Issue 12

AfricanDiver Aug/Sep 2010 Issue 12

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Batsata Maze Georgina Jones

Featured Photographer Micheal Westcott

Why is the Red Sea red?

Cormac McCreesh

Winter Shootout Sony Winter Shootout 2010

Headaches and SCUBA Diving Asser Salama

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Why is the Red Sea red?

by Cormac McCreesh Page 10 Batsata Maze

by Goergina Jones Page 14 Moving Sushi: Kenya

by Moving Sushi team Page 19 Recalled to life - A tale of two harbours

by Cormac McCreesh

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Page 24 Headaches and SCUBA Diving

by Asser Salama Page 26 Diving First Aid Kit

by DAN Page 27 Fkying after diving

by DAN Page 28 How to good on air

by Asser Salama Page 30 Sony Winter Shootout

by Charlie Scalliet Page 38 Featured Photographer Micheal Westcott Cover by Cormac McCreesh Contents inamge by Michael Westcott

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Aug/Sep 2010

Editorial

by Cormac McCreesh

Here, at African Diver, we are passionate about diving and underwater photography.

But we are also passionate about the preservation and conservation of our African marine resources. We have been fortunate to have the Moving Sushi team educate us on fisheries management throughout Africa and in the major fishing grounds of the rest of the world. Moving Sushi’s journey became our journey too and we began to look at marine life in a different way. The magazine has educated Paul and I while entertaining us and today, we are enlightened (if only a little) about how much is at stake if efforts to preserve and conserve our African marine heritage do not succeed.

It is disheartening to read of, and visit places that suffer the effects of over-utilisation and pollution. It makes us sad to learn of illegal fishing and AfricanDiver.com

poaching. And it worries us that our children will no longer be able to marvel and learn of the marine creatures that we have been privileged to know about.

Our mission is to bring these messages to you and we are looking for ways to help and be part of a positive resurrection of our African marine heritage. But we have not lost sight of our mission to bring you images and writings that celebrate the diving and marine world that encircles our continent. And it list our spirits to see our magazine filled with images that show the natural beauty to be found underneath our special waters.

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We hope you enjoy this issue and we look forward to bringing you the next issue in two months time. Enjoy the read and may your bubbles always be free.

Cormac and Paul.

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Why is the Red Sea red?

Text and Images by Cormac McCreesh

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There are three main theories as to why the Red Sea is so named: The name of the sea may signify the seasonal blooms of the red-coloured cyanobacteria Trichodesmium Erythraeum near the waters surface.

Some suggest that it refers to the mineral-rich red mountains nearby which are called Harei Edom. Edom, meaning “ruddy complexion”, is also an alternative Hebrew name for the red-faced biblical character Esau (brother of Jacob), and the nation descended from him, the Edomites, which in turn provides yet another possible origin for Red Sea. Yet another theory favored by some modern scholars is that the name red is referring to the direction south, the same way the Black Sea’s name may refer to north. The basis of this theory is that some Asiatic languages used color words to refer to the cardinal directions.

Herodotus on one occasion uses Red Sea and Southern Sea interchangeably.

Source: http://www.answerbag. com

Sea. Over and over again I’ve seen photographs of luxurious live-aboards, underwater images of reefs festooned with goldies and corals and images of dark ominous wrecks. I have heard the story of the SS Thistlegorm countless times and I can name wreck sites by heart. I’ve read more articles and books than I care to remember about the Red Sea but I’d never been there.

Until this year, that is.

I had decided at the beginning of this year that I had to go to witness and experience for myself this oft-reported wonder of the Red Sea. After all, as an African Diver I should have first-hand experience of one of Africa’s prime diving spots, shouldn’t I? 5

There is another, uncatalogued reason though. I think it is called the Red Sea because it made me see Red, as you will come to see if you read on.

By way of background, you need to know that all my diving friends have been to the Red Sea. And all my diving friends’ friends have been to the Red Sea. And they’ve all bored me with their stories and videos about the Red AfricanDiver.com

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And so it came to pass that this June I found myself happily winging my way to Cairo with a group of fabulous diving friends.

My Red Sea diving quest had come to fruition.

I had a few reservations though: as an underwater photographer I doubted I could get photographs different to those taken by countless other divers, and I wondered if I would see any big pelagic fish and I was skeptical of finding pristine coral reefs worth diving.

Turns out some of my fears were unfounded. To begin with, the diving was superb, well organised and extremely safe. We sailed on the King Snefro, one of a fleet of diving live-aboards. Our crew were magnificent and catered to our every whim and fancy.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner were veritable feasts that sustained me and even managed to add a few inches to my waistline.

The boat was a luxurious floating hotel with beautifully appointed cabins, spacious decks and magnificent diving facilities.

Nitrox was readily available and welcomed.

Dive planning was professional, safe and informative and very well organised. I was knocked out by the sheer organization of diving with the crew of the King Snefro.

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My underwater photographer’s eye was equally pleased when

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presented with the clear Red Sea water. How wonderful to have 20 metre-plus visibility every dive. Equally pleasing were the abstractions and underwater architecture offered by the many wrecks we dived - the Dunraven, Ghiannis D, Carnatic and Thistlegorm to name a few. I was taken aback by the variety and extent of goldies, surgeon, rock cod and butterfly fish I saw on every reef and wreck I dived. Scorpion fish, stone fish, turtles and octopus were a treat to look for too. And yes, I photographed everything exactly the way everyone else has photographed it all before.

Diving the SS Thistlegorm was a treat and privilege. We dived it three times and I had the luxury of exploring it from every angle and with every penetration.

Diving this wreck is everything you’ve ever read or heard about and it’s well worth the experience.

But the highlight of the entire trip was the dives we did in the reserve of Ras Mohammed. Ras Mohammed, the southernmost tip of the Sinai desert, is a divers dream. The area was declared a National Park in 1989 and is regulated and protected. And so it should be. Because of the currents that sweep out from the Gulf of Aqaba, many pelagic species gather there from the open sea in search of food and shelter. We dived Shark and

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Yolanda Reefs in one dive and Jack Fish Alley the next. Here we found the big pelagics I’d been seeking. Dog-tooth tuna, schooling Jacks, massive schools of Bat fish, Yellow fin tuna and even a Sailfish were absolute feasts to the eye. I could have dived those reefs over and over again.

But the trip highlight got me thinking. I wondered why these big pelagics, so in abundance in the protection of Ras Mohammed were not to be seen on the other reefs and wrecks I’d dived where the only pelagic I’d seen was a lone barracuda patrolling a reef.

Slowly I postulated a theory, unproven of course but a theory nonetheless.

Stretching my limited marine biology knowledge I concluded that given that the abundant goldies, surgeon and butterfly fish found on the other dives are all algae and plankton eaters, there must be an abundance of algae to sustain these fish.

My dives after Ras Mohammed were therefore devoted to trying to prove my theory about abundant algae on which these fish predate. I didn’t have to look too hard. On most reefs I found algae and similarly on all the wrecks I dived. In fact, on one dive I stopped counting when I got to 50 surgeons

cleaning the hull of our magnificent boat of its algae.

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Abundant algae eaters, absent carnivorous pelagic fish, warm waters … it all added up. And I crowned my theory with proof when a small blister on my foot became infected and I succumbed to an ear and eye infection at the same time. It had to be that the water was not clean.

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I have no proof, and it would be an interesting study, but it seems to me that the traffic and fishing that the Red Sea bears is impacting its waters and its marine inhabitants. I hope my theory is wild and unfounded speculation and that what I saw is the natural order of things in this unique sea. I hope my infections were an anomaly brought on by being run-down from stress. I truly hope so. But watching our magnificent boat discharging its holds into the water (and all the other boats we anchored with), and finding discarded plastic and glass and toilet paper hidden amongst the reef and wrecks, niggles at my subconscious and I worry that overuse and pollution is taking its toll. So, I see Red. An angry and frustrated Red. So, was it worth the visit? Absolutely, and yes I would go again. I am an optimist and I hope eternally that things will always turn out for the best.

I dream of the day we humans realise the abuse of our environment and the positive steps we will take to protect and preserve.

As for you, the reader, if you haven’t been to the Red Sea, I urge you to go. If you’ve been before I urge you to revisit. And when you’re there pick up the plastic and rubbish you find.

Demand of your hosts that they do the same. Lead by your example, don’t critisize. After all, what’s going on in your back yard?

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Amazing Batsata Maze

by Georgina Jones

Images by Andrew Taylor, Geoff Spiby

Mazes have been built all through history to trap monsters, confuse intruders or guard secrets. Some were simply built to intrigue visitors. Batsata Maze, part of the Seekatbank reef complex offshore of Smitswinkel Bay, wasn’t constructed by humans, but rather more tangentially, by a slow intrusion of magma through what is now the floor of False Bay.

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Today, it’s a jumble of huge boulders thickly encrusted with all manner of creatures, among which divers wander in increasing awe as the complex life of the maze unfolds. As its name suggests, this section of the reef is a bewildering combination of swimthroughs, gullies, caves, walls and sudden open expanses. Descending, divers soon scatter as their attention is caught by different parts of the maze.

Buddy pairs head off into swimthroughs, become absorbed by what they’re seeing and look up, startled, to find other buddy pairs coming from a completely different direction. Mazes are like that.

Miniature monsters: a hotlips spider crab (Achaeopsis spinulosa) threatens passers-by with its striped pincers

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A gasflame nudibranch (Bonisa nakaza) heading for its moss animal prey

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The slot eye of a hunting octopus

Exploring Batsata involves estimating routes through swimthroughs, some of which require flexibility, as the rocks weren’t assembled with consideration to drysuited divers with big steel cylinders, but the sheer thrill of floating through undersea tunnels inspires some pretty impressive exit tucks and floats. The caves are generally on a scale for looking into, not really entering, but the maze is a big place, and hasn’t yet been completely explored.

Some give a hint they may be explored from the shafts of light shining on their back walls. Chimneys may lead down into sudden caverns, ceilings fantastically decorated with the orange stalactites of sponges, fragile moss animal colonies and delicate hydroids. Caves may be big enough for several divers and have several entrances, or just a tempting window to give a glimpse of the sheltered life inside them. Batsata’s secrets haven’t all yet been discovered.

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Torchlight glints off the mailed flanks of silvered hottentot hanging motionless under overhangs.

Janbruin emerge from their caves, blue eyes

glaring, yellow protruding teeth permanently bared: monstrous to their crustacean prey.

Spidercrabs wave their striped pincers in a cryptic code, which could turn out to mean defiance, warning or perhaps advertisement of their cleaning services.

This is where scorpionfish were first spotted in False Bay, which caused quite a stir, since scorpionfish weren’t previously known from so far south. Even today it is uncertain exactly which species they are: we think they’re the bigscale scorpionfish (Scorpaena scrofa), but no-one so far has volunteered to risk the poison spines to find out for sure.

The maze has walls so densely covered with feeding feather stars there’s scarcely space to see the underlying granite, or to balance on a finger to spot the skittish commensals which live on them – tiny short-legged worms called myzostomids and extremely wellcamouflaged shrimps, which live on the food and wastes of the feather stars. Steep-sided gullies are studded with waving seafans, freighted with their cargoes of planktonfeeding invertebrates.

It’s a fish eat fish world: a super klipfish (Clinus superciliosus) preys on a bluespotted klipfish (Pavoclinus caeruleopunctatus)

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Preparing to enter the maze

Flatter areas are covered with fields of striped anemones, the favoured hiding place for recently moulted decorator crabs, vulnerable in their bright magenta armour. Normal growthrelated moulting is a problem for the three-toothed decorators (Acanthonyx dentatus), since their newly minted carapaces are very noticeable and hence predator-friendly. These crabs hide among the anemones and use their habit of shooting defensive threads through their body walls to protect themselves, aiming the anemones at would-be predators rather like miniature cannons (well, if cannons were round and striped and fired sticky, stinging white threads).

Some of the maze walls end abruptly in flat pavement with octopus hotels in the cracks, each ‘room’ advertising its presence by a litter of empty mussel shells at the entrance. Sometimes the dark eyes and eager suckers of the inhabitants can be seen, waiting for darkness to fall to emerge and seek their victims.

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Scary monster: an octopus (Octopus vulgaris) peers out from its lair

For small fish, brightly coloured crabs and all manner of slow-moving or immobile animals, Batsata Maze is the abode of frightful monsters. So far though, no really scary (to humans) monsters have been found. But Batsata Maze is certainly intriguing, and unlike most other mazes, it can be easily exited simply by ascending to the surface. It casts a spell though.

Return trips are usually planned on the boat ride back to the slip.

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Text and Images by Moving Sushi Team After removing the bumper and winch, deflating the tyres and air suspension, the expedition vehicle, named Johnny, squeezed with less than two centimeters of grace into a container bound for Mombasa, Kenya.

Regrettably Moving Sushi had to turn tail in Oman and head back to Dubai, where the car was to be shipped to Kenya, as our route via Yemen was not passable due to escalating violence and closed borders. Our plan was to 14fly from Dubai to Nairobi to meet with Anders Kohler; an interesting gentlemen working in the heart of the Kibera slum on a unique project which could just revolutionize fisheries monitoring, not only in Kenya but possibly along Africa’s coast. Thereafter, a short train ride from Nairobi would take us to Mombasa, where we hoped to receive Johnny in one piece before moving up the coast to work with the Watamu Turtle Watch, and Local Ocean Trust team. Back on African soil after months of hard work in Europe, Russia, Asia and the Middle East was a relief, but what remained to be seen is just how Kenya, with a history of NGO involvement, tourism, foreign income and development, faired with respect to fisheries and the marine environment when compared to the rest of Africa and the world.

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Kenya’s biologically diverse coastline extends approximately 600 km from the border with Somalia in the North, to the border with Tanzania in the south.

The biological diversity and richness of natural resources is economically and culturally important not only to the coastal communities, but to Kenya at large.

The coastal population was estimated at 2.5 million in 1999; which accounted for roughly 9% of Kenya’s total population. There should be concern about the lack of accurate, updated and reliable census data of Kenya’s coastal communities, as the socio-economic impact of an unrealized population size could severely hamper effective resource management. For example, the Kenyan coast has over the centuries attracted diverse ethnic and racial groups, with the highest increase in population densities in urban areas like Mombasa and Malindi. The increase in coastal populations can be attributed to the lure of potential employment in the tourism and shipping industries. The increase in coastal population has elevated poverty estimates, which range from 30% to 80%; according to a report on the state of Kenya’s coast. The poor are more likely to engage in non-sustainable resource harvesting practices, putting pressure on management strategies attempting to safeguard the already abused coastal resources. Armed with wind, self and motor propelled pirogues, the artisanal fishing fleet lands an estimated 95% of Kenya’s total marine catch, contributing 6% to the coastal economy, and is the main source of livelihood for more than 60,000 households. There is however, growing concern about the increasing demand for natural resources amidst observable decreases in fish landings, destruction of coral reefs and mangrove stands and an overall disregard for the

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policies and regulations protecting them. The blame for decreasing fish stocks and environmental degradation is relayed in a finger pointing battle between 15 communities, policy makers, industrial fishers, coastal developers and tourism.

Yet the problem lies with a combination of all the above factors. It is understood that for a system to be effectively managed local communities need to be the custodians of the resource, i.e. a sense of ownership of the resource must be bestowed on communities thereby inviting them to be more effective in reporting resource abusers (dynamite fishers, illegal gillnetters etc). The key to an involved community lies in the framework designed to facilitate effective communication and action towards perpetrators; something the government has not successfully achieved. Yet from the slums of Nairobi, miles away from the coast an ingenious solution has been conceptualized and in the final stages before implementation.

The “Drop-Down” project is the brainwork of Anders Kholer, an expatriate from Sweden, who works and lives in the Kibera slum; the largest and arguably the poorest in Africa. With a background far from fisheries, Mr. Kholer, an expert in media, runs the first and only objective radio station in Mogadishu, Somalia, and has done so for a number of years despite the social unrest and carnivorous lifestyle of the extremists. Mr. Kholer adds that empowering people though the ability to communicate though an external “voice”, or “effective reporting” may create a resolution towards the misuse of marine resources required for effective government lobbying.

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The Drop-Down project will allow community fishers, or anyone for that matter, to effectively and objectively report illegal fishing activities, sewage outfalls, illegal housing developments (basically, any ailment that may impact the marine environment negatively) through the use of simple technology. In short, any activity observed that may impact the marine environment that can be recorded though an sms, picture, video recording etc. is sent to the database in Sweden, whereupon it will be peer reviewed by volunteer scientists from all over the world as to the potential impact of the observation in question. The findings are relayed back with scientific relevance to a dataset in Kenya that can be utilized by the media to create attention towards misappropriation of resources.

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The key to the success of the project is that communities have the ability to “voice” their concerns, and because the database is in Sewden, the law protects anonymity. Mr. Kohler explains for example; if an oil spill occurs along the coast, the distribution of the oil can be reported continuously along the whole coastline simultaneously. The data then fed though the review process will be available immediately for reporting by media, NGO’s etc. in Kenya, ensuring that government and policy makers can’t turn a blind eye. The best part is that this dataset can be created simply as all one needs to report a problem is a cell phone, and the cost to send the data to the server in Sweden, free. The concept is interesting and will represent a new and novel way to get communities involved in observational data capture. There are numerous challenges that need to be addressed before the Drop-Down concept succeeds. One such noticeable challenge would be the fishermen’s interest in reporting their fishing activities as damaging to the environment. To illustrate: if the data requires a critical mass of entries pertaining to the same event, i.e.

5 000 reports on an oil spill event, would one get the same resolution if the communities do not see dynamite fishing as a threat to the environment? Often technological advancement is seen as an aid to the artisanal fisheries sector, thereby the critical mass required to ratify an inappropriate action i.e. the missuse of destructive fishing gear may go unreported by the community.

Understanding the importance of community participation in resource management, Moving Sushi visited the Local Ocean Trust’s flagship program, Watamu Turtle Watch (WTW). The coastal zone from Malindi extending southward to Watamu is demarcated as a Marine Reserve, whereby traditional fishers may deploy traps and fish with non-destructive gear. Within the National Reserve are two small Marine National Parks, namely Mailidi Marine Park, and Watamu Marine Park (see map), where all activities pertaining to the removal of marine resources is prohibited. Tourists within the Marine Parks have to acquire a license in order to snorkel or scuba dive from Kenya Wildlife Services, the management authority for National Reserves and Parks.

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WTW, a local NGO, monitors turtle nesting beaches within Watamu’s National Marine Park, and promotes the protection of other sea turtle nesting areas along the coast of Kenya. The uniqueness of this invaluable initiative is the forged integration and relationship between the NGO and the community at large. The ethos of WTW is community empowerment though education, involvement and instilling a sense of worth and responsibility for their actions when harvesting resources. As of April 2010, the program has successfully released over 5 800 turtles caught by local fishers back into the ocean. Not only is this an incredible statistic, but also how the program accomplished these results is staggering. Turtles caught by fishers are predominantly immature green turtles, and at market they command high prices (KSH 2000 or South African Rand 112). Turtles captured in gill nets were traditionally slaughtered and sold, as the price of one individual would surpass the price of the total catch of fish in a given day. The solution in curbing the slaughter of turtles had to be two fold: first there needed to be an economic incentive to immediately attract the participation of fishers not to kill turtles, and secondly, a long-term education program had to be conducted to try to provide an understanding that turtles form part of system that provides communities with a livelihood, and that their survival should be in the community’s best interests. WTW initiated a “pay back” system whereby fishers who caught a turtle would report the landing to WTW who would then drive to the community and pay a fee of KSH 300 (South African Rand 17) to the fishers for the turtle. The turtle would be examined for ailments such as Fibropapilloma tumors, spear gun, long-line and net injuries, before been released back into the Watamu National Marine Park. Injured turtles would be transported back to WTW compound and placed in a rehabilitation center, closely monitored by the local vet. Despite the market price for turtles been in excess of R100, and the “pay back” initiative offering only R17, local fishers bought into the concept and on any given day the WTW team may be involved in as many as 11 turtle rescues.

The fishing communities have economics at best interest, i.e. it is more profitable to catch and release 10 turtles, than it is to kill one. If all the turtle are killed then there will not be a steady income coming to communities, especially since fish stocks are declining. This raised an important issue, would communities not turn their fishing effort to targeting turtles? 17

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It is unlikely as the potential damage a turtle causes to fishing net is not worth the R17 they receive in compensation. Furthermore with a persistent investment in community education, mindsets are beginning to turn as to the importance of the turtles.

Despite the incredible achievements WTW faces numerous problems. Tourism despite being the largest coastal community employer and revenue generator has through development impacted on the coastal environment. Sewage leaking into the coral system adds to the potential problem of eutrophication events, development on the high tide mark reduces turtle nesting sites and pollution is on the increase. Furthermore illegal fishing in the marine protected area is rampant and unchecked, and there is no implementation of law pertaining to offenders both in terms of illegal resource harvesting and development. Diving in Watamu, in the marine protected area, the coral reef looked in desperate need of attention. Mechanical destruction of coral is evident caused by fishing vessel anchors and nets, and the lack of predatory fish species including sharks is evidence that the system is not in pristine condition.

Compounding the anthropogenic influences on the state of the coral reefs two natural events put pressure on the system. The first, the cyclic phenomenon El Nino, which devastated coral communities through the worst bleaching event recorded in history in 1998 (and which is observable again in 2010, although not quite to the same extent) and secondly, siltation that stifles coral growth by reducing its photosynthetic potential from the nearby Tana River system (although natural, poor farming practices in the catchment area has intensified the problem). Diving the offshore reefs of Watamu, and snorkeling the inshore zone showed a system devoid of management.

18 A clear lack of motivation from government in understanding the interconnectedness of the marine realm, its associated communities and the need for strict regulations whereby communities are included in the financial benefits of the system, i.e. they are stakeholders in the resource, is urgently required before the system slips into a state beyond repair.

It was clear in our observations that communities are willing to get involved, they are interested in being responsible resource users. The general knowledge of the marine environment by local communities is poor, however a quote I shall never forget by a member of WTW, who before working for the program, found a turtle hatchling on the beach making a dash for the ocean and not having a clue what it was went to WTW for information snd who subsequently headed up WTW’s The Turtle Rescue Program stated, “I have been baptized by turtles, they have transformed my understanding of the ocean, and this inspires me to teach my fellow community members”.

People can change, and eloquently put by WTW, “the community voice is the best resource we have.”

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Recalled to life - A tale of two harbours Text and Images by Cormac McCreesh

“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing” Edmunde Burke

Google “Coega” and you will be met with a mountain of information about the harbour, the Coega Industrial Development Zone and the schemes and plans to turn the greater Coega into a dizzying economic fairytale story along the lines of the Asian miracles of Shenzhen.

Then Google “Port Elizabeth harbour” and you will find very little information of significance, other than practical stuff like the depth of the port, a vague collection of paragraphs detailing the services to be found there and the yachting activities of the local yacht club. Oh, and of course, a detailed history of the port and the early settlements of Southern Africa.

So, on the one hand we have a potential Asian Tiger Economic Zone and the other we have a boring, forgotten one-ship-town.

Now I am no economist, nor am I an informed environmentalist but on a recent trip to Port Elizabeth, I had the good fortune (or maybe misfortune) to visit both harbours to see for myself.

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Let’s begin with Port Elizabeth harbour then. Firstly this harbour is not very deep – some 14 odd metres in depth; meaning it can accommodate ships of a certain draft only. So what, you may ask? To which I can only but agree. After all, why would South Africans want a deep-water port operating close to our prime fishing grounds of the Agulhas Banks?

Secondly, this harbour is old! Oil bunkers and pipelines that date back to WWII border the Southern wall of the harbour. And these bunkers and pipelines are in dire need of repair or relocation! Oil seeps into the harbour and rises to float on the surface. The authorities are taking action though – they have placed floating catchment booms to contain the seeping oil. How thoughtful!

Thirdly, the harbour is a distribution point for manganese ore. Ships from China dock and fill their holds with manganese ore before returning home. Trouble is, this ore lies open to the environment and the “friendly city’s” windy air scatters the ore everywhere.

Yacht owners are obliged to clean their boats weekly to get rid of the coating of ore on their yacht decks and riggings, for example.

The place is coated with a fine red dust that settles and fuses with whatever it settles on, if not cleaned off.

Yatch’s line the quay in Port Elizabeth Harbour

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Yet, for all this, the harbour has a thriving yachting club, and it pays host to many types of fishing vessels and activities. Chokka boats abound. With their big globular lanterns lining the decks they berth to deliver their loads and stock up for the next run. Long-liners too berth to clean and rest-up. Rusty and functional, these boats slip in to the harbour and shyly tie-up in a quiet berth to do whatever long-liners do when they dock.

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Large trawlers grunt in and out of the harbour carrying their catch of hake or sardine - at least one hopes that it is a catch of hake or sardine and not shark fins or some other illegal activity.

The point is, the harbour ebbs and flows with activity and life, notwithstanding the legality of these activities (it is rumoured that abalone poachers too use the harbour to conduct their clandestine activities).

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Top left: Chokka boat cleaning its holds Top middle: Seeping oil is trapped by floating booms Top right: A long-liner rests up Bottom left: Sardines being sorted Bottom middle: Sardine trawler discharges its load Bottom right: Magenese ore is transferred to a Chinese vessel

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Now Coega, on the other hand is the complete opposite of Port Elizabeth’s harbour.

The harbour is part of the proposed Coega Industrial Development Zone and has undergone several identity changes since conception (see text box). These days, it is earmarked a container port for clean cargo, but who knows when this will be effective.

We accessed Coega harbour

by RIB, en route to the nearby St Croix islands. During the weeks before our visit a pilot boat in the harbour had struck a visiting whale shark, fatally injuring it. I had heard that the Coega harbour was the subject of a Phd student who had concluded that the harbour area was a biodiversity hotspot and therefore worthy of environmental management.

So, our visit was a vague shot-in-the-dark trip to see if we could find any marine life worth noting.

What we found was more of a ghost town and less of a seething mass of biodiversity.

Giant derricks and cranes, newly painted and glinting in the sunlight, brooded over the deserted harbour waters.

Green harbour water lapped sloppily at the mussels that line the breakwater and concrete docks.

The docks were lonely and empty and the silence eerie.

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and industrial activity was non-existent. Control towers, office buildings and shiny new warehouses stared back at us.

The only sound was that of the motors of our boat and our thoughts.

Idle derricks brood over an empty Coega Harbour

A distant splash invaded the silence and we found a lone seal pup exploring the harbour’s waters. We followed it for a time and it regarded us suspiciously but allowed us to follow at a respectable distance. A private chopper flew overhead and we contacted the pilot to circle the harbour and look for any marine life. The pilot quietly reported back an absence of any life.

Coega is a deep-water port.

We checked the depth and found it was mostly at an18 metre depth – good for very specific shipping needs. But where were these ships?

Where was the promised activity and development?

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Turns out that the promised activity faded into history when Eskom failed to guarantee electricity supply to potential industries seeking to establish a presence at Coega. Secretly I am happy. After all, I can only imagine the pollution an aluminium smelter will inflict on the environment (Alcan was considering building an aluminium smelter there). So good riddance to them, and thank you Eskom for failing to guarantee supply.

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So the tale of two harbours is a tale of over-utilisation and pollution in the one and white elephant in the other. Both though, are of significance from an environmental and employment point of view. Both are overdue for redemption and resurrection. Both are overdue for planning and proper management. Both are important.

The question is; can they both be recalled to life?

Top left and bottom left: The empty docks in Coega Harbour Top right: A lone seal pup regards us anxiously

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Aug/Sep 2010

The Port of Coega

The Agulhas Banks The Agulhas Bank is a broad, shallow part of the southern African continental shelf which extends 250 kilometres (160 mi) south of Cape Agulhas before falling away steeply away to the abyssal plain.

It is the ocean region where the warm Indian Ocean and the cold Atlantic Ocean meet. This convergence leads to treacherous sailing conditions, accounting for numerous wrecked ships in the area over the years. However the meeting of the oceans here also fuels the nutrient cycle for marine life, making it one of the best fishing grounds in South Africa. Source: Wikipedia The Agulhas Bank represents the centre of the South African fishing grounds and the bulk of reef-associated species, many of which are severely overexploited, are caught here. These reefs consist of relatively shallow (20 – 70 meters) rocky banks and pinnacles between 20 and 150 km offshore, whose remoteness qualifies them to serve as potential spawning grounds and as a natural refuge for many fish and invertebrate species that are elsewhere on the verge of extinction.

Source: South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity

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Port Elizabeth Harbour Port Elizabeth has been an important port and harbour on the South Africa east coast ever since the first British settlers began arriving from 1820. Today it is a multi cargo port on the western perimeter of Algoa Bay.

Agriculture and farming has always played an important role in the port’s activities, principally deciduous and citrus fruit and the annual wool crop. More recently, containers have assumed an prominent role in the fortunes of the harbour, with Port Elizabeth serving its local industrial base and forming an alternate port of call to container ships whenever the Durban or Cape Town container terminals are congested.

Other principal products handled include manganese ore, which is railed from the Northern Cape, and petroleum products that are imported from other South African ports. The motor industry has long been an important industrial activity for the Eastern Cape and the port plays a leading role in this regard and boasts a large open area car terminal. The fishing industry also makes extensive use of the port.

Source: http://ports.co.za

The port of Coega, which began commercial ship operations (containers) in October 2009, lies some 20km northeast of Port Elizabeth and is South Africa’s 8th and latest commercial port development, situated at the mouth of the Coega River in Nelson Mandela Bay (Algoa Bay).

The port is of deepwater construction capable of serving post-Panamax dry and liquid bulkers and the new generation of cellular container ships.

The impact of a new IDZ and port at Coega on the Eastern Cape of South Africa will undoubtedly prove of great benefit to an otherwise largely impoverished and undeveloped region. However its effect on the nearby port of Port Elizabeth only 20 km away remains unclear and Port Elizabeth harbour would have to re-develop for certain cargo types only, such as the auto, fresh produce, fishing and tourism industries.

Much of the emphasis on the new port has therefore switched to clean cargo with a strong focus now on containerised cargo, although manganese ore exports are still likely to be transferred from Port Elizabeth at some point in the future. The political imperatives of building the new port will continue to outweigh all other considerations and the prognosis for Port Elizabeth to remain as a viable and busy port appear reduced.

Hopes of developing an aluminium smelter at Coega have been dashed following the discovery that Eskom was having difficulty in meeting the country’s energy requirements. With the change of emphasis for Coega towards container handling it would appear that the future of this port lies in becoming a transhipment hub for the sub-Saharan Africa and Western Indian Ocean regions.

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Source: http://ports.co.za

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Aug/Sep 2010

Headaches and SCUBA Diving By: Asser Salama (TDI / SDI / CMAS Instructor)

Diving headaches have spoiled many dive trips. There are different causes associated with headaches and diving, it can be as simple as a mask squeeze, an excessive constriction around the neck by thermal protection, a dental issue, cold water around an inadequately insulated head, or saltwater aspiration. However, it can also be as complicated as a symptom of decompression sickness (DCS). Here are some common causes, preventions, and treatments for diving headaches.

Sinus headache A sinus headache is caused by a sinus squeeze during ascents or descents. The symptoms are pain in the forehead, face, or cheekbone area. A diving headache caused by a sinus squeeze is due to a failure to equalize pressure. Another cause is the inflammation of the sinuses or nasal cavity due to allergies or cold. Remedies include slowing your ascent and descent or using decongestants. However, it’s better not to dive if you are sick.

Tension headache 24 Symptoms of tension headache are pain in the head and pain in the back of the neck. Tension headaches are caused by muscle strain due to anxiety and muscular rigidity. Clenching your jaw during the dive can also cause tension headache. To prevent the development of muscle strain and consequently tension headache, you must learn to relax in the water. Eventually you will stop getting this type of headache if you dive within your abilities, gain experience, and become comfortable in the water.

Migraine headache Symptoms of migraine headache include severe pain, visual changes, weakness or numbness of the arm, and nausea. Also postdive vomiting is one of the consequences of a migraine headache, but if coupled with other symptoms could indicate a DCS hit. If the diver has a history of migraine headaches, there could be a direct correlation between diving and the onset of the cranial pressure.

Many of the medications used to treat migraines contain drugs which will increase the risk of nitrogen narcosis. However, as most people only have occasional migraine headaches, and others have migraines which are not incapacitating, migraine should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Anyone who suffers from migraine headaches and wishes to dive must consult a physician, preferably one with knowledge and experience in diving medicine.

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Carbon monoxide toxicity headache Symptoms of carbon monoxide toxicity headache include severe pain accompanied by tightness across the forehead, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.

The majority of compressors used to fill SCUBA tanks are oil lubricated.

Normal filtration does not guarantee the removal of all traces of lubrication oil. These traces contain carbon monoxide and can easily accumulate inside tanks. If the compressor is faulty or not well maintained, the percentage of carbon monoxide exceeds the safe limits and can cause carbon monoxide headache.

The first step in treating a carbon monoxide toxicity incident is getting the diver out of the water. Administer oxygen and seek immediate medical attention. The best treatment here is hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Carbon dioxide toxicity headache A dull pulsing head pain after diving is usually a symptom of this type of headache caused by carbon dioxide toxicity. This headache is caused by carbon dioxide build-up in the body. The increase in waste gas is usually due to hypoventilation (too little air intake). Hypoventilation usually happens when a diver doesn’t take large enough breaths from his / her tank or doesn’t breathe often.

Simply put, not breathing enough to get rid of the carbon dioxide created in the body will eventually lead to this type of headache.

Carbon dioxide build-up is also caused by the usage of inefficient dive equipment, especially at depths below 30 meters (100 feet) where the gas density increases. This results in harder rate of breathing, which leads to creating more carbon dioxide. Given that carbon dioxide is way more narcotic than nitrogen, sense dulling is a potential impact of excessive carbon dioxide build-up.

The best treatment here is to take slow, deep breaths to reduce the build-up. Also use high performance regulators with good flow characteristics. Carbon dioxide headaches don’t respond well to pain relievers.

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DCS headache Headaches can also be a sign of DCS. DCS is caused by the formation of bubbles as dissolved nitrogen comes out of the tissues on ascent. DCS can lead to permanent physical impairment or death. Seek immediate medical attention if a diver complains of headache and has other signs of DCS like joint pain, swelling, skin rash, itching, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, or extreme exhaustion. A SCUBA diver is at risk of DCS when he / she does not decompress after long or deep dives before surfacing, or when he / she ascends too quickly or makes a panic ascent.

A word about dehydration Dehydration is one of the most common problems, yet goes unrecognized. One of the first symptoms of dehydration is headache accompanied by dizziness, ranging from mild to severe.

When the fluids go out of the body, the body will concentrate the rest of the fluids internally and peripheral flow is cut down.

This in turn reduces the ability of the body to off-gas as the capillary exchange at the extremities became less efficient due to decreased circulation, which in turn invalidates all the decompression models. You may believe that you are off-gassing normally, whereas in reality, you are not. Watching your computer 25 or following the tables won’t help because the models are no longer valid. Also the blood flow to the brain is reduced due to dehydration, which results in reduced oxygen flow to the brain.

Headache and dizziness occur accordingly.

When engaged in SCUBA diving, it is advisable to drink more than your normal intake of fluids and monitor your urine output for signs of adequate dilution (light-colored urine). Although this is a simple and universally accepted technique to determine whether humans are well hydrated or not, and it could be done in most cases, please note that there are some pathological conditions (diabetes for instance) that result in production of dilute urine. So aiming at having light-colored urine in certain rare cases could be a bad thing.

References Headaches and Diving; Dr. Frans Cronje; Alert Diver; November / December 2003.

Headache and Facial Pain in SCUBA Divers; Dr. William P. Cheshire; Current Pain and Headache Reports; August 2004.

Painful Memories; Dr. Allan Kayle; Alert Diver; January / February 2005.

US Navy Diving Manual; Revision 6; April 2008.

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Divers First Aid Kit All divers should carry an adequate first aid kit and should familiarize themselves with its contents to ensure correct and rapid use.

We suggest that the following items be included: • • • • • • •

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• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

A copy of “The DAN Emergency Handbook” Oxygen - with appropriate delivery equipment Fluids - for treatment of decompression illness (e.g. 2 litres or more of water) Vinegar - large bottle for treating box jellyfish stings (tropics) Local anaesthetic ointment* - for pain relief from stings Topical antibiotic ointment*, Povidone iodine skin cleanser / paint or other antiseptic - for coral cuts or grazes to prevent or treat infection Ear drops* - for external ear infections Seasickness tablets* Analgesics* - for pain relief (e.g. paracetemol, codeine, aspirin) Systemic decongestants* - for relief from congestion Topical decongestants* - used as above Eye wash - to remove foreign body from eyes Three elastic bandages 4in x 60in (10cm x 150cm) long - as pressure bandages Pressure bandages / pads - to control severe bleeding Swabs, crepe bandages, adhesive plaster, “bandaids” Scissors, tweezers / forceps, sharp knife, needle Blankets, plastic sheets, sleeping bag Cold packs - for pain relief from marine stings Pen and paper - for recording details of first aid Coins or calling card - for telephone Flashlight Safety pins - for securing bandage

* Consult your diving doctor for suitable medications and advice on their use.

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Aug/Sep 2010

Flying After Diving Flying (or otherwise ascending) to a higher altitude after having dived can predispose a diver to decompression illness unless there has been sufficient surface interval to allow excess gas to diffuse from the body. If insufficient time has been allowed and the ambient pressure is reduced, gas bubbles may form, or existing asymptomatic bubbles may increase in size and cause symptoms of decompression illness.

We can never be sure exactly when it becomes “safe to fly” after a dive since it will depend on the degree of bubble formation and how long it persists. Many authorities recommend that, as a general rule, a diver should wait at least 24 hours before flying after an air dive. Sometimes this may be overly conservative, while on other occasions, it may not prove to be conservative enough.

DAN’s current recommendations on flying after diving are: Dives within the No-Decompression Limits • Single No-Decompression Dive: Minimum pre-flight surface interval of 12 hours is suggested.

• Multiple Dives per Day or Multiple Days of Diving: Minimum pre-flight surface interval of 18 hours is suggested.

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Dives requiring No-Decompression Stops There is little experimental or published evidence on which to base a recommendation for decompression dives. A pre-flight surface interval longer than 18 hours appears prudent.

Note 1 If a diver has had decompression illness and has not received appropriate recompression treatment, flying can be risky even more than a week after the dive.

Note 2 (Flying before diving) After a long flight, one is often jet-lagged and dehydrated. Since a diver who dives in this condition may have an increased susceptibility to DCI, one is not advised to dive until after complete recovery from the flight.

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Aug/Sep 2010

What accounts for huge differences in air consumption?

Even divers of fairly similar sizes and experience levels have different consumption rates; which can’t be attributed to differences in fatigue or stress levels only.

How to be good on air

by Asser Salama images by T. Timothy Smith

Since different people have different lung volumes, different metabolisms and different genes, the point here is that there is no ideal air consumption rate. In other words, you shouldn’t be ashamed of using more air than your buddy. So let’s forget all about gauge competitions. Large air reserves are useful only when they translate into longer, safer or more enjoyable dives. But if all you’re after is bragging rights of having more air left over at the of the dive, maybe you’re 28 end missing the point behind diving in the first place.

Having a lot of air by the end of the dive is not the ultimate proof of diving excellence that we sometimes make it. However, improving your air consumption often leads to longer (and maybe deeper) dives. Here are some tips to help lower your consumption rate: Master buoyancy control Stop moving underwater; just freeze. If you start to sink, then you are not neutrally buoyant.

This is because your BCD is not adequately inflated. Believe it or not, adjusting your buoyancy by using the BCD is far less air-consuming than adjusting your depth level in the water column by finning and / or hand movements.

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Aug/Sep 2010

Achieve horizontal trim Normally a diver using a bit more-thanneeded weight in a conventional BCD won’t be able to achieve a horizontal trim. The weight around the waist pulls down, while the air cells in the BCD pulls up at the chest area.

Compensation for poor trim takes effort, which translates into more air consumption.

Minimize the “hole in the water” made by your body. The less water you have to shove aside, the less energy and air you have to consume. One way is to reduce the amount of weight you carry because extra weight needs extra BCD inflation to lift it. A more inflated BCD pushes aside more water.

Another way to shove aside less water is to trim your body in a horizontal position so that your legs are following through the hole made by your shoulders and not enlarging it.

Many divers do, in fact, swim with their heads up and fins down. Wings and integrated weight pockets help achieve a good trim, but you can still get the right trim and weight while using a conventional BCD. Get fitter The fitter you are, the quicker your heart returns to the normal rate after exercise. If you have to swim a long distance to reach a dive site, or carry your kit a long way, you will start the dive at elevated breathing and heart rates. Some virgin dive sites like Ras Abu Galoum, north of Dahab, Red Sea, Egypt, require a 90 minute camel ride! After a period of exercise, a fitter person returns to

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the normal breathing pattern faster than a less fit one.

Practice finning Do lots of slow lengths instead of few rapid ones. This will help the right muscles develop.

Try and do as many lengths underwater as you can, and take into consideration that underwater finning is not the same as surface finning. There are plenty of underwater kicks to choose from. However, the majority of divers use either the frog kick or the flutter kick. An excellent piece of advice is to use the “modified” flutter and / or frog kicks.

The “modified” version involves bending the knees 90 degrees and doing smaller, slower lengths.

Breathe deeply It’s somewhat against basic logic. Why does breathing deeply make a limited air supply last longer? Some divers think that breathing from the top half of their lungs is a means of saving air. They take short, shallow breaths but unfortunately they end up wasting air instead of saving it. Actually what they’re doing is influencing more carbon dioxide build-up. And believe it or not, it’s the need to blow out excess carbon dioxide not the lack of oxygen that urges you take the next breath. Short, shallow breaths leave your lungs filled with excess carbon dioxide. As this carbon dioxide urgently needs to get out, you’re obliged to take another breath although you don’t need the oxygen yet.

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Do not skip breathe On the other hand, don’t exaggerate the slow, deep breaths to the point of hyperventilation, which can lead to fainting due to suppressing the urge to breathe. The best breathing pattern is to take slow, deep inhales followed by slow, complete exhales.

Do not play with your breathing pattern.

Breathe normally and don’t hold your breath.

It is worth noting that in some circumstances when perfectly-neutral buoyancy is ultimately important, for instance when you’re hovering over some fragile corals for a photo, this best breathing pattern may disturb your buoyancy. You’ll have to change it for a short while and take shorter, quicker breaths.

Check your gear Check your equipment for air leaks. Often, you can’t see the leaks yourself. A little bubbling from your tank’s O-ring or your BCD inflator can sum up to several bars /

PSIs over an hour’s dive. A free-flowing octopus occasionally dumps air a lot 29 faster. Detune it if you can, and mount it with the mouthpiece facing down. Don’t detune your primary regulator though.

Detuning your primary regulator leads to increasing your breathing work. This increase leads to an elevated carbon dioxide production rate, which leads to accelerating your breathing rate and eventually translates into wasting more air.

Aug/Sep 2010

S O N Y W I N T E R

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S H O O T O U T Overall Winner - Anthony Grote AfricanDiver.com

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Aug/Sep 2010

Overall Second - Bryan Hart

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Want to hear about the time I dived with a shark?

I thought so. But first a little background: it was during the period 22 to 24 July, a click or two South of Umkomaas, where I was diving in sparkling water over a reef, bright and teeming with ocean wildlife. There were five of us; myself, 3 fellow underwater photography enthusiasts and Marc Bernardis, a skipper and dive-master active on the Aliwal Shoal. We were fortunate to be his guests on a five-star guided dive and we were all participants in the 2010 annual SONY Winter Shootout.

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While on the dive I found myself wishing I had done more homework about the dive sites when it appeared; a slender and electrifying grey torpedo. It was a Raggie, around 10 feet long. Half of me wanted to celebrate; the other wanted to get the blazes out of there. I edged closer to my dive buddy (‘yeah’, she said later, ‘I noticed’) and reminded myself that Raggie’s never attack, and as divers say: “a shark you see is a shark that wants to be seen” . So, I swiveled around in an ungainly attempt to keep it in view, my camera all but forgotten. The shark cruised by in a trim, efficient circuit, as if on patrol. Sunlight dappled its superb dorsal curve. It swung its Contents

head from side to side then shook its tail and ghosted into the ocean. That was it, I had seen a shark, and nothing had happened.

Wildlife sightings always feel like a visitation, a privilege, but sharks are special. No matter how often experts insist that they are harmless, our morbid imaginations rebel. Their beautiful shape is imprinted on our dreams, and this one was well cast: clean-lined, limber and impassive, all taut muscle and with a pale jaw. Its appearance was riveting; only when it sheered off did I feel apprehensive.

Aug/Sep 2010

Novice Winners

First - Tracey-Lee Featherstone 32

By the time the dive was over and we were back in the boat, the experience already seemed unreal. The thought crossed my mind that Raggie sharks are like London squirrels: neither rare nor dangerous. I had swum with a 10 foot shark. By lunchtime it was 12 feet long; by dinner it was a bad-tempered 15 footer.

The Aliwal Shoal is a biodiversity miracle ... one day you might see a couple dozen Raggies while on another you may watch playful dolphins strutting their stuff. To the untutored eye its a confusing, colorful maze. Species with confusing names abound and identifying them is pure hell.

So what species is it? A scaled scorpion fish, or a weedy scorpion fish? A lion fish or a devil fire fish? And how easy is it to mistake a yellow boxfish for a blue-spotted boxfish? It’s enough to make you choke on your regulator.

The winters in the KwaZulu South Coast, are characterised by warm, clear days with little or no wind and calm oceans.

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Second - Kenneth Hicks This drives the choice of date for the annual SONY Winter Shootout competition.

Also, the lack of rain, wind and swell allow for visibility to be on average 15m to 20m.

This year’s conditions were perfect - with an almost flat sea, and reefs visible from the boat.

The SONY Winter Shootout is now in its 5th year. This year, due to its growing popularity the competition dive area was increased to include the reefs stretching from Umhlanga Rocks to Aliwal Shoal.

The hosting of the event was, this year, courtesy of the Durban Undersea Club (DUC).

The extension of the competition area up to Umhlanga allowed Durban entrants to sneak in two dives off Durban on Thursday, followed by dives down at Umkomaas on Friday. The Durban divers encountered sardines and a whale shark on the Friday dive, rounding off an amazing two days of diving.

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Third - Kenneth Hicks The shooting opportunities were endless.

Apart from the usual potential of whales, sharks, wrecks, reefs and big-blue’s, the annual Sardine Run was in full swing.

Choices, choices choices …

As if the sardines, Raggies, weedy scorpion fish and whale sharks were not enough, DUC organised a night dive on Friday night in line with the full moon! More choices!

The photo’s that came out of Durban area were interesting – few of us knew that frog fish, whip gobies and large spanish dancer nudibranchs inhabit the reefs of No.1 and Blood Reef!

The panel of judges that honored this year’s event were: Peter Pinnock, Peter Wilson and Rikky Schick - together, a formidable team of opinions. Judge convener, Alwyn Marais, rounded up the lot, and ensured the “old timers“ did not wander off too far in arriving at their judging discussions.

Aug/Sep 2010

Intermediate Winners

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First - Bryan Hart

Second - Patrick Voorma

Third - Peter Dreyer

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Advanced Winner - Andrew Kemp AfricanDiver.com

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Aug/Sep 2010

Second - Camilla Floros

Advanced Winners 154 photo entries were received.

The shootout categories were: • Beginner • Intermediate • Advanced • Rare • Difficult • Shell’s • Reef Atlas Project – Reef shots • Aquarium Judges, and not the competitors, selected the images for the “Rare and Difficult” category. This was purely subjective and based on the judges’ knowledge and experience of underwater photography.

It took the judges a good four hours to produce the winner’s lists - the image all being highly competitive. in one category, 12 images contested second place. The competitors were also pleased to hear that no photos or entrants were disqualified as all entrants all complied with the competition underwater rules and regulations.

The event was opened by Charles Scalliet, followed by an introduction to the NPS Seaworld based at uShaka by Jone Porter. Alwyn Marais from

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the Conchology Society of South Africa then announced the Reef Atlas and Shell category winners. Peter Wilson gave the judges’ feedback and overall commentary on the shootout. The overall feeling was that the quality of images were getting better and better, but that entrants should be careful to not crop too much or overdo colour correction in washed-out images.

Special thanks goes out to all the valued sponsors: SONY South Africa, Mozambique Reservations, Durban Undersea Club (DUC), Scubapro, Sharklife, PADI, Sign Seeker, African Diver eMagazine, Beyond Blue eMagazine, Calypso Dive and Adventure Centre, Kewe Sales, Submerge, 230 A Palm Garden, eXtreme Attitude, NPC Seaworld Education Centre, Oceanworx, The Shoal, Acquatec, Escentia, Streak Design, quo10t Consulting, and Reef Travel

Third - Charlie Scalliet

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A big thank you to the organizers and staff of the DUC who assisted in setting up the venue and ensured refreshments to all on the premises.

Visit the competition website at www.WINTERSHOOTOUT.co.za to view all the images!

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Difficult Winner - Anthony Grote AfricanDiver.com

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Thanking all the sponsors

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Aug/Sep 2010

Micheal Westcott For as long as I can remember I have always had a love for the ocean and its creatures; a passion which was passed on to me by my father, who was one of the old school divers. He dived with an old 11ltr cylinder with a J Valve, twin hose regulators and a harness (equipment all purchased in the mid 1960’s) until he had a severe stroke 10 years ago. I have been diving since the age of 13 when I first did a resort course in Plettenberg Bay. Following that I dived on and off for years but only starting getting serious is 1999 and qualified as a Dive Master in 2006.

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A trip to Mozambique (Inhambane) in 2005 redirected my passion for diving, when a friend put a compact digital camera in my hand just before a dive. Right there the bug bit me and I was hooked on underwater photography. Up till that point I had no photography experience at all and had no idea what an expensive hobby I was embarking on. Since then every long week end and holiday has become an underwater photographic expedition.

I quickly progressed from a compact digital to Digital SLR and the learning curve has been very steep indeed. I am continuously amazed at how little I know and how much more there is to learn. No matter how methodically one prepares it is still so easy to make mistakes. I sometimes think that although it must have been more difficult initially the guys who started with film have a distinct advantage, as they had to give serious thought before pressing the shutter button.

I enjoy both Wide Angle and Macro photography however I find Wide Angle far more challenging and satisfying when you get it right. I have won a number of first places at the Sodwana Bay Shoot out and have had portfolio’s published in major South African Diving magazines including a front cover for Submerge Magazine. I also got first runner up in the Fuji Getaway Wild Life Awards for the underwater section in 2009.

Due to a new addition to my family I have spent more time than I would have liked out the water in the past twelve months. This has however given me the opportunity to spend time on land based photography. I now look forward to resuming the adventure that diving and underwater photography offers and taking my photography to the next level.

One of my dream trips is to dive and photograph the Aldabra Archipelago which I hope to do in the not too distant future.

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Micheal Westcott

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Many thanks to our contributors Georgina Jones learned to dive in Cape Town in 1990.

Her first dive was at A-Frame on the western shore of False Bay. She went underwater, looked around, and fell in love with the marine world in general and Cape marine life in specific. She’s dived in many places since then, but despite the attractions of underwater wonderlands like Indonesia and New Zealand, she remains enthralled by the sheer zoological variety of Cape waters, as well as their ecological complexity.

She dives in a drysuit to keep warm, and has never seen a great white shark in real life.

Asser Salama is a mechanical power engineer, an MBA degree holder, and a TDI / SDI / CMAS instructor.

He teaches both recreational and technical diving courses and organizes trips all over the Egyptian Red Sea. Asser is the current president of Red Sea Shadow, the largest online SCUBA diving community in Egypt.

He enjoys writing and software development. Email Asser at asser@red-sea-shadow.com or call him on 0020-11-255-4533.

Cormac McCreesh is a co-founder and editor of AfricanDiver. He is a professional photographer and has a passion for the ocean and underwater photography.

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The core members are the expedition leader Michael Markovina and expedition photographer and filming coordinator Linda Schonknecht.

Both Michael and Linda are graduates of Rhodes University.

Michael Markovina has a Master’s degree in Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, while Linda Schonknecht obtained a bachelor of journalism and media studies. Both Michael and Linda spent considerable time in Gabon, Central Africa where they worked for WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society).

Michael was in charge of marine-going expeditions and fisheries compliance, and Linda, photography.

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