News
Reef Conservation Month at Divetech
During the month of October, Divetech is focusing its efforts on conservation issues which concern the dive community. In conjunction with Eco Divers and Vivo restaurant, Divetech are hosting a Coral Conservation workshop on Sunday 28th of October 2018, all proceeds from which will go the Eco Divers Coral Reef Foundation.
Ocean and reef conservation is a hot topic across the global media. The constant reminder of coral bleaching, lionfish invasion and plastic pollution has put this high on the agenda for all divers.
Joanna Mikutowicz, owner of Divetech Grand Cayman, has been a leader in the Cayman Islands fighting for conservation issues. Divetech has given her a platform from which to educate and the tools with which to implement and co-ordinate conservation programs. Her primary focus to date has been organizing lionfish culls. Recently, the Divetech team caught over 560 lionfish in one day, at depths of up to 330ft while using rebreather equipment.
Joanna Mikutowicz explains: “This month I wanted to raise awareness about some of the issues that are close to divers’ hearts. I want Divetech to be educating and leading the conservation efforts in the Cayman Islands. We cannot ignore the issues we see before us every day and I want to give the local community the opportunity to get involved and try lionfish culling for themselves! We are offering 20% off our Department of the Environment approved Lionfish Culling course throughout October 2018. We are also offering 20% off our Freediving courses as a way to re-engage divers with the natural beauty of our ocean and the issues affecting it.”
Divetech will be hosting the conservation event on Sunday 28th of October 2018. The event will consist of a workshop where divers will learn about the coral nursery at Lighthouse Point and issues facing the coral reefs on the island in recent years. Aaron Hunt from Eco Divers will be co-ordinating the workshop. Aaron has dedicated years to the coral restoration issues in Grand Cayman and his work at the coral nursery since 2016 has resulted in the growth of over 1,000 pieces of coral, with more than 100 pieces being out planted as part of the restoration efforts. Following the workshop, divers will be taken on a scuba dive to the nursery to see first-hand the work that is taking place.
To conclude the event, Vivo restaurant, based at Lighthouse Point, will be offering a special 3-course dinner from their new menu, to include some of their signature lionfish dishes.
Michele Zama, owner of Vivo restaurant, explains “Lionfish are a menace to Caribbean waters. Native to Asia, these striped fish arrived to the Americas as visually striking additions to in-home personal aquariums. However, once released into the wild in foreign waters, the lionfish had no natural predators. Their subsequent ascension up the Caribbean food chain has unfortunately disturbed the ecosystem and harmed coral reefs. Spearing these reef-dwellers is encouraged, but it has not been sufficient to entirely curb the spread of lionfish populations across the Caribbean.”
Vivo’s eco-friendly menu offers vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free options and will be the perfect complement to the conservation event. Event tickets are $75ci which includes the Coral Conservation workshop, a dive to the coral nursery & Vivo’s 3 course dinner.
For more information about the event or Divetech’s “Reef Aware Month”, contact Divetech on (345) 946-5658 or email info@divetech.com or follow them on Facebook www.facebook.com/DiveTech
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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