Unpublished shorts from divermag.com by Stephen Weir
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• The UnderwaterChannel.tv is now available worldwide through the Internet. Launched on September 1st the UK based free TV station features professionally produced video from international underwater filmmakers. The new service is at www.theunderwaterchannel.tv.
• During the recently held Republican Convention in Minnesota, visiting political reporter was invited to dive in the Mall of America’s shark filled aquarium. Many scribes accepted the invitation and found it less stressful than covering the convention! The mall is one of the largest indoor shopping centres in the world.
• Last year Diver Magazine featured a story I wrote (and have posted on this site) about how the Georgia Aquarium was allowing divers to swim in their giant Whale Shark tank. This month the Atlanta facility announced the addition of a manta ray to that 6.3 million gallon gallery. Nandi, a female manta ray, is the only manta in captivity in the US. Nandi, who measures more than nine feet across and weighs approximately 456 lbs, was flown from Durban, South Africa, to Atlanta.
CUTLINE: Nandi swims freely in the Georgia Aquarium
• Aquarium of the Bay now has a Sevengill Shark. During the summer San Francisco, California’s Aquarium of the Bay acquired a 10-foot (3.3m) female sevengill shark, believed to be the largest of its species in captivity. The big shark now swims inside the Aquarium's main exhibit tunnel along with eight other sevengills and a large number of leopard sharks, spiny dogfish, bat rays, and skates. Sevengill sharks, Notorynchus cepedianus, are named for the seven gills on each side of their pectoral fins. Most other sharks have only five gills.
• Brookville, New Jersey resident Adam Grohman is a dive instructor and boatswain’s mate in the US Coast Guard Reserve. He has recently self-published a research study about shipwrecks that divers from New York and New Jersey often dive. Claimed by the Sea - Long Island Shipwrecks looks at 11 vessels that have sunk off Long Island. The wrecks that he has researched are: Savannah, Lexington, U.S.S. Ohio, Circassian, Seawanhaka, Oregon, Louis V. Place, General Slocum, U.S.S. San Diego, Andrea Doria, and the Gwendoline Steers. The book includes photographs of the vessels and artifacts recovered from the sites, illustrations, numerous footnotes, references, source listing, and an index. It is available online at www.lulu.com/adamgrohman.
• Fall appears to be the season for surveys and lists that mention diving: Sportingo, a popular sporting website recently listed the 10 most dangerous sports based on accident reports. Sports making the list include: Cave Diving, Rugby and Cheerleading! The London Times listed the ten best dive sites in the UK. The number one destination? The World War One shipwrecks of Scotland’s Scapa Flow. Cheapflights.co.uk has named Egypt’s Sharm El Sheikh. The other sites listed include the Great Barrier Reef, Cuba, Maldives, Belize, Turks and Caicos, Maui in Hawaii, Malaysian Borneo, and St Croix in the US Virgin Island
cutline: Stephen Weir inside a Bermuda cave. Photograph by Jim Kozmik
• The Humboldt. Divers in Southern California have a new charter boat they book passage on. The Humboldt, San Diego’s newest boat is already taking divers to “Dive Wreck Alley”, Coronado Islands, local kelp beds and other popular Southern California sites. She is a 46 ft. custom dive boat, equipped with all amenities necessary for single day dive charters out of Mission Bay. She is Coast Guard certified for 39 divers, but according to owner Seamus Callaghan, “we are limiting our number of divers to 22.” Nitrox and rental equipment are available at the dockside store. http://waterhorsecharters.com/
• The UnderwaterChannel.tv is now available worldwide through the Internet. Launched on September 1st the UK based free TV station features professionally produced video from international underwater filmmakers. The new service is at www.theunderwaterchannel.tv.
• During the recently held Republican Convention in Minnesota, visiting political reporter was invited to dive in the Mall of America’s shark filled aquarium. Many scribes accepted the invitation and found it less stressful than covering the convention! The mall is one of the largest indoor shopping centres in the world.
• Last year Diver Magazine featured a story I wrote (and have posted on this site) about how the Georgia Aquarium was allowing divers to swim in their giant Whale Shark tank. This month the Atlanta facility announced the addition of a manta ray to that 6.3 million gallon gallery. Nandi, a female manta ray, is the only manta in captivity in the US. Nandi, who measures more than nine feet across and weighs approximately 456 lbs, was flown from Durban, South Africa, to Atlanta.
CUTLINE: Nandi swims freely in the Georgia Aquarium
• Aquarium of the Bay now has a Sevengill Shark. During the summer San Francisco, California’s Aquarium of the Bay acquired a 10-foot (3.3m) female sevengill shark, believed to be the largest of its species in captivity. The big shark now swims inside the Aquarium's main exhibit tunnel along with eight other sevengills and a large number of leopard sharks, spiny dogfish, bat rays, and skates. Sevengill sharks, Notorynchus cepedianus, are named for the seven gills on each side of their pectoral fins. Most other sharks have only five gills.
• Brookville, New Jersey resident Adam Grohman is a dive instructor and boatswain’s mate in the US Coast Guard Reserve. He has recently self-published a research study about shipwrecks that divers from New York and New Jersey often dive. Claimed by the Sea - Long Island Shipwrecks looks at 11 vessels that have sunk off Long Island. The wrecks that he has researched are: Savannah, Lexington, U.S.S. Ohio, Circassian, Seawanhaka, Oregon, Louis V. Place, General Slocum, U.S.S. San Diego, Andrea Doria, and the Gwendoline Steers. The book includes photographs of the vessels and artifacts recovered from the sites, illustrations, numerous footnotes, references, source listing, and an index. It is available online at www.lulu.com/adamgrohman.
• Fall appears to be the season for surveys and lists that mention diving: Sportingo, a popular sporting website recently listed the 10 most dangerous sports based on accident reports. Sports making the list include: Cave Diving, Rugby and Cheerleading! The London Times listed the ten best dive sites in the UK. The number one destination? The World War One shipwrecks of Scotland’s Scapa Flow. Cheapflights.co.uk has named Egypt’s Sharm El Sheikh. The other sites listed include the Great Barrier Reef, Cuba, Maldives, Belize, Turks and Caicos, Maui in Hawaii, Malaysian Borneo, and St Croix in the US Virgin Island
cutline: Stephen Weir inside a Bermuda cave. Photograph by Jim Kozmik
• The Humboldt. Divers in Southern California have a new charter boat they book passage on. The Humboldt, San Diego’s newest boat is already taking divers to “Dive Wreck Alley”, Coronado Islands, local kelp beds and other popular Southern California sites. She is a 46 ft. custom dive boat, equipped with all amenities necessary for single day dive charters out of Mission Bay. She is Coast Guard certified for 39 divers, but according to owner Seamus Callaghan, “we are limiting our number of divers to 22.” Nitrox and rental equipment are available at the dockside store. http://waterhorsecharters.com/
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