Ken Kurtis
Contributor
COVID, Flying Sharks, Aquarium and more
I feel like Chicken Little at times . . .
DIVING'S RAMPING UP, BARS CLOSING BACK DOWN - It's easy to see why people respond to this COVID stuff so differently. On the one hand, we're being told that things are getting better but at the same time are getting worse. The infection rate seems to keep climbing although the rate of death from those infections seems to be dropping. The latter is likely due to both better medical treatments now as well as victims seem to be skewing younger - but that seems to be because young people aren't being as diligent as older folks - and that younger age range is more likely to survive if infected. But I think we've still got a ways to go. On Sunday, Gov. Newsom again ordered bars to close back down in some areas due to continued spikes and people not following face-covering and distancing in those establishments.
DR. LUCY JONES SAYS IT BEST - You likely remember her from her days at CalTech explaining earthquakes to us. She's a big believer in keeping the message as simple as possible and says that when you ask people to do too many things, they sometimes just give up. So her message for COVID is quite clear: Don't share your air. Simply put, don't let your air go to someone else in case you're infected and asymptomatic. And don't let someone else's air come in contact with you in case they're infected. How to do it? Face-coverings and social distancing.
INSIDE VS. OUTSIDE - The experts seem to be getting away from issues of contamination through touch and are focusing much more on getting infected through respiratory droplets. That's why there's they say there's a discrepancy between being outside where the droplets can disperse, and being inside where that's not the case. This definitely applies to us in diving when you look at being on an open deck vs. being inside the galley. I cringed a bit this weekend when I saw a pix from a dive boat with 20 people crowded shoulder-to-shoulder inside the galley for a briefing and only three masks among the group. It's one thing to do stuff that results in you getting infected. It's quite another thing if you get infected and then go around unintentionally infecting others before your symptoms manifest.
Enough of my weekly doom & COVID gloom . . .
TRAVELLING SOON?? - Maybe, maybe not. All kinds of stuff going on here. The biggest new is that it looks like the European Union countries will keep the United States off the "safe list" of countries whose citizens came come visit without issue (EU Safe List). Until we get our rates waaaay down, it looks like other countries may follow suit. The Bahamas is reopening this week but you have to come with a valid negative-COVID test from within the past 10 days (Bahamas regulations). The Solomon islands is opening back up to tourists from Australia & New Zealand but specifically not Americans. If that's not all troublesome enough, American Airlines announced that as of July 1, they'll no longer block off middle seats and will resume trying to fill planes to capacity (American Airlines). It all makes my apartment summer stay-cation looking more and more appealing.
AQUARIUM BRINGS BACK VOLUNTEER DIVERS - The Aquarium is going to bring back volunteer divers starting July 6. It will be a slimmed-down program with only about 1/3 as many divers as before. There will be no presentations/shows to discourage crowds from gathering in front of exhibits, and a strict limit to the number of total divers (4) allowed to be diving at any given time throughout the day. On top of that, strict face-covering, social distancing, and gear disinfecting protocols are in place as well as pre-arrival medical screening and temperature-taking. So when you see me ranting about seemingly lax protocols when we're out recreational diving vs. this, perhaps it gives you a more complete perspective on where I'm coming from. Better safe than sorry. I really don't want any of you to contract this thing.
BELUGA WHALE IN SAN DIEGO WATERS - Lots of excitement at the sighting of a Beluga a few days ago, some 2000 miles further south than you'd expect to find one. The animal has been spotted a couple of times and photographed/documented as well. As to why/how it got so far south, that's anyone's guess. Take a peek: BELUGA IN SAN DIEGO.
RENT THIS BOAT - If I've scared you off of travelling, give some though to renting out this little boat for you and a few friends. Thanks to Alan Wald for the tip. Plenty of room for social distancing: THE FLYING FOX.
BAD DAY? - If you think you're having a bad day, be thankful you weren't this shark caught in the claws of a raptor, flying over Myrtle Beach, SC: FLYING SHARK.
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week and let's SAFELY go diving soon one of these days!!!
- Ken
I feel like Chicken Little at times . . .
DIVING'S RAMPING UP, BARS CLOSING BACK DOWN - It's easy to see why people respond to this COVID stuff so differently. On the one hand, we're being told that things are getting better but at the same time are getting worse. The infection rate seems to keep climbing although the rate of death from those infections seems to be dropping. The latter is likely due to both better medical treatments now as well as victims seem to be skewing younger - but that seems to be because young people aren't being as diligent as older folks - and that younger age range is more likely to survive if infected. But I think we've still got a ways to go. On Sunday, Gov. Newsom again ordered bars to close back down in some areas due to continued spikes and people not following face-covering and distancing in those establishments.
DR. LUCY JONES SAYS IT BEST - You likely remember her from her days at CalTech explaining earthquakes to us. She's a big believer in keeping the message as simple as possible and says that when you ask people to do too many things, they sometimes just give up. So her message for COVID is quite clear: Don't share your air. Simply put, don't let your air go to someone else in case you're infected and asymptomatic. And don't let someone else's air come in contact with you in case they're infected. How to do it? Face-coverings and social distancing.
INSIDE VS. OUTSIDE - The experts seem to be getting away from issues of contamination through touch and are focusing much more on getting infected through respiratory droplets. That's why there's they say there's a discrepancy between being outside where the droplets can disperse, and being inside where that's not the case. This definitely applies to us in diving when you look at being on an open deck vs. being inside the galley. I cringed a bit this weekend when I saw a pix from a dive boat with 20 people crowded shoulder-to-shoulder inside the galley for a briefing and only three masks among the group. It's one thing to do stuff that results in you getting infected. It's quite another thing if you get infected and then go around unintentionally infecting others before your symptoms manifest.
Enough of my weekly doom & COVID gloom . . .
TRAVELLING SOON?? - Maybe, maybe not. All kinds of stuff going on here. The biggest new is that it looks like the European Union countries will keep the United States off the "safe list" of countries whose citizens came come visit without issue (EU Safe List). Until we get our rates waaaay down, it looks like other countries may follow suit. The Bahamas is reopening this week but you have to come with a valid negative-COVID test from within the past 10 days (Bahamas regulations). The Solomon islands is opening back up to tourists from Australia & New Zealand but specifically not Americans. If that's not all troublesome enough, American Airlines announced that as of July 1, they'll no longer block off middle seats and will resume trying to fill planes to capacity (American Airlines). It all makes my apartment summer stay-cation looking more and more appealing.
AQUARIUM BRINGS BACK VOLUNTEER DIVERS - The Aquarium is going to bring back volunteer divers starting July 6. It will be a slimmed-down program with only about 1/3 as many divers as before. There will be no presentations/shows to discourage crowds from gathering in front of exhibits, and a strict limit to the number of total divers (4) allowed to be diving at any given time throughout the day. On top of that, strict face-covering, social distancing, and gear disinfecting protocols are in place as well as pre-arrival medical screening and temperature-taking. So when you see me ranting about seemingly lax protocols when we're out recreational diving vs. this, perhaps it gives you a more complete perspective on where I'm coming from. Better safe than sorry. I really don't want any of you to contract this thing.
BELUGA WHALE IN SAN DIEGO WATERS - Lots of excitement at the sighting of a Beluga a few days ago, some 2000 miles further south than you'd expect to find one. The animal has been spotted a couple of times and photographed/documented as well. As to why/how it got so far south, that's anyone's guess. Take a peek: BELUGA IN SAN DIEGO.
RENT THIS BOAT - If I've scared you off of travelling, give some though to renting out this little boat for you and a few friends. Thanks to Alan Wald for the tip. Plenty of room for social distancing: THE FLYING FOX.
BAD DAY? - If you think you're having a bad day, be thankful you weren't this shark caught in the claws of a raptor, flying over Myrtle Beach, SC: FLYING SHARK.
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week and let's SAFELY go diving soon one of these days!!!
- Ken
