Ken Kurtis
Contributor
Want to travel??? Upcoming 2016-2017 vacation trips:
• August 1-6 - Isla Guadalupe & Great White Sharks [ NOW $1,000 OFF - SOLD OUT!!! . . . although we may be able to get a couple more ]
• 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 [ A FEW SPOTS LEFT ]
• November 3-16 - Maldives on the Manthiri [ NOW ONLY 5 SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE ]
• 2017 - July 7-19 - Yap Immersion #1 (special 13-day trip featuring all that Yap has to offer) [ LIMITED TO 12 DIVERS - 9 SPOTS LEFT ]
• 2017 - July 21-August 2 - Yap Immersion #2 (special 13-day trip featuring all that Yap has to offer - see below) [ LIMITED TO 12 DIVERS - 9 SPOTS LEFT THIS WEEK TOO ]
GET MORE INFO ON ALL OF OUR VACATION TRIPS HERE: www.reefseekers.com/foreign_trips.html
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Sad Sunday morning with the horrific events in Orlando. Words cannot express the sense of powerlessness, despair, and all the other emotions that well up. IMHO, this is about hatred, plain and simple, regardless of its origin . . .
SHARK IN THE PARK – There was apparently a lot of excitement in Avalon Saturday as there were two independent sightings of what was alleged/appeared to be a 12-15’ Great White Shark (although that sounds a bit large for what you'd expect IMHO) cruising as shallow as 30 feet within the confines of the Avalon Underwater Park. Some people (and I would have done the same had I been there) immediately wanted to jump back in to go find him. But officials asked people to leave the water, and then posted a warning sign that basically said, “Dive if you want to.” One thing to bear in mind with these types of encounters is that if the shark is just sort of swimming along and looking around, he’s not on the hunt. That doesn't mean you might not need to change your wetsuit after such an encounter, but the point is that hunting/feeding behavior is very different than from what has been described so far. And while it’s certainly prudent to be cautious around ANY shark, there still is a stigma and semi-hysteria when large sharks are sighted because we still tend to fear them rather than be amazed at how they've evolved over the millennia. And it’s certainly not unheard of to have GWS sightings at Catalina. Many years ago, there was one that was spotted somewhat regularly around the West End and a buddy of mine (and this could have been the same shark) felt spooked when one made a pass at him while he was spearfishing alone at Black Rock. So I don't think this is El Nino-related or anything like that, nor do I think Bruce is suddenly going to be competing with the Black Sea Bass for “Largest UW Park Resident.” Anyhow, we'll keep our ears (and eyes) open about any future sightings and will relay those to you. Here's a Sunday update from Dr. Bill which may explain everything: "Yesterday (Saturday) I saw a commercial stickboat (broadbill boat) anchored illegally right next to a dive park boundary mooring ball that has a sign saying 'No mooring within 300 ft.' I learned today (Sunday) it was apparently cleaning fish all day for one of the local restaurants. Couldn't have had anything to do with the appearance of the great white (it was first seen close to that area)??"
ELEPHANT SEALS AT PIEDRAS BLANCAS – I spent the weekend up in Santa Cruz and on the drive up, we made a point to stop to see the Elephant Seal colony at Piedras Blancas, which is just north of San Simeon. Really cool. There were hundreds and hundreds of them on the beach, a mix of males and females. This time of the year they come ashore and molt and apparently don't eat or do much of anything else. So there are an awfully lot of raggedy-looking brown blobs on the beach, weighing anywhere from 1,500-5,000 pounds. And they're all packed in together, occasionally adjusting themselves, occasionally flipping sand on top of themselves to stay cool, and occasionally (in the case of the males) bellowing to establish dominance. But it’s really interesting to see and worth the trip. It’s also nice because there’s a fairly large parking lot and a boardwalk that parallels the beach so you actually can get fairly close and slightly above the animals while remaining safe yourself and not disturbing the seals. This gives you a good view as well as a good photo angle, as hopefully you'll agree when you look at the photo below. And you can see more at this gallery link: ELEPHANT SEALS OF PIEDRAS BLANCAS (June - 2016) - kenkurtis.
MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM – I spent Saturday morning at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and it’s literally the first time in 20 years that I've been there, so it’s also the first time I got to see their Open Ocean exhibit (which opened just after I was there last in 1996). Some of the animals in there – like the massive Yellow-Finned Tuna – are very impressive, but it’s basically a bit, dark, swimming pool. Because they get their water directly from Monterey Bay (and then pump it back out), the visibility is generally whatever they have at the moment in the Bay, which on Saturday was 20-30 feet. So it makes it hard to see some of the animals when they're in the back. But still cool to see. Much more impressive I thought were their Kelp Forrest and Monterey Bay Habitats exhibits. Really great collection of fish and fairly easy to see into the exhibits. They've also got a very nice new exhibit called “Viva Baja” which focuses on the critters of Baja, California. Overall, the whole Cannery Row area has changed since I was there 20 years ago and is much more touristy-commercial now, but the Aquarium is still definitely worth a visit if you up in that general neck of the woods. You can see some of the images I shot here: Monterey Bay Aquarium (June - 2016) - kenkurtis.
YAP IMMERSION PROGRAM ALREADY FILLING – Much to my delight (and surprise), we've already got six people who have signed up for our “Immerse Yourself in Yap” trip that we announced last week. To remind you, this will be a 13-day trip (10 days in Yap), that will include a lot of diving, island tours, a manta ID class, photo workshops for those photographically-inclined (but there’s certainly no need or requirement to have a camera), a manta-tracking project, mangrove kayak tours, and a whole lot of fun and learning to boot. (Full details here - Foreign Trips - scroll to the bnottom.) Assuming we have enough interest, we're offering it twice, either July 7-21 or July 23-August 2. One thing everyone seems to like is that each trip will be limited to no more than 12 divers. Better for you and easier for me to wrangle the group. And to be clear, this is for NEXT year, 2017. So this also means that we can set up an easy monthly payment plan for you if you'd like to spread out the $2,995 (not including airfare). Give us a call at 310/652-4990 to get more info or to snag one of the spots.
TIME TO SERVICE GEAR? – When was the last time you had your gear serviced? Our ace repair guru Robert Stark stands at the ready to get your reg or BC or tank back into peak operating condition. And we offer quick turn-around as well, with most repairs done within a week of us receiving them. Plus, if your gear has been serviced by us within the last 18 months (we give you a little leeway over the recommendation of every 12 months), then you qualify for our Repeat Offender Program which means you get a discount on BOTH the labor and the parts. So if your gear needs servicing, call Robert at our dedicated repair number, 310/947-8523, and get yourself good-to-go. (Caveat: When I started writing this, I forgot that Robert's going out of town - diving - Tuesday through next Wednesday. So either get hold of him Monday, or give him a call after June 22.)
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week and let's go diving soon!!!
- Ken
• August 1-6 - Isla Guadalupe & Great White Sharks [ NOW $1,000 OFF - SOLD OUT!!! . . . although we may be able to get a couple more ]
• 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 [ A FEW SPOTS LEFT ]
• November 3-16 - Maldives on the Manthiri [ NOW ONLY 5 SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE ]
• 2017 - July 7-19 - Yap Immersion #1 (special 13-day trip featuring all that Yap has to offer) [ LIMITED TO 12 DIVERS - 9 SPOTS LEFT ]
• 2017 - July 21-August 2 - Yap Immersion #2 (special 13-day trip featuring all that Yap has to offer - see below) [ LIMITED TO 12 DIVERS - 9 SPOTS LEFT THIS WEEK TOO ]
GET MORE INFO ON ALL OF OUR VACATION TRIPS HERE: www.reefseekers.com/foreign_trips.html
——————————————————————————————————————————
Sad Sunday morning with the horrific events in Orlando. Words cannot express the sense of powerlessness, despair, and all the other emotions that well up. IMHO, this is about hatred, plain and simple, regardless of its origin . . .
SHARK IN THE PARK – There was apparently a lot of excitement in Avalon Saturday as there were two independent sightings of what was alleged/appeared to be a 12-15’ Great White Shark (although that sounds a bit large for what you'd expect IMHO) cruising as shallow as 30 feet within the confines of the Avalon Underwater Park. Some people (and I would have done the same had I been there) immediately wanted to jump back in to go find him. But officials asked people to leave the water, and then posted a warning sign that basically said, “Dive if you want to.” One thing to bear in mind with these types of encounters is that if the shark is just sort of swimming along and looking around, he’s not on the hunt. That doesn't mean you might not need to change your wetsuit after such an encounter, but the point is that hunting/feeding behavior is very different than from what has been described so far. And while it’s certainly prudent to be cautious around ANY shark, there still is a stigma and semi-hysteria when large sharks are sighted because we still tend to fear them rather than be amazed at how they've evolved over the millennia. And it’s certainly not unheard of to have GWS sightings at Catalina. Many years ago, there was one that was spotted somewhat regularly around the West End and a buddy of mine (and this could have been the same shark) felt spooked when one made a pass at him while he was spearfishing alone at Black Rock. So I don't think this is El Nino-related or anything like that, nor do I think Bruce is suddenly going to be competing with the Black Sea Bass for “Largest UW Park Resident.” Anyhow, we'll keep our ears (and eyes) open about any future sightings and will relay those to you. Here's a Sunday update from Dr. Bill which may explain everything: "Yesterday (Saturday) I saw a commercial stickboat (broadbill boat) anchored illegally right next to a dive park boundary mooring ball that has a sign saying 'No mooring within 300 ft.' I learned today (Sunday) it was apparently cleaning fish all day for one of the local restaurants. Couldn't have had anything to do with the appearance of the great white (it was first seen close to that area)??"
ELEPHANT SEALS AT PIEDRAS BLANCAS – I spent the weekend up in Santa Cruz and on the drive up, we made a point to stop to see the Elephant Seal colony at Piedras Blancas, which is just north of San Simeon. Really cool. There were hundreds and hundreds of them on the beach, a mix of males and females. This time of the year they come ashore and molt and apparently don't eat or do much of anything else. So there are an awfully lot of raggedy-looking brown blobs on the beach, weighing anywhere from 1,500-5,000 pounds. And they're all packed in together, occasionally adjusting themselves, occasionally flipping sand on top of themselves to stay cool, and occasionally (in the case of the males) bellowing to establish dominance. But it’s really interesting to see and worth the trip. It’s also nice because there’s a fairly large parking lot and a boardwalk that parallels the beach so you actually can get fairly close and slightly above the animals while remaining safe yourself and not disturbing the seals. This gives you a good view as well as a good photo angle, as hopefully you'll agree when you look at the photo below. And you can see more at this gallery link: ELEPHANT SEALS OF PIEDRAS BLANCAS (June - 2016) - kenkurtis.
MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM – I spent Saturday morning at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and it’s literally the first time in 20 years that I've been there, so it’s also the first time I got to see their Open Ocean exhibit (which opened just after I was there last in 1996). Some of the animals in there – like the massive Yellow-Finned Tuna – are very impressive, but it’s basically a bit, dark, swimming pool. Because they get their water directly from Monterey Bay (and then pump it back out), the visibility is generally whatever they have at the moment in the Bay, which on Saturday was 20-30 feet. So it makes it hard to see some of the animals when they're in the back. But still cool to see. Much more impressive I thought were their Kelp Forrest and Monterey Bay Habitats exhibits. Really great collection of fish and fairly easy to see into the exhibits. They've also got a very nice new exhibit called “Viva Baja” which focuses on the critters of Baja, California. Overall, the whole Cannery Row area has changed since I was there 20 years ago and is much more touristy-commercial now, but the Aquarium is still definitely worth a visit if you up in that general neck of the woods. You can see some of the images I shot here: Monterey Bay Aquarium (June - 2016) - kenkurtis.
YAP IMMERSION PROGRAM ALREADY FILLING – Much to my delight (and surprise), we've already got six people who have signed up for our “Immerse Yourself in Yap” trip that we announced last week. To remind you, this will be a 13-day trip (10 days in Yap), that will include a lot of diving, island tours, a manta ID class, photo workshops for those photographically-inclined (but there’s certainly no need or requirement to have a camera), a manta-tracking project, mangrove kayak tours, and a whole lot of fun and learning to boot. (Full details here - Foreign Trips - scroll to the bnottom.) Assuming we have enough interest, we're offering it twice, either July 7-21 or July 23-August 2. One thing everyone seems to like is that each trip will be limited to no more than 12 divers. Better for you and easier for me to wrangle the group. And to be clear, this is for NEXT year, 2017. So this also means that we can set up an easy monthly payment plan for you if you'd like to spread out the $2,995 (not including airfare). Give us a call at 310/652-4990 to get more info or to snag one of the spots.
TIME TO SERVICE GEAR? – When was the last time you had your gear serviced? Our ace repair guru Robert Stark stands at the ready to get your reg or BC or tank back into peak operating condition. And we offer quick turn-around as well, with most repairs done within a week of us receiving them. Plus, if your gear has been serviced by us within the last 18 months (we give you a little leeway over the recommendation of every 12 months), then you qualify for our Repeat Offender Program which means you get a discount on BOTH the labor and the parts. So if your gear needs servicing, call Robert at our dedicated repair number, 310/947-8523, and get yourself good-to-go. (Caveat: When I started writing this, I forgot that Robert's going out of town - diving - Tuesday through next Wednesday. So either get hold of him Monday, or give him a call after June 22.)
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week and let's go diving soon!!!
- Ken
