News
Strand – Ocean pollution as fine art photography
If you are looking for a book that is a little bit different from the usual underwater and dive books, then Strand by Stuart Haygarth has taken environmental art to a new level altogether. Stewart took it upon himself to walk all the beaches along the entire length of the South Coast from Allhallows on Sea on the Hoo Peninsula in Kent through to Lands End in Cornwall. As he made his way along the sand and shingle of the various beaches, he collected litter, flotsam and jetsam. His 38 day journey saw him pick up a huge amount of trash, either left by visitors to the beach, or washed up by the relentless waves bring in trash thrown from boats or carried on ocean currents from far flung places.
Stuart made the trip using his 1982 VW campervan with a custom modified trolley on the back so that he could take all the objects that he collected back home. The campervan was his home and transport for the whole of the 38 days. Those who have ever had one of these vehicles will appreciate just what a feat that is in itself.
The book is amazing with every page (apart from a handful describing why and how he did the project) being dedicated to photographs of the rubbish he managed to collect. It is, of course, not random; one page will have every ball, comb or bottle top that he found lined up in a way that only a true artist can to create really pleasing images. Another page has six rows of broken lighters that are beautifully colour-coordinated and other pages will just have debris that most people wouldn’t look twice at until you see how he has arranged them; truly brilliant.
The book is unique in the way that it can make you feel very sad for humanities’ lack of care for the marine environment, and the sheer amount of rubbish that he managed to collect, and yet also joyous at the art forms created and photographed by Stuart. As you spend more time looking at each image, you find objects that surprise you, shock you and also make you smile. We can only hope that the message about marine pollution is spread far and wide. We also hope that efforts by divers and the general public to clean up beaches, and a general reduction in the current throw-away culture that leads plastic washing up on our beaches, means that this book will be a piece of history that also sees us change our ways.
Strand is a book that you can keep picking up and each time you will find something new to appreciate.
Strand is published by Art / Books in April 2016, £28.00 hardback, www.artbookspublishing.co.uk.
ISBN 9781908970251
BINDING Hardback
PRICE £28.00
ILLUSTRATIONS 56 colour
SIZE (H x W) 26 x 21 cm landscape
EXTENT 128pp
CATEGORY Art, Photography
PUBLICATION April 2016
Gear News
Scubapro Free Octopus Promotion 2024
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Blogs
Northern Red Sea Reefs and Wrecks Trip Report, Part 3: The Mighty Thistlegorm
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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