News
DAN Europe’s #WhyWeDoIt campaign spreads the passion for diving
Divers Alert Network (DAN) Europe continues to spread the passion for diving through the recently launched #WhyWeDoIt campaign aimed at celebrating and inspiring the diving community around the world. The campaign follows four international divers who share their stories on camera. Through the portal wwdi.daneurope.org the public is invited to view these stories and share their own.
“Divers are often asked questions such as: ‘Aren’t you scared? Isn’t it too risky?’. Yes, diving comes with certain risks – that’s why dive safety is important. But, as any diver will know, there are so many more positive elements. It’s an amazing experience and we want to encourage others to be part of it through the stories of four inspirational divers who answer one key question: ‘Why do you do it?’,” said Cristian Pellegrini, DAN Europe Head of Marketing & Communications.
The four divers, who are all DAN Europe members, share a deep respect for the environment. Their sense of discovery pushes them to follow their passion. Through their inspiring stories they urge others to do the same:
Jason deCaires Taylor is a British sculptor and underwater photographer. He’s the creator of the monumental Museo Atlántico (underwater museum) in Lanzarote, Spain. Jason, an environmentalist, says the Ocean is “an incredible space where I disconnect” and where he can be alone with his thoughts. His work draws attention towards various issues such as the fragility of the underwater environment. In the video he talks about the intimate relationship between people and the sea, saying: “we are as dependent on the environment as it is dependent on us”.
Alban Michon is a French ice diver and explorer who lives his life pushing his boundaries and following his passion. Alban fell in love with diving at the age of 11. Like many divers, he was inspired by the great Jacques-Yves Cousteau and, one cold December day, he decided to “see what’s under the lake”. There he discovered a “fabulous” world of reefs and colours which made him want to preserve the environment. “The world of adventure is an interesting way to show off the environment,” he says.
American scuba dive blogger Justin Carmack is traveling the world documenting the top 100 dive sites. In the video he talks about how diving changed his life and about how “completely whole” and carefree he feels whenever he dives. He feels it’s a pity that 90 per cent of the people on earth never get to see the underwater marvels. Justin explains how there’s always something new to discover underwater and there’s a whole other world down there that makes his life “a thousand times better”.
Italian freediver Raffaella Schlegel is also an underwater photographer with a special interest in capturing images of large predators in their natural habitat. She reveals that she was never afraid of sharks and is on a mission to help everyone see that they are not the evil creatures depicted in movies. Her experience with these “elegant” creatures has taught her they all have their own personality. She confesses that she prefers larger species because she feels “tiny compared to them… they make me feel in harmony with them”.
Learn more about DAN Europe’s #WhyWeDoIt campaign and view the videos on wwdi.daneurope.org.
Northern Diver have launched a new 60m Reel & Dive Torch Combo.
The innovative Northern Diver line reel has a unique design and it has been manufactured from a combination of anodized aluminium and synthetic polymers, to make it strong, lightweight and corrosion resistant. The free-flowing spool has a thumb operated spool-lock, to ensure controlled line deployment and a ‘sprung’ reel handle. Allowing the handle to extend whilst in use, if wearing gloves but springs back to half its length, for easy storage. Supplied complete with 60m (197’) of high-vis orange reel line.
The reel also incorporates an attachment point on the top and rubber fixing band allowing you to easily mount Northern Divers Varilux Micro Dive Torch. Ideal for hands-free directional light, ideal for lining out in reduced visibility (within a wreck). Other torches of a similar size to the Micro may be mountable but you should check dimensions first.
Check out https://www.ndiver.com/60m-reel-dive-torch-combo for more.
CCMI brings the ocean directly to classrooms around the world through live-stream lessons from underwater
In 2018, the Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI) launched Reefs Go Live, their innovative, flagship education programme that live-streams directly from underwater on the coral reefs in Little Cayman to students in classrooms around the world in real time. For the 2022 season, the four episodes of Reefs Go Live reached more than 107,000 viewers in 22 countries. CCMI’s Reefs Go Live team hopes to expand their reach with four new episodes and supplemental teaching resources to help integrate the material into classroom lessons.
Science Communications & Development Manager for CCMI, Beth Chafin, is excited to be part of another year of Reefs Go Live:
“Knowing we have an audience that spans the world, our team is energised as we plan and implement our Reefs Go Live season for 2023! We feel that creating a connection to the ocean and sharing the beautiful coral reefs of Little Cayman with others, both locally and abroad, is one of the most important ways to increase support for critical, timely issues such as marine protection and sustainability. At CCMI, we are fortunate to have these stunning reefs at our doorstep; not everyone is so lucky to be this connected to coral reefs, but healthy coral reefs are vitally important to everyone on earth. Bringing the ocean into classrooms and homes through Reefs Go Live allows us to share the work we do at the Little Cayman Research Centre, facilitate real-time interactions between viewers around the world and our experts in the field, and inspire the diverse audience to take positive action for the future of coral reefs.”
The first episode of 2023 will take place on Friday, 31st March at 10 am Cayman time (UTC -5h). The episode, ‘Finding Hope on our Reefs’, will feature what CCMI’s long-term monitoring of Little Cayman’s reefs shows us. The data from the annual surveys reveals important trends in reef health over time that reflect global threats and the benefits of strong local protection. Reefs Go Live hosts will explain why this annual monitoring is important and what the results tell us about the future of our coral reefs that we all depend upon. Viewers of each episode will be able to ask questions of the diver and participate in polls through the online platform to make Reefs Go Live an interactive experience.
Additional episodes for this year will run at 10 am (UTC -5h) on the following dates:
Thursday, 11th May: Adaptation on Coral Reefs
Wednesday, 24th May: Reef Resiliency & Restoration
Thursday, 8th June: World Ocean Day – 25 Years of Coral Reef Research
Registration for Reefs Go Live is free and is only required once to receive access to all episodes: https://donate.reefresearch.org/rgl2023.
Reefs Go Live provides an opportunity for students from all over the world to engage with the stunning ocean environment in its most natural format. As coral reefs around the world face unprecedented pressure, generating increased engagement with these precious ecosystems creates an opportunity to promote marine sustainability in a positive and fun way.
Reefs Go Live utilises streaming technology with underwater video and audio equipment to enable real time broadcasting from Little Cayman’s stunning coral reefs. Little Cayman, a Mission Blue Hope Spot, hosts one of the healthiest reef ecosystems in the Caribbean, which overall remains healthy and shows resiliency to climate change impacts. The broadcasts and education materials draw connections from CCMI’s current research conducted in Little Cayman to the national science curriculum and key ocean literacy principles, making CCMI’s work relevant and accessible to students and viewers of all ages, and emphasizing the relationship that we all have to coral reefs, no matter where we are.
Reefs Go Live is a free education programme that is made possible by the generosity of The Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball Foundation. To register for the broadcasts and teaching resources, please visit: https://reefresearch.org/what-we-do/education/reefs-go-live/
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