Ken Kurtis
Contributor
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Want to travel??? Upcoming 2017 vacation trips:
• March 18-25 - Bonaire [ LIMITED TO 12 DIVERS - 5 SPOTS LEFT ]
• June 10-17 - Isla Mujeres (early in the Whale Shark Season)
• July 7-19 - Yap Immersion #1 (special 13-day trip featuring all that Yap has to offer) [ LIMITED TO 12 DIVERS - 4 SPOTS LEFT ]
• July 21-August 2 - Yap Immersion #2 (week #2 - same sked as above) [ LIMITED TO 12 DIVERS - 5 SPOTS LEFT ]
• September 1-6 - Great White Sharks of Guadalupe on the Nautilus Belle Amie
• Nov. 20 - Dec. 16 (dates can be trimmed) - Ultimate Indonesia (A week at Murex in Manado, 10 days in Raja Ampat on the Aggressor, 4 days in the Lembeh Straits)
GET MORE INFO ON ALL OF OUR VACATION TRIPS HERE: www.reefseekers.com/foreign_trips.html
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Upcoming local dives & classes:
• CLASS - Wed., 1/11 - Fish ID (7PM in Westwood - $25)
• DIVE - Thu., 1/19 - Squid night dive at Redondo (6PM - FREE!!)
• DIVE - Thu., 2/2 - Squid night dive at Redondo (6PM - FREE!!)
• CLASS & DIVE - Sat., 2/11 - Navigation with one daytime dive at Redondo (9AM - $25)
• DIVE - Wed., 2/15 - Squid night dive at Redondo (6PM - FREE!!)
• DIVE - Sat., 2/25 - 36th Annual Avalon Underwater Cleanup (6:15AM - $150 w/event, boat, & taxi)
• DIVE - Wed., 3/1 - Squid night dive at Redondo (6PM - FREE!!)
• CLASS - Wed., 3/15 - Photo Workshop (7PM in Westwood - $25)
To sign up for any of these dives, either call us at 310/652-4990 or e-mail us at kenkurtis@aol.com
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The calm before the storm . . .
HERE COMES THAT RAINY DAY FEELIN' - If the forecast is correct, we're about to get walloped, starting sometime after 1AM, so you might want to take your mask and fins to work in the morning. The good news is that if you look at the forecast, the rainy periods should be overnight Sunday to mid-morning Monday, then Midnight Tuesday through mid-morning Wednesday, and Midnight Wednesday through mid-morning Thursday. The heaviest stuff - up to 3/4" - is supposed to hit between now and Monday. However, in looking at the radar pix, I could see this thing sliding north and somewhat missing us. So while they're saying prepare for the Storm of the Decade, I'm not so sure it's shaping up that way. We shall see. Sure was calm at Redondo this morning and afternoon but as I said, that could just be the calm before the storm.
LOCAL DIVES AND CLASSES - I've posted above (and it'll be on our website too) the proposed sked for local dives and some classes. At least for the first quarter of the year (January-March), the dives are all beach dives, except for the Avalon Cleanup in February. The thing to remember about all of these is that while I'm usually happy/willing to do them even if only one person signs up, you need to remember to let me know you're planning on attending. If I don't hear from anyone, I simply don't show up. Also bear in mind that the beach dives, especially the nighttime squid dives, are all weather-dependent. We usually try to make a weather call no later than 3PM on the day of the dive. The same general principles (except for weather issues) apply for the Fish ID (which is this coming Wednesday) and Photo Workshop classes listed. I'm generally happy/willing to do them even if only one person signs up but you've got to let me know. These classes are fairly informal and will be given at my place in Westwood so they'll also be limited to 5-6 people due to space limitations. Anyhow, we'll give these a shot for the first quarter of 2017, and then see what the second quarter brings. And if there are any classes or dives you'd like me to schedule (I hope to add a few boat dives in the spring and summer), let me know.
AVALON CLEANUP - The date is Saturday, February 25, and we're accepting signups. $150 covers you for the boat, the event registration, taxi to and fro, extra diving in the park post-event if you want or gear storage, and all the fun you can handle. We'll be at the Green Pier as usual. Call us to sign up (310/652-4990) or you can sign up for just the dive portion on-line through the Cleanup website. Just select "Green Pier" and then "Reef Seekers" and follow the prompts. Hope to have you join us.
ORCAS IN MONTERREY - Ric Aceves sent us a video link (Mysterious shark-eating orcas nab a big one off Monterey; rare video | GrindTV.com) from GrindTV that features drone footage shot in Monterrey that shows two adult Orcas with a calf capturing a 7-Gill Shark. Might have been showing the calf how to hunt. Pretty interesting.
ORCAS OFF OUR SHORES TOO - There have been numerous sightings in the past weeks of an Orca pod (not sure if it's always the same one or multiples) off of SoCal beaches from Palos Verdes up to Santa Barbara. Orcas are perhaps seldom-seen in SoCal waters but certainly not absent from here. A guess would be that they're following a food source. Keep your eyes peeled if you're down at the beach for the signature tall black dorsal fin.
A FAMOUS (OR INFAMOUS) ORCA HAS DIED - SeaWorld announced this past Friday (January 6) that Tilikum, the Orca featured in the documentary "Blackfish" which outlined the details surrounding the 2010 death of trainer Dawn Brancheau, has died. He was thought to be about 35 years old and succumbed to a bacterial lung infection. SeaWorld announced many months ago, presumably due to the fallout from "Blackfish," that they would be phasing out their capture of Orcas and their Orca shows. You can read more about all of this here: Tilikum, killer whale at center of 'Blackfish,' dies - CNN.com .
ON THIN ICE - There's a pretty interesting time-lapse video produced by NOAA that shows how the Arctic sea ice has been thinning and retreating over the past 36 years (This startling animation shows how much Arctic sea ice has thinned in just 26 years). Gives one pause for thought, especially in light of news a few days ago that an 11-mile long crack has developed in an area of Antarctic sea ice and the fear is that a major portion of the ice shelf is in danger of imminent collapse (A Really Big Crack In An Antarctic Ice Shelf Just Got Bigger). Insert your own global-warming-denier joke here.
BONAIRE BOUND - We're confirmed for our Bonaire trip and plan to leave L.A. on Friday, March 17, overnight in Houston (makes the trip easier), and then arrive in Bonaire early Saturday evening. We'll start diving Sunday afternoon, will dive through Noon that next Saturday, and then fly straight home Sunday morning (BON-IAH-LAX) arriving mid-afternoon March 26. Space permitting at Buddy Dive (the planes are fairly open right now), we can still add people if you're interested in going. $2,075 covers the land stuff plus an 8th night at Buddy. Houston overnight should add only about $50. Airfares are running around $800 for economy on United. If you want to join us let me know.
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week and hopefully you don't get washed away by the oncoming deluge.
- Ken
Want to travel??? Upcoming 2017 vacation trips:
• March 18-25 - Bonaire [ LIMITED TO 12 DIVERS - 5 SPOTS LEFT ]
• June 10-17 - Isla Mujeres (early in the Whale Shark Season)
• July 7-19 - Yap Immersion #1 (special 13-day trip featuring all that Yap has to offer) [ LIMITED TO 12 DIVERS - 4 SPOTS LEFT ]
• July 21-August 2 - Yap Immersion #2 (week #2 - same sked as above) [ LIMITED TO 12 DIVERS - 5 SPOTS LEFT ]
• September 1-6 - Great White Sharks of Guadalupe on the Nautilus Belle Amie
• Nov. 20 - Dec. 16 (dates can be trimmed) - Ultimate Indonesia (A week at Murex in Manado, 10 days in Raja Ampat on the Aggressor, 4 days in the Lembeh Straits)
GET MORE INFO ON ALL OF OUR VACATION TRIPS HERE: www.reefseekers.com/foreign_trips.html
——————————————————————————————————————————
Upcoming local dives & classes:
• CLASS - Wed., 1/11 - Fish ID (7PM in Westwood - $25)
• DIVE - Thu., 1/19 - Squid night dive at Redondo (6PM - FREE!!)
• DIVE - Thu., 2/2 - Squid night dive at Redondo (6PM - FREE!!)
• CLASS & DIVE - Sat., 2/11 - Navigation with one daytime dive at Redondo (9AM - $25)
• DIVE - Wed., 2/15 - Squid night dive at Redondo (6PM - FREE!!)
• DIVE - Sat., 2/25 - 36th Annual Avalon Underwater Cleanup (6:15AM - $150 w/event, boat, & taxi)
• DIVE - Wed., 3/1 - Squid night dive at Redondo (6PM - FREE!!)
• CLASS - Wed., 3/15 - Photo Workshop (7PM in Westwood - $25)
To sign up for any of these dives, either call us at 310/652-4990 or e-mail us at kenkurtis@aol.com
——————————————————————————————————————————
The calm before the storm . . .
HERE COMES THAT RAINY DAY FEELIN' - If the forecast is correct, we're about to get walloped, starting sometime after 1AM, so you might want to take your mask and fins to work in the morning. The good news is that if you look at the forecast, the rainy periods should be overnight Sunday to mid-morning Monday, then Midnight Tuesday through mid-morning Wednesday, and Midnight Wednesday through mid-morning Thursday. The heaviest stuff - up to 3/4" - is supposed to hit between now and Monday. However, in looking at the radar pix, I could see this thing sliding north and somewhat missing us. So while they're saying prepare for the Storm of the Decade, I'm not so sure it's shaping up that way. We shall see. Sure was calm at Redondo this morning and afternoon but as I said, that could just be the calm before the storm.
LOCAL DIVES AND CLASSES - I've posted above (and it'll be on our website too) the proposed sked for local dives and some classes. At least for the first quarter of the year (January-March), the dives are all beach dives, except for the Avalon Cleanup in February. The thing to remember about all of these is that while I'm usually happy/willing to do them even if only one person signs up, you need to remember to let me know you're planning on attending. If I don't hear from anyone, I simply don't show up. Also bear in mind that the beach dives, especially the nighttime squid dives, are all weather-dependent. We usually try to make a weather call no later than 3PM on the day of the dive. The same general principles (except for weather issues) apply for the Fish ID (which is this coming Wednesday) and Photo Workshop classes listed. I'm generally happy/willing to do them even if only one person signs up but you've got to let me know. These classes are fairly informal and will be given at my place in Westwood so they'll also be limited to 5-6 people due to space limitations. Anyhow, we'll give these a shot for the first quarter of 2017, and then see what the second quarter brings. And if there are any classes or dives you'd like me to schedule (I hope to add a few boat dives in the spring and summer), let me know.
AVALON CLEANUP - The date is Saturday, February 25, and we're accepting signups. $150 covers you for the boat, the event registration, taxi to and fro, extra diving in the park post-event if you want or gear storage, and all the fun you can handle. We'll be at the Green Pier as usual. Call us to sign up (310/652-4990) or you can sign up for just the dive portion on-line through the Cleanup website. Just select "Green Pier" and then "Reef Seekers" and follow the prompts. Hope to have you join us.
ORCAS IN MONTERREY - Ric Aceves sent us a video link (Mysterious shark-eating orcas nab a big one off Monterey; rare video | GrindTV.com) from GrindTV that features drone footage shot in Monterrey that shows two adult Orcas with a calf capturing a 7-Gill Shark. Might have been showing the calf how to hunt. Pretty interesting.
ORCAS OFF OUR SHORES TOO - There have been numerous sightings in the past weeks of an Orca pod (not sure if it's always the same one or multiples) off of SoCal beaches from Palos Verdes up to Santa Barbara. Orcas are perhaps seldom-seen in SoCal waters but certainly not absent from here. A guess would be that they're following a food source. Keep your eyes peeled if you're down at the beach for the signature tall black dorsal fin.
A FAMOUS (OR INFAMOUS) ORCA HAS DIED - SeaWorld announced this past Friday (January 6) that Tilikum, the Orca featured in the documentary "Blackfish" which outlined the details surrounding the 2010 death of trainer Dawn Brancheau, has died. He was thought to be about 35 years old and succumbed to a bacterial lung infection. SeaWorld announced many months ago, presumably due to the fallout from "Blackfish," that they would be phasing out their capture of Orcas and their Orca shows. You can read more about all of this here: Tilikum, killer whale at center of 'Blackfish,' dies - CNN.com .
ON THIN ICE - There's a pretty interesting time-lapse video produced by NOAA that shows how the Arctic sea ice has been thinning and retreating over the past 36 years (This startling animation shows how much Arctic sea ice has thinned in just 26 years). Gives one pause for thought, especially in light of news a few days ago that an 11-mile long crack has developed in an area of Antarctic sea ice and the fear is that a major portion of the ice shelf is in danger of imminent collapse (A Really Big Crack In An Antarctic Ice Shelf Just Got Bigger). Insert your own global-warming-denier joke here.
BONAIRE BOUND - We're confirmed for our Bonaire trip and plan to leave L.A. on Friday, March 17, overnight in Houston (makes the trip easier), and then arrive in Bonaire early Saturday evening. We'll start diving Sunday afternoon, will dive through Noon that next Saturday, and then fly straight home Sunday morning (BON-IAH-LAX) arriving mid-afternoon March 26. Space permitting at Buddy Dive (the planes are fairly open right now), we can still add people if you're interested in going. $2,075 covers the land stuff plus an 8th night at Buddy. Houston overnight should add only about $50. Airfares are running around $800 for economy on United. If you want to join us let me know.
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week and hopefully you don't get washed away by the oncoming deluge.
- Ken
