Bubbles May - June 2017

IN THIS ISSUE

page

Editor’s Note 2 Species Page - Damselfish - Edward Vella Revillagigedo Archipelago - Paolo Marino Malta Wrecks - Rozi - Dorian Law THE A TL A M SU B A Q U A CL U B E-M A GA Z I N E

MAY/JUNE 2017

Photo by Paolo Marino

3 4/7 8/11

Boat Dives Log: Videos - Joseph Azzopardi Falzon Ras i-Óobs - Gozo - 07.05.17

12

Xlendi Wreck - Gozo - 21.05.17

13

Ras il-Qammie˙ - Malta - 11.06.17

13

Ta’ Çenç - Gozo -18.06 .17

13

Boat Dive Location Map - Joe Formosa

14

www.atlam.org

The Editorial Continuing from the Editorial of the previous issue, the organising of activities during the Thursday Club Nights carried on during these past two months. It goes without saying that so did the boat dives – but more about that further down in this issue.

The above mentioned activities have in fact turned out to be a great success – each of which was very well attended. This proved that the suggestions put forward by various members during a forum held last March were essentially valid. The suggestions were then further developed by the committee. In chronological order, these were: 11th May - Joe Formosa and Veronica Busuttil presented a Power Point presentation titled “Underwater Life and Activity”.

These were a series of photos considered by the authors to be among their best shots, all presented in a creative manner entertaining manner. Very nice work.

18th May – This was a real eye opener – Edward Sultana on behalf of the NGO No to Plastic Malta, presented the documentary “A Plastic Ocean”. If ever there was cause to be worried about the present state of our seas and oceans, this film really rang the alarm bells – very disturbing material I am afraid! It is not the time to remain passive – let us do our part to clean up the plastic from the sea which has alas become an enormous problem.

25th May - Mr Malcolm Ross presented a fantastic set of mainly close-up shots, in a Power Point/slide show, but it was not just a show. Mr Ross went into fine detail when explaining the techniques and equipment ideal for macro photography – albeit with a slight bias towards using film cameras! (But fully justified I say).

15th June - ‘An Introduction to the Aliens of the Deep Blue’ – this was a Power Point presented by Mr Jeannot Kuenzel. This collection clearly showed Mr Kuenzel’s passion for super macro photography – resulting in some surreal and sometimes abstract shots which showed the beauty of the super small for those who have an eye for it.

22nd June - Malcolm Ross presented a second Power Point presentation titled ‘10 Steps to professionalise how you observe underwater life’. Again some fantastic shots, with Mr Ross giving valid advice on how to go about detecting, approaching sea life, and then which photography techniques and equipment to use.

May more of these evenings be organised!

Featuring in more than one AGM minutes, was the suggestion to the committee to hold refresher rescue exercises. This is one aspect of the training course which (thankfully) is not practiced in earnest, but with the consequence of divers becoming rusty as to what to do in an emergency. To this end, a workshop/discussion on rescue updates, procedures and accident management was held on the 17th May. The meeting was chaired by instructor Adrian Sultana.

A practical session was then held during the following boat dive of the 20th May at ix-Xatt l-Ahmar, with a follow-up discussion and evaluation of the practical session on the following Thursday 25th. Most agree that sessions of this kind are to be organised regularly.

The much awaited instruction courses have finally kicked off again with an Advanced Nitrox Course, which started off on the 18th May under the able hands of Nitrox Instructor Nader Bassily.

More organised events A pasta night on the 5th May, A burger night to accompany the Eurovision finals on the 25th May and last but not least A barbecue night on the 28th June.

That was a tight schedule!

Keep diving

Edward Vella evella@onvol.net

M A L T A

established 1955

2017 Membership fees of €25 may be submitted to any committee member.

Support Atlam by paying your Membership Fee as soon as possible.

Many Thanks.

The Committee

2017 Atlam Committee Members :Joseph Azzopardi - President guzeppi56@gmail.com Anton Debattista - - Secretary andeb@go.net.mt Peter Attard - Treasurer Alex Arena - P.R.O. Victor Fabri - Diving Officer vfabri@gmail.com Alvin Pace - Activity Officer tamsinjane@yahoo.com George Mugliett - Activity Officer

Species Page

Research by Edward Vella

Damselfish

Chromis chromis

Çawla

This is perhaps one of the most ’overlooked’ fish, this being so, because it is probably part and parcel of every single dive – you just cannot get away from it!

Sometimes it is just a matter of a few individuals, in others damselfish numbers form a black cloud. The fact that the damselfish seems to be omni-present, says a lot – for it is those species which are down in the food chain rankings which nature makes up for their losses by sheer numbers.

Damselfish seem to congregate on reef tops, or around the shallower lying wrecks – anywhere between two and forty metres - and consequently these locations attract their predators. As regards the predator at the apex – man (Homo sapiens) – Chromis chromis being diminutive in size, has no commercial value, and so it is rarely fished for its own sake. Rarely, because locally some fisherman do set up wicker traps baited with a ball of ground dried beans for it – the catch is then used to make fish soup.

Damsels in turn feed on small microscopic zooplankton (plankton coming from the animal kingdom), like tiny crustaceans, as well as fish eggs, various larvae, and species of algae. The male and females pair up and engage in courtship behaviour and the eggs are laid in a nest which is created on rocky, sometimes sandy bottoms. This normally occurs during summer. The eggs have a tiny strand by which they adhere to the substrate and are guarded by the male.

The Maltese name – Cawla – means crow, no doubt due to the dark colour of the adult, which from a distance appears to be black. In actual fact it is dark brown. It therefore comes as surprise that at a stage of their development, the juvenile fish are a brilliant iridescent blue in colour.

The difference in colour is so marked, that the connection between a juvenile and an adult damselfish is not obvious at all. During this research I also learnt that this damselfish (Chromis chromis) is actually the only species from its family (Pomacentridae) to be found in the Mediterranean.

Next Species

Sea Bream

Ka˙li, Awrat, Xirgien, Sargu.

P L E A S E S E N D P H OTO S

Dancing with the Mantas...

Revillagigedo Archipelago

The Revillagigedo archipelago is a group of four islands situated about 240 miles SW of the Baja California peninsula off the Pacific coast of Mexico. Due to its ‘complicated‘ name the group is often referred to as Socorro from the name of the main island.

As in all isolated islands surrounded by deep water, these islands attract many types of pelagic inhabitants of the ocean.

Specifically the Revillagigedo Islands have become world famous for the peculiar behaviour of the local manta rays.

They appear to love the feeling of the bubbles under their bellies; so they will approach the divers and hover on top of them to get some “scuba massage”. Sometimes they might be with you for the entire dive! And more bubbles are produced more friendly the mantas become.

Since a few years it has been recognised that the manta rays are divided in two species: the smaller reef mantas (manta alfredi) and the bigger oceanic mantas (manta birostris).

The ones from the Revillagigedo archipelago belong to the latter group with an average adult wing span of 5 m (up to 7m).

Apart from the mantas a lot more awaits for you down there!

Article & photos by Paolo Marino

San Benedicto island The archipelago is reached by several liveaboard boats from either Cabo San Lucas or San Jose’ del Cabo at the southern tip of Baja California.

Of the four islands of the group only three are currently dived: San Benedicto, Socorro and Roca Partita. Isla ClariĂłn is too far apart to be reached in reasonable time.

I did two consecutive trips on two different boats. The diving schedule and locations is the same for all boats the only variable being the weather.

The first run was on the Rocio del Mar and the second aboard the Solmar V. I liked more the Rocio with more comfortable cabins, better food and better managed diving operations, though the dive deck is a bit cramped. The Solmar V is an older boat; it was actually the first to dive the archipelago. Accommodations are a bit cramped and the organisation is somewhat lacking, but it has a more spacious dive deck.

On both boats the diving is done using two 6m inflatables. On the Solmar V occasionally in very calm seas (rarely!) we dived directly from the stern of the boat.

San Benedicto - Coming from the mainland

the first island to be encountered in San Benedicto.

A check dive is normally performed in Las Cuevas (the caves); this is a shallow dive with several interesting swim-throughs with spiny lobsters peering at you from holes in the walls and ceiling and white tip sharks sleeping on the sandy bottom.

A big green turtle is resident in the area and everywhere you can find spiny lobsters, morays and various jacks and reef fish swimming around.

Due to the temperature (22-24 °C) of the water coral is scarce in the whole of the archipelago.

The two main sites of the island are the El Boiler and El Cañon.

The first site is made up of two huge rocks rising from a 40m bottom of which the bigger one reaches to 3m from surface. Due to the ever present oceanic swell the water is always “boiling” at the surface, hence the name. This is one of the best sites to interface with the oceanic manta rays. Also dolphins are present particularly on early morning dives. Hammerhead sharks are sometimes spotted down to the sand and we even had a quick appearance from a tiger shark.

At El Cañon again you can have some manta encounters, but here is where on the outer reef you see scalloped hammerhead sharks that often come close for a quick pass. Also on the shallow part there are some resident silver tip sharks that let you get close. Expect some current here, sometimes strong.

Depending on the current and visibility you can dive a place close to El Cañon called El Fondeadero.

It’s a shallower dive so no hammerheads there, but manta rays are easily approached here as well.

In between dive we spotted a couple of humpback whales from the boat. Quickly boarding the inflatable we managed to get close to one before it disappeared in the depths.

Socorro is the biggest and only inhabited island of the

group. Unfortunately you cannot land as it is a military base and airport for the Mexican navy. They have an operational hyperbaric chamber that is available to the general public in case of emergencies.

When you get here you have to check in at the naval station at Cabo Regla. Some navy personnel will come on board to check the passenger list and even have quick inspection of the boat. Anyway, everything is done in a friendly manner and will last for a couple of hours.

The two more popular dives are Punta Tosca and Cabo Pearce.

Punta Tosca is a long reef where playful mantas are normally encountered.

Cabo Pearce is a good place to spot scalloped hammerhead and galapagos sharks, but also mantas can be occasionally found.

Roca O’Neil is a shallow dive with some swim-throughs with white tip sharks sleeping at the bottom; the place is full of spiny lobsters.

Last but not least is Roca Partida. This is just a 100m long, 20m wide rock sticking out of the ocean floor. This rock attracts many types of pelagics. Every dive is run the same way: just swim around the rocks clockwise or anticlockwise depending on the current. But no dive is the same! Normally you will spend here a couple of days for a total of six dives. Anything can pass by. During my time we saw bottlenose dolphins, various sharks (scalloped hammerheads, Galapagos, silky, silver tips), a whale shark, various playful manta rays, huge shoals of skipjack tuna, and massive yellow-fin tunas; this is on top of the resident shoals of jacks and groups of white tip sharks often sleeping one on top of each other in some small platforms across the almost vertical walls. And if you manage to take your eyes away from the action in the blue, you can find spiny lobsters and moray eels living in cracks all over.

Then it is time to go home with another 24hrs journey back to port: hopefully the oceanic swell won’t be too bad….

Article compiled by Dorian Law Location: Marfa Point (Cirkewwa), Mellieha.

GPS position: 35°59’23”N, 14°19’35»E. Dive depth: 20 - 34meters.

Length: 31.86metres.

Beam: 8.46meters.

Scuttled on: September 1992.

Type of dive: Shore / Boat.

Suitable for: CMAS 2 Star / PADI Adv. Open Water - Rescue Diver or equivalent.

MV Rozi

Malta’s Wrecks Series

The Ship: The MV Rozi was built in 1958 for Johnston Warren Lines Ltd, of Liverpool, by Charles Hill Company Limited, shipbuilders and ship repairers of Bristol, Great Britain. It was launched on the 6th March 1958 as Rossmore and completed in May of the same year. This 206gross tonnage tug boat was managed by Furness, Withy and Company Limited, of Liverpool until 1969, together with her two sister ships the Foylemore and Kilmore (both built at W.J Yarwoods and Sons Limited, Northwich,

Cheshire), which were always used by Manchester Liners when entering the Eastham Locks on the Ship Canal on the River Mersey. Yard number 412, with an IMO Number 5300778 (187191), had an overall length of 31.86meters, an 8.46meter beam and a draught of 3.58meters. This single screw steel tug was powered by a 1270bhp, 7cyl Ruston-Hornsby diesel engine, capable of generating a 22tonne bollard pull and a speed of 11.5knots via its fixed pitch propeller. In 1969 Rossmore was sold to Rea Towing Company (Rea R. & J. H. Limited - Reas Shipping Company Limited), renamed Rossgarth and served in Great Britain until 1972.

In 1972 she was sold to Mifsud Brothers (Malta Ship Towage Limited), of Valletta.

On the 26th of November of the same year she sailed from Liverpool for Malta, where, in 1973 she was registered under the same name, Rossgarth. In 1981, she was sold to Tug Malta Limited and renamed MV Rozi.

She operated in the Grand Harbour for ten years, until 1991. In 1992, MV Rozi was decommissioned and bought by Captain Morgan Cruises, as an attraction, for the introduction of their passenger submarine and underwater safari cruises. The first cruise was on the 10th September 1992 (this date is also quoted as the date of scuttling of the MV Rozi).

The Wreck:

The Dive:

During the first week of September 1992 (exact date not confirmed), MV Rozi was scuttled about 125meters to the Northwest off the Cirkewwa lighthouse, on a sandy seabed at a depth of 34meters, with the bow pointing towards South Southwest. The wreck sits upright, about 10meters from the Cirkewwa reef.

The dive site is easily reached by car. From Mellieha, drive down towards Ghadira Bay (Mellieha Bay) via Marfa Road or the Mellieha Bypass. Drive past the bay, along Marfa Road for about 3.5kilometers towards the Cirkewwa Passenger Terminal, from where the ferry to the island of Gozo operates. In the vicinity of the terminal area, once past Paradise Bay Hotel, keep to the left and follow the directions. At the end of this road, a parking area can be found. This parking area and the seaward parking on the last stretch of road, clearly marked by signs, are reserved for divers. Diver’s qualification or card has to be made clearly visible behind the vehicle’s windscreen to avoid being fined.

There are three entry points in the area. The first entry point (South) and the least used when diving the MV Rozi is located in the middle of the seaward parking, about 50meters from the entry to the reserved area, where steps lead down to a sheltered pool leading to the open water. This entry point also serves as an exit from the dive. The second entry point (Training Pool), located on the southwest side of the entry to the main parking area, is via a hand-railed ramp or slipway, which leads from the road to another sheltered pool, normally used for divers’ training. This entry point is mainly used as an exit at the end

Photo: Joseph Azzopardi Falzon

Photo: Joseph Azzopardi Falzon

of the dive. The third entry point (North) is from the 1.5meter high concrete pier located on the northwest side of the main parking area. At the time of writing, this entry point is used only for entry purposes since no steps or ladders are permanently installed to facilitate the exit. Construction works in this area are underway to provide better accessibility to the water.

The wreck of the MV Rozi is located at a bearing of 310° and about 125meters from the North entry point, which is the shortest and mostly used route. The wreck’s location is 335° and about 160meters from the Training Pool or 350° and more than 200meters from the South entry point. The bearings given are from the drop-off or the outer part of the entry point. The route to take depends mainly on the availability of parking which becomes a problem during the high summer diving season and on calm winter days.

There are three ways to reach the wreck of the MV Rozi from shore. The first option is to surface swim following the bearings and approximate distances mentioned above, adjusting your position by triangulation, using the bearings given.

This is the preferred method to conserve air and increase the bottom time on the wreck, whilst reducing the decompression time requirement. For the last couple of years, during most of the year, the wreck is marked with a yellow wreck surface marker buoy, installed by Transport Malta.

The buoy marking the MV Rozi is the one on the north side or the right hand side when looking offshore. The other buoy on the south side marks the wreck of the P29, a Kondor Class Minesweeper and ex-Malta Armed Forces Patrol Boat. This makes the outward navigation easier to follow.

The location of the buoy is on the West or starboard, offshore side of the wreck. While descending from the surface, the best time to regulate your position is upon arriving at a depth between 15 and 20meters. If you see only posidonia, you are on the reef and should swim due South at a bearing between 180° and 190°, descending to a depth between 25 and 30meters, until you see the line where the posidonia meets the sandy bottom. Follow this line due West, with the reef (posidonia) on the right hand side until the wreck is reached. If you see only a sandy bottom and neither the reef or wreck are visible, descend until you are about 2meters off the bottom. If your depth is less than 32meters, you are East of the wreck, South of the reef and should swim due North at a bearing of 360° until you meet the reef, then follow the reef due West, keeping the reef on the right hand side until the wreck is reached. If your depth is much more than 32meters, you are West and offshore of the wreck and reef and should swim East at a bearing of 90° until the bottom is 32meters deep. If at this depth you are still on a sandy bottom, your position is on the southwestern side of the reef and you should swim due Northeast at a bearing between 15° and 45° until you meet the reef, then follow the reef due West (reef on the right hand side).

If at 34meters you meet the reef, then you are on the northwestern side of the reef, continue eastward with the reef on the left hand side, until you meet the wreck which is around the corner of the reef. When the yellow wreck marker surface buoy is not installed, it is safer to start the descent about 20 or 30meters inshore of the approximate wreck’s position, where the bottom is about 30meters deep. Several divers have gone further offshore of the

the longest route, especially when starting the dive from the Training Pool or the South entry point.

The wreck stands with its stern closest to the reef. Explore the stern tube and rudder area, at a depth of about 36meters, which although void of a propeller, is still an ideal place for a photograph. Then swim forward towards the once powerful bow before returning back to the aft deck, where penetration of the engine room is possible. Penetration is safe and easy, since the engine room top cover has been detached and can now be found on the reef, just aft of the wreck. With the engine removed, the engine room provides ample space to swim through, with various exits available through hatches and doors. The decks’ depth varies between 28meters at the funnel base area and 32meters at the aft area. On all decks, fish come very close to divers, who are sometimes hidden in a cloud of fish when food, like bread is offered. The accommodation is quite restricted and thus caution is advised if penetrating the area. The wheel house or bridge is another ideal place for a souvenir photograph,

Photo: Joseph Azzopardi Falzon

wreck and were not able to adjust their position to reach the wreck as planned.

The second option follows the same route as the first option mentioned previously while being submerged at a depth varying between 6 and 15meters on the way out. This seems to be the preferred option of dive guides and also generally used when the surface is choppy or when surface currents make it hard to keep the bearing without adjustments. When entering the water from the North entry point or from the Training Pool, this option provides the diver with natural navigation, especially when underwater visibility on the site, makes the line where the reef and the sandy bottom meet, easy to follow until the wreck is reached.

The third option, involves descending to the sandy bottom at the start of the dive and keeping the reef on the right hand side until the wreck is reached. This solves any navigation issues, but it is

Photo: Joseph Azzopardi Falzon

making the diver, perhaps another captain of a once very powerful tug. The mast, funnel and wheel house are at depths between 18 and 25meters. Pelagic fish like amberjacks, snapper, barracuda and small tuna frequent the wreck. In June 2017, a thresher shark was also sighted.

There are various options or routes to take when leaving the wreck. These depend on the initial dive plan, availability of air and decompression requirements. The shortest route is by following a bearing directly to the exit points, namely, about 155° to the Training Pool or 170° to the South entry point. You can also head back to the planned exit point following the reef while staying on the sandy bottom, where an anchor can be found about 50meters from the wreck and 15meters due South of the reef at a depth of 30meters. This same route can also be followed while ascending slowly on the posidonia covered reef as you swim your way back, especially if air consumption is a concern. A 10meter high boulder, fancily named ‘Sugar Loaf’, marks your arrival to the coastline reef, 15meters further inshore, due East. Keep the coastline reef wall on the left hand side, where at a depth of 18meters, in a small sheltered natural cavern you will find the Madonna Statue, placed there by the local Amphibians Diving Club. From here, the Training Pool exit point is about 25meters away, with its drop off at 10meters, while the South exit point is about 100meters away, with its drop off at 7meters.

the habitual dive. The dive starts on the wreck and then from the stern, the divers follow the reef contour due North. The reef turns towards Northeast heading towards the island of Comino with depths beyond 40meters. At the planned turning point, take a bearing between 130° and 170°, with the route passing directly over the reef top towards the exit point. Air and decompression requirements need to be carefully planned to safely enjoy this route which has provided many unforgettable sightings throughout the years.

The wreck of the MV Rozi can also be combined with three other spectacular dive spots in the area. Mv Rozi and Cirkewwa (Marfa) Reef is the least dived combination, sometimes still dived by local divers, looking for a change from

Mv Rozi, Cirkewwa Arch and Swim Through Cave is a very popular route both with the local diving community and also with dive guides. This dive also starts on the wreck, which is the deepest part of the dive.

This route proves to be ideal in terms of

Photo: Joseph Azzopardi Falzon

decompression planning as it provides a stepped ascent, ideal for decompression deep stops requirements. From the stern pass over the engine room hold cover and start ascending over the reef in a northeasterly direction, at a bearing approximately 30°, to a depth of about 18meters. The Cirkewwa Arch lies about 50meters from the wreck with its sandy bottom at about 20meters and the top of the arch at 10meters. Then follow the reef due Southeast, with the reef on the left hand side at a depth of about 15meters for about 40meters where you will find a T-shaped swim through cave. Once out of the cave, follow the reef contour due South towards the exit points. The training pool is about 150meters away from the cave.

Safety:

MV Rozi and P29 is a two wreck dive combination with the dive starting from any one of the two wrecks. The distance between the two wrecks is about 150meters, which normally takes less than 10minutes to cover over a featureless sandy bottom. The P29 lies due South at a bearing of about 175° from the bow of the MV Rozi. It is also possible to reach the other wreck without a compass. Stay just off the bottom at 32meters and swim either from the bow of the MV Rozi (the wreck’s stern to bow orientation points towards the P29) or from the starboard aft side of the P29 towards the other wreck. Due to the bottom time required, this dive is ideally performed using Nitrox or with other forms of technical diving gas mixtures to safely extend the time on the wrecks. From the stern of the P29 a bearing of 90° leads to Training Pool exit point about 175meters away, while the South exit point is about 150meters from the stern at a bearing of 135°.

The MV Rozi was the first purposely sunk wreck in Malta. It was to serve the Captain Morgan Cruises’ passenger submarine and underwater safari for about two years. The wreck of the MV Rozi has been dived by many generations of divers and this year we shall be celebrating twenty five memorable years of diving on this wreck.

The wreck is best dived when the wind is not coming from North to Southwest or in a very strong South or Northeasterly wind, especially if planning to dive the Cirkewwa Arch or Reef. Due to boat traffic passing around the corner of the breakwater, caution has to be made while surface swimming towards the wreck. For the same reason it is advisable to carry a delayed surface marker buoy (DSMB) when diving the reef, should you need to surface in this area. Caution has to be taken at the exit points due to sea swell, which sometimes makes it harder to enter the last part of the exit point and regain a strong foothold.

Note

I would like to thank club member Joseph Azzoppardi Falzon for the underwater photographs and workmate Jamie Vella for the aerial photographs provided in this series on Malta’s wrecks. Other photographs are either from the internet, other photographers or taken by myself.

Important Notice: The information contained might not be accurate or reflect the conditions found daily at the site. More accurate information should be obtained prior to planning to dive this wreck site.

ATLAM BOAT DIVES | MAY- JUNE 2017 Following up on Joseph Azzopardi’s commendable initiative to record several Atlam Boat Dives held during May and June by means of excellent videos, tempted me to present these instead of the usual photographic collage.

It seems to me that they were very popular when they were doing the rounds on Facebook, and I am sure that those who liked them would not mind viewing them again. As to those who did not, well here is a golden opportunity!

Well done Joseph – now looking forward to the July - August dives.

Ras il-Óobs | Gozo | 07.05.2017 Watch video shot and edited by Joseph Azzopardi Falzon by clicking on photo below or copy and paste link in your browser “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1PuLm6l75g”

Xlendi Wreck | Gozo | 21.05.2017 Watch video shot and edited by Joseph Azzoparadi Falzon by clicking on photo below or copy and paste link in your browser “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0v77dO-EAI”

Ras il-Qammie˙ | Malta | 11.06.2017 Watch video shot and edited by Joseph Azzopardi Falzon by clicking on photo below or copy and paste link in your browser “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwUyjaHJXHE”

Ta’Çenç & Imgarr ix-Xini | Gozo | 18.06.2017 Watch video shot and edited by Joseph Azzopardi Falzon by clicking on photo below or copy and paste link in your browser “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8ndRExDoIs&feature=youtu.be”