Ken Kurtis
Contributor
Enough of this June Gloom already . . .
DIDN'T GO SATURDAY - We were going to do Redondo/Vets Saturday morning but the guy going with me couldn't make it so I passed on a solo beach dive. But looking at the live cam, it didn't look all that great: 1-2' surf, choppy surface, and the aforementioned June Gloom. It's interesting how we'll tolerate conditions on a sunny day, but on a gloomy day, the gloom may just be the straw that breaks the camel's back. C'est la vie.
AVALON IN TWO WEEKS - Although we're counting down to leaving for Indonesia on July 6, we plan on going to Avalon as scheduled on Saturday, June 29. Our general plan is the 8:45AM out of San Pedro and then leave the island on the 5:30PM, which gets us out of the parking lot by 7PM. Plenty of time for 3 dives and a break for lunch. The Giant Sea Bass seem to be hanging around and there's been a fairly large Bat Ray who's also been spotted here and there. Call us at 310/652-4990 if you're interested in going.
SHARKS IN TROUBLE - There's a heart-breaking report out from the Pew Trust that indicates, through DNA testing, that as many as 1/3 of all shark species are threatened with extinction. The study was based on analyzing 4,000 shark fins in Hong Kong retail fish markets. Stopping the sale of shark fins for shark fin soup and other purposes will certainly help. You can read more about the study here: SHARKS IN PERIL.
THIS WAS ONE PISSED-OFF SHARK - Also last week, and not contributing to the threat of extinction, comes a story from the Seoul Aquarium of a female Sand Tiger shark who kept getting bumped by a male Banded Hound shark. Finally, she had enough . . . and ate him. It took 21 hours (she started at the head) and yes, there's video. Shark cannibalism isn't all that unusual, but it's generally not filmed nor put on public display: SHARK EATS SHARK.
PHOTO CLASS THIS WEEK - And when you hear about stuff like that, I'm sure your first thought is "I wish I had a camera to record that moment." And then your second thought will be, "I hope I'd be able to take the picture properly." Well, you're in luck. Although we won't be engaging in any shark eating or feeding, we're having a Photo Workshop at Reef Seekers West(wood) this Wednesday night. We go through some basic stuff and give you simple ideas that can make your shots better almost right away. We'll also cover a bit on post-processing and you're welcome to bring whatever camera you use for some hands-on experience. Call us at 310/652-4990 to get signed up. We usually start around 7:30PM and are done by 10PM.
DEAD DOLPHINS IN THE GULF - Also on the sad side, there seems to be a large dolphin die-off going on in the Gulf of Mexico. No one knows exactly why but NOAA had declared an "unusual mortality event" which gives them a little more flexibility in how they investigate. Roughly 200 dolphins have been found dead in the last five months, which is about three times the historical average. You can read a bit more about this here: DEAD DOLPHINS IN THE GULF.
And that's enough sad news for now. Have a great week and let's go diving soon!!!
- Ken
DIDN'T GO SATURDAY - We were going to do Redondo/Vets Saturday morning but the guy going with me couldn't make it so I passed on a solo beach dive. But looking at the live cam, it didn't look all that great: 1-2' surf, choppy surface, and the aforementioned June Gloom. It's interesting how we'll tolerate conditions on a sunny day, but on a gloomy day, the gloom may just be the straw that breaks the camel's back. C'est la vie.
AVALON IN TWO WEEKS - Although we're counting down to leaving for Indonesia on July 6, we plan on going to Avalon as scheduled on Saturday, June 29. Our general plan is the 8:45AM out of San Pedro and then leave the island on the 5:30PM, which gets us out of the parking lot by 7PM. Plenty of time for 3 dives and a break for lunch. The Giant Sea Bass seem to be hanging around and there's been a fairly large Bat Ray who's also been spotted here and there. Call us at 310/652-4990 if you're interested in going.
SHARKS IN TROUBLE - There's a heart-breaking report out from the Pew Trust that indicates, through DNA testing, that as many as 1/3 of all shark species are threatened with extinction. The study was based on analyzing 4,000 shark fins in Hong Kong retail fish markets. Stopping the sale of shark fins for shark fin soup and other purposes will certainly help. You can read more about the study here: SHARKS IN PERIL.
THIS WAS ONE PISSED-OFF SHARK - Also last week, and not contributing to the threat of extinction, comes a story from the Seoul Aquarium of a female Sand Tiger shark who kept getting bumped by a male Banded Hound shark. Finally, she had enough . . . and ate him. It took 21 hours (she started at the head) and yes, there's video. Shark cannibalism isn't all that unusual, but it's generally not filmed nor put on public display: SHARK EATS SHARK.
PHOTO CLASS THIS WEEK - And when you hear about stuff like that, I'm sure your first thought is "I wish I had a camera to record that moment." And then your second thought will be, "I hope I'd be able to take the picture properly." Well, you're in luck. Although we won't be engaging in any shark eating or feeding, we're having a Photo Workshop at Reef Seekers West(wood) this Wednesday night. We go through some basic stuff and give you simple ideas that can make your shots better almost right away. We'll also cover a bit on post-processing and you're welcome to bring whatever camera you use for some hands-on experience. Call us at 310/652-4990 to get signed up. We usually start around 7:30PM and are done by 10PM.
DEAD DOLPHINS IN THE GULF - Also on the sad side, there seems to be a large dolphin die-off going on in the Gulf of Mexico. No one knows exactly why but NOAA had declared an "unusual mortality event" which gives them a little more flexibility in how they investigate. Roughly 200 dolphins have been found dead in the last five months, which is about three times the historical average. You can read a bit more about this here: DEAD DOLPHINS IN THE GULF.
And that's enough sad news for now. Have a great week and let's go diving soon!!!
- Ken
