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Diving with…. Suzanne Pugh, Freedive Egypt

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In this new ongoing series, we speak with the people who run dive centres, resorts and liveaboards from around the world about their businesses and the diving they have to offer


What is your name?

Suzanne Pugh, no I really don’t have a middle name.

What centre are you involved with?

I run www.FreediveEgypt.com and mainly teach out of Aquarius Dive Centre at the Marriot in Hurghada as it has a quiet pool for training and boats going out to the reef every day. I also teach in Makadi Bay with I-Dive when we have AIDA 3* courses and need 20-30m as it is easier to go from the beach. For deeper training we go to Sharm el Naga as there is a buoy at 40+ metres and speed boat safety from the beach; it can get a bit choppy depending on the wind.

How long have you dived for and what qualification are you?

I learnt to scuba dive in Bristol in 1994 but hated taking my mask off so was unable to qualify in Stoney Cove and had to make my qualifying dives in Antigua. Really no comparison!   I moved to Hurghada on Friday the 13th of October 2000 to do my Dive master, AI and Instructor course with Emperor Divers at the Hilton Hotel. My idea was to stay for maybe six months and get some diving experience. I was given the amazing opportunity to work as a Rep for Regaldive, which meant all my guests were divers so I could go on the boat every day and dive too.

I took my first freedive training in 2001 and competed in Hawaii in 2002 on the UK Freedive Team. I became an AIDA Freediving instructor in 2003 but didn’t really start teaching freediving until 2006 when I gave up the day job.

 

What is your favourite type of diving?

Freediving is my favourite type of diving especially with dolphins and the amazing marine life we have here in the Red Sea. I enjoy the freedom that freediving gives me to move around in the water without worrying about deco stops or how much air is left in the tank.

What is your role within www.FreediveEgypt.com ?

I am the main Instructor teaching AIDA courses. I am also a SSI Freediving Instructor and PADI scuba diving instructor but now only scuba dive for fun.

What was your most memorable dive in Egypt and why?

I have had amazing dives with a whale shark, hammerheads and thresher sharks in the south of Egypt. My most memorable freedive though was at Dolphin House reef just outside Hurghada. I had a face to face with a dolphin scanning me up and down for what seemed like five minutes. I had never had that experience before or since. I was pregnant at the time but didn’t know it, so guess that was why.

What types of diving are available in this area?

All kinds of diving are available in the Red Sea, beautiful reef dives with bright corals and hundreds of fish swimming all around you. Beginners can have a try dive in the shallow waters next to the reef. There are wreck dives at Abu Nuhas with part of the mast sticking out of the water, which makes them accessible to snorkelers, freedivers and scuba divers. There is also the famous SS Thistlegorm, which is usually dived from a liveabord boat. Technical divers enjoy the drop off at Umm Gamar and Abu Ramada. The Red Sea has it all.

What do you find most rewarding about your current role?

I love seeing people go out of their comfort zone and realising they can do something they didn’t think they could. Maybe it’s a two minute breath hold or diving to 20 metres depth or even just being able to dive in the sea and not be scared. I am also a yoga teacher and I love helping people get into the zone by stretching all their muscles and releasing tension they didn’t even know they had. Teaching people to relax in the water and explore themselves and the amazing underwater environment of the Red Sea is such a gift that I am honoured to have.

What is your favourite underwater creature?

The octopus has got to be my favourite as I don’t see them very often and when I do it is always a game of now you see him, now you don’t. Take your head out of the water to say to your buddy ‘wow look there is an octopus down there’ and look back and not being able to see him anymore until he moves again. They are amazing creatures, changing to the environment they are in and just fitting into the smallest of spaces.

If you could tell people one thing about the Red Sea to make them want to visit you what would it be?

The Red Sea is one of the most beautiful places in the world with a vast array of corals and marine life. We have the chance to dive with wild dolphins, turtles, moray eels and Nemo! The water is warm and has visibility of 20m+ most of the time and it’s only a short flight away from Europe.

If you would like to give freediving a try get in touch, email me at freedive@freediveEgypt.com or through our Facebook page Freedive Egypt

Steve Millard is a leading UK based AIDA and PADI Freediving Instructor Trainer who is the owner of Apneists UK freediving group - www.freedivers.co.uk. Currently Press officer to the British Freediving Association and Performance mermaids lead coach.

Marine Life & Conservation Blogs

Creature Feature: Undulate Ray

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In this series, the Shark Trust will be sharing amazing facts about different species of sharks and what you can do to help protect them.

This month we’re looking at the Undulate Ray. Easily identified by its beautiful, ornate pattern, the Undulate Ray gets its name from the undulating patterns of lines and spots on its dorsal side.

This skate is usually found on sandy or muddy sea floors, down to about 200 m deep, although it is more commonly found shallower. They can grow up to 90 cm total length. Depending on the size of the individual, their diet can range from shrimps to crabs.

Although sometimes called the Undulate Ray, this is actually a species of skate, meaning that, as all true skates do, they lay eggs. The eggs are contained in keratin eggcases – the same material that our hair and nails are made up of! These eggcases are also commonly called mermaid’s purses and can be found washed up on beaches all around the UK. If you find one, be sure to take a picture and upload your find to the Great Eggcase Hunt – the Shark Trust’s flagship citizen science project.

It is worth noting that on the south coasts, these eggcases can be confused with those of the Spotted Ray, especially as they look very similar and the ranges overlap, so we sometimes informally refer to them as ‘Spundulates’.

Scientific Name: Raja undulata

Family: Rajidae

Maximum Size: 90cm (total length)

Diet: shrimps and crabs

Distribution: found around the eastern Atlantic and in the Mediterranean Sea.

Habitat: shelf waters down to 200m deep.

Conservation Status : As a commercially exploited species, the Undulate Ray is a recovering species in some areas. The good thing is that they have some of the most comprehensive management measures of almost any elasmobranch species, with both minimum and maximum landing sizes as well as a closed season. Additionally, targeting is entirely prohibited in some areas. They are also often caught as bycatch in various fisheries – in some areas they can be landed whilst in others they must be discarded.

IUCN Red List Status: Endangered

For more great shark information and conservation visit the Shark Trust Website


Image Credits: Banner – Sheila Openshaw; Illustration – Marc Dando

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Guarding Against Coral Invaders

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Protecting (Dutch) Caribbean Reefs from Unomia stolonifera

Recent reports highlight the concerning spread of the invasive soft coral, Unomia stolonifera, currently devastating Venezuela’s marine ecosystems and detected in Cuba. With the potential threat of its expansion to the (Dutch) Caribbean islands, urgent action and awareness are essential to safeguard marine biodiversity and local economies from possible catastrophic consequences.

Invasive species are animals or plants from another region of the world that don’t belong in their new environment. These species can have major ecological effects by decimating native flora or fauna. They can also cause large economic losses and impact human health. Invasive species also pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems worldwide, including the Dutch Caribbean. Among these invaders is the octocoral species Unomia stolonifera or “Pulsing Xenia”, originally from the Indo-Pacific. With its rapid growth and lack of natural predators, this species can outcompete native species and disrupt fragile marine habitats such as seagrass beds and coral reefs.

Background

The invasive soft coral U. stolonifera was first identified in 2014, off the coast of Venezuela. It is believed to have been introduced via the illegal aquarium trade.  Since this species can reproduce sexually and asexually (or fragment), even small pieces can regenerate to spread.  Once introduced it quickly took over shallow reefs and hard substrate at depths of 0-50 meters, outcompeting local corals and seagrass for space.  Follow on surveys found that this coral species exhibited average percentage cover as high as 80%, vastly outcompeting native corals. In highly colonized areas, fish are disappearing due to loss of habitats.

In 2022, during a survey conducted in Cuba by the University of Havana, an unknown octocoral was discovered which was later identified as the invasive Unomia stolonifera. It is suspected that the coral larvae arrived in ballast water from fossil fuel ships originating from Venezuela, as nearby sites adjacent to Venezuelan ports have been heavily affected by the invasion.

How to help

Prevention through continuous monitoring, particularly in high-risk areas such as marine harbors and oil facilities, is paramount. Early detection plays a pivotal role in mitigating the threat posed by Unomia stolonifera.

The public’s involvement and awareness are also vital. Local communities, recreational divers, tourists, and all stakeholders are urged to participate in early detection efforts by reporting sightings (photo, location and date) of this invasive coral to their respective Protected Area Management Organization (PMO’s)- the Fundacion Parke Nacional Aruba (FPNA)STINAPA BonaireCARMABI Curaçao Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF)Nature Foundation St. Maarten (NFSXM) and St. Eustatius National Parks (STENAPA). If an invaded area is confirmed, follow the recommendations by the local PMO’s.

Keys to Success

Despite the challenges, early detection is key to mitigating the threat posed by Unomia stolonifera. With continued vigilance, research, and community engagement, there is hope for containing this potential issue before it becomes a major threat.

About the DCNA

The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) supports (science) communication and outreach in the Dutch Caribbean region by making nature related (scientific) information more widely available through amongst others the Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database, DCNA’s news platform BioNews and through the press. This article contains the results from several scientific studies but the studies themselves are not DCNA studies. No rights can be derived from the content. DCNA is not liable for the content and the in(direct) impacts resulting from publishing this article.

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