News
DAN welcomes 2021 Research and Safety Interns
Divers Alert Network® is excited to introduce five interns who will be working with the organization for the next few months to expand their knowledge of dive safety and research. After pausing the internship program last year, DAN is pleased to once again welcome young scholars pursuing their interests.
The DAN Internship Program was created more than 20 years ago to give qualified students valuable experience in dive safety research. While the program is still research-oriented, its scope has expanded over the years to include projects that focus on other facets of DAN’s mission to help divers in need of emergency medical assistance and to promote dive safety through education. These interns will spend several months at DAN headquarters in Durham, N.C., working with the Research and Safety Services departments on a variety of projects and research efforts.
Rhiannon Brenner graduated from UNC Wilmington with a degree in anthropology and minors in environmental science and international studies. She has been diving since she was 16, is a divemaster and is passionate about scuba and the environment. She is excited to be working with DAN Research to participate in studies with divers and to better our understanding of dive physiology.
Grant Dong is president of his dive club at the University of Maryland and a divemaster candidate. Grant just graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in physiology and neurobiology, and he is currently applying for medical school. During his time with DAN Research Grant hopes to merge his love of diving and passion for medicine.
Gabriel Graf is a rising sophomore at Austin College in Sherman, Texas, and is pursuing a biochemistry degree with minors in ethics and data science. Gabe is an Eagle Scout and an active diver. Gabe will be an intern with DAN Research this summer and hopes to pursue graduate school to continue research in human genetics and synthetic biology.
Benjamin Kistler is studying biology at Indiana University Bloomington. He will graduate in the spring of 2022 and will begin medical school that fall. Ben is an advanced open water diver and has done academic research on cardiac and urinary point-of-care-ultrasounds. Ben, the Our World Underwater Scholarship Society-sponsored intern, will be working with DAN Research this summer as the Diver’s Health and Safety intern.
Christine Tamburri graduated in May 2020 from Penn State University with a degree in geosciences. During her undergraduate career she contributed to the expansion of the university’s scuba program and is passionate about using diving to further historical research in local communities. Christine was selected to work with DAN Safety Services last year, but as the program was canceled she’ll be completing her internship this summer.
“I’m always impressed by the accomplishments and professionalism of the interns that come spend time with us here at DAN,” said Bill Ziefle, DAN president and CEO. “This year’s group is already demonstrating impressive aptitude in the projects they’re involved with in DAN Research and DAN Safety Services. We’re glad they’re here!”
Join the DAN community or learn more at DAN.org.
Photo Caption: Clockwise from top right – Grant Dong, Christine Tamburri, Gabriel Graf, Rhiannon Brenner, Benjamin Kistler.
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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