A Lifetime of Wonder
Posted by envirodiver | Sunday, November 12, 2006 at 10:37pm
You live your life for those special moments and then they happen!!
For nearly half a century I have lived my life in pursuit of all those things that intrigued and captivated my imagination. Traveling to Indonesia, to dive the legendary reefs of the region, is one of those fantasies.
After the first dive day's revelations, that I was really living the dream, I, and all aboard the Voyager, was able to settle into the routine of 4 dives each day and being captivated by nearly everything I saw. From one island to the next we encountered species that had never been seen by anyone on the boat as well as thousands of species that had. Each dive would end with everyone thinking, only, how soon they could re-enter the water for another adventure.
We were also treated to some revelations on diving this region that most had no knowledge of, like how cold the water coud be and how strong the current was, on a consistant basis. Diving Komodo is not for beginners or the faint hearted diver. On several occasions slight miscalculations in location would result in being pulled away from the reef with such force it was impossible to kick back and you would have to surface and have a tender drag you back. Now I know why a safety sausage was a required item on all dives. There were also times when the down wellings would actually pull you and your bubbles downward so forcefully it was not possible to surface against them, as though a giant hand was holding you in its grasp, but what a ride!!!
There is also another phenomenon in the Komodo Marine Park which is quite astounding. An imaginary line bisects Komodo and seperates the warm water from the cold and on one side the temp would be in the 60s while on the other it would be in the 80s and the change was nearly instantaneous.
Another amazing fact, on this expedition, was the dearth of large fish. My research on this area was related to the use of destructive fishing and fish collecting practices which had, nearly, stripped Komodo of all the large brood stocks while destroying the reefs. I did see one black tip near Cannibal Rock and several nurse sharks but no real large specimens, with any regularity. This observation highlighted the reason why TNC established their management plan for the park and set up the mariculture program to encourage a cultural change in how fish were aquired by the indigenous population. This is also where the possible controversy lies. To build a fish farming industry means introducing processed feed and antibiotics into the open ocean environment of an extremely sensitive area. If this isn't done, however, many species might be lost forever with others to follow, falling like dominoes.
Only time and the watchful eyes of conservationists will tell if this blend of technology and the best of intentions will chart a new course for the land of the dragon.
Tune in next time for the strange and stranger still of Komodo. Until then safe diving, Envirodiver
After the first dive day's revelations, that I was really living the dream, I, and all aboard the Voyager, was able to settle into the routine of 4 dives each day and being captivated by nearly everything I saw. From one island to the next we encountered species that had never been seen by anyone on the boat as well as thousands of species that had. Each dive would end with everyone thinking, only, how soon they could re-enter the water for another adventure.
We were also treated to some revelations on diving this region that most had no knowledge of, like how cold the water coud be and how strong the current was, on a consistant basis. Diving Komodo is not for beginners or the faint hearted diver. On several occasions slight miscalculations in location would result in being pulled away from the reef with such force it was impossible to kick back and you would have to surface and have a tender drag you back. Now I know why a safety sausage was a required item on all dives. There were also times when the down wellings would actually pull you and your bubbles downward so forcefully it was not possible to surface against them, as though a giant hand was holding you in its grasp, but what a ride!!!
There is also another phenomenon in the Komodo Marine Park which is quite astounding. An imaginary line bisects Komodo and seperates the warm water from the cold and on one side the temp would be in the 60s while on the other it would be in the 80s and the change was nearly instantaneous.
Another amazing fact, on this expedition, was the dearth of large fish. My research on this area was related to the use of destructive fishing and fish collecting practices which had, nearly, stripped Komodo of all the large brood stocks while destroying the reefs. I did see one black tip near Cannibal Rock and several nurse sharks but no real large specimens, with any regularity. This observation highlighted the reason why TNC established their management plan for the park and set up the mariculture program to encourage a cultural change in how fish were aquired by the indigenous population. This is also where the possible controversy lies. To build a fish farming industry means introducing processed feed and antibiotics into the open ocean environment of an extremely sensitive area. If this isn't done, however, many species might be lost forever with others to follow, falling like dominoes.
Only time and the watchful eyes of conservationists will tell if this blend of technology and the best of intentions will chart a new course for the land of the dragon.
Tune in next time for the strange and stranger still of Komodo. Until then safe diving, Envirodiver
- envirodiver's diary
- Login or register to post comments
Categories: Diary
Print 
Tell-A-Friend
Delicious
Digg
Facebook
Site Feed