Perfect Diver Magazine 2 issue by perfectdiver

diving

No. 2

02/2018

Price 14,90 â&#x201A;Ź Tax included

freediving

passion

knowledge

palau

diving bestseller Lake Baikal Our conversation

DAN dba o to, abyście mogli beztrosko nurkować, w dowolnym miejscu i czasie

DIVING SAFETY SINCE1983 PHOTO BY MARCELLO DI FRANCESCO

Ogólnoświatowe Assistance w razie wypadku, działające 24/7

Wyłączny dostęp do nurkowych planÓw ubezpieczeniowych

Porady medyczne i zalecenia specjalistów

Udział w programach badawczych z zakresu medycyny nurkowej

Kursy pierwszej pomocy

DANEUROPE.ORG

the foreword

Wojciech Zgoła

Editor-in-Chief

he issue of Perfect Diver which is in your hands or on the screens of your mobile devices will surprise you and confirm our strong conviction that the content we

have prepared is of the highest quality. New authors are emerging, and with them fresh stories and new spots. Palau takes the lead, presented in the text of Ania Sołoducha and accompanied by the underwater photos selected by our editorial photographer Jakub Degee. Palau is followed by magnificent Galapagos and intriguing report from the dives and the details of the escapade to the Lake Baikal. Is being a freediver recklessness? Agnieszka Kalska makes an attempt to answer this question, while Jakub Banasiak reveals the truth about cruises to observe whales and dolphins. And that is only a little fraction of what we have prepared for you. I will only add that we also have a special treat for you: an article about diving and watching fish in rivers. Hardly anyone does it. For us, the text on this subject was written by Paweł Vogelsinger. We would like the online version of our magazine to be free. For this reason we have a humble request – please, support us with any amount of donation: PayPal. Me/perfectdiver I cordially invite you to enjoy our magazine and, on the occasion of the upcoming Christmas, I wish you a peaceful and joyful time in the company of your dreams, as well as good diving plans for 2019!

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

ta b l e o f co n t e n t s

travels 10 Palau, diving bestseller 24 The Galápagos Islands, a pearl in the Pacific Ocean 38 Lake Baikal… 58 The Cave of the Swallows – Xulo 60 Expedition to the caves of Bosnia

our conversation 34

A situation of diving business

Andrea Doria, memories

from a freediver's perspective 48

I'm a freediver – does it sound proud or reckless?

Freediving disciplines carried out in open waters

planet earth 52

Not only underwater… the phenomenon of whale & dolphin watching tours

The Baltic Sea, an unusual sea for everybody

knowledge 92 Diving Safety Lab on Hańcza Lake

Publisher perfect diver wojciech zgoła ul. Folwarczna 37, 62-081 Przeźmierowo

wrecks 70

Dreaming to dive a submarine!

The Iron Lady

redakcja@perfectdiver.com ISsN 254-3319 Wojciech Zgoła

editor in chief

Irena Kosowska

columnist

Mateusz Popek

underwater archeology

Agnieszka Kalska

freediving

Jakub Degee

photographer

Agnieszka Gumiela-Pająkowska

english language translators

Arleta Kaźmierczak Lawyer Joanna Wajsnis

legal care

Brygida Jackowiak-Rydzak

graphic design and composition

the magazine was folded with typefaces

Montserrat (Julieta Ulanovsky) Open Sans (Ascender Fonts) Spectral (Production Type) printing

Wieland Drukarnia Cyfrowa, Poznań, www.wieland.com.pl

distribution

dive centers, online store

preorder@perfectdiver.com

nature diving

freediving

passion

knowledge

82 Gulls, yelling and rebellious 98 In a river… cover photo

Jakub Degee model

A piece of coral reef place

Palau

www.perfectdiver.com

The Editorial Office does not return unsolicited materials, is not responsible for the content of advertisements and reserves the right to shorten, edit, title the submitted texts and select illustrative materials. Reprinting of articles or parts thereof, copying only with the consent of the Editorial Board. Editors are not responsible for the form and content of advertisements.

If you like this issue, donate any amount! Donation is voluntary. PayPal.Me/perfectdiver perfectdiver No. 2/2018

e d i to r i a l t e a m

Wojciech Zgoła

irena kosowska

jakub degee

He often repeats that he travels by diving

Regional Manager Divers Alert Network Pols-

Polish photographer, winner of awards

and that is his motto. In 1985 he obtained

ka, diving and first aid instructor, technical

and distinctions in world underwater pho-

a yacht sailor's license, and only in 2006

diver and cave diver. In love with all flood-

tography competitions, has already dived

began to dive. In the following years he

ed, dark, cold, tight places and invariably

all over the world: with sharks and whales

improved his skills by obtaining the Dive

from the beginning of the diving route – in

in South Africa, with orcs behind the Arctic

Master degree. He completed nearly 650

the Baltic. Implementing the DAN mission,

Circle, on Galapagos with hundreds of ham-

dives in various climatic conditions. Since

he conducts a series of lectures "Dive safe-

merhead sharks and humpback whales

2007, he has been taking photographs un-

ly" and Diving Safety Laboratory, so field

in the Tonga Islands. He participates in

derwater, and since 2008 he has also been

research of divers for scientific purposes.

specialist photographic workshops. He

filming. As an independent journalist, he

has been diving for 27 years, he started at

published dozens of articles, mainly in

the age of 12 – as soon as it was formally

journals dedicated to diving, but not only.

possible. He was the first in the world to

Co-author of photo exhibitions in Poland

use the Hasselblad X1d-50c camera for un-

and abroad. He is passionate about and

derwater macro photography. Recently, in

propagator of diving.

the remote Chincorro archipelago on the

Since 2008 he has been running his own

border between Mexico and Belize, he did

website www.dive-adventure.eu. On the

it again, taking a successful attempt to pho-

basis of extensive experience, in August

tograph the eye of a crocodile with a mac-

2018 he created the new Perfect Diver

ro lens with an additional magnifying lens,

Magazine.

which is the world's largest photo of the crocodile's eye living in the wild (in terms of pixel count, print size, quality).

Mateusz Popek

Agnieszka kalska

"My passion, work and life are under water."

"I can not imagine life without water, where

He has been diving since 2009. Since 2008,

I experience freedom of the spirit in my free

he's walking in caves. Underwater archeol-

body."

ogist by education. He participated in nu-

●● founder of the first freediving and swim-

merous projects in Poland and abroad. He

ming school in Poland – FREEBODY,

has been engaged in professional diving

●● freediving instructor Apnea Academy In-

since 2011. In 2013 he obtained the qualifi-

ternational and PADI Master Freediver,

cations of a 2nd class diver. Has experience

●● record holder and multiple medalist of

in underwater work both at sea and inland.

the Polish Championships, member of the

Since 2013 he has been diving in caves, es-

national team in freediving 2013–2018,

pecially in the mountains, and since 2014

●● finalist of the Freediving World Cham-

he is a diving instructor CMAS M1.

pionships 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2018, ●● a Polish national championship champion and a member of the national team in swimming in 1998–2003, ●● passionate about freediving and swimming.

o u r au t h o r s

Audrey Cudel

Agnieszka Krotecka-Elbendary

Nabil Elbendary

Technical Diving Instructor and renowned

Started as a consequence of birthday cel-

A true enthusiast of the underwater world,

Underwater Photographer whose style is

ebration when she got a birthday present

an expert in all kinds of diving equipment

famous within the Technical Diving com-

in the form of a diving course. Today she is

and a lover of two wheels. An exceptional

munity. She is specialised in Sidemount,

an experienced and passionate instructor.

professional and dedicated trainer, instruc-

Technical Sidemount & Cave Diving

Eager to dive anywhere and with every-

tor and adviser. He has been involved in

Training. She is based in Gozo but oper-

one – provided in a dry suit. Exceptionally

diving since his childhood, and he knows

ates worldwide both for training and ex-

sensitive to cold. But with unusually hot

the Red Sea from the inside out. A very ex-

ploration purpose. Beyond her adaptive

heart. Not only can you have fun with her,

perienced diver, in love with the abyss of

teaching recognition and her dedication

but also learn a lot about diving from a

the sea. Always positive to the world and

to making each student a better diver, she

"feminine" perspective. Her life motto: "If

with his love for water he can infect even

is a passionate underwater photographer

you want to do something, do it properly".

the most stubborn ones. And as a real man

complementing each training and diving

Looking for a way out matters – not looking

befits – a Master chef. A passionate advo-

session with numerous shots which be-

for excuses. She loves Thai cuisine (after

cate of constantly improving qualifications,

came famous within the diving industry

dives), snowboarding (between the dives)

extending skills and practicing diving tech-

and through social medias. Her work has

and everything that is chocolate (can eat

niques, that's why he is happy to give you

been published in various magazines, Div-

chocolate even during diving).

hints and helps all interested people.

ing agencies websites, training materials & dive shows.

Together they run the Balanced Divers Diving School in Dahab. They are a well-coordinated team on land and underwater. They both focus on safety and professionalism combined with joy and determination in discovering the depths.

agata turowicz

marcin trzciński

Anna Sołoducha

Since I was a child, I had dreamed of be-

A graduate of the University of Warsaw. An

A graduate of Geography faculty at the

coming a marine biologist and I managed

underwater photographer and filmmaker,

University of Wrocław and an incurable

to fulfill that dream. I did a degree in ocean-

has been diving since 1995. A co-operator

optimist… with a permanent smile on her

ography, where I recently started my doc-

at the Department of Underwater Arche-

lips! It was probably Destiny that led her

toral studies. My diving adventure began

ology at the University of Warsaw. He pub-

to Activtour… and she's been here on per-

when I was 12 years old. I love observing

lishes in diving magazines in Poland and

manent basis. She passionately fulfils the

the underwater life up close and I try to

abroad. The owner of the FotoPodwodna

dreams of many, organizing diving trips

show other divers how fascinating the un-

company which is the Polish representa-

around the world, and she has already

derwater, Baltic creatures are.

tive of Ikelite, Nauticam, Inon, ScubaLamp-

been diving for more than half of her life.

companies.

Each year she explores a different ‘piece of

www.fotopodwodna.pl

the ocean’, pinning another pin to her div-

m.trzcinski@fotopodwodna.pl

ing world map. In winter she changes fins into her beloved skis and gets away into the Alps. A recipe for life? "The only a dead trunk flows with the current – the explorer's canoe flows up the river!"

o u r au t h o r s

jakub Banasiak

hubert borg

paweł vogelsinger

Diver from 2008. Passionate of the Red

The owner of Seashell Diving Centre in Mal-

An amateur filmmaker, a lover of diving

ta, has been diving for the past 20 years

in rivers, a photographer and researcher

and teaching divers of all levels from his

of the underwater world. A discoverer of

own base in Mellieha Bay. Hubert is an SSI

the secrets small waterbodies. Also the

and PADI Tec Trimix Instructor and regu-

propagator of the new Wild Aquarium

larly enjoys the best deep wrecks of Malta.

movement in Poland, which is involved in

In 2012 Hubert has helped to set up and

reconstruction of biotopes of Polish wa-

hosted the first SSI Service Centre in Malta,

ters in aquariums. Most of his free time he

giving the way to this new for Malta diving

spends following his diving passion, gain-

agency at that time. Hubert's diving cen-

ing knowledge and experience in practice.

tre is one of the few in the Maltese islands

He has made more than 100 short wildlife

continually offering comprehensive diving

films. His goal is not only to astonish the

services for those who would like to experi-

spectators with the underwater views, but

ence some of the worlds top diving.

above all, making them aware of nature

Sea and pelagic ocean predators. Devoted to the idea of protecting dolphins, sharks and whales. He dives mainly where you can meet these animals and monitor the level of their well-being. Member of Dolphinaria-Free Europe Coalition, volunteer at Tethys Research Institute and Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit, associate of Marine Connection. For 10 years he has been involved in research on wild dolphin populations and audits dolphinariums. Together with the team "NO! For the Dolphinarium" he prevents dolphins from captivity and promotes knowl-

and the necessity of its protection. The

edge about dolphin therapy unsaid or

motto of his work is the message "Get to

concealed by centers which make money

know and love nature to protect it".

on this form of animal therapy.

All videos are available on Youtube Channel Nantai Tv.

wojciech jarosz

krzysztof kapusta

sylwia kosmalska-juriewicz

A graduate of two Poznan universities, the

IANTD diving instructor, cave diver, li-

Dreams of close and distant trips have ac-

Academy of Physical Education (coaching

censed parachute jumper, traveller and

companied me since my childhood years…

specialization – handball) and the Univer-

photographer – honoured in the National

The desire to see the world was so great

sity of A. Mickiewicz, Faculty of Biology

Geographic photo contest. He has a pho-

that I changed the corporate office for the

(specialty of experimental biology). He con-

tographic profile the Essence of Life on

freedom which me travelling, sightseeing

nected his professional life with this first

Instagram (k_kapusta_diving_instructor)

and diving in the most remote parts of

university trying to influence the direction

and runs a diving school www.divingcours-

the world.

of development of future professionals on

es.eu. Thanks to his talent for science,

The reports from my trips are on the

the one hand, and on the other planning

which allowed him to win many contests,

divingandtravel.pl blog, and I invite you for

and implementing research, pushing labo-

he explains with great ease the most com-

a joint trip with the Dive-away.pl travel

riously in the right direction of the stroller

plicated physico-mathematical issues to

agency of which I am a co-founder.

called science. In his free time he spends

his students. He also has a high ability to

his time actively – his main passions are

perform mental calculations that surprises

sailing (sea helmsman), skiing (downhill

the instructors with whom he constantly

skiing instructor), riding a motorcycle, rec-

improves his diving and teaching compe-

reational diving and many other activities,

tencies. Raised on "diving medicine" he

as well as photography, mainly nature.

extends the boundaries of science being an experimental diver and taking part in the Diving Safety Laboratory conducted by DAN.

Targi nurkowe

10. Podwodna Przygoda i nurgres w tym roku z targami

wiatr i woda

EXPO XXI Warszawa

28.02–03.03.2019

Photo Jakub Degee

www.podwodnaprzygoda.pl www.facebook.com/targinurkowe/

t r av e l s

Palau diving bestseller

Text and photos by land anna soĹ&#x201A;oducha

Underwater photos jakub degee

Looking at Palau from a bird's eye view, you can see dozens of scattered green points on the background of the dark blue ocean. This group of volcanic islands lying between the Philippines and the island of Guam, belongs to the State of the Federated States of Micronesia in the archipelago of the Caroline Islands.

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

here are no spectacular skyscrapers, cosmo-

the most spectacular dive sites in the world. Dives

politan cities or highways here. This fabulous

are organized in the form of diving safaris (staying

world situated at the crossroads of the Pacific

overnight in the boat), or in the form of trips from

Ocean and the Philippine Sea holds something

the selected diving centre (coming back to the hotel

much more valuable (not always appreciated in

every day). Booking a diving safari for the time of

life) – values that it is hard to dream about in other

all your stay in Palau gives you the possibility to

parts of the world! Being in Palau, we can expe-

do many dives and reach the most remote spots.

rience different types of dives, depending on our

From my own experience, however, I can say that

preferences. There are waiting for us large pelagic

the daily flow of ultra-fast, covered motorboats,

animals, endemics, a lake of jellyfish, rich macro

equipped with two 150 horsepower Yamaha en-

world, falling walls, hidden cave systems and tun-

gines, between deserted islands overgrown with

nels, huge gardens, well-preserved wrecks of the

luscious greenery is incomparable to anything

Japanese fleet dating back to the times of World

else! In addition, daily lunches on paradise islands

War II (the islands were occupied by the Japanese

full of coconut palms… something amazing. Dives,

since 1914). It sounds gorgeous, doesn’t it?

as I said at the beginning, are very different and should satisfy even the most demanding diver.

Micronesia lies in the equatorial climate, remark-

ably moist, characterized by humidity above 80%.

Blue Corner is my Top of the Top in Palau. There

The archipelago has more than 200 islands built

are very strong currents in that place. But if there

of coral reefs and volcanic rocks and it is one of

is a current, it means that underwater something

Here the time spent underwater provides so many impressions that you

das, schools of cero fish and tunas, caranxes, and all of them against the background of dark blue

are literally out of breath.

water. Here the time spent underwater provides

Here each dive ends with

so many impressions that you are literally out of

a scuba sucked out to the limit, because there is so much going on!

breath. Here each dive ends with a scuba sucked out to the limit, because there is so much going on! The second place, where life underwater is generated by water currents is Ulong Channel. We dive inside a wide and very long corridor hollowed in the barrier reef on the western side of Ulong Island. We

interesting is going to happen, and this, in turn, is

meet grey reef sharks, whitetip reef sharks, tunas,

a sign that you will need a reef hook to stay in place.

groups of black snappers and barracudas. Lettuce

The diving centre which we used (Sam's Tours) gave

corals, resembling lettuce heads, cover the bottom

us such a "gift" on the first day of diving. Pinned

of the channel and are an interesting phenomenon.

to the reef we were able to observe how smooth-

We dive with the current over a forest of corals until

ly sharks move, as if the current did not exist for

the pressure gauge shows us 50 bar…

them at all. Although it may sound disturbingly, the plateau to which we were pinned is located at the

If you like diving near walls, you will not be disap-

depth of just 15 m. You need only a lightly inflated

pointed either when you come to Palau. Big Drop

vest and you can admire fat school sharks, barracu-

Off is a legend place. With visibility close to 40 m,

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

Sam's Tours Palau

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

German Channel Sam's Tours Palau

Palau constantly delights. There are almost 1,500 species of fish, 700 species of coral, 130 species of sharks.

there emerges a vertical, steeply sloping wall, covered with soft corals and anemone. Around us we can see sail parrotfish, turtles, cichlids, anglers, angelfish or lionfish… a real treat for lovers of photography! The German Channel is another, phenomenal place. It owes its name… of course to the Germans, because during the Second World War it was the best way to the interior of the atoll, in which submarines moved, and it was the Germans who deepened it. Dives take place at high or low tide because at these moments the largest amount of plankton is delivered and it attracts manta rays. The German Channel – I have nothing more to add, you must see it for yourself! Diving around the famous Rock Islands, we will be surprised by one more place, namely the Chandelier Cave, a substitute for Mexican cenotes. Diving in this unique cave will take us to five chambers, amongst which the innermost has an amazing look and quite rightly was named the Temple of Doom. Combined chambers full of beautiful karst forma-

airport was located became a strategic place during

tions are carved deep into one of the rock islands

the Second World War. During this moving history

(about 100 meters).

lesson in which you participate during the trip, you can see a runway, tanks, mortar shells and a Japa-

To adventure seekers we recommend Peleliu –

nese Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" fighter.

where some of the more devastating battles of World War II took place. Peleliu Express is not for

Micronesia, although it is quite a general geo-

novices – diving in the drift you can stand eye to eye

graphical term, can also attract us with numer-

with everything that is in the range between a bull

ous wrecks of the Japanese fleet from the Sec-

shark or a tiger shark and a marlin or a school of

ond World War. In the Palau region, there are

tunas! Diving around Peleliu, why not also go on

about 60 of them. One of the most popular is

the very island. It is only 6 km long and yet it has

Teshio Maru – a ship that transported the Japa-

become one of the forgotten pages of the history

nese army and was sunk in March 1944. We can

of the Pacific War. Here one of the major battles

admire the beautiful black corals growing on the

took place, in which a total of more than 12 thou-

wreck. We will also make an easy dive on Jake Sea-

sand soldiers died. The island where the Japanese

plane – a small 11 meters long seaplane, which

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

travels

at the end of the war was used as a bomber or

divided internally into a series of chambers. By fill-

participated in kamikaze missions.

ing the appropriate number of chambers with gas, the submarine regulates its immersion and can

Palau constantly delights. There are almost 1,500

achieve perfect buoyancy, which allows it to travel

species of fish, 700 species of coral, 130 species of

such large distances. An asymmetric tube connects

sharks. A lot of currents, a lot of plankton, many an-

them through the chambers, the so-called siphon,

imals and a lot of "large animals”. The figures speak

which is an extension of the nautilus body. The hole

for themselves. In the waters of the Pacific there is

of the shell is closed with a fleshy hood and its in-

also a nautilus. It lives in the equatorial range from

terior is covered with a pearl layer. Until recently,

the equator up to the 15th degree of northern and

one of the attractions offered by the diving centres

southern latitude (meaning also in Palau). It is called

in Palau was catching nautiluses in traps by luring

a "living fossil", it has a beautiful, flat, spirally coiled

them with fish or chickens when they reached lower

shell, it has remained practically unchanged for

depths while hunting. Nautiluses live in low temper-

nearly 400 million years. During the day, he lives

atures, but they are able to survive about 48 hours

in the sea bottom at the depth of 100 to 300 me-

in a lot of warmer waters, hence the idea of show-

tres. At night, it goes towards the surface – reaching

ing them to people diving. Thanks to the ability to

even 30 to 40 metres to feed on other crustaceans.

equalize pressure in their shell, nautiluses do not

The shell is the outer protection of the animal and

suffer any harm when meeting scuba divers at such

takes part in the regulation of its buoyancy. It is

small depths. Scuba diving allows divers to photo-

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

graph and see closely this unique type of cephalopods. Then the specimen is released so he can go back to the deep sea by itself. A few years ago, the president of Palau presented the government with a project prohibiting diving with nautiluses, in order to protect the species. Even so, diving in Palau we have still an irresistible impression that somewhere beneath us there are organisms that remember the beginning of the Palaeozoic… When talking about Palau, one cannot fail to men-

Palau is a place that cannot be missed on your diving world map.

tion the worldwide unique phenomenon – Jellyfish Lake. The sea lake is located on the island of Eil Malk and is filled with salt water supplied by underground channels from the sea, while in shallower parts, water is already sweet, diluted by rains. The creatures living in the lake have evolved and

Sam's Tours Palau

adapted to the unusual environment. Thousands of jellyfish have lost venomousness and thus their stinging properties, because their only natural enemy are small sea anemones living under mangroves. It was here where until recently we had an opportunity to snorkel with thousands of jellyfish deprived of their venom. Unfortunately, due to the drought, fresh water stopped feeding the jellyfish lake, causing a record level of salinity. Jellyfish began to disappear, and their population drastically dropped. At this moment, snorkelling in the lake is impossible, but we all believe that the population of these unusual organisms will be reborn again… Palau is a place that cannot be missed on your diving world map. Certainly you will be fascinated by the exciting edges of reefs whose currents attract schools of sharks as well as manta rays. Fascinating, beautifully overgrown with coral steep drop-offs. Caves – a substitute for Mexican cenotes, as well as tunnels or wrecks of the Japanese fleet. It's a real dive bestseller. Simply.

sponsored article

It is a pearl of Europe located in the middle of the Mediterranean. An archipelago of islands with all the facilities for people of sea and land, active

Malta, Gozo and Comino. Three islands full of magic, history, stories, life and sun. and lazy, lovers and lonely.

With the help of the diving centre Dive on Malta we will learn about the best dive sites of the archipelago. All the more so as Malta is not only recreational diving to the depth of 40 m, but also demanding technical and wreck diving. The Dive on Malta Diving Center offers professional diving at all levels of training and

From a bird's eye view, this part of the Mediterrane-

is prepared to attend rebreather divers.

an with protruding rocks, where people had settled thousands of years ago, is intriguing from the very

A lot of positive experiences await us here. We

beginning. Emotions and accelerated heartbeat will

can also expect complete satisfaction and comfort

relief and

as for the visibility, thermal and technical condi-

find here what they are looking for,

peace of mind.

tions and the preparation of both the base and dive sites.

A mixture of cultures and flavours over the years has created a specific atmosphere of the Orient

With a big dose of luck we have the opportunity to

and Europeanness, in which visitors can immerse.

meet a turtle, a dolphin or fish mola mola in natu-

If we add to it a very large dose of sunlight, the

ral conditions. If you like wrecks, there are here in

possibility of using sandy and rocky beaches,

abundance. I addition to it you have here caves and

we have almost perfect holidays at your fingertips!

a very interesting terrain.

What is missing in this short description are water sports, and to practise them you have azure sea water everywhere, on every side of the island.

There is nothing else to do but call and send emails to Dive on Malta to find out whether they still have available places for the year 2019!

t r av e l s

The Galápagos Islands a pearl in the pacific ocean

Text sylwia kosmalska-juriewicz

Photos adrian juriewicz

Once my friend said that if I do not set off upon a journey, an adventure will not come to me. Since that conversation a lot of time has passed and I have visited many beautiful places in the world. Each of them was absolutely unique and unrepeatable. However, there is a nook on the Earth which has particularly influenced me and the way I perceive the world.

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

call this place perfect, the Holy Grail, a work of art,

a real surprise! On the rocks and sand there are

a white whale… These are the Galápagos Islands,

lying down sea lions, iguanas, seals. The presence of

which belong to Ecuador.

humans completely does not bother them. They are playing, feeding young, swimming, and are close,

"Good morning to you", says the captain again.

within reach. A beautiful beginning of our trip.

"Please, fasten safety belts, in twenty minutes we will land at the airport of San Cristobal. The air

We get on the boat moored in the port, the crew is

temperature is 25°C, light clouds, we have a nice

bustling about like crazy. All the bags are already in

weather for landing". On the Galapagos we arrive

place, arranged on the lower deck. We are drinking

in the early afternoon, pick up our luggage and go

a welcome fruit cocktail and getting to know the

to the gates, where the airport staff scan our bags.

boat procedures. Michael speaks and presents the

No organic products such as fruit or seeds may be

crew and the dive guides one by one. They warn

brought into the Galápagos territory. This could neg-

us that during the cruise there will be no access to

atively impact the flora in this region of the world.

the Internet or GSM coverage… If you want to send someone a text message or call someone this is the

Michael, the manager of the boat on which we will

last chance. We fill in the necessary documents,

sail on a seven-day cruise on the Galápagos wel-

and when formalities are done, we go to unpack

comes us at the airport. We get on a bus and go to

our bags, put the diving equipment in the spe-

the port, the entire journey lasts only five minutes.

cial boxes, so that the crew could stow the empty

On the spot is waiting for us not only a beautiful

suitcases below deck. After lunch, we dive, a short

boat but something that we totally did not expect,

check dive that will allow us to check the equipment

podróże

and choose the right amount of ballast for the dry

a fascinating and incredible experience. Both seals

suits we took with us. The water temperature at

and sea lions, although awkward on the surface,

the Galápagos ranges between 18°C and 24°C de-

become extremely agile and fast under water. They

pending on the dive site. A dry suit plus thermal

are also very curious about people and love play-

underwear is a great solution.

ing. Therefore, they do not leave but swing around in front of us and they do backflips and feats. This

After a short siesta, we divide ourselves into two

is another surprise in such a short period of time,

groups: "The Whale Sharks" and "The Hammerhead

which the nature has prepared for us.

Sharks", but when Michael asked the question: "which of you wants to be a hammer?" – all burst

We come back on the boat late in the afternoon,

into laughter and no one signed up… we eventually

the Sun sets slowly. The briefing and delicious

changed the name of the group to "Dolphins". Each

dinner are ahead of us. On a white board Michael

group has its own zodiac boat and a captain, who

wrote the plan for the next day, including a land

always helps. Along with the diving guide we get on

tour. A wake-up at 6:00, a small snack, a briefing

an inflatable boat and sail to the first diving stop.

and at 6:40 we jump into the water… we get also

We stop at a small island on which one huge tree

the GPS transmitters and buoys in case a strong

grows and under it there are napping sea lions and

current catches us. The waters surrounding the

seals. Jump into the water, and then plunge several

islands of Wolf and Darwin are extremely rich in

meters. The mammals that have been resting so

ocean life, but they also have very strong currents

far on the surface also decided to go swimming.

that can pull a diver into the depths of the ocean. In

We dive in the company of seals and sea lions, it is

that case, with high waves on the surface, you need

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

the GPS locator to locate a person. Michael explains

you can hear only the sounds of birds and sound

in great detail the way the transmitter works, and

of waves crashing on the rocky shore. We get up

shows how to operate it, when the need arises.

at 6:00 sharp. The climate on the island in the morning is dark and mysterious, the rocks and

For several hours we have been sailing towards the

everything else around are covered by fog.

setting sun. The view is splendid. The next day we will reach the island of Wolf, which owes its name

For this moment we have been waiting for a long

to the German geologist and researcher Theodor

time, the first immersion at the coast of the island of

Wolf. In 1978, the archipelago was inscribed on the

Wolf. We jump into the water with a negative buoy-

UNESCO World Heritage List. The island is located

ancy and immediately plunge to the depth of 20

to the northwest of the main islands of the archi-

meters. We sail along the rock wall. What appears

pelago. It is a true paradise for sea birds, which in

to our eyes after a while is unbelievable. The herd of

an unusual way have adapted to the area's climate.

hammerhead sharks emerge from the depths, they

A perfect example is the Darwin's finch, who de-

swim one after another in a compact array. The cur-

veloped unusual eating habits: he eats mainly the

rent is getting stronger, we are grabbing the rocks

blood and eggs of other birds, especially the Nazca

and waiting, watching what is happening around

booby. The reasons for this behaviour can be seen

us. Giant eagle rays, turtles, the endless schools of

in the very dry and harsh climate that prevails here.

fish join the sharks. Tunas and barracudas appear. We are looking at it as if hypnotized admiring the

In the morning we arrive to the island of Wolf. After

richness of the Pacific Ocean. No description that

turning off the engines, a blissful silence comes,

I had read about this place was exaggerated. After

travels

We are looking at it as if hypnotized admiring the 50 minutes, we are back on the boat, excited and happy. On this day, we will dive here twice more, and a land trip is also waiting for us. After lunch we visit the second largest island of

richness of the Pacific Ocean. No description that I had read about this place was exaggerated.

the archipelago, Santa Cruz. On the beach we go over the rocks, which are teeming with red crabs of different sizes. The land in this part of the island is very dry and orange. Here and there, low, light-

will not find here cages, fences, or any restrictions,

barked trees grow, called palo santo. You can also

but there is freedom in its pure form, so beautiful

see prickly pears, which are resistant to high tem-

and pure, it truly moves me…

peratures prevailing here. The latter enjoy great popularity among Galápagos land iguanas. This

A few days old sea lion is calling her mother with

massive, orange-grey reptile feeds only on plants

a characteristic call. It is awkwardly moving on the

and cacti that he devours with spikes. On the rocks

sand, stumbles, falls over. Its mother went hunting,

and sand there are giant sea lions, feeding the

must ensure food for herself and her baby. For this

young and resting. The presence of humans does

purpose, she dives in the ocean, and her stream-

not bother them at all. Santa Cruz is an ideal place

lined and elongated body shape makes it very agile

for photographers, researchers and ornithologists.

underwater. They mainly hunt for fish, but do not

We can observe mammals, reptiles and birds in

disregard also squids and krills. Not always all sea

their natural environment without limitation. You

lions, sea lions or seals return to the shore, some

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

travels

are prey to sharks that fish off the coast of the is-

I cannot ignore the magnificent frigate bird. It is

land. On dark rocks, marine iguanas are basking.

one of the largest birds on the island, which pre-

They can be found in the Galápagos in different

pares for mating in a special way. The frigate male,

places, but always they rest close to the water. To

wanting to impress his partner and show off his

get food they dive in the ocean. Their diet is very

best side, puffs a large, red, slightly feathered sac

simple, they feed mainly on sea algae, which they

under his throat.

detach from the rocks and swallow quickly. Diving with sea iguanas is a real treat for divers, dreams

The Galápagos Islands are famous for their unique

come true.

flora and fauna characteristic for this region of the world. To read about it is one thing, but to expe-

On the island numerous bird species live and re-

rience and see it for yourself, this is just an unbe-

produce, but one in particular stands out against

lievable experience.

the other inhabitants of the island, it's a booby. Perhaps fate has mocked him by painting his "feet"

Next day, before dawn we reach the Darwin's Island,

with the blue colour? I think it wanted to make the

which owes its name to the famous investigator

world even more beautiful and that is why it cre-

and naturalist, Charles Darwin. It is the northern-

ated a booby. It is called so quite inappropriately,

most island of the archipelago. In fact, it is the peak

because in fact it is a wise and smart bird. He owes

of the undersea volcano. The harsh climate on the

his unfortunate name to "naivety" that characteris-

island makes it uninhabited. The only residents

es him. He never showed any fear of man and could

that we can admire from the boats are birds and

easily be caught.

sea lions sunning on the rocks. You can see that

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

the climate serves them and they are settled here.

boat crashed into the rocks every now and then.

The island, although not accessible to people, is

The situation ended with broken ribs and teeth.

a true paradise for divers. The best diving takes

The beautiful thing about our planet is that we

place on the south east from the island around the

know so much about it but there is still so much

characteristic Darwin’s Arch. Here come the largest

to discover.

schools of hammerhead sharks, manta rays, eagle rays, common molas and whale sharks. Most often

Scuba diving by Darwin's Arch is a real challenge,

underwater we see giant females of this species

the currents are very strong and, as in the case

that come to give birth to the young.

of the island of Wolf, we also plunge quickly and jump into the water with a negative buoyancy.

The week before our expedition to the Galápagos,

Sometimes it is so hard that we have to climb over

a group of French researchers flew here to exam-

the rocks, and the bubbles from the exhaled air

ine the water surrounding the islands of Wolf and

fly to the sides instead of flying to the top. I have

Darwin. No one so far has managed to determine

an impression that a strong current will immedi-

where whale sharks really come into the world and

ately break my mask from my face and will tear

where they later depart. The expedition took place,

the camera out of my hand. It does not matter,

but no one solved the puzzle hidden for thousands

however, because what the Pacific Ocean reveals

of years. The expedition nearly had a tragic ending.

to us is worth every effort. Hundreds of hammer-

The zodiac boat with one of the researchers dan-

head sharks surround us on all sides. From time to

gerously approached the rocks surrounding Dar-

time we get ourselves off the rocks and go to the

win's Arch. The current in this place turned out to

depths to closely admire the whale sharks, which

be too strong, and the waves were too high and the

are equal in their size to buses. Countless schools

of fish are circling above our heads, and Galápagos sharks flow under us. An impassive turtle tears off the reef pieces and crushes them in its mouth, calmly swallowing its meal. On the way up we encounter a group of dolphins, which disappears as soon as it appeared. Positively tired, we return to the boat with a small break for a photo session at Darwin's Arch.

The best diving takes place on the south east from the island around the characteristic Darwin’s Arch. Here come the largest schools of hammerhead sharks, manta rays, eagle rays, common molas and whale sharks.

Our cruise on the waters of the Pacific Ocean lasted seven days, four of which we spent scuba diving on the islands of Wolf and Darwin. Next day we visited the island of Santa Cruz, which is inhabited by some of the largest turtles in the world – Galápagos tortoises. These beautiful giants feed mainly on plants, fruit and cacti. The largest found representative of this species weighed 400 kg and its length was 1.87 meters. Over the centuries, the turtles were an easy prey for sailors, whalers and pirates, who sailed across the water of the Pacific Ocean. The females were caught most often while they were laying their eggs in the sand near the coast. That is why they rarely occur in nature. The Government of Ecuador is doing what it can to protect the heritage from destruction. Numerous reserves and foundations have been created for the protection of fauna and flora in this region of the world.

o u r co n v e r s at i o n

A situation of diving business Wojtek Zgoła talks to Michał Kosut, PADI Regional Manager

What is the condition of the diving market,

Did the number of diving organizations, which

especially when it comes to those who have

entered the market then, have any influence

just entered our community and did their first

on the situation?

diving course?

I don't think it mattered that much. Then there

I can only comment on PADI, of course, as I have

were organizations such as the KDP, which was

access just to these statistics. Actually, looking at

buoyant and had educated many of the instruc-

the last few or even several years, the, lets call

tors, or LOK. Then PADI came, clearly marking its

it, highest numbers of divers fell for years 2007,

position in recreational diving. Only a few years

2008, 2009 and 2010. These were very good years

later other organizations appeared.

for diving industry. I see. And what happened next within our Do you mean there was a kind of "boom"

diving industry?

in Poland?

The year 2011 came and Egypt 'happened', that is

Yes, it was the consequence of the fact that

to say it got worse in Egypt.

starting from the 90's up to the beginning of the

21st century many diving instructors completed

The Arab Spring…

their trainings and opened diving centers with the

Yes and this was reflected throughout the entire

culmination point falling for years 2008–2010.

diving market. All Europe based in Egypt, especially

Diving is a really safe sport. You have to break a lot in its northern part. A mass tourist who went there and tried diving in the the reef, tended to return, often with some diving concept. And suddenly this

of procedures to cause something bad happen.

option cut short or closed. The reduction of the number of divers was observed between 2011 and 2015. This was the worst moment as Sharm el-

only to train these people to the basic level, but to

Sheikh was closed because of the bomb explosion

make them competent divers who take pleasure

on a plane. And it is the period 2011–2015 that

in diving.

was not the best time for Europe and for Poland. And do not pose a threat to others… Well, and was it a decline on a level of, let’s

Others also, but above all, they are not a threat to

say, 50 percent?

themselves. Diving is a really safe sport. You have

No, if we are talking about the market in Poland,

to break a lot of procedures to cause something

these were fluctuations at a maximum of a doz-

bad happen.

en percent. 11, 12 percent was the maximum year-to-year decline we could observe. And what

Michał, according to you, why do people aban-

happened in 2016? Then these numbers froze and

don diving?

stabilised. In 2017 we had about 9 percent growth

I think some people give up diving because they

and I'm talking only about certificates issued in

do not feel confident underwater. Research in

Poland or by the Polish diving centers.

the States that I think also apply to Europe, shows that divers don’t enjoy diving. And when a diver

So people registered in Poland…

does not enjoy diving? When he or she is not well

Yes, precisely. And from that moment we have

trained. When you do not feel confident underwa-

noted a growth. Last year it was 11percent. It

ter. You probably remember this moment… I re-

concerns mainly divers beginning their adventure

member when I felt confident underwater. Only

with diving. That is very important, because it is

then did the diving begin to give me pleasure.

a "customer" for the whole industry. Surely I can remember that. So the first trainYes, you start your diving adventure, buy the

ing is very important.

equipment. And the equipment at the moment

This is very important. On the one hand, we

is so good that you don't need to buy another

want to train more and more people and diving

set for a long time, so the best group of people

schools learn how to train more, but it is obvious

are those entering diving.

that maintaining the quality of training with more

Yes, definitely. There is no major replacement in

people is a challenge. It does not mean that it is

equipment. However, what I also mean is that

impossible, as you can train a diver in a smaller

a person who becomes a diver starts this whole

group as well as in a bigger…

‘diving life’ and suddenly becomes a customer for the whole industry. And now, from the level of

And vice versa…

the organization, we can see that people became

[Laugh]… Yes, but it requires knowledge and

divers but they fail to continue. It is hard to meas-

skills. I think that today we have a problem of

ure it. We just see that they do not do another

people that get the training but do not feel confi-

certificate which, however, does not mean that

dent underwater and therefore do not continue

they do not dive.

the adventure with diving.

Is there any way to counteract this?

Isn’t it so because these people, after the

I think that something we should focus on is not

basic training, are left alone? They found

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

a diving center, they did this course, but then

problem with a hose. Does the diver need a long

no one became interested in them, they did

hose during the basic course or immediately after

not enter any community, no club and were

it? In my opinion: no. If the diver goes further, e.g.

left alone without even a diving partner?

into closed spaces, then a long hose will be nec-

This is a great question. What you've said, per-

essary. Let people grow! In a typical recreational

fectly illustrates the problem. Diving school are

diving, however, such a long hose is superfluous.

focused on training people, and of course, also going on diving trips with them, but the very clas-

A bit as if you just did a driving course and

sic example of the offer for the diver who com-

would take the first drive in Ferrari.

pleted the basic OWD course is another course,

A bit like this, but you probably wouldn’t be able

AOWD, while probably a lot better solution

to even start Ferrari.

would be to persuade the diver first to go with us for the weekend and to dive a bit or maybe

Even if you started, you wouldn’t be able to

do the specialization in buoyancy. And another

use all of its features.

thing that you’ve said, is the community. When

And you wouldn’t be able to draw pleasure

the diver gets involved in the community or the

from it. In any case, producers, including Polish

club, they can see they are not alone and have

brands…

a company to dive with. Research also shows that the diver who buys own equipment does not

…which are strong and known worldwide…

abandon diving.

and do not quite want to advertise… Yes… But I think that it depends. Every brand

I makes sense, when you buy the equipment it

should be aware that it has grown from a cer-

makes things easier for you.

tain market and should exceptionally support

And we spend less time on logistics to go diving,

this market. This is something that I have seen,

not necessarily with a diving center, but with

and I have been in the industry for a dozen or

colleagues. But I think that own equipment also

so years. I saw situations when brands stopped

boosts confidence underwater. A diver, who gets

supporting the local market, stopped taking care

each time a different jacket, different foam and

of it. And when suddenly the global market got

different diving regulator must always first set

a little worse, because of the competition, it was

up the configuration. Such a diver is not going to

hard for them to go back to the local market. If

enjoy diving…

we have grown to a global scale, the more we need to support our local market, even if it does

Something is always too tight, or too loose or

not generate the greatest profit. It is very pleas-

too short…

ant when divers associate Polish brands with me,

As for the trend of not changing the equipment,

with my Polish roots. I feel so proud then.

since we're talking about the equipment: I can

actually see it. I will speak out from the perspec-

One more question. Are there any data about

tive of the training organization. We do not sell

divers who finish their courses on the Ad-

equipment and we are not related to any manu-

vanced course and are actively diving in the

facturer. In my opinion, people should buy 2 or 3

following years? They are not in the statistics

sets of equipment in their lives, because for ex-

of the organization, because they are not in

ample, the assumption that they get trained from

training any longer, but they do 30–40 dives

the beginning using technical equipment and

a year. And how many divers after OWD

then they will not have to invest further money in

course drop their hobby?

this equipment is doomed to failure. A beginner

A very good question and you get straight to

will not use such equipment, e.g. because of the

the pint, but I’m afraid it is not measurable. As

our conversation

We need to better promote

abroad, they came to a diving center, a Polish one, whose owner said that with the certif-

the continuation of the

icate allowing them to dive up to 20 m they

training up to a higher level.

cannot go deeper than that with him. There

But not because and only because we want to dive deeper, which is is logical, but also because we want to learn something more.

was consternation and attempts to explain that, after all, they had dived frequently as far as 30 meters in many other places. The owner told them they could go to those other places for a deeper dive, but not with him. This way he forced them to do the AOWD course. And this is also a frequent motivation, beside the skills of the trainers. We need to better promote the continuation of the training up to a higher lev-

an organization we only see if they are active in

el. But not because and only because we want to

training following their certificates. And as for the

dive deeper, which is is logical, but also because

diving adepts, first moment is the most impor-

we want to learn something more. In General, the

tant. Discover Scuba Diving and convert to Open

ones who do the AOWD course and buy equip-

Water Diver. This is the first and most important

ment, stay in the industry and dive actively.

convert, as we perceive it in the diving market;

We, as an organization, would like the divers not

that's why it is very important that the Discover

to stop on the advanced level, but also do the

SD course is of a good quality.

Rescu course, so they could help not only them-

And when it comes to the percentages, about

selves, but also their partners.

30 percent of divers after OWD course take

Taking courses just for the sake of courses… You

AOWD course.

may, but the coolest thing is when you can use it in practice.

Michał, I have friends who, a few years ago, did a basic course and dived for years at vari-

Thanks a lot for the interview.

ous depths, even 30 m. Once, when they went

You are welcome.

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

t r av e l s

Lake Baikal… Text and photos Marcin Trzciński

A trip promised to be great. You know, Baikal. The oldest and the deepest (1 642 meters) lake on our planet. And its location: in the Buryatia Republic, in the heart of the Russian Siberia. For those who do not necessarily need to dive in warm waters – a real sensation, an Adventure with a capital "A".

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

travels

foretaste of what awaited for me I already had

tion off in the office and I was ready for the great

at the beginning of the journey. As opposed

adventure. Before setting off we had to wait for

to the rest of the world, the Russians don't design

the arrival of other participants of the expedition,

their planes paying any special attention to ergo-

whose planes were to come from different places

nomics, so the three-engine TU-154 Aeroflot didn't

of Europe within another several hours. In the end,

have enough space in the cabin to store my Peli box

when everybody was there, we headed in two large

with the photo equipment. Finally, it was squeezed

cross-country Isuzu vehicles towards a distant Olk-

in the gap between the legs of the seats, occupying

hon Island. That's where our base was to be for the

the space where I was supposed to accommodate

next three days before we would check-in on our

my limbs. Great. Attempts to sit sideways ended up

ship. As soon as we left Irkutsk, the sun appeared.

with me sitting cross-legged. Have you ever tried it

Was it thanks to the local deities for whom Tanya,

on a plane?

the driver of our Trooper, left a few kopecks next to each passed "Shamaness"? Tanya had a whole

Irkutsk. I don't know whether it was because of

stack of coins and whenever a characteristic, wood-

the weather or my tiredness, but the place didn't

en pole decorated with colorful ribbons started to

make the best impression on me. Severely pot-

loom over the horizon, she opened the window

holed streets, blocks of flats built from concrete

a bit and dropped a few of them for the spirits

slabs mingled with wooden cottages and the im-

inhabiting the area. When we stopped by one of

pression of sadness emanating from the whole.

the Shamaneses, my attention was caught by the

Such a city built with a creativity of the political

movement in the nearby grass. Sousliks. Little

system, luckily, already gone. I ticked the registra-

furballs disappearing quickly in the entrances to

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

their tunnels, just to carefully look out after a while,

near Listvyanka it is the easiest to find the suppos-

sensing the danger. I started playing stalking. No,

edly most beautiful kind, golden. The problem was

it was not easy. These animals were extra vigilant

that I had never had the eye for the macro scale

but the entertainment was terrific.

and without external help I could have passed within inches something interesting without ever

Three days at Olkhon went by in no time and again

noticing it. This time, however, it was not so bad

we were on our way. This time to Listvyanka, from

and after a few minutes of searching I noticed my

where our safari was supposed to start. I don’t

first gammarid in front of me. Bingo! Taking the

know how we had vexed the deities again, but it

photos I hardly noticed that the agreed 60 min-

began to drizzle anew and when we reached our

utes of diving had already passed. It was time to go

destination it was raining and blowing pretty hard

back, which turned out to be not so simple, as the

outside. Nevertheless, we decided to do a test dive.

increasing wave was furiously attacking the rocky

This time just from the shore. I got read quickly and,

shore. The wave was so fierce that two colleagues

as it had been agreed, without waiting for the rest

from Israel (both instructors, but blue water ones)

of the team I dived for the first time in the Baikal

entered the water only up to their knees, and then,

waters. A large wave forced me to quickly descent

surprised by the conditions, they resigned from

to 12 meters, where the rocking finally ceased. Now

the dive.

I could look around calmly. The visibility was pret-

ty good, and against the dark rock in front of me

The first night on the ship. I had to get used to

small fish were flashing. I headed north, observing

rocking somehow. It was so much easier that the

the area. And looking for gammarids, here called

wind had already calmed down, and the weather

'gammaruses'. There are several kinds of them, but

forecast for the next days was merciful. The clouds

travels

I like to dive when no one disturbs or urges me and I don't feel like I'm hindering others by taking photos.

ebbed away, and the sky was populated by millions of stars. I was sitting on the board staring at countless constellations we cannot see in our country. It was very dark, so nothing disturbed the observation. For such a view it is worth suffering the inconveniences caused by the waves. On the other hand, however, from the shore it would probably look similarly and without that wretched rocking… We barely finished dinner when again it was time to dive. After a morning dive with Tanya, who posed for me next to the beautiful green sponges, it was time to take macro photos. Solo diving again, but to my question about the diving time I got an interesting answer from her: "skolko vazduha budiet" (until you have air). I like to dive when no one disturbs or urges me and I don't feel like I'm hindering others by taking photos. So I took the camera and jumped into the water. I circled the first sponges, looking for gammarids (this time the brown ones), fish and snails. Doing bigger and bigger circles I hit something worth capturing in the frame. What a fun it was! At one point, bored with the statics of slowly rolling gammarids, I tried to capture the picture of them swimming. That was a challenge. They swim very fast and, I do not know why, always in the opposite direction, never towards me… Finally it was time to return to the surface. Emerging from under the water I couldn't see the hull of the ship but probably I drifted a bit and the visibility was far from being good. I disrupted the surface of water with my head and looked around. Hmmm… The visibility got already very good, but there was no trace of the ship. I mean, there were some two or three vessels on the shipping lane, as all the time there is something floating over Baikal waters. But none of them was my ‘Mir’. Yes… Using fins I went in

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

travels

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

We gradually came to an understanding in

the direction of the not-too-distant shore. That was

terms of diving with

a plus, however, the problem was the dense forest

the Russians. They had their deep "hundreds", and we struggled with our cameras in a bit more shallow waters.

covering the shore and the fact that it was probably a million kilometers to the nearest settlement. And when you wear a dry suit, it was like two million. There was nothing left to do but wait. I dropped the equipment and I sat on the stone in a graceful pose of the Copenhagen Mermaid, awaiting for help to come. I have to admit that I didn't wait long. When the rest of the team noticed that I did not show up for the meal (and I am ALWAYS the first at mealtimes) they immediately began the search on the ship. And as they did not find me (which was obvious, since I was not in the mess room), they decided to go back. The next days passed in a set rhythm. We gradually came to an understanding in terms of diving with the Russians. They had their deep "hundreds", and we struggled with our cameras in a bit more shallow waters. Even the colleagues from Israel untwisted a bit, although dry suits were still not their world. They did the courses in Eilat, two weeks before the departure to Irkutsk. And we could tell that. But every day brought improvement and gave them satisfaction from overcoming the further barriers. Up to a point… I arranged with Igor, who was about to do another 120 meters to take the pictures from decompression phase, to wait for him at 50 meters depth, when suddenly I felt a jerk of a fin. I glanced over my shoulder just to see Doron heading towards the surface… with his diving regulator activated, he was going upside down! What was he doing at this depth anyway? Hmmm… Photos didn't matter anymore. We had a problem. I wasn’t as fast as him, but still I managed to reach the surface a few minutes after him. The boy was floating on the waves mumbling something vaguely. Or was he speaking Hebrew? Have you ever towed anybody 500 meters to the ship wearing full equipment in configuration for deep diving? The crew saw us from the ship, but the RIB was buried under the diving bags and other stuff (the cabins were too small to contain it) and before they dug it out and put onto the water, we were almost at the side of the ship. Finally, I could rest. Just for a few seconds

travels

because another problem came up. There were cyl-

A return from Russia was like going back to the real

inders with oxygen, but just to beat the stages. And

world again. Civilization (or what we mean by this

the key for the cylinders was with Igor, who was

in Poland), lack of swarms of mosquitoes hiding

getting through his decompression somewhere

in the beaten-up ports of the rusty ships. But also

and probably looking for me… Well, but everything

the lack of unusual calm of that place. The great

ended up happily, although in Israel (not in Russia)

silence of the taiga and extraordinary kindness of

Doron had to land in the chamber. And then he was

the encountered people. And cool dives, although

banned from diving for another half-year.

conducted according to the rules unknown here…

reklama

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

from a freediver ' s perspective

I'm a freediver does it sound proud or reckless ?

Text Agnieszka kalska

Photos audrey cudel

remember to this day, when having a dozen or

ing at the screen, I had my fingers crossed so that

so years, the movie "The Big Blue" was shown on

the TV showed the scenes of the "diving madmen"

television. Any sea and diving fanatic for sure has

as little as possible and showed the dolphins in-

seen it at least once. Not having too much in com-

stead. After some time there were practically no

mon with the sea itself then (the only sea known

scenes with the animals and watching the scenes

to me personally was the Baltic Sea), and even less

of, incomprehensible for me then, pursuit towards

with diving (yes, I had tried it maybe twice, in a lake

the bottom of the oceans, especially in such an "ex-

in Ińsko and in Łagów, that's all), I switched to an-

travagant" way – it was just too much. Even at the

other channel in the middle of this movie. The only

expense of missing several scenes with my favour-

thing that kept me glued to the movie were the

ites, I changed the channel.

scenes with dolphins, which I loved more than any

other creatures since I had been a little girl. I was

Freedivers can be called madman and compared to

able to set an alarm clock to wake me up in the

the mountain climbers climbing to the top, risking

middle of the night just to turn on the TNT chan-

the loss of health or life, just to get to the top for lit-

nel at the right moment and watch "My friend the

erally one short moment, and then making not less

Dolphin", which I had already seen several times,

difficult way down. In freediving it seems to be sim-

to get a good look at animals even though I did not

ilar. A freediver goes down in one way or another,

understand any English dialogues. I did the same

struggling meter after meter down, puts on more

on Sunday morning, when they showed "Flipper".

and more m³ of water producing higher pressure,

It did not matter that it was the only day when I did

thus increasing the pressure on every point of the

not have to get up in the morning for training. Look-

body. At a certain depth the freedivers start to fall

At a certain depth the freedivers start to fall freely. They fall dawn as if they

as I have nothing in common with the high moun-

fell off the slope straight

tain climbing. So I'll leave the analysis to others and

into the abyss. And as soon as they reach the right place, they turn back.

today I will reveal why I, personally, feel proud of being a freediver. At the beginning, it would be appropriate to explain the term "freediver", because perhaps it is not entirely clear. Hoping that every reader knows that freediving is nothing but a free dive on one

freely. They fall dawn as if they fell off the slope

breath, I assume that you happened to meet or just

straight into the abyss. And as soon as they reach

see someone doing freevdiving. Should we there-

the right place, they turn back. Often, without stop-

fore assume that such a person is a freediver? And

ping at the bottom, even for a second, they start

if the person dives in such a way on a depth of

their way towards the surface, which is the most

2–3 meters, is he or she only a snorkeler? How to

difficult part of diving. Tens of m3 of water above

distinguish freedivers from snorkellers? May be we

them push them down, giving resistance prevent-

should consider the equipment used? Not really.

ing the diver from getting to the surface. However,

Freediving is also diving without equipment, as the

when the freediver reaches the surface and takes

freediver, frequently using additional equipment

the "first breath", this moment is as emotional as if

like fins, mask, wetsuit or weight, can also do free-

it was the first breath in life. Isn't it the most impor-

diving wearing just a swimsuit! Could we take into

tant difference between these two activities? Cer-

consideration that freedivers dive just along the

tainly, we can indicate more evident differences,

rope and deep down, while snorkelers swim only

such as the fact that diving lasts definitely shorter

by the reef, looking at colorful fish? I couldn't agree

and takes place in water, not in the mountains.

also for such a division, because I love shallow div-

How many other similarities or differences could

ing among the smallest sea creatures, and yet I still

you point out? I won't try such a detailed analysis

call myself a freediver. According to my personal

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

When we become a Freediver, we are a Freediver all the time…

opinion, a Freediver (written with capital"F") is

Yoga will never replace freediving, because there

not a person equipped with a set of professional

are certain behavioral mechanisms and instinctive

freediving equipment or exceeding certain depth

processes which draw us deeper and deeper in-

limits, time limits or distances under water on just

side ourselves. Thanks to practicing freediving, we

one breath. A Freediver is above all a person who

get to know ourselves, we learn about our weak-

is aware of what freediving really is, what risk is

nesses and reveal fears. And, above all, we begin

associated with it and how to prevent situations

to experience a deeper and deeper tranquility,

that threaten one's own health and life, as well as

which gives us bigger distance to external impuls-

how to ensure adequate protection for a partner.

es and lets us master our composure in daily life

In addition, a Freediver is someone who has experi-

over the surface. When we become a Freediver,

enced also the overwhelming feelings of relaxation

we are a Freediver all the time, because it is not

and tranquility, which appear during immersion on

something that can be turned on and off at our

one breath. Naturally, the theoretical knowledge

will. However, as in any other discipline, one can

must go along with practice. A weekend training

meet freedivers with a different approach and

confirmed by a certificate is not enough. Proper

even a completely different philosophy. There are

training with an experienced freediver is essential

people who have no desire to even think about

to possess skills, develop proper habits and prac-

taking part in competitions or trying to compete

tice various types of scenarios. Then, we could start

with others, although they practice or train free-

thinking about ourselves as freedivers. However...

diving regularly to dive deeper. What for? It's be-

can you be a freediver just at the weekends, and

cause the depth strengthens the need to control

on weekdays completely someone else?

one's own body and mind. To stay safe, you must be able to respond to any emerging problems

For me this element is a source of pride. If you

on the way down and up. One negative thought,

are a Freediver and have experienced free diving

which we are not able to push back, can stop our

in the right way, you have probably discovered

instinctive calmness and rapidly increase the oxy-

something new about yourself and the surround-

gen consumption, which can result in unsuccess-

ing world. Everything mentioned above about

ful conclusion of our dive. Therefore, the pride of

freediving concerns more the physical sphere,

being a Freediver comes from a desire to discover

but those who have experienced a real freediving

yourself, own capabilities and from further work

know how vast mental area it touches. One would

on the improvements in many areas, starting from

think that a Freediver in a kind of an underwater

the physical skills, through diet and lifestyle, up to

yogi, but this is not quite an accurate comparison.

the widely understood external sphere.

f r e e d i v i n g d i s c i p l i n e s c a r r i e d o u t i n o p e n wat e r s

According to the organization rules AIDA (International Association for Development of Apnea):

FIM – FREE IMMERSION,

CWT – CONSTANT WEIGHT WITH FINS, meaning deep diving (vertical diving)

The general rules are the same as in CWT, but here

in the fins.

the competitor cannot have additional equipment

deep diving (vertical diving)

along the rope.

on feet and moves in both directions by pulling The discipline includes descending and ascending back to sur-

along the rope.

face – both directions using diver's own muscles and only on the air drawn to the lungs before immersion. The swimming technique is

WORLD RECORD:

optional, but the competitors cannot use ropes or other instruments,

●● 125 m, Alexey Molchanov, Russia

except the fins on their feet. Use the fins or monofins is allowed, and

●● 97 m, Sayuri Kinoshita, Japan

any weight of the ballast with which the diver is supposed to emerge

POLISH RECORD:

on the sufrace. The aim of the dive is to achieve the depth declared

●● 113 m, Mateusz Malina

earlier by the diver and bring back to the surface the ticket attached

●● 66 m, Agata Bogusz

at the bottom of the rope. Diving time does not matter, and after emerging on the surface the competitor is responsible for maintaining the correct surface procedure and showing the tickets. For diving to less than the declared depth or loss of the ticket the competitor receives penalty points.

According to the rules of organization CMAS (World Underwater Federation):

WORLD RECORD:

Constant weight without fins (CNF) and the Free

●● 129 m, Alexey Molchanov, Russia

Immersion (FIM) are held on similar terms CMAS,

●● 107 m, Alessia Zecchini, Italy

however, separates the records established in the

POLISH RECORD:

salty and fresh waters into two categories.

●● 100 m, Mateusz Malina CWT discipline is divided into CWT Bi-Fins – where

●● 85 m, Agata Bogusz

separate fins are used and only the crawl (scissor) technique is allowed and CWT Monofin – here a freediver can use a monofin which is more effective. CNF – CONSTANT WEIGHT WITHOUT FINS,

meaning deep diving (vertical

diving) without the fins.

Up to 2017 an additional competition was also held – the Jump Blue (JB). Here, the competitors

The general rules are the same as for CWT. Here, however, the com-

had to cover the longest distance along the perim-

petitor cannot have additional equipment on feet. It usually involves

eter of a square with the dimensions of 15x15 m

movement of arms and legs alternately, a style similar to breaststroke

at a depth of 5–15 m. They used additional weight

but under water.

to immerse, and used a monofin or fins to swim and ascend. This discipline was very controver-

WORLD RECORD:

sial, because the distance-diving was conducive

●● 102 m, William Trubridge, New Zealand

to a phenomenon called "shallow water blackout"

●● 73 m, Alessia Zecchini, Italy

during the ascent phase and resulted in frequent

POLISH RECORD:

disqualifications of the competitors.

●● 83 m, Mateusz Malina ●● 46 m, Agata Bogusz

WORLD RECORD:

●●

201,61 m, Arthur Guerin-Boeri, France

●●

190,48 m, Alessia Zecchini, Italy

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

planet earth

Not only underwater

…the phenomenon of whale & dolphin watching tours

Text and photos jakub banasiak

Meeting a pod of dolphins on the open sea is an exciting moment. It is a wonderful opportunity to admire these marine mammals in all their glory, in order to know their diverse, natural behaviours, and perhaps even to experience a magical time, when they themselves willingly approach our boat. The larger the animal, the greater the experience.

he endorphins pump in the body, people

There are more and more such tours, there are also

scream with joy, camera shutters click, some-

more ships offering the possibility of encounters

times someone cries out of happiness and elation.

with dolphins and whales. Today, whale watch-

No wonder whale & dolphin watching tours are so

ing is the fastest growing form of ecotourism in

popular and attract crowds of tourists. They are,

the world, with more than 13 million participants

a great and, above all, ethical alternative to visits

each year. Many communities, for example, of the

to dolphinariums and paying there for the slavery

islands of the Pacific and New Zealand, consider

of animals.

whale watching an important part of the national

economy. Whale watching is becoming more and

And is there is another side of whale and dolphin

more popular in countries that continue to hunt

watching cruises? Hmm… Everywhere, where tour-

whales, such as Iceland, Norway and Japan, and

ism becomes massive, there are problems. A dozen

the profits coming from this activity often out-

or so years ago, we may have been unaware of

weigh those that are generated from the sale of

this, but now, when our knowledge of the noise and

whale meat. The number of people using such trips

plastic pollution of the sea water and of the scale

has increased significantly since the 1990s, from

of collisions of cetaceans with boats and ships is

4 million in 31 countries in 1991 to 13 million in

bigger and bigger, we cannot pretend that there

119 countries in 2008. In 2008, the International

is no problem.

Fund for Animal Welfare, a charity organisation dedicated to the protection of animals, estimated

To date, dozens of studies have been conducted

the value of the industry at 2.1 billion dollars. The

on the impact of whale watching activities on ma-

validity of this data is confirmed among others by

rine mammals, primarily on dolphins, humpback

World Cetacean Alliance.

whales, sperm whales, minke whales, pilot whales and killer whales. The results as for the scale of the

On the one hand, it is very good that so many peo-

phenomenon and the level of risk for animals are

ple have the opportunity to experience encounters

not entirely clear because of the methodological

with the dolphins or whales in the wild. It seems

difficulties. However, we already know that such

that we really protect only what we love, and we

cruises have specific influence on the behaviour

love what we know. It is better that we learn about

of cetaceans, on the pollution of the ecosystem in

marine mammals in the sea than by buying tickets

which they live and on the well-being of at least

to marine parks, which are nothing more than pris-

some species. The research on minke whales in Ice-

ons and a watery variation of the circus.

land showed that whale watching boats following

whale & dolphin watching tours

4 million people

13 million people

31 countries

191

countries

1991

2008

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

these mammals cause reactions such as those that

ly impedes communication, and thus affects the

are caused by predators that threaten their lives in

cohesion of the pod or the efficiency of hunting.

the wild: faster swimming, increased respiration,

Consequently, this leads to aÂ greater energetic cost

disturbed rest and preying. In that way they spend

in the communication process.

more time on moving and their energy balance is worse. The study of humpback whales in the wa-

The problem is not just coastal zones, where most

ters of New Caledonia published in 2013 and in

such voyages take place. Research in New Zealand

Alaska in the years 2016â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2018 has shown that the

shows that also on the high seas, the presence of

presence of the boat increases the energetic cost

whale & dolphin watching boats affects the way

of these marine mammals.

and efficiency of hunting by common dolphins. The dolphins spent less time looking for food when in-

Similar observations were made in relation to bot-

teracting with boats and sought food much longer

tlenose dolphins in the reefs of Egypt, in Shark Bay

after such meetings. It is worth noting that acqui-

in Australia and in relation to other species of dol-

sition of sufficient quantities of food in the open

phins in Hawaii. At least one study of bottlenose

ocean environment, where food resources are usu-

dolphins confirmed that such long-lasting behav-

ally very scattered and unpredictable, can cause

ioural disorders affect the reproduction rate and

serious difficulties and involve large energetic cost.

the survival rate of calves. In turn, research on killer

whales in Canada and the US shows that the noise

In different places in the world, among others the

of the engines results in the so-called masking ef-

Canaries and Hawaii, research is ongoing over the

fect of their vocalization, drowns out or significant-

level of stress hormones in the bodies of animals

planet earth

(mainly in the fat tissue of short-finned pilot whales)

A separate issue is the physical threat from a boat

exposed to intense contacts with the whale watch-

and a high probability of a collision with a whale or

ing boats. The changes observed in the breathing

a dolphin or injuring them with propellers. For ex-

patterns, mobility, communication and time for

ample, boats at a dolphin reserve in Bocas del Toro,

rest indicate that this is a very important topic.

Panama, in the years in 2012–2013 struck and killed at least 10 animals in the population of around 250.

Boat operators are arguing that since the animals

The more boats in the water where they dolphins

do not move to other areas, then the threat lev-

and whales live, the higher the risk of collision is

el for cetaceans is marginal, and these mammals

higher. When we add to this the fact that many op-

have become accustomed to human activity. From

erators use more and faster boats and try for their

the point of view of biology and research, however,

clients to get as close as possible to the animals,

this is not convincing. Areas intensely haunted by

this problem becomes very important.

tourist boats can be great feeding areas, abounding in food, and further locations can in turn be full of

In many places in the world, the so-called code of

predators. It can also happen that the cetaceans of

conduct has been introduced to minimize the im-

a given population have developed specific meth-

pact of whale watching ships and boats on popu-

ods and strategies of hunting only suitable to cur-

lations of cetaceans. In such codes it is very specifi-

rent conditions and are not able to obtain food so

cally defined how the boat could and how it should

effectively on other waters. Therefore, even though

not approach a pod, or individual animals, at what

they are disturbed by boats with tourists, they do

angle, and at what speed. The guidelines for the

not leave their habitat.

number of boats that can get close to whales at

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

the same time, the time spent near the flock, how

watching cruises. There are 41 boats and ships

to deal with mothers with calves, and so on, are

that have permission to carry out such activities

also clear.

(they are marked by Blue Boat Flag). In addition, however, there are more than 70 illegal opera-

However, there are still problems with these provi-

tors of whale watching cruises who to aÂ negligible

sions. Two thirds of such codes relating to the ob-

extent comply with the code of conduct. Despite

servation of dolphins and whales is voluntary, and

the many complaints and demands of both NGOs

many of them are missing important information,

dealing with the protection of cetaceans as well as

such as the limitations and/or ban on feeding or

scientists and operators from the Blue Boat Flag,

swimming with the animals. And most important-

local authorities are passive and are not eager to

ly, the level of monitoring compliance with these

sort out this situation. It is not exactly known what

rules is negligible. Another problem is often the

in this matter belongs to whose competence. Re-

lack of consistency in the event of breaking the

quests, complaints and letters addressed to the

law. Whilst in Hawaii, or in general in the United

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment,

States the approach to this topic is quite restric-

to the Maritime Office and the Guardia Civil in the

tive, in the Canary Islands for example, which are

Canary Islands most often remain unanswered.

visited by many of us, the law in this matter works

According to the report of Tonina Association

very badly.

prepared in cooperation with the Foundation for Biodiversity, the Ministry of the Environment and

Tenerife is an important example. In the past year

the University of La LagunaÂ â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the southern colony

about 700,000 people went on whale & dolphin

of whales residing off the coast of Tenerife, most

often visited by boats with tourists, is characterized

w h a l e & do l p h i n watc h i n g to u r s , t e n e ry fa

by a level of cortisol (stress hormone) much higher than the specimens that inhabit the northern, much quieter area of Anaga. And this is just one of many reasons to heal the situation in Tenerife and similar places as soon as possible. What was supposed to be part of ecotourism, gradually ceases to have anything to do with ecology, care for animal welfare or love for marine mammals.

Jakub Banasiak – Member of the Dolphinaria-Free Europe Coalition, a volunteer at the Tethys Research Institute and the Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit, a Marine Connection contributor. For 10 years he has been involved in research on wild dolphin populations and dolphinariums audits. Together with the team "NO! For the Dolphinarium", he takes actions against keeping dolphins in captivity and promotes such knowledge about the dolphin assisted therapy, which is concealed or hidden by the centers profiting from this form of an animal assisted therapy.

More information on the protection and

41 legal boats and ships

70 illegal operators

welfare of dolphins on the following sites: delfinaria.pl czydelfinoterapia.pl niedladelfinarium.pl delfinoterapiawpolsce.pl https://www.facebook.com/naratunekdelfinom/

700,000 people in 2017

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

t r av e l s

The Cave of the Swallows – Xulo Text and photos Audrey Cudel

Some call it the cenote Uku Cuzam or the Cave of the Swallows, in Spanish it is la Cueva de las Golondrinas and this is what it is written on the wooden road sign that you can see after passing the village of Muyil. But who met the kind and brave man that used to watch after the garden of the cave until he passed away in 2014, would simply name it after him: "Xulo" (dzulo).

mong a variety of cenotes explored so far in

Xulo is one of four cenotes of the Caterpillar Cave

the Quintana Roo State of Mexico and dived

System and was discovered about seven years

extensively now by a growing population of cave di-

ago. The system is considered small by Mexican

vers, Xulo’s singularity comes from the outstanding

standards, although as many as 13,500 meters of

beauty and diversity of passages that will not leave

its passages have been explored and surveyed

any cave diver indifferent.

so far.

As you pass the entrance gate, you will be wel-

limestone seem to be skeletons. The second one, a complex circuit

comed by the family who maintains the grounds

leading to the cenote Caterpillar, has become my favourite among all

and is now extending them with more facilities,

the cave dives I have been doing on the Riviera Maya for six years.

forecasting mass tourism in the south of Tulum in the following years. They did the same in the south

I met "el señor Xulo" in 2013, a year before he passed away and my

of Playa Del Carmen not so long ago. The owners

first dives there led me to contact with Alvaro Roldan, one of the

enjoy surprising visitors by switching on the gener-

explorers of the cave, who was as passionate sharing his knowledge

ator to light the bulbs that they have installed in the

as I was mesmerized discovering more of it. Two years later, while

dry cave section of the cenote’s entrance.

attempting to traverse one Caterpillar passage I passed through a major restriction and broke a stalactite. It was a great challenge to

The magic really begins after a few steps down

pass through that passage and I learnt two lessons at that occasion:

when kneeling in the shallow, pristine water sur-

●● one should not assume that man has been where the perma-

rounded by pure white stalactites. After going head down, a short way, you enter the first clear, large and delicate room, full of speleothems. It resem-

nent line is passing, ●● there is no greater personal challenge than conservation of the cave.

bles the interior of a cathedral. Continuing, you reach the second section, where the sulphur has

Later, Xulo was the place I chose to lead my first cave survey ex-

left layers of yellow and black marks on the cave

periences to get to know the place even better. Since than I dived

formations. Submerged roots have invaded the gas

in the same circuit many times and what used to be a labyrinth of

pocket that leads to the first minor restriction. The

restrictions seems to get larger. Unfortunately, the impact of more

reward awaits you on the other side, where you

traffic in the cave has been growing. What will be left of the Cave of

will find a gigantic room haunted by what could be

the Swallows in seven years from now?

named after Giacometti’s sculpture “Walking Men”. According to the legend and for sailors, a swallow symbolizes courage, The route then splits into two very contrasting pas-

experience and value, navigating long distances and retuning to one’s

sages. The first deeper one leads to a 27 meters

home port. It is also said that if a sailor drowns, swallows will carry

long channel, where we can observe a total change

his soul to Heaven. I like to seek in each cave some sailor’s spirit and

of scenery. Speleothems made of unsteady white

find in Xulo my home port to return to.

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

t r av e l s

Expedition to the caves of Bosnia

Text and photos Mateusz popek

ight next to the car are piles of cylinders, cave

a firm "no" to the question whether we could dive

bags, backpacks, a compressor, a tent and a lot

there. Without further discussion we pack back into

of other stuff difficult even to name. I can't believe

the car and go to point number 2 – Vrelo Krusnica.

that in a moment all these things and the three of

Like with the most of the karst springs, also to this

us, namely Wiktor, Kuba and I, will get into a small

one leads a winding, steep road on the slope of the

car. About 30 minutes later we manage to bend the

valley, at the end of which we can see the spring.

space-time and pack everything inside. We have

Our way is again blocked by a fishing farm, this time

a 1,300 km way to the South before us. Direction:

closed, but the road is separated by a chain. We

the caves of Bosnia.

decide to look at the cave. In the river we can see an incredible amount of trout, which in the crystalline

After 20 hours of a journey in the car, we enter the

water you can to catch with bare hands. The cave

beautiful mountainous Bosnia. To our surprise, we

opening is separated by a barrage, the current does

do not have the least problems on the border, and

not look very strong, which encourages us to diving.

our car packed under the roof with strange equip-

However, we have to leave empty handed and set

ment does not raise any interest of the border

off for our next target. Are we not to dive in Bosnia?

guards. Several kilometers from the border there is the first karst spring from our list, Izvor Klokot.

Another point on our list is the Drabar cave. When

The road runs along a river with incredibly clean

we go downhill towards this cave, the words "steep"

water. However, the entrance to the cave is blocked

and "winding" take on a whole new meaning. How-

by the fishing farm, the owner of which gave us

ever, the anxiety that we experience during this

I can't believe that in a moment all these things and the three of us, namely Wiktor, Kuba and I, will get into a small car. (…) We have a 1,300 km way to the South before us. Direction: the caves of Bosnia.

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

crossing is compensated by the view at the bot-

inhabiting flooded caves. After the dive we gather

tom of the valley. The karst spring is located below

the equipment and move on.

a steep rock, at the beginning of a very deep valley

through which flows the river. We set up a camp

We move south to the Sanica cave. When we get

right next to it and get ready for diving. From the

there the flow of water from karst springs is quite

data obtained previously, it appears that the cave is

strong. Nevertheless we chose to do a reconnais-

60 meters deep. Unfortunately, we do not have any

sance. In order not to waste time preparing 3 sets

plan of the corridors. The corridor with walls and

of equipment, in the event that it will be impossi-

floor of white, eluted rock quite steeply falls down

ble to dive, we draw lots. Destiny chooses me for

from the cave opening. The old ropes are torn in

this dive. For practical reasons we choose the side-

some places so we put on our own ones. From the

mount configuration and two 4-litre cylinders. The

30th meter the corridor becomes more leveled,

maps show that the hole can be quite tight and

rocks change color to brown and have very sharp

a twinset can be of no use. We have to go some

edges carved by quickly rushing water. We try to

500 meters down a path along the river, but the

find a passage to the deeper parts of the caves, but

three of us carry everything quickly and efficiently.

at the 40th meter we circle a rock pillar and come

I get dressed, go to the hole and tie a reel with rope

across our own ropes. This time we have to give

behaving as if it wanted to jump out of the cave.

up. The next day we dive once more. At some point

Not discouraged by this I try to immerse. The cur-

I can only see Kuba's fins protruding from some

rent pushes me out of the cave. Another attempt,

tight hole. When he emerges from the hole I can

this time I am more determined and holding to

read from his eyes that he's found a passage to the

the rocks I push myself one meter under the wa-

deeper parts of the cave. We explore the corridors

ter surface. That is a mistake. The current "catch-

for a while and manage to meet and photograph

es" my fins and throws me out of the cave, onto

the proteus (Proteus anguinus), a blind salamander

the concrete threshold in front of it. I slide a few

travels

more meters before I manage to stop. Despite my

the 30th meter starts

best efforts, nothing comes out of the dive. When

a bottomless

we sit in front of the cave, two locals come up and

and a chamber so

ask what we are doing there. When we tell them

spacious that we are

about our attempt, they pat me on my shoulder,

not able to see its op-

and soon this elderly couple leave with a slightly

posite wall. The well is

mocking smile. Time for another cave...

60 meters deep and

well

then transforms into We arrive at the town of Drvar. Here we look for

a horizontal corridor. When we go to the surface,

another karst spring called Bastasi. From the hotel

the Italian excursion is gone, but the locals appear

the path leads us towards the old closed mill and

asking what we are doing there. As we realise that

straight to a cave of a unique beauty. While we are

we begin to rise a little too much of unwanted at-

handling the equipment, an elderly man warns us

tention, we collect our toys and head South.

that it is a drinking water intake and we are not allowed to dive there. But thanks to innate talent for

We leave the north-east part of Bosnia and move

diplomacy and my knowledge of five words in the

south towards the city of Mostar. At the begin-

local language, the elderly man, convinced of our

ning we go through quite wild mountains travel-

good intentions, wishes us good luck and keeps his

ling along gravel "roads" and passing one or two

fingers crossed for our diving. Compared to other

minefields and lots of vacant buildings. Leaving the

places, this one is exceptionally attractive for tour-

mountains we get to a huge, uninhabited plateau

ists and when we get into the cave, we are followed

whose, this time, straight roads lead us towards an-

by the cheering of the Italian school excursion. The

other chain of mountains sparkling on the horizon.

first part is a rather delicately bending, very wide

In the town of Jablianica we enter in the Dinaric

tunnel with a white smooth rock walls. At about

Alps and the landscape changes beyond recogni-

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

We start diving in the waters of the river, in which, to put it gently, one can see nothing. But suddenly at a depth of about 3 meters water becomes much cooler and crystal clear.

tion. We travel through a valley bottom down the

ters water becomes much cooler and crystal clear.

Navrat river. We pass a huge hydro-electric power

A wide, rapidly sloping corridor is created by white,

station, which is our signpost directing us towards

eluted rock. At 40 meters the ramp changes into

the next cave.

a well, or rather a large chamber, which leads 70 m down and at the same time it gest shallow reaching

Our main goal is Crno Vrelo. The cave, like the previ-

10 meters. After such a good dive, carrying the stuff

ous ones, feeds directly the Navrat river. We stop at

back is much more pleasant.

a small parking bay on the main road. It is 40°C. We

start transport from the twinsets. First a rocky path

Our first expedition to Bosnia for cave diving was

leads us down, then it turns left and steeply uphill

very satisfying. The caves are attractive and quite

over the entrance to the cave. Then only once more

easily accessible, and with good visibility. Unfortu-

steeply down, a few steps over the stones and you

nately, we were not able to dive in all of them. Bos-

can see the bay with a rocky arch that marks the

nia is not prepared to receive tourists, especially in

existence of a cave. When we reach our destination

its northern part, where it is difficult to find a hotel

we are worn out, the heat is unbearable, and it is

or a restaurant. For some, for this very reason, Bos-

only the beginning of the transport action. After

na can be very attractive, for others – discouraging.

some 30 minutes of going up and down over the

This wildness and inaccessibility really attracts us.

rocks in the heat, our equipment is already in place.

The situation changes in the south of the country

Preparation of the sets is interrupted by a close en-

near Mostar, which is prepared to receive large

counter with a snake, which fortunately ends up

numbers of tourists. Food is quite cheap and you

with just a little fear. We start diving in the waters

can easily use the Euro as a currency. The locals are

of the river, in which, to put it gently, one can see

very friendly despite the traces of the recent war

nothing. But suddenly at a depth of about 3 me-

that we met at every step.

Nurkuj, ucz technicznie i profesjonalnie 2019 10–17.02

PADI Divemaster

23–30.03

TEC-REC (EG)

31.03–14.04

PADI IDC – Instruktor nurkowania

10–12.05

PADI Cavern

4–10.06

TEC-REC (PL)

14–28.07

PADI IDC – Instruktor nurkowania

3–17.11

PADI IDC – Instruktor nurkowania

23–30.11

szam Zapra cznie! serde

TEC TMX (EG)

Maciej Jurasz +48 501 472 997 maciej.jurasz@pletwal.eu

PADI Platinum Course Director TecRec Trimix Trainer Instructor

www.pletwal-poznan.pl

o u r co n v e r s at i o n

Source: www.alertdiver.com

Andrea Doria, memories

On the anniversary day, year by year, she would remember – “oh, on that day, twenty years ago, I was floating in the cold sea…”

Irena Kosowska talks to Davide Bastiani, DAN Europe Researcher, owner of the Diving Center Top One Diving in Italy, https://www.toponediving.it/ In 1956 there was a collision of two big ships,

her first trip to the United States, with her dad,

one of them was Andrea Doria, a beautiful

who was a tailor, and they were going to the US

liner and the most luxurious ship of that time.

to buy a special kind of cotton.

It was built according to the Italian school and

made 101 cruises. On that day, the 25th of July

So you know the whole story from

1956 Andrea Doria had a crash with the ship

your mother.

named Stockholm. How old were you then?

My mother was very lucky, because at the mo-

I was not born yet. My mother was travelling with

ment of the collision she was on the upper deck

my grandfather, she was 12 years old. That was

in the restaurant. They were not downstairs, in

their cabin. It was on the right side of Andrea

there to rescue passengers. But when she was in

Doria, exactly in the place, where the ship was hit

hospital, she was still very confused about what

by Stockholm…

really happened.

Ohh…

Your mother was a girl, was she travelling

I remember that the number of my mother’s cab-

with only her father or with someone else?

in was 54. Her co-passengers, two young sisters,

No, just with her father, my grandfather.

who were travelling in cabin 52, were downstairs when the catastrophy happened. The Stockholm

How about him? Did he survive?

hit exactly their area. One of those young ladies

Yes, he was rescued without any problems, only

survived only through climbing from Andrea

my mother was transferred to St. Vincent Hos-

Doria to Stockholm, which was in fact now in the

pital in New York after losing her consciousness

place of her cabin. Unfortunately the other sister

because of the blow to the head. I do not know

did not survive. I remember that story being told

the details of my grandfather`s rescue, because

by my mother in such an emotional way, about

he died before I was born.

two sisters, one dying in the cabin and one surviving by moving between ships at the moment of

If that was so emotional for your mother,

the crash…

is she afraid now of travelling by ship or by plane?

That day approximately 50 people died…

Of course, that remains very emotional after

I remember from newspapers that 46 people

the accident, but she continues travelling both

died immediately after the collision, but the

by ship and plane. She had her memories and it

number of victims was a bit higher. No one on

was visible that her mood would change before

Stockholm was hurt.

traveling. She cried sometimes for a few minutes dealing with memories. Even when she saw on

Do you think your mother still thinks about

TV, in Italy, when refugees from Africa were being

that day? Does she talk about some moments

transferred by boats, and they were close to the

like the one with the two sisters? Does she

coast, that was very moving and she cried. She

still bring the past back?

is very vulnerable, since the memories of being

For my mother that period was horrible, she

rescued in the same way remain in her mind.

doesn`t speak about that too often, and only to the closest family members. On the anniversary

Davide, you are a diver. You are running your

day, year by year, she would remember – “oh, on

own diving center, you are also cooperating

that day, twenty years ago, I was floating in the

with DAN to make diving safer. Has the story

cold sea…”

of Andrea Doria had any influence on your diving career?

That’s horrifying.

No, the story till today was very personal and

Yes, it is. Sometimes she was saying something

reserved for me and my family. It had no impact

about that day and she was pausing as if seeing

on my diving career.

some flashes in her mind, like being there back for a few seconds again. At the moment of the

But you did a dive on the Andrea Doria wreck.

collision my mother was struck in her head and

Yes, the experience is emotional for me.

lost her consciousness for some time, so that for her it was even more confusing. I remember my

I would like to ask you about that experience.

mother saying that on the 26th of July 1956, elev-

How did you get the idea that you would like

en hours after the crash, Andrea Doria sank. She

to dive there? That idea was connected with

boarded Île de France, the French ship that was

the accident, or not?

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

important point was the contact with the wreck. I just wanted to be there, to touch that ship. I was thinking that it will not be possible for me to do that again, so I wanted to feel that moment fully. Would you like to go there back again? Yes, but actually it is not possible for me. Why? Time, money and so on… How did you prepare yourself to go there for the first time? Source: www.alertdiver.com

My uncle, who is a commercial diver, helped me. We had contacted divers in New York and booked Yes and no. When I was diving on that wreck,

the boat Wahoo. This is a special boat dedicated

I had to clear my mind, because it is necessary to

to taking divers to Andrea Doria.

be concentrated during a dive, especially a deep dive – it is more or less 70 meters, with a heavy

Is there any special permission for that?

drift and strong currents, low visibility. The very

No, I just pay and go, very easy. Logistics is also

first moment when I descended to the wreck, was

very easy, you prepare two double tanks with the

very emotional, I cired a few tears, I remembered

proper trimix and deco gases, such as 50% O2,

all my mother’s stories for a few seconds. But

25 minutes of bottom time, you have a surface

that was very personal and emotional, so I put it

assistance, and a rope leading straight to the

aside and had to separate my personal emotions

wreck. Planning the dive was very easy, as all

from my diving activity. I had to clear my mind

those dives have the same requirements and

to be safe there. That personal emotion involved

are repeatable. I did not take any photos nor did

me for not more than 10 seconds, right after that

I any activities, my mission, as I said, was very

I remained concentrated as usually during diving.

simple: to go to the wreck, touch it, experience it, and repeat if possible. To some people, like to my

So that emotion had no influence for example

partner on that day, that ship is only a piece of

on gas consumption or any other diving pa-

iron. During the dive he was completely indiffer-

rameters?

ent, cold as ice. For me it was totally the opposite.

No, I was focused on my mission, which was to do a safe dive, to visit the wreck, to see it and

One more thing about the catastrophy itself…

touch it.

that catastrophy should’t have happened. There was some issue with radars, but

How does the wreck look like now? Is it in

Stockholm just hit Andrea Doria, and nothing

good condition?

happened to Stockholm…

No. I did there two dives in 2006. The wreck’s

My mother remembered Andrea Doria’s sound,

condition is very poor. A part of it has totally col-

a specific warning sound made by ships. It was

lapsed.

a very foggy day.

So you didn’t explore it?

So maybe ships did not see each other?

No. I heard a lot of stories about diving there,

I don’t know, but I’ve read in newspapers that it

with or without penetration, with dpv or without

was really foggy and that Stockholm did not emit

it, but for me it was not important. For me the

the fog-warning sound. Andrea Doria did, and my

our conversation

mother remembered that. She also remembered

When we were talking before the interview,

the sounds that were produced by the contact of

you mentioned, that you have some docu-

the two ships, like iron twisting, breaking glass,

ments like newspapers, tickets, letters…?

lots of glass, and then noisy chaos when she fell

Yes, all the documents are in my mother’s house.

down and lost her consciousness.

And the ticket..

Sounds like an earthquake…

Oh, you still have the ticket?

Yes, the same as during an earthquake.

Yes, it is still possible to read the details, although

She also told me the story of a collapsing restau-

it is very damaged, written with beautiful callig-

rant where only one table with a bottle of water

raphy! We also have the cabin key with the royal

was standing in the middle. It was so fascinating

Italian flag – Marina Italiana – the hospital forms

to us that she remembered such details, but that’s

of my mother’s, and also the special editions of

how our brains work. She also told me that she

newspapers and some pictures…

felt like time slowed down and everything around her was moving so slow, and then she saw all

You mentioned you have some letter…?

her life flash before her eyes. Probably that was

Letter, yes, a letter written to my grandmother,

because of the pain and stress. But while she was

very simple, that they are alive and everything is

telling the story after the years she was calm, just

ok. My mother wrote it during her stay in New

sometimes paused speaking as if she was search-

York’s hospital. But they were back home in Italy

ing for something in her memory…

before the letter came. Still, it is beautiful because of the special post stamps with the Statue of Liber-

You are a diver, you already did that particu-

ty. It is also very emotional for me, reading it I am

lar dive. Skipping the emotional part, would

thinking of the situation of a young lady who is on

you recommend it to other technical divers?

the ocean during the accident, and then she must

As you probably know, many divers died

be in a hospital in a foreign country, and I am very

there. Now, as you have seen the wreck – is it

touched by that. I sometimes wonder what I would

worth making that dive?

do in the same situation, being on that ship on

When I was there, in 2006, till that year 11 divers

that day… But I will never have the answer.

died on the wreck of Andrea Doria. I would say it is only for experienced technical divers. What

Wow, that’s a fantastic story!

is more, you have to pay for two double tanks

For me it’s very emotional.

with trimix, and it is much more expensive in the US than in Europe. You also have to con-

Thank you very much for sharing that with us.

sider strong currents – the ascent is only with

I am also very happy to share that personal story

the line, you have to hold it tight. What was also

for the first time with you.

very unexpected is that on the first dive we saw two sharks.

Thank you! Source: www.alertdiver.com

Sharks? Yes, but it was the only stressful situation for me then because it was unexpected. But the sharks just took a look at us from about 3 meters distance and swam away. 3 meters? What was the visibility? The visibility was about 6 meters on the wreck. There is green water, on the bottom totally black.

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

wrecks

Dreaming to dive a submarine!

Text and photos Hubert Borg

HMS Stubborn was a 66-metre-long S-Class submarine which was launched on 11 November 1942. She was involved in many successful attacks on German ships and submarines in the Bay of Biscay and Norway before being deployed to the Far East in 1945, where she was successful in sinking three Japanese vessels.

nfortunately, she hit a depth charge and sank, hitting the bottom at 166 m (design limit of

90 m!) damaging the stern section. She returned to Malta where excessive damage was noted and she was scuttled off Qawra Point to be used as an ASDIC target (sonar practice).

The wreck looked very different from this angle – even more beautiful. My dream seemed to have come true!

Dreaming to dive a submarine!

This story is dedicated to an old dream of mine, that came true almost 18 years ago and now I wish to share it with you…

The wreck looked very different from this angle – even more beautiful; My dream seemed to have

Submarines have always attracted my attention.

come true!

I was curious to learn how they operate, what keeps the submarine buoyant and how the submariners

In the late 90’s I used to hear a lot of stories about

live beneath the waves. I used to dive deeper into

the 4 wreck submarines, sunk or scuttled around

history and technical specifications and discover

the Maltese Islands. One of them, HMS Stubborn,

the answers to my questions one by one. But a visit

was scuttled in 1946 at a depth of 58 m, which was

to a real Royal Submarine had always remained on

a great deal for me at that time. Another, HMS

my bucket list. The reader must understand, that

Olympus, got lost during the WWII.

one doesn’t often get a chance to see or visit a submarine in Malta. We can only read about them and

The other two legendary submarines lost in Mal-

admire their images.

tese waters did not leave much traces after the

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

At 30 m we could see the seabed 25 m below us and at 45 m I looked

almost guaranteed – something you could not guar-

down and saw a beautifully

antee in other places. As I remember, the way from

intact submarine lying on a barren white sand and shale seabed.

St. Paul’s Bay to the dive site 18 years ago took us around 1,5 h! Today we have the luxury of diving with our own hard boat, starting the trip, which maximum takes about 20 minutes, from Mellieha Bay. Shot line descent to the wreck of HMS Stubborn submarine

explosions, so I knew I had to dive the wreck of

Upon the arrival to the dive site we kitted up,

HMS Stubborn.

clipped the decompression stages on and set off. Swimming towards the shot line, before descend-

Preparing for the wreck dive

ing, we did a quick bubble check at a shallow depth.

Due to the depths in which the wreck lies, helium

At 30 m we could see the seabed 25 m below us

is a requirement both to reduce narcosis and to

and at 45 m I looked down and saw a beautiful-

reduce the decompression obligations. I had to un-

ly intact submarine lying on a barren white sand

dertake the normoxic trimix course, which allowed

and shale seabed. I let out a whoop of joy at the

me to take these depths safely – and with a clear

sight! It had taken us only two minutes to descend

head to remember the dive. To spice things up, the

the shot line, and after a quick check to make sure

course qualifying dives were usually conducted on

everything was where it was supposed to be, we

the wrecks. Undertaking the courses in Malta also

swam off towards the wreck to get some shots of

meant that fine weather and superb visibility were

the two stern torpedo tubes.

The wreck looked very different from this angle – even more beautiful! The decompression was uneventful other than huge smiles of my buddies and I. My dream seemed to have come true!

The intact conning tower with the open hatches, the venting hatches, the sleek hydrodynamic bow section and finally, the large torpedo tubes set back from the knife-edge bow. The top of the wreck was at 45 metres, there were 2 hatches open. The widest hatch was only 60 cms in diameter, with heavy sedimentation inside. The hatches were only wide enough to get a normally dressed man through, but no diver in a twinset, so no penetration was advisable. We found another hatch at the stern. However, we were nearing our planned bottom time. We looked back at Stubborn as we began to ascend after spending 25 minutes at the average of 55 m. The wreck looked very different from this angle – even more beautiful! The decompression was uneventful other than huge smiles of my buddies and I. My dream seemed to have come true!

wrecks

The Iron Lady

Text and photos agnieszka Krotecka-Elbendary andÂ Nabil Elbendary

From the charming Dahab we go overland to Sharm el-Sheikh and then, by boat, to aÂ place the existence of which was up to recently known to very few people. They were mainly local fishermen going fishing somewhere between Hurgada and Sharm el-Sheikh.

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

was thanks to them that in the 1955 Jacques

of expeditions of diving enthusiasts from all over

Cousteau, together with a team of enthusiastic

the world.

scientists from his research vessel "CALYPSO", performed a series of dives that ended up in the dis-

Each of us has probably heard about a unique

covery of a ship wreck sunken during World War II –

wreck resting at the depth of 30 m in the waters of

SS Thistlegorm. In 1986, residents and divers from

the Red Sea. No doubt, many of you had a chance

Hurghada learnt about the existence of the Iron

to dive there. It impresses with its size, abundance

Lady, but kept this information secret fearing that

of attractions, availability as well as diversity and

tourists from Sharm el-Sheikh would destroy the

colors of undersea life. SS Thistlegorm belongs to

wreck. Only a few years later the secret came to

places that you will love and never forget. We are

light. Despite the express prohibition of plundering

her absolute fans! In the middle of the wreck you

the ship, many of its elements and objects on the

can find military machinery (including rifles, trucks,

deck began to disappear.

ammunition… really!), clothing and breathtaking air bubbles under the ceilings of the decks. Moving

Therefore, despite the attempts to keep it secret,

between successive segments we can meet the

the SS Thistlegorm wreck was officially "discov-

beautiful blue moray leaning out shyly at the lev-

ered", and her story became one of the main, most

el of our eyes... It's impossible to have enough of

exciting plots of the stories from World War II. As of

a beautiful spectacle of "aircraft fireworks" which

today, it is at the top of the list of the most interest-

come out of the lower floors of the wreck. The size

ing diving sites in Egypt and is a kind of a crowning

of the ship also amazes. The more than 100-me-

wraki

ter giant encourages us to pay another visit: the

the crowds (!!!) of diving tourists. A very important

first dive around the wreck to assess and admire

role plays here an experienced guide, who should

the size and beauty of this underwater giant. The

have a rich history of diving on this particular

second allows exploration of larger compartments.

wreck, to know how to carry out a safe expedition

Near the wreck there is its anchor, which – by the

and how to lead the group to fully benefit the pleas-

way – is in a perfect place to anchor your safari

ure of immersion.

boat remainig at the site overnight. It should be noted that diving on the sunken freighter does not

This majestic ship attracts thousands of divers

belong to the easiest, so inexperienced divers and

each year with its charm. Some appreciate its

beginners are not allowed to go there. The diving

beauty and retain in memory its allure and unique-

difficulties are influenced by very strong surface

ness. Others, meanwhile, are not able to behave

and underwater currents, changing their direction

responsibly and destroy this underwater wonder,

depending on the time of day,

whether because of the lack of skills, or simple be-

lack of references, distance

cause of negligence. The devastations are caused

from the shore and

mainly by lack of professionalism and experience in mooring diving boats on the wreck. Until recently, guides and instructors tied the safaris boats with chains and metal cords to moving or sensitive parts of the ship. Today there are points

safari boat must be moored in two different plac-

It impresses with its size, abundance of attractions, availability as well as diversity and colors of undersea life.

es on the wreck to maintain stability. Large safari boats that stay for overnight dives at the site must use 4–5 ropes to keep the balance. One boat = two ropes, a few boats = a dozen ropes… let the part be poorly anchored, and the misfortune's ready. Moreover, during summer months we can

SS Thistlegorm belongs

often meet on average 8 diving boats from Sharm

to places that you will

el-Sheikh and Hurghada. On each boat there are

love and never forget.

approx. 25 divers, performing 2 dives, which gives us 200 divers and 400 dives… Inexperienced divers with poor buoyancy and without adequate surveillance hit the fragile parts of the wreck or

on the wreck, where boats can be anchored with

deliberately change its condition, eg. scratching

the use of ropes. Boat mooring is very difficult and

the sediment and rust of the machinery to see

requires experience, vast knowledge and maps of

the hidden inscription, which causes irreversible

the vessel in the head to secure the rope in such

damage. The Iron Lady is not only a beauty in her-

a way that neither the boat nor the wreckage will

self, but also home to exceptional, colourful coral

suffer damage. It is worth mentioning that every

reefs and underwater creatures such as barracu-

wrecks

das, tuna, lionfish, Serranidae and clownfish. The

created that are trying to establish a daily limit

air bubbles mentioned above, although they are

for diving boats on the wreck, appointing guides /

eye-catching, promote corrosion because of the

instructors authorized to moor a safari boat and

oxygen contained in them. In order to protect the

designation of the places for mooring. It was pos-

SS Thistlegorm from further alarming destruction

sible to come to an agreement over the last point,

(today, unfortunately, we will not see masts, a cap-

although not all the captains with their crews take

tain's bridge, small cartridges and

to the heart the welfare of the national heritage. It

rifles) several projects have been

is our duty to respect the underwater beauty, both created by mother nature, as well as by human hands. Remember this the next time you jump into

the water.

SS Thistlegorm

Cargo

British merchant cruiser

●●

Trucks Leyland and Albion

●●

heavy goods vehicles Morris Commercial

●●

Universal Carrier armoured vehicles

●●

Norton 16h and BSA M20 motorcycles

●●

Bren machine guns

●●

ammunition

●●

Lee Enfield Rifles

Date of construction Date of sinking Displacement

– April 1940

– October 1941

– 4 898 tones

Dimensions

●●

Wellington Boots

●●

length – 126 m

●●

Aircraft parts

●●

width – 18 m

●●

carriages

●●

2 steam locomotives LMS Stanier Class 8F

Crew

– 41

Death toll

–9

History of journeys

●●

to America for railway rails and aircraft parts

Armament

●●

to Argentina for cereals

●●

120 mm anti-aircraft gun

●●

to western India for sugar and rum

●●

machine gun

●●

the last journey to Suez Canal

Information: http://thethistlegormproject.com

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

sponsored Article

A platform of deep possibilities –

ILiveUnderWater.com Who among us has never had a problem finding an exceptional diving site? When we plan a trip or go somewhere on holiday, we want to visit the most attractive places, but that is easier said than done. Additionally, it can be a problem to locate a diving center that will take good care of us, provide us with all the equipment we need, and who’s instructors will gladly share their expertise as local guides with us – all at a good price. In response to these needs, ILiveUnderWater.com was created.

Diving in Europe, Turkey and Egypt is just a click away The flagship functionality of our platform is our search engine for diving sites, one that has never been seen before. Also never before has anyone invested in a commercial product that will be completely free for divers.

The way it works is simple and intuitive: just enter the name of the region you are interested in visiting, it can be the country, city or even something more specific – like a particu-

lar wreck – and our map will show you points of interest in or near the location you provided. You can find thousands of dive sites and centers in one place with just a few clicks.

Markers on the map indicate: diving centers, bases, wrecks, lakes and rivers, caves and quarries, as well as other places, such as coral reefs. After clicking on a marker, you are taken to a page with a more specific description of the location. Each description page contains a lot of priceless information, such as maxi-

mum depth, special warnings, and much more. Diving bases and centers also include contact details and a full list of the services that they provide (if they have invested in promoting their image on our international marketplace). Many of the diving centers on our website are our partners. The ILiveUnderWater.com platform not only allows you to search for diving sites, but also to find your dream trip on the date of your holiday.

dedicated to those seeking knowledge where the founders of our platform share their diving experiences and knowledge. A significant part of the published entries serve as diving guides for various countries around the world. Apart from those, our blog is filled with many other interesting topics – it is a mine of thematic knowledge and a platform on which famous people from the diving world write.

Long time I was looking for a tool that would gather all the necessary information about diving in a given region in one place. And finally I found on ILiveUnderWater.com. Cool! ~Anna (translated)

All roads lead to the diving center ILiveUnderWater.com was established to shorten the distance between divers and the people organizing diving trips. Therefore, each center can register themselves in our database through our website, and has the option to set themselves apart from other diving centers by purchasing a special PRO package. As the manager of a diving center, all you have to do is log in via a special form on our website and join one of the nearly 2,000 diving centers in our database. Promoting your services has never been easier! With ILiveUnderWater.com, you can be exactly where your customers are looking for you. I did not expect that there are so many diving sites. This platform opened my eyes to new challenges I can take on. ~Tomasz (translated)

Not just a search engine The ILiveUnderWater.com website is not just a search engine, but also a compendium of knowledge about diving. We also have a blog

In the future, our platform will also include social functions, replacing the internet forums that are becoming obsolete. Thanks to this, divers will be able to share their knowledge and experience in a simple way, and make new friends in the process! Dynamic development The advantage of our platform is the fact that it was built to solve the real problems of divers and adapts to the ever changing needs of the underwater enthusiasts that it serves. ILiveUnderWater.com continues to grow and build on its friendly relationships with the diving community. Currently we serve Europe, Turkey and Egypt, in the future: we will cover the whole world! Really like the blog I Live Under Water. I am a person who is just beginning diving, and I chose this as my source of information. ~Robert (translated)

Dive into ILiveUnderWater.com and be amazed by the underwater world!

n at u r e

Gulls

yelling and rebellious

Text and photos wojciech jarosz

Water, especially the seawater, in our memory is associated with white, screaming birds. Even for those who know the sea just from pictures. Wherever there is the sea, there must be seagulls. There is no way not to stumble upon these birds on the sea coast or even inland where such meetings are not aÂ rarity. Seagulls announce their presence giving away aÂ loud scream: the greater the number of birds in the area, the lauder the scream.

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

n the vicinity of large breeding colonies, the noise

nature does not like to unnecessarily waste energy,

is really hellish. There are other aspects of the life

these birds choose places where it is the easiest to

of seagulls to overlook (or sometimes omit) which

get food. What is the food of the gulls? My less than

is not possible. So how is it really: is it that we have

the five-year daughter answers to such a question

entered the areas always belonging to these white

without hesitation that it is fish. And this is of course

aviators, or have the birds themselves decided to

true, but not the whole. It would probably be easier

try luck between people?

to mention what seagulls do not eat, because in fact their menu can be extremely diverse. Of course, in

Formerly it was believed that the gulls suspended

this regard, there are some differences between the

over the vessels are souls of the sailors who passed

various species of seagulls, but most of them basi-

away to keep the eternal guard. Even in the most

cally chase animal food in every form (also the one

difficult weather conditions, the birds did not fail

not really fresh). Not only fish, but also mammals,

to guard the boats, protecting of them in a way.

birds, reptiles and amphibians of the proper size,

However romantic it sounds, the true motivation of

when it comes to vertebrates. In addition, the entire

the gulls to follow the ship is the desire to catch the

spectrum of invertebrates, including not only organ-

waste from the fishing nets and not to guard the sail-

isms considered to be 'seafood' by us, but also for

ors. Not without reason, the seagulls are more likely

example, molluscs, earthworms and insects, which

to follow the fish cutters than the tankers, warships

they are willing to catch in the fields, often accom-

or barges. Well, unless the latter transport waste

panying even working tractors. In the diets of the

to a landfill site… And here we find the answer to

gulls may also be included plant products. There are

the question previously posed. The seagulls appear

known cases of gulls eating the brewery waste left

wherever they can find something to eat. And as

from beer production ending in… drunkenness.

nature

The behaviors associated with obtaining food by

with the seagulls, it is worth mentioning that the

these birds do not add to their charm in the eyes

only ship under the Polish flag, where John Paul II

of those more sensitive and less immune to, let's

was staying, was the minesweeper (after a later re-

call it, the dark side of the gulls' nature. The gulls

construction – a minedostroyer) ORP Seagull – this

can even resort to cannibalism. What may seem

took place during the Pope's pilgrimage to Poland

quite scary is that they can steal the chicks of their

in 1987.

neighbors from the cologne and it was observed that they could even eat their own chicks. Some-

Getting back to the subject of acquisition of food it

times, they do not wait for the hatchling of their

should be mentioned that gulls often resort to truly

own chicks, but they steal eggs from one another

bandit practices. Demonstrating no scruples, they

for culinary purposes. It happens, especially among

attack other birds that managed to get something

representatives of larger species of seagulls that

to eat, forcing them to abandon their prey. This

they hunt for adult, in no way small, birds. Some-

happens often to the diving birds (e.g. cormorants,

times they do it in the very light of the spotlights!

coots), which are unable to get rid of the attack-

This was the case at St. Peter's Square in Vatican,

er and give the gull whatever was the subject of

when from the windows of the Apostolic Palace

the attack. Not only the birds are exposed to the

the Pope released the "dove of peace", and not

pirate practices of the gulls – also those whose

quite a peaceful seagull decided to hunt for it in

freshly served fish was unceremoniously stolen

the company of crows (it happened many times

from the plate on the terrace of the seaside res-

and also happened to the birds released and by

taurant are not really fond of them – a moment

both Benedict XVI and by Francis). As we have

of carelessness was enough! In these situations,

already referred to the Popes and their relations

we can observe a considerable quickness of the

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

The seagulls appear wherever they can find someseagulls. They learn quickly what is profitable and modify their behaviour to gain food more effectively. They can, for example, smash the shells of molluscs by dropping them from height to hard ground. Effective attempts to attract fish by spreading food crumbs on the surface of the water have

thing to eat. And as nature does not like to unnecessarily waste energy, these birds choose places where it is the easiest to get food.

also been described. Interestingly, the acquired knowledge can be passed on, usually by watching and imitating, and it happens also that the gulls

cooperate in a group. One of the most interesting

as for the eggs and chicks there is always a long

examples of this is the collective stamping on the

queue of takers)? In fact, only the birds of prey

ground to mimic the sound of falling rain, which

may threaten them. You can see the white-tailed

effectively attracts the earthworms directly under

eagles attacking seagulls and also in the menu of

the legs (and beaks!) of lurking birds. The seagulls

larger falcons these birds may appear. The gulls

have long since learned that a lot of food can be

often show an astonishing lack of understanding

found in the vicinity of human habitation. They

of the seriousness of the situation, and when they

regularly patrol the waste areas where they feed

spot a large bird of prey they attempt to chase it.

not only on trash, but also e.g. on rodents, which

A surprised bird looking for peace and quiet often

are common in landfills. But is there anything that

tucks its tail and gives way to gulls. Such scenes can

eats the gulls (the question applies to adult birds,

be observed most often close to the gulls' colonies.

nature

The disturbed birds jointly defend their chicks and

one, inhabiting also the Polish coast, is the great

together chase away the intruder.

black-headed seagull the wingspan of which reaches 1.7 m. At the other extreme is a small seagull

Seagulls include just over 50 species, taxonomi-

with a wingspan of around 0.7 m. And this species

cally grouped in the gulls subfamily (Larinae) be-

can be observed on the Baltic coast. Regardless of

longing together with terns and skimmers to the

the size of the wings, their length and shape make

gull family (Sternidae) in a Charadriiformes order.

the seagulls very efficient aviators. They can easily

They are mostly birds with white and gray plumage.

sense and use ascending currents drifting in the

The coloration of young birds differs from that of

air for a long time without the slightest movement

adult birds, making their identification, which is not

of their wings.

always easy even for adult birds, difficult, especially for closely related species. In the nesting and

Seagulls are a cosmopolitan group – they can be

brooding season the pattern of colouring is also dif-

found on all continents, even on the Antarctic

ferent from the one beyond the season. A clear sex-

coasts, as well as in the Arctic. Some species are

ual dimorphism (differences in the structure and

only present in specific locations, such as the lava

coloration between females and males) in these

seagull (interesting for many reasons, e.g. it is a ter-

birds does not occur. Among some of the species

ritorial species and does not form a dense colony),

during the mating season can be observed a dis-

but many species have a wide range of prevalence.

tinctive 'dark hood' on their heads, as this type of

Most often they are found near sea coasts or over

colouring is sometimes called. An example would

inland reservoirs – they basically always accompany

be the most common seagull in Poland (Eurasia) –

divers (unless someone dives only in caves), as well

a black-headed gull, but also other species of the

as lovers of all other water sports and aquatic activ-

genus Chroicocephalus (from the Greek 'coloured

ities. A unique in terms of habitat is the grey seagull

head'). Seagulls can be small or large. The largest

(not to be confused with common gull), which nests

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

Regardless of the size of the wings, their length and shape make the seagulls very efficient aviators. They can easily sense and use ascending currents drifting in the air for a long

have salt glands that allow them to remove excess salt from their body. The swallow-tailed seagull after nesting and brooding on the Galapagos Islands heads towards the high seas. This species is characterised by its unprecedented night life. It hunts for fish and squids in the moonlight, for which it

time without the slightest

is perfectly adapted. Seagulls have excellent eye-

movement of their wings.

sight, but the swallow-tailed gull has the best eyes among gulls equipped with a well-formed nictitating membrane. Its task is to reflect the light in the direction of photoreceptors and thus improve the

in an exceptionally dry place, that is in the Atacama

quality of vision (the presence of a nictitating mem-

Desert in South America. Apart from the nesting

brane in animals with good vision in low light or

and brooding season, it behaves as befits a gull and

no light causes eyes to shine when a beam of light,

arrives at the Pacific coast, for many species change

e.g. from a torch, reaches them). When in the fol-

their habitat after nesting and brooding is complet-

lowing season the time to return to the nest comes,

ed. Most of the birds travel not very long distances,

the seagulls recreate the same pairs – they are usu-

although there are exceptions – the Franklin's gull

ally monogamous and tend to use the same plac-

travels from Canada to the south of Latin America.

es where the previous nesting and brooding took

Some species, after nesting and brooding, become

place. Such returns can take place several times as

typical pelagic birds, that is, living in the open sea.

some gulls live up to dozens years!

Due to the presence of the interdigital webbing

they are great swimmers so the rest on the water

Next time, while watching the aviation skills of the

surface does not pose any difficulty for them. In

gulls, keep an eye on your sandwiches. And your

addition, gulls can drink sea water because they

dog, if you have a Yorkie!

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

planet earth

The Baltic Sea an unusual sea for everybody

Text and photos Agata Turowicz

Cold, dark and mysterious – the Baltic Sea is an unusual and one of a kind sea in the world. The uniqueness of the Baltic Sea is due to the fact that it was created only 12 000 years ago, which makes it the youngest sea on Earth. During the formation process, the Baltic Sea was interchangeably a sea and a lake. It got the shape as we know it today only 3 000 years ago.

eographical location and a large inflow of fresh

However, not only the wreck diving enthusiasts can

water from rivers and rainfall are responsible

find their favorite places there. The Baltic water is

for another feature distinguishing the Baltic Sea –

home to many unique organisms. It is here that

it is the sea with the freshest water on our planet.

you can meet cousins of seahorses, i.e. a broad-

The average salinity of the seas and oceans is ap-

nose and a straighnose pipefish, which, in order to

proximately 35 ‰ while the waters of the Baltic Sea

remain safe, with their shape and behavior resem-

have an average value of 7‰.

ble the sea grass in which they live. In shallow waters we can often observe a shoal of three-spined

Thanks to both these features, for researchers

sticklebacks which, if we are lucky, will show us

the Baltic Sea is a great object for research and

in their blue and red mating colors. At the rocky

observation of the changes that may occur in the

bottoms we can easily see round gobies building

new seas. For divers it is a great place to explore

their nests and various species of crabs crawling on

unusual and unique waters.

the bottom in search of food. We can dive among the hats of harmless jellyfish floating in the briny.

The Baltic Sea is a treasure trove of history and

The trained eye of a diver will certainly notice the

a paradise for divers loving explorations of the

almost transparent shrimps hiding in the rocks or

wrecks. Low salinity, relatively cold water and a small

among the Baltic Sea vegetation. And this is just

amount of epiphytes allow to keep ship wrecks at

one of the many animals that are worth seeing in

the bottom of the Baltic Sea in a virtually intact state.

the Baltic Sea.

It is there, between the islands of Gotland and Olandia, that the Swedish expedition, exploring the sea

The Baltic Sea hides many secrets waiting to be dis-

bed with a sonar, found a wreck sinking of which

covered. Everyone will find something for them-

dated back to the fourteenth century. The turbulent

selves. Both: the amateurs of wreck diving and

history of the region of Europe, in which the Baltic

divers loving underwater life. To experience a won-

Sea is located, meant that at its bottom only in the

derful adventure, let yourself immerse in the Baltic

very Polish zone lie about a thousand of watercrafts.

Sea waters and enjoy its unique beauty.

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

k n ow l e dg e

Diving Safety Lab on hańcza lake DAN Researchers Irena Kosowska, Davide Bastiani

Photos krzysztof kapusta

At the beginning of November 2018, representatives of Divers Alert Network carried out an advanced Diving Safety Lab on the deepest lake in Poland – Hańcza. We want to bring you closer to the goal and the course of the research and to indicate how each diver can contribute to an increase in diving safety.

Divers Alert Network, or DAN, is a non-profit organization founded in 1983 to increase the safety of diving. Today, it brings together over 400 000 divers around the world. DAN's mission is to conduct research, to promote safe diving and knowledge of the first aid rules, and to help divers in emergencies by providing medical assistance. It was precisely the implementation of the mission's goal that guided the November DSL.

Who did we examine?

well as we carried out medical surveys. Each diver gave a sample of blood and urine before entering

Our main goal was to study and document deep

the water. After completing a self-planned dive, we

technical dives, which are still a highly unexplored

again examined both blood and urine, but this time

area. We compared the number of bubbles of sim-

we were also interested in what is happening with

ilar dive profiles at the same depths in divers using

the bubbles in a diver's bloodstream. Therefore we

OC, CC or various gas mixtures, men and women,

carried out Doppler and echo tests of the main vein

those using a scooter and those propelled by their

supplying the "carbonated" blood to the heart, as

own legs with fins.

well as the veins in the calves. As for the calves, we were most interested in the muscles. Each diver

What did we examine?

also shared his full dive profile from a computer and filled out a survey after diving. All these data

In the field laboratory located on the so-called

are used to image the processes taking place in

"third car park" we conducted an interview with

our bodies.

divers about their diving history and experience, as

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

Doppler Ultrasound – detection of microbubbles An audio signal is recorded between the third and fourth ribs at the left end of the sternum. Bubbles are monitored from zero to about 90 minutes after a dive: the peak level will most likely occur after 30 minutes.

Echocardiographic test – detection of microbubbles After placing the probe on the chest, the signal is recorded and the ventricles are monitored. This test can show the presence of bubbles after a dive.

Density/ alkalinity of urine – indicates the level of hydration The urine density test determines the specific gravity of the urine, which depends on the hydration status of a given diver. For a healthy human, the density of urine is 1015–1025 kg/m³. Test procedure: after spontaneous urination, a urine sample is collected in a disposable plastic container and examined with a refractometer.

Hemoglobin/ Hematocrit – hydration and much more Taking a small blood sample allows you to determine the amount of hemoglobin in the blood, as well as the state of hydration. Furthermore, changes in hemoglobin may indirectly indicate the activation of stress responses associated with diving.

knowledge

How can you help?

The online algorithms will analyse our dive profile and using the Buehlmann ZH-L16 model they will

Advanced Diving Safety Labs do not take place

show us our "perfect profile" superimposed on our

often, but every diver, after every dive, may con-

actually performed dive. We will also get feedback

tribute to the database created and analysed by

on how safe according to DAN researchers our

DAN researchers.

dive profile is and what decompression risk we have taken.

Simply register at https://www.diversafetyguardian.org What is more, data after anonymisation will be atThe aim of the Diver Safety Guardian project is to

tached to the global database of over half a million

collect as many different dives as possible and have

profiles. Every diver who is a member of the DAN

information about them given directly by a diver in

can use it in order to assess his style of diving and

the form of a survey. The portal is an intuitive tool,

the risk to be taken. We believe that engaging in

dedicated to both open and closed circuit divers,

such action will help us to plan our dives better and

as well as to freedivers.

consequently increase their safety.

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

is a theoretical dive profile that you will get at Diver Safety Guardian? The parameters of a real, completed dive, such as the maximum depth and time, will be correlated with the theoretical safe profile (so-called perfect diving), generated on the basis of the most up-to-date medical and diving knowledge. This will help you to plan better your future dives. You can also use the tool for even more effective debriefings with your diving students. The database contains more than 122 000 dive profiles from more than 8 000 divers.

To carry out such advanced research was made

diles, and also the equipment manufacturers that

possible thanks to the excellent organization and

supported us – Seacraft and Santi. Particular thanks

commitment of many people.

are due to Dr. Adam Koleśnik, who enabled echo tests on a large scale at the diving site, to divers

We especially want to thank Baza Banana Di-

who normally are not "experimental", probably the

vers and Jarek Bekier, as well as the divers from

first time in Poland! Without you this really would

CN Deep Adventure, CN Seahorse and CNN Croco-

have not been possible!!!

n at u r e

In a river… Text and photos paweł vogelsinger

Co-operation beata konowrocka

he world of water has attracted me since my

to which I could have them within easy reach. But

childhood. Sitting by the river was a favourite

it did not give me full satisfaction.

way of spending free time. I caught various water creatures into the jar, and then I spent a long time

Then came the idea of a literal immersion into the

observing them. However, the fish were always in

world that fascinated me. I discovered scuba diving.

the centre of attention – too agile and clever to be

At the same time, I developed my passion for film-

easily captured. Then came the time for fishing and

ing, for recording through the lens those ephemer-

joy with each successful catch. As a rule, I did not

al moments, exceptional experiences which came

take the fish with me, most of them made it back

my way. To see marine life up close, and above all,

into the water. The idea was to watch them and

participate in it, it was finally a dream come true.

enjoy myself with their closeness.

The long-awaited time has come when the rivers began to reveal their secrets to me…

Over time, I became convinced that fishing does

not give me satisfaction. Fish only as a trophy on

People often react with astonishment, when they

the hook? For me it was too trivial. To experience

hear that I dive in rivers and actually… in the shal-

direct contact with live fish, to touch, to caress, to

lows. They are inhabited mainly by small species.

know the world in which they live – it was all my

What can be exciting about it? It could seem that

desire. I became fascinated by aquariums, thanks

great things are more interesting than small things.

Chub

Diving in shallow rivers can provide nature lovers

Diving in shallow rivers can provide nature lovers with many attractions. The views make us delighted, particularly where rivers flow through wild,

with many attractions.

wooded areas. Observations start from the first

The views make us

moment of arrival. With good water transparency

delighted, particularly where rivers flow through wild, wooded areas.

already from the shore, you can see what awaits us after immersion. Watching the water also brings a lot of surprises, such as the fish collecting food, river-side vegetation and insects circulating around it. With a little luck you may also come across larger animals living in this environment, such as otters, beavers, various species of birds.

Animals with impressive sizes. Huge, open spaces. Vast depths. Certainly it all does impress. But my

After immersing and covering a long stretch of the

imagination is more awakened by what is small

river, a great variety of underwater landscape – both

and inconspicuous.

the vegetation and the river bed – will surely surprise you. I love the rivers due to their unpredictability,

On a big thing you can see every detail. Mini and

the diversity of biotopes, the richness of species of

micro have their secrets, invisible at first glance.

fauna and flora. Apart from fish you can encounter

I noticed that small fish are often overlooked and

a variety of micro-organisms. From the barely visi-

undervalued. And yet, any little thing is an impor-

ble plankton through a variety of crustaceans, mol-

tant part of the entire ecosystem, without it, larger

luscs, aquatic larvae to such curiosities as freshwater

species could not exist. Everything makes a coher-

sponges and predatory plants. The opportunity to

ent whole.

discover rare and protected specimens is great!

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

Alpine bullhead

Tench

The great advantage of the river diving is the fact

large herds. The extremely patient divers will have

that this form of activity is available almost for

a chance to witness such amazing events like preda-

everyone. It does not require time-consuming

tion, defence of territory, spawning, breeding, and

preparations, expensive equipment, long distance

even the entire development cycle of each species.

travel or special skills. Usually, a mask and a tube are enough, but it is worth getting a thin wet suit. In

Fans of big fish will also be satisfied. They have the

mountain rivers, or during cold seasons, the water

opportunity to meet with them in numerous holes,

can be very cold.

under the branches of windblown trees, in a thicket of lush vegetation. I managed to see fairly sizable

100

It is quite frequent to have a direct contact with

chub and perch, which being curious came close

the smaller fish. Those who dive on a regular basis

to the camera. Tenches that feed on zeba mussel,

will have the opportunity to virtually participate in

greylings struggling with a rapid current of water.

their lives and will observe the way of feeding, the

I have witnessed such spectacular performances

relationships between species, the migration of

as the hunting of pikes.

nature

Rudds

Diving in the shallows of rivers has given me the

tween my fingers, and even allowing me to capture

ability to watch many interesting and rare species

them in the palm of my hand.

of fish, among others, schneiders, Kessler’s gudgeons, stone loaches, Balkan loaches, European

It is worth mentioning that the diving in shallow

bullheads. Beyond the cognitive aspects (obser-

rivers gives me the perfect conditions for filming.

vations bring me a lot of satisfaction and, above

The lens gets enough natural light for the image

all, help to broaden knowledge) the aesthetic

to be in focus and look naturally. However, dur-

experiences are of great importance to me. It is

ing deep sea diving visibility is limited or almost

hard to describe how wonderful experience it is

zero, so you have to use artificial light. Light in large

to find oneself among the swarm of hundreds of

quantities also affects the ability to admire a variety

beautifully colourful common minnows or look at

of vegetation, which in these conditions is grow-

river lampreys during spawning. Before my eyes

ing expansively.

was a bewitching spectacle whose climax is a male dance around the female, culminating in an am-

Although the fish are at the centre of my attention,

orous embrace. Entwined with the male she is

I have the soul of the explorer and every curiosity

aroused to deposit eggs, which the male wraps.

associated with the aquatic environment gives me

A one-of-a-kind event for me was hand-feeding

a lot of joy. In Piława and Rurzyca rivers I managed

wild fish. They were not at all afraid, passing be-

to track the phenomenal freshwater sponges –

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

101

River lamprey

It is quite frequent to have a direct contact with the smaller fish. Those who dive on a regular basis will have the opportunity to virtually participate in their lives…

their colonies create a very interesting, slightly dark landscape. I came across bladderworts – an unusual plant which feeds on insects. I watched the predatory larvae of dragonflies that are able to attack even young fishes. I know that I still have a lot of new discoveries ahead. Water of the rivers is an inexhaustible treasure trove. I encourage you to check! I hope that after hearing my story, diving in rivers will never seem boring to anybody, especially as it enriches our knowledge of the native waters. Sometimes we look for adventures in distant countries and we dream about visiting exotic places. Meanwhile, a nearby small river can provide us with equally intense experiences, or at least many relaxing moments in the bosom of nature. As the old proverb says, "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence"… Female minnow

102

Perfect Diver Magazine 2 issue

Articles inside

The Foreword

Diving Safety Lab

Baltic Sea

Gulls

The Iron Lady

Andrea Doria Memories

The Cave of the Swallows - Xulo

Not only underwater

Freediving records

I'm a freediver

A situation of diving business

Diving and adventure - Lake Baikal

Expedition to the caves of Bosnia

In a river

Dreaming to dive a submarine!

The Galapagos Island

Palau