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Tuna Crabs are Everywhere
Queensland and a Growing Armada of Illegal Fishing Boats
Why Subscribe to Undercurrent? Only Serious Divers Do
Negligent Death of Boy Diver
Raja Ampat Under Threat
Think Twice
Just Do It!
The Annual Great Shark Snapshot
Excess Baggage or Rental Kit?
Diving Insider Blogs
This Month in Undercurrent
Why Subscribe to Undercurrent? Only Serious Divers Do

Tuna Crabs are Everywhere;   June 23, 2024

San Diego divers have been having a heyday filming hundreds of thousands of three-inch crustaceans off the coast of La Jolla. Says Brian Zach, owner of Zach’s Scuba Shack, who takes divers out at night to see the invasion, "This is the craziest I've ever seen them. At about 15 feet, the swarm began, and it only got denser the deeper we went. At about 60 feet, the group was piling on top of itself, blanketing the ocean floor for as far as my visibility allowed." A type of squat lobster, they're usually found off Baja California in Mexico; warmer waters have brought them to Southern California since 2014. Weak swimmers, they get swept along in the current. "They're all eating each other right now, and all the predators are picking them off," says Zach. "And they'll probably wash ashore here and be gone in a couple of weeks." (BBC Wildlife Magazine)

Queensland and a Growing Armada of Illegal Fishing Boats.   June 23, 2024

After invading Australia's waters, including the marine parks, more than 200 Indonesian fishing boats were captured; 48 have been burned and sunk by the Australian Border Force during the last six months. In just one day in May, 65 were detected. Almost 19,000 tons of sea cucumbers were seized. The Indonesian navy is now cooperating with the Australian government, and both hope that burning the fishing boats will deter other Indonesian fishermen.

Why Subscribe to Undercurrent? Only Serious Divers Do.   June 23, 2024

We cover subjects other dive publications avoid for fear of upsetting their advertisers. But we don't accept advertising. We are accountable only to divers. Our travel reviews are written by undercover authors who pay their way. Our stories cover equipment problems, liveaboard safety, the ins and outs of tipping, how dive insurance can fail you, and much, much more. In December, you will receive The Travelin' Diver's Chapbook, filled with hundreds of travel reviews by fellow subscribers. Not only that, you have full access to more than 11,000 Undercurrent independent readers' reports -- opinions and impressions posted without fear or favor by those who have stayed at the resorts or have been on liveaboards worldwide.

As a free gift, I will email you A Decade of Liveaboard Losses. In the last 12 years, at least 21 diving liveaboards have caught fire, capsized, hit an object, or run aground. Our report describes these disasters, and we've added a special section on the 2001 Belize Wave Dancer hurricane catastrophe, which led to the death of 17 members of a Richmond, Virginia, dive club and three crew members. To subscribe for just $26.95 for a seven-month subscription and get your free Report, A Decade of Liveaboard Losses, Click Here.

Negligent Death of Boy Diver.   June 23, 2024

A negligence lawsuit has been brought against a Malaysian diving resort and two of its employees in connection with the 2022 death of a 13-year-old British diver. After separating from their dive boat, the young Adrian Chesters, his father, their instructor, and another guest were adrift in the South China Sea. The lawsuit contends that after the incident, the family was asked by the resort to pay more than $7500 for the rescue boat and that the boy's mother had been asked to move the family out of the chalet while her husband and son were still missing at sea. The owners of the Sea Gypsy Village resort on Sibu island have pleaded guilty to operating a dive boat without an adequate crew and were fined US$1000. (divernet.com)

Raja Ampat Under Threat.  June 23, 2024

Nickel mining may be rearing its ugly head again in Raja Ampat's Kawe Islands region. Experts worry that rising prices for the precious metal, spurred by growing demand for electric vehicles, could imperil a critical habitat just outside of Raja Ampat's vast marine protected areas, which span an area twice the size of Taiwan. The coral reefs could be smothered by runoff, and an essential manta superhighway interfered with.

Think Twice:  June 23, 2024

Recently, a Cozumel cab driver posted a message on a Cozumel diving Facebook page that a tourist had left a cell phone in his cab, and half a dozen well-meaning American tourists offered to take it to the States and mail it. There's a reason that you hear regular announcements at U.S. airports asking if you are carrying anything you received from a stranger. An empty iPhone case could hold as much as $10,000 worth of fentanyl. In the U.S., plenty of unsuspecting mules are behind bars.

Just Do It!   June 23, 2024

Divers with Rainbow Reef Dive Center in Key Largo, FL, were diving in 100 feet of water on June 5 when they spotted trash bags they figured should be removed. On further observation, they discovered a gigantic haul of individually wrapped parcels of cocaine marked with a Nike sneaker logo. They pulled up 25 kilos with a street value of around $3 million and turned it over to the U.S. Border Patrol. (Miami Herald)

The Annual Great Shark Snapshot  June 23, 2024

The Annual Great Shark Snapshot is planned for July 20-28. Divers and snorkelers are invited to record and share data, photos, or videos of all the sharks and rays they saw that week, which will be added to the Shark Trust Log. Scientists are building maps of species distribution and changes that occur among the sharks and rays. Sightings can be recorded at https://recording.sharktrust.org/sightings/record.

Excess Baggage or Rental Kit?  June 23, 2024

We divers travel with heavy luggage, but with increasing excess baggage charges, many divers prefer to rent diving equipment when they arrive at their destination. That said, using our own gear in which we have confidence is comforting. Do you insist on diving with your own gear, or are you happy to rent it at your resort or liveaboard? We'd like to hear your opinion. Email BenDDavison@undercurrent.org and include your town and state.

Diving Insider Blogs.  June 23, 2024

Two new blogs are about selling your unwanted dive gear (with hints and tips on pricing and avoiding scams) and a tale of two very different experiences on educational dive trips with photo professionals. You can read them both at www.undercurrent.org/blog

This Month in Undercurrent.  June 23, 2024

Diving from the BVI Aggressor in the British Virgin Islands . . . Sleeping with the fishes -- burial at sea . . . . . . The mysterious disappearance of Grand Cayman scuba tanks . . . Which is the best dive training agency in 2024? . . . Trapped in Manado under a volcano . . . Degrading reefs are our own fault . . . Beyond the brink -- the fourth mass coral bleaching . . . South Carolina river diver attacked by a 'gator . . . DAN insurance -- age is no barrier . . . A decade of liveaboard losses . . . and much, much more.

Why Subscribe to Undercurrent? Only Serious Divers Do.  June 23, 2024

We cover subjects other dive publications avoid for fear of upsetting their advertisers. But we don't accept advertising. We are accountable only to divers. Our travel reviews are written by undercover authors who pay their way. Our stories cover equipment problems, liveaboard safety, the ins and outs of tipping, how dive insurance can fail you, and much, much more. In December, you will receive The Travelin' Diver's Chapbook, filled with hundreds of travel reviews by fellow subscribers. Not only that, you have full access to more than 11,000 Undercurrent independent readers' reports -- opinions and impressions posted without fear or favor by those who have stayed at the resorts or have been on liveaboards worldwide.

Ben Davison, editor/publisher
BenDDavison@undercurrent.org

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Note: Undercurrent is a registered 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization donating funds to help preserve coral reefs. Our travel writers never announce their purpose, are unknown to the destination, and receive no complimentary services or compensation from the dive operators or resort.

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