Treasure, Three Miles Deep

The ocean has divulged another closely-kept secret, thanks to the U.K. government and the efforts of an American company called Odyssey Marine Exploration. Odyssey has managed to recover an estimated 48 tons of silver from a World War II wreck called the SS Gairsoppa for the British government, who owns the ship's cargo.

In February 1941 the SS Gairsoppa was sunk by a German U-boat 300 miles off the coast of Ireland. A British merchant ship requisitioned by the British government in wartime, the ship was carrying an estimated 240 tons of silver from Calcutta. It sank in less than 20 minutes after a torpedo cut through the ship, taking down both foremast and radio antenna. The ship sank to 15,420 ft (almost three miles) where it sat, undisturbed, for 70 years.

The Gairsoppa was located by the Odyssey research team in the summer of 2011 after the underwater archaeological company was commissioned by the United Kingdom to raise the cargo. On July 18, 2012, they announced that they had raised an amazing 48 tons of silver bars, worth $38 million. While this is only estimated to be 20% of the total cargo, and only represents the first of several loads, it is already the deepest and largest precious metal recovery ever accomplished.

Odyssey initially inspected the site using ROVs [remotely operated vehicles] and removed the bars by surgically cutting through the steel hulls and decks to allow robotic units to access and remove the silver (pictured above), which was then hoisted to the ship, the Seabed Worker, via its 100-ton active heave onboard crane.

What an amazing story! To learn more or to stay updated on their progress, check out Discovery News or take a peek at Odyssey's website (www.shipwreck.net) for press releases or email updates.

Illinois, Speak Now or Forever Deal with Plastic Bags!

Let's consider the impact of single-use plastic bags on our environment for a moment.

Plastic bags are made of an assortment of environmental undesirables, primarily chemical-based, like most other plastic products. These do not break down like natural products such as paper or cotton when they're buried in landfills; rather, they slowly disintegrate, leaving those chemical compounds to filter down into the water table below the landfill. They also are easily caught by the wind, blowing them out of the landfills and across expressways on their journey to our lakes and oceans.

During beach cleanup efforts in 2009, plastic bags were the second most frequently collected item, representing 11% of all the debris cleaned up. They were second only to cigarette butts.

http://oceanwire.wordpress.com

I'm bringing this up now because Illinois is at a crossroads in the battle to decrease the environmental impact of plastic bags. The bill in question is SB3442. While it is aimed at creating greater manufacturer accountability in creating recycling plans and making bags with a larger recycled content percentage, it isn't the solution we need. The problem with this bill is that the positive impact of recycling single-use plastic bags is marginal, as they are extremely difficult to recycle and cause major problems in recycling centers. We're looking at single digit percent improvements.

The sinister side of this bill is that it will effectively ban communities from enacting any legislation prohibiting the use of single-use plastic bags or instituting a purchase price or tax on single-use bags, a measure that has proven effective in many examples (a local example is Aldi, a grocery store chain that offers customers their cardboard boxes left from their stocking items as an alternative to their higher-quality plastic bags, which customers must purchase).

I'm sure you've heard this all before, but what it boils down to is this: our communities should be able to choose whether or not they can ban or tax the use of single-use plastic bags in their stores.

We can adjust to the absence of plastic bags, but the environment will not "adjust" to their continued use and improper disposal. Encouraging the governor to veto this bill is as simple as calling his office at 217-782-0244 and saying the following:

"I am an Illinois resident and I urge you to VETO S.B. 3442. Plastic bag recycling doesn't work, and SB 3442 is bad for us all." (suggested by the Center for Oceanic Awareness, Research & Education).

This simple action can make a difference in Illinois. Thanks, COARE, for drawing our attention to this issue!

Freshwater Jellyfish: Real or Rumor?

We've all heard stories of the beautiful but deadly jellyfish and all their oceanic manifestations. If you happened to catch the "Jellies" exhibit at the Shedd Aquarium, or if you've watched any tv shows on the subject, you know that they come in infinite varieties and are among the most fascinating organisms on the planet. But despite your fascination, you can certainly never dive with them; the risk is too great. Some have stinging tentacles so powerful they can kill a human being in six minutes. Entering the water with them around is reckless.

Or is it? Are there some circumstances under which you can enjoy the presence of jellies while you snorkel, swim and even scuba dive among them?

Today, I'm exploring the complex and often mysterious existence of several species known colloquially as "freshwater jellyfish," and the places you can see them and enjoy their beauty without worrying about their deadliness.

http://www.invertebrate-images.co.uk

 

 

I should start by saying that, technically, "freshwater jellyfish" are not the same species as their oceangoing, fish-zapping cousins. The ones this blog refers to is the species C. Sowerbii, found in freshwater lakes on every continent but the Antarctic. The most distinct difference, other than the freshwater jelly's relative harmlessness, is a thin, membranous shelf-like wall that extends from the rim of the "bell" to the jelly's mouth. According to science, new membrane wall means new species. For the record, Science, I probably wouldn't have noticed.


These jellies are often no larger than a quarter and have a whole row of string-like tentacles around the rim of the bell that allow them to catch and consume their favorite meal: zooplankton, microscopic water-dwelling animals.While these jellies still use stinging cells to capture their microscopic munchies, they use them in such a small capacity that they are usually considered harmless to people, though some may be sensitive to it.

The peak season for these jellies is typically August and September in North America, when the water temperature in the inland lakes is warmest. They "bloom" in huge groups, and have been observed with growing frequency in the last few years, a phenomenon sometimes attributed to climate change. In Illinois alone, they've been spotted at two very popular dive sites, Mermet Springs and Pearl Lake. These jellies are only around for a few weeks after the first sighting, so diving and swimming with them is only available in that window. However, it is safe to be in the water with them, and they make fascinating and unusual photo subjects.

So, as it turns out, freshwater jellies are not just a rumor. Stay up to date on our local trips, and you may have a chance to dive with them this summer! If you want to know here else you can see them, This website  has info on sightings across the United States: www.freshwaterjellyfish.org.

Local diving: Everybody’s Doing It. (Seriously).

I’ll open with a disclaimer: local diving is not for everybody. I would never criticize those who only dive in warmer climates. But for those willing to get sturdy regulators and a 7mm thick wetsuit or a dry suit, local diving can certainly yield unexpected benefits and rewards.

He just woke up two hours ago.

One of the best things about diving in your local area is the ready accessibility of places to dive. In the south suburbs of Chicago alone, we have access to several dive sites within two hours. That means that you can wake up one morning and decide to go diving, and within two hours you can be underwater for the cost of an entry fee and rental, if you need it (which is way cheaper than an all-inclusive vacation… unless you drive a Hummer limo that gets five miles to the gallon).

You might think that there’s nothing to see once you get under the water, but that is simply not the case. Most scuba diving quarries intentionally sink attractions, such as Mermet Springs’ Boeing 727. They usually have a list of diveable objects on their websites. You can also dive natural formations, abandoned quarry equipment, shipwrecks in larger lakes like Lake Michigan, and swim among a good variety of fish, including giant catfish (when you don’t fish them, they get really big… and really greedy for Cheese Whiz) and paddlefish, which filter-feed but are built with an elongated body and skin like a shark.

Finally, I come to one of the best parts of diving locally. When you dive local, you find dive buddies for life. Because there aren’t just a couple of crazies who love to dive local; there are a LOT of crazies who like to dive local, and they want nothing more than to see you dive local, too. At Scuba Emporium, we have a dive club called the Southside Scubaholics that meets the third Tuesday of every month at 6:45, and their goal is to get people energized about the diving that is available to them. Scuba Emporium also dives every other weekend during the summer, and we cook out at the quarry on those weekends. We book dive charters out on LAke Michigan as well. There are opportunities aplenty, and people to join you whenever you want to take those opportunities.

So, please… Before you find yourself wasting a lovely summer morning staring wistfully at the closet your dive equipment is in, do yourself a favor: try diving locally. It will surprise you.

Great Jobs in the Scuba Industry

If you’re like me, one of my least favorite questions when I was working on my degree or my dive certifications was the question, “So, what are you going to do with that?” Some careers have more obvious applications than others; that’s just the nature of your education. But anytime someone asks you what you’re going to do with your career in scuba diving, you should always have an answer, because there’s ALWAYS something to do! Here's four ideas to get you started.

This man is clearly living a happy and fulfilled life.

1. Scuba Instructor. This might seem like the most obvious answer, but don’t let that fool you: this job is anything but ordinary. Take the joy of teaching people something that will enrich their lives, add to it flexible working options and a schedule that you create and you have a job that you can use to supplement your income or turn it into your full-time gig.
2. Divemaster. Whether you run a boat charter in the Caribbean or work for a landbound dive center, this industry runs on the blood, sweat and tears of its  divemasters. In many cases, the presence of a divemaster is the key to a successful dive in an unfamiliar place; they serve as guides, experts in dive planning and equipment setup, and they assuage the fears of new divers. They are the people that probably inspired you to go pro in the first place.
3. Underwater Archaeologist or Research Diver. You can go anywhere and do anything with this type of career. Some examples are: locating and exploring unidentified shipwrecks, surveying animal behavior, and diving in extreme environments like inside caves and under ice for the purposes of learning more about them and learning how to preserve them. To do this, you have to be comfortable with several types of diving, but the experience will be well worth it.
4. Underwater Photographer. Photographers often get to witness some of the most amazing moments in the life of the ocean, and although this discipline takes patience and the willingness to work part-time for little or no pay, you will get to observe some spectacular things. You will also be able to draw attention to some significant conservation issues facing our oceans. But, like I said, be ready for the “no pay” thing.

Join us and make a difference! (Image by Clay Bennet)

There you have it—four good responses to the question, “Oh, scuba diving… What are you gonna do with that?” And if you know of any more to expand the list (and I know it can be expanded), post your favorite scuba jobs below!


Want to know how SCUBA EMPORIUM can help you get started with any of these careers? Call us today! 708.226.1614

Your Guide to Our World-Underwater: The Children's Activity Area

If you're like me, sometimes you read about events on a website and wonder if it's going to be all it's cracked up to be. You might hesitate to drag your kids out into the cold Chicago February to explore something that may not be all that fun for them.

Trust me when I say that the Our World-Underwater Dive and Travel Expo will be a great time for your family, and, for the next few blogs, I'll take you through the show's most popular programs and events and tell you why. For now, let's talk about the children's activity area and programs.

The thing I love most about the show's children's area is the high level of interactivity geared specifically for children. They don't just hear about humpback whale physiology and habitat; they get to walk around inside a life-size inflatable humpback whale replica and learn about them from the inside out!

There will be an ocean-themed inflatable obstacle course, great talks delivered by celebrated educators, and an activity center where the kids can build puppets and color pictures for special prizes! They will also have the chance to create their own artwork and try on scuba equipment. Every element of this area is geared solely toward encouraging a love of the ocean and environmental stewardship in children. And the chance for them to win some great prizes.

And... The Radio Disney Road Crew will make a special appearance on Saturday at 3pm. You won't want to miss it!

Logistics...

• The Activity Area is open from 10:00am-3:00pm on Saturday and Sunday
• Children 9 and under are free; 10 and up are $15 per day
• Talks will be given on a schedule that you can find by clicking here
  
• On Saturday, the first 100 kids through the door will get a free Aqualung backpack

Check out the Children's Programs page at www.ourworldunderwater.com

Exploring Underwater Ruins, Part II: “The Caissons” in Lake Michigan

While this site may not have the same caliber of mystery and age that the Yonaguni Monument possesses, it still represents an important piece of Chicago history.

After the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, Chicago was faced with an opportunity and a challenge. Chicagoans had the chance to change the face of their city, but even as they realized this they were left with a problem: what were they going to do with all the debris? The fire had consumed much of the primarily wooden city; there was wreckage everywhere.

Some of it was shoveled to the edge of the lake to serve as landfill as part of a project to extend the shoreline and create Grant Park and other public lake front spaces, but not all of it. They actually loaded much of the debris onto enormous barges, sailed due east of the Chicago River, and dumped it between 6 and 10 miles out into Lake Michigan.

How do I know this? Because now, it’s a dive site.

Though much of the debris is now buried, the site is diveable, marked by two caissons that were dumped as well as some ships and barges that were sunk loaded with garbage (including one that was burned to the waterline, then sunk). If you dive this site intending to do some treasure hunting, bring a hand trowel and be ready to get dirty; you can take whatever you find (since it’s considered garbage, it is not a protected area). There have been many objects pulled up over the years: bricks, china, weapons (including, if the rumors are true, Civil War-era daggers and swords), glass bottles, silverware, more bricks, gas streetlamps, porcelain, and bricks, to name a few (there are lots of bricks).

The bad news? The site stretches across four miles of lake; you could find something amazing, or you could find nothing, and you always have to dig in low visibility to find it. The odds may not be in your favor, but the history that Lake Michigan can yield should be enough to intrigue any adventurous spirit.

Special thanks to Captain Jim Gentile, owner of Windy City Diving, who answered my questions and passed along a couple of anecdotes. Check out his dive charters on Lake Michigan at his website: windycitydiving.net.