I have been a little lax over the last few weeks and not posting on the chronicles, but I have a valid excuse… the doc has given a big red light to my diving.

Even after 6 weeks of patiently waiting, pondering everything that may be going on under the blue in my absence, my doctor discovered a small hole still exists in the membrane of my left ear. Gutted. Diving is again off the radar for another 2-3 weeks.

In the interim I have taken the time to run through my gear and compile a checklist of diving equipment that is essential for diving in Tasmania’s temperate waters. If you are diving here in Tasmania or teetering on heading south for a new and exciting diving adventure, then run through this checklist. Some are obvious but it never hurts to state it:

• Mask and Snorkel
• 2-piece 7mm wetsuit (for winter diving)
• Fins
• Dive booties
• Gloves
• Catch bag and trash bag
• Weight belts and weights (an increased amount compared to tropical diving)
• Dive knife
• Wetsuit wash fluid
• Mark anti-fog
• Spear gun or Hawaiian sling
• Rash vest
• Regulators and dive computer
• Compass
• Dive torch plus backup light
• BCD
• Underwater camera
• Dive flag
• GPS device for tracking hard-to-find sites
• Tasmanian dive site book and maps

As soon as my doctor gives the green light to diving, I will be undertaking my Dive Masters qualifications to begin taking advantage of diving as more than a hobby and to help spread the amazing underwater experiences to others.

Here’s hoping I can get back in the big blue asap.

Sea Urchin attempting to devour a premature kelp plant.

I recently had the pleasure to speak with Andy Muirhead and Jo Spargo on ABC radio about worldwide conservation projects, particularly for Whalesharks and what our local dive clubs are doing to support ecosystems closer to home.

Check out my spiel on Whaleshark research by navigating through the archives on the right, as there are a number of great volunteer programs to consume you. Our local Tasmanian University Dive Club is becoming increasingly involved in conservation and research around our little island and our main focus this year is Sea Urchin research to help study the seemingly natural migration of the East Australian Sea Urchin which is eating away at our coastal reef and marine ecosystems. From initial investigations it appears that the Sea Urchins are able to spawn further south on the Australian mainland and the eastern currents are carrying these spawning young across the Bass Strait to land in the protected and by the barrens they are leaving, more tasty habitats of Tasmania.

Our work in inline with around 5 other local dive clubs in an attempt to run transects at strategic points around the coast, mapping out their mass, estimated growth rate, and penetration further south. Urchins have been found as far as Reserche Bay and on the southern most tip of Tasmania.

Other projects in the pipeline for our divers is Spotted Handfish research, Introduced Species research, and Whaleshark tagging in Africa late next year. You can find out further information on our efforts with the Sea Urchin project at www.otsweb.net/divesurveys.

What is left after a group of Sea Urchins decimate what was once a habitat for other fishes.

The image to the right is the effect of urchins on mass totally destroying a once thriving ecosystem. Once a barren is created, it only takes a fraction of the original urchin population to maintain its decimation.

Current experiments include the introduction of deep sea Southern Rock Lobsters (those over 2 kilograms) in an attempt to monitor their feeding habits and whether urchins are a favourite on their diet. A research area has been created at St Helens on the east coast of Tasmania which is now a no take zone for Southern Rock Lobster while the research is being conducted.

The TUDC will be completing transects further south at Wedge Island as soon as the weather eases up and the water becomes a little warmer.

Volunteer research in Mozambique

I managed to get in contact with the lead whale shark scientist Simon Pierce of University of Queensland and have started the wheels in motion, lining up a few weeks research work off the coast of Mozambique on Tofu Beach when my girl and I head overseas mid next year.

Simon is involved with the following 3 major conservation programs in Southern Africa and recommends each one highly and as offering fantastic diving and diverse research experiences:

• www.all-out.org
• www.questunderseas.com
• www.giantfish.org)

Simon works closely with another marine scientist Andrea, who is the world expert on manta rays. Their combined research is based on whale shark and manta ray population ecology and conservation, as well as working with a couple of Non-Government Organisations in Mozambique on more general marine conservation issues, particularly shark fishing and turtle hunting. You can check out Simon and Andrea’s website (www.giantfish.org) to get a slightly better idea of what they are about.

Both the ‘Quest Under the Seas’ and ‘All-Out’ volunteer programs provide an amazing chance to help make a difference in understanding the biology and preserving the habitats of these amazing sharks and they give you the chance to swim with the largest known fish on the planet in their natural environment. The only downside I can pull is that both programs are expensive, coming in at almost £3000 (around $6200 Australian) to participate in a 12 week program. I don’t know about you but although my budget doesn’t always cater for dropping that much cash while traveling, I couldn’t think of a better way to part with the coin.

While on the topic, do you know of any conservation programs going on worldwide? Send me a shout out and post up links to projects you know of and lets start collating a definitive list of worthwile volunteer groups. If you have travelled recently or even if you look locally post up your thoughts on where we could be helping and what we could be doing together to make a difference.

Still feeling the effects of a blown eardrum but in dire need of a fresh scallop catch, I organised a weekend Uni Dive Club mission out into the Derwent river for a hunt. Launching ‘Thumpin Willy’ from Gordon with a boat full of 5 divers we forced the old tinny up onto the plane and sped down the river, eagerly anticipating a big catch. Usually being assigned to boat duty would normally be a frustrating experience, yet today was a welcome delegation, with the water stained an intensely dark, eerie brown.

Both intrigued and challenged by the dark murk, 3 divers dropped over port to check it out…. discovering a result of 20cm vis in 11 degree water!

The colouration of the Derwent river, which winds its way south from Hobart’s centre is a combination of two types of naturally produced acidic runoff, namely ‘tannic acid’ and ‘humic acid’. Tannic acid is a lustrous, yellow-brown, amorphous tannin which is derived from the bark and fruit of many plants, and similarly humic acid is an organic residue of decaying organic matter, also dark brown in colour.

The combination of the two low acidic substances is caused by excessive rainfall running off from paddocks and banks along the river. Being lighter than salt water it then blends slightly once running into the river while the majority of the substance remaining in the top 2-4 metres. Once our divers descended deeper than the 2-4 metre blend line, visibility increased to around 1-1.5 metres ensuring a decent line of sight to mud crabs and our catch of scallops.

The tannic/humic mix can travel up and down the river, covering an area as large as 10km before it is bled out into the open ocean where it slowly dissipates.

Regardless of the conditions and eerie feel of the normally big blue, the day ended with a full catch bag of scallops. A plus in anyone’s book.

I ran into an old high school friend a while back and we went through the normal catchup motions of “how have you been?”, “where are you calling home these days?”, and “how is the family?”, finally discovering that his mother was pivotal in successfully starting a volunteer program in Monkey Bay, Malawi.

The ‘Back to School Foundation’ sitting on the outskirts of Lake Malawi, is run by Birgit Albers, the mother of my old friend. After backpacking around Africa, her experiences of poverty, sadness, and misery drove her to think of ways in which she could help. Her work as a nurse has cemented her position in the community, starting projects in teaching, building (houses, orphanage, and wells), brick production, and even gardening with the aim at self sufficient farming practices.

After checking out the ‘Back to School Foundation’ website I am amazed at the simplicity of the program, which does not cost thousands of dollars to participate in, in fact it is free. All they ask for is dedication and your time. Birgit has set up the volunteer work in a way that every other organisation should follow; no charge to participate, you fund and organise your own way to Malawi, and you can stay and help as long as you are able.

I am in the middle of contacting Birgit about helping out in Malawi and also how we can be raising money from back home. My adventure around southern Africa with my partner mid ‘09 will definitely include helping out with the ‘Back to School Foundation’ and I would encourage you to check it out and think of ways you can help also. Even better if you are travelling through the southern African countries and are keen to help out with teaching or building.

Another visit to the specialist reveals that my eardrum is healing nicely, albeit a little slow for my liking. No matter how much I tried to twist the doc’s words, diving is out of the question for at least 6 more weeks as it is hard to tell initially how well the membrane has healed and whether it has returned to original thickness.

Good news is that I have thick membranes… not sure if it is a compliment exactly but I’ll take it. This potentially means that my eardrum should return to its original structure with minimal impact on future dives.

I found this image that shows what happens to a diver’s eardrum after multiple ruptures and perforations. This can be the result of not allowing adequate time for the membrane to heal and recover prior to getting back in the water. I have been told that whilst healing, the ear cannot get wet as this can carry bacteria into the inner ear, slowing or possibly even stopping the healing process.

End result: I am staying out of the big blue for a little while yet… delegated to boat duty in the meantime.

Only in Australia could you find a profession herding tuna like a cowboy!

If you haven’t yet seen National Geographic’s documentary on ‘Tuna Cowboys’ hunting tuna off the west coast of Australia, then you are definitely missing out. Chasing tuna worth over AU$8 million, 4 rouge divers tackle 30 foot seas and torrential rain in an effort to protect upwards of 4000 budding young tuna alive… and safe from sharks.

By far the most intriguing aspect of the documentary is the visual display of ‘herding’ Bronze Whalers, Mako, and Blue sharks out of the huge tuna nets and back into the open ocean. The immense size of the tuna catches and the fact that the fish are kept alive to mature and double in size, means that the ship fleet cannot move any faster than 1 knot at the risk of crushing the fish against the netting. This allows dozens of sharks to rip their way through the netting or in the whalers case, swim over the top (?) and devour a few little tuna. Ripped straight from the National Geographic website, the following except sums up the documentary perfectly:

Nick Pluker has one of the most dangerous jobs in the world; he is a wild sea-going cowboy who each year heads out into the perilous Southern Ocean to round up his herd - Southern bluefin tuna. The challenge is to muster the fish, defend the lucrative catch from sharks - eager for a taste of the valuable stock - and return safely to the tuna farm on the coast with every single fish alive and unscathed.

Check out this video, and take note of the way the cowboys delicately handle and almost hug these massive 14 foot Mako and Bronze Whalers!

I also found a similar practice here, just off the coast of Italy.

Those of us who have the pleasure of living 30 minutes or less from the ocean, understand the benefits gained from joining a local dive club. Endless dive buddies, boat access, regular dive expeditions, and in some cases access to cheap gear rental, are just a few of the positives that come from joining such a group.

As president of the Tasmanian University Dive Club located at the southern most point of Australia I have the pleasure of helping bring cheap scuba access to students and non-students alike from not only around our state but also globally as we see an increase in international students coming here to study marine science and conduct antarctic research. Given the cold temperate waters that surround our gorgeous state I am impressed that our member base has risen to almost 60 for this year, and we are looking to ramp it up much further as the warmer weather hits our shores putting us on track to be the largest and most active dive club in Tasmania!

We have recently launched our new website; www.tudc.org.au, where you can check out news about the club and what is going on in the local scuba world. A lot of our local dive sites will be added to the site shortly so if you are heading down our way make sure you contact us or shoot me an email, our guys will be overly excited to show Tassie’s diving hotspots to anyone! Many of the favourites are Bicheno’s marine reserve, Fortesque Bay’s giant kelp forests, the Troy D ship wreck, Maria Island and Reserche Bay. There are many more so check out our site regularly for updates.

2008 has seen us team up with our fellow local clubs, Leven, TSDC, Southern Divers, and Crabs to assist in Sea Urchin surveys, Shark tagging, Fur Seal research, and Spotted Hand fish research, all of which starts to come to fruition as the warmer water laps it way in.

Well there is our little club plug, jump on our website and take a look. If you are interested in coming down and diving temperate water shipwrecks, cathedral caves, or the giant kelp forests in the hope of glimpsing weedy sea dragons then make sure you contact us through our site (www.tudc.org.au) or hit me back on this post.

Spread the scuba love!

While currently working towards my Dive Instructors ticket here in the temperate waters of Tasmania, I am frantically planning out my next overseas adventure. Africa is on the hit list.

Since being in contact with a close friend, who runs an volunteer organisation in Malawi, my thoughts and goals of the trip have gained a deeper meaning. After recent travels through Spain and parts of Eastern Europe with my partner, we now realise that our travel needs substance and direction. Why not link our passion for travel with my love of diving? After all, the two go hand in hand beautifully.

Discussions with another local diver reveal that he is making his way to Mozambique late next year to tag whale sharks and research the nesting habits and migration of leatherback and loggerhead turtles inline with his PHD studies. As we are landing in either Kenya or Jo-Burg (depending on Kenya’s status at the time!) around July and staying in the southern countries of Africa for 6 maybe 8 months, the timing couldn’t be more perfect!

The Whale Shark is such a mysterious creature and I have a strange desire to swim with the amazing creatures and discover that little more about them. Although we don’t know much about the species, it is believed they can live as long as humans and grow up to 18m in length. Nothing is known about their breeding habits and little is known about their migration patterns around the globe. What better focus for conservation volunteering than an endangered marine species that the world knows nothing about! Have you heard of Ningaloo? Ningaloo Reef located here on Australia’s western coast is one of the few places on earth (like Mozambique) where Whale sharks migrate each year, in search of safe havens for their young and warm feeding waters.

A report by Lindy Kerin at the ABC in late December explains how well managed ecotourism and sustainable practices have helped increase the Whale Shark populations that migrate to Ningaloo. An extract from her report shows the positive effect that conservation is having on the protection or not only the species, but also its habitat:

The 12-year study shows whale sharks continue to return to the Ningaloo Reef area every year - and in growing numbers.

It contradicts previous findings that the whale shark population in the area is in decline, and Mr Norman [lead researcher] says Ningaloo Reef is a critical feeding habitat for whale sharks.

Mr Norman says he believes the ecotourism practices in the region have helped produce the results.

I am hoping to help take these types of results to Africa, and kick-start the process of sustainable marine tourism in developing countries. The research project is being conducted in part by the ‘All-Out’ volunteer organisation, and if you are interested in getting on board or need to find out more then check out their website at http://www.all-out.org/projects/whaleshark.aspx.

It’s official. No more diving.

Well for at least 2 months while my eardrum heals back over. A visit to the Hobart Hyperbaric Chamber yesterday revealed that my left eardrum is perforated and I will be designated boat b!&ch for the near future. I guess it is a lucky break considering other, more intense outcomes that could have hit.

How does it feel? Like a midget squatting on your left shoulder, poking his pointy little finger in your ear 24/7. Nasty.