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Freak Accident Sinks Dive Boat
Check Your Passport
Regulator Servicing Tips
Morays Can Hunt on Land
Going to the Galapagos?
Don't Shine Your Light on the Clownfish at Night
Goodbye to Coral Reefs?
Is Koh Tao Safe for Visiting Divers?
COVID is Surging in Indonesia

Freak Accident Sinks Dive Boat  July 28, 2021

Seven people were left in the water when a dive boat, Safari Diver of South Florida Diving Headquarters, sank off Pompano Beach on July 19. Other boats raced to the rescue, and all seven passengers were saved, but they lost their car keys, wallets, phones, and anything else they had on board. An Undercurrent subscriber, diving the next day with South Florida Dive Company's Black Pearl, was told by a crew member that the vessel's propeller fouled the mooring line the captain had attached to the wreck they intended to dive. The rotating prop managed to winch the vessel's stern underwater before the captain could grasp what was happening and stop the engine. The hull quickly filled with water and the vessel went down within minutes.

Check Your Passport   July 28, 2021

It’s taking the U.S. State Department at least ten weeks to renew passports (in some cases even more), so if your passport is about to expire or if you are going to a county that requires your passport to be valid six months past the expiration date, or if you don’t have enough blanks pages to satisfy the country you’re entering (usually 1-2, but a few require more), you had better get that renewal going. Passport expedition services like Its Easy Passport and Visa, which for a fee have been able to get passports completed in just a few days, are also facing long delays. Travel.State.Gov

Regulator Servicing Tips  July 28, 2021

After a long lay-off, you may be surprised to find your regulator, while working perfectly when you last used it, now needs servicing. That's because the valve seat of the first stage can become engraved by its valve poppet while it's not being used. However, after you have it serviced, like anything highly tuned, it may still need time for the internal O-rings to bed in and then need further readjustment of its interstage pressure setting. If you can, check your recently serviced regulator by using it in a pool or on a local dive before traveling.

Morays Can Hunt on Land   July 28, 2021

A recent study has shown that moray eels can leave the water to hunt on land. Researchers from University College Sant Cruz videoed a snowflake moray wriggling out of the water to grab and swallow a piece of squid. How do they do that? Most fish need to be immersed in water to swallow, but the moray has a secondary or 'pharyngeal' jaw nestled deep in the throat, which enables them to hunt crab and other critters that might take refuge out on rocks. New York Times

Going to the Galapagos?  July 28, 2021

Good news. From July 1, PCR tests are no longer mandatory for fully vaccinated visitors who can prove their final dose was at least 14 days before their arrival in the islands. Travelers who do not meet this criterion can still enter the Galapagos provided they can show proof of a negative PCR test or rapid antigen test within 72 hours of traveling. Andean Travel Co.

Don't Shine Your Light on the Clownfish at Night  July 28, 2021

Scientists studying reefs at Moorea in French Polynesia have found that if exposed for long periods of (human-generated) artificial light, orange-fin anemone fish, a species of clownfish, were less likely to survive than those living on reefs farther from human habitation. Those that did survive grew at only half the rate of their nocturnal-living counterparts. It was unclear why the light affected the growth rate, but one theory is that it attracts predators. Another theory is that it has adverse psychological effects because the fish get tired by not reducing their nighttime activity. The Guardian

Goodbye to Coral Reefs?  July 28, 2021

In a recent study of underwater ecosystems, researchers at the University of Hawaii Manoa made the grim prediction that in a worst-case scenario, coral reefs might be extinct within 30 years if steps aren't taken immediately to mitigate climate change and elevated sea temperatures. Their study showed these ecosystems are among the most threatened by global climate change. Hawaii News Now

Is Koh Tao Safe for Visiting Divers?  July 28, 2021

The pandemic has given everyone a chance to step back and take a fresh look at some travel destinations. With a prolific number of dive schools, is the Thai island of Koh Tao, a favorite among backpackers, safe for visiting divers? The numerous murders of foreigners on Koh Tao are not just a recent phenomenon. The cover-ups are nothing new either. There's no secret that many Thai holiday destinations are run by powerful families in the way of the Mafia, and it proves very difficult to get justice for crimes committed by locals. Mamamia.co.au

COVID is Surging in Indonesia  July 28, 2021

News reports from the archipelago on July 5 tell of a nationwide shortage of oxygen to treat sufferers. Hospitals have almost exhausted supplies, with one reporting that 63 patients died as a result. Indonesia has had the worst outbreak in South East Asia, with around 2.3 million cases. A lockdown was announced for the main island of Java. Meanwhile, Bali is in lockdown again, and no foreign visitors are allowed to enter. BBC

Stay Safe
Wear a Mask, Get Vaccinated
Don’t Share Your Air

Ben Davison, editor/publisher
BenDDavison@undercurrent.org

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Note: Undercurrent is a registered 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization donating funds to help preserve coral reefs. Our travel writers never announce their purpose, are unknown to the destination, and receive no complimentary services or compensation from the dive operators or resort.

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