Ken Kurtis
Contributor
Avalon, Baby Shark, Coelacanths, and more
(please scroll down for details)
Such an exciting week. I got my car washed. Now if I can only get my hair cut . . .
LOVELY DAY IN AVALON LAST TUESDAY - We made our first post-COVID trek to Avalon to dive the Underwater Park last week, but went mid-week rather than on the weekend. Overall, it worked out well. The express runs at 60% capacity and while you can't maintain strict 6-foot social distance at all times, you can get some personal space. Catalina Divers Supply was well-organized, especially since we'd made a reservation, and the place wasn't too crowded, with maybe 30 divers or so. During the three dives we made (water temp mid-60s, viz 30-50 feet) we enjoyed being surrounded by a huge school of Jack Mackerel and basked in the company of two large Giant Sea Bass, with the added bonus of a Sea Lion making a guest appearance. You can check out short videos of each with these links: JACK MACKEREL IN AVALON and GIANT SEA BASS ENCOUNTER. Our next scheduled trip back is Sunday, September 20, but we may shift that to a mid-week visit as well. We shall see.
COVID TRAVEL NEWS - The Caymans have pushed back their re-opening another month, and Indonesia has announced they won't re-open to foreign tourism in 2020, which kills our plans to return to Murex in October.
A MODICUM OF GOOD COVID TRAVEL NEWS - Although it seems counter-intuitive, an article on CNN Travel says that the chance of getting infected during a flight seem to be very low. There are very few documented cases of in-flight transmission, likely due both to reduced travel demand and fewer people flying but also due to airlines getting very strict about wearing masks at all times during a flight. You can read more about it here: ODDS OF GETTING COVID ON A PLANE.
GET YOUR VERY OWN (FAKE) BABY SHARK - I saw this video on FaceBook and laughed my pectorals off: BABY SHARK VIDEO. So at the risk of sounding like a shill, I did some research and found the thing on-line for $20. It even gets five 5-star reviews. Might make a cute birthday or other-special-occasion present: GET YOUR OWN BABY SHARK.
COELACANTHS IN THE NEWS - Those of you who have been with me to Indonesia know that I have an obsession with Coelacanths (pronounced SEEL-uh-canth), once thought to be extinct, as there's a spot near Murex where one was first spotted in 1998 and has been seen at various times since then. When we dive a spot at Manado Tua, I always tell people to look down deep just in case. (Coelacanths generally live around 400-feet deep which certainly exacerbates the chances of finding one, let alone on a recreational dive.) But Richard Pyle led an expedition to find one and my good buddy Mike Veitch had Pyle as a guest of his Underwater Tribe YouTube show and you can hear all about the adventure as well as see a living Coelacanth. As a side benefit, Pyle was with a National Geographic video team and was wired for sound. Because they're diving on a helium mixture, his narration sounds like it would when you inhale a helium-filled balloon. You can see the short video (which premiered on Sunday) at this link: COELACANTH EXPERIENCE.
HAS IT BEEN A YEAR? - It's hard to believe, but the one-year anniversary of the fire on the Conception will be this Wednesday. I'm told the L.A. Times may be doing a "One Year Later" article for the Wednesday paper.
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week, stay safe, wear your mask, wash your hands, and let's go diving soon!!!
- Ken
(please scroll down for details)
Such an exciting week. I got my car washed. Now if I can only get my hair cut . . .
LOVELY DAY IN AVALON LAST TUESDAY - We made our first post-COVID trek to Avalon to dive the Underwater Park last week, but went mid-week rather than on the weekend. Overall, it worked out well. The express runs at 60% capacity and while you can't maintain strict 6-foot social distance at all times, you can get some personal space. Catalina Divers Supply was well-organized, especially since we'd made a reservation, and the place wasn't too crowded, with maybe 30 divers or so. During the three dives we made (water temp mid-60s, viz 30-50 feet) we enjoyed being surrounded by a huge school of Jack Mackerel and basked in the company of two large Giant Sea Bass, with the added bonus of a Sea Lion making a guest appearance. You can check out short videos of each with these links: JACK MACKEREL IN AVALON and GIANT SEA BASS ENCOUNTER. Our next scheduled trip back is Sunday, September 20, but we may shift that to a mid-week visit as well. We shall see.
COVID TRAVEL NEWS - The Caymans have pushed back their re-opening another month, and Indonesia has announced they won't re-open to foreign tourism in 2020, which kills our plans to return to Murex in October.
A MODICUM OF GOOD COVID TRAVEL NEWS - Although it seems counter-intuitive, an article on CNN Travel says that the chance of getting infected during a flight seem to be very low. There are very few documented cases of in-flight transmission, likely due both to reduced travel demand and fewer people flying but also due to airlines getting very strict about wearing masks at all times during a flight. You can read more about it here: ODDS OF GETTING COVID ON A PLANE.
GET YOUR VERY OWN (FAKE) BABY SHARK - I saw this video on FaceBook and laughed my pectorals off: BABY SHARK VIDEO. So at the risk of sounding like a shill, I did some research and found the thing on-line for $20. It even gets five 5-star reviews. Might make a cute birthday or other-special-occasion present: GET YOUR OWN BABY SHARK.
COELACANTHS IN THE NEWS - Those of you who have been with me to Indonesia know that I have an obsession with Coelacanths (pronounced SEEL-uh-canth), once thought to be extinct, as there's a spot near Murex where one was first spotted in 1998 and has been seen at various times since then. When we dive a spot at Manado Tua, I always tell people to look down deep just in case. (Coelacanths generally live around 400-feet deep which certainly exacerbates the chances of finding one, let alone on a recreational dive.) But Richard Pyle led an expedition to find one and my good buddy Mike Veitch had Pyle as a guest of his Underwater Tribe YouTube show and you can hear all about the adventure as well as see a living Coelacanth. As a side benefit, Pyle was with a National Geographic video team and was wired for sound. Because they're diving on a helium mixture, his narration sounds like it would when you inhale a helium-filled balloon. You can see the short video (which premiered on Sunday) at this link: COELACANTH EXPERIENCE.
HAS IT BEEN A YEAR? - It's hard to believe, but the one-year anniversary of the fire on the Conception will be this Wednesday. I'm told the L.A. Times may be doing a "One Year Later" article for the Wednesday paper.
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week, stay safe, wear your mask, wash your hands, and let's go diving soon!!!
- Ken
