El Nino is coming

[billt4sf]

They say this will be an El Nino year. They will have a more accurate prediction in May.

El Niño Has Officially Returned. What Does That Mean?

What effect does this have on diving in SEA?

And specifically, in looking for HH's in the Ring of Fire?

Thanks,

Bill

 

[Dan]

It says it'll be a mild one. So, no worries.

What I learned from diving with scalloped hammerheads (HH's) in Cocos, warmer water tends to make HH's going deeper.

2016 was the peak El Niño in Banda and yet people still saw them, as shown in this video clip by Arhnue Tan at 8m depth in September 2016.


Here is another September 2016 Banda Sea HH's video by John Ung


Another September 2016 Banda HH's video by Tiat Yen Ooi.


Of course we need to check what Nu Parnupong saw with Blue Manta during that time, as shown here.

 

[reubencahn]

El Nino piles up warm water in the eastern to central Pacific. That tends to produce upwellings of colder water in the western Pacific. If you look at the map in the site you linked, it shows below normal SSTs in the Banda Sea during the strong 97 El Nino. Good for hammerheads. But this one is supposed to be mild and more oriented toward central Pacific.

 

[billt4sf]

a marine scientist I know that studies these things says that an El Niño year should mean more oceanic Manta Ray sightings in Misool.

 

[acidrush]

During El Nino years, the thermoclines seem shallower in the banda sea. Usually means the hammerheads are seen in shallower waters and higher chances of seeing them.

 

[billt4sf]

During El Nino years, the thermoclines seem shallower in the banda sea. Usually means the hammerheads are seen in shallower waters and higher chances of seeing them.

Sounds good to me! so far I like the idea of El Nino years.

 

[Centrals]

Climate Change: How El Niño Affects Coral Reefs | Ask A Biologist
Not too sure if corals like the effect of "Little Boy".

 

[acidrush]

Sounds good to me! so far I like the idea of El Nino years.

depends if you're diving in the eastern or western pacific. El nino years means less cold upwellings in places like Galapagos and cocos etc... Deeper thermoclines, less chance of H2

 

[Dan]

depends if you're diving in the eastern or western pacific. El nino years means less cold upwellings in places like Galapagos and cocos etc... Deeper thermoclines, less chance of H2

We are planning to dive in western pacific, Banda Sea (Ring of Fire) in September so, that’s good thing for HH as shown by those YouTube videos I posted above.

 

[acidrush]

I dive Indonesia quite regularly, might be a coincidence but for some reason El nino years seem to have much more sightings of mola mola (Bali/penida) and h2 (south Lombok and Banda volcanic islands).