News
The Captain’s Blog: The Ocean Calendar
Another Blog from Mike Ball Dive Expedition’s Captain Trevor Jackson…
“What are the tides Daddy”?
It’s an easy enough question to answer to an adult… but when your three year old son asks from the back seat of the car, surprisingly, things get tricky. No point trying to explain gravity and orbital mechanics in this instance… so I had to think on my feet.
“The tides are like the ocean breathing darling, a big breath in and all the water flows in toward the land, then breathe out and it rushes back out to sea.”
I pondered my cleverness for a second, but my self congratulatory moment was short lived… the six year old chimed in with a doozie.
“Dad how do Minkes know when to come back each year?”.
“Well that’s easy honey, they just check out the ocean calendar”…
“The Ocean Calendar?!! What’s that?”
So now I was in a pickle, my bluff had been called and if I wasn’t going to be branded a fake by the kids… a decent answer was required!
“Well, all the Minkes have to do is watch what’s going on around them and they can tell exactly what time of year it is…The Ocean Calendar is deadly accurate.”
Now… my kids aren’t stupid, they smelt a giant wharf rat, so they pressed me…
“Give us some examples!”.
I paused for a second and then realized, this might just be easier than I thought…
“Well it goes like this… In January , the seas are like glass. In March, the baby turtles hatch. In May, the humpbacks remind the Minkes It’s time to come to Queensland, so in June, they do. Hot on their heels, the Hammerhead Sharks arrive at Osprey, and that reminds the Marlin it’s nearly time for them to show up in September. Then in November the Coral Spawns so that tells the turtles it’s time to go to Raine island just in time to lay their eggs so the babies can hatch in March…you see it’s like mums yearly planner”.
A quick glance in the rear vision mirror told me I had successfully bluffed my way through this particular inquisition, but when I thought about it later… I realized, the ocean calendar kind of does exist. If I were to look out the wheelhouse windows and see a Minke, I would know it was mid winter… and now that November is upon us… well, Raine Island here we come, the turtles await.
Find the expedition you are looking for at: www.mikeball.com/compare-expeditions
Gear News
Go anywhere with Stahlsac
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Abyss Duffels
Made to be your partner-in-crime on every adventure, Stahlsac’s Abyss Duffels protects your gear from Mother Nature’s worst. Tough and 100% waterproof with double-TPU nylon material that shrugs off daily wear-and-tear, and RF-welded seams further boost the bag’s potential for lifelong exploring. Get Wet. Get Lost. Go Anywhere with Abyss.
- A weatherproof duffel for trips, travel, and adventure
- Ultra-durable double-TPU nylon protects your gear
- Material repels water and keeps your equipment dry
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- Zippered internal stow compartments carry essentials
- External zippered flap is easy to open and close
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Panama Mesh Backpack
The most copied design in scuba diving, the Stahlsac Panama Mesh Backpack is the “original” design and features two high-density foam padded shoulder straps, extra durable polyester mesh, duffel bag handles and our unique zippered dry pocket inside that combines with a wet pocket outside. The bottom’s built from reinforced 18-gauge PVC nylon to combat the wear and tear of your active coastal lifestyle, and, as a bonus in every bag, we supply a 12″ x 12″ mesh drawstring satchel for extra stowing utility. Pack up your beach kit and go.
- Density foam padded shoulder straps
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- 2 Carry handles
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- Reinforced PVC bottom
For more information about Stahlsac bags, visit www.stahlsac.com/dive-bags.
Sea & Sea is the home of Stahlsac and other leading diving brands in the UK.
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