perfect
diver diving
No. 1 01/2018
Price 14,90 â‚Ź Tax included
freediving
passion
knowledge
crocodile in nature Face to face with a dolphin Diving Safaris
the foreword
Wojciech Zgoła
Editor-in-Chief
Some Serb proverb says: "The man who thinks he is perfect is perfectly wrong". I have dived for several years, I have written about the underwater world for 10 years, and for the last couple of years I have been the instigator and editor-in-Chief of the Polish diving magazine Divers24. I am happy with what I have achieved, but this part of my life is now over. Perfect Diver – a new project on the world stage of dive and travel media is an attempt to go one step further. We strive to perfection, especially when we love something, when something interests us, and over time it becomes a passion. Perfect Diver was born not only from experience, but also from the desire to seek new knowledge and the hunger for further development. Our authors are hotheads and professionals. They love what they do. Creating publications they refer to their own experience, but do not avoid talking and drawing upon archival sources. Perfect Diver is supposed to be a magazine which provides knowledge, transmits emotions and just for a while gives you a little break from the everyday rush. It also has to be a kind of battery that will charge you with energy and ideas for your own underwater explorations. The main article of the current issue is a crocodile in the wild. The beautiful and unique wildlife shots are to stimulate your appetite for life, on the one hand, and on the other hand, to make you think about what we are looking for in diving – adrenaline, personal fulfilment, calm and contact with wildlife? Reading this text I hope you will remain charmed by the photographs and the story for a longer time. Enthusiasts of shipwrecks, as well as of flooded mines and quarries, will be satisfied. We have for you the announced Molnár János from Budapest, but also the plane wreck from Malta. There is also the unusual history of rescuing sailors, a handful of information about how and when to choose a safari on the Red Sea, and if you prefer a longer stay at one place, we offer you some tips of how you can approach famous Dahab. I cannot reveal to you everything, because you will not want to look inside. And although I am not perfect and I could be wrong, I have the feeling that you will have a positive surprise, because along with the editorial team we have prepared for you a real feast. We want the electronic version of the magazine to be downloaded for free, which is why we propose a financing model based on a voluntary donation. Remember that if you like it, you can always support us by transferring any amount to: PayPal.Me/perfectdiver
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
3
ta b l e o f co n t e n t s
travels 10
Crocodile in nature
22
Diving Safaris
32
Dahab, an oasis of peace and quiet and unforgettable dives
38
Gran Canaria, the "continent" in miniature
planet earth 46
Face to face with a dolphin
from a freediver's perspective
22
56 Freediving in Poland 58 Freediving – disciplines played on the pool
knowledge 60 More water, less bubbles
wrecks 66 Bristol Beaufighter, Malta
sunken secrets 72
The terrible hours
technically 76 Molnár János
4
66
Publisher perfect diver wojciech zgoła ul. Folwarczna 37, 62-081 Przeźmierowo redakcja@perfectdiver.com ISsN 254-3319
nature
editor in chief
82
Skuas, the sea robbers
columnist underwater archeology freediving photographer english language translators
Wojciech Zgoła Irena Kosowska Mateusz Popek Agnieszka Kalska Jakub Degee Agnieszka Gumiela-Pająkowska Arleta Kaźmierczak
legal care
graphic design and composition
Lawyer Joanna Wajsnis Brygida Jackowiak-Rydzak
the magazine was folded with typefaces
Montserrat (Julieta Ulanovsky)
82
Open Sans (Ascender Fonts) Spectral (Production Type) printing
CURIOSITIES
Wieland Drukarnia Cyfrowa, Poznań, www.wieland.com.pl
distribution
dive centers, online store
preorder@perfectdiver.com
90 Hańcza, the deepest lake in Poland
cover photo
Jakub Degee model
American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) place
Banco Chinchorro
www.perfectdiver.com
90
The Editorial Office does not return unsolicited materials, is not responsible for the content of advertisements and reserves the right to shorten, edit, title the submitted texts and select illustrative materials. Reprinting of articles or parts thereof, copying only with the consent of the Editorial Board. Editors are not responsible for the form and content of advertisements.
If you like this issue, donate any amount! Donation is voluntary. PayPal.Me/perfectdiver perfectdiver No. 1/2018
5
e d i to r i a l t e a m
Wojciech Zgoła
irena kosowska
jakub degee
He often repeats that he travels by diving
Regional Manager Divers Alert Network Pols-
Polish photographer, winner of awards
and that is his motto. In 1985 he obtained
ka, diving and first aid instructor, technical
and distinctions in world underwater pho-
a yacht sailor's license, and only in 2006
diver and cave diver. In love with all flood-
tography competitions, has already dived
began to dive. In the following years he
ed, dark, cold, tight places and invariably
all over the world: with sharks and whales
improved his skills by obtaining the Dive
from the beginning of the diving route – in
in South Africa, with orcs behind the Arctic
Master degree. He completed nearly 650
the Baltic. Implementing the DAN mission,
Circle, on Galapagos with hundreds of ham-
dives in various climatic conditions. Since
he conducts a series of lectures "Dive safe-
merhead sharks and humpback whales
2007, he has been taking photographs un-
ly" and Diving Safety Laboratory, so field
in the Tonga Islands. He participates in
derwater, and since 2008 he has also been
research of divers for scientific purposes.
specialist photographic workshops. He
filming. As an independent journalist, he
has been diving for 27 years, he started at
published dozens of articles, mainly in
the age of 12 – as soon as it was formally
journals dedicated to diving, but not only.
possible. He was the first in the world to
Co-author of photo exhibitions in Poland
use the Hasselblad X1d-50c camera for un-
and abroad. He is passionate about and
derwater macro photography. Recently, in
propagator of diving.
the remote Chincorro archipelago on the
Since 2008 he has been running his own
border between Mexico and Belize, he did
website www.dive-adventure.eu. On the
it again, taking a successful attempt to pho-
basis of extensive experience, in August
tograph the eye of a crocodile with a mac-
2018 he created the new Perfect Diver
ro lens with an additional magnifying lens,
Magazine.
which is the world's largest photo of the crocodile's eye living in the wild (in terms of pixel count, print size, quality).
Mateusz Popek
Agnieszka kalska
"My passion, work and life are under water."
"I can not imagine life without water, where
He has been diving since 2009. Since 2008,
I experience freedom of the spirit in my free
he's walking in caves. Underwater archeol-
body."
ogist by education. He participated in nu-
●● founder of the first freediving and swim-
merous projects in Poland and abroad. He
ming school in Poland – FREEBODY,
has been engaged in professional diving
●● freediving instructor Apnea Academy In-
since 2011. In 2013 he obtained the qualifi-
ternational and PADI Master Freediver,
cations of a 2nd class diver. Has experience
●● record holder and multiple medalist of
in underwater work both at sea and inland.
the Polish Championships, member of the
Since 2013 he has been diving in caves, es-
national team in freediving 2013–2018,
pecially in the mountains, and since 2014
●● finalist of the Freediving World Cham-
he is a diving instructor CMAS M1.
pionships 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2018, ●● a Polish national championship champion and a member of the national team in swimming in 1998–2003, ●● passionate about freediving and swimming.
o u r au t h o r s
piotr stós
Agnieszka Krotecka-Elbendary
Nabil Elbendary
From Cracow, a graduate of the Jagiellonian
Started as a consequence of birthday cel-
A true enthusiast of the underwater world,
University, Instructor CMAS, PADI, SSI, pho-
ebration when she got a birthday present
an expert in all kinds of diving equipment
tographer and underwater photography
in the form of a diving course. Today she is
and a lover of two wheels. An exceptional
instructor, marine hydrobiologist. He has
an experienced and passionate instructor.
professional and dedicated trainer, instruc-
been diving since 1986. A perfect illustra-
Eager to dive anywhere and with every-
tor and adviser. He has been involved in
tion of the sentence: "choose a profession
one – provided in a dry suit. Exceptionally
diving since his childhood, and he knows
that you like and you will not have to work
sensitive to cold. But with unusually hot
the Red Sea from the inside out. A very ex-
all your life". In the years 1993-1996, as an
heart. Not only can you have fun with her,
perienced diver, in love with the abyss of
employee of the Biology Department of
but also learn a lot about diving from a
the sea. Always positive to the world and
the Polish Academy of Sciences, he carried
"feminine" perspective. Her life motto: "If
with his love for water he can infect even
out research on organisms inhabiting Tatra
you want to do something, do it properly".
the most stubborn ones. And as a real man
ponds. He was one of the originators and
Looking for a way out matters – not looking
befits – a Master chef. A passionate advo-
founders of the first Polish diving travel
for excuses. She loves Thai cuisine (after
cate of constantly improving qualifications,
agency "Nautica", operating since 1986. He
dives), snowboarding (between the dives)
extending skills and practicing diving tech-
organized trips to the Maldives, the Car-
and everything that is chocolate (can eat
niques, that's why he is happy to give you
ibbean, Mauritius, Galapagos, Indonesia,
chocolate even during diving).
hints and helps all interested people.
Micronesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Russia. He most often dives in his favorite Croatia, where he manages the Nautica Safari diving bases on the islands of Hvar and Vis. Co-organizes and conducts trips to diving safari
Together they run the Balanced Divers Diving School in Dahab. They are a well-coordinated team on land and underwater. They both focus on safety and professionalism combined with joy and determination in discovering the depths.
in the Red Sea, preferably of course photo-trips, dedicated to adepts of underwater photography. Co-owner of Nautica Safari s.j. www.nautica.pl, piotr.stos@nautica.pl
cezary czaro abramowski
Grzegorz Świątnicki
Technical and cave diver with 15 years of
A graduate of Poznan University of Tech-
experience, participant in many explora-
nology, a fan of diving and running. Pro-
tion projects in deep and cave diving. For
fessionally deals in the management of
more than 10 years, he has been training
a production company. A self-taught pho-
divers and instructors on all levels on
tographer, he has been taking the camera
open circuits. The owner of the first Polish
under water for several years. He values
Academy of Technical and Cave Diving –
simplicity, efficiency and safety, that's why
DeepExplorers.pl. In free time enthusiasts
he dives and trains based on the GoSide-
of underwater photography on technical
Mount philosophy.
and cave diving.
Mexican caves are his favorite dive site. A passionate propagator of statements that "water is for fish" and "running is overrated".
o u r au t h o r s
jakub Banasiak
marcin adamowicz
tomasz jeżewski
Diver from 2008. Passionate of the Red
Technical diver and photographer, not
He is an architect by profession and runs
Sea and pelagic ocean predators. Devoted
only underwater. A fan of wild nature and
his own architectural studio. Diving is his
to the idea of protecting dolphins, sharks
communing with nature, he loves traveling,
hobby, and his favorite occupation is to in-
and whales. He dives mainly where you can
especially foreign ones, which he organizes
fect divers with Razor and the GoSideMount
meet these animals and monitor the level
on his own. Social activist, organizer and
philosophy. He is the 14th official GoSide-
of their well-being. Member of Dolphinar-
program director of the "Głębiny" Diving
Mount instructor in the world. As far as pos-
ia-Free Europe Coalition, volunteer at Tethys
Film Festival.
sible, he supports Krzysztof Starnawski in
Research Institute and Cetacean Research &
his dives in Europe. In addition to infecting
Rescue Unit, associate of Marine Connection.
and training others, he continues to train
For 10 years he has been involved in re-
himself. Since 2013, he visits his instructor
search on wild dolphin populations and au-
Steve Bogaerts every year and trains him-
dits dolphinariums. Together with the team
self in Razor's "hometown" environment –
"NO! For the Dolphinarium" he prevents dol-
in the caves of Mexico.
phins from captivity and promotes knowledge about dolphin therapy unsaid or concealed by centers which make money on this form of animal therapy.
wojciech jarosz
michał smaga
A graduate of two Poznan universities, the
For several years a diver, a speleologist
Academy of Physical Education (coaching
a bit shorter. Currently he is trying to com-
specialization – handball) and the Univer-
bine these two disciplines by diving, where
sity of A. Mickiewicz, Faculty of Biology
it is possible under the ceiling. A fan of div-
(specialty of experimental biology). He con-
ing in unusual places and discovering new
nected his professional life with this first
diving spots. Amateur photographer, and
university trying to influence the direction
even more amateur traveler. Passionate
of development of future professionals on
about archeology, would-be underwater
the one hand, and on the other planning
archeologist. In spare time, a professional
and implementing research, pushing labo-
programmer.
riously in the right direction of the stroller called science. In his free time he spends his time actively – his main passions are sailing (sea helmsman), skiing (downhill skiing instructor), riding a motorcycle, recreational diving and many other activities, as well as photography, mainly nature.
new trade fair on the European Dive-Map
Dive Show Poland 2018 part of World Travel Show 2018
This initiative aims to: yy Promote safe and responsible diving practices. yy Promote safe and approachable scuba diving among non-divers. yy Integrate the international diving-society above any divisions. yy Bring more awareness about dive-community in Eastern Europe.
Dive Show Poland 2018 will take place at:
PTAK WARSAW EXPO Al. Katowicka 62, 05-830 Nadarzyn, Poland
start:
19 October 2018 – end: 21 October 2018 Join us on the show!
https://warsawexpo.eu
https://diveshowpoland.pl/
info@diveshowpoland.pl
t r av e l s
10
Crocodiles in nature Text and photos jakub degee
Reef, beautiful fish, all the colours of the rainbow – the most beautiful underwater views we can imagine! But how many times can you do the same thing? Every experienced diver is looking for more excitement.
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
11
S
ome people choose ice diving, others dive
a bound mouth during specially paid dives on
in wrecks, others do technical and cave div-
Palau or small, harmless crocodiles in Cuba. We
ing. Those who still want to be close to animals
are writing about a real 4–5 meter, unpredicta-
usually choose to dive with sharks. With some
ble beast, coming from the time of dinosaurs,
sharks one can dive in cages. With other species
living in the wild.
one can risk diving without equipment. The socalled shark diving has become in the diving busi-
Such an opportunity arose five years ago on the
ness a symbol of the diving adrenaline. When
archipelago of Chincorro, belonging to Mexico,
you have already "covered" all species of sharks,
which is located close to the border with Belize.
you want more of such experiences. But with
The local fishermen living in a nature reserve,
which animals?
who have permission to fish and catch lobsters, for years have struggled during certain months
12
Crocodiles are the answer to this demand. Re-
with hundreds of crocodiles that live on that
cently in the diving business there is a percep-
island and wetlands. Nobody knows how croc-
tion that crocodiles will become the sharks of
odiles got to the archipelago that is situated
the year 2020. And we are not talking about
dozens of kilometers away from the mainland.
a small crocodile, which is released with
Crocodiles do not move so far. The most likely
theory is that the crocodiles have been caught
cell phone signal disappears completely. After
by storm and washed ashore of the Chincorro
5–6 hours we reach Xcalak, a small fishing set-
archipelago, where they do not have natural
tlement. Here you need a place to stay in order
predators (even humans cannot hunt them
to board in the morning a specially chartered
because of the fact that it is a nature reserve)
boat and sail in the direction of Banco Chincorro.
and that is why they have multiplied rapidly and
I personally deal with the organisation of this
dominated the whole area.
trip, as well as other expeditions. I do not use national or European organizers of diving trips
In the first stage of the journey you have to get
and I try to reach the local operator on my own,
to Cancun, the oasis of all-inclusive resorts. Then
to make all the arrangements directly with him
you have to spend 5–6 hours in the car head-
and create an agenda tailored to my project.
ing south on the way to Belize. After an hour and a half you pass by Tulum – which was once
The boat trip takes two hours, but it is always
a destination for trips due to its monuments,
against the waves, which means a lot of intense
and today it is full of the supposed wild nature
sensation and yet more water sweeping through
resorts. After three hours we pass by the last
the deck. All our possessions are kept in large
significantly sized town and from that point the
watertight Peli cases, so only the humans have
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
13
14
to endure these conditions. It is advisible to have a good oilskin jacket, but rarely anyone manages to travel this route in a dry t-shirt. Before checking in at Mr. Matraki's house, who lends us his room for the next two days, we stop for a dive on one of the reserve's reefs. This is a unique dive, because it is for hunting. Hunting?!? In the reserve??? Certainly many people will find it absurd. And yet it is a completely legal action, needed, planned and approved the organization that oversees lionfish fishing. The point is that this species of majestic fish did not occur on the east coast of the Americas before 1980. This is a so called invasive species. It arrived here from the Red Sea or the Indian Ocean. By the lack of natural predators it has multiplied at an unprecedented pace and caused huge devSource: https://www.usgs.gov
astation on the reefs (see the map).
Recently in the diving business there is a perception that crocodiles will become the sharks of the year 2020.
The caught lionfish will serve as a bait for the crocodiles. It is the only species of fish that can be used for attracting reptiles, which is why it is so important to get enough of them during the dive. It is hunted with a simple spear with three sharp skewers on one end and a rubber band for drawing and launching on the other end. This only works for a very short distance, but it is not a very precise tool. Probably the point is that nobody should have an idea to use it for hunting other species.
Source: https://www.usgs.gov
After catching the adequate number of lionfish we head to a charming fishing village consisting of several wooden houses on stilts. Sounds
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
15
like water-bungalows in the Maldives, however,
and the current is weak, the visibility is very
these huts resemble more stalls with tin roof.
good. However, in strong winds, waves and cur-
Interestingly, no house located in this turquoise
rents sometimes you can only see on one metre
lagoon has a descent into the water, so that no
ahead. In these conditions, being in the water,
reptile can climb inside.
you have to beware of any sounds. Crocodiles have poor eyesight, but they can locate their vic-
Of course, there is no running water and only
tim due to splashing or other water movements.
rainwater collected in a large barrel is used. Everyone gets one third of a small bucket as
The very confrontation with the crocodile looks
a daily limit of water to use. There is also no
like this, you put on a snorkel mask and a heavy
electricity, but we took a small generator with us
ballast belt (min. 8 kg for the maintenance of sta-
to charge the batteries for the cameras.
bility in the water), and then with a boat ladder, as quietly as possible, enter the water. In front
The huts have no beds or any other comforts.
of a crocodile there stands a croc handler (this
The only option is installing hammocks and
time and on any previous occasions in my case
sleeping close together, in the only availa-
it was a Belgian: Mathias Van Asch) armed with
ble chamber.
only a 6 foot long wooden stick. You can take a position on the right or left side of the croco-
16
The transparency of water depends mostly on
dile expert, meaning that in the water there may
the weather conditions. When the sea is calm
be present at the same time only two divers/
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
17
photographers. After previously agreed time
member. One stands in the bow and attracts
eg. 20 minutes, the first two people come out of
the attention of the crocodile throwing him the
the water and then the next two take their turn.
lure attached to the line. The second one is on the stern and secures the rear, i.e. he or she
The objective of my
looks whether another crocodile does not sneak up from another direction. Despite the fact that
project was the maximum
there are from 300 to 500 crocodiles on the is-
approximation of the eye
land, only a small part of them can be persuaded
of a crocodile. I wanted to take the largest, in
to leave the wetlands and take advantage of the free meal offer.
terms of printability,
The objective of my project was the maximum
photograph of the eye
approximation of the eye of a crocodile. I want-
of a free-living crocodile.
ed to take the largest, in terms of printability, photograph of the eye of a free-living crocodile. As a camera I used a medium format Hasselblad
18
Croc handler has the support of two people on
X1d with a 120mm macro lens. It turned out,
the surface: the captain of the boat and a crew
however, that this magnification is too small, so
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
19
Next year I will fly there
crocodile allowed himself to approach the huge camera housing with lamps at 8 cm from his eye.
again, to show once again, in a creative way, the animals that have lived on the Earth for two million years.
Personally, I am very satisfied with this trip, so I went back to the same place again. The very cutting off from civilization, living in a hut of a fisherman, sleeping in a hammock, harsh living conditions, lunch consisting of freshly caught fish is a great experience for me, and make this place completely unique. However, the opportu-
20
I added a SubSee+5 diopter Magnifier. But even
nity to look at a four-meter beast from the times
with this magnification the eye of the crocodile
of dinosaurs straight into the mouth is a great
did not fill the frame. Ultimately, I decided to use
injection of adrenaline. Then you can really feel
the SMC1 lens. In such a set, the camera was
that you are breathing fully. Next year I will fly
focusing 8 cm from the end of the macroport,
there again, to show once again, in a creative
so to take this picture I had to go so close to
way, the animals that have lived on the Earth for
the crocodile. It took a lot of trials, because no
two million years.
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
21
t r av e l s
22
Diving Safaris
it ' s time to admit i ' m addicted …
Text and photos Piotr Stós
My name is Peter. I am 53 years old. I am addicted to diving safaris. For fifteen years I have been on a roll – I have made over one hundred such trips to the Red Sea as a guide, instructor and tour leader. People know about my addiction.
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
23
T
hey ask – when to go, what route to take?
vember and April–June, when the water is warm
They go into the subject of seasickness, ex-
in a pleasant way and the air does not resemble
amine what a day on a boat looks like, check
the blasts from the smelter. The low season for
whether there are vegetarian dishes and if it is
divers includes the middle of the summer, when
safe in Egypt. The initial certainty with which I an-
the heat makes you seek shelter under the air
swered all the questions has decreased signifi-
conditioner, and the winter months, with a short
cantly over the years. Now I know that there is
day and an obligatory polar fleece sweatshirt, as
no guarantee of the best route, boat or weather.
well as a hat after a night dive. Although the wa-
I know that, if sometimes a strong wind blows,
ter always has a temperature of 23°C, it is cool
dive plans fall apart in the blink of an eye, and
on the leeward side of the boat. After a few safa-
"the certainties" – such as dolphins in the Sataya
ris I knew that you might have a swinging cruise
lagoon – might have their affairs in another part
in the high season, and a warm windless winter
of the reef. It's a bit like with the Every Flavour
safari, on the sea as smooth as the surface of
Beans from the Harry Potter book – you never
a pond. The October storm with hail (we were
know which one you will pull out of a bag.
throwing snowballs at one another), which I experienced two years ago near Hurghada, killed all my illusions about predicting the weather on
BEST TIME, BEST ROUTE, BEST SAFARI
I do not use these terms anymore
Officially the
high season falls on the periods September–No-
24
the Red Sea.
Similar superstitions apply to the safari route.
this group, go to a north safari (with wrecks) or
Each of them can provide unforgettable nature
to the best ones of the north (Thistlegorm, Steel
diving and aesthetic attractions, but at the same
Reef and Brothers Islands). On these routes the
time on each, if such is you karma, there might
ratio of steel to corals is the best for you.
be very strong currents, poor visibility and sharks might not to want to come. As they say: "Beau-
Every safari can be the "the best". If you meet
ty lies in the eye of the beholder. Focus on the
dolphins under the water, take a beautiful pic-
positives and you will be delighted. You'll see!"
ture, learn some new skills or simply spend a week in a good company, neither the route
There are two factors that must be taken into
nor the date of your trip will matter. This is con-
account from the beginning. People with little
firmed by safari old stagers, who signing up for
diving experience should start with a safari in
the next trip do not even ask where the boat
the coastal zone, among shallow reefs. It will
will go, because, as they claim – everywhere
be nicer and safer. One of the southern routes
is great :).
(Foury Shoal or St. John's Reef), where the reef is beautiful and the water (usually) calm, will be
EYE TO EYE WITH NATURE
perfect . The second selection criterion applies
The Red Sea is inhabited by 1200 species of
to divers who like all the dive sites, provided
fish (including 44 species of sharks) and over
these places have a shipwreck. If you belong to
200 species of corals. That is what Wikipedia
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
25
and sometimes nothing… Do not be discouraged and return to places known for meetings with specific species, this will be rewarded. Some animals keep guard in the same places. You will meet a big Napoleon fish before entering the tunnels at Umm Khararim, and an old hawskbill sea turtle in the Thistlegorm hold, under one of the trailers. Egyptian guides' briefings abound in often humorous expressions in almost every language of the world. This is a funny way to say that while diving there is no guarantee of meeting a turtle, fish or snail. In practice, it is worth using the help of local guides, because they have a trained eye and many years of practice in finding underwater creatures. 100%
What you will see in the Red Sea for sure is a reef. Colorful, varied, top of the line. One of the most beautiful that I have ever seen in my life. Divers from other parts of the world envy us the possibility to dive in Egypt. For them it is too far away… This reef develops on the slopes,
Source: Nautica, Kraków
on underwater ergs and pinnacles, small clumps
1 Northern safari 2 Tiran + Dahab 3 Top of the North 4 Wreck safari 5 Golden triangle 6 Top of the South 7 St.John's (Abu Fandera)
on the bottom. In the open sea – on Brothers Islands or Daedalus Reef, and closer to the shore – on Tiran Island and Ras Muhammad National Park, the reef falls deep along the vertical walls.
says. Armed with such knowledge, full of ex-
It's a fractal creation – approaching it, you'll see
pectations enhanced by films from the Animal
the geometric order, the lace-subtle levels of
Planet channel, we set off on the Egyptian reef
the organization. I think that many divers never
forgetting that the Red Sea (and every other) is
really look at the reef carefully. Do not hurry,
not an oceanarium, animals do what they want
but look closely and patiently. It is impossible
and where they want, and filmmakers spend
to return from a morning slow dive on the apt-
weeks to hunt a few minutes of a good material.
ly named reef Heaven (on Foury Shoal) without
Places in the middle of the sea that are known
the feeling that you have experienced a meeting
for having big fishes, such as the famous Broth-
with something unusual.
ers Islands, they can surprise you with a com-
26
plete lack of sharks, meanwhile at Shaab Mak-
EAT, SLEEP AND DIVE – A DAY ON A SAFARI BOAT
sur, in the coastal group of St. John's Reef, for
A day on a safari boat begins early – between
a few days in a row you'll be watching a whale
five and six in the morning. Coffee, tea, sweet
shark swimming carefree along the reef. On the
snack and after the briefing, we jump into the
Daedalus Reef a manta will sometimes come up
water. Why so early? Morning dives give you the
to you, sometimes a flock of hammer sharks,
best chance to see large predators in action:
sharks, morays, serranid species, and the warm
the crew gives a gala dinner by candlelight with
and plastic light of a rising day that is seeping
dancing on the top deck – this is an opportunity
through the water has no equal. After finishing
for those who have not pracised the Egyptian
the dive and breakfast, the boat usually moves
step dance before.
to a new place. The bottles are filled and the divers are resting. About 11 o'clock the sound of
Four dives a day is the usual standard on the
the bell (a typical way of signaling on the boat)
routes on which a boat does not cover large
announces another briefing and diving. Then
distances between reefs. A similar daily num-
it's time for lunch and an afternoon nap. The
ber of descents we can have in the marine parks
next cycle of briefing and diving is after chang-
(Brothers, Daedalus, Rocky and Zabarghad)
ing the position of the boat at about 3 p.m. The
where night dives are prohibited for safety
afternoon diving usually takes place in the place
reasons. With such an intense diving program
of an overnight stop. After a night dive, dinner
I highly recommend you use Nitrox. This will
is served at around 8:30 p.m. At the end of
allow you to extend your no-decompression
a day there is time for an evening conversation,
times (for example, while exploring the wreck
a small drink, a water pipe and sleep, although
Thistlegorm), but most of all, you will reduce fa-
sleeping is a waste of time... On the last day
tigue after a dive. You will have more strengh
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
27
for reading or your social life. If you do not have
just an aquarium with warm, clean water, reef
authorisation for using nitrox, during a diving
and fish. Don't think of it that way. Open-sea
safari there will be an opportunity to obtain it.
safaris are one of the best schools for a comprehensive diving practice. During the six days
Each cruise begins with a detailed discussion of
you will dive in caverns, in the current, in mid-
the standards of life on a boat and the specif-
water, at night, in a wreck, in shallow water and
ic nature of diving in the open sea. No worries,
in deep water, from a large boat and from a Zo-
all the issues that may be new to you will cer-
diac raft… You will perform from 18 to 22 dives
tainly be discussed. The most important rule is:
and each time you will be a better and more
in situations of extreme confusion, when you no
informed diver, regardless of your former ex-
longer know whether the bell calls for a briefing
perience. However, no matter how much you
or a meal, it is enough to touch your hair: dry –
dive and train, and how many evening stories
briefing, wet – food.
you listen, the sea will surprise you with something from time to time. A year ago I wrongly
30
PRACTICE AND HUMILITY
estimated the current conditions on the north
I have a feeling that those who know the Red
wall of the Daedalus Reef and an innocent mid-
Sea from the perspective of the coastal reef of
water trip in search of hammer sharks ended
Hurghada and Safaga underestimate it. Well,
with uncontrolled floating along the reef. In-
foto: M. Wojtasik
What you will see in the Red Sea for sure is a reef. Colorful, varied, top of the line. One of the most beautiful that I have ever seen in my life. Divers from other parts of the world envy us the possibility to dive in Egypt. For them it is too far away…
flatable boats were looking for us almost for
Safari nurkowe Egipt Sudan
ponad 20 nurkowan w tydzien foto tripy genialne nury
an hour, but we did not get bored because all that time we were being accompanied by two white sharks. They say that an expert is someone who has made all the possible mistakes in a narrow field of knowledge. I think it was another step for me on this way… It is clear that no one expects you to conduct your own dive. There are guides to do that for you. They know the wrecks, the reefs and their inhabitants, they know how to get back to the boat and what to do when a nagging turtle comes close, just as it has recently happened in Malahi (Nepal). They are the voice of reason, when you suddenly dream about breaking the record of depth, and they are your remorse when you are too close to the reef in photographic amok. It's good to learn from them. However, I am most happy when, during a safari, the diving self-management develops in my team, including knowledge, experience and common sense. This is a skill that
konkurs nagrajżeWygraj wygrajże safari
w Egipcie
www.nauticasafari.pl/konkurs #NauticaSafariKonkurs
can not be acquired by obtaining certificates, but through a diverse and developing practice. And if this practice is an extraordinary adventure, we achieve a real diving ideal, a synthesis of pleasure and safety. This is what I do wish for you and all current and future participants of our and other trips.
NauticaSafari
www.nauticasafari.pl 797 025 117
t r av e l s
Dahab
an oasis of peace and quiet and unforgettable dives Text Agnieszka Krotecka-Elbendary and Nabil Elbendary
Ras Abu Galum
We present a series of
Ras Abu Galum is a coastal area in the Nabq
articles about diving sites
Protectorate in the northern part of the Gulf of
along the Red Sea. In this issue, we focus on the most spectacular diving sites in Dahab, a seaside town on the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba in Egypt.
Aqaba, surrounded by mountains and a desert. In 1992 this area became a nature reserve to protect the mangroves and coral reefs there. Because of its shape, it is characterized by a huge variety of flora and fauna both terrestrial and aquatic. On land, we can find such living organisms as Rueppell's foxes, hyraxes or striped hyenas. Immersed in the underwater world, we can admire a wealth of untouched coral reefs, herbs, water creatures and lagoons;
32
in one word, virtually everything in one place:
various fish and larger specimens, such as tur-
a dream of every diver.
tles and manta rays.
True freedom of spirit, a joy of life, inner peace
There are three ways to get to the reserve: con-
and harmony. Do you know these feelings? They
veniently, by car from the city of Nuweiba, quick-
are guaranteed here! We have experienced it on
ly on camels (wake up at dawn) or quietly by
our own
boat (the best choice).
Nothing brings in such a blissful and reflective
Blue Hole
state of mind as sandy beaches and night under the starry sky. A day spent under water?
It is a huge cleft (sea cave) of a coral reef, which
A dream!
is considered to be one of the most beautiful and treacherous places on Earth, attracting
In the reserve, there are 10 charming diving
every year thousands of tourists from around
sites, beautiful and unique. Diving takes place
the world.
by the shore and regardless of the experience under the water, each diver will find something
Blue Hole is located 8 km north of Dahab and
interesting. Depths reach 70+ m (technical dives
has the form of a sea well with a depth of ap-
require a more complex plan). Depending on
prox. 110 m and a diameter of 60 m. In one of
the location we have a gently falling bottom or
its walls at a depth of 54 m a rock arch opens
a steep slope. Under the water, we can find lush
up (the Arch), which descends to a depth of
patches and pinnacles of coral reefs, shoals of
110 m; the bottom gradually narrows down just
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
33
to fall as a steep slope to a depth of 120 m. At
Blue Hole, despite its charm, has taken the lives
a depth of 6 m, we can find a shallow passage
of dozens of people. That's why diving here is
(the Saddle) to the open sea, which dazzles us
recommended just for people with an advanced
with the palette of colours and the diversity of
certificate at least, or who are under the supervi-
flora and fauna. The blue hole is surrounded
sion of an experienced instructor or guide.
by coral reefs and rich marine life, and at the bottom young hammerhead sharks live, which
To commemorate the divers who made their
until recently were only known to technical di-
last dive here, a memorial plaque was placed
vers. Last spring they showed up just under the
by the beach, introducing tourists to a moment
surface of the water.
of reverie.
Not far from the Blue Hole is another, equally
This is certainly a place where you can largely
wonderful diving place – El Bells – a small crack
develop your skills and get hooked on diving.
in the rock with a diameter of approx. 3 m and a chimney 30 m deep. Below it there is the sea
Gabr el Bint
abyss reaching 300 + m. From here you can take a drift dive along the rock wall or sometimes in
The Gabriel Bint reserve is a charming place,
the sea current.
a visit to which must necessarily be added to your bucket list. Due to its location, quite distant
34
In coastal restaurants, you can eat something,
from the city, this place is visited less frequently.
relax and recharge your batteries before the
We can get there only by safari boat, on foot
next dive.
or on camels; that's why coral reefs there are
almost intact. It is located in the south of Dahab,
crocodile fish, Acanthuridae, rays and fish of
an hour's drive from the port.
Ballistidae family.
You can practice two different dives here. The
Every diver will find here something interesting,
right side called the dark one, is characterized
both the poetry of the colours and the charm
by a steep wall, falling down to 60 m and strewn
of the depths.
with clefts, sandy ravines, and rock protrusions. The slope is dotted with Acropora pulchra (ta-
If you want to discover the magic of the blue
ble-shaped corals). The left side is much more
space, feel the wind in your hair and admire the
colourful, characterized by an extensive gorgo-
beauty of nature, do not hesitate! Jump on the
nian colony. Boulders, located on steep slopes,
boat and hit the road!
attract large shoals of anthias and Glassfish. It's always worth keeping your eyes wide open be-
Caves
cause you can meet spectacular travellers like whale sharks, manta rays, turtles, and dolphins.
If you want to take a rest away from the tourist
At a depth of 10 m, there is a sandy area, par-
hustle and feel the call of nature, this is a unique
allel to the shore, surrounded by coral walls,
place to experience an amazing underwater
inhabited by small fish species: scorpionfish,
adventure. To the south of Dahab, away from
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
35
36
the city noise, on the way to the destination, a charming landscape of the canyon is waiting for you. You can admire it feeling the wind in your hair while driving on the back of the offroad car. There is no cave on the site, despite the first association with the name of the place, and the main attraction is a huge underwater rock overhang at a depth of 7–12 m. It is an exceptional diving site thanks to its impressive rock formations and diversity of underwater life. The entrance, which starts with a sudden drop to a depth of 5 m, is often hampered by weather conditions. In the wind and waves, it is worth having a smart partner with you, who will help you put on the fins, give a hand on your way back or help you jump on the rock ledge. The sandy bottom gently descends to 40 m and is dotted with fine eels and seahorses. Penetrating depth, blueness and the surrounding space set in a reverie and peace of mind, and the element of Water arouses boundless respect. Diving ends at a majestic overhang from which you can observe the play of lights and sunrays. To experience this beauty, it is best to do diving between 10 a.m 1 p.m, when the sun is at its highest point; after 3 p.m the mountains which are right on the shore, cast the shadow on the Caves overshadowing the beauty of this area. This wonderful diving site is suitable for everyone – both recreational and technical divers. Dahab – a town of carelessness and inner harmony. A place where all stresses fade away and all that remains is the joy of life. Peace and quiet and diving fulfillment guaranteed. The first visit will not be your last
t r av e l s
Gran Canaria a "continent" in miniature
Text and photos Marcin Adamowicz
Why Gran Canaria? Where did the idea for the Canary Islands come from? Well, the assumptions of the trip were such: not too far away, an exotic but affordable place.
W
e flew there at the end of October. You
of one of the diving centres, many of which
need to warm up yourself in the sun,
are on the island. With a lightning speed, we
swim in the sea and recharge the batteries
received answers to our email inquiries about
before long winter in the northern parts of Eu-
diving packages and attractions offered. We
rope. There were also non-divers with us, which
decided to choose the Dive Academy, a diving
is why the destination had to be attractive not
centre located in Arguineguin. It turned out that
only for divers but also for tourists. Hence the
the law here prohibits the rental of the diving
choice fell on Gran Canaria, an island located
equipment itself, it must be combined with the
centrally in the Canary Islands, between Tener-
purchase of a diving package, and the diving is
ife and Fuerteventura, lying just off the north-
possible only with a guide. In addition, diving
west coast of Africa.
insurance is mandatory, which, as it turned out
The Irish carrier turned out to be the cheap-
later, is always verified and checked.
est. We flew from Krakow, Poland. We were
38
stationed in San Agustin, within a complex
On the site
with a swimming pool, located practically over
As the entire archipelago is a volcanic creation,
the very ocean. What was left was the choice
we are surrounded by a truly lunar landscape
marked with ubiquitous palm trees. My attention is drawn to the network of modern, perfectly marked roads, with the GC-1 highway in the first place, leading almost around the entire island. On our way, we do shopping at the local Hyper Dino chain store, affordable, offering a wide range of products. I especially recommend Canarian bananas, smaller than those known in European supermarkets, but much sweeter and more appetizing. We spend the next day in Maspalomas, on a beautiful, wide beach. Maspalomas is famous for its great sandy dune system. The beach indicates the beginning of the Maspalomas Nature Reserve, consisting of the El Palmeral palm
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
39
grove, the La Charca floodplain – a stopover on
in the documents; also our insurance policies
the migration route of birds to Africa – and the
and diving certificates are verified.
dunes themselves, changing their shape constantly due to the wind blowing from the ocean.
Sardina
Our attention is also drawn to the historic Faro
After a half-an-hour drive, we reach Sardina del
lighthouse, 55 meters tall, the construction of
Norte, the northern corner of Gran Canaria, far
which lasted for 28 years! Indulging carelessly
from the golden beaches of the south, large ho-
in the sea and solar baths, however, I have just
tel complexes and ports full of enormous, luxu-
one, exciting idea in my head and in front of my
ry yachts. It is not a place appearing in touristic
eyes: the diving starting the next day…
leaflets and it doesn't even aspire to be such a place. Life passes peacefully there, no one
40
Dive Academy – professionals in every detail
is in a hurry, and the nose is wafted with the
We arrive at the diving centre the next morn-
scent of fish and seafood prepared in restau-
ing. To our eyes is revealed a beautiful com-
rants located along the road. No wonder, as
plex lying next to the ocean, with two pools for
it is one of the richest regions throughout the
trainees, an office, a room with a compressor,
archipelago when it comes to the underwater
a hardware store and a small shop, where we
world. And that attracts a lot of divers. We have
can buy not only small diving equipment, such
two dives planned here. The maximum depth
as masks or fins but also suits, diving regulators,
of both dives is 18 meters, just enough to bal-
dive computers, etc. We are welcomed by the
ance ourselves and get familiar with the equip-
friendly owner of the centre, Matthew Center,
ment. It's been a long time since any of us dived
a Briton with a resonant English accent. We fill
in such a light configuration. The temperature
of the water is 24 degrees; we are swimming
the capital of the island. There Jose is waiting
over the sandy bottom admiring the great shoal
for us – an enormous, long-haired owner of
of barracudas, proudly hovering in the depths
a boat on which we will sail to the sea to dive
and a large ray, beautifully gliding just above
next to a wreck. Arona is a huge merchant ship,
the bottom. All the time we are accompanied
100 m long and 15 m wide, which sank in 1972
by a shoal of thousands of small fish, curious,
as a result of a great fire. It lies on the right side,
watching us and maintaining the same direc-
at a depth of almost 40 meters, at a distance
tion of swimming at the same time. Fascinated
of 6 nautical miles from the port. It is a favour-
by the wealth of species, colours, and shapes
ite place for experienced divers where they can
of sea creatures, we listen to the characteristic
admire the richness of life around and inside
noise generated by the sand, which, thanks to
the wreck. After about 20 minutes of sailing,
quite a strong waving, is constantly in motion.
we reach the buoy, which marks the wreck. The
During the surface interval, our guide Simon, an
first dive, in our international group of divers,
elderly, cheerful and very friendly Englishman,
is planned around the wreck. At a depth of
offers us a rest in his befriended pub. Here sea-
only a few meters, you can already see a huge
food specialities are prepared – fish, paellas,
hull, masts, towers, and remains of rigging. Ap-
octopus and squid salads, etc. On our way back
proaching the wreck, we notice a huge gap in
we can’t wait for the next day. Our plan is to
the side, scattered parts of the hull and other
experience one of the biggest diving attractions
elements of the ship. The hull and towers are
of the Canary Islands…
covered with all kinds of polyps and sea anemones. The shipwreck is a house and a hideout
Arona
of dozens of fish species. Among the dark cor-
Today our guide is Ignacio, a young and cheer-
ridors and on the deck of the ship, you can see
ful Spaniard. We get to the port of Las Palmas,
the Priacanthidae, scorpionfish, cardinalfish,
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
41
pike-characins, sea breams and many more.
the manometer forces us to start ascending.
We dive around the entire wreck and head to-
AÂ large shoal of barracudas is watching us on
wards the descending line.
our way to descending line.
We spend the surface interval in the water,
The wreck made a huge impression on us. Per-
floating around the boat in neoprene foam
haps it is because it is not a ship that was pur-
suits, to avoid the seasickness, which is easy
posely sunk and thus, to some extent, we can
to get on the boat. We start the second dive
feel its tragic fate. The richness and diversity
from the bow, slowly heading toward the inside
of life, as well as the size of the wreck, are also
of the wreck through the gap in the deck. The
impressive.
hearts beat harder when we enter. In the dark-
42
ness, only in the light of flashlights, we look at
El Carbon
the equipment scattered around. Bent metal
We also dive in the El Carbon reserve, located
sheets and corroded parts of the propulsion
on the east coast of the island. This is one of the
units make us realize the enormity of the trage-
three marine reserves in the Canary Islands. It
dy. In the darkness many species of fish found
is a vast bend of diverse sculpture with sur-
shelter. Inside the hull we cover quite a con-
prising biodiversity, consisting of over 10 dive
siderable distance, filming and taking photos.
sites – you need several dives to fully learn the
Here and there, some light passes through the
secrets of this place. Unfortunately, we have
blue clearances. Unfortunately, the readout of
only two dives, but Simon assures us that the
route he chose will allow us to see the most of
joying the local specialties and taking baths in
the beauty of this place. We dive along a rocky
the ocean. It is not without reason that Gran
shelf, slowly descending to a depth of about
Canaria is called the "continent in miniature".
9 meters. We pass the bends full of dark recess-
It owes the name to this huge diversity of land-
es until we reach a wide sandbank, located at
scape, from the damp and windy north through
a depth of 23 meters. The diversity of the en-
the mountainous central part of the island, up
vironment is delightful and ever changing with
to the hot south. Journey around the island
each meter passed, and the richness of marine
surprises us with the huge contrast between
life forms impresses us, with a huge number of
the well-developed tourist infrastructure and
Aulostomidae in the first place (so-called Trum-
nature that has been intact for centuries. This
petfish), "hanging" motionless vertically or hori-
is why the island was declared the Biosphere
zontally in the abyss. From beneath the stones
Reserve by UNESCO. It's a kind of theme park,
and rock nooks, we are observed by moray eels
offering breathtaking landscapes. The central
posing beautifully for photos. We also dive into
part of the island is a sunken volcanic caldera
the cave. In the middle of it lies a huge stingray,
called Caldera de Tejeda, with the highest peak,
unmoved by our presence. After the last dive,
Pico de Las Nieves elevated to 1949 meters
when we leave water I feel unsatisfied – El Ca-
above sea level. There are innumerable pictur-
bron natural reserve is a perfect place for un-
esque ravines and canyons, overgrown with
derwater photographers, and although there
palm trees and vegetation not to be seen any-
are several hundred pictures on the card in my
where else in the world. The north-east part of
camera, I still have not enough…
the island is an industrial area, with an airport and capital city, Las Palmas. The south consists
Last Days
of countless beaches, resorts, hotels, restau-
We spend our last days with the rest of our
rants, yacht ports, etc. This diversity means that
non-diving comrades, visiting the island, en-
everyone can find something for themselves –
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
43
both nature lovers, enthusiasts of all kinds of
There are several dozen diving centres on the
water sports, as well as those who relax spend-
island, offering both beginner and advanced
ing whole nights in clubs and discos.
courses as well as guided diving. The lack of facilities for technical diving was a surprise to
Summary
us. Here you can dive only in foam suit, with
What charmed me, personally, in Gran Ca-
a single cylinder; most probably no diving base
naria? A rare phenomenon being the result
offers double-cylinder diving sets. The biggest
of a bizarre combination of cultures, which
advantage, however, is that the season here
have been developing here for hundreds of
lasts all year long!
years. Over the centuries, Gran Canaria was the last port of Europe before setting off for a long journey over the Atlantic Ocean. That is why the island became a kind of a stop for people of different origins and roots, a mixture of smells, colours, and cultures. Therefore, in my opinion, the statement that Gran Canaria is only a cluster of shoddy resorts on a volcanic island, which apart from beaches and all-night places of entertainment has nothing to offer, is absolutely incorrect.
44
MIEJSKIE CENTRUM KULTURY IM.H.BISTY W RUDZIE ŚLĄSKIEJ
planet earth
Face to face with a dolphin Text and photos jakub banasiak
What is so magical about dolphins that so many people dream of a close encounter with these animals? Why does swimming with dolphins for years appear on the lists of "100 things that you must do before you die"? How is it that the organization of various forms of communing with dolphins is already a billion-dollar business? But the question is, what price do dolphins pay for these encounters‌
46
T
he dolphin madness has lasted since the
500 dolphins in captivity were analyzed. Many of
sixties and started in the United States with
them are directly related to the living conditions
the famous TV series "Flipper". The dolphin fever
in the dolphinarium:
at some point also struck divers and freedivers,
●● exhaustion/overheating – 15 specimens,
mainly due to the movie "The Big Blue" and the
●● stress – 24,
magical shots of Jacques Mayol (played by Jean-
●● transfer/transport – 26,
Marc Barr) diving with bottlenose dolphins. After
●● attack from another dolphin – 27,
"The Big Blue" broadcast, everyone wanted to
●● ulcers – 36,
swim with these animals. When a few months
●● accident/injury – 52,
after the premiere of "The Big Blue", in the mari-
●● anesthesia/medical intervention – 57,
na of a small seaside town of Collioure in France,
●● drowning – 76.
a lonely female (later named Dolphy) appeared,
a h a n d f u l o f s tat i s t i c s
literally thousands of dreamers started to hit the town to spend a few moments with her in the water. To protect Dolphy from the invasion of tourists, the city authorities brought to Collioure the well-known dolphin whisperer Eric Demay, provided him with a flat, a Zodiac boat and all the necessary measures to ensure the safety of the animal. Already at that time, it was intuitively known that the contact of a dolphin with man is not necessarily good for the former.
Half of the captive dolphins die in the first 2 years of captivity, the rest survive in captivity on average 6 years. 50% of wild caught dolphins do not survive "adaptive procedures". Every year, an estimated 100
While the wild dolphins in the sea have at least
dolphins is hunted in Taiji, Japan
hypothetically the ability to escape and to dis-
and 200 on the Solomon Islands
tance themselves from the crowd of swimmers, the dolphins in closed reservoirs pay a particularly high price for interacting with people. By
(on these occasions 100 times more of these animals die).
participating in swim-with-dolphin programs in dolphinariums, we often have no idea of how
Although marine parks in the USA and Europe
serious a drama we are becoming a part of.
are required to keep strict records of cetaceans in
Because slavery for such a marine mammal is
their possession, in many other countries there
really deadly.
are no such registration requirements. It is difficult to get complete and accurate numbers of
In the United States alone, where the stand-
how many dolphins or porpoises died in captivity.
ards of dolphinariums are much higher than in
According to the estimates of organizations deal-
other regions of the world, 1127 dolphins died,
ing in the protection of dolphins, this number is
of which 50% did not even reach the age of
approximately 5550–6000. New marine parks are
10 years, and 83% the age of 20 years. As shown
constantly being opened all over the world – the
by the data from the Marine Mammal Inventory
market of whales raised in captivity or captured
Report and the National Marine Fisheries Ser-
from the natural habitat is constantly growing.
vices, as many as 313 dolphins born in captivity
This business moves from Europe and the USA
have reached the average age of just 2.5 years.
to China, flourishes in Russia, the Arab countries
In the same study, the reasons for the deaths of
and the Far East. Demand stimulates supply.
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
47
A backstage drama
dom specimens, where acts of aggression,
Why are the conditions of life in captivity affect-
wounds, etc. are very common.
ing the well-being of dolphins so much?
which are devoid of natural stimuli. The
dolphinariums, animals have a very drasti-
lack of natural light in some places, harm-
cally limited space and cannot satisfy their
ful chemical composition of water, noise of
natural locomotor and exploratory needs.
music and filtration devices – these are just
The consequences of this are apathy, ste-
some of the stressful factors that weaken
reotypies and aggression.
of the immune system and consequently
●● They are deprived of very important natural social ties. The juveniles are separated from
48
●● They are kept in tight, concrete reservoirs,
●● Even in the largest and most well-known
lead to numerous infections, ulcers, skin diseases, etc.
their mothers early, that is why they cannot
●● They are forced to perform unnatural be-
function in natural peer groups, perform
havior, circus tricks, dangerous to their
different social roles and learn from their
health. At the same time, they do not have
mothers and other family members. They
to show their natural hunting behaviors
remain in artificially created groups of ran-
(because they are fed with dead fish), they
must stop using their key sense – echolo-
14,000 m² of water in the fenced part of a nat-
cation (because the ultrasounds reflected
ural sea bay. Dolphins have here a much larger
from the pool walls cause their disorienta-
space for living, social behavior, reproduction,
tion and exacerbate the stress).
hunting for live fish. They live in the sea water,
●● Monotonous frozen food, often of dubious quality, contributes to diseases and dehy-
in a naturally shaped herd, based on parental and partner ties.
dration of organisms and leads to the necessity of artificial invasive irrigation with
On the Dolphin Reef you can both dive and
a hose inserted directly into the stomach
snorkel with dolphins, but such sessions are
(dolphins do not drink and all their water
quite strictly conducted: they are held only
comes from the eaten fish, the frozen fish
with a guide, the dolphins cannot be touched
contain much less water).
or chased, and a close encounter only occurs when the animals themselves decide to get
Dolphin sea pens
close. The Dolphin Reef also provides a dolphin
And what about places such as the Dolphin
assisted therapy, but in contrast to other simi-
Reef in Eilat in Israel? This Dolphin Reef is about
lar places, the dolphins are not rewarded with
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
49
food for participating in sessions with patients.
that are unprepared for medical treatments
The animals decide themselves whether they
can not be helped in the case of diseases. The
come to patients and interact with them. They
earlier attempts of giving outpatient assistance,
also have an opportunity to take shelter from
when a sick animal was drawn ashore, were so
swimmers and divers in remote corners of the
stressful for the dolphins that they were given
sea farm, if they are tired of people's company.
up altogether. Also for this reason, the dolphin
They spend most of their time on natural activ-
mortality rate is relatively high here. The possi-
ities: playing, taking care of calves, sometimes
bility of letting the dolphins out into the open
fighting for domination in the herd. Dolphins are
sea (which was part of the original Dolphin Reef
not encouraged to perform circus tricks.
idea) was also excluded, as the mammals used to the presence of humans sought contact with
50
At first glance the Dolphin Reef seems more like
tourists on nearby Israeli and Egyptian beach-
a sea sanctuary than a dolphinarium. But even
es, which posed a serious threat to both sides.
here problems arise. The half-freedom formu-
The herd is based on inbreeding, and subse-
la of dealing with dolphins and not interfering
quent generations are condemned to life in
with their behavior became a trap. Dolphins
captivity. Although there are no noisy filtration
facilities here, dolphins as acoustic animals are
sleep while swimming and this is a very bad mo-
exposed to the noise of outdoor events often
ment to disturb them with our presence. We
held on the beach of the Dolphin Reef, and
appear on their "sleep route" and Zodiac boats
above all, the noise of nearby ships and military
with tourists usually throw people into the water
units. Cruise ships are particularly troublesome,
directly on these animals' routes, simply getting
they get close to the net and stop at the sea farm
in their way. Boat operators do not usually re-
so that tourists can observe the dolphins.
spect the hours of dolphins' sleep. Hopping into the water, we stop their sleep and force them
And what about swimming with dolphins
to escape, sometimes even to leave the reef‌
in the open sea?
Divers, freedivers and snorkelers are tempted
Another problem is the "trapping" of individu-
by reefs that are natural habitats for dolphins.
al dolphins. Such a dolphin is probably a scout,
For example, there are at least a few of them in
checking if it is safe on the reef. If he encoun-
the Red Sea: Shaab El Erg, Fanous East, Sataya,
ters many boats and people in the water around
Samadai‌ Are meetings with dolphins in such
him, he will probably return to the herd with bad
places safe for animals?
news and the dolphins will be doomed to find another place to rest. And that is not easy at all.
After night hunting and covering significant dis-
It may also happens that this is a sick individual
tances, dolphins need sleep and rest. They have
who has no strength to follow the herd and is
been coming to the reefs known as "a dolphin
very stressed, often hungry and weakened. The
house" for years, because their location and
pressure of divers, freedivers and ordinary tour-
shape gives the animals the opportunity to take
ists only deepens the trauma.
shelter from currents and sharks. Unfortunately, when they return after a night hunt, tourists wait
All these facts highlight the importance of re-
for them in their home in the morning. Dolphins
sponsible tourism (diving tourism included) and
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
51
how important it is that we should be reasona-
only clowns in water parks in many corners of the
ble while making our dreams come true.
»civilized world«?"
Maybe he was right, the hero of "The Big Blue", Jacques Mayol, who once said: "The best way to express our gratitude to the dolphins would be to leave them alone. Man needs dolphins, not the other way around. […] What a farce and cynicism it is to call our »water-friends« the creatures that we have captured and trained. Have they not become
52
Jakub Banasiak – Member of the Dolphinaria-Free Europe Coalition, a volunteer at the Tethys Research Institute and the Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit, a Marine Connection contributor. For 10 years he has been involved in research on wild dolphin populations and dolphinariums audits. Together with the team "NO! For the Dolphinarium", he takes actions against keeping dolphins in captivity and promotes such knowledge about the dolphin assisted therapy, which is concealed or hidden by the centers profiting from this form of an animal assisted therapy.
SPEŁNIAJ SWOJE MARZENIA O NURKOWANIU!
ACTIVTOUR oferuje: profesjonalne wyjazdy nurkowe z polskim przewodnikiem oraz propozycje wypraw szyte na miarę
Szeroka oferta wyjazdów do EGIPTU: pobyty stacjonarne oraz safari nurkowe – polskie grupy! More information on the protection and welfare of dolphins on the following
DOŁĄCZ DO NASZEJ WYPRAWY!
sites: delfinaria.pl czydelfinoterapia.pl niedladelfinarium.pl delfinoterapiawpolsce.pl https://www.facebook.com/naratunekdelfinom/
www.activtour.pl, www.activtour24.pl tel. 607 777 538, 71 322 12 66 info@activtour.pl facebook.com/activtourpl
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from a freediver ' s perspective
O
n my way to the World Championships, proudly dressed in the blouse of the Free-
diving Poland team, a red one, with our national emblem of the Eagle on the chest and the inscription poland on the back, I got on the plane. Sometimes I manage to take my monofin on board with me and this time this was the case. It always evokes curiosity of the cabin crew and passengers. Somewhere from behind my back, I can hear: "Excuse me, what's the discipline?", "Freediving" I answer. “What?!” “Well… freediving" "Ah…" – the tone of the voice confirms that my answer gave not much explanation… Freediving in Poland is still a mysterious concept for everyone. Although the scuba diving industry is widespread, freediving is just beginning to build its position. There are only a few instructors dedicated to this passion and even fewer freediving schools. This does not prevent Polish freedivers from achieving world's achievements. In the history of Polish freediving, we already have 21 medals from the World Championship and hold several world records. During the last AIDA Freediving Pool World's Championship in Belgrade, Polish team won 7 medals, including 3 gold, and our representatives took part in many finals – but did anyone hear about it? Probably yes – the family and the closest friends of the contestants. Others often look confused, asking themselves – how is it possible that the world champioship in freediving can be held at the
Freediving in Poland
pool? Is there really such a deep swimming pool built anywhere? Well, it's hard to blame the Poles for lack of knowledge about this discipline, since it is not broadcast on TV, and access to the Baltic Sea is just a small fraction of our border. Although we have Hańcza, a lake over 100 meters deep, it is just one such a place, and in addition, it is located in the most remote, north-east corner of the country. If you even get
Text agnieszka kalska
there, the sun will disappear at the 20th me-
Photo Jakob Boman
56
ter, and thermocline will meet us even before the tenth meter. For some the joy of freediving in such a place is doubtful. For me personally, this is where one of my most emotional dives took place – without a diving cylinder, of course. Well… could it be just because it was in winter and under the ice? Other freediver-friendly diving sites include several flooded quarries in central and southern Poland. In other lakes, we can enjoy peace and quiet, and beautiful, mostly covered with forest landscape over the surface of the water. Many areas surrounding lakes belong to landscape parks and nature reserves. Unfortunately, as we sink into the water, we must be exceptionally lucky to have such water transparency that allows us to see what lies farther than 3 meters away. Of course, if that's the case, we can be fascinated by the amazing fauna and flora – you only need to know when, how and where to find it. Fallen trees are hiding places for predators, and in the depths, you can often find more mild species, on no account smaller in size. Vegetation in Polish lakes can be rich. In addition to the often encountered watermilfoils, charas, waterweeds or Potamogeton, you can also find beautiful meadows of water pineapple (Statiotes Aloides). It is difficult, however, to look for anything below the 6th meter – under the thermocline the vegetation practically does not exist. However, the Poles love freediving anyway! To dive freely we do not need clean, deep waters. We may as well close our eyes and sink along the rope into a brown-green abyss, to experience the extraordinary peace of mind and body relaxation, which remain with us for much longer than the time when we hold our breath. For those who are afraid of this darkness, there is the pool. Here, under controlled conditions (always only under the watchful eye of a person assisting), we can dive into ourselves – still on
the surface in static apnea or just below the sur-
To explain what freediving is,
face, dynamically covering subsequent meters
the next issues will include
with or without fins – it is something the Poles are the best in the world!
a description of particular parts of this activity, as
So, do not judge Polish freedivers. Support them and try yourself to dive once, at the pool or in
freediving is not just a sport… To start with, here is something
a dark, cold lake, before you express your opin-
the Poles are quite good at:
ion. Freediving in Poland can be really pleasant :)
freediving pool disciplines.
f r e e d i v i n g d i s c i p l i n e s h e l d at t h e p oo l
According to the organization rules AIDA (Interna-
DNF – DYNAMIC WITHOUTH FINS, moving underwater
tional Association for Development of Apnea):
horizontally without fins.
DYN – DYNAMIC WITH FINS,
moving underwater
wearing fins.
The general rules are the same as for DYN. Here, however, the competitor cannot have additional equipment on feet. It usually involves the move-
The competitors may use any fins or monofins.
ment of arms and legs alternately, a style similar
You can use the suit and additional load or dive
to breaststroke but under water.
just in the suit. The technique of moving or reversing next to the wall is not strictly defined. The competitor must cover at least a part of
world record:
each length with the whole body submerged
●●
244 m Mateusz Malina, Poland
under the water and cannot move limbs over
●●
191 m Magdalena Solich-Talanda,
its surface. Speed and time of swimming do
Poland
not matter. The goal is to cover the longest distance possible, with the airways underwater all the time. world record:
●●
300 m Giorgos Panagiotakis, Greece and Mateusz Malina, Poland
●●
243 m Magdalena Solich-Talanda,
Photo Amy Humphries
Poland
58
Photo Agnieszka Kalska
STA – STATIC,
i.e. timed static apnea.
According to the rules of organization CMAS (World Underwater Federation):
This is the only discipline of freediving, where
Statics (STA) and dynamics without fins (DNF)
the time counts for the result achieved. Here it is
are carried out according to similar principles.
the time from the moment of immersion to the moment when the airways (mouth or nose) sur-
DYN discipline is divided into DYN Bi-Fins –
face that dictates the result. Freedivers remain
where separate fins are used and only the crawl
on the surface for the entire duration of their
(scissor) technique is allowed and DYN Mono-
test, most often in a standstill, minimizing oxy-
fin – here freediver can use a monofin which is
gen consumption. Each freediver has his guard-
more effective.
ian who announces the time or gives other tips and supervises to ensure safety during the test.
Additional disciplines in CMAS are based on the time achieved in order to cover the following dis-
world record:
tances, including breaks for breath after covering
●●
one length of a 50-meter long swimming pool:
●●
11 min 35 sec, Stéphane Mifsud, France
●● 100 m Speed Apnea
9 min 02 sec, Natalia Molchanova,
●● 8 x 50 m Speed Apnea
Russia
●● 16 x 50 m Speed Apnea
polish record:
In the case of aida, the length of the swimming
●●
8 min 46 sec, Matuesz Malina;
pool is not important – all records are identi-
●●
6 min 27 sec, Adelina Hetnar-
cal. The cmas organization divides the records
Michaldo
achieved in the 25-meter pools and 50-meter pools into separate categories.
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
59
k n ow l e dg e
more water, less bubbles
Dehydration – what is it?
nitrogen is leached out of the body in the lungs, but this process will be less effective if the diver
We speak of dehydration when the body loses
is dehydrated. In this situation, the formation
more water than it receives. Dehydration can
and growth of gas bubbles will increase, which
lead to various types of medical problems that
can lead to decompression sickness.
can be avoided in a simple way – by ensuring the right level of hydration.
Dehydration reduces the volume of blood plasma and impairs gas exchange in tissues, thickens
Dehydration – how does it affect divers?
blood and limits its flow. Because the blood is partly responsible for the transport of nutrients
For divers, dehydration causes an additional
and gas exchange, thicker blood will increase the
serious problem – an increased risk of decom-
risk of decompression sickness.
pression sickness. Basically, diving itself also increases the risk of
60
Decompression sickness is caused by nitrogen
dehydration. During the research conducted as
bubbles forming and growing in the blood and
part of projects carried out by the DAN Diving
body tissues. They can lead to hypoxia, or tissue
Safety Lab (DSL), we noticed that many divers
hypoxia. Under normal conditions after a dive,
are not well hydrated before diving (and even
less after diving). Under normal conditions,
about 0.75 liters of water. This is the amount of
proper hydration should not be a problem for
water that hardly anyone drinks during a flight.
a diver, but we often forget about it. Many travellers prefer to drink coffee, Coca Dehydration and holidays
Cola or beer during their flight. You have to remember that these drinks do not have the same
On holidays, we dehydrate faster – dry air in air-
hydration effect as water does. Alcohol and
planes, heat, air conditioning – all this means
caffeinated beverages are diuretics. Drinking
that we lose much more water without even
them causes dehydration because they absorb
realizing it.
water from cells and increase urine production. As a result, a diver arrives at his destination in
For example, when you fly on a plane, it is rec-
a state of light dehydration.
ommended to drink 240 ml of water per each hour of flight. Thus a person traveling from Eng-
The most attractive dive sites for most divers
land to Egypt should drink 1.2 liters of water to
are those with warm water, where there are
maintain adequate hydration. For comparison,
beautiful coral reefs and colourful fish. These
someone who flies from Italy to Egypt will need
places mean a warm, sunny and sometimes hu-
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
61
mid climate. It is quite clear that in such places
often be seen with the naked eye. Salt has the
you sweat and when you sweat, you lose water.
ability to absorb and maintain water molecules.
And if you do not replenish its level, you get
This means that it will absorb moisture from
dehydrated.
the skin, which later will evaporate due to exposure to the sun and wind, increasing the effect
If you get sunburn, your body will lose water
of dehydration.
even faster. The burned skin becomes red and hot (sometimes pain occurs), and the body re-
Dehydration and diving
acts to it by sending water to the skin. Solar heat and wind cause the sweat to evaporate and even
There are three things particularly related to
more water is lost in this way.
diving, which by themselves increase dehydration: sweating, diuresis caused by immersion
At elevated temperatures, we like to be exposed
(increased urine output) and breathing com-
to the wind. And as most of the dives are con-
pressed air.
ducted from the boat, you will have the oppor-
62
tunity to feel the wind on the skin and this is
A diving suit allows you to keep warm during
a refreshing feeling. But in fact the wind or move-
a dive, but also does not let your body cool. So
ment of air resulting from the boat movement
if you are already in a climate where you sweat
on the water) will accelerate the evaporation of
wearing only a t-shirt, imagine how much you
sweat, increasing the degree of dehydration.
will sweat under a diving suit.
Getting out of salt water, it will evaporate and
During a dive, the increased ambient pressure
leave salt crystals on the diver's skin. This can
and cool water will cause narrowing of the blood
vessels in the limbs and increase the amount of
be dependent on the intake of certain medica-
blood circulating in the trunk (heart, lungs and
tions. Also, a reduced amount of urine or lack of
large blood vessels) to keep the body warm. This
it may mean that you are dehydrated, but a large
increased volume of blood is recognized by the
amount of urine does not necessarily mean that
body as an excess of water. The kidneys react by
you are well hydrated.
producing more urine (meaning the loss of water and salt). This is also the reason why divers
Most cases of dehydration are mild and can be
have a need to urinate while diving or immedi-
easily cured by drinking more water. Ryhydra-
ately after diving. This is referred to as diuresis
tion salts or isotonic drinks can also be used
due to immersion.
as an addition to water because they better replenish salts and electrolytes. But if there are
Another cause of water loss during the dive is the
symptoms of severe dehydration, medical help
air we breathe. Same as on a plane, the air in the
is needed.
diving cylinder is dry, and as we already know, we lose more water to moisturize the dry air. If
How to avoid dehydration?
we add that due to the lower water temperature, our lungs must work harder to warm up the air,
It is much easier to avoid dehydration than to
the loss of water is even more significant.
cure this condition! ●● after a dive, rinse the whole body with
How do you know that you are dehydrated and what can you do?
fresh water ●● put on a diving suit just before entering the water
Essentially, the color of urine is a good indicator.
●● avoid alcohol and drinks with caffeine
Urine should be clear or slightly yellow in color.
●● protect yourself from too much sun expo-
The darker color of the urine usually means you
sure (sunburns)
are dehydrated, but the color of the urine may
Symptoms of dehydration include
The condition of serious dehydration
●●
Thirst (that means you should drink
●●
Strong fatigue – weakness
not only when you feel thirsty, be-
●●
Strong thirst and very dry mouth
cause thirst means you are already
●●
Sunken eyes and / or no tears
a bit dehydrated)
●●
Not urinating for eight hours
●●
Dizziness
●●
Dry skin that slowly returns to normal
●●
Headache
●●
Muscle contractions
●●
Fast heartbeat, weak pulse
●●
Fatigue
●●
Fast breaths
●●
Dry mouth
●●
Hypotension (low blood pressure)
●●
Dark-coloured urine
●●
Irritation and confusion
●●
Decreased urine output
●●
Low level of consciousness
when it is pinched
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
63
But the easiest way is to drink a lot of water. We
How much you should drink depends on many
advise you to drink a glass of water every 15–20
factors, but drinking at least two additional liters
minutes. This way of drinking will allow you to hy-
of water (in addition to what you normally drink
drate tissues and consequently avoid problems
during the day) will allow you to be well-hydrat-
with gas exchange, which can lead to the for-
ed. You can also eat foods that contain a lot of
mation of bubbles and decompression sickness.
water, such as fruits and vegetables.
DAN Europe has conducted studies on surface tension. Surface tension is a significant force that affects the properties of many substances, including fluids and tissues in the body. Very small bubbles have very high surface tension, and larger ones – smaller surface tension. The low surface tension allows a bubble to grow faster and with less resistance. A high surface tension value limits the growth rate of a bubble and may even cause it to disappear. Source: www.daneurope.org; www.alertdiver.eu Report published March 4, 2008, "Preventive effect on pre-dive hydration on bubble formation in divers" E Gempp, JE Blatteau, JM Pontier, C Balestra, P Louge Divers Alert Network "More water, less bubbles"
64
Enjoy diving with peace of mind, worldwide, all year round
DIVING SAFETY SINCE1983 PHOTO BY MARCELLO DI FRANCESCO
Worldwide 24/7 Emergency Assistance
Exclusive access to Diving Insurance Plans
Medical Advice & Specialist Referrals
Participation in Diving Medical Research Programs
First Aid Courses
DANEUROPE.ORG
wrecks
66
Bristol Beaufighter Malta
Text Tomasz jeżewski
Photos Grzegorz Świątnicki
Some interesting facts! An interesting airplane model – being an upgrade of earlier models; interesting because of the history of this particular specimen, and interesting as a wreck of an airplane: a unique one among those desired by divers. In general, divers most appreciate these wrecks that are well preserved. Plus they should be big – big enough to make it possible for a diver to see the interior. Or these that look like they're still sailing. These almost complete. Wrecks-ruins are less interesting, sometimes even boring, especially wrecks of airplanes, as you can neither get inside nor swim around for hours for they are so small… But it's not the case with this one! This one, in my opinion, is interesting not because of its "perfect" condition, but because of the circumstances in which it can be visited.
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
67
If
we go down to the wreck itself, lying on a flat
Various modifications leading finally to this mod-
sandy bottom at a depth of approx. 40 m
el (Bristol Beaufighter is the Bristol Beaufort
and we start to view it in a "classic way", we can
upgrade, which was based on the experience
conclude that indeed there is nothing special
and elements of Bristol Blenheim…) meeting
about it… There is no cabin which sank into the
the expected parameters included the need
bottom. Actually, you do not even know if it is
to push both engines forward and shorten the
still there… There are parts of engines left and
nose of the plane. As a result – in a completely
a part of the undercarriage. Some remnants of
different way than it used to be – engines and
bent propellers… The remains of the frame of
propellers came before the nose of the machine.
the wings… Some of the frames and stringers
A strange airplane it was then. And a strange
and other scrap metal in the place where the
wreck it is now.
fuselage used to be… And an empty space up
68
to what is left of the tail… It seems that the nose
This strange construction made the machines
of the machine is missing, but when we find out
odd to pilot. In case of a failure of one of the
how this airplane looked complete, it turns out
engines, the inconvenience was even greater –
that there was not much of this nose even be-
so huge that, as the saying goes, most pilots of
fore the accident.
this machine died trying to land with one engine
damaged. Apparently, it was enough to get close to Mother Earth inadvertently (or purposely) and increase rapidly the power of the still operating engine when the airplane did a half-barrel roll ending the flight on its back. The plane after such a "landing" looked… just as our wreck – for we need to mention that the wreck of this strange plane lies on its back. It looks as if it had tried to land on a flat sandy bottom with one engine damaged. One engine still has its propeller and on the other engine, we notice the propeller is missing. The undercarriage is retracted and set in landing position. The underside of the airplane is visible, and the cabin is driven into the sandy runway… Just the 40 m of water on the runway is a bit out of place… In descriptions of the accident of this particular airplane, we can find information about the actual cause of the crash being engine failure, but the pilots managed to land on the sea and were rescued. But is it possible that the description of the accident is not true and that the airplane landed on the sandy runway when there was no water on it yet? What other reason might be there for retracting the undercarriage?… Strange… Even more interestingly – more strangely and more unusually as befits a strange plane – this wreck looks viewed from a smaller depth (lower height?…). Hanging in the depths, hovering over this wreck and viewing it through translucent water, at some point we have the impression that … we look up, into the sky! After all, we see the "shadow" of a complete plane, as if we were looking from the ground at the approaching machine, ready for landing. The whole silhouette of the plane is beautifully outlined. You can see the engine nacelles protruding in front of the nose of the machine, you can see the undercarriage retracted and prepared for landing, you can see the tail, which is still in place, you can see the outline of the wings. Bubbles, flicker-
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
69
ing at the surface of the sea, released by scuba divers around the wreck look like remnants of fuel thrown away by the plane before landing and falling to the surface of the earth. The impression is incredible! The depth just below the surface of the sea is probably the best place to view the wreck. The fugitive airplane "flying over the head" of the observer – this is probably the best way to "explore" this strange wreck.
Description of the Bristol Beaufighter airplane: https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Beaufighter Information about the wreck and history of this particular airplane and the description of the accident (Eng): https://www.maritieme-archeologie.be/wreck.aspx?130794
70
Bristol Beaufighter Mk X
– heavy long-range
fighter aircraft. Strike aircraft and torpedo bomber. manufacturer
Engines
– Bristol Aeroplane Company
– 2 x Bristol Hercules XVII,
14-cylinder, radial Dimensions
●●
wingspan: 17.65 m
●●
length: 12.5 m
●●
height: 4.84 m
●●
supporting surface: 19.79 m²
Mass
●●
empty aircraft mass: 7080 kg
●●
take-off mass: 11540 kg
Performance
●●
maximum speed: 512 km/h on the ceiling of 3048 m
●●
the rate of climb: 489 m/min
●●
ceiling: 5800 km
●●
range: 2816 km
Beaufighter TF Mk.X
Beaufighter Mk.I(F)
Beaufighter Mk.II(F)
Metres Feet
Source: Wikipedia
Beaufighter Mk.V
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Novelty soon in Poland...
Source: Wikimedia Commons
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
71
sunken secrets
The terrible hours Text mateusz popek
It is May 1939, Jacques Cousteau reinvents fins and a diving mask. Meanwhile, thousands of kilometres away from France, in the Atlantic Ocean near New Hampshire, at the depth of almost 80Â meters underwater, a rescue action takes place, which seems impressive even nowadays. During just 4 dives a team of divers saved 33 crew members of a sunken submarine. This action went down in history. But let's start from the beginning.
Source: Wikipedia
O
72
Source: Wikipedia
n May 23, 1939, the newly built US Navy sub-
ately when the ship fell down to a depth of 74Â me-
marine, USS Squalus, set off for its fifteenth
ters. A total of 33 mariners, who managed to hide
trial voyage. Unfortunately, during the immer-
in an isolated compartment, survived. In the in-
sion process, because of the open hatchways
credible cold, without food, in complete darkness
water flooded the submarine and caused it sunk
and with ever lower oxygen concentration, they
instantly. 26 crew members died almost immedi-
could only pray for someone to find them.
Source: Wikipedia perfectdiver No. 1/2018
73
Source: Wikipedia
Lack of contact with USS Squalus triggered
the survivors out to the surface. In 1939, Mom-
a quick search action. The sister ship, USS Scul-
sen already noticed the phenomenon of nitro-
pin, was designated for this operation. Fortu-
gen narcosis and tested gases with the addition
nately, within a dozen or so hours it was possible
of helium.
to locate a submerged submarine and even, to a very limited extent, communicate with the sur-
When the USS Squalus went down, for the Navy
vivors. At this point, the race against time began,
it became clear that only Charles Momsen and
and the only person who could win this battle
his team could help mariners trapped at the bot-
was Charles B. Momsen called "the Swede".
tom of the ocean. The USS Falcon was specially prepared as a base for the rescuers. After taking
74
Momsen was a pioneer in water rescue and an
the position, the divers started preparations to
inventor. Unfortunately, he was not very pop-
connect the diving bell to the submarine to get
ular in the navy and his attempts to introduce
the survivors out. When the divers worked with
his projects into use were occupied with many
cylinders filled with air, the nitrogen narcosis
sacrifices. It was hard for him that later the res-
occurred. At this depth this caused great diffi-
cue bell invented by the Swede was named af-
culties. Then Momsen decided to use a mixture
ter another officer. The Swede designed, built
with the addition of helium, which until then had
and tested all his inventions on his own body,
still been in the testing phase. The use of the
starting from the so-called "Momsen’s lungs",
new gas gave an amazing effect. The minds of
which were nothing more than a small under-
the divers became clear, and the rescue oper-
water rebreather, allowing for evacuation even
ation began to move forward dynamically. The
from the depth of 60m. Another invention was
diving bell was delivered and attached to the
the already mentioned diving bell, which could
wreck. After completing just 4 dives, 33 mariners
be attached to a submerged submarine to get
trapped in the wreck were saved.
Source: Wikipedia
Source: Wikipedia
However, as it turned out, this action alone
marines, who until that day had been convinced
was not the end of the operation involving the
that sinking always ends in death … they saw
USS Squalus wreck. The Navy decided that the
some hope for themselves.
sunken submarine should be lifted. For the next 50 days, the divers dragged the ropes un-
This action was described in detail in Peter
der the wreck and installed pontoons to try to
Mass's book "The terrible hours". It also became
lift the wreck on July 13, 1939. Unfortunately,
the inspiration for the film "Submerged", shot in
the air that entered the bow caused the wreck
2001, directed by James Keach. The role of Mom-
to jump to the surface and then it sank once
sen was played by Sam Neil. Even youtube in-
again. It took another 20 days to fix this error.
cludes a lot of archival footage and documentary
Then it was finally lifted and towed to a dry dock
films about this action. This is a story I strongly
in Portsmouth. Still, this is not the end of story,
recommend you to explore in more detail.
because Squalus was renovated and returned to service, fighting on the front until the end of World War II. This is a story about imprisoned sailors and their ship, but the most amazing are individual, courageous people who took up the challenge which until then had been impossible to complete. It was only thanks to Momsen's open mind and the courage of his divers that the mariners were saved. 628 safe dives were carried out on the wreck. Four divers from the Swede team: Chief Machinist's Mate Badders, Chief Boatswain's Mate Orson L. Crandall, Chief Metalsmith James H. McDonald, and Chief Torpedomanman John Mihalowski, were awarded the U.S. Medal of Honour. They gave hope to the crews of subSource: Wikipedia
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
75
technically
molnár jános Text irena kosowska
Photos cezary czaro Abramowski
As a little girl, I dreamed of being a princess. The most genuine one, such as in fairy tales – with a beautiful crown and a palace covered with sparkling magical dust… Finally, I grew up and these dreams faded away somewhere, long forgotten… Until I entered a place that brought all the childhood visions back – including sparkling passages and almost unreal spaces covered with crystals… In a magic place I was: The Molnár János Cave.
76
O
ver a hundred years ago the first hydrothermal caves were discovered in the vicinity
of the Rózsadomb (Budapest). In the past century, there were about 50–60 caves and 50 cave markings. In Rózsadomb the oldest known rock comes from the Upper Triassic period. In the
Located in the centre of the Pannonian basin, one of the hottest basins in Europe, Hungary has long
studied area there are two Triassic formations:
been famous for its hot springs
Main Dolomite (Fődolomit), a solid dolomite for-
and a multitude of underground
mation and Mátyáshegyi formation, consisting
formations. Molnár János cave,
of limestone and dolomite. Other formations existing there include Paleogene and Quaternary rock formations. The most important among the new formations is a few tens of meters thick Szépvölgyi limestone layer from the Upper Eo-
an active thermokarastic cave, belonging to the karst hills of Buda, lies beneath the densely populated district of Budapest. Its huge
cene. The caves located in the Rózsadomb area
passages are almost completely
were carved mainly in this type of rock. In this
filled with warm water. Only the
area, Szépvölgyi limestone is usually covered by
upper part of its largest known
Buda Marl formation (Upper Eocene – Lower Oligocene). It contains a variable, but always signif-
chamber rises above the water level.
icant, clay content, and therefore it is not easily transformed into karst formation. However, it is
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
77
in this layer that there are some cave passages
gate in the very middle of a busy street, just to
and the Molnár János cave itself.
dive into a completely different world.
The Molnár János cave is located under the ex-
As soon as we had crossed the Molnár János
clusive district of Budapest. It is considered the
gate, we were briefed on the incredibly neat ar-
only active, "living" cave in the Buda caves sys-
rangement and logistics of the very place. The
tem. This cave, like other caves in its surround-
lecture halls, sanitary facilities, well-organized
ings, originates from thermal karst formation
compressor room and the logistics of the very
processes and was generated by hot springs.
descent into the water left us deeply impressed.
This is a fairly unique situation that cave corri-
78
dors lie under the highly urbanized area of the
To dive in Molnár, you must meet a number of
city being the capital of Hungary. We were im-
requirements – above all, you need to book the
mensely impressed when we drove through the
date, which in high season is not easy at all. You
city centre, right down to a pretty inconspicuous
need to have the certification to use each item of
equipment used for diving (besides the obvious cave diving certification, for example, the drysuit certification), valid medical examination and diving insurance, DAN Silver minimum (or other acknowledged insurance covering cave diving). In the beginning, after arrival and passing
The cave was named after János Molnár, a pharmacist who for the first time suggested the existence of a cave that belongs to the same
through a corridor in which the temperatures
water system as the nearby Malom pond. The
are high, despite the negative temperatures
pond was displaced in the 13th century to supply
outside, each diver has a place assigned and
water mills in the area. János Molnár after his
receives several forms to fill in. In addition to the above-mentioned requirements, which we need to document by leaving certificates for the time of diving, we also sign a whole bunch of statements on the safety of diving, risk, health, hazard awareness, etc. – all of it in both, Hun-
research suggested that the water flows into the pond through the undiscovered channel. Later, the advances in diving techniques enabled the exploration of the hidden niche. Rapid exploration began in the 70' of the 20th century.
garian and English. When the formal requirements are fulfilled, the
Since the level of water in the cave exceeds the
guides are assigned (it is not possible to dive by
Danube level (about 95 m ASL in Budapest) just
yourself) and a briefing about the very place and
a few meters, the deepest parts of the cave are
diving schedule takes place. We learned, among
located at sea level. Still evolving, active cave is
other things, that most of the vast cave system
the deepest and newest member of the Buda
is under water, reaching a maximum explored
thermokarst system. The temperature of the
depth of 100 m, and the length of the known
water in the known passages ranges from 17 to
sections reaches almost 6 km. The outlet of the
27°C. The upper sections are surrounded by
cave is about 200 m away from the Danube.
the upper layer of Eocene Buda Marl formation,
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
79
which is characterized by a variable, but signifi-
go on an expedition – if you want to fill it, you
cant, carbonate content. In contrast to the large
will get another full bottle for the same price,
caves in the Buda Hills, the corridors of Molnár
without having to wait for your own (you do not
János caver are still subject to corrosion. Famous
have to take it at all).
locations of clusters of barite and calcite are older and independent from cave generation.
After immersion, we deposit the decompression gases on an impressive decobar and we go along
It is these properties of the cave, the clusters
the fixed ropes to the planned underwater trip.
of barite and calcite, that were to carry us
The entire system of routes available for divers
over to a fairytale world. But let’s start from
is permanently roped with a steel rope of 9 mm
the beginning.
diameter, anchored in rocks, and marked. There is no need (or no possibility when using stand-
After dividing us into diving groups and appoint-
ard cave markers) to use own ropes or markings.
ing our guides, we got ready for diving. What's
80
important, Molnár strictly follows the predive
Warm water, perfect clarity, visibility up to
check procedures performed under the "dicta-
20 meters, spaces as huge as your flashlight can
tion" of the guide, and conservative gas manage-
reach… an amazing feeling of being in a place
ment: an additional stage can be borrowed at
which, despite being so close to the big city (lying
the price of filling a cylinder. This means that you
just below it), is so unique. Standard diving lasts
do not have to take your own stage when you
up to 1.5 hours, during which we traverse the
corridors made of very different types of rocks,
bility is also being studied all the time and new
of various structure, from huge chambers to nar-
underground connections are sought.
rowings, from completely dark places to… well, here we go back to fairy tales and princesses.
An expedition to Molnár can be organized by an-
The first time I turned the flashlight towards the
yone certified to perform cave dives in confined
wall that sparked with thousands of flickering
spaces. The basic routes have an average depth
dots, I began to wonder if my mind was not trick-
of 20–30 meters; for deeper routes, a separate
ing me. But as it happened again and again…
reservation is required. All details, including the
Passages, walls, and corridors were covered with
price list, are available on the website of the cave
genuine crystals! A phenomenon was so abso-
operator – MJ Cave http://www.mjcave.hu/en.
lutely fascinating and amazing that I needed quite a time to shake off the first impression…
In terms of accommodation, popular portals
fortunately, not only me, and the guide accus-
aggregating accommodation offers will come in
tomed to such reactions turned around and
handy with reasonable prices. After dives, which
waited until we got enough of the sight. Dur-
end at the latest at 4 p.m., it is worth going to the
ing the four dives performed in Molnár, I got
Old Town, which, lit up at night, completes the
to know a whole spectrum of new experiences,
impressions of the Hungarian adventure.
comparable to experiencing real art. When we arrived at the very end of the rope, seeing that
http://www.mjcave.hu/en
the system of corridors goes further but is still
Radon as a natural tracer for underwater cave exploration, Katalin Csondor, Anita Eross, Akos Horvath, Denes Szieberth, Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jenvrad
only accessible to researchers, I felt both excitement and some insufficiency. But what I remember best to this day are crystals. Because that very corridor, that passage sparkling – as I later learned – with barite and calcite, inspired me to
Contributions of geophysical techniques to the exploration of the Molnár János Cave (Budapest, Hungary), Gergely Sururányi, Endre Dombrádi, Szabolcs Leél-Őssy, Acta Carsologica 39/3, Postojna 2010
look for more information about the genesis of the Molnár cave. Hence this article today.
I would like to give very special thanks to all Molnár János Cave Team with the particular reference to
The system of Molnár János corridors is the sub-
Dénes Szieberth from the Department of Inorganic
ject of numerous studies by both geologists, ge-
and Analytical Chemistry, Budapest University of
ophysicists, and biologists – over the years of research, four completely new species of crea-
Technology and Economics, for all support, including access to Molnár János research articles. Thank you!
tures were discovered there. The cave's varia-
price list of dives in euro Guided diving
1 person
2 people
3 people+
1 diving 50–70 min, max 40 meters
70
60/person
50/person
1 diving 90–150 min, max 40 meters
140
85/person
50/person + 70/group
1 diving 90–150 min, max 90 meters
170
100/person
60
60/person
Cave intro dive 50 min
50/person + 100/group 60/person
Source: http://www.mjcave.hu/en/diving
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
81
n at u r e
82
Skuas the sea robbers
Text and photos wojciech jarosz
In the world of birds, just like in the cinema, you can observe chases, robberies, thefts and inextricably related to them silent dramas of the victims. The perpetrators of these criminal acts (if we apply human civil codes and norms of social conduct to these birds) are real villains – the skuas. And as befits real villains, the skuas are of sturdy built and strong, neither missing the dark elegance, which brings them closer to GoodFellas than the Joker (speaking about the movies in question), nor intelligence of which they have abundance.
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
83
M
any skuas actually practice kleptoparasit-
the cougar’s prey. Sometimes victims become
ism, which means that they feed at the ex-
aggressors, as in the case of gulls and terns that
pense of other birds (gulls, terns, puffins, auks,
give their own pray to skuas just to steal food lat-
and even gannets) forcing them to give their
er from other birds, representatives of their own
food to them. Sometimes they can be quite in-
species included. Even more interesting is the
trusive, nudging or pecking birds returning from
case of hyenas and lions, which are able to steal
the hunt to their nests. These, unable to pro-
food from each other, and which party is the
tect themselves and escape from the attacker
victim in particular situation depends to a large
(as skuas fly fast enough not to allow the victim
extent on the determination and strength of
to escape at a speed up to 50 km/h) finally give
these two groups of carnivores.
away what they have hunted, trying to save their own skin.
Going back to the skuas, a trace of parasitic interspecies relationship has been embedded in
84
Such a way of acquiring food, by stealing it from
the name of one of the species, parasitic jaeger,
other animals, is not unusual in nature. Most
also called so after the Latin name Stercorarius
predators practice such behaviour, especially
parasiticus. In many languages, the connection
when they are bigger and stronger than the vic-
with the Latin name is strong, for example in the
tim – after all, a bigger one can always do more.
French it is Labbe parasite, in English Parasitic
There are, however, some cases known, when
jaeger, in Spanish Págalo parásito. The etymol-
bigger animals give in to smaller creatures, like
ogy of the Latin generic name is also associated
a cougar getting out of the way, for obvious rea-
with the way of obtaining food and this geneal-
sons, of a small skunk which come to feed on
ogy seems to be even less appealing. Well, Ster-
corarius means ‘from dung’ or ‘from manure’, which is associated with the old conviction that what appears in the air as a result of the thuggish attacks of the skuas is not the returned food but the droppings of the attacked bird. To bring the issue of parasitism to an end, it should be added that the skuas can also hunt (for fish, birds and rodents) and do not hold the carrion in contempt. The way the birds get their food depends mainly on the environment, i.e. their habitat, the season, and is largely associated with particular species of the skuas. And here the problems begin, as nobody exactly knows how many species of skuas there are. Today, seven species are specified most often, but in the past the number of Stercorarius reached as many as 10 separate species (some of them are currently treated as subspecies). It is possible that in the future the skuas will be divided into two separate genera (a need reported by some ornithologists in specialistic publications), where one genus would include big, brown birds called skuas (the great skua, the brown skua, the Chilean skua and the south polar skua), and the other – those with a softer and more diverse colouration (the already mentioned parasitic jaeger, as well as pomarine jaeger and long-tailed jaeger). There are plenty of taxonomic doubts but it seems that there is no point of discussing them in this article. As a curiosity it can be added that while studying the issues of belonging a specific genre to a higher taxon, what is taken into account, in addition to many other things, is the species composition of the parasitic fauna existing mainly in feathers (specifically – composition of mites). Parasites again… Where can you come across the skuas? In many locations around the world, but basically always in areas close to the sea (apart from occasional visits to the inland of birds fleeing the storm, and
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
85
who knows, maybe also those extremely curious
tipodes – in New Zealand, and also in Antarctica
ones?). Paleontological evidence indicates that
and South America. A cosmopolitan indeed! In
these birds come from the northern hemisphere
Europe you can also come across the parasitic,
of our globe but today we meet them both on
long-tailed and pomarine jaegers, usually in the
the Arctic and Antarctic site of the globe. What's
northern parts of the continent, and at the time
more, some birds can be found on both sides
of migration they appear in more southern lo-
of the equator, the best example of which is the
cations – even in the Baltic Sea.
south polar skua nesting, in accordance with its name, on the coasts of Antarctica and nearby
When the skuas finish their breeding period, and
islands, and wandering to wintering habitats
this usually coincides with the time of breed-
located on the North Pacific or North-Western
ing of the bird species usually attacked by the
Atlantic. Sometimes, in terms of the length of mi-
skuas, they turn into the high-seas birds. Then
gration, it can be compared to the Arctic tern, un-
they can be seen by the crews of the yachts and
matched in this context. The skuas are regarded
ships in the seas and oceans, far away from the
as the vertebrates found the closest to the South
nearest land.
Pole, which confirms their aerial capabilities. The
86
people of Europe can admire the great skuas
To recognize the skuas, however, you need to
in Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Shetland
know how they look like and how to distinguish
Islands or Northern Scotland but, similar to the
them from other birds. Well, these are medi-
south polar skua, the skua (as the great skua is
um-sized birds, resembling the type of the build
often abbreviated) can also be seen on the an-
of some larger species of seagulls. However, the
details of the build leave no illusions: you can't
body. On the underside they are rather fair – of
confuse a skua with any seagull. Of course, be-
cream colour. Characteristic for these species
tween the largest of skuas: the great skua and
is also the more or less significant elongation
the south polar skua, and the smallest one, long-
of the central rectrices i.e. tail feathers (hence
tailed jaeger, there is a significant difference in
the generic names in Polish come from). This
weight, respectively 1.3 kg and 300 g, but most
feature, along with the colour, makes it easy to
of the features of their build is common for all
identify the species of the skua being observed.
species of that genus. They have a distinctive, prominent, hooked beak, bent at the end, black in colour. The same colour are legs of the skuas equipped with webbing and robust claws. The
Most skuas live for several years on average, but there
wings are averagely wide and not too long. Col-
is a description of the
ours are different and depend on the species.
bird, which was banded as
The larger skuas present different shades of
the nestling in the years
brown in their feathers with a small touch of white on their speculum feathers. According to one of the theories, this is to be an identity mark
1968–1970, and in the year 2015 was steel breeding.
for the bird's brethren in order not to force food from a bird with such a sign. Smaller skuas: par-
The interesting thing is that the inside of the
asitic, long-tailed and pomarine jaegers are also
birds is well-developed (especially the muscles
of dark colour, but only on the top part of the
moving the wings); also there is an exceptional-
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
87
ly large number of mitochondria in the skeletal
again start breeding. Usually in the same place,
muscle fibre – the intracellular power plants with
although there are also observations refuting
the relevant enzymes needed for smooth imple-
thesis about the invariability of the nest's loca-
mentation of production processes of energy (or
tion. Such a cycle can be repeated many times,
actually – transformation). It all makes the skuas
because after reaching sexual maturity at the age
very efficient flyers. Due to distant and long-last-
of several years (usually 5–8 years) the skuas still
ing flights over the salty waters, the skuas have
have a lot of life ahead of them. Most skuas live
developed salt glands, which serve as the on-
for several years on average, but there is a de-
board desalinator. Thanks to this adaptation
scription of the bird, which was banded as the
the birds can drink sea water when there is no
nestling in the years 1968–1970, and in the year
access to fresh water.
2015 was steel breeding. As for a 45-year-old, this south polar skua looked quite well. After laying
88
Long journeys end when they need to repro-
one or two eggs in a hollow in the ground (skuas
duce. And just like in other spheres of their life
do not build fancy constructions), the couple pro-
we perceive skuas as hooligans, we can admire
tect their nest. These birds are able to effectively
their faithfulness in the male-female relations
drive away bigger animals lurking on their eggs.
(let’s not get limited if we want to anthropomor-
While observing such behaviour, it was noted
phize). Yes, the skuas are monogamous and after
that the brown skua can recognize human face.
long periods of wandering they can meet with-
Investigators, who had approached the nest to
out seeing each other for long months and once
make measurements of eggs or chicks, were rec-
ognized and attacked by the skuas (even after
When during your stay in the marine coasts you
clothes were changed), while people not seen
will be fortunate to see a dark bird resembling
previously could move freely in the vicinity the
a large seagull and attacking other birds, you
nest, not disturbed by birds. This is one of the
will probably be looking at skuas – so stay alert!
examples of great cleverness of the skuas.
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
89
curiosities
Hańcza the deepest lake in poland
Text Michał Smaga
Photos Wojciech Zgoła
Somewhere far away from the centre of Poland and city life, protected by serpentines of roads, lies the deepest Polish lake – Hańcza. It covers a deep postglacial tunnel valley wedged between the hills, surrounded by forests and meadows, blending into the landscape of the region. Our goal is Błaskowizna, a small village on the eastern shore of the lake.
H
ere you can find all the diving bases and
choose from. The first, more intimate, is locat-
points where you can enter the water. Com-
ed next to one of the bays. Its downside, or
ing here for the first time, it is worth to use the
a big plus, depending on a point of view, is the
satellite navigation, especially on the last part
lack of possibility to fill the cylinder. The other
of the route. This will reduce to a minimum the
is a base with facilities including compressors
unexpected sightseeing tour of the beautiful, by
and the bank. Its advantage, or disadvantage, is
the way, landscapes of the Suwalki region.
a large number of places of accommodation. In addition to the aforementioned bases, we can
90
By the lake
find here two more points, where we can fill the
When we are on the spot, we face the first di-
cylinders with various gases, as well as several
lemma: where to stay? We have two bases to
agritourism farms.
Where to dive?
When we are already accommodated, assembled equipment is waiting for our entry into the water, it’s time to choose the destination. Here, unfortunately, the choice is limited. Because of its location within the boundaries of the Suwałki Landscape Park, the whole lake is included in the nature reserve and only a part of the eastern shore of the lake and its depth is made available for diving. Along one kilometre we have at our disposal three car parks with convenient The dilemma of choosing the accommodation
descents to the water, and benches where you
will not always affect us in the same way. De-
can lay out the equipment. One could begin
pending on the season, we should expect bases
to complain about the length of the accessible
bursting at the seams in summer, or almost emp-
shore, because what is one kilometre in relation
ty in winter. It is easier to find accommodation in
to twelve kilometres of the lake's circumference?
summer: if we do not book earlier a place to stay,
Fortunately, however, these restrictions have
we can always stay in a tent or at agritourism
also some good sides. In the lake, we will not
farm. It’s wiser not to count on a free accommo-
find almost any artificially sunken attractions,
dation in the base. Apart from the summer sea-
creating sometimes underwater waste dumps
son, the beds are always available, although even
of dubious aesthetic qualities. We can only see
then prior telephone arrangement is required.
what the glacier left behind: steeply descending
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
91
rocky slopes and large boulders forming struc-
counter three dugouts. These boats are archae-
tures reminiscent of mountain screes. But let’s
ological monuments and as such are subject to
start from the beginning.
protection – it is forbidden to touch them. This is one of the few places in Europe where you
92
The car park closest to the village, called The
can see such objects. Another variant of the
first car park offers us a gently descending
route you can choose at the First car park is to
(as for the local conditions) bottom along with
head north along the shore of the lake. After
the sizable littoral zone. Diving deeper into the
swimming for a few minutes in this direction, at
lake, at around thirtieth metre, we can find a
a depth of 14 m, we can meet the most famous
boat resting on the bottom. Continuing the way
wall in Poland. It spreads uninterruptedly for
into the depth, at around fortieth metre, we en-
about 300 m, changing from time to time the
depth of the base and the top. In one place it is
views there; we will have to be satisfied with the
interrupted by a scree of loose rock material and
view of the descending line. Divers are attracted
gravel. This is a sign that we have reached the
here by the opportunity to see the three-digit
Second car park. Here the deepest place varies
depth readout on their computer display. The
between 25 and 40 m.
depth, reported on the Internet, varies from 105 to 111 m and, unfortunately, is not con-
The second car park is a place, right in the mid-
firmed among the divers. Visitors to the bottom
dle of the lake, providing the most thrills to the
agree that it is 103 m.
lovers of the depth. You can descend here as far as 50 m or even deeper in a very short time,
When to dive?
plunging along a strongly inclined slope. The
We already know almost everything to be able
slope itself is also impressive, with different sizes
to plan a successful diving trip. Only one piece of
of disarrayed boulders and rock waste creating
information is missing – that about the best visi-
an almost lunar landscape.
bility. The issue is a bit problematic. The simplest way would be to say: the best conditions will be
Diving farther along the shore, we will finally
between autumn and spring turnovers. During
reach the Third car park. Here the bottom is
this time, the visibility often exceeds 20 m. Un-
the mildest, and the littoral zone the largest.
fortunately, this does not solve the problem of
An additional advantage is the presence of the
divers who like warm temperatures or those
platform at the bottom which allows carrying
who dive in foam suits. They will have to accept
out some exercise. There are also clay walls
the visibility limited sometimes up to two meters
not as spectacular as those next to previous car
in the summer months. Fortunately, visibility
parks, but also charming. Due to the delicacy of
gets better as the depth increases. At around
the material forming the walls, they should not
the 20th metre, it rarely falls below 10 m.
be touched. Knowing when to come to the lake and what The last place where we can dive is the depth
to see there, we can look for attractions on the
of the lake. We should not expect any beautiful
surface. Here, depending on the selected sea-
perfectdiver No. 1/2018
93
Culinary Delights
son, we have different options for exploring the
Describing the advantages of the region we
area: from hiking, cycling, to cross-country ski-
cannot forget to mention the local culinary spe-
ing and sleigh parties. For those preferring more
cialties. The most famous is "sękacz" – a cake
lazy forms of leisure, a public beach, recently
baked over an open fire. Being there, you can-
opened, is available.
not forget to try cepelinai or potato cake. A less known, but equally recommended product is
Depending on the selected season, the sur-
produced in a traditional way cheese, which you
rounding lakes will be wrapped up in different
can buy from the local farmers.
robes: starting from the hills hidden under the snow and, if we are lucky, the ice-covered lake,
We slowly get to the end of our trip to Hańcza
through the juicy green of grasses and forests,
Lake. We leave behind the charms of this place,
ending with full of colours, sometimes foggy au-
where the city tumult has not reached yet,
tumn hills.
a place so different from foreign diving resorts, a bit wild and still undiscovered.
info błaskowizna on hańcza lake
Postal Code: 16-404 GPS Location: 52.245652 and 22.801854 Directions: to Suwalki along the S61 route and further to Błaskowizna, north-west direction accommodation
Słowikowski Tadeusz Agroturism farm (compressor – air only) Błaskowizna 24, 24A, 16-404 Jeleniewo +48 87 568 34 4 8, +48 512 299 422 http://www.suwalszczyzna.com.pl/blaskowizna24 Sienkiewiczówka Błaskowizna 3A, 16-404 Błaskowizna +48 87 562 17 94, +48 500 021 272 http://www.suwalszczyzna.com.pl/sienkiewiczowka
94
Teresa and Ignacy Andruczyk Błaskowizna 4, 16-404 Jeleniewo +48 87 568 34 45, +48 518 896 934 http://www.blaskowizna4.suwalszczyzna.com.pl Pokoje nad Hańczą – Anna Kwaterska Błaskowizna 19, 16-404 Jeleniewo +48 604 258 076 http://www.hancza.com Resting places on Hańcza Lake Błaskowizna 1, 16-404 Jeleniewo +48 601 169 922 https://noclegi.pl/hancza2 Gościniec Hańcza (only in summer) Błaskowizna 3A, 16-404 Jeleniewo +48 607 703 673, +48 501 370 889 http://gosciniechancza.pl
diving centres nearby
Diving Centre Banana Divers Błaskowizna 9, 16-404 Jeleniewo +48 502 764 747 bananadivers.pl HańczaTech (nocompressor) Błaskowizna 20, 16-404 Jeleniewo +48 513 028 854; www.hanczatech.pl Ełk Diving Centre Submariner (no accomodation) Błaskowizna 22, 16-404 Błaskowizna, Jeleniewo municipality