Flotsam & Jetsam

Amos: The Movie.In our story this issue about professional underwater photography, you'll read that Amos Nachoum says he started his travel outfit, Big Animals Expeditions, so he could make his niche as a top photographer of big-animal behavior. It could also make him a movie star. Two documentary filmmakers have been filming Nachoum while he has been filming animals, and they've started a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to finish the production, by filming Nachoum and polar bears during a Canadian Arctic expedition this summer. Amos: The Movie is seeking $30,000 funding -- a $25 donation will let you download the film free when it is finished, $1,000 will let you attend the film premiere, $50,000 will let you attend the Arctic expedition and get you credit as executive producer. All donations are tax-deductible ( www.indiegogo.com/projects/amos-the-movie#/story ).

Download This Photo Magazine for Free. Speaking of gorgeous photography, the Pacific Northwest Underwater Photographic Society produces a great, full-color magazine, PNW Diver, every two months and lets anyone download it free. The May/June issue is now online and features photo portfolios of Pacific sponges and the sinking of the HCMS Annapolis in British Columbia's Halkett Bay. Download it and past issues at www.pnwdiver.com

Diver Finds Some Skeletons "Just Chillin'." A diver at Colorado's Cienaga Springs had quite the scare in early May when he discovered what he thought were skeletal human remains at the bottom of the river. He phoned the sheriff's office, and a diver was sent down to inspect. What he found: an underwater party with two fake skeletons sitting in lawn chairs. They had been posed to look as though they were simply chillin' in the riverbed, complete with sunglasses and comfy chairs. One skeleton held an algae-covered sign, with only the date "8-16-2014" visible. Instead of reporting the skeletons, the startled diver should have just chilled along with them.

Where to Find Unique O-Rings. In last month's issue, reader Bruce Drucker lamented that Sony doesn't sell replacement O-rings for his underwater camera housing, and we commented how once most inexpensive housings go off the market, O-rings for them exit, too, so it's wise to stock up on them at initial purchase. However, reader Jim Rogers (Silverdale, WA) has this suggestion: "Contact McMaster Carr, an industrial supply company. They will in all probability have the correct size O-ring." Its website ( www.mcmaster.com ) says it has five locations and carries more than 555,000 products.

Nothing Illegal about Wearing Scuba Gear, Right? A 48-year-old man wearing full dive gear caused quite a stir in Traverse City, MI, last month. The Traverse City Record-Eagle reported that the man, who had been drinking, showed up at a downtown McDonald's and acted quite belligerent. Workers called police, who found the man near the store, and told him that management didn't want him at the restaurant. Police don't know why he was wearing scuba gear, but Detective Sgt. James Bussell told the newspaper that "as far as wearing scuba gear and having a couple of beers, that's legal." So have no fear leaving your mask, fins and BC on while stopping for a Big Mac after you dive -- you're not breaking any law.