February 2016
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Great American Journey — Stewards for Local Waters Text and photos by Jennifer Idol 25 X-RAY MAG : 71 : 2016 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO feature 50 States Oil rig emerging from fog (above), Canyon MS Area, Louisiana; Workers (right) collect oil from beach, Perdido Key State Park, Florida. PREVIOUS PAGE: American flag on Sikorsky H-37 helicopter, Dutch Springs, Pennsylvania Returning from the pristine I thought people would reefs of Tobago, I flew over the learn to value and pro- tect their waters if I creat- Deepwater Horizon oil spill in ed compelling imagery. 2010. Aghast, I set out on a jour- Despite my experience, I ney that would help me illumi- didn’t know what I would nate waters of the United States see and experience on my journey. In the United to help people better under- States, I had only previous- stand their national treasure. I ly dived Texas and Florida. became the first woman to dive I did expect to see a all 50 states at the end of last lot of green water filled with rocks, but beautiful and sobering. From the shores suspected I would discover much more. of Florida and Louisiana, I was remind- year. Though I found my share of sand and ed of my purpose at the outset. I saw rocks, I encountered beautiful and workers collecting oil remnants from When I set out on my journey, I was strange life all across the country on a the beach where I dived. They were already an experienced local diver that quest that would become a great protected by masks, gloves, hats and appreciated the diversity of my Texas American adventure. even booties, while my buddies and I diving. As an underwater photographer, The first states I visited were both wore only swimsuits and wetsuits as we Diver Ben Castro checks out Tubastrea sun corals on OCSGG1665 oil rig, Louisiana 26 X-RAY MAG : 71 : 2016 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO feature Where the wild things are. Looking at tannic water in the eye (above), Ginnie Springs, Florida; Leopard toadfish (left) at stern of Navy tug, Alabama; Polka-dot batfish in sand, Navy tug, Alabama (below) beyond recognition. Louisiana of red snapper swimming through waters are not an empty place for the wreck. us to mistakenly introduce harm- Between dives, I experienced ful chemicals. According to the my first encounter with wild bottle- Ocean Conservancy, more than nose dolphins. Their curiosity and 15,000 species inhabit the Gulf of intelligence were readily apparent Mexico. as they herded me away from the I marveled at odd findings in fish they were trying to catch. This Alabama at the stern of a Navy tug. Leopard prepared to enter the water from toadfish and What weird and wonderful things await you when you dive The Florida which they protected themselves. polka-dot batfish O G R Keys & Key West? With the only living coral reef in North America A L Shortly thereafter, I dived on oil scowled at me Y E K and thousands of different species of marine life, everything you rigs within a couple miles of the from the sand. very site of destruction I witnessed. These small fish can imagine. fla-keys.com/diving A AD OR M LA Underneath, sea life dominated rely on camou- IS the rig structures. Tropical fish swam flage as they ON K ATH EY W MAR EST S circles around the structures, so hunt for food. BIG PINE KEY & THE LOWER KEY full with Tubastrea sun corals that On my ascent, I the metal structure was obscured observed schools 27 X-RAY MAG : 71 : 2016 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO Lake dive entrance at dawn, Yellowstone Lake, Wyoming; Diver Doug Harder (lower left) pre- pares to leave Yellowstone Lake; 50 States feature Open water class descending, Homestead Crater, Utah greatest of our American land- scapes. In Yellowstone Lake, I explored geothermic forma- tions. Yellowstone National Park is a land of extremes, from 459ºF (237ºC) in springs that host ther- mophilic bacteria to 40ºF(4ºC) where bass live. I witnessed the effects of natu- ral events on the history of Glacier National Park. Uprooted trees like- ly slid into Lake McDonald near Sprague Creek during an historic mudslide, just as the trees found in Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park and in Fallen Leaf Lake in California. Historic tools lay at the bottom of the head of Lake McDonald, reminders of human activity during park con- struction 100 years ago. ing groundwater and frozen water, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Therefore, much of my journey was spent driving across vast land- scapes. I observed the transformation in our country from wet- Greatest sites North Dakota would be the lon- lands, mountains and of the journey gest of the trips at nearly 3,800 plains to tundra and Traveling across miles (6,116km). purposely sought to 3,805,927 square This challenging and quanti- reveal this diversity. miles (9,857,306 fiable goal was defined by rich remarkable beginning influenced I explored 2,500 feet (762m) into sq km) is no small experiences. The richest of these my five-year journey as I trans- caves, dived in oceans, visited feat. Simply cov- included the warmest dive in Utah formed from an underwater pho- quarries, sought out ice diving ering the distance and the coldest in New Jersey tographer into a conservation art- and explored wrecks. I wanted in itself could be and Ohio. While it snowed out- ist dedicated to our local waters. to showcase unique underwater great. I drove more side, I enjoyed 93ºF (34ºC) waters landscapes like the tannic water than 72,000 miles in Homestead Crater. Open Truly diverse mixing with fresh water in Ginnie (115,872km) and Water students learned to dive in Water only covers seven per- Springs. took 80 flights to comfortable blue water. cent of the United States, includ- Our national parks protect the complete the quest. The water bubbles through Historic tools remain from park construction, Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park, Montana 28 X-RAY MAG : 71 : 2016 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO Diver Patrix Heschel (left) inspects ice ceiling, White Star feature Quarry, Ohio; Kelp bass (below) 50 States at Casino Point, Catalina Island, California; Garibaldi (lower left) at Casino Point, Catalina Island, California through the hole my hands. Having the right in the ceiling, equipment makes these dives but an easi- enjoyable. I later purchased ly accessible dry gloves to help even entrance has more. Swimming through this since been cre- Norwegian tanker felt like float- ated in the side ing through history, from when of the dome. I it sank in 1964 to the more dived the cra- recent history of divers who ter in February make this a destination. wearing only Snow and ice were foreign to a swimsuit, me at the start of my journey. with two feet As a Texan, I had little experi- (0.6m) of snow ence with either, so naturally accumulating sought out an ice diving cer- during my dive. tification. Ice diving in Ohio Calcite particles was also the coldest of my filled the water, American diving experiences making it too at 38ºF (3ºC), more so than small vents in the bottom of appear snowy but very blue. even Alaska. It was such a fun the cavern and is kept warm My first and coldest dive on experience that I also sought all year-round by geothermic the Stolt Dagali wreck in New ice diving in Minnesota. This activity. The first divers in the Jersey taught me to wear suf- unique overhead environment crater lowered themselves ficient thermal protection for is unlike any other kind of div- Diver Ben Castro swims through the port side of the Stolt Dagali wreck, New Jersey 29 X-RAY MAG : 71 : 2016 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO Whitemouth moray eel (left) pro- trudes from hole, Kona, Hawaii; Thornback cowfish (lower left) looks for food along reef, Kona, Hawaii; 50 States feature Plumose anemones (right) cover a wreck, Puget Sound, Washington; Male horseshoe crab (lower right) attached to female, Beavertail State Park, Rhode Island process. Despite appearances, they are not actually crustaceans. Instead, they are more closely related to arachnids. I saw the strangest fish in Tennessee—a paddlefish. My buddy, Ben Castro, and I explored the Loch Low-Minn quarry where these fish lived. Paddlefish are a prehistoric filter feeder, little changed from their fossilized ancestors. I observed paddlefish each maintaining their own personal space and turning away when encountering anoth- er. In this dive site stocked with attractions, we also explored plas- ter sharks, buoyancy courses, and a statue of David. Before I set out on this adven- be like. I was often surprised by seeing animals that local divers thought were normal and abun- dant, but to me were remarkable and odd. Garibaldi and opales- cent nudibranchs thrilled me on Catalina Island in California. In Hawaii, I learned about thorn- back cowfish and whitemouth moray eels. The most surprising locations were Puget Sound in Washington and Beavertail State Park in Rhode Island. Life in the north is ing. I used sealed regulators so unexpectedly prolific and large. they would not free flow from In Seattle, giant plumose anem- freezing and dived with a side- ones seem to sprout from every mount configuration for redun- hold they can find footing.