hunting grounds, as it will for Sea Shepherd’s fifth ing humpback whales mented sighting, you have to go struggle to find enough food in major mission to confront in German waters. A back another 127 years to 1851. those waters. The sighting was clearly a The whale is only the latest the illegal activities of the recent sighting of a humpback whale; it had the unusual sighting in the Baltic Sea Japanese whaling fleet. humpback whale off typical long white pectoral fin, in recent years. A giant sword- the German island of which can make up a third of the fish stranded itself on the Darss The Sea Shepherd Conservation Rügen in the Baltic Sea animals’ bodies. The whale was Peninsula in the German state of Society intends to intervene against estimated to be around 12 meters Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania the continued illegal whaling activi- can therefore be con- long. earlier this month. In September ties of the Japanese fleet in the sidered a sensation. It is believed that the animal 2007, several dolphins were spot- Antarctic Whale Sanctuary. They might have got lost, swimming first ted between Darss and the island intend to stop the killing of endan- into the North Sea and then into of Hiddensee. And seals began gered species of whales in the sanc- the Baltic Sea by following appearing on Baltic Sea beaches tuary—whales that are being killed a swarm of fish dur- in August 2007. in violation of the global moratorium ing its usual According to Greenpeace, on whaling. It is intended to enforce trip to humpback whales live in all the orders of the Australian Federal the world’s oceans. In the sum- Court that has banned Japanese mer, they tend to flock to the whalers from killing whales in the polar regions and, in winter, to waters of the Australian Antarctic subtropical waters. The ani- Territory. The objective is to arrest mals, which can grow to the Nisshin Maru and its fleet of becoming increasingly more as prisoners. If that happens, 18 meters and weigh up hunter killer boats. frustrated because of the it will certainly be an inter- to 40 tons, live off small annual interference with national incident involving fish and krill. Their world Campaign matter their operations and the ris- numerous nations, because population is estimated In 2005-6, the whalers were 84 ing debt they are incurring. the crews of Sea Shepherd to number between whales short of their quota because The society suspects that ships are usually citizens of a 35,000 and 40,000. of the Society’s interventions. In they will be more violently dozen different countries. Humpback 2006-7, they only took half their defensive of their illegal No amount of intimidation whales are also quota and in 2007-8, they took zero activities this next season will deter Sea Shepherd from known as “sing- Humpbacks, zero Fin whales and than they were last season. returning to the Southern ing whales” only half their Piked whale quota. There is talk of sending a Ocean this year. Every single because they They have lost tens of millions of dol- Japanese warship to the crew member onboard the compose intri- lars, and the Institute for Cetacean Southern Ocean, and if that ship understands the risks. cate com- Research is over 50 million dollars in happens, it will be a viola- Far better to risk one’s life for positions debt on loans from the Japanese tion of the Antarctic Treaty. the protection of the whales that can government. There is talk about physically and the oceans than to die last longer assaulting the Steve Irwin for some oil well somewhere, than ten Whaling fleet deep in debt and capturing the crew and or over some asinine conflict minutes. ■ The Japanese whaling industry is taking them back to Japan over real estate. ■

51 X-RAY MAG : 25 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED PulauRebirth of Paradise After the Weh

On a beautiful day just like any The divers then surfaced and one hour north of Banda . other, divers in the water were headed back to the dive shop, The owners of the , not knowing what to make of Ton and Marjan Egbers, survived enjoying the underwater scen- the strange phenomenon until by standing atop the dive gear ery and rich marine life around they started seeing brand new rinsing shed and a tree located Pulau Weh in Aceh, . bungalows floating on the sea. just beside the shop. All of a sudden, they heard a Back at Gapang Beach, Most of the destructive power almost all the wooden houses of the tsunami was the strong loud and painful noise forcing and restaurants had disap- pulling power of the receding all of them to cover their ears. peared, and Lumba Lumba wave, where everything was Many thought it was a tanker Diving Centre had its front swept out to sea including fins passing overhead, but the sight façade smashed away. The div- and masks prompting the owners ers had to wait two hours until to later joke that they were the of all the moray eels swim- the surge was safe enough to dive shop with the mismatched ming out of their holes must land the boat. It was the day of fins. have been something totally the 2004 Tsunami. Today, there are hardly any Fortunately and miraculously, signs that this terrible tragedy unimaginable and bewildering. the tsunami that hit Aceh on Text by Simon Kong December 26, claimed very few TOP: Freckled hawkfish are a Photos by Asther Lau lives on Pulau Weh located only common sight. RIGHT: Nudi- branchs are rare in Pulau Weh 52 X-RAY MAG : 25 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Pulau Weh

Octopus; Flat worm crawling along bottom; Red spotted coral crab

of meeting mantas, At the Ulee Lheue ferry terminal, it is whale sharks and easy to see why the tsunami had such mola molas plus the a devastating effect; ultra slim chance of the terrain is very seeing a megamouth flat making it shark. This island very easy for was the site of one the tsunami adult sighting and to flow right one discovery of a through. You dead juvenile mega- can also see the mouth shark right on black domes of the beach in front the Grand Mosque of Lumba Lumba in Diving Centre! where in With any luck, I pre-tsunami could very well times, the view be the next guy was totally to brag about a blocked sighting. by tall After a pleasant had ever happened, save for a Weh is back in business. and hassle free flight, a pass through thin blue line on the dive shop’s I have come to Pulau Weh to discover a very primitive immigration line, and a window to indicate the height for myself an island that is touted as hunt for my bags in a pile of luggage of the tsunami wave. The a place to “dive in crowds of fish, not just dumped on the floor, my travel- resilient Acehnese have in crowds of divers”. Lumba Lumba’s ing partner, underwater photographer build- picked up their lives website was pretty impressive, the des- Asther Lau, and I were on our way to the ings and Pulau tination was attractive and not too far Ulee Lheue ferry terminal. that away. The reviews on Scubaboard. On the way, we stopped by a sol- are now com were really good, and Air emn remnant of the tsunami—a mass gone. Asia had just started a convenient grave. There were no grave stones direct flight from Kuala Lumpur there, just an empty grassy field where Pulau Weh to Banda Aceh. So, all the unidentified victims were bur- Pulau Weh is an active I asked myself, ied. The place is peaceful, and a few volcanic island that rises why not? There Acehenese can be seen praying and hundreds of meters from the was the chance weeping. sea floor.

Blue spotted stingray Honeycomb moray of Rubiah Sea Garden 53 X-RAY MAG : 25 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Pulau Weh

The recent conflict Gapang CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT: between the We stayed at a Elegant dartfish; Clownfish; Leaf Free Aceh brand new bunga- scorpionfish; Longnose hawkfish; Movement low overlooking the Fire dartfish; Acehnese children and the beach. In the mornings playing on the beach; Bungalows at Lumbalumba Diving Centre from our balcony, I could hear the chirping of birds, insects, cocks crowing in the distance and the sound of the waves as they lapped the beach. All this together with tall trees Indonesian surrounding our bungalow gave the Army has not place a serene atmosphere. affected Pulau Weh Lumba Lumba Diving Centre has as the fighting was con- been in operation for ten years now fined to the Aceh mainland. and has recently completed the last Under martial law, a blue book sys- of seven new bungalows. They also tem was implemented. Foreign visitors have very ambitious plans to upgrade had to get a 14-day visa in Medan all the bungalows with air condition- before proceeding to Banda Aceh, ing, hot water, wireless internet and and from there, were escorted by even a new swimming pool. police all the way to Pulau Weh. It’s an easy hop to the dive shop Since the 2005 peace agreement, where the Acehnese dive masters all fighting has stopped, and divers love to hang out between dives. Out have started to return. The new Air in front of the shop is a nice area Asia flight now makes it really easy where you can sit around to fill up to get here. Whereas in the past, the your log book. only flights to Pulau Weh were from We went to Dangdangna Medan or Jakarta. Restaurant for breakfast, located just From the ferry terminal in Balohan, next door, where the resident top dog it’s an hour ride on a bumpy and ‘Cheeky’ came over and sat under twisty mountainous road to Gapang. our table on the sand. I buried my We occasionally got glimpses of the feet in his nice fur and gave him a sea and some very interesting wildlife massage with my feet. He really loved such as monkeys, wild boars, monitor it. Here, the food came in big portions lizards, goats, cows and buffaloes. and was very tasty, too.

54 X-RAY MAG : 25 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Pulau Weh

Mouthwatering donuts make a great snack after diving Lumbalumba’s diveboats moored at the line

in a muse- As I ate my breakfast and admired the base of a large tree on the beach lead- um near view of Sabang harbour in the distance, ing out 100m into the bay where they Jakarta. I could not but also admire a very inge- were anchored to a buoy. Whenever Back at nious invention made by our boatman. a needed to land, all the the resort, It was a simple but very effective boat boatman had to do was tie the boat the donut landing system. Ropes were tied to the to metal rings at the bow and stern, lady comes ride along these ropes, and just back over with her up unto the beach. This way, the boat- basket of man was able to land the boat in rough freshly made weather, at night and at different Loyal little customer donuts without damaging the corals. Brilliant! everyday. I was told that she managed to put her The house children through university just by selling The house reef was beautiful and had her delicious donuts. She is somewhat of a lot of diversity in flora and fauna. It a celebrity here; it seems everyone sur- was a place with a varied landscape. The friendly donut lady vives on her donuts! Wading out from the beach along the Gapang Beach is a very nice and line, it was recommended to wear boo- The owner of Dangdangna, quiet place. It’s easy to relax here with- ties, as stepping on the rocks was quite Syukur, was the man who found the out being pestered by souvenir sellers. uncomfortable. lying on the beach. The only time it is noisy is during the Heading straight out, we came across He actually wanted to sell the shark in weekends when locals and NGOs come the resident Hawksbill turtle resting in the the market and called Ton and Marjan for a break. corals. Over at a sandy area, were gar- to have a look. “We were surprised to A pack of friendly dogs roam the den eels. I swam over to some staghorn find a shark with a big mouth and con- beach everyday. The Muslim Acehnese corals. From a distance, it looked like I tacted scientists to help identify it,” said are surprisingly very tolerant of the had come across some swaying grass, Marjan. That shark later became the 21st dogs and don’t mind them one bit. but it was actually schools of razor fish confirmed sighting of the rare mega- Occasionally, the dogs will get into fights dancing above the staghorns. mouth shark. In the end, Shukur was and disturb the peace, so we had to At a spot with an ball and paid a finder’s fee, and the shark is now play policeman. beer bottles, lived the resident ornate

Cheeky, the top dog Razorfish dancing in the staghorns 55 X-RAY MAG : 25 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Pulau Weh

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Scorpion fish; Ornate ghost pipefish; Cockatoo waspfish; Portrait of a Scorpion fish; Peacock mantis shrimp; Batfish

ghost pipe fish. Scorpion and lion one can find the razor fishes Batee Tokong fishes loved to hang out here, sleeping among the stag- This was a huge place; we too. Past a field of mushroom horns and the very hairy red only managed to explore corals was a small coral outcrop reef lobster that only comes one side of it. Batee teeming with fishes. It was pleas- out at night. Other than that, Tokong was a round pla- ant just lying there looking at all the house reef is also good teau with rocky slopes the schools of juvenile snapper, for frog fish, sea moth and and walls. cardinal fish, anthias, goat fish, the elusive mimic octopus. There were tons of fish trumpet fish and grouper. here. It was like diving Nearby, was a lone 3m long in bouillabaisse! whip coral, the home of some Mostly anthias, red whip gobies. Everywhere scor- tooth trigger fish pion fishes and moray eels were and fishes that love quite common, and I spotted my , because first octopus. Since I started div- this place tumbled like bor’s, Rubiah North, will indeed ing, the only octopus I had ever ted cockatoo waspfish doing a washing machine. The make you come up swearing at seen was the one connected to their usual thing swaying in a current was very fierce, the current. You will either love it my regulator! make-believe surge. I also just unpredictable and came or hate it. For me, it was the lat- The day was coming to an managed to catch a glimpse of from all directions mak- ter, because I usually dive only end when we spotted an unusu- a comet longfin’s tail just before ing where you went all in mild currents. ally large longhorn cowfish that it disappeared in some coral. depend on the current’s And I couldn’t help thinking was about to go to sleep. Ending Going back to the tunicate strength and direction. that this would be a great place the dive, we looked up at the infested line, we saw some big There was even a place in which to lose your evil step darkening sky and saw huge sized needle fishes, sergeant called Arus Paleh mean- mother. The surge was wild, and bats flying as high as eagles. majors and a juvenile spiny lob- ing ‘bastard current’ in the fishes loved it. It was a trade Very nice for a first dive... ster. the local dialect. A dive off to see such variety and num- Whip goby On the second dive, we spot- Coming back for a night dive, here, or at its close neigh- bers, yet many a time, we would

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schooled in large numbers. It was also said to be the number one place to see morays, and it was abso- lutely true. You could find all sorts of species here, such as white eye, giant, spot face, honeycomb, snowflake, whitemouth, zebra and yel- have to fight the current to seek low margined. Every other shelter and hold on for dear life. nook and cranny had at least It was during this time that we one moray. Under rocks and discovered more fishes under ledges one may even find two the rocks: Squirrel fish, grouper, or three of them. And they were sweetlip and the all manned by big-sized, well-fed occasional sting cleaner shrimp. ray. And if there were lots of There were morays, one would find lots lots of freckled of their favorite prey as well— hawkfish sitting octopus. This place should on green tree have been renamed ‘Octopus corals and fire Garden’ after that Beatles’ song. gobies darting around on the The Canyon bottom. Neon Another great site was the fusiliers and Canyon. It had a unique topog- rainbow runners raphy that, not surprisingly, swarmed by like looked like a canyon! Divers CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT: Anthias schooling locust, while red usually started at the southern above giant clam; Red reef lobster; Cuttlefish; tail butterfly fish end of big black boulders. The Lionfish; Hawksbill turtle; Yellow featherstar

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CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: Artificial reef ball at Gapang house reef; The funnel of the tugboat wreck; Underwater hotspring; Serene Gapang Beach; Ubiquitous scorpionfish; Sleeping parrotfish As we approached terrain sloped down to a lot of small went down to 50m. At 30m, there Scorpion the beach rocks and finally to a sandy bot- was a small cave, and if one shined fishes sit on at Lumba tom beyond 30m. Here, the anthias one’s light into it, one could see the ledges Lumba, we started to school. This time there soft corals and big snappers hiding here, so be saw a scene wasn’t much current, but the water there. At the bottom was an excel- careful. that could clarity was very good. lent dense sea fan garden, and One only be Heading west, then turning north divers could spot the special blue façade was described as at the corner, we found a wall that variety. even blanket- mystical. We Back to the wall, the ed with blue could see the fishes started to thicken and white trees at the in numbers until one little soft cor- water’s edge, got that diving in bouil- als that made but beyond labaisse feeling again. it look like it had just snowed. it, everything was foggy, obscured Here, that slogan, “Dive On the top, we found schools of by the rain and clouds, and the in crowds of fish, not in yellow goat fish, all sorts of trigger water had changed to an emerald crowds of divers” really fish, barracuda and star fishes. green. The whole scene looked like came true. The 25-minute boat ride back to a dream, like the misty banks of a The colors started to the dive shop gave us the opportu- lake in winter, and this was the trop- come alive as the fishes nity to talk about one big Napoleon ics! danced in the unpre- wrasse that came only an arm’s As the boat backed up along dictable current along length from our masks. the line, it was a magical moment. a wall that was fes- Suddenly, it started to rain heav- It was truly beautiful, and at the tooned with sponges, ily, and my buddies who had same time, mystical. As suddenly tunicates and feather stripped down to their bikinis were as this scene appeared before our stars. shivering from the freezing wind. eyes, it disappeared when the rain

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Pulau Rondo abruptly stopped and the fog lifted. It left aft deck was the hunting ground of a lasting impression in our minds. We saw numerous pipe fishes and groupers hid in 10 something really beautiful, and we felt for- the open holds. On the top, trumpet fishes 11 9 8 tunate. swam along the line that led to the buoy. 7 6 Pulau Seulako Around the keel, one could find scorpion 12 5 SABANG 4 Tugboat wreck fish, and on the muddy bottom, lizard fish 3 17 & underwater hot spring waited for prey. Pulau Rubiah Sumur Tiga In Sabang bay, lying 16 Iboih 2 perfectly upright in 14m of water was the wreck 1 14 of a tugboat. It was Aneuk Hot 15 surprisingly in very good GAPANG Spring Laot condition with little 18 coral growth. The 17m BALOHAN long wreck made a 13 very relaxing and easy Waterfall wreck dive in very clear Pulau Aceh PULAU WEH water with no current at all. Believed to have sunk in the 1970s, this wreck was teeming Hot Spring with fish. Congregations 19 of striped large-eye CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Banded cleaner shrimp; School of bream, anthias and juvenile snappers; Barrel sponge and Anthias; Squirrel fish; damsel fishes could be PULAU WEH SITES: 1) BaTEE Dua GaPang; 2) BaTEE MEurOrOn; 3) RuBiaH SEagardEn; 4)RuBiaH UTara; 5) Arus BalEE; Dive map of Pulau Weh; Giant moray eels and cleaner shrimp seen inside and around 6) SEulakO’s DrifT; 7) BaTEE TOkOng; 8) SHark PlaTEau; 9) PanTEE IdEu; 10) BaTEE Gla; 11) PanTEE AnEuk SEukE— the wheelhouse. The THE CanyOn; 12) PanTEE PEunaTEung;13) LHOng AngEn & PanTEE Gua; 14) LimBO GaPang; 15) WW II WrECk SOPHiE RiCkmErs; 16) WrECk TugBOaT & UW HOTsPring; 17) Sumur Tiga; 18) AnOi HiTam; 19) BaTEE MEudurO 59 X-RAY MAG : 25 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED travel Pulau Weh

LEFT TO RIGHT: Diver and Sea fan; Nudibranch; School of barracudas

it was possible to feel the heat wrasse swam by. If that wasn’t was scuttled by her own crew to and Bali—all of which are located with one’s hands. It was also good enough, they were then avoid Dutch capture. in the east while Pulau Weh is very surprising to find Moorish greeted by some ten mantas! The story goes that while her located in the west. idols and goat fish happily swim- On the way back, they spotted captain was entertaining the Coming to dive in Aceh helps ming around the bubbles. A truly an odd-looking fin on the surface. Dutch with drinks onboard, his its economy and reconstruction unique diving experience. It turned out to be a Mola Mola! crew was busy making holes from the devastating effects of Talk about luck. in the hull, and that’s why it sits the tsunami. Pantee Peunateung If you want a more relaxing upright on the bottom in more Overall, the diversity and den- & other sites dive with less current, then Rubiah than 55 metres of water. This 134m sity of life in Pulau Weh is stunning; Located on the western side of Sea Garden is a good bet. The long wreck is the home of large the reefs are very pristine and the island and just next door to main attractions here are the very schools of bat fish and a gigantic the colors are richer than the Canyon, Pantee Peunateung big-sized honeycomb morays grouper. A megamouth shark was Island’s. I’ll or Rice Paddies, was another and beautiful red bubble anemo- also spotted here, so keep your definitely be favorite of divers. The terrain here nes. We even saw a honeycomb eyes sharp. back. ■ was interesting, but the Canyon moray with a twisted jaw. There was much better. Nevertheless, was also a very friendly Hawksbill Conclusion A dive to this wreck is usually a featureless shallow slope of this place was special as it was turtle, which had apparently It’s very refreshing to visit followed with a dive to one of black sand no deeper than 10m. famous for its big pelagics. been hand fed, because it was a great dive site that is Pulau Weh’s most unique sites. In Bubbles came out from the sandy Another group of divers report- always going after someone’s fin- in the opposite direc- Pria Laot Bay, there is an under- bottom in steady fast streams to ed dropping down into a school gers. tion from the cur- water hot spring. One cannot the surface. of barracudas and swimming For experienced deep div- rent diving hot spots escape the unmistakable smell of Some divers said it looked like through a massive school of a few ers and wreck buffs, there is the of Indonesia such sulphur as the gas bubbles break a jacuzzi, but I likened it to a hundred big eye trevallies. Then impressive German WWII cargo as Raja Ampat, the surface of the water. boiling kettle. In large holes, the a friendly turtle got really close to ship Sophie Rickmers, which is Manado, Ambon Underwater, the terrain was bubbles emerged violently, and the divers, while a giant Napoleon also located in Pria Laot Bay. It Crab on the beach 60 X-RAY MAG : 25 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED South China Sea PACIFIC LEFT: Location of Pulau Pulau Weh Weh on regional map OCEAN Aceh BRUNEI of Aceh, Indonesia Kuala MALAYSIA BELOW: Global Lumpur map with location of KALIMANTAN Equator Aceh in fact file Indonesia Indonesia SULAWESI NEW GUINEA Java Sea Jakarta Banda Sea INDIAN JAVA OCEAN sOurCEs: andy fErrari, US Cia wOrld faCT BOOk, STARFISH.COm

History In the early 17th century, the Geography Indonesia is located in poor investment, and unbalanced re- Currency Indonesian rupiah (IDR). Dutch began to colonize Indonesia. From Southeastern Asia. It is an archipelago source distribution among regions. The Exchange rates: 1EUR=13,645 IDR, 1942 to 1945, the islands were occupied between the and the country continues to gradually recover 1USD=9,235 IDR, 1GBP=17,120 IDR, by Japan. After Japan’s surrender in Pacific Ocean, which consists of 17,508 and rebuild after the devastating De- 1AUD=8,022 IDR, 1SGD=6,536 IDR World War II, Indonesia declared its inde- islands, of which 6,000 are inhabited. cember 2004 tsunami as well as from an pendence, but four more years passed Indonesia straddles the equator. It has a in central Java in May 2006 Language Bahasa Indonesia is the of- mired by recurring hostilities and intermit- strategic location along major sea lanes that caused damages and losses over $3 ficial language and is a modified form of tent negotiations before the Dutch relin- from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific billion. The current administration faces Malay. Other languages spoken: English, quished its colony. Indonesia is the largest Ocean. Terrain is mostly coastal lowlands declining oil production, lack of new ex- Dutch, local dialects (Javanese is most Web sites archipelagic state in the world. It is home with interior mountains on the larger ploration investment, subsidized domestic common) Lumba Lumba Diving Centre to the world’s largest Muslim population. islands. Lowest point: Indian Ocean, 0 fuel straining the budget in 2005, weak www.lumbalumba.com Current issues include: poverty, terrorism, m. Highest point: Puncak Jaya ,5,030 m. monetary policy, a run on the currency, a Health Be prepared. Get your shots be- Indonesia Tourism strengthening democracy after 40 years Coastline: 54,716 km. Natural : 126% average fuel price hike, lack-luster fore you go to Indonesia. There is a high www.indonesia-tourism.com of authoritarian rule, financial reforms, floods occasionally, severe droughts, growth through mid-2006, heavy in- degree of risk for food or waterborne dis- Indonesia Tourism corruption, human rights violations by forest fires, , , vol- creases in rice prices, increase in people eases including bacterial and protozoal my-indonesia.info/indexpromo.php military and police personnel, and avian canoes. Enivonmental issues: deforesta- under the poverty line. Economic reforms diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid Tourism Indonesia influenza. Indonesia reached a historic tion; water pollution from sewage and aim to improve the investment climate, fever. There is also a risk for vectorborne www.tourismindonesia.com ■ peace agreement in 2005 with armed industrial wastes, urban air pollution in, infrastructure, and strengthen the finan- diseases in some locations. These dis- separatists in Aceh. It led to democratic smog from forest fires. Indonesia is party cial sector. There has been progress in eases include dengue fever, malaria and elections in December 2006. Indonesia to the following international environ- rebuilding Aceh after the 2004 tsunami. chikungunya. Bird flue, or highly patho- must continue to confront a low intensity mental agreements: Biodiversity, Climate Aceh now shows more economic activity genic H5N1 avian influenza, has been separatist guerilla movement in Papua. Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Proto- than before the disaster. Unfortunately, identified among birds in Indonesia. It Government: republic. Capital: Jakarta col, Desertification, Endangered Species, Indonesia suffered another tsunami in poses a very low risk, but check with your Hazardous Wastes, Law of South Java and major flooding in Jakarta doctor before you go. the Sea, Marine Life Con- in 2006-7 causing billions of additional servation, Layer dollars in damages. Chambers Protection, Ship Pollution, JAVA, Jakarta: Rumah Sakit Angkatan Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Climate tropical; hot, humid; highlands Laut (Navy Hospital) in Jl. Bendungan Hilir Timber 94, Wetlands are more moderate in climate No.17, Central Jakarta

Economy Indonesia is Population 245,452,739 (July 2006 est.) MALAYSIA, Lumut (near Pangkor Island): a vast polyglot nation and Internet users: 16 million (2005). Ethnic Department of Diving and Hyperbaric has struggled to overcome groups: Javanese 45%, Sundanese 14%, Medicine of the Armed Hospital the Asian financial crisis. It Madurese 7.5%, coastal Malays 7.5%, Lumut Naval Base. Phone: 05 - 683 7090 still struggles with persist- other ethnic groups 26%. Religions: Muslim ext 4071 ent unemployment and 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, poverty. It has inadequate Hindu 2%, Buddhist 1%, other religions 1% SINGAPORE: The Singapore Naval Medi- infrastructure, corruption, (1998) cine & Hyperbaric Center a weak financial sector, Phone +65-750 5546

Cool and comfy bungalow at Lumbalumba Diving Centre Local kids lead a carefree life 61 X-RAY MAG : 25 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED

shark tales New Species of Manta Ray Discovered A magnet a day...

Until recently, it was thought that there was only one manta The discovery of two distinct In what is claimed to be a ray species, but now a second, and possibly a third, spe- species of mantas has huge world-first, scientists from cies of manta ray has been discovered in the world’s implications for the conserva- the Department of Primary tion management and protec- Industries and Fisheries at oceans. After five years of study, a marine biologist has tion of these mysterious gentle James Cook University have confirmed that a larger and more elusive manta is in fact giants. The larger, ocean wan- derer knows no borders, mak- shown magnets can repel Edited by a distinct species. ing collaboration between sharks. It is hoped the mag- Peter Symes countries on its protection nets will keep sharks out of This is the biggest news to date to come out of ray research, essential, whereas protective fishing nets. The researchers and its importance is the marine equivalent of discovering an measure within countries must do not believe the mag- unknown species of elephant. The discovery however, has impli- be enforced to avoid resident netic repulsion will prevent cations that go far beyond the breaking news of scientific journals, manta ray populations crash- shark attacks on people. ■ as it will deeply affect real world conservation ideas and policies. ing. Habitat degradation, The harassment by boat traffic Google finally bans newly- For the past five years, the Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) has spon- and even divers who interact with them at critical habitats discovered sored Andrea Marshall, a PhD marine biologist in a quest to make advances advertising for shark larger, migra- such as cleaning stations and in the scientific knowledge of these winged beauties of the sea, whose large breeding areas are other products tory manta ray triangular pectoral fins can span almost 8m in width and whose weight can AndrEa MarsHall threats that these graceful ani- reach over 2000kg. Manta rays, which are totally harmless and do not possess a mals face. They also fall victim Google AdWords has stinging barb, are the largest of over 500 different species of rays and skates, and although to ghost nets and are killed implemented a new policy divers have noted variations in physical appearance, they were previously believed to be alongside many other marine regarding endangered or the same kind. ■ creatures as by-catch. ■ threatened species, includ- ing sharks. Advertising is not permitted for products Big Groups of Whale Sharks Congregate obtained from endangered or threatened species. This in the Gulf of Mexico includes, but is not limited to, the sale of products Gatherings of up the University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast derived from elephants, to 100 whale Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs. “They sharks, tigers, whales, rhi- sharks seem are obviously gathering for a reason. But right noceroses, or dolphins. ■

C H ris TOPH to occur with now, we are not sure what that is, or how they clockwork know to show up at these spots.” regulari- He theorizes the big sharks get together in the Megalodon bite ty in the northern Gulf to dine on massive The Carcharodon mega-

SCH u ET z E n HO f r northern of fish eggs; bonita, skipjack and tuna spawn Gulf of Mexico in the area. Occasionally, the sharks feed verti- lodon super-shark swam The giant sharks have cally, which means they stop in one spot and in the oceans more been spotted feed- angle their bodies at 45-degrees, sucking in than a million-and-a-half ing in clusters at three water near the surface and hoovering in their years ago. It grew up to separate areas about 40 tiny prey. The gatherings could somehow be 16m (52ft) in length and to 100 miles off the coasts of connected to whale shark aggregations near weighed in at 100 tonnes Mississippi and Louisiana. Holbox, which occur at roughly the same time —30 times heavier than the So far, however, the northern Gulf of year. largest Great White shark— whale shark gatherings are known only to a The Holbox whale sharks have spawned a and must have been one few scientists, pilots, charter boat captains booming business for the small of the most formidable car- and oil rig workers who have glimpsed the island, where fisherman have a business of nivores to have existed. It is natural phenomenon far from the sight of bringing tourists offshore to with the gen- estimated to bite down with land. tle giants. Whale shark aggregations also have a of between 10.8 to “We have lots of reports of 30 or created ecotourism businesses in Australia, the 18.2 tonnes. ■ 50 animals in one place,” said Philippines, Belize and a few other locales. ■ Eric Hoffmayer, a scientist with

62 X-RAY MAG : 25 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED New found hope for porbeagle sharks To have a second mating Scientists have discovered a new Researchers set two lines near 2004, but the federal government breeding ground for porbeagle the northern edge of Georges didn’t act on the recommenda- ground where they actu- sharks off Canada’s East Coast, Bank, a rich tion. ally seem to be more abun- giving hope to a species whose scallop and “To have a second mating dant is great news. It is key numbers have been steadily groundfish ground where they actually seem declining all over the world. The fishing ground to be more abundant is great toward conservation efforts. find of the new mating area on almost 500 kilo- news. It is key toward conserva- N O AA Georges Bank makes it only metres from the tion efforts.” the second known breed- Nova Scotia coast. ing ground in the Northwest Within an hour Atlantic. they pulled in 21 A research team locat- sharks—19 of which ed the mating area ear- were large, mature lier this month female porbea- after gles that weighed hearing 200 kilograms Campana N O AA reports each and were suspects there might from fish- about two be hundreds, if not thousands Porbeagles are ermen that meters long. of sharks in the area. Canadian fast sharks that can they were “This is Fisheries managers are now reach almost four hauling up really good news,” said Steve reviewing the latest find to deter- far indicates they are, meters in length the large, Campana, a marine biolo- mine whether the area should be but it’s going to take blue-grey gist who specializes in the spe- closed to shark fishing to stave off a long time.” quotas soared to 1,500 tonnes Blue sharks in cies and heads the Canadian another collapse in the popula- The porbeagle in the Atlantic region versus their nets. Shark Research Laboratory tion. fishery is worth an today’s catch allowance of 185 sharks are at the Bedford Institute of “The discovery of the sec- estimated US$2 mil- tonnes. It’s estimated that there Oceanography in Halifax. The ond mating area which is totally lion annually on the East Coast, are about 190,000 porbeagles in off the hook Committee on the Status of unregulated is of concern. with 90 percent of it going to Canadian waters—putting the Endangered Wildlife in Canada Nobody wants to fool around with markets in Boston. The porbeagle stock at about one quarter of its because they recommended the porbeagle this one. We want them to recov- population reached dangerously level in 1961 when the fishery first taste yucky be designated as endangered in er, and everything we’ve seen so low levels in the mid-1990s, when started. ■

A recent study on western North Atlantic Seattle, concluded that rather hearty fishes and often survive after blue sharks has found out that they escape blue sharks appear to be being caught on a long line. The second Volunteers asked to count basking sharks off being hunted because their taste is not liked most vulnerable to swordfish fish- is that blue sharks are among the most Cornwall coast by consumers in North America. While most ing gear, which have hundreds to thousands productive shark species in the world, with other species of sharks are experiencing of baited hooks hanging from a single line. females producing an average of 37 pups The Seaquest Basking Shark project is being run by the Cornwall dramatic population declines of up to 90 The lines are deployed at shallower depths per litter, with some litters numbering 80 Wildlife Trust (CWT) and SeaWatch, who will set up shark spotting percent, new reports estimate that popula- at night after dusk, when the sharks feed. pups or more. points at two locations off the Cornwall coast. Basking sharks are tions of blue sharks have dropped by only Blue sharks sometime become by-catch, “These pups can nearly double their size the second largest fish in the world, and the collected information 30 percent since the mid 1950s, when large but since blue shark meat has historically over their first year of life to increase their can help establish details about their behavior and raise public scale fishing practices began in that part of been regarded as unpalatable due to chances of survival,” said Aires-da-Silva, awareness of the giant fishes and the threats they face. the Atlantic. its soft texture and strong odor of ammo- adding that it “is not a coincidence that the Tom Hardy, marine conservation officer for CWT, said a number A study conducted by Alexandre Aires- nia, targeted fisheries did not develop,” blue shark has often been described in the of marine life surveys have been carried out before, but this is the da-Silva, John Hoey and Vincent Gallucci explained Aires-da-Silva. scientific literature as the most widespread first specifically for basking sharks. “The project is important because from the School of Aquatic and Fishery Two other factors also seem to have and abundant of the pelagic sharks in the basking sharks are a protected species and we know very little Sciences at the University of Washington, helped the shark. The first is that they are world’s oceans.” ■ about them. www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk ■

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