Ken Kurtis
Contributor
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Want to travel??? Upcoming 2016-2017 vacation trips:
• August 1-6 - Isla Guadalupe & Great White Sharks [ SOLD OUT ON OUR END - but there are still a few spots left on the boat ]
• August 13-20 (WEEK 1) - Isla Mujeres & Whale Sharks, cenotes, and statues [ SOLD OUT!!! ]
• August 20-27 (WEEK 2) - Isla Mujeres & Whale Sharks, cenotes, and statues [ SOLD OUT!!! ]
• November 3-16 - Maldives on the Manthiri [ ONLY 1 SPOT LEFT ]
• 2017 - July 7-19 - Yap Immersion #1 (special 13-day trip featuring all that Yap has to offer) [ LIMITED TO 12 DIVERS - 5 SPOTS LEFT ]
• 2017 - July 21-August 2 - Yap Immersion #2 (week #2 - same sked as above) [ LIMITED TO 12 DIVERS - 10 SPOTS LEFT ]
GET MORE INFO ON ALL OF OUR VACATION TRIPS HERE: www.reefseekers.com/foreign_trips.html
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I'm back in the saddle again . . .
NICE TO RESUME DIVING AGAIN - My eight-week hiatus is up and I was happy to make my first dives in two months on Thursday during my regular shift at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Like with anything you've been away with for a while, it's important not to get too complacent and realize that it may take a little while for the muscle memory to come back. That was ingrained in me right after I'd said to one of the team members that "I'm sure I'll screw up and forget something today" and as I was getting ready for the 10:30 Trop Reef presentation, I ducked my head under, and had exactly zero air. Fortunately, I simply stood back up, had someone check my air and was told it was on. Only then did I realize I'd forgotten to connect the air hose to the Guardian full-face mask. Awfully hard to get air from the tank into the mask without an actual connection. The lesson obviously carries over into the "real" world too. No matter how many dives you've done or how familiar you are with a dive site, if you've been inactive for a while, really double-check everything and take it easy. There's no such thing as being "too safe."
BIG CALAMARI - I think I sent you this link once before but it popped up again and it's WAY cool. It's footage of a small (12-foot or so) Giant Squid alive and swimming in Toyama Bay, Japan. Bear in mind these animals have only recently been filmed alive and they can also be rather vicious. But this one seemed pretty calm. However, I can't honestly say I would have been willing to jump in and shoot it, no matter how rare the chance was. Pretty good quality video and definitely worth a look: .
ALMOST AS BIG AS . . . - The Great White Sharks we'll be seeing in two weeks in Guadalupe. Although our spots are officially sold, there are still a few spots remaining on the Nautilus Belle Amie. (Trip dates are August 1-16, BTW.) There's a female-share standard room and a couple of Superior Suites still available as well. If you're interested in making this a last-minute addition to your summer plans, give me a call at 310/652-4990.
HOT SPOTS AROUND THE WORLD - Needless to say, we watched the turmoil in Turkey fairly closely because when we go to the Maldives in November, we're supposed to fly through Istanbul, and then spend three days there on the way back. We fully believe that by the time November rolls around, this will all have settled down and things will be fine. But it does underscore one of the issues that can befall dive travelers since we've got to at least transit through some of these world hotspots. For us, the worst-case scenario might be routing ourselves through Dubai or even Singapore, and possibly having to eat the Turkish Airlines ticket. But even contemplating that underscores the value of having trip insurance for all aspects of these adventures. One place we refer people to (and it's a comparative website), is www.insuremytrip.com where you can get quotes from a variety of insurers and make an informed choice. However, make sure you read the fine print because many carriers have "terrorism exclusions" which basically say that if your trip is canceled because of an act of terrorism, they don't have to pay off. Buyer beware.
EXPEDITE THE IMMIGRATION & CUSTOMS LINE - Assuming you make your trip despite the world turmoil, if you have an iPhone, you may be able to expedite your journey through Customs when you come back into the US at selected airports (LAX is not yet included). Apple has a US Customs & Border Patrol-approved app that allows you to submit all of your entry informamtion, including passport number, as soon as you land. This allows you to enter a special line in the arrival hall which basically means there will be no wait time for you. You can find out more about it, including system requirements, by clcicking here: How to skip the airport's US Customs line with your iPhone.
UNDERWATER MICROSCOPE - Many in the underwater science world are very excited about a new development from UC San Diego, which is an underwater microscope that can record with resolution and magnification never before achieved, and which will give scientists new insights into how coral reefs work. Whereas previous cameras could record as small as 20-50 micrometers, this one can get down to 1 micrometer. That's huge (or small, actually). There's a nice article about this from the Washington Post as well as a very interesting 90-second video that shows some of the footage. Check it out: Watch incredible microscopic video of corals kissing, growing and fighting.
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week and let's go diving soon!!!
- Ken
Want to travel??? Upcoming 2016-2017 vacation trips:
• August 1-6 - Isla Guadalupe & Great White Sharks [ SOLD OUT ON OUR END - but there are still a few spots left on the boat ]
• August 13-20 (WEEK 1) - Isla Mujeres & Whale Sharks, cenotes, and statues [ SOLD OUT!!! ]
• August 20-27 (WEEK 2) - Isla Mujeres & Whale Sharks, cenotes, and statues [ SOLD OUT!!! ]
• November 3-16 - Maldives on the Manthiri [ ONLY 1 SPOT LEFT ]
• 2017 - July 7-19 - Yap Immersion #1 (special 13-day trip featuring all that Yap has to offer) [ LIMITED TO 12 DIVERS - 5 SPOTS LEFT ]
• 2017 - July 21-August 2 - Yap Immersion #2 (week #2 - same sked as above) [ LIMITED TO 12 DIVERS - 10 SPOTS LEFT ]
GET MORE INFO ON ALL OF OUR VACATION TRIPS HERE: www.reefseekers.com/foreign_trips.html
—————————————————————————————————————————————
I'm back in the saddle again . . .
NICE TO RESUME DIVING AGAIN - My eight-week hiatus is up and I was happy to make my first dives in two months on Thursday during my regular shift at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Like with anything you've been away with for a while, it's important not to get too complacent and realize that it may take a little while for the muscle memory to come back. That was ingrained in me right after I'd said to one of the team members that "I'm sure I'll screw up and forget something today" and as I was getting ready for the 10:30 Trop Reef presentation, I ducked my head under, and had exactly zero air. Fortunately, I simply stood back up, had someone check my air and was told it was on. Only then did I realize I'd forgotten to connect the air hose to the Guardian full-face mask. Awfully hard to get air from the tank into the mask without an actual connection. The lesson obviously carries over into the "real" world too. No matter how many dives you've done or how familiar you are with a dive site, if you've been inactive for a while, really double-check everything and take it easy. There's no such thing as being "too safe."
BIG CALAMARI - I think I sent you this link once before but it popped up again and it's WAY cool. It's footage of a small (12-foot or so) Giant Squid alive and swimming in Toyama Bay, Japan. Bear in mind these animals have only recently been filmed alive and they can also be rather vicious. But this one seemed pretty calm. However, I can't honestly say I would have been willing to jump in and shoot it, no matter how rare the chance was. Pretty good quality video and definitely worth a look: .
ALMOST AS BIG AS . . . - The Great White Sharks we'll be seeing in two weeks in Guadalupe. Although our spots are officially sold, there are still a few spots remaining on the Nautilus Belle Amie. (Trip dates are August 1-16, BTW.) There's a female-share standard room and a couple of Superior Suites still available as well. If you're interested in making this a last-minute addition to your summer plans, give me a call at 310/652-4990.
HOT SPOTS AROUND THE WORLD - Needless to say, we watched the turmoil in Turkey fairly closely because when we go to the Maldives in November, we're supposed to fly through Istanbul, and then spend three days there on the way back. We fully believe that by the time November rolls around, this will all have settled down and things will be fine. But it does underscore one of the issues that can befall dive travelers since we've got to at least transit through some of these world hotspots. For us, the worst-case scenario might be routing ourselves through Dubai or even Singapore, and possibly having to eat the Turkish Airlines ticket. But even contemplating that underscores the value of having trip insurance for all aspects of these adventures. One place we refer people to (and it's a comparative website), is www.insuremytrip.com where you can get quotes from a variety of insurers and make an informed choice. However, make sure you read the fine print because many carriers have "terrorism exclusions" which basically say that if your trip is canceled because of an act of terrorism, they don't have to pay off. Buyer beware.
EXPEDITE THE IMMIGRATION & CUSTOMS LINE - Assuming you make your trip despite the world turmoil, if you have an iPhone, you may be able to expedite your journey through Customs when you come back into the US at selected airports (LAX is not yet included). Apple has a US Customs & Border Patrol-approved app that allows you to submit all of your entry informamtion, including passport number, as soon as you land. This allows you to enter a special line in the arrival hall which basically means there will be no wait time for you. You can find out more about it, including system requirements, by clcicking here: How to skip the airport's US Customs line with your iPhone.
UNDERWATER MICROSCOPE - Many in the underwater science world are very excited about a new development from UC San Diego, which is an underwater microscope that can record with resolution and magnification never before achieved, and which will give scientists new insights into how coral reefs work. Whereas previous cameras could record as small as 20-50 micrometers, this one can get down to 1 micrometer. That's huge (or small, actually). There's a nice article about this from the Washington Post as well as a very interesting 90-second video that shows some of the footage. Check it out: Watch incredible microscopic video of corals kissing, growing and fighting.
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week and let's go diving soon!!!
- Ken
