Inside Scuba Issue #11

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Byron Conroy, Andy Deitsch & Ciara Michaud
June 30, 2024

Welcome to Issue #11 of Inside Scuba

Welcome to the 11th edition of Inside Scuba, where we bring you the latest insights and updates from the underwater world. In this edition, we dive deep into responsible diving practices, guided by guest author Ciara Michaud, an experienced PADI IDC Staff Instructor and passionate advocate for marine conservation. Alongside Ciara's valuable insights, we provide tips to enhance your underwater photography with an explanation of off-camera strobe use, a detailed review of the legendary Thistlegorm wreck, and a video highlight of this iconic dive site.

What’s happening in this edition?

This week, our deep dive article is written by guest author, Ciara Michaud. Ciara is an adventurous US Army Veteran and PADI IDC Staff Instructor, as well as the passionate owner of Seaira Dives. Dedicated to creating a scuba community that embraces inclusivity, Seaira Dives offers both exceptional training and thrilling travel experiences. Ciara’s love for scuba diving has taken her across over 40 countries, where she specializes in organizing unforgettable dive trips and providing expert scuba training. Ciara actively advocates for environmental awareness within the diving community, striving to ensure that every dive with Seaira Dives leaves a positive impact on marine ecosystems.

Protecting Our Underwater World: Responsible Diving Practices
By Ciara Michaud

As scuba divers, we are not only ambassadors of the underwater world but also advocates for its conservation and protection! Our passion for diving is intertwined with a deep responsibility to safeguard the delicate ecosystems we explore. Today, I want to delve into a crucial topic that affects every dive: the impact of touching coral reefs and other marine life.

Understanding the Fragility of Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are often likened to the rainforests of the sea, teeming with diverse marine life and playing a vital role in marine ecosystems. These underwater ecosystems are not just breathtakingly beautiful but are also crucial for countless species, providing essential habitats and supporting local economies through tourism and fisheries. Despite their resilience, coral reefs face significant threats from human activities, especially physical contact.

Coral polyps, the tiny organisms responsible for building coral reefs, maintain a delicate symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic algae known as zooxanthellae. This relationship is fundamental to the health and survival of coral reefs. When divers touch coral, they risk damaging these polyps or disrupting their crucial partnership with zooxanthellae. Even minimal disturbances can induce coral stress, leading to bleaching events where corals expel their colorful algae and become vulnerable to diseases. In severe cases, prolonged stress can result in the death of entire coral colonies, causing irreparable damage to these fragile underwater ecosystems.

A healthy reef, teeming with life

For divers, understanding the fragility of coral reefs underscores the importance of responsible diving practices. Avoiding physical contact with coral during dives is essential to preserving these invaluable habitats. By respecting the natural boundaries of coral reefs and observing from a safe distance, divers can help minimize their impact and contribute to the long-term conservation of these vital marine environments. Awareness of how our actions affect coral health is crucial, as every effort to protect coral reefs plays a role in ensuring their survival for future generations of divers and marine life alike.

In each issue of our newsletter, we will curate some top dive news from around the world. Links to each of the original articles are available.

Divernet: Diver dies on first day of Donegal rally. A 40-year-old male diver (Patrick Doran) has died after getting into difficulties during a weekend scuba diving rally in Co Donegal in north-western Ireland.

X-Ray Magazine: The US Coast Guard report on the drowning of Canadian filmmaker and technical diver Rob Stewart in Florida was released in 2022 after five years of investigation. Journalist Robert Osborne, who wrote a book about the case, responds to the report.

Divernet: Baby wobbegong sharks spotted at well known Raja Ampat dive site. An exciting discovery was recently made at the Blue Magic dive site, a renowned underwater location just 15 minutes by boat from Meridian Adventure Dive Resort. Divemasters from the resort encountered more than three baby Tasselled Wobbegong Sharks during one of their expeditions, highlighting the remarkable biodiversity of the Raja Ampat waters.

Dive Magazine: Family of teen who died after drifting for three days sue Malaysian dive resort. The parents of Nathen Renze Chesters, the 13-year-old Anglo-Dutch teen who died after his dive group became separated from their dive boat off the coast of Malaysia in 2022, have launched a civil suit for negligence against the owners and two employees of the resort they were diving with.

Dive Magazine: Red Sea dive-boat Exocet sank after holing on reef. Managing visits to dive-sites in the Red Sea depends on the experience of the crews and their knowledge of the nature of the coasts, areas where coral reefs are located, and sailing routes,” stated Egypt’s environment minister Yasmine Fouad, after reviewing a preliminary report she had ordered into the sinking of the dive liveaboard Exocet near Marsa Alam on Tuesday evening (25 June).

Scuba Diver Magazine: 125 Atlantic dolphins strand off Cape Cod. Rescuers counted 125 Atlantic white-sided dolphins caught up on Friday, 28 June in what the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) described as  “the largest single mass stranding event” in the group’s 26-year history in the area, a hotspot for strandings.

Photo Tip of the Week - Enhancing Underwater Photography with Off-Camera Strobes

What Does Using an Off-Camera Strobe Mean and Why Would We Use Them?

Generally, in underwater photography, we use two strobes attached to our camera on strobe arms. In previous articles, we have discussed how to utilize the position of the strobes on the arms and how to get the most out of them. But ultimately, it means that you can only light subjects that are within 5 ft (1 - 2 meters) of your camera lens. So when we are working in larger scenes, such as inside shipwrecks and caves, it is nice to use off-camera strobes to create great lighting in other parts of the frame that are further from the camera.

An off-camera strobe means it is completely independent of your camera and strobe arms. I generally set mine up on a little GorillaPod tripod and have it clipped to my BCD so I can set it up anytime I want.

Off-camera strobes are very effective for creating more three-dimensional images and also for making key parts of the frame stand out. Think inside a wreck, for example: you can light the back wall of a wreck, highlight an item in a wreck such as a gun or a truck, and make it stand out from the background. They are also great for backlighting models who would otherwise be lost in the frame.

The strobe connected o the anglerfish via a fibre optic cable, an arm or gorillapod attached for stability

So How Does It Work?

For underwater strobes, the best way to fire them is by using a remote flash trigger. The one I use is called an Anglerfish. It basically is a sensor attached to a fiber optic cable that you attach to the remote strobe. When the sensor sees the flash on your camera fire, it sends a light signal down the fiber optic cable and fires the remote strobe.

The great thing about this system is that as long as the sensor is in line of sight to the camera, you can then run a fiber optic cable of any length to the remote strobe, and it can be hidden away from sight, making for a softer and more subtle light effect.

Dive Site Review: Exploring the Wreck of the Thistlegorm

The Thistlegorm, a British merchant navy ship, offers one of the most famous wreck dives in the world. Situated in the Red Sea, this historical site not only provides a captivating dive but also a profound connection to World War II history.

The stern of the SS Thistlegorm with her 4.7-inch (120 mm) anti-aircraft gun

The History of the Thistlegorm

The SS (Steam Ship) Thistlegorm was a British armed Merchant Navy ship, part of the convoy transporting supplies to the Allied forces during World War II. She was launched in Sunderland, UK in 1940 by Joseph Thompson & Son and completed in January 1941. Measuring 415 feet (126.5 meters) in length, the ship was powered by a three-cylinder steam engine, enabling a maximum speed of 10 knots. Despite its potential, the SS Thistlegorm completed only three voyages. The first journey took it to the United States to gather steel rails and aircraft parts. Its second trip led to Argentina for grain and her third to the West Indies for rum. On its last voyage, it was en route to deliver military equipment, vehicles, and ammunition to Alexandria, Egypt. However, on the night of October 6, 1941, the ship found itself anchored in the Straits of Gubal, in the Red Sea.

SS Thistlegorm on her launch day in 1940

During the night of October 5th to 6th, 1941, two German bombers returning to Crete after an unsuccessful mission spotted the Thistlegorm by chance. Their original target, the Queen Mary carrying 12,000 Australian troops, had eluded them. At 12:35 AM on October 6th, 1941, needing to unload their munitions before returning home, they attacked the Thistlegorm with two large bombs. The bombs struck near the engine room where ammunition was stored, causing a massive explosion. The blast was so powerful that it catapulted two locomotives into the air, which now rest 100 feet (30 meters) from the hull. The rest of the cargo sank with the ship.

The film Ghosts of the Thistlegorm (Le fantôme du Thistlegorm) was filmed by Cousteau and his crew aboard his research ship Calypso in March of 1955. Read the article in this newsletter about the Thistlegorm to learn more about the wreck. If you have visited the Thistlegorm this short film will show you what it was like just 14 years after she sank.

Summary

We hope you enjoyed this edition of Inside Scuba. From understanding the importance of protecting our underwater ecosystems to learning new photography techniques and exploring the historic Thistlegorm wreck, we strive to bring you valuable information that enhances your diving experience. Remember, our actions as divers have a significant impact on marine life, and it’s our responsibility to dive responsibly and sustainably. Thank you for being part of our community, and we look forward to bringing you more exciting and informative content in our next edition. Dive safe and happy exploring!

Andy & Byron

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