Perfect Diver Magazine 7 issue by perfectdiver

Wojciech Zgoła Editor-in-Chief

The first issue in 2020 is a new opening. We are changing for the better.

We will appear more often. After your suggestions, we have decided that a bimonthly is a better formula than a quarterly. Bartek Pszczółkowski has permanently joined our team since the new year. He is the author of great underwater photos and has good writing skills. Certainly reading his texts will be a feast for your eyes and imagination.

For those who like paper editions, we are also changing for the better. Using your suggestions, we have minimally changed the format and number of pages. Thanks to these changes, we have reduced the price to 7.90 EUR. Perfect Diver currently costs less than filling one scuba tank, and lasts longer.

Among our readers and our fans we also have a group of people interested in the underwater world, but not diving yet. For them, we have created a new section – "Underwater Rookie". We hope that the texts contained in this section will help you make decisions and start the adventure of a lifetime with diving or freediving.

A magazine that you are holding or have opened on the screen would not have been possible without the support of our environment. See who is advertising with us. Our Partners in this way support not only the editors, but also you. It is thanks to them that we have the opportunity to prepare interesting texts for you and publish fantastic photos. I thank them very much for their trust and commitment to the integration of our environment.

Each of you, fantastic readers of our magazine, has the power to become a partner. Remember that at any time you can support the project of the Perfect Diver magazine, not only by ordering the paper version of the magazine, but also by making micropayments. In every issue, including this one, we insert the QR code that helps provide the editorial board with a voluntary payment. We promise to invest every amount received in this way, even the proverbial one penny, in the development and obtaining interesting editorial content.

"Everything has its origin in a thought. An idea, a project, a venture and even a piece of work begins with it."

Enjoy reading!

Wojciech Zgoła Irena Kosowska

Mateusz Popek

Agnieszka Kalska

Jakub Degee Bartosz Pszczółkowski

Agnieszka Gumiela-Pająkowska Arleta Kaźmierczak

Adwokat Joanna Wajsnis Brygida Jackowiak-Rydzak

He often repeats that he travels by diving and that is his motto. In 1985 he obtained a yacht sailor's license, and only in 2006 began to dive. In the following years he improved his skills by obtaining the Dive Master degree. He completed nearly 650 dives in various climatic conditions. Since 2007, he has been taking photographs underwater, and since 2008 he has also been filming. As an independent journalist, he published dozens of articles, mainly in journals dedicated to diving, but not only. Co-author of photo exhibitions in Poland and abroad. He is passionate about and propagator of diving.

Since 2008 he has been running his own website www.dive-adventure.eu. On the basis of extensive experience, in August 2018 he created the new Perfect Diver Magazine

”My passion, work and life are under water.” He has been diving since 2009. Since 2008, he's walking in caves. Underwater archeologist by education. He participated in numerous projects in Poland and abroad. He has been engaged in professional diving since 2011. In 2013 he obtained the qualifications of a 2nd class diver. Has experience in underwater work both at sea and inland. Since 2013 he has been diving in caves, especially in the mountains, and since 2014 he is a diving instructor CMAS M1.

Regional Manager Divers Alert Network Polska, diving and first aid instructor, technical diver and cave diver. In love with all flooded, dark, cold, tight places and invariably from the beginning of the diving route – in the Baltic. Implementing the DAN mission, he conducts a series of lectures ”Dive safely” and Diving Safety Laboratory, so field research of divers for scientific purposes.

Polish photographer, winner of awards and distinctions in world underwater photography competitions, has already dived all over the world: with sharks and whales in South Africa, with orcs behind the Arctic Circle, on Galapagos with hundreds of hammerhead sharks and humpback whales in the Tonga Islands. He participates in specialist photographic workshops. He has been diving for 27 years, he started at the age of 12 – as soon as it was formally possible. He was the first in the world to use the Hasselblad X1d-50c camera for underwater macro photography. Recently, in the remote Chincorro archipelago on the border between Mexico and Belize, he did it again, taking a successful attempt to photograph the eye of a crocodile with a macro lens with an additional magnifying lens, which is the world's largest photo of the crocodile's eye living in the wild (in terms of pixel count, print size, quality).

agniesZka kalska

”I can't imagine living without water, where in a free body I experience freedom of the spirit.”

• founder of the first freediving and swimming school in Poland – FREEBODY,

• Apnea Academia International and PADI Master Freediver freediving instructor,

• world record holder in freediving (DYN 253 m),

• record holder and Polish champion, member of the national team in freediving 2013–2019,

• winner of the World Championships in freediving 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2018,

• multimedalist of the Polish Championships and a member of the national team in swimming in the years 1998–2003,

• passionate about freediving and swimming.

That's my name and I come from Poznań. I have been associated with water practically from birth and with diving since I learned to walk. My grandfather instilled my passion for the underwater world, a CMAS*** instructor taking me to the lakes at any free time. I obtained my first qualifications in 1996. A year later I went to Croatia and literally went crazy at the sight of blue water, octopus and colorful fish;) I bought my first underwater camera – Olympus 5060 and started the adventure with underwater photography. I acquired my diving experience in the Canary Islands, Sardinia, Norway, Maldives and in Polish lakes. I am currently a Padi and ESA instructor, I train diving enthusiasts in Europe and pass my passion on to others.

I invite all lovers of the underwater world and photography to Beediver (FB) – see you soon.

Wojciech Zgoła

irena kosoWska

jakub degee

MateusZ popek

bartosZ psZcZółkoWski

Has more than 8000 dives on his account. He has been diving for over 30 years, including over 20 years as a technical diver. He is a professional with great theoretical and practical knowledge. He is an instructor of many federations: GUE Instructor Mentor, CMAS**, IANTD nTMX, IDCS PADI, EFR, TMX Gas Blender. He participated in many diving projects and conferences as a leader, explorer, originator or lecturer. These included the Britannic Expedition 2016, Morpheus Cave Scientific Project on Croatia caves, GROM Expedition in Narvik, Tuna Mine Deep Dive, Glavas Cave in Croatia, NOA-MARINE. Professionally, he is a technical director at TecLine in Scubatech, and a director of training at TecLine Academy.

A graduate of Geography faculty at the University of Wrocław and an incurable optimist… with a permanent smile on her lips! It was probably Destiny that led her to Activtour… and she's been here on permanent basis. She passionately fulfils the dreams of many, organizing diving trips around the world, and she has already been diving for more than half of her life. Each year she explores a different ‘piece of the ocean’, pinning another pin to her diving 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!” www.activtour.pl, anna@activtour.pl

A traveller and a photographer of wild nature. A graduate of journalism and a lover of good literature. She lives in harmony with nature, promotes a healthy lifestyle: she is a yogini and a vegetarian. Also engaged in ecological projects. Sharks and their protection are especially close to her heart. She writes about the subject in numerous articles and on her blog www.divingandtravel. pl. She began her adventure with diving fifteen years ago by total coincidence. Today she is a Divemaster, she visited over 60 countries and dived on 5 continents. She invites us for a joint journey with the travel agency www.dive-away.pl, of which she is a co-founder.

A traveler, photographer and the underwater world filmmaker, an Asian cuisine enthusiast and a PADI diving instructor. He visited over 70 countries and dived on 5 continents (the other two are planned for next year's expeditions). For several years he has also been an instructor and trainer of the unmanned aircraft flights. A co-author of a travel agency for divers www.dive-away.pl. He documents his expeditions with photos and descriptions of his journeys on his blog www.divingandtravel.pl

Karol's first contact with diving was innocent and accidental. He began with snorkeling in Bulgaria and Greece in the late 90s. A little later, after taking the first course, diving became his passion. Since then, he has passed all levels of training. He worked as an underwater guide in several countries and worked on shellfish harvesting in cold Scottish waters. By profession, he is a logistics manager, which makes it very easy for him to organize diving trips. An enthusiast of flooded caves, a speleologist, seeker of abandoned places (mines, adits, factories). A SDI/TDI diving and first aid instructor. He thinks that what makes a good diver is arduous training in various conditions. The admirer of the Balkans, which he has been visiting for 20 years. He loves underwater photography, wild mountains, Asia and its cuisine, black humor and happy company on trips. A SeaYa Ambassador.

A boring programmer by education and profession, a diver by years of passion. An amateur of underwater photography and video in a budget version. For years fascinated with places "with history" – mines, bunkers, and of course wrecks – and (though not necessarily in this order) caves in which with his own eyes he can see the wonders created by nature, if left her free hand and several million years to act.

Wojciech a. filip

bartek pitala

karol pencil ołóWek

sylWia kosMalska-jurieWicZ

anna sołoducha

adrian jurieWicZ

Diver from 2008. Passionate of the Red 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 knowledge about dolphin therapy unsaid or concealed by centers which make money on this form of animal therapy.

śliZoWska

aka "Mermaid". NAUI, EFR (premedical first aid) and DAN oxygen rescue instructor. Actress and singer. Versatile woman.

Diving is her passion and a way to help every person with whom she works above and below water. In her opinion, diving is not only exploring the underwater world. It is also getting to know and integrating with your own "I", building trust in yourself and a way to develop the skills necessary to overcome all life problems. Specialist for "difficult" students and children.

Owner of XDIVERS – Your Diving School. Trimix, cave and gas blender diver. Her biggest underwater love are caves, and diving priority – SAFETY. margita@xdivers.pl

A graduate of two Poznan universities, the Academy of Physical Education (coaching specialization – handball) and the University of A.Mickiewicz, Faculty of Biology (specialty of experimental biology). He connected his professional life with this first university trying to influence the direction of development of future professionals on the one hand, and on the other planning and implementing research, pushing laboriously in the right direction of the stroller called science. In his free time he spends his time actively – his main passions are sailing (sea helmsman), skiing (downhill skiing instructor), riding a motorcycle, recreational diving and many other activities, as well as photography, mainly nature.

BY ROLAND ST JOHN

Big Blue to marka stworzona przez nurka i miłośnika morskiej fauny, Rolanda St John jako Big Blue Aquatic Gifts. Biżuteria i breloczki z motywami ośmiornic, żółwi morskich, rekinów i innych gatunków, powstają w USA są wykańczane ręcznie, ukazują piękno i różnorodność morskich stworzeń.

Jako dystrybutor Big Blue by Roland St John, Ocean-Tech Sp. z o.o. w pełni podziela zachwyt twórcy nad mieszkańcami oceanicznych głębin. Breloczki, wisiorki, bransoletki i kolczyki Big Blue dostępne są na: nurkowyswiat.pl i sklep.ocean-tech.pl.

Wojciech jarosZ

Margita

jakub banasiak

jakub

cieślak

Diving instructor, author of the blog about diving, social activist. He has been diving for almost twenty years, mainly in Poland, has been a trainer for six years and also a member of the Group Exploring Diving Sites near to Warsaw – a group promoting diving and protection of the water world.

Since I was a child, I had dreamed of becoming a marine biologist and I managed to fulfill that dream. I did a degree in oceanography, where I recently started my doctoral studies. My diving adventure began when I was 12 years old. I love observing the underwater life up close and I try to show other divers how fascinating the underwater, Baltic creatures are.

A traveler, photographer and producer of television programs. Every day she works at TVN Discovery and in her spare time she photographs and dives. She visited six continents with her camera, and Australia is in the near future. She loves photographing nature, landscapes and people. She is fascinated by the world of other cultures and what is passing away. It can be found on mountain trails or in the grass when photographing macro. A few years ago, she decided to go underwater and fell in love with diving. She is passionate about both underwater life and stories hidden behind wrecks or flooded places. She publishes her photos on Instagram.

agata turoWicZ

beata tabak

Seahorse

Text and photos bartosz pszczółkowski

– you can see the

Hippocampus Hippocampus is smaller than his colleague H. Guttulatus

dorsal fin

HaVE YoU EVEr HEarD tHE saYiNG tHat a DiVEr swiMs LikE a sEaHorsE?

This term is used in jargon when a diver, usually a beginner, moves underwater in a vertical position. This is a position characteristic for a seahorse.

They belong to the Syngnathidae family, which includes dozens of species of sea fish, including Syngnathus sp. It is interesting that in English the name "Seahorses" refers only to the genus Hippocampus.

The above mentioned position of seahorse is something unique in the animal world and practically non-existent in the world of fish. It is believed that seahorses developed their position as far as 25 million years ago.

After the environmental changes taking place between the Antipodes and Indonesia, shallow seagrass areas, "sargassum", were created. In these shallow waters full of vegetation, seahorses found shelter, and the vertical silhouette allowed them to blend in with the surroundings.

The oldest seahorse fossil dating back to 13 million years has been found in Slovenia. This fossilized seahorse is very similar to the ones currently living in the Mediterranean. There are 2 species of seahorse in Europe: Hippocampus hippocampus (usually a small, short snout, lack of "hair", often triangular head) and Hippocampus guttulatus (larger 10–13 cm, with long snout, a lot of "hair", head more rounded). These

Pipefish in all its glory, when among seagrass blends with the surroundings and it is impossible to spot him

Hippocampus Hippocampus female with the tail curled up like a chameleon

species coexist with each other and with another member of the family, Syngnathus sp

cHaractEristics

These fish are poor swimmers. Their small pectoral fins are located at the back of their heads, and there is one dorsal fin which can make up to 35 movements per second.

They inhibit shallow waters and choose areas where we will meet the sandy bottom next to the Posidonia meadows. If you manage to meet the seahorse without intruding its space, you will have a chance to see it again, if the seahorse has such a wish, and if you will strain your eyes to see it among the plants, roots or sandy bottom.

There are many qualities among these animals that are astonishing and deserve attention.

caMoUfLaGE

Seahorses are masters of the hide and seek play. They can adapt their body colour to the colour of the place where they live. For this reason, it is very difficult to get a good picture of this creature in its natural environment. They are territorial animals and inhabit areas near the sea grass, e.g.

Hippocampus Hippocampus female

Hippocampus Guttulatus male with a tummy

Posidonia ps., also sandy bottoms, on which accumulate the remains of plants and animals.

They have eyes like a chameleon, which they can move independently, and a catchy tail, which they attach to the seagrass or the tail of a partner in love mating dance.

rEproDUctioN

Seahorses are one of a kind in breeding. They have sexual dimorphism and have a characteristic "pouch" under the male's abdomen. The female deposits eggs into this bag.

It is the Seahorse Dad who incubates eggs and gives birth to fully developed miniatures measuring 2–12 mm.

The release of the young takes place in a peaceful environment of Posidonia's sea grasses, away from predators and other threats. The female under the belly has a characteristic indentation.

The horses are monogamous and mate for life, which lasts from 4 to 6 years.

fooD

Seahorses feed on copepods, amphipodas, shrimps and small fish. The method of hunting involves pulling the victim into the throat through an elongated snout. They are able to suck in food from a distance of 3 cm. The seahorse's digestive system is devoid of

H.Guttulatus female using a catchy tail to hold a piece of posidonia

H.Guttulatus female while eating

Hippocampus Guttulatus female at its finest, it measures up to 15 cm

Hippocampus Hippocampus male with a barely visible reproductive "pouch"

H.Guttulatus male with a "pouch" full of eggs with a visible reproductive hole

stomach, which forces it to eat constantly and gives the impression that it is always hungry. It is able to eat up to 3,000 shrimps a day.

ThreaTs Seahorses, due to their body-built, do not have many enemies, but they can be eaten by tuna, gilt-head sea

bream, rays, penguins and humans. The latter is the biggest threat to the seahorse.

It is estimated that 20 million seahorses are sold illegally for the use in traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean medicine. They are attributed with healing properties for respiratory diseases and impotence.

The shallow bays of the Mediterranean Sea are a perfect shelter for seahorses, however, the increasing volume of traffic, reckless tourism have an increasing impact on the marine environment.

Posidonia seagrass extinction has been observed in the Mediterranean for several years. Seagrass is a shelter for many animals and also a breeding place for seahorses.

Seahorses in various cultures are depicted as magical animals that bring happiness to anyone who sees them.

For me, every encounter with these unique creatures is magical. As a guide, diving instructor and underwater nature lover, I'm happy to show seahorses to other divers. I believe that thanks to such meetings, ecological awareness and sensitivity of the observers of the underwater world and the creatures living in it increases.

We must remember that we are guests in the underwater world, observers, and we should disturb the peace of this amazing world as little as possible.

H.Guttulatus female swimming in the depths is a rare sight

A new way to experience Egypt

Text a NNa soło DUc H a

r egardless of the time of day during which you will see any of the diving villages in Egypt, you will certainly hold your breath for a moment. p ieces of white canvas on the shores of azure sea emerging from behind the mountains, shimmering paths lit by thousands of lanterns or huge tracts of green mangrove forest in the vicinity of the desert.

DivingEco Camps are something unique and surprising... What is more, the whole idea of these places is based on the sustainable development of the environment and care for its natural resources.

The villages were founded in 1990 and to this day they are leaders in the field of professional service, standards and diving sites in the southern part of the Red Sea that surrounds the coast of Egypt. Marsa Shagra, Marsa Nakari and Wadi Lahami are located in the area of Marsa Alam and Hamata. Each of Eco Camps is a certified PADI center, which uses innovative management and business development techniques, employing over 350 employees. These places are created by experienced PADI instructors and guides with extensive language skills, using Arabic, English, French, Italian and German. Each of the ecocamps offers a wonderful opportunity to stay in the bosom of nature in close contact with the unique surroundings of the Red Sea and the desert. It is a place with a diving atmosphere. Instead of 300 rooms, an aquapark, a gym and four restaurants, we will see here standard tents, built of sailcloth, each with two extremely comfortable beds, hand-made furniture and full electricity. The larger ones – Royal Tents – having almost 30 m², I personally choose them most often, and that is why I recommend them to clients. You can feel like in a tale from "One Thousand and One Nights" ... They are equipped with one huge bed or two single beds, a fan, fridge, furniture, poufs, tables... The villas, on the other hand, are large, comfortable brick houses, with their own bathroom, air conditioning and a dressing table. This is the most "luxurious" option, but I still love the sound of the sea, the breeze and the smell of the desert while sleeping in a tent...

The Eco Camp Marsa Shagra is located 250 km south of Hurghada and 40 km south of the airport of Marsa Alam. The center of Marsa Alam is 18 km away. There are also several shops, a decompression chamber, cafes and a pharmacy in the area. It is a kind of a tourist village (the largest of the Eco Camps) which can accommodate up to 240 people. The village is also recommended to people who do not dive as it has well-developed infrastructure and a wide range of attractions on land – including a children's playground or a beach volleyball court. On shore, you can use a massage stand, as well as an oxygen bar. What distinguishes Shagra is a wonderful home reef – it is inhabited by hundreds of species of

marine animals and beautiful varieties of soft and hard corals. Shagra is located in a shallow, natural bay with a sandy bottom, with reefs going north and south. Inside the bay we will reach a depth of 2 to 10 m, while going away from the shore we encounter a fault descending to about 40–50 m – the outer reef slope. Dolphins are common guests here, and so are white and black fin reef sharks, napoleons, giant green turtles, sea cows, manta rays, and from April to June... whale sharks! The diving program in the base has been designed to meet the expectations of people at various levels of advancement. It contains 60 dive sites located on a stretch of 300 km of the most wonderful Red Sea reefs. The well-prepared dive programs give the possibility of unlimited diving on home reefs, all-day boat trips to the most distant reefs, dives from zodiacs, night dives and technical dives. The Marsa Shagra and Marsa Nakari bases offer packages enabling unlimited dives from 'dawn to dusk', on magnificent home reefs, and guided tours on reefs located within 60 km of the Eco Camps. During the 5-day diving program, we have the possibility of unlimited dives on the home reef (from the shore and from zodiacs) in the basic package, or in the extended package we have an additional 8 dives with a guide in the long-range diving zones – in accordance with the so-called credits system.

You can go diving at any time of the day – the dive center has a touch screen on which people diving in the base subscribe to dives, join groups or create new ones, for a specific day and time  It is always worth asking the dive guide when trips to Elphinstone, Dolphin House or the wreck of Abu Ghusun are organized.

The Eco Camp Marsa Nakari is located in a quiet and peaceful area, above a small and sandy bay sheltered by desert hills. In Roman times, this place served as a port – the remains are the ruins of buildings on the hill by the bay. The camp is located 290 km south of Hurghada and 80 km south of the airport in Marsa Alam. The center of Marsa Alam is 40 km away. The camp is a combination of the previously described Mars Shagra, and the most southern site – Wadi Lahami. Nakari is smaller than Shagra, but definitely more intimate and calm. This is certainly an ideal proposition for people who value peace and prefer relaxation away from large and crowded resorts. The diving program works in ex-

actly the same way as in the previous camp – anyone who comes here can enter the water 4–5 times a day, at any time of the day, both from the shore and using zodiacs. From this camp we have the fastest access to the Samadai Reef, famous for its dolphins, the wreck of Abu Ghusun and the virgin reef system in the Wadi el Gimal Marine Park. There are all possible types of accommodation – from ordinary tents, to royal tents, bungalows and deluxe villas.

At the end of the road leading south, towards Sudan, there is a special place... the eco camp Wadi lahami, which was created for people who truly love diving. It is the most virgin of Eco Camps, located in the "far south of Egypt", located about 120 km from the border with Sudan, 180 km from Marsa Alam, about 10 km south of Hamata. It is located among the mangrove trees in the nature reserve. It is the smallest and the most peaceful, compared to the sister Eco Camps: Marsa Shagra and Marsa Nakari. Wadi Lahami is a very intimate and safe place that very few tourists have reached. The village can accommodate 94 people, and diving is practically the only "entertainment" in this place Here we will not meet any random tourists, we will not see hotels, we

will not hear the noise typical of Egyptian towns. Here it is... simply different. You will be surrounded by desert, mountains, a mangrove reserve, a turquoise sea and... thousands of stars scattered in the beautiful night sky. The diving package at Wadi Lahami is definitely different from other Eco Camps. The Wadi Lahami base offers two morning dives with a RIB on the famous Fury Shoals reef system during the day, afternoon dives on one of the closest reefs without a guide, and night dives on the home reef. During your week-long stay, you will do a similar number of dives to what you would do in an underwater safari! The Fury Shoal reef system is one of the best-preserved reef systems in Egypt. Abu Galawa Kebir/Soraya, Claudia, Bloomen, Lahami South, Stairway to Heaven, Malahi, Angel... these are just a few excellent dive sites located around Wadi Lahami. Amazing coral gardens, cave systems, colourful pinnacles or pristine places with a herd of over 60 dolphins attract more and more divers seeking beautiful dives. It is right here that you can see how Egyptian reefs looked over 20 years ago. It is also a refuge for birds and a phenomenal place for kitesurfing enthusiasts! There is a base in the village, which can be used throughout your stay at the camp

or together with the diving package. Wadi Lahami is my beloved place in Egypt…

The creators of the diving Eco Camp concept cooperate with a number of universities, scientists and organizations that support the development of knowledge and science on the protection of the Red Sea. Periodic cleaning and care projects for the marine world are organized. National Geographic representatives are also frequent visitors... Camps also organize photography and filming

workshops, as well as yoga sessions, horseback riding, camel, quad or astro tours.

Virgin, pro-ecological diving villages are available all year round. Always with perfect organization, perfect dives and unforgettable impressions they have been serving our clients for years. The idea of Eco Camps is addressed to people who are looking for an alternative to standard trips to the Land of the Pharaohs, because it is not always about hotel comfort, marble floors and

drinks under palm trees ... Among us there are many for whom the most important are the feeling of closeness with nature and local surroundings, the desire to experience an unusual adventure, peace, an opportunity to take a break from civilization, and diving, for which we go so often to Egypt.

It is an ideal proposition for those who start a diving adventure, where during unlimited dives on the camp reefs of Marsa Shagra and Marsa Nakari, they will gain considerable experience. For expert divers, however, who want to devote their entire stay in Egypt to diving and wish to relax from crowded resorts – the best option will be the unspoilt Wadi Lahami.

Eco Camps are places that allow you to "slow down" for a while and feel the real atmosphere of diving, so desired nowadays by all of us – divers –the atmosphere that we miss so much.

Photos used with Red Sea diving SafaRi permission

Two faces of Sulawesi

i t has been eight years since our first trip to i ndonesia. w hen i am here my senses are constantly sharpened. i feel a special connection with this place. i t is impossible to express it in words and as the n obel p rize winner r abindranath t agore wrote: " l et us be happy that we are in this world. we are bound to it with countless threads that stretch from the Earth to the stars."

ALionAir plane is slowly approaching to land. The bird's eye view allows us to look at everything from a different perspective. The ocean, which is usually slightly rough, seems to be as still as the surface of a mirror in which the emerald sky is reflected. The small hills overgrown with palm forests, the protruding volcanoes, all create an extremely beautiful landscape.

After a while, the wheels of the Boeing 737 hit with great force the runway of Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado. For a short time the engines are spinning at the highest speed as the pilot deploys the thrust reverser to stop the plane on the runway.

Text sYLwia kos M a L ska-j U ri Ewicz

Photos a D ria N j U ri Ewicz

The airport is small, similar to the ones I have seen before in the Maldives, Palau or Nepal. We pick up our luggage and head to the exit. Outside, a driver is waiting to take us to the hotel two hours away from the airport.

Foaming waves wash the shore of the coast where our hotel and diving center stand. The sand on the beach is black, volcanic, completely different from the kind we were used to when travelling in Indonesia. A small wooden bridge slightly protrudes into the Molucca Sea, creating a marina for three diving boats. The hotel's garden is planted with bushes of the bougenville in all shades of amaranth. The place exudes peace, this feeling is en-

hanced by the juicy greenery that surrounds the hotel and the village where it is located. Two high towers of the Catholic church rise above the small local community. The villagers live in single-storey, modest houses coloured in all shades of the rainbow. They especially like the colours of pistachio, pink and blue. Next to the church there is a primary school, the fence of which is decorated with images of numerous sea creatures that occur in the Lembeh Strait. Colourful drawings are more like fairytale creatures than living beings. The locals smile at us kindly, and the children ask in broken English where we are from and what our names are. On the main asphalt road, there are two grocery stores where the assortment of products is very small. The main products lying on the shelves are sweets packed in plastic film which we later see in the seas and oceans.

We unhurriedly eat breakfast and enjoy delicious morning coffee, which pleasantly introduces us to a new day. Today, the chef recommends Nasi Goreng, which is rice fried with vegetables, very often enriched with chicken or seafood. It is a traditional Indonesian dish that residents can eat three times a day.

After breakfast, we sail out for the first dive. We get in the boat from the pier, the boat is very comfortable and spacious, with a shower and toilet on board. Our diving equipment has been carefully clarified and all its components signed. Even the drinking cup and towels have been personalized. Great service for such a small diving center. A special space has also been set aside for photographers, where they can safely put away the equipment.

Lembeh

The first dive site is just five minutes away from our hotel. We stop near the fishing village, where several tiny wooden boats are moored.

The water in the Lembeh Strait seems to be gray, thanks to the sandy, dark bottom, which particularly appeals to unbelievable small creatures. It is for them that divers roam the whole world.

We immerse ourselves slowly, the sharp sun penetrates the smooth water surface, forming long streaks of light that touch the sandy bottom. The water temperature exceeds the pleasant 28°C.

We swim behind the guide just above the bottom carefully propelling ourselves with the fins so as not to stir up the water on the bottom. Single anemones grow out of it like oases in a desert. The landscape is truly lunar, the emptiness as far as the eye can see. There are no sea currents and visibility exceeds 15 metres. After a while we hear a metallic sound, our dive master taps the cylinder with a metal stick, thus informing us that he has found the first specimen. Just sharpen your eyes and start looking carefully, observe, and what is hidden will be revealed to you in full glory. It is difficult to describe in words, but after a while miracles begin to happen: the sand hitherto dark and sterile reveals its treasures, the bottom of the strait comes to life.

Two colourful octopuses fighting with each other for a plastic bottle. As elsewhere in the world, here at the bottom of the Lembeh Strait there is a lot of rubbish... Sea creatures have adapted them to create temporary shelters. Nothing goes to waste. An octopus in a bottle, and a shell instead of the bottle cap. The idea is to hide in order not to be eaten. In the course of evolution sea animals have evolved amazing methods of camouflage and luring their victims. Leaf scorpion fish becomes like a leaf, at the moment of danger it lies limp on the sand and pretends that it is not there. Hairy frog fish resembles anemone and lures its prey with a kind of a "fishing rod with bait" that grows out of his head. He waves it like crazy to draw the attention of a potential victim. Each of the specimens plays the main role in this theatre and although I take in everything that surrounds me, whenever a frog fish, octopus, cuttlefish or crab appears on the stage, the rest of the scenery becomes only the background. I stare at these tiny creatures, as if a spotlight was shining on them, while the rest of the stage, the small sea anemones and small fish plunge into darkness, seeming gray and blurry. I feel great joy, the same euphoria that I felt at the beginning when I was learning to dive, and everything around was new, as if out of this world.

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by adventure and documentary films which are mainly about the search for treasures. I absorbed them with passion, and I watch some of them several times. Diving in the Strait of Lembeh I feel like a treasure hunter, a discoverer of creatures from another planet.

Not only diving in the Strait of Lembeh deserves our attention, but also the Tangkoko National Park, located at the foot of Mount Dua Saudara in the province of Bitung. It was created to prevent the extinction of animals that occur in this region of the world. We reach the reserve before nine o'clock. This is the perfect time to meet birds and other mammals that are most active in the morning. Two gangs of black macaques, Rambo I and Rambo II, in the number of over 200, rest between the trees indulging in beauty treatments. The monkeys are beautiful, handsome and so black that it is difficult to see their eyes and snouts that merge into one. We approach slowly so as not to frighten them away. We observe one another, we are curious. A medium-sized macaque approaches me, a male with a beautiful mohawk on his head, he has one foot missing, maybe he lost it during a fight with an animal or a human... Every creature has its own history just as humans do. He gently touches my calf, and then immediately stops. Our guide sees this scene and says: "Don't be afraid, the macaque wants to

d iving in the s trait of Lembeh i feel like a treasure hunter, a discoverer of creatures from another planet.

get to know you, it checks your smell." Before we came to the jungle, I had used half a tube of mosquito repellent, I had lubricated my skin thoroughly. My scent can only scare it away, I thought. And so it happened, mosquitoes circled fearlessly over us and the macaque escaped like hell with the rest of the bunch deep into the jungle. For a while, we wander together through the rain forest, watching one another. Sweat is running down our back, the humidity exceeds 80%, in such conditions you can dehydrate very quickly. We drink water from a water bottle very slowly, in small sips, this is the best way to hydrate the body.

We stop between large teak trees: "Look up" says our guide, "these are cuscuses, “bears” from the marsupial family, an endemic species threatened with extinction. They mate for life and live high in the trees, they do not go down, they are afraid of man." They are difficult to see in the treetops and it is hardly surprising. Once, because of lack of food, they were shot at. Today they are

also killed, but for another reason, in order to prepare a meal for tourists and satisfy their culinary curiosity. The same goes for monkeys, lizards and birds. I do not understand how you can kill animals for entertainment or frills. At hotels in Manado and the surrounding area, you can buy a trip to a mountain village where game dishes are served. The more we delve into the forest, the more animals we encounter on our way: birds, tar-

siers (smallest primate), lizards with red collars, snakes and many other creatures. The jungle shelters countless wild animals. It is a reserve created so that the creatures who inhabit this area can live without fear that man will deprive them of life.

After several days spent off the coast of the Lembeh Strait, we sailed to the Bunaken National Marine Park. It was founded in 1991 and includes both sea and land

areas. Dives in the Bunaken National Marine Park are very different from those in the Lembeh Strait. We usually dive at steeply falling walls covered with corals and beautiful gorgonians. The visibility exceeds 30 metres and is the same throughout the year. The coral reef resembles the one I saw on Raja Ampat, it is very well preserved. During one dive, we find huge turtles resting on rocky shelves or swimming just near the water surface, as well as white tip, black tip and silver tip sharks. During our visit to Bunaken National Marine Park, we also visited a local village, where the inhabitants lead a quiet, modest life... they take care of family and neighbourly relations, meet, talk and celebrate together. They experience moments that are now rare in Europe...

“Dolphin Reef” in Eilat

new opportunities, new threats

Text and photos jakU b ba Nasiak

the road to freedom often abounds in surprising dramatic situations. the biggest chance for freedom for bottlenose dolphins on " d olphin r eef" in Eilat turned out to be an underwater incident that took place here. d amage caused by a drifting ship led to the situation in which the dolphins, previously enclosed in a large sea pen, can now freely swim into the open waters of the g ulf of Aqaba.

It is the end of October 2015. While being towed to the port of Eilat, the great freighter Suprastar, flying the flag of the Marshall Islands, is pushed by a very strong wind straight towards the "Dolphin Reef" fence. At the last moment, to prevent a disaster, the captain starts all of the ship's engines and miraculously sets the watercraft on the right course. However, the action of powerful propellers destroys the nets separating the dolphins from the bay waters as well as part of the floating barrier. The boards and the structure of the fence fall down like a domino, the broken rigid net devastates the corals. View platforms are dancing on a giant wave. Tourists flee

to the beach in panic. This frightening incident however results only in large material losses. Soon, the owners of "Dolphin Reef" make a decision – on a new floating fence there will no longer be a net separating the dolphins from freedom. The bottlenose dolphins can now swim outside the sea pen whenever they want...

When I heard this story some time ago, I was quite sceptical. I did not really believe that dolphins from "Dolphin Reef" were really free. I know this place quite well, I spent a lot of time there among dolphins, I did a course in dolphin biology and dolphin therapy at Ben-Gurion University. Staying there for several days, on a com-

pletely different basis than tourists, and then another visit, gave me quite a good insight into how this place works. Yes, dolphins could have swum into the open waters of the bay years ago through a special gate in a net. But then this "window" was closed permanently so that the dolphins could not get outside without control because it caused many problems, exposing the dolphins to the mindless behaviour of tourists, not only on the shores of Eilat, but also on the Egyptian side. After all, this was the objective of the authorities, which required that the owners of dolphins, legally responsible for their safety, do not expose animals to feeding by unauthorized persons, the risk of accidental trapping or acts of aggression by fishermen (decision of the Natural Resources Office in 2002). In addition, they are Atlantic bottlenose dolphins – tursiops truncatus ponticus – an alien species here. And now are the dolphins supposed to be unattended and move around wherever they like? Rather doubtful... The only solution is to check everything yourself.

I have to admit that I have a very ambivalent attitude towards "Dolphin Reef". Although it is not a classic dolphinarium, but rather a very large sea pen, inhabited by a family group of bottlenose dolphins, with a private beach and recreational areas, yet it still does condemn dolphins to live in a limited space and to the presence of tourists. The mere fact of contacts with the caretakers and guides of diving and swimming with dolphins programs (who touch and stroke dolphins), the presence of tourists in the water and the fact that the animals are fed several times a day, affect their behaviour. At first glance, you can see how strong this habituation process is and how the animals are attached emotionally to their caregivers and accustomed to additional meals.

Indo-Pacific bottlenose

Dolphin reef

On the other hand, dolphins live in seawater on over 14 thousand square meters, they are not forced to do anything, they do what they want, they are not subject to any training or rigor. They do not work and are not in any way encouraged to interact with tourists or patients during dolphin therapy sessions. The fish they get are not a reward for obedience or any activity. They are simply regular, predictable meals, served 5 times a day and accounting for about 40–50% of daily demand. For the rest of the food, the dolphins must hunt themselves.

Caregivers ensure that divers and swimmers do not touch the animals or stress them in any way. If dolphins swim to people themselves – that is ok, but if they do not intend to, they are not forced to have contact with people. This also applies to therapeutic sessions. Regardless of the parents' expectations, if dolphins are not going to establish a relationship with a child, they will simply not swim and all therapeutic work will be carried out only by a human therapist. The level of the well-being of the four dolphins currently living there is therefore drastically different and higher than in any other dolphinarium. It seems that if they could actually leave "Dolphin Reef" freely, swim out and come back whenever they want, this facility would function to a large extent like a coastal dolphin sanctuary. Of course, provided that swimming and

diving with dolphins programs were abolished and close relationships with caregivers were kept to a minimum.

Five days in December of the last year which I spent inside and around "Dolphin Reef", allowed me to see exactly how much bottlenose dolphins are free to move and swim outside the floating barrier. And indeed – what seemed so beautiful turned out to be a fact :) The view of the dorsal fins among the waves outside the pen is something wonderful and very positive. It turned out that the dolphins can actually swim anywhere under the fence at any time and enjoy the freedom. Underwater, they are not limited by any nets, except the only one separating the beach resort from the rest of the pen. Animals usually leave in the afternoon and evening, going hunting – just like their free brothers – at dusk.

Dolphins often feed outside and explore the area also at dawn. That is why in the early morning hours I decided to monitor their activity for two days in a row, this time in water and underwater, swimming near "Dolphin Reef", in the open sea. The unmistakable signal and the best motivator to get into the water were the outlines of fins flashing among the waves and the characteristic sounds of dolphin breaths. A few moments of waiting in the water and at the sight of dolphins swimming in my direction, freely crossing the border of the sea pen, I feel

Ordinary bottlenose

the hormones of happiness rage in me. Dolphins appear and disappear, busy with their affairs, every few minutes swimming nearby, returning to the pen, then again outside in a different place. Sometimes one, sometimes two individuals appeared. Occasionally they kept their distance, at other times they swam just a meter away from me or looked directly into the mask and lens of the underwater camera. Underwater, no trace of the net or another obstacle. At last, there is no limit to dolphins' living space!

While in the interior of "Dolphins Reef" and diving there, to check the current living conditions from the inside, I was able to see several times that alien, wild dolphins came into the site. An Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin had been coming here regularly for two weeks. It is easy to distinguish this species, because Indo-Pacific bottlenoses are smaller, more slender than an ordinary bottlenose, have longer beaks and spots on the stomach. I did not think that I would meet him both inside and outside "Dolphin Reef". The next day I swam near the pen, and he did not swim as close as the native inhabitants of "Dolphin Reef", but he was clearly interested and appeared nearby every few minutes. He swam into the pen, and in a moment he moved outside again, towards me. From six to nine in the morning I was the only per-

a n i ndo- p acific bottlenose dolphin had been coming here regularly for two weeks. i t is easy to distinguish this species, because i ndo- p acific bottlenoses are smaller, more slender than an ordinary bottlenose, have longer beaks and spots on the stomach.

son here in the water, and there was enough daylight to watch everything around me. "My" wild companion mainly swam alone, only sometimes appearing with one of the other bottlenose dolphins, but he did not interact with them. Instead, he became more and more familiar with my presence and accompanied me in close proximity for longer and longer. Meeting dolphins in the wild is something completely different than diving with them in a fenced bay, a hundred meters away.

The possibility for dolphins to swim freely outside "Dolphin Reef" has another side, however. There is always a price for freedom. It turned out that the bottle-

Indo-Pacific bottlenose

nose dolphins swimming outside are a magnet for tourists coming here on motorboats and small cruise ships. Actually, motorboats are also a magnet for dolphins. It is not known what is the biggest attraction for these marine mammals – whether the vibration of the motor boat propeller screws or the sound of the engines, or the waves they create. In particular, they developed a liking for two fast motor boats generating large waves and would play around with joy on the bow waves and in the wake.

The problem, however, is that in the afternoon several boats approach the barrier simultaneously. Sometimes there are more than five at the same time. They accelerate, spin around, accelerate over a short distance, all in the immediate vicinity of dolphins, in order to attract their attention and provoke them to swim and have fun. We know – the point is for tourists to have as much fun as possible and the best opportunity for photos. But in such conditions it is difficult not to collide with a dolphin. And after all, wounds resulting from a collision with a mo-

torboat propeller screw are the most common cause of dolphin death in waters besieged by tourists.

There is also increasing pressure from divers and freedivers on dolphins hunting and playing outside "Dolphin Reef". Morning dives in the area in order to meet bottlenose dolphins are becoming more and more popular. There was rarely a situation when I was the only person in the water. In the season at dawn, nearby parking lots are filled with cars belonging to amateurs of the undersea world. How many of them follow the basic principles of diving with dolphins? It would be very bad if dolphins, stressed by the presence of more and more people in the water, tried to hunt somewhere further. The Gulf of Aqaba is not very friendly to marine mammals. It is a very busy communication route, with many private motorboats, water scooters, merchant ships, and fast navy chasers. On the other hand, on the nearby Egyptian coast there is even more tourist pressure. An equally bad alternative would be if the stressed bottlenose dolphins remained within the "Dolphin Reef" pen, which would again become a prison for them.

As usual, everything depends on us, people, on our responsible approach to tourism, diving and communing with nature. When I attended a dolphin biology course here in 2013, there were 8 bottlenose dolphins in "Dolphin Reef". Today, only 4 of them live in this group. Two died because of poisoning from the food that tourists served to them on nearby beaches and reefs. How many will survive until my next visit to Eilat?

A TY? KIEDY WYBIERZESZ

SIĘ NA SPACER?

Aktywność fizyczna poprawia kondycję.

Rehasport

www.rehasport.pl

Rehasport www.rehasport.pl

www.rehasport.pl

Aktywność fizyczna poprawia kondycję.

78% POLAKÓW NIE JEST DOŚĆ

AKTYWNYCH FIZYCZNIE*

Hazard identification and risk assessment – Hira

The DAN Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HiRa) program was created to help you identify and reduce the risks associated with running a business in the diving industry. This program is an adaptation of well-known HiRa practices used in aviation, medicine, production and other fields, as well as by security services around the world. dan has adapted the program to take into account real diving threats, offering realistic and pragmatic risk assessment and mitigation strategies.

The HIRA DAN program is a basic element of DAN's work in cultivating a safety culture in the diving community; its value and usability are supported by industry experts as well as DAN experts around the world.

The DAN HIRA program helps dive center owners, dive operators and their employees identify hazards before they lead to an accident.

If you run a diving business, you must be well prepared and equipped. Only in this way you will be able to dive safely and deal with emergencies or accidents. This way you will be perceived as a professional by both clients and your employees. The DAN HIRA program was created as an indication of a strategy for proactive accident prevention and mitigation, so that we can enjoy diving in a safe way.

The main benefit of implementing the DAN HIRA program is the reduction of the likelihood, severity and impact of incidents. However, the benefits are much broader:

• minimizing the severity of incidents and their impact on your business

• reduction of potential injuries to clients and employees

• reducing the long-term costs of potential injuries

• reducing long-term liability costs

• improving training, reducing staff turnover

• use of DAN marketing input; DAN will promote your HIRA activities and achievements

• establishing and maintaining an organizational culture of security

The DAN HIRA program has been divided into 3 levels (HIRA Level 1, HIRA Level 2, HIRA Level 3) and 3 categories dedicated to various groups professionally related to diving – Diving Instructors, Diving Centers, Dive Operators. Levels 1 and 2 are based on a fair self-assessment completing the questionnaire, and level 3, dedicated to Diving Companies employing many employees, is a physical assessment at the headquarters of the Diving Center/ Operator.

Hira LEVEL 1

Participation is free for DAN members and DAN business partners

Dive centers – Dive operators – Dive instructors

Level one certification requirements

TRAINING – Staff trained in first aid, BLS and oxygen administration

EQUIPMENT – First-aid kits and oxygen kits are readily available at the dive site or pool

INSURANCE – General insurance against civil and / or professional liability is required

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES * – Pre-dive safety instructions (for pool and dive site), Boat safety information, Dive briefings and the number of people after a dive using the physical checklist

EMERGENCY ACTION PLANS * – EAP created for lost divers, divers and other injuries

Hira LEVEL 2

Level two is also free for DAN members and DAN business partners. It includes meeting all the first level requirements and implementing the practice of a wider range of operational procedures and contingency plans.

TRAINING – Additional training that includes marine life injury (depending on adequacy), neurological examination and AED, if not included in previous courses; there should be at least one first aid instructor in the diving centers

EQUIPMENT – Automated External Defibrillator (AED)

ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION PLAN *

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES – proper maintenance of first aid kits and oxygen kits; diving refusal procedures on grounds of health; regular simulations / exercises of emergency procedures

EMERGENCY ACTION PLANS – Additional EAP based on scope of activities – checklist provided

Hira LEVEL 3

HIRA level 3 is a comprehensive assessment and detailed threat assessment. At this level, almost every aspect of business and diving operations is discussed, and additional EAPs are required depending on the scope of activities.

Join the program today by completing the questionnaire at www.daneurope.org, SAFETY tab > HIRA

If you have any questions about this review, please write to hira@daneurope.org

* you can read about it in the next issue of Perfect Diver

Vikings

rulers of the seas

north East England, a foggy morning is awakening in the late spring of 793. calm, silent monks are bustling around. some of them are preparing for the service. the air is filled with prayer and quiet, peaceful work. the calm is broken by a sail emerging from the sea fog. the curious monks are confidently watching the arriving boat. nobody expects what will happen.

Only when armed men jump out of the boat, terror appears on the faces of the clergymen. The last thing they hear in their lives are incomprehensible screams in the Norse language.

This is not a description of the first episode of the Vikings series, but a description of the real events that took place at the end of the eighth century. It is from the attack on Lindisfarne Monastery that the

history of Viking dominance of the seas begins. This fragment of prayer shows what terror they caused in Europe: A furore Normannorum libera nos, Domine (God, save us from the wrath of the Norsemen).

In Icelandic sagas, the statement "set out on a viking" means to set out on a plundering expedition. The Old Norse male noun víkingr also derives from this word, meaning persons who participated in such an expedition. This word appears in skaldic poetry and on runic stones. At first, the Vikings came mainly from the areas of today's Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Later, this broadly defined

Text MatEUsz popEk Photos wikiMEDia coMMoNs opEN accsEss

Boat from Oseberg

group was also joined by representatives of other peoples, including Slavs.

Over several hundred years, the Norsemen conquered the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Ruthenian rivers, and even reached America. Nothing could stop them, even the largest Frankish state of the day. Less than 100 years after the sacking of the English monastery in 885, a large Danish fleet of 700 ships sails into the Loire. They demand a great tribute from King Charles III the Fat. When the ruler refuses, a siege of Paris lasting over a year begins. Tired of constant fighting, the king pays the Vikings 350 kilograms of silver as ransom. Following the agreement, the fleet leaves, but on top of everything it also plunders Burgundy.

Northern peoples did not always plunder. They were also mercenaries. Around the year 1000, the Byzantine emperor Basil II the Bulgar Slayer, appointed an elite unit made up mainly of northern people, calling it the Varangian Guard. It was a unit faithful to the emperor, protecting him from internal enemies. Even the future King of Norway Harald III Hardrada was a member of this formation.

However, the Vikings did not always fight. They were also very talented merchants, whose boats reached the farthest corners of Europe and even the Arab world. They were also explorers. Discoveries often occurred in unexpected circumstances. At the end of the tenth century, Erik the Red, who lived in Iceland, got into conflict with his friend and killed his two sons. As a result, he was banished from Iceland for three years. He gets on his boat and sails northwest where he finds a new land. He spends there the

three years in exile, then returns to Iceland and advertises his discovery as "Greenland" or the green island. Icelanders let themselves be persuaded and colonize this island. In the summer of 986, a Scandinavian merchant wanting to sail to Greenland loses his course in the fog and after three days reaches an unknown land. He tells of his adventure to Erik the Red's son, Leif Erikson, who founds a settlement in the new land called Vinland, probably located in Newfoundland. Until 1960, this story was considered a legend. However, it was that year that traces of the Viking settlement of L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland were discovered. Even if Vikings were rulers of the seas, many of their ships would sink. Although thousands of them sank, it is impossible to dive on such a wreck at the moment. The discoveries of sunken Viking ships are extremely rare, and the wrecks themselves are very fragile. Therefore, they can be admired more often in a museum than in the sea. Thanks to the specific way of burying the dead, who were laid in

Viking conquests

Helge Ask war boat reconstruction from Skuldelev

boats and then covered with mounds, perfectly preserved ships have been preserved to our time. One of them is a boat from Oseberg discovered in 1903. In this beautifully decorated boat, a woman from the social elites was laid to rest. Another kurgan with a Viking boat inside was also found on the shores of the same Oslofjord in Gokstad. So much the Vikings had to be connected with the sea and their ships that they kept them even in the afterlife. If it was not possible to take the whole boat, the family tried to make the grave similar to a ship by laying stones in such a shape.

However, the discovery from Skuldelev in the Roskilde Fjord (Denmark) contributed the most to the knowledge of Viking ships and sailing. At the end of the 11th century, the Danes sank six ships here to block the entrance to the port. Thanks to this, modern scientists could find out how ships looked at that time. To be able to investigate the place of sinking as

accurately as possible, archaeologists surrounded the wreckage with a Larssen sheet piling and pumped out the water. In this way, six wrecks were raised. Two of them are the remains of war boats. One of them measured

17 meters and the other 30 meters. The larger one could develop speeds of up to 17 knots and take 70 warriors aboard. There were also the wrecks of two cargo ships. They were much stockier than the war vessels and

Boat from Oseberg

could take up to 20 tonnes of cargo on board. One of them was capable of sailing across the Atlantic. These wrecks show how smoothly war and trade intertwined in the Viking world. It is amazing how such a cold and infertile earth could have born such great sailors and warriors, or maybe it was indeed the harsh climate that made people hard enough so that they were willing to conquer the whole known world of that time. Over the course of these few hundred years, Viking ships sailed to the ends of the world known to medieval Europe and even beyond. They were pirates, mercenaries, merchants and explorers. They were the people of the sea with which they could not part even after death. They were the Vikings.

Viking sword

Rune stone

Viking sword head

Viking swords advertisement

Maria Concordia Mine

a new place on the diving map of poland

Text and photos bart E k pita La

people who enjoy diving in confined spaces – be it mines or caves or other anthropogenic creations – do not have an easy life in poland.

Flooded caves in our country are only short siphons found in the depths of dry parts of caves, primarily in the tatra mountains, access to which requires rather advanced knowledge of speleological techniques.

It'sa bit better with the mines, but we are still talking here mainly about short, shallow, often very unstable locations known only to a handful of enthusiasts. It is not surprising, therefore, that each new discovery arouses keen interest from native "cavemen". In recent years, the Maria Concordia mine located in Sobótka in Lower Silesia has become such a novelty.

Of course, speaking of a new site, I mean a place adapted for "touristic" diving. The very fact of the existence of the mine had been known to explorers for years, and the turbulent history of exploitation, shutdown, and subsequent exploration is a topic for a separate, very interesting article. In short, the establishment of the mine is dated to the period preceding the First World War. There are documents that during the Second World War factories producing parts for aircraft and heavy artillery tractors operated in the mine. Interestingly – these parts of the mine were not found after the war, despite the large space they occupied – according to documents we are talking about volumes exceeding 8000 m3. The mine ended its operations in the 1960s. At that time, most of the shafts enabling the discovery of secrets hidden by the underground were closed, and the memory of the mine itself began to fade with the death of its former employees and nearby residents.

The mine was accessed again by a group of enthusiasts who, after years of searching, in 2012, managed to discover the entrance to the "Ewa" shaft at the bottom of a decades-old pile of rubbish and debris. However, because of the interest in the subject of other explorers and previous failed attempts to enter the mine as a result of reckless actions, the group decided to keep

wroclaw

sobótka

the fact of finding the shaft secret. Over the next three years, the team explored the dry and flooded parts of the mine under the cover of night. To complete the picture, one small detail needs to be mentioned – in order to reach the bottom of the dry part, it is necessary to make a 40-meter descent on a rope. And then go the same way up. Not to mention diving equipment...

All this effort could have been wiped out in 2016. Then the entrance leading to the shaft was unexpectedly backfilled with soil and debris. It turned out that the municipality had started cleaning up the land for sale where the entrance to the mine was located. As a result of this turn of events, the explorers decided to disclose their activities to the city authorities. Fortunately, it turned out that the authorities not only were not against, but even supported the initiative to preserve the mine for diving and tourist activities. Finally, at the turn of 2016 and 2017, the group managed to buy the land and officially start the project called the pre-war name of the mine –"Maria Concordia".

In autumn 2019, there was finally an opportunity to personally explore the flooded corridors of Maria Concordia. I was particularly interested in the aforementioned 40-meter descent to the bottom of the shaft – after all, access to water does not often require such "somersaults". Important information for those who do not necessarily consider hanging over a several-dozen-meter hole in the ground as a great attraction – the entire way down is supervised by at least two members of the Maria Concordia team, well-acquainted with rope techniques, and the station itself – just look at Photo 1 – is a professional installation guaranteeing the highest level of security. The other equally, if not more important, information is that for transporting us and tens of kilograms of our equipment down is responsible the electrically operated lift, so you do not have to be as fit as young Schwarzenegger to think about diving in the mine. Thanks to the use of the lift and a professional support team, transporting four divers and their equipment down is a matter of just over an hour. And the same on

Photo 1

the way back. So you can see that this is an action that, depending on the experience of the team members, can be completed in a few hours.

Once all our gear is with us at the bottom of the dry part of the mine, it is time to prepare for the dive – put on suits, fix additional side cylinders, inspect the equipment, etc. Another nice surprise is that we start diving in the same shaft that we covered on our way from the surface – thanks to this our stuff is waiting for us just by the water and there is no need for exhausting and time-consuming transportation of it to further parts of the mine. The shaft itself is interesting, but its dimensions force us to immerse one after another, which means that those who enter the water last must expect "jacuzzi" effect in the immersion phase.

The big advantage of the underwater part of the mine is the variation of depth – several levels are flooded, at depths (about) 6, 15, 22, and 35 m – so everyone will

find something for themselves. The most extensive is the 6 m level, which makes it an ideal spot to make a longer or shorter decompression phase there after visiting the lower levels. This level offers several corridors with a total length of several hundred meters. Personally, I was impressed with the part with perfectly preserved propping – this is a very photogenic place (Photo 2). The most compact is the deepest level – swimming around it is a matter of a maximum of several minutes.

The visibility in the mine is very good. What's more, due to the fairly large dimensions of the corridors and halls, the stirred sediments and the resulting from it lack of visibility should not become a problem for a team able to control their buoyancy. In many places we will come across heaps of boulders resembling goafs – they are in fact dams created by miners at the end of mine exploitation. Many of them were dug out by a team of explorers to the extent that allows them to get to further parts of

Photo

the mine, but work is still underway to provide access to further, currently blocked, parts of the mine. A characteristic phenomenon that I had not encountered in other mines, which I had visited up to that point, are the silvery-white veins of magnesite appearing in the walls. In some places, they take on really impressive sizes, like the one in Photo 3.

In some places, clay is deposited at the bottom of the mine. There would be nothing overly interesting about it, if not for the fact that the footprints of people walking

along the pavements, while the mine was still in operation, were preserved in this clay to this day. It is true that these are not prehistoric or even medieval traces, but this phenomenon deepens the well-known impression of divers being in a "time machine". Naturally, in the mine we will also find "standard" attractions of this type of places, i.e. the remains of operational infrastructure – pipes, machine parts, the whole structure of the shaft, along which we move to subsequent levels of the mine, wooden structures or railway. Visiting each avail-

Photo 3

able nook and corner requires us to spend about 1.5–2 hours in the water. We can either "speed" through the entire mine during one longer dive, or choose to perform two shorter ones. of course, you will need cave diving certificate to dive in the mine.

In my opinion, this place is definitely worth seeing, even if you have already been to Kobanyi, Dubrovnik, Miltitz or Kowary. Maria Concordia combines various features of these mines – immersion through the shaft, interesting rocks, elements of mining infrastructure, corridors, tighter dams, more spacious chambers – and adds a few unique features. This mix makes diving there an interesting experience that you will probably want to repeat.

You can contact the management team and make an appointment via the Facebook fan page: „Kopalnia Maria Concordia”

Rummu

Text and photos b E

r ummu in Estonia is a flooded former post- s oviet penal colony and quarr y. w hen mining was finished and the pumps stopped working, the pit filled with water, creating an unusual turquoise lake of great transparency with sunken buildings, fragments of walls, constructions, machines and trees. For many years, this place has tempted divers desiring interesting underwater views.

ata tabak

Estoniais a small country with an area slightly larger than Denmark and a population smaller than Warsaw. Estonia's biggest tourist attraction is Tallinn with its beautiful medieval old town, and idyllic islands and national parks compete for tourists. But for lovers of underwater exploration, just 30 kilometers away from Tallinn, there is another attraction, although it may not be the most appropriate word because of the history of this place. The blue waters of the artificial reservoir Rummu, called by the locals the "Blue Lagoon", hide the remains of the former Soviet prison and quarry.

The Rummu quarry was opened in 1938 and it excavated limestone, called Vasalemma marble (the name comes from a nearby town). From the beginning of the existence of this place, the workforce there were prisoners located next to the Murru prison. For several dozen years, working in three shifts, in difficult conditions, the prisoners excavated tons of limestone. The evidence are the limestone heaps rising several dozen meters away from the reservoir, currently taken over by nature, separated by deep ditches carved by rainwater. From the top of these "hills" there is a magnificent view on the surrounding area and the Rummu reservoir. You can see the buildings protruding from the water and other remains of former buildings looming below it. The quarry operated until 1991. When the demand for the extracted material decreased, the pumps were turned off and ground water quickly flooded the quarry and part of the prison, creating a unique artificial reservoir.

vilnius

riga

tallinn

LitHuania Latvia

estonia rummu

a good time for diving is spring and autumn, when the visibility is best. ... the depth is about 12 m, although there are divers who noted 13 m depth; it is not easy to find it. However, most of the attractions are located not that deep.

Lake Rummu covers the area of 88 ha and is private, mostly surrounded by a rather dilapidated wall. A semiwild bathing beach operates in summer on the side of the heaps and near buildings rising above the water. On the opposite side of the lake there is the Paekalda Puhkekeskus resort, where you can stop and dive from the shore. Visibility under water reaches 5–10 meters and the temperature, similarly to Polish waters, depending

on the month is from a few to several degrees Celsius. A good time for diving is spring and autumn, when the visibility is best. Though it is true that you can dive there at any time of the year, due to the operating summer beach it is better to avoid the holiday period, when bathers effectively spoil the visibility in water. The depth is about 12 m, although there are divers who noted 13 m depth; it is not easy to find it. However, most of the attractions are located not that deep.

You can dive from the shore, outside the Paekalda Puhkekeskus centre, where there is convenient road and a bridge. Access to water in other places means you have to carry equipment several dozen meters and go through holes in the fence. An alternative solution is to rent a floating platform that can be moored directly above the dive site. This way you can avoid the need to swim underwater to places farther from the shore. There are ropes, but information about their location is insufficient and it is not always known where they lead.

The place from which it is good to start the dive is close to the bathing beach by the buildings protruding from the water. It's basically a site with three attractions and if there's enough time it is good to have two dives there. Post-industrial reinforced concrete buildings look underwater more attractive than what can be seen above water. When the sun is shining, the magical play of light coming through the windows or breaks in the walls creates a fabulous underwater scenery. Wide rooms allow for safe exploration, but if you are in this place for the first time, it is better to use a guide. The depth is only 5 meters. Next to a large building, there are several smaller ones that are also worth seeing. In fact, one whole dive can be spent visiting these buildings, especially if you are an underwater photographer.

There is another interesting place nearby, where you can swim from the buildings, admiring on the way the underwater green meadows and occasionally fish passing quickly. This is the famous prison wall. Once impossible to cross, over two meters high, reinforced with barbed wire, now can be easily crossed over and admired from all sides. Here and there there are lanterns mounted on the wall, entwined with freshwater aquatic plants, creating a rather gloomy and fascinating underwater view. Swimming along the wall, you can get to the gate through which the prisoners used to pass to work.

But this is not the end yet, if there is still some air in the cylinder. Not far away from the wall there is a magical underwater forest. Dozens of trees and shrubs with branches fancifully twisted in each direction create a beautiful scenery. On a sunny day, rays of light breaking through complete the whole picture. It's easy to lose orientation and get lost.

The deepest place where one can try to get at 13 meters depth is the pumping station. The building itself allows exploration both outside and inside. Swimming around the pump station we will discover a transformer, roller, other barracks or various remains of a former activity in the form of a ladder, chair or pan.

Wooden huts are another interesting place. In this freshwater environment, despite all these years, wood has been well preserved. Diving begins with the remains of a brick building, a labyrinth of corridors, where you can see a metal closet for documents. I wonder what papers were hidden in it, but we will never find it out. A few meters away is the first barrack out of several ones, most of them wooden. Interestingly, next to one of them there is a board with a plan which makes it easier to move

r ummu is located about 1000 km from warsaw and you have to spend the whole day travelling.

i t's a nice place for an extended weekend: there is so many things under water that there are enough attractions for 5 or 6 dives.

around the area. Some buildings allow it to get inside, where things left by former residents or employees are still found.

A quarry means also huge drilling machines and we can also find them in Rummu. They are almost in the middle of the lake and getting there from the shore

can be difficult, because it is a long way to cover. One of the ropes leads to this place. A much better option here is a barge, which we moor over one machine and descend to the depth of about 9 meters. From the barge we use the ropes to reach the remaining machines. You have to be patient, individual groups of machines are several dozen meters apart and between them a flat meadow stretches, in which sometimes fish appear, but in general this is a monotonous and boring part. The machines we would consider only as scrap metal on the surface, gain majesty under water. Crumbling and scattered along the bottom, they become home to fish and freshwater plants. In this form it is difficult to discover their former purpose, some may have been used for limestone mining, some might have been used for transport.

Finally, you can leave the dive from the shore at Paekalda Puhkekeskus and do it at night. Rummu waters are poor in fish, and after dark there is a greater chance of meeting them, though there is no guarantee. Here, underwater, you can admire the spectacular walls and heaps of stones, so it was certainly a place of mining. Several-meter stones pile up on top of each other, creating hills cut by valleys. It all looks like a lunar landscape.

Rummu is located about 1000 km from Warsaw and you have to spend the whole day travelling. It's a nice place for an extended weekend: there is so many things under water that there are enough attractions for 5 or 6 dives. Additionally, it can be combined with a trip to Tallinn and visiting the medieval old town. It is worth visiting the maritime museum and looking into the Estonian submarine Lembita. On the way home, you can still drop in to Hańcza lake and visit dugouts there or look for crayfish.

Quarry in Uzhgorod

Text karo L pEN ci L o łów E k Photos karo L pEN ci L o łów E k, Mał G orzata Hab EL (ukraine - transcarpathia)

"every unknown leads somewhere".

david mitchell – cloud atlas

Hello again to all readers of the series of travels through unknown and little-known diving sites 

Not often do we hear about Ukraine and its waters when talking about popular diving destinations. While the Black Sea and its wrecks are visited by diving tourists, the lakes and quarries are still very little known. Once again, we have found that these are interesting and unusual places 

Where did the idea of diving in the Ukrainian quarry come from?

A few years back, we dived with friends in Lake Svitiaz lying in the group of Shatsk lakes – it was an unforgettable experience for us, not only because of the underwater views themselves, but also because of interesting circumstances associated with a diving trip to these rather unusual places.

Last year, while visiting Ukrainian Transcarpathia (also Zakarpattia), we managed to find a picturesquely located reservoir near the centre of the capital of the Uzhgorod region. We arrived there in the summer and it was clear

from the shore that visibility was simply non-existent. Greenish-brown colour did not encourage people to enter the water and we resigned from diving that day. We promised ourselves that we would return to this place in autumn or winter, because as we know, water in this type of pits usually clears up in the cooler months.

Access from Krakow to Uzhgorod through Slovakia is not a big problem, but unfortunately only fragments of the route leading to Ukraine are faster. We need to be patient while travelling along the not very fast local roads of the mediocre quality. Unfortunately, another test of our mental resilience is the Slovakia-Ukrainian border crossing point with unpleasant service on both sides of the boarder. We were waiting to cross the border for about 2 hours – in one direction! Ukrainians did not hide

Lvov

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their surprise asking us several times why anyone was interested in diving in their country.

On the site the roads were in poor condition, and the road to the quarry was rather a challenge for a 4x4 car (cars with very low suspension may get seriously damaged).

According to a few sources, the Uzhgorod quarry was built around 1880. It operated as a place for the extraction of andesite – material for railway tracks and for construction. In the pit for years functioned a rather inefficient, narrow-gauge transport. The mine ceased operations in the 70s of the 20th century and since then the reservoir gradually filled with water.

According to various sources, the depth is from 30 to 40 meters.

Currently, this place gives a rather depressing impression. On the shore there is an abandoned restaurant along with the remains of quarry buildings reminiscent of the previous era. You can see the remnants of the machines and a lot of garbage.

On Saturday morning we drove down to the quarry, providing on our way assistance to the locals with

a punctured tyre. While we were preparing the equipment by the lake, several higher-class cars appeared with local, rather shady gym goers who, however, politely greeted and dealt with their business on the side. Such a local colour 

After entering the water we got a very positive surprise. The visibility, after what we had seen in the summer of the previous year, was very decent up to about 5–8 meters. Interesting walls, lots of vegetation. We swam through the middle of the basin trying to find the deepest place. Along the way we met the remains of machines and a pipeline running towards the bottom. At a dozen or so meters, the visibility dropped to absolute zero, and after exploring the area, we did not decide to descend lower – because of a lot of sharp edges, metal sheets and scrap sensed only "by touch".

We swam around the reservoir finding other Ukrainian curiosities, i.e. many whole or cut into parts cars with registration numbers, also successfully converted into puzzles. A local site for the disposal of mysteriously disappearing cars  Fortunately, there were no car owners inside.

There are rather few specimens of fish, but a lot of crayfish live under stones and in rock crevices.

The maximum depth of this dive was about 15 meters (below that level there was zero visibility – too dangerous to dive in an unknown reservoir), the water tem-

perature was 15°C at the surface (October 2019) and 8°C under water.

Despite the considerable littering, the reservoir is interesting, though dangerous with a lot of wires, fishing lines, sheets, broken glass.

The whole trip is another interesting experience. We can try good Ukrainian cuisine and visit new, though not easy diving site. You need some luck as far as visibility is concerned and you have to dive very carefully.

On the way back to the home country we had again a big problem at the border, this time 4 hours of queueing and an over-diligent Ukrainian customs officer, who had nothing else to do but to pick on our cylinders in which he though we were smuggling some contraband.

A small tip for those travelling abroad and crossing border control points: it is worth having a written list (declaration) of equipment that we bring to a country outside the EU. On your return you will avoid many unpleasant discussions.

An interesting summary of this small trip may be the discussion which took place on the crossing-point. While fighting difficulties with customs officers, we showed them photos of sunken cars, which made them very interested and relaxed their official approach. Then the question was asked: 'Were there many skeletons in these cars?'... This shows what kind of atmosphere we can encounter by choosing similar mysterious places in unusual countries.

Feathered torpedoes

Text and photos wojci E c H jarosz

s treamlined silhouette, propulsion located near the stern, long range – undoubtedly torpedo! But not soulless, cold, steel ones, whose only goal is to hit the target and destroy it spectacularly. this one is feathered, quite clever and reusable. the cormorant under water is the quintessence of an effective hunter!

Cormorants are very effective in their diving because natural selection and millions of years of evolution have done their job. They have webbing between their toes, which of course is not unique among waterbirds, but this is not the only adaptation of cormorants for diving. A completely unique thing is the lack of waterproofness characteristic for many other bird swimmers. Cormorants feathers get soaked in water, making it easier for birds to submerge as they do not have to overcome the buoyancy of air trapped between the barbs of the feathers. After they finished hunting, of course,

Great cormorant, Poland

they need to dry their flying equipment, because it's hard to fly with wet wings. It is worth mentioning that cormorants have relatively small wings for their size and therefore the energy consumption during the flight is also very high in relation to their body weight. Such wings, however, are less disturbing under water, and although they usually remain folded, they can be used for precise control in the depths. I wasn't carried away talking about these ‘depths’, as it turns out that cormorants can go down really deep. The maximum recorded depth at which the Crozet shag, aslo known as South Georgia Cormorant (Phalacrocorax atriceps melanogenis), a subspecies of the blue-eyed cormorant living on the subantarctic Islands of Prince Edward and Crozet Islands (Indian Ocean), dived is 145 m! Most often, of course, cormorants look for prey in much shallower water, especially when they hunt inland. They prefer transparent waters, where their basic food can be seen best, and they are well prepared to see under water – their eyes have amazing accommodation skills (up to 40–50 dioptres!). Where it is difficult to see, they can also do quite well. They work as a team then. When they dive in a flock, there is not a single ‘dive-master’ between

them that would command the team (especially since by birth all cormorants have the highest ‘diving certificate’). They create a formation, often in the shape of an arch, whose task is to chase the fish towards the shore, where it will be easier for birds to catch and swallow them. Of course, cormorants regroup during subsequent attacks so that each individual can eat. Such collective hunting is not the only manifestation of the sociability of cormorants. Cormorants live together – it's not us, humans, at all, inventing blocks of flats, the first ones to face the problem of an unfriendly neighbour living next door. The crowd in cormorants' colony doesn't seem to bother them too much, and the gains for the population from this accommodation model outweigh the inconvenience. Young cormorants are a frequent prey for larger birds, and in some places also for mammals. Strength in numbers – the chances of deflecting an attack of a predator in a colony are greater than in the case of a single brood.

The cormorants usually build their flats made of sticks and reeds on trees, and where there are no trees, also on rock shelves and stones, such as the Socotra cormorant (Phalacrocorax nigrogularis) found in the Persian Gulf

Great cormorants, Poland

a nglers and fishermen cannot forgive cormorants that every bird eats about half a kilo of fish a day (even if these are mostly ruffe and roach). i nstead of fighting these birds, j apanese and c hinese fishermen used them for fishing, putting rings on their necks so that they could not swallow any bigger prey.

and on the east coast of Africa. Well, where do we meet cormorants? In many places, both over the sea and fresh waters. Virtually most of the coastal zones of the world, up to subarctic zones, are inhabited by various species of cormorants. These species, grouped in two types, are currently 31 (including one extinct), but there are also many subspecies distinguished – and the specialists in bird taxonomy still have some work to be done in this group of birds. The more as some species have not yet

been thoroughly studied, especially when it comes to those living on isolated islands, such as the Kerguelen shag (Phalacrocorax verrucosus), which, as the name suggests, comes from the Kerguelen Islands in the area of Roaring Forties in the Indian Ocean (French Southern and Arctic Territories). In Europe, we have the great cormorant (P. carbo) and European (or common) shag (P. aristotelis) found in several varieties. In those mentioned above, and in most other species of cormorants, the dominant colour is black, often accompanied by smaller or larger patches of white. But there are some exceptions here. The brightest, as far as colours are concerned, is the resident of western South America, a red-legged cormorant (P. gaimardi), whose legs of the colour suggested by the name, a long white spot on each side of the neck and naked (devoid of feathers) orange skin of the beak area (so-called mask) make it the most colourful among black and white and sometimes grey cousins. Speaking of colours, adult cormorants can show off their beautiful eyes. Their pupils can be emerald green or ultramarine (if the dear reader does not distinguish between such colours, I'll help you saying these are different shades of green and blue).

Photo Angel Tobar

In Poland, there is currently no problem meeting a cormorant. Although for decades it was a rare bird (killed because of its effectiveness in fishing), thanks to protective regulations its populations are recovering. Although they are still not welcomed in fishponds and in places where a man tries to get fish for their own needs, the naturalists try to show ways of the least disturbing coexistence possible between Homo sapiens and Phalacrocorax carbo. Anglers and fishermen cannot forgive cormorants that every bird eats about half a kilo of fish a day (even if these are mostly ruffe and roach). Instead of fighting these birds, Japanese and Chinese fishermen used them for fishing, putting rings on their necks so that they could not swallow any bigger prey. Going back to the opportunity to admire the cormorants, even those who avoid visiting non-urbanized areas have a chance to observe these interesting birds. For some time, without any effort, you can observe cormorants on the Vistula River in Warsaw, as well as on Lake Malta and the Sołacki Park in Poznan and in a number of other places.

I hope all divers will see the cormorants underwater one day, and for those who do not necessarily want to get wet, I recommend available films made by the former ones.

Little pied cormorant, New Zeland

Great cormorant, Germany

Shore crab

Text aGata t U rowicz

Photo c LEMEN t b Li N

The waters of the baltic sea hide many unusual and interesting creatures. one of them are crabs. currently, the baltic sea is inhabited by three species: the largest chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis), the tiny dwarf crab (Rhithropanopeus harrisii) and the shore crab, also called the green shore crab (Carcinus maenas).

The latter is medium size (its armor reaches up to several centimetres) and lives in shallow waters among stones, sand or underwater plants. Its colour varies greatly, from green to brown through grey or red. In addition to genetic conditions, differences in colouration are largely due to local environmental factors. Individuals which delay the so-called molting, meaning they change their armour later than usual, become more often red than green. Interestingly, it has been proven that individuals with scarlet coloration are stronger and more aggressive, but unfortunately they have less tolerance to sudden changes in salinity or oxygenation than their emerald brothers. Juveniles have more pronounced colouration, which loses their intense saturation with age.

Like other species of crabs, it is very agile, but it cannot swim. It can move forward, backward or sideways, cleverly walking on the bottom using its eight legs and a pair of claws. Like many other crabs, one of its claws is much larger than the other. This is a characteristic feature of males, whose overgrown claws play a very important role during courtship in the mating season.

To hide from curious fish, it often buries in the sand, leaving only eyes protruding above the surface, closely watching the world around.

This species has a wide range of tolerance for salinity (from 5 PSU to 35 PSU) and temperature, thanks to which it can survive both in warm waters and in extremely cold climates under ice. This adaptation makes it possible for crab to successfully colonize new reservoirs and has been recognized by scientists as one of the 100 most invasive species in the world.

Divers in the Baltic Sea can easily meet the crab in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Gdańsk or in the estuary areas of rivers.

ibrowse photos from previous editions and i still can't believe that the sixth edition of nfM has just ended. six years in a row, with quite positive growing effect, we are able to gather a bunch of people in the charming nature of the environment surrounding the center "nemo in kulka" on lake łęsk. The resort has its limited capacity, the standard of rooms and cottages is rather basic, but this place attracts us every year. We like to come back here for the silence of the nature that surrounds us, for the lack of coverage of our phones, for the atmosphere of the place and hospitality, and even caring of the hosts. We feel at home here. Nothing but throw off your shoes and aim your socks at the fireplace holding a cup of aromatic mulled wine and a book in the other. Ideal conditions for meeting divers.

The Diving Power Festival is a meeting between divers. Of course, the basis of the event program is equipment testing. So we have to test heating systems, their power supply, we also have diving flashlights – the "more serious" – split and simpler ones. Added to this there are dive computers and other electronics or accessories that protect this electronics. Everything under the sign of electricity – power. Everything hidden under the festival's slogan should be powered up by definition. Not this time, however. On the occasion of the 2018 edition, we already started talks about expanding

after and before tHe festivaL of power

Text and photos jakU b ci E ś Lak

the formula. The basic change was to concern the meeting time. We were to meet in an even warmer month, maybe in September or October. Go outside, set up tents and meet with a larger group. So that "foamers" can also join the party. However, a series of events forced a return to the original date in December. We did not fail to try to open the formula for "unplugged" equipment and the native manufacturer of characteristic orange suits appeared with its new range of extreme undersuits, which caused quite a lot of interest.

The 2019 edition brought positive emotions – there was no shortage of volunteers again, the center was filled with guests, and the attendance was high. This year, we "limited" to Kamil Jakuza Jaczyński's speech on promoting ecology and organization of diving ecological events, then we conducted two discussion panels with Marcin Bramson. We discussed diving on nitrox in Poland and the future of rebriders and savings (sCCR) in recreational diving. All these meetings filled the room

and stimulated the participants to talk and share their thoughts. This is what determines the strength of the event for me – meetings between divers. These conversations in front of the gathered audience and those behind the scenes. I hope that the event will take place on the set track and its subsequent editions will bring another positive emotion. I hope to meet in 2020, in September.

abc: mask, snorkel, fins

how to select and safely use snorkeling gear

Text M arG ita śLizowska Photos wiktor z D rojEwski

"a" for Mask. Thanks to the mask, we might observe what is happening under water, so its perfect fit is important. How to achieve it? We should brush the hair back and apply a silicone seal to our face. We do not put on the strap at that point! Now we suck the air in through our nose so that the mask clings to our face. If we shake our head and the mask holds well – we put a strap on the back of our head. Don't do up the strap too tightly! It can cause the mask to leak or squeeze your face. If the strap is loose and you still feel too much pressure in the water – we should lightly blow the air with our nose into the mask. It should help.

The new mask should be degreased. You can soak it in lukewarm water with dishwashing liquid or in coke and leave it for a few hours. Before snorkelling, we should tie up long hair that may limit visibility, cause leakage or mask dislocation. I recommend

snorkelling in a thin neoprene hood. The hood holds your hair, protects your head from the sun, and the sinuses and ears from chill and wind.

To prevent the mask from evaporating just before entering the water, spit on dry lenses, rub the saliva with your fingers, and then rinse it. You can use a special fluid, but I recommend saliva, because after all it's always at hand ;-) I remind SCUBA divers that for scuba diving we always use a mask with tempered glass! For snorkelling, it can be plastic, although plastic scratches easily... Due to the quality of vision underwater and for aesthetic reasons, I recommend masks with black silicone. Note! It is better not to remove the mask being still in water. And if we really have to – let's hold it around our neck, not on the forehead or in hand, because in case of an emergency – we will always find it around our neck easily 

3 good reasons to dive in a dry suit

Thermal insulation is a key element of comfortable diving. If you don't freeze and feel comfortable in the water, you not only save air, but also increase your safety in terms of nitrogen saturation, fatigue and concentration.

When you enter water colder than your body temperature (except in exceptional situations), even at moderate temperatures, after a long exposure, your body cools down and even hypothermia can occur.

Have you ever been on a dive during which you were so cold that you had chills? Chills are a symptom of hypothermia. Other

1. it is wArM in A dry suit

When you dive in a dry suit, you are warmer than in the case of foam, because you are dry from the beginning. In addition, you can choose the thickness of the undersuit and adjust thermal insulation depending on the water temperature and your own preferences. We explain to those who have never dived in a dry suit that diving in cold water in a dry suit is like going outside on a cold day. You are in a cold environment, you feel it is cold, but you keep warm and you are DRY.

symptoms that may occur or be a sign of hypothermia are clumsiness, confusion, making bad decisions, and lack of energy. For those who are tough, cold water is one that has several degrees Celsius. However, for the most part it will be higher temperatures, some will even say that cold water is 22–24 degrees Celsius. Regardless of what indicator we take, it's terrible if you freeze during the dive,. When you feel cold, you think about warming up, and maybe even wondering when diving will finally end. For thermal insulation, two options are available, dry or wet. Below are a few arguments for a dry suit.

2. suit coMprEssion

In addition to the obvious issues, there are other conditions for diving in a dry suit compared to a wet suit. As the depth increases during the dive, Boyle's law (pressure) affects us. At a depth of 10 meters, the wet suit will compress 50%. At a depth of 30 meters, your wet suit is pressurized by 4 atmospheres, which means it compresses to about 25% of the original thickness of the suit. Compression of a wet suit can affect buoyancy and thermal comfort when staying at the bottom. In many cases, the coldest water is at the bottom. Diving deeper into a dry suit, the suit compresses, but its real thickness does not change. To maintain comfort, you add air to a dry suit. This airspace allows you to keep warm and buoyant throughout the entire dive.

The most interesting is that if the bottom is colder, you keep warm, you are dry and you feel comfortable.

3. nitrogEn sAturAtion

Even during no-decompression dives, the body saturates with nitrogen during the dive. For most divers, a 3-minute safety stop will be enough to remove nitrogen from the body and ascend safely to the surface. Studies by various decompression scientists have shown that decompression in warm water is more conducive to the release of nitrogen than in cold water. Diving in a dry suit, you maintain thermal comfort throughout the entire dive and keep warm during an important safety stop (or decompression stop), when you are relaxed and mostly without moving in the water.

Find A BArE s uit

BARE offers a variety of dry suits from trilaminate or caus-neoprene for divers from basic to technical level as well as for professional divers, army, police and fire brigade.

Photo BARE Ambassador Martin Strmiska

equipment configurations

Part 1

Text wojci E c H a. f i Lip

Both equipment components and diving techniques are repeated in various combinations creating different configurations and equipment procedures.

in the next few articles we will describe the equipment and procedures in such a way that each diver will be able to refine his perfect configuration.

The place where the tank is mounted on the divers is also the basic name of their equipment configuration. And so the tanks mounted on the back are ‘backmount’, on the side is ‘sidemount’, pushed before the diver is ‘nomount’, and mounted on the front, such as military rebreathers are ‘frontmount’.

In addition, each of us, whether due to organizational affiliation, activities performed under water or our own

tastes, equips our basic configuration with various equipment components.

The number, type and location of these additions determine the configuration. With these extras it is much harder to standardize nomenclature. It may change both due to the equipment and due to different points of view of particular divers.

So we can meet the names that the configuration is ‘recreational’, ‘recreational, type DIR’ *, ‘technical’, ‘cave’, ‘oceanic’ and many, many others.

It depends on the group of divers with whom we dive and on their method of naming the configuration how we will think or talk about a given set of equipment. Even more interesting is the fact that naming in a group of divers their configuration as e.g. ‘dir’ does not mean that it will be perceived in such a way by another group of divers 

Photo Marcello di Francesco

Photo Krzysztof Niecko

* more than 20 years ago, the term DIR "do it right" became widespread. It referred to both equipment and diving procedures. The DIR method of diving was initially associated with equipment minimalism and logical implementation of procedures which were increasing diving safety (and it was most often associated with the method of diving promoted by the Global Underwater Explorers). Over time, DIR has become synonymous with technical divers, and later also a way to advertise equipment and training as extremely effective. It is worth adding that in many cases both the equipment and the diving procedures have little to do with the original concept of DIR.

Each configuration (regardless of its name) has common points.

Let's see how we can more effectively use those elements of equipment that repeat in all configurations. The choice of equipment depends on its user. Let's get to know not always known features and ways of using the equipment, thus improving the comfort of our dives.

Mask

It depends on the mask how we see the underwater world. Much depends on its proper fit. It is worth knowing that the same mask model can be produced in 3 ‘continental’ sizes. The smallest on the Asian market, medium on the European and largest on the American market. That is why sometimes, if we buy a mask abroad, it may turn out to stick to our face differently from ‘the same’ old mask.

The field of view of the mask depends mainly on the distance between the mask lens and our eyes. The shorter it is the wider we can see. Masks with a wide viewing angle have a very narrow skirt (a silicone element adjacent to our face). In addition, they are more convenient to store and transport. These wide angle masks are much better when diving with a scooter (losing a sticking out mask when using the scooter is not difficult: just look to the side and the water drag can easily strip your mask away).

Let's take a closer look at a type of strap our mask has and how it is adjusted.

A well-chosen mask does not leak when the belt is slightly tightened. It is enough to adjust its length once and then always use it.

That is why we can replace the original silicone strap with a velcro strap with a neoprene overlay. A typical silicone strap, originally included with the mask, can break off at the least expected moment of the dive. And at transport its plastic fasteners may sometimes break. Replacing the fasteners with a simple metal element in combination with a Velcro strap not only allows you to quickly put on the mask with one hand, but also the strap does not pull long hair, and a properly selected neoprene overlay should keep the mask afloat.

sparE Mask

A spare mask should always be with us. If our suit is equipped with pockets, we put it in the right pocket, protecting against fogging before each dive.

On the left hand side in recreational diving there is a console, and in technical diving there are stage tanks, and also the mainlight is held with our left hand. Thus, reaching into the right pocket is more convenient, and the possible loss of the mask can be immediately signaled by a flashlight. In addition, the right hand is usually the one that is better with equipment handling.

wortH rEMEMbEriNG!

We place the spare mask on the right side of the diver's body, in the suit's pocket or in an additional transport pocket – we practice taking it out with our right hand.

rEGULators

They are perfect when they have smooth breathing resistance regulation and ‘venturi‘ effect. It is equally important that users understands how they work and can effectively use different settings during each dive. If you do not use these knobs and levers, they may stuck, and then the service is necessary. Scooter dives give much more opportunities when we can use smooth regulator adjustments while using the scooter. And it may be also important, that if we do not use the setting knobs and levers, we needlessly pay for the regulators from 30 to even 100% more.

Regulators that meet the requirements of EN250 / 2014 (A) (such marking should be on the first and second stages) are prepared for cold water dives (which in no way prevents them from being used in warm Africa ) .

A good way to prepare a secure configuration is to use the same 2nd stages (instead of e.g. the cheaper version of octopus). This let us use them alternately, but more importantly, when we use a spare one in emergency, we breathe as easily as with the main one.

rEGULators iN tEcHNicaL DiViNG

In technical diving, it is worth considering that all regulators are oxygen compatible. This can help you quickly replace the regulators (also underwater) in complex multi-stage dives. In the event of a problem at the surface, we can immediately replace the broken regulator with any other. This solution requires oxygen compatible filling of all tanks, i.e. using an adequate filter for all not oxygen compatible gases.

Headaches after diving can be caused by a damaged mouthpiece, which we bite more and more to keep the regulator in position. Constant muscle tension can cause unnecessary discomfort and headache, which in technical diving may be incorrectly associated with an increase in CO2 resulting from a wrong diving technique. A simple solution is to have spare mouthpieces and zip-tie. Always check the condition of the mouthpiece, and even if the damage is found just before entering the water, it can be still replaced before diving.

a nibbled mouthpiece can cause headache and increased gas consumption.

Most regulators producers have abandoned the long exhaust tees. This is associated with more and more frequent dives with scooters, as well as the widely popularized sidemount configuration.

In the first case, due to significantly increased water drag during fast movement, the risk of getting the regulator off the mouth increases. In the second (similar to when diving with a long hose) there is a possibility of hooking the neck regulator while sharing/changing.

If anyone likes long exhaust tees, some manufacturers offer them as an extra option. Weight: when planning diving

Photo Bartek Trzciński

trips and packing many regulators, smaller ones = smaller weight (each lighter element is important).

the short exhaust tee means

• lower drag during scooter dives

• less risk of hooking

• smaller weight of the regulator

sparE rEGULator iN tEcHNicaL DiViNG

A spare regulator, so-called backup, i.e. the one that hangs under the neck on a bungee. It is worth paying attention to the length and the method of mounting the bungee. The length should be not too long, to prevent the regulator from being a potentially hooking hazard e.g. at fragments of a wreck, and to prevent it from covering the valve of a dry suit.

On the other hand, too short length can make it difficult to look down (it happens when the regulator is just below the chin), or during a rescue operation related to bringing the diver to the surface.

In technical diving, it's worth choosing the length of the bungee so that a diver threatened with loss of consciousness (e.g. oxy tox) could switch to a spare regulator, putting the bungee of the right length on the head, which prevents

the regulator from falling out of mouth. There is no one-sizefits-all bungee – the best way is to personalize it.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that the bungee should be attached to the regulator in such a way that prevents it from breaking – it can be done by tying knots at its ends, and then fixing it using a zip-tie just behind the mouthpiece.

cause water to enter during breathing.

Putting the bungee through the exhaust tee may cause the exhaust valve to open when using the regulator which will

Photo Bartek Trzciński

Photo Wojciech A. Filip

You can significantly affect the comfort and safety of your dives by adapting the equipment configuration to your diving method, your body and tasks you want to accomplish during the particular dive.

It is worth starting to build your own perfect configuration by learning about the features of the equipment you are already using or which you plan to buy.

You are invited to the second part of the article in the next issue of Perfect Diver – this time faster, because just in 2 months !

The issues of choosing, matching and using diving equipment are discussed at seminars at the Tecline Academy. If you are interested, please contact us.

Photo Gijs Doornbusch

Photo Karola Sztaba

PHOTO BY