The Equalizer Issue Eight November 2011
Transcript of The Equalizer Issue Eight November 2011
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ISSUE EIGHTNov-Dec 2011
**FREE**
TH E
B E C A U S E N O T A L L D I V E R S W E R E C R E A T E D E Q U A L
EQUALIZER
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THEEQUALIZERISSUEEIGHT-NOV/DEC2011
CONTENTS
REGULARS
07DiveProle
08WreckBrieng
10ReefBrieng
16SpeciesFocus
28WeirdWonders
52MarineParkFocus
56PhotographyFocus
58FeaturedPhotographer
62PhotoContest
66NarcosisCorner
NEWS
22RedSeaNews
23RedSeaCalendar
30EnvironmentalNews
SELECTED FEATURES20SurfaceInterval-NoFlyTime
34SafeZodiacDiving
40AnniversaryDiveThistlegorm
46EgyptianLife-Mosques
48OddCupofCoffee
10
48
40
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Cover Photo:
Common Lionsh
by James Dawson
AndersJlmsjI have worked as a dive guide/instructor
for many years and I still love every
second of it. I have about 3.500 dives in
the Red Sea under my belt and Im still
excited every time Im about to jump in
the water.
Im very interested in marine life and tryto learn as much as possible about the
species I see. If I cant tell you what it
was we saw during our dive, most likely
Ill have the book to nd out.
MEET THE TEAM
JamesDawsonI had always wanted to dive and rst got
my opportunity on a holiday in Kenya
back in 1999. Since those rst few
breaths underwater, I knew it wouldnt
be a one-off.
Since living in Egypt, I have worked as
a guide and instructor in most areas
and have been fortunate enough to seesome amazing sights and experience
many wonderful dives. Theres
always something new to look for and
somewhere different to dive.
If you have missed any issues of
The EQUALIZER
you can download them for free at
www.aziabmedia.com
DistributedbyAziabMediaLtd
IssueEight-Nov/Dec2011
TheEQUALIZER. The views expressed herein are those of the author exclusively. Editorial contributions are welcome and should be sent to TheEQUALIZER. All due care will be taken with material submitted, but the magazine and publishers cannot be held responsible for loss or damage.The EQUALIZER assumes no responsibility to return unsolicited editorial, graphic or other material. All rights in letters, e-mails and unsolicitedand graphic material will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes, and material will be subject to TheEQUALIZERs unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially. The EQUALIZER is fully protected by copyright and nothing may be reprinted inwhole or in part without written permission from the publisher. The EQUALIZER retains the right to publish your material in all media, including andwithout limitation, the Internet. Some of the activities covered in this magazine carry a signicant risk of injury or death. Undertake them only withproper instruction, training or equipment. While reasonable precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of advice and information givento readers, the writers, editor, publisher and proprietor cannot accept responsibility for any damages or inconvenience that may arise therefrom.
CONTRIBUTORSMarkCrowleyRussell:
Crowley - only his mother still uses his real name - is an instructor
and dive guide at Sinai Divers in Sharm El Sheikh. After 5 years
around the World, he and his guitar have decided to stick around in
Sharm and enjoy the Sakara.
ClareWilders:
Clare is an instructor and guide for the Ocean College Dive Centre
in Sharm El Sheikh as well as the creator of the DiveBunnie website,
home for women scuba divers. She is also often seen helping out at
communal events.
AnnaSvrd:
Anna is from Sweden and has been a regular visitor to the Red Sea
for many years. She recently completed her IDC course and is now a
fully qualied member of the instructor family. As well as that, she is
also a genius on a computer!
THE EQUALIZER Nov-Dec 2011
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EDITORIAL
Welcome to the Issue Eight of The EQUALIZER.
Were living in mes of changes in many ways.
The world is changing around us, especially us
living in Egypt and the Arabic world in general.
But also the fall is here so the weather is
changing and the Red Sea follows suit. Lately
the air- and water temperature has dropped
which together with The Equinox last month
started an important part of the yearly cycle.
The diving is brilliant this me of year.
For Issue Eight we have had some editorial help
from contributors well known to EQUALIZER
readers. We drink coee with Bedouins
together with Anna, visit Ras Mohammed
Naonal park with Crowley plus get to follow
Clare on an Anniversary Dive on SS Thistlegorm
70 Years aer she sank.
The regular Species in Focus, Reef- and Wreck
Briengs are sll here and on top of all this we
start a new series we call I Saw This Weird
Thing where we answer the most FAQs about
mysfying Marine Life.
If you are in to photography, take a look at
Amanda Coon as the Featured Photographer,
learn how to take care of under water
camera equipment in Photography Focus and
parcipate in our Photo Contest.
We hope you will nd Issue Eight Interesng.
Sit back and enjoy.
If you have suggesons for future arcles in
The EQUALIZER, feel free to contact us at;
Anders & James
Rolf SchmidtAge: 60
Lives in Sharm el Sheikh Egypt
Working with: Sinai Divers
When did you start diving?
RS: 1973
Why did you start diving?
RS: I was on a trip in East Africa and met a
German Dive instructor (ex German Navy)
who was running a small operaon in a resort
on the Tanzania coast. He took me for a dive
and that was it.
How long have you been in the Red Sea?
RS: First me 1974, from 1975 unl now with
a break of 2 years when Sinai was returnedto Egypt and we all had to leave.
Which is your favourite dive site in the Red
Sea, and why?
RS: There are actually a lot of favourite sites
since each of them is special and unique.
For sure the reefs in the straits of Tiran like
Jackson and Thomas reef. Great coral, sh
life and in the summer month the Hammer
heads. The wall in Ras Mohamed is world
class. The outside reef of Shaab Machmod at
the small crack has the best hard coral in the
area, and not to forget the Brother Isl. One of
the best Dive sites in the world
What was your most memorable dive?
RS: Same here. My wife Petra who have
been with me for all these years, and me wedived all over the world - Cocos, Galapagos,
Maldives and so on. But the one that scks
out the most is my rst dive ever in Ras
Mohamed. It was all shore diving then. Once
I reached the edge of the reef and suddenly
there is that deep, deep blue, boom less. It
took my breath away!
If you could be a marine species, what would
you be?
RS: Hmm, dicult one. I dont want to be
caught and eaten and I dont want to becollected. Since I do enjoy being a human
with the pleasures that come along, being a
Dolphin is tempng. Life of a clown sh will
do as well.
What do you think is the biggest threat to
the Red Sea?
RS: Overdevelopment and impact of human
acvity.
Who is your dream Buddy, and why?
RS: My wife Petra. We did thousand of dives
together
Whats on your bedside table?
RS: A classic car magazine.
What are you doing in 10 years?
RS: Hopefully t and healthy, enjoying life as
much as I can which includes diving for sure,
travel, classic cars
RED SEA LEGENDS
THE EQUALIZER Nov-Dec 2011
DIVE PROFILE
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8 9
Like The Carnac and The Dunraven, The
Ulysses was one of those beauful, slender
ships built in the late 19th century. When she
was launched from the shipyard in 1871 she
had a 2-stroke 2 cylinder compound steam
engine delivering 225 hp to the single screw
but was also rigged for sailing. She came to
have her nal resng place at Blu Point in
the Straits of Gubal.
In 1887 the Ulysses was on her way from Lon-
don to Penang in Malaysia using the route
through the Suez Canal. It was a calm morning
and there were no waves breaking over the
reef, giving the threat away. She hit the reef
just north of Blu Point in the early morning
August 16th. At rst the captain and crew saw
no immediate danger and even declined help
from a passing vessel, thinking they could re-
oat and mend the ship. However, the wind
and weather made The Ulysses break in two
over the reef and she sunk September 5th.
The bow is now scaered over the top of the
reef and the stern rests on the seabed at 28
meters.
There is a shot-line aached to the wreck and
as you descend, glide down along what was
once the a deck. Reaching the boom at
the stern, a bathtub seems completely out of
place next to the wreck. Swim around and
have a look at the propeller and the rudder.
Then back again and into the belly of the
ship. Like on The Carnac the deck is long
gone but the supporng steel frame is sll
there. Explore the inside of the wreck and
exit mid-ships where the hull has collapsed
and the a mast is extending out over the
boom. Here you nd the boiler half-buried
under wreckage.
The bow secon was broken o and totally
disintegrated on the top of the reef so this
is where the wreck ends. The marine life on
this wreck is somewhat special. You oen
nd many species of nudibranches including
the gorgeous Purple Flabellina in surprisinglarge numbers and the Twin Chromodoris as
well as the beauful Risbecia. Keep an eye
out in the blue as well, dolphins oen come
around during certain mes of the day.
ULYSSESThe Hazards Of a Flat Sea
WRECK BRIEFING
Opposite:The wreck of Ulysses today.
Small: Typical design of Sail Steamer.
Above: The Purple Flabelina is oen seen
on the wreck.
Text and Illustraon: Anders Jlmsj
Photo: James Dawson
THE EQUALIZER Nov-Dec 2011
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REEF BRIEFINGThe rst part to any dive at
Shark and Yolanda Reef is to
make a current check, and
the only place to do this with
accuracy is over the wreck-
age between Yolanda and the
satellite reef, which we most
commonly call Baby Yolan-
da. Its never 100% perfect,
because although in general
the current runs one wayor the other, every now and
then you get currents from
both ends of the dive site
meeng somewhere in the
middle, and there is nothing
you can do about it.
If the current is running down
and out over the wreckage,
then the dive should be car-
ried out in the direcon Shark
to Yolanda; if the current is
running up and into the sad-
dle, then jump at Baby, or
the back of the fringing reef,
depending on the strength.
Easy indicators are the ever
present goldsh, anthias or
bicolour pullers - aka choco-
late dips that are always pre-
sent somewhere on the reefs
in the Red Sea. If youre not
100% sure, swim a lile bit to
the front of Yolanda and have
a look there - but look pastthe corner of the reef, be-
cause you get rebounds and
eddies that confuse the sh as
well as the dive guides. Look
also for the direcon that big-
ger sh such as the unicorns
and snappers are facing. This
can take a few minutes if you
want to get it right.
My favourite dive is to jump
at the adjacent reef of Anem-
one city. When the current
is running the right way
from Shark to Yolanda, the
current at Anemone city can
be either with you against
you when you jump, but usu-
ally it is quite manageable. If
the current check over the
wreckage leads you to think
that its prey strong, then a
secondary check at Anemone
is advised - and if its really
strong, then Jump at Shark.
Descend close to the reef
and slowly pootle down to
around 15 metres, admiring
the magnicent anemones
for which the site is named
along the way, always lled
with a myriad anemonesh,
and of course the ever pre-
sent Nemo - or Red Sea
Clownsh. There are some
Shark & YolandaFrom Anemone City to Satellite ReefWords and Photos by Mark Crowley
Illustraon by Anders Jlmsj
Some Red Sea Dive Sites demand slightly more thorough planning. Cur-
rents and condions change rapidly and you need to be on top of the
game to pull it o safely. One day it can be easy and relaxed, the next it
can be howling and nerve-racking. Shark & Yolanda Reefs in the Naonal
Park of Ras Mohammed at the very southern p of the Sinai Peninsula is
on of those places. The extreme locaon contributes to why this dive site
can show dierent faces of schizophrenic proporons. Mark Crowley, Dive
Instructor and Guide at Sinai Divers in Shark El Sheikh has extensive expe-
rience of this site.
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fantascally huge table corals a lile deeper,
but for this dive I stay at 15 metres where
Anemone city comes to a point and you can
head across the blue towards Shark. It s a re-
ally easy navigaon - if the visibility is good
you can see the dark shadow of Shark as soon
as you leave Anemone city and if you cant,
keep to a distance where you can see the reef
wall on the right and swim across the current
coming from the le.
If the current picks up, you have the opon
to turn inside Shark here but otherwise, stay
at 15 metres on the wall and if the current
is small, swim out into the blue a lile way
for the cloud of snappers in the summer, and
also the giant trevallies which are present
most of the year round. If you look down, at
around 30 metres you will oen nd a school
of unicorn sh and if youre lucky, a school of
barracuda, which have been absent from the
reef in recent years.
Take care because if the current is running,
you will nd it dicult to get back to the reef
if youre too far out, in which case, stay close
to the 756 metres deep wall where you will
nd millions of goldsh and anthias, and
some fat scorpionsh in the small holes, and
then keep hugging the reef unl you come in-
side Shark to a depth of about 12 metres. In
average condions this is about 20 minutes
into the dive.
Inside Shark you are protected from the cur-
rent but move slightly away from it and you
will start driing to Yolanda. The saddle be-tween the reefs here is very beauful; look
out for Giant Morays, Hawksbill and Green
turtles and Napoleon Wrass. When you hit
the corner of Yolanda you nd one of the
most beaufully coloured coral gardens in
Sharm; bright purple brocolli coral intermin-
gled with the hard coral formaons and small
sandy patches where you are almost guaran-
teed to nd crocodile sh, blue spoed rays
and look out for the stonesh - bright, pink
stonesh!
If the current is amenable, zig-zag around the
coral garden heading deeper unl you pass
by a broken gorgonian at about 18 metres.
Keep the reef close because the current can
push down here and aer ghng the re-
bound, youll start to dri across the front of
Yolanda. Ususally I make this my second dive
of the day with a maximum depth of 22 - 24
metres and so I make the maximum depth af-
ter leaving the coral garden. There are some
big black corals down there so look for Long
nosed hawksh in them and then on the front
of Yolanda you can nd schools of unicornsh
and baish, oen a turtle or napoleon. There
are a couple of large coral blocks here which
oen hide the biggest morays you will nd
in Sharm, and a large gorgonian fan shaped
like Mickey Mouses head (youll know what I
mean when you see it), At this point I usually
head up to about 18 metres, being 35 or 40
minutes into the dive.
As you approach the wreckage of the Yolan-
da between Yolanda Reef and Baby, you will
encounter one of the loading arms from the
crane she was carrying. Most people refer to
it as the mast but its actually not. It lies at
an angle between 20 and 16 metres of depth
and this is a good place to turn inside Yolanda
and shelter from the current, swim up the
reef and then dri down past the broken con-
tainer, passing over the twisted remains of
the captains BMW, bathtubs, air condioning
units, big rolls of linoleum, some big metal er -
pieces of metal that nobody knows what they
are for - and of course the famous lavatories.
Look underneath things for scorpionsh and
Morays, and in the sandy patches alongside
the detritus you will usually nd some blue
spoed rays.
Above: Not much is le of the actual wreck of Yolanda. This is a side of a container
Lef:A diver acompianed by a school of black snappers.
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area, some of the idiot operators ignore this
and drive their boats over the shallow sad-
dle. You are either faced with a long surface
swim or your dive operaon is wilfully en-
dangering the lives of other divers. Surface
close to the reef and never in the blue. This
is an area of very heavy boat trac, with
connuous pick ups and drop os on a busy
day, so take care.
If the current is running the other way, I jump
on the fringing reef just past Baby Yolanda
and basically make the same dive in reverse.
The dierence is that I will come further into
the saddle aer the North coral garden of
Yolanda and then head behind Shark Reef
so we can end the dive safety stopping with
the snappers on the front of Shark. I dont
bother with Anemone City in this case.
This is one of the best reefs in the Red Sea,
certainly in the North, and it is therefore
also one of the busiest, so although its pos-
sible to avoid other divers in some places, in
others you are going to encounter groups of
muppets swimming the wrong way through
your group! If the current is strong and / or
the reef is busy, make sure you know where
your team is at all mes, stay close to the
reef and enjoy it - it s awesome!
PLEASE do not sit on the toilets to take fun -
ny pictures. You dont visit the lavatory back
home wearing a big metal tank, and also
you dont have lionsh or morays living in
the u-bend. We really dont want the toilets
moved or smashed up, thanks, because coral
is growing in and around them, and if you get
a lionsh sng up the bum you will wish you
had a case of Pharaohs revenge because I
promise you, my friend, you will be pooping
through a plasc tube for the next four days.
A nice way to end the dive is to hug Baby on
the le shoulder and, if the current is not too
strong, swim up the reef and pass between
Baby and the fringing reef - the so coral here
is amazing and there are small caves where
you can oen nd more morays and scorpi -
onsh.
Be careful of RIBs here, the saddle is only 5
metres deep and although it is technically il-
legal for boats to pass through this gap, RIB
drivers think they are too cool for rules and
there have been incidents in the past.
Surfacing from the dive should be treated
with cauon. The only places to surface are
on the outside of Shark, Yolanda or Baby, or
along the fringing reef around the back or at
Anemone City. Dont come up on the inside
because although boats are forbidden in this
Above: Classic photo subjucts at Yolanda Reef - The Cargo of bathroom ngs.
Follow Crowleys Red Sea
blog on Scuba Board
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When threatened, they will raise their
venomous dorsal spines as a threat
gesture and often dart a short distance
away to conceal themselves again. Some
also have brightly coloured pectoral ns
which they will ash to deter predators as
a warning or to create an opportunity to
swim to safety.
Little is known of the reproductive processof the family, but it is believed that small
eggs (approx 1mm across) may be
embedded in a gelatinous mass that oats
away on the currents before hatching.
The greatest threat that the scorpionsh
family pose to divers, is their ability to
blend in with the reef. Most cases of divers
being stung, are the result of the sh not
being spotted in the rst place. Treatment
of scorpion sh venom is immersion in hot
water (45C for 40 minutes) or blowing onthe affected area with a hairdryer which
helps denature the protein in the venom.
The pain will usually dissipate within a few
days, but there may be swelling or tingling
for longer periods.
On night dives in particular, the lionsh has
become adept at using divers torches to
help with hunting. They will often follow
behind and when the torch beam illuminates
a small sh, they will move forward and
pounce. If the lionsh become a problem,
you can try placing your torchlight away
from you and then once the lionsh has
swum to it, you simply cover your light
and swim in the opposite direction. This is
not 100% effective though, so you could
always steer the troublesome sh into
someone elses torch beam and then swim
away!
MARINE LIFE OF THE RED SEA
THE EQUALIZER Nov-Dec 2011
The scorpionsh family are collectively
grouped as Scorpaenidae and contain
some of the most venomous marine sh.There are more than a hundred species,
although the number found in the Red
Sea is a fraction of that.
There are a number of informal or
regional names for the family in use
in different areas, such as dragonsh,
turkeysh, stingsh or resh. The family
earned their name from the sting that
they carry in the form of sharp spines
that are coated with a venomous mucus.
The power of the toxin varies greatlyfrom species to species, but some are
capable of causing intense pain and can
create difculty breathing.
Scorpionsh usually have stout bodies
and are developed to their bottom
dwelling habitat. Most species are well
camouaged and have the addition of
aps and tassels around the body and
variable colouration is also used to help
them blend in with their surroundings.
The lionsh species are less cryptic
in their colouration, but have a more
potent venom to make up for this lack of
camouage.
Most are ambush predators and the
feeding movement can be as fast as 15
milliseconds. Prey consists mainly of
other sh, crustaceans and cephalopods
but some species are known to be
cannibalistic.
Opposite from top left: The scorpionsh is
a master of disguise and can vary its colour to
blend in to the background, the yellow spotted
scorpionsh is the smallest of the Red Sea
species, the devil scorpionsh is often called the
false stonesh due to the similarity to its cousin
Background: the common lionsh with all of its
tassels and feathers on display
SPECIES FOCUSScorpionsh(Scorpaenidae)
by James Dawson
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The lionsh is a favourite among
aquarists due to its attractive spines
and colouration. A major problem has
been created in the Caribbean in recent
years, where lionsh, released from
home aquaria, have multiplied and
greatly diminished resident sh species.
The lionsh have no natural predators
in the region and the population has
grown at the expense of local species.
The problem has gotten so severe that
even dive centres organise shing tripsfor lionsh to try and cull the population.
Fortunately in the Red Sea, we have
no such problems so you can enjoy the
beauty of the lionsh and the not so
beautiful scorpionsh without having to
worry about them eating everything else
on the reef! Just be careful where you
put your hands.
THE EQUALIZER Nov-Dec 2011
Available from
Aqua Life ImagesTheidealreferencecompanionforanydiver.Afully
illustratedshidenticationmanual
The result of ve years of underwater
photographyandinformationcollectedby
awardwinningDutchphotographerDray
van Beeck. This app for both iPad andiPhoneisoneofthemostcomprehensive
underwaterreferencesavailable.
Idealformarinebiologists,diversorsimply
ifyouwishtolearnmoreaboutwhatgoes
onbeneaththewaves.
Sharks of the Red SeaAnillustratedguidetothecommonspecies
SharksoftheRedSeaisapocketreference
fordiversandunderwaterphotographers,
orjustthosewhoarecuriousaboutthese
amazingcreatures.
ThisappforbothiPadandiPhoneisfully
illustrated withphotographs fromaward
winning photographers. With this guideyoull learn more about the species of
sharkoftenseenintheRedSea.
Developed by
Range: Throughout Red Sea
Size: Varies from 8.5cm (Yellowspotted scorpionsh) up to 38cm
(Common lionsh)
Depth: Some species are known togo deeper but most are seen in depths
shallower than 30m on coral reefs
Hazards: All species have venomousspines, but the severity of a sting varies
greatly. Always keep good buoyancy and
avoid contact with the seabed or reef to
minimise the chance of contact.
Above: A close up view of the tassels and frills scorpionsh use to enhance their camouage
Below: a shortn dwarf lionsh hides in the seagrass, a clearn lionsh searches the reef for food
SURFACE INTERVAL
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If youre not sure what is available to you, ask
the rep from your tour company or enquire
at the dive centre. They will be able to oer
some recommendaons for the local area
and may even be able to book an excursion
for you. Here are some of the highlights that
are available in many of the Red Sea resorts
to keep you amused on your last day.
Horse Riding
Why not take a trip into the desert or themountains on a horse? You can see some of
the beauful scenery and visit the rural areas
to enjoy the views from the back of an Egypan
thoroughbred. Most trips are suitable for
novices, but if you have experience, then the
guide will oen tailor the trip to cover more
ground or give you the opportunity to ride
at a faster pace. Some areas even oer the
opon of a camel safari instead of a horse to
give an extra bit of local avour.
Quad Bike Safari
If you prefer your land based acvies to
have a lile more horsepower, try taking
to the desert on a quad bike. A full safety
brieng will be given before seng o and
then you follow your guide along dirt trails
where you can feel the wind in your hair as
you ride along. Its advisable to wear long
trousers and shirt sleeves while headscarves
are usually provided to oer protecon from
the elements.
Go-Karng
If you prefer to avoid the sand but sll get some
high speed thrills, then try your hand on the
go kart track instead. Full safety equipment
is provided and you can have the chance to
race around the track to your heart content.
Again, long trousers, shirt sleeves and closed
shoes are advisable but crash helmets will be
provided to ensure your safety for the day.
This is a perfect end to the holiday if you have
a compeve group with you as you all ght
to prove why you should have a Formula One
drive next year!
Paintballing
Another fantasc acvity if you fancy a bit of
good natured compeon before you y. All
equipment is provided and there are usually
a selecon of formats that you can choose
from. Prove your ghng spirit as you take
the enemy ag or play a quick re game to
see who has the best aim. Protecve clothing
is a must and take care not to get any strange
bruises that could make the ight home less
than comfortable!
Hot Air Balloon Safari
Aer a hard weeks diving, maybe youre
looking for something more relaxing. Enjoy a
birds eye view of the Red Sea coast and the
mountains from a hot air balloon as you dri
with the breeze. The view from the air puts
a whole new perspecve on the area and is
a fantasc opportunity for some great aerial
photographs. Most trips will leave early in
the morning though to make the most of the
wind, so dont forget to set your alarm clock.
Dry Diving Courses
Theres always the chance to get a bit more
from your dive trip, even on the last day. Ask
at your dive centre about dry courses that
they oer so you can learn a new skill before
your ight. Nitrox, environmental courses
or equipment maintenance courses can allbe done without any dives, so you can learn
something for your next trip even if you cant
get in the water on the last day.
Chill Out By The Pool
Alternavely, the excitement and eorts of
the holiday may be too much for another
day of acvies. If thats the case, then why
not have a lie in, enjoy a late breakfast and
then sit by the pool with a good book and just
relax? Diving can be ring work so a lazy day
may be just the thing to get you back in shape
before you head home. Just remember to use
sun tan loon and be careful not to miss youright.
So whatever you decide to do on your nal
day, remember that youre sll on holiday
and enjoy yourself. Whether you want a nal
rush of adrenaline, a sedate view of the rural
beauty or to get that book nished that you
bought at the airport. Anything that youre
not able to t into this trip, you can always do
next me you come to Egypt.
NO FLY TIMELast Day Acvies
By James Dawson
SURFACE INTERVAL
THE EQUALIZER Nov-Dec 2011
Phot
o
Credit:JulianColton
PhotoCredit:TehShyster
** CALENDAR **NEWS
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LargeraysDecember to beginning of February. During winter large rays
tend to come into the bays along the coast for some reason.
Darkspotted stingray, blackblotched stingray, fearthertail, stingray
and eagle ray are rather common encounters in Marsa Mubarak,
Marsa Shouna Marsa Abu Dabab and so on.
Photo:JamesDawson
SardineRuns.December to beginning of February. This is something really
exciting. Dolphins, sharks and tuna hunting together in big bait
balls of sardines. Its not on the sasme level as in South Africa but
a rather dramatic experience.
Photo:JamesDawson
OceanicWhitetipSharksOceanic Whitetip Sharks (Carcharhinus longimanus) start to
appear regularly around offshore deep water reefs such as
Elphinstone and Brother Islands, between October and February.These curious sharks are usually found near the surface
investigating the sounds and smells of dive boats and will often
swim close to divers.
RED SEA CALENDAR: Whattolookforinthecomingmonths
Photo:JamesDawson
** CALENDAR **
ThresherSharksThe Pelagic Thresher (Alopias pelagicus) prefers slightly cooler
waters and tends to remain in deeper areas during the summer.
As the water temperature begins to drop, they are more frequently
seen within recreational diving depths. A shy and nervous shark,
divers will need to stay calm and move slowly to allow them to
come close. Like the Oceanic Whitetip, they are most usuallysighted near deep water reefs.
THE EQUALIZER Nov-Dec 2011
Sarah Pikarski from African Divers Nuweiba
reports that numbers are up for sighngs of
Mimic Octopus at the moment with three
encounters in four days in dierent places.
Sarah is also keeping track of all the Frogsh
on the house reef and is happy to announce
that they have a new juvenile in the family.
On a more dramac note they had two male
Octopuses ghng over the right to a fe-
male. It was an incredible day, we also had a
swimming frogsh and 40 minutes with Dol-
phins on the same dive that day!Says Sarah
Somemes you see things that make you re-
alise quite how cool this job is!
NEWS
Red Sea News
Divers and snorkelers alike from several Hurghada Dive
Operators were all happily surprised when a female
Humpback Whale and her calf appeared next to the
boats the 12th of October. The locaon was the areasouth of Abu Ramada down to just north of Abu Hashish.
The Impressing family was staying around for more than
an hour.
Photo: Dive Point Hurghada.
The bays of the Southern Red Sea have long been famous
for the chances to see Dugong but lately Marsa Abu
Dabab has been scaringly quiet lately. Now it seems that
you are more likely to meet one in Marsa Shouna just a
short distance to the north where the report of sighngs
are coming in more and more frequently. Another inter-
esng sighng reported is a Sailsh spoed by blue o two
safari guide Kinga Bardocz on Big Brother 13th October.
Divers from Colona Divers have this month been swim-
ming around with Hammerhead Shark- so toy Finley.
This is because the Dive Operator is parcipang in the
Project Aware Shark Tour. Finley started his world tour
on World Ocean Day 8 June 2011 and the hope is to raise
awareness for the ongoing Project Aware acon plan to
protect the sharks.Photo Colona Divers - Hurghada
Photo:JamesDawson
NEWS
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In non-diving news, the formaon of the
Sharm Sharks Rugby Club is providing some
good entertainment for the dive sta, with
regular training sessions (open invitaon to
all). There is even a girls team growing, and
compeve xtures with other teams are be-
ing arranged.
The bar T2 in Sharm El Sheikh welcomes their
new manager Luca Mitchel who since years
has been driving the Hurghada bar crawlers
mad with Lucas Crazy Karaoke in Papas Bar.
He has already made an impression by enter-
taining full throle style at the Halloween
Party.
THE EQUALIZER Nov-Dec 2011
NEWS
Red Sea News (Continued)
Business has picked up over high season and
some centres that were struggling to nd
work for their instructors due to the massive
drop in tourism this year, are now struggling
to nd enough instructors to do the work. A
lot of sta le Sharm due to the lack of work,
and recruing new European sta is almost
impossible, unless they are already there.
The lack in tourists seems to have had one
good result according to Crowley and he
explain why. All in all I think it has been a
good year for diving in Sharm El Sheikh, thereefs have appeared more vibrant, and there
havent been as many people to get in the
way.
So - were looking forward to a chilly winter
and hopeful that the return of tourism to
Sharm El Sheikh is a posive sign for the fu -
ture.
From Sharm El Sheikh Crowley re-
ports that wildlife sighngs are on a
par for the season and a drop in the
water temperature - at the moment
around 26 Celsius.
The big school of Snappers at SharkReef have moved on although Ive
seen a lot of Napoleons there recent-
ly. Turtle sighngs are common and
there is sll the odd hammerhead be-
ing seen outside Jackson Reef in Ti-
ran, but weather condions have not
made the dive possible in the last few
weeks.It has been a good year for Hammerhead sighngs. At least 75% of our dives con -
ducted there resulted in at least 1, and up to 10 together, with groups of four or more seen
quite regularly. Even if this is not as great as the schools of 40 in years gone by it s a lot beer
than last year, where they were almost absent.
Top: Schools of Hammerheads Photo: Kimmo Hagman.
Botom: Bigeye Trevallies Photo: James Dawson
Above Lef: Sharm Sharks playing a friendly game - Photo: Yann Vautrin.
Above Right: Haloween party with Luca at T2 - Photo: Michelle Guy.
NEWS
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If you have Red Sea News to report please send us an email to [email protected]
NEWS
Red Sea News (Continued)Hurghada Environmental Protec-
on and Conservaon Associaon
HEPCA says in a recent newsleer
that Now the gloves came o. As
they put it We are sick and red of
those considering the Red Sea an
underwater amusement park. Wewill condemn every single violaon
showing disrespect for our marine
and terrestrial environments. We
will point the nger at dive guides,
divers, instructors, dive centres
and whoever else shares the re-
sponsibilies of such ignorant be-
haviour.
HEPCA is planning to present their suggested
soluon to the Governor along with photo-
graphs sent in by the local dive community.
The underwater environment, reefs and
wrecks is the foundaon for the dive industry
and we have to do everything to protect it.
If you see anyone disrespecng and damag-
ing the Red Sea wrecks and reefs, document
with photographs or video and report it onthe HEPCA website HERE.
Orca Dive Club Dahab are moving from its
locaon in Happy Life Hotel to Coralia Club
Dahab at the big lagoon from beginning of
November.
October 1st Extra Divers Marsa Ghaleb opend
up in their new facilies in Marina Lodge Ho-
tel. From here the daily boats will be leavingthe jey right outside the dive centre.
Colona Divers re-opens in Marsa Ghaleb. The
Dive Operator chose to close in the beginning
of the year due to the revoluon but has now
decided that the polical climate has seled
enough to connue with business.
Next month it is me for the grand opening
of Gold Gym in Hurghada. Its located next
to Calypso night club and with its 2.300 m2
it will be the largest training facility in town.
There is a separate ladies area and all person-
all trainers are ISSA qualied.
I SAW THIS WEIRD THING
http://www.oceansredsea.com/mailto:[email protected]://www.hepca.com/get-involved/report-violationhttp://www.hepca.com/get-involved/report-violationmailto:[email protected]://www.oceansredsea.com/http://www.divepatches.com/http://www.divepatches.com/ -
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On many occasions divers come out of the wa-
ter saying I saw this weird thing and oen
what they have seen is a Sailors Eyeball Va-
lonia Ventricosa. And yes, the Sailors Eyeball
is likely to be one of the most peculiar look-
ing objects you will encounter on the normal
dive. It is about the size of a ping-pong ball
and shiny as mother of pearl. Some describe
it as a bubble of mercury or chrome, other
say it looks like a stainless steel ball bearing.
Many assume that they are man-made and
not a natural occurring feature of the reef.
Sailors eyeballs belongs to the group called
bubble algae. It is believed to have acquired
its name by early mariners peering into the
water and seeing what seemed to be eyes
peering back at them.
I SAW THIS WEIRD THING...
SAILORs EYEBALLThe Largest Single-Cell Organism In The World
Words Anders Jlmsj - Photo James Dawson
Its found on hard booms in dal zones
where its aached by rhizoids, hair-like
threads that create a surprisingly strong
hold. Fairly common in tropical and subtropi-
cal seas all over the world its one of the larg-
est single-celled organisms on the planet.
Its a plant and therefore a photosynthec
organism meaning that it can produce food
directly from carbon dioxide and water using
energy from sun light. Due to the cellulose
structure the cell wall is tough and transpar-ent while the inside is lled with a green u-
id. If you put a torch behind it so you can see
the light coming through, it looks like a green
marble. It normally grows individually, but it
happens that you nd a group stuck togeth-
er. It reproduces by segregave cell division.
A mother cell makes daughter cells which
forms individual rhizoids and new bubbles.
These separate from the mother cell and a
new Sailors Eyeball is born.
Because of its size and the fact that it is one
large single cell the Sailors Eyeball has at-tracted the eye of scienc studies. These
studies have proven very useful in order to
learn more on the subject of how cells de-
velop.
So next me you see one of these shimmer-
ing spherical algae remember that you are in
the company of a world record holding giant
that may one day change the way we dene
our own smallest building blocks the cell.
ENVIRONMENT
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ENVIRONMENT
MISSION: POSSIBLE
Do you remember February 2011? Egypt was
suddenly not the old Egypt anymore, the
former president Moubarak was gone, the
Egypan populaon achieved the impos-
sible. A sense of ownership for the country
developed throughout the cizenship, ci-
zen armies were established and cleanups
took place on a daily basis. All of the sudden
the environment was becoming one of the
top-priories in the country. You could see
the young cleaning together with the old,the foreigners with the Egypans, all for one
goal: to clean the country.
But what happened then, where did the
enthusiasm that seemed so promising for
Egypts nature go? Unfortunately, may it be
due to the loss of interest or the rising tem-
peratures during the day, the new appre-
ciaon for the environment did not last very
long and already in March the cleanup move-
ment died.
Recently, a new group started to connue the
work that was le 7 months ago. Under the
lead of the local non-governmental organisa-
on HEPCA (Hurghada Environmental Protec-
on and Conservaon Associaon) cleanups
are being organised on a regular basis again.
Every weekend, members of the communitymeet to clean dierent areas in Hurghada,
while especially concentrang on the spruce-
ness of the beaches, Public Beach 4 or Felfela
Beach among others. In the last month they
managed to collect more than 4 trucks full
of rubbish while leaving behind cleaner and
nicer areas.
HURGHADA BEACH CLEAN-UPSBy Anders Jlmsj - Photographs: HEPCA
THE EQUALIZER Nov-Dec 2011
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Moreover, solid waste is sll one of
the biggest threats to the marine
ecosystem, annually killing millions of
aquac creatures by accidental inges-
on and entanglement. We should all
do our best to ght this threat and
make sure that our rubbish does not
end up in the sea but in bins, where
it belongs.
If you would like to be part of the
cleanups join the facebook group
Cleanups in Hurghada. This is where
the group organises their cleanup
events and announces dates, mes
and locaons for the upcoming clean-
ups. If you do not have an account
on facebook you can get in contact
with the organiser Urte under urte@
hepca.com. She can give you all the
informaon you need. Everyone iswelcome to join, helpers are always
needed!
Above: Before and Aer taken at Felfela Beach.
Above: We are all in it together. This is 6 years old
Talaal who, together with his mother Rose is help-
ing out every me.
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rhibText and Illustraon Anders Jlmsj
If youre coming to Egypt for a
dive holiday you might be doing
some diving from a Rigid-Hulled
Inatable Boat or RHIB. It used to
be exclusive for liveaboards but
now it starts to become more and
more common amongst daily div-ing operators to oer single-dive
excursions from inatables. In
the south of Egypt the inatables
have been around for a while for
trips from Marsa Alam to Elphinstone for example but now they are also more frequently
introduced in the north. Some divers are used to the techniques of diving from RHIB, some
are not. Here are some hints to make your holiday easier and safer.
But rst - the history of the RHIB in short.
The inatable boat is not a new idea. Prehis-
toric carvings show animal skins lled with
air used as oats to cross waters. However,the development of the modern inatable
boat has an intricate history. In 1838 Charles
Goodyear discovered the process to vulcan-
ize rubber which stabilises the rubber making
it sturdy and exible and in 1839 the Duke of
Wellington was busy tesng the rst inata-
ble pontoons. By 1855 several types of inat-
able rubber boats were in use, some made
by Goodyear, some by the Thomas Hancock
Company in Britain and in 1866 four men
managed to successfully cross the Atlanc
from USA to UK on an inatable ra. You can
reed about this adventure in William H. Long-yards book A Speck on the Sea : Epic Voy-
ages in the Most Improbable Vessels
In 1937 Pierre Debroutelles designed an in-
atable which is considered to be the rst to
have U-shaped tubes with a wooden tran-
som. During World War II warships began to
use boat-shaped rubber life ras and one of
the models was built by the former airplane-
manufacturer Zodiac which
later on expanded into the
civilian boat industry. Alain
Bombard, French Navy of-
cer and biologist came up
with the idea to put an out-
board engine in the back. The
manufacturer Zodiac picked
up on the idea and built it.
In the mid 1960s a group of
students at Atlanc College inWales replaced the plywood
hull with glass bre and the
modern RHIB was born. Bom-
bard actually sailed his inat-
able across the Atlanc Ocean
in 1952. This led a friend of
Bombards Jacques-Yves Cou-
steau to get his eyes on the
inatable boat and brought
some onto his research ves-
sel Calypso as tenders.
Now its me to go for a dive
and we will be taken out to
the water entry- and we will
be brought back to the dive
vessel by an inatable. From
now on well call it Zodiac.
Prepare For Departure
Make a buddy check and
take a few breaths from your
regulator while monitoring
your pressure gauge. To roll
into the water with a closedtank is a big no-no. Make
sure (really sure) that you
have everything, especially
your dive computer and your
weights. These are the most
commonly forgoen items.
On the way out, do not put
anything on the oor of the
Zodiac. A mask or computer
is easily broken when stood
upon. Beer then to keep the
computer on your arm and
the mask around your neck.
Make sure that also your
camera is safe.
When In the Zodiac
You are now in your weights
and equipment, prepare your
mask. Put your ns on withthe mask on your face and
the regulator in your mouth.
This way, if you lose balanceand fall in the water you are
prepared for being under wa-
ter. While the Zodiac is mov-
ing its a good idea to hold on
to the ropes on the side of
the Zodiac.
Rolling in from the Zodiac
Hold one hand on your mask
and regulator and the other
grabbing your weight belt
buckle. Almost every lost
weight belt happens during
the roll-in. When everybody
is ready the guide, or crew
member pilong the Zodiac,
counts down 3 2 1 GO!
Everybody should roll in si-
multaneously on GO! If you
for some reason miss to rollin on GO! you wait for the
Zodiac driver to check that
its clear behind you beforeyour second aempt. If you
roll in just a few seconds aer
the group you might end up
banging your tank in some-
ones head. Depending on
condions you might pracce
one of two dierent ways to
enter the water: Posive En-
try or Negave Entry.
RIGID-HULLED INFLATABLE BOATS
DIVING FROM A RHIB IN THE RED SEA
Above: Inatables hanging behind a safariboat.Above: Type of inatable used by Daily Dive Operators.
PhotoEpmerorD
iveersElGouna
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Posive Buoyant Entry
Inate your BCD slightly before rolling in.
In the water you regroup and follow the
guides instrucons.
Descend in buddy teams while keeping an
eye at the guide for direcons.
Negave Buoyant Entry
Empty your BCD completely. If you have
problems squeezing all the air out you can
suck out the last air through the inatororally.
Exhale as you roll in so you get extra heavy.
Head down and ns up you make a few
hard n kicks and meet up with your bud-
dy on 5-6 metres.
Geng Back Into the Zodiac
When its me for the safety stop its me to
start planning for the re-entry onto the Zo-
diac. Make your safety stop close to the reef.
At the end of the safety stop swim out a few
metres from the reef and send up your SMB
at least one minute before you plan to break
the surface. Keep an eye on the SMB and the
line from the reel so it doesnt get caught by
waves, current or wind and swept up over
the reef. On a dri dive alongside a reef there
should always be at least one SMB in each
buddy team, preferably one with each diver.
If you have never used an SMB before you
can get training from one of your guides. Lo-
cate the Zodiac and keep an eye out for other
moving Zodiacs while ascending.
The crew cant take the Zodiac too close tothe reef because then it might be swept on
top of the reef by the wind and waves so
when you surface you might have to swim out
and meet it. When you reach the Zodiac the
crewman will direct you to either side of the
Zodiac. Grab the handle/rope with your le
hand. This hand stays on this rope unl you
are in the Zodiac. If you let go the wind will
take the Zodiac away from you. First hand the
Zodiac driver your SMB + reel, camera, torch
or whatever loose equipment you might car-
ry. Then release your weights and give them
to the crew in the Zodiac. It goes without
saying that you always remove your weights
before the BCD. If you have
integrated weights they need
to come out before you take
the BCD o. Keep holding on
to the Zodiac and release all
buckles with your right hand.
Make sure your BCD is in-
ated. Unclip the le shoul-
der strap and swing your BCD
around your body holding
the inator side. Help thecrew by pushing your cylin-
der from underneath.
Swing your legs out to get
your body in a horizontal
posion. Make a few hard
n kicks and pull yourself
over the tubing. Well done!
This whole procedure takes
maximum 20 seconds. It s ex-
tremely important that this
operaon goes swi. If the
wind or waves pushes the Zo-
diac onto the reef it will dam-
age the corals, damage the
Zodiac and most importantly
may cause serious injury.
Above Hold your SMB upright to be visible from far away.
Opposite Page: Divers back in the Zodiac aer a dive.
Photo:JamesDawson
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This page: Divers geng back into the Zodiac aer a dive
The Guide
Depending on the situaon the guide
might be rst or last into the Zodiac.
If the weather is rough and you need
to get out of the water fast the guide
will be rst back up and help the Zodiac
driver to pull equipment over the tub-
ing. If condions are good or there is a
diver who needs special help the guidemight be the last one into the Zodiac.
This is a decision she/he will make at
the me. In any case its imperave
that you follow the guides instrucons.
We can talk about the dive when we
are safely in the Zodiac and on our way
back.
THE EQUALIZER Sep-Oct 2011
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THISTLEGORM70 Years Anniversary Dive
Words: Clare Wilders - Photo: Dray Van Beeck
So this month, on the Sixth October, we had
the seventy year anniversary of the sinking
of the SS Thistlegorm. That was the night she
was moored up in the Gulf of Suez awaing
orders to ferry through the canal en-route to
supply the Allied forces in Tibruk. Sadly dur-
ing the night, the ship was bombed, with the
devastang blast creang such a vast hole,
that she sank to the sandy boom. There
she has rested for the last seventy years, at a
depth of thirty metres. The fact that it was ahot night had saved most of the crews lives,
as many were sleeping on deck in an aempt
to keep cool. However, sadly nine lives were
sll lost that night, meaning that this wreck is
also a war grave. Every trip we make here, we
do pay a nod of respect to those unfortunate
men.
As it happened, we had a trip booked for
the anniversary date this year. Seventy years
is quite some me for a ship to sit on the
boom, and as a result she has gathered a
wealth of aquac life using her as a home. So
this dive really is quite spectacular both for
wreck lovers and reef lovers alike.
It was a parcularly early start to the day,
even for a Thistlegorm trip, with my bus at
ve past four in the morning and Ahmed be-
ing collected at three thirty! With the sun not
yet even a glimmer on the horizon, I was up,
enjoying a cuppa before heading o into the
darkness to gather the guests for our trip.
Being slightly supersous I had not actuallymenoned the auspicious date of our trip, as
the weather forecast had not been in our fa-
vour at all. There was a small chance that we
could actually end up having to turn around.
This is not unheard of on Thistlegorm trips, as
she lies in relavely unsheltered, waters, so
I did not want to jinx things by making a big
deal of the date unl we were a lile closer
to our target.
Once on board, with the boat checked, it was
me for a snooze during our journey. The sun
was just rising now, so into the saloon I head-
ed, found a comfy bench, and put my head
down to sleep. Ahhhh.... nice, I got a kind of
kip, although I was very aware of the rising
swell around us, and was fully expecng to
get blasted as we rounded the p of the Sinai
peninsular by Shark and Yolande Reefs.
An hour and a half later, there was no blasng
wind, sll just a light breeze, and no sign of
the saloon lling up with guests seeking shel-ter... Ooooh, maybe things are going in our
favour. I will say however, the wind did con-
nue to pick up as we made our way further
up the Gulf, and as we ventured out from the
shelter of the reef, the swell did once more
increase.
As we approached the wreck itself, it became
clear that it was going to be one popular day
here. Well... the seveneth anniversary is no
Its been 70 years sinse the day SS Thistlegorm was
sunk - Clare Wilders tell the story of the anniversary
dive on Thistlegorm on 6th October 2011.
Opposite Page: The author ready
to jump in the water for a dive.
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secret, so many dive centres will have createdspecial anniversary trips to mark the event.
As it had become quite apparent that the trip
was indeed going to go ahead, I started to let
the divers know how important the date was.
We were going to be diving this wreck ex-
actly seventy years aer she sank. It gave me
goosebumps every me I menoned the fact.
During the brieng, I told our divers about
the ship, how she sank, and of course the
anniversary, reminding them of todays im-portance and how we should really make an
extra nod of respect towards those who had
lost their lives that fateful night.
Once moored, we were ready to head down
the line. All holding on rmly unl we reached
the wreck itself, there was a decent ow of
current, making me think it might be a good
idea to go inside rst. (I had briefed both op-
ons just in case). The fact that our back linewas ed right by the entrance point to the
holds, and I could already see a fair few divers
milling around the ship beneath us, nalised
my decision, so I checked that everyone was
happy to enter, and in we went...
Inially, it took a moment for our eyes to ad-
just to the gloom, then we could make out a
halo of daylight ahead of us, silhoueng the
shoals of sweepers hanging out in the rst
room. We then dropped through the oor to
the lower levels, making sure that we sank aslow as possible to get some depth in order
to prevent a reverse prole on our next dive.
Through the shadows, I could see shas of
light beaming down ahead of us. We swam
through the only narrow part of the wreck
to the next hold where we found the famous
trucks some were empty, some stacked with
motorbikes. We swam around each hold, in
turn. All of which had been packed almost
to the raers with trucks, motorbikes, boots,
hospital beds and even aeroplane wings and
noses. I signalled back to my divers as we ap-
proached each item of interest, and as per
the brieng, they passed my messages back
to those behind them, just to make sure that
everyone got to see and appreciate as much
as possible.
The next area to see was the rope room inthe bow. We headed in, admiring the huge
coils of rope sll sing untouched aer all
these years, before exing and swimming up
onto the bow itself. Here we could really ad-
mire the fact that not only is this an amazing,
huge shipwreck, it has also become a reef in
its own right, now home to whole colonies of
coral, and dense shoals of fusiliers. O to the
port side, in the distance, I could even see a
rippling silver wall of baish, glinng in the
sunshine. The current was perfect for an I m
on top of the world! Titanic moment. So
I swam into the ow, out over the point of
the bow, arms outstretched... looking down
I could see the fusiliers swirling in the depths
eeing from the ever inmidang blue n
trevallies. The current was prey sturdy, so
a few strong kicks were needed to push my-
self beyond the bow in order to turn aroundand admire the sheer scale of the shipwreck
now in front of me. She is around seventeen
metres wide and a whole one hundred and
twenty six metres long, and with our fantasc
visibility here, we really were able to see this
vastness for ourselves at this point. I looked
down the keel of the bow watching it delve
deep into the navy below, surrounded by tur-
quoise ashes of fusilier.
THE EQUALIZER Nov-Dec 2011
Trucks loaded with motor bikes
Above: The Poppy aached to the wreck
Photo: Catherine Sharp
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All too soon, it was me to dri back to our
ascent line and the safety stop. The rope
was leading up at quite a gentle, sloping an-
gle and due to the roughening surface con-dions, seemed to disappear into a ghostly
mist above us. I felt like we were climbing a
rope up into the clouds, really quite spooky
indeed.
As expected, the wind had increased some-
what, so it felt quite bizarre leaving the rela-
ve peace and tranquility of the fog below,
to appear on the surface in the throes of a
lively wind and a fairly decent swell. Time for
a cup of tea, chat and a warm up in the ever
present sunshine.
Our second dive was to head around the out-
side of the wreck and take in the propeller
and stern. Some of our other guys had also
seen a single poppy on the winch blocks, so I
was hoping we would have enough air and no
deco me le to take a lile look at that and
pay our respects to the lost souls. So down
the line we went again, dipping beneath the
now slightly vexed surface condions.
There was sll a touch of current, but my
divers were all condent, so this was not a
problem, we simply held on to the rope unl
we reached the shelter of the ship, and thenused that to protect us from the ow. We
swam straight for the prop rst, in order to
touch the blade for luck. There is a ny patch
of brass shining through the corals, where
thousands of divers over the years have had
a lile stroke for luck. Rounding the stern we
immediately started to shallow o slightly in
order to check out the big gun on the rear
and the box of bombs where someone (not
so wisely, I feel) has rubbed o the algae to
reveal the date that the bomb was made
(1929... so the munions were already old,
even back then). Finning over the gun carri-
ers and bomb blast area, we headed for the
captains cabin where we made our usual nod
of respect, before heading straight for the
poppy on the bow and another nod. There it
was, cable ed to a spike in front of the winch
block, a solitary poppy in remembrance of
the nine guys who died on that night seventy
years ago. Rest in Peace.
Once again, me ew past, and all too soon
we needed to shallow o... my computer al-
ways ultra conservave, was telling me to
ascend a touch, ahead of my guests so we
headed for the roof and our back line, by
which me we all needed to start making
our way up. Very slowly taking in the shady
ship beneath us, surrounded by more swirl-
ing fusiliers, we worked our way up the rope,
taking a lile extra me on the stop, just toensure we were all fully o-gassed aer our
two, prey square dive proles. Once back
on the surface, we were most glad that it was
me to leave. The swell was now properly
angry, and thanks to our early start, we were
able to leave the area before it became too
uncomfortable for everyone. Hmmm I guess
Autumn has well and truly announced her ar-
rival. Hey ho... it happens every year.
On our way back to Sharm, it was me to
catch up on a few more snoozes, but not be-
fore we enjoyed a hearty lunch cooked by our
new chef on board. Most tasty indeed!
Arcle adapted from the original which can
be found in the DiveBunnie Blog:
Want to know more about this fantasc
wreck? Then check out John Keans website.
Author of his own Thistlegorm book where
he interviews survivors of the wreck, to nd
out the full story: www.ssthistlegorm.com
THE EQUALIZER Nov-Dec 2011
Deparng the wreck
Photo: Clare Wilders
A SELECTION OF EGYPTS MOSQUES
http://www.ssthistlegorm.com/http://divebunnie.blogspot.com/2011/10/thistlegorm-anniversary-dive.htmlhttp://www.aziabmedia.com/ONLINE%20SHOP.htmhttp://www.ssthistlegorm.com/ -
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Clockwise from top right: The museum of Islamic art in Cairo has a mosque within the grounds, the
imposing facade of the Bin El Saladin mosque (aka Cairo Citadel), an area where visitors can clean clean
their feet before entering the mosque, the rst mosque was built in Egypt in 642 - the Amr Ibn Al Aas mosquein Fustat, a new mosque under construction in Hurghada, a typical minaret towers over the city, sometimes
a mosque is the only structure in an area, a mosque tucked in the alleyways of Luxor.
EGYPTIAN LIFEAPhotographicTourofPlacesofWorship
It is almost impossible to say how many mosques there are in Egypt. Cairo is sometimes known as the city
of 1,000 minarets, but Cairo has far more places of worship than that. Here is a small sample of the varied
and majestic mosques that can be found throughout Egypt;
A SELECTION OF EGYPT S MOSQUES
THE EQUALIZER Nov-Dec 2011
THE EGYPTIAN WAY
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THE EGYPTIAN WAY
It is Sunday aernoon and I am sing at caf at Cairo Internaonal
airport. I am on my way back from another memorable holiday in
Egypt, trying my best to nd a reason to feel even the slightest bit
home sick. Nothing comes to mind. I gaze deep into my paper cup
of weak instant coee and for a moment I think I have found it.
Coee! It seems almost impossible to have a decent cup of strong
coee in Egypt. I have oen thought of this as strange in a coun-
try so close to the origin of coee. Then I realise my mistake. The
three best cups of coee I have ever had, I had in Egypt.
It was in Marsh 2009, me, my husband and
a couple of friends spend some me diving
north of Marsa Alam. The water tempera-
ture was around 22C; comfortable if you are
on holiday and brought your dry suit, barely
worth the money if you are a dive guide from
Asswan in a worn out 5 mm wet suit, one size
too big. That is why we agreed, on that parc-
ular day to spare our poor guide and let him
stay on the deserted beach and look aer our
clothes.
Upon returning from the dive an hour later
we found out that this beach was in fact not
as deserted as it rst appeared. It turned out
to be the temporary home of an old Bedouin
man from the same village as our guide. Since
the two knew each other and wanted to spend
some more me together we were invited to
join them for a cup of Bedouin coee. Cof-
fee aer a dive is always welcome and as we
were in no hurry to get back, we gladly ac-
cepted. By then we had no idea that whatwe were about to experience was something
very far from your ordinary, everyday cup of
coee.
The rst thing that struck me as a bit odd was
that we were served tea while we waited for
the coee. When you come from a country
where coee is always readily available while
tea is something you will have to ask speci -
cally for, this seems slightly backwards, how-
ever not at all unpleasant. It was soon evident
though, that the Bedouin did not exactly have
Nescaf in mind when he invited us. He be-gan the coee making process by rummaging
out a handful of pale, greenish beans which
he roasted in an old n can in a smouldering
bonre. As the beans begun to change col-
our he added pieces of ginger to the n can
and myrrh to the ember for taste. Even the
smell was delicious as we sat in silence in the
warm sand, sipping our tea, watching every
step of the process with growing curiosity.
A hesitant conversaon began to emerge
while the beans were roasng. Once in a while
the old man reached out and raled the n
can. When the beans had turned dark brown
he took the sll hot beans into his hands, rub-
bing them gently, blowing away the peels. He
grounded the beans and pieces of ginger in
a mortar and carefully transferred the mix to
a small amphora-shaped vessel that he lled
up with water and placed in the re.
While the coee was heang up he took outsix thimble-sized porcelain cups and washed
them in a tub, half-full with less than clear
water. I remember that I thought that we
would have been much beer o if he had
not washed the cups at all and that we would
probably have to spend the next couple of
days in close proximity to a bathroom. But my
curiosity was aroused and I was more than
happy to take that chance.
The Odd Cup Of CoffeeWords by Anna Svrd - Photo by Anders Jlmsj
THE EQUALIZER Nov-Dec 2011
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When the coee was boiling the Bedouin
took the vessel out of the re and stued a
ball of dry grass down its throat to lter o
the coee-grounds as he poured the drink.
He served the coee adding what seemed
like equal amounts of coee and brown sugar
in large crystals to the ny cups.
Regreully, I do not possess the language
skills necessary to make the taste jusce.
Lets just say that it was dierent from any-
thing I have ever tasted. The cups were soonempty apart from some of the sugar that was
not dissolved. While talking to our host, the
guide interpreng, we had rells. It was one
of these moments you know right away that
you will never forget.
No maer how pleasant, all good things must
come to an end, and in order to have any
hope of being able to fall asleep some me
within the next couple of weeks we thought
it best to thank our host and head back. This
however, was not allowed. We had had two
cups of coee each and our guide explained
to us that the Bedouin would not let us leave
unless we had one more. Or three, or ve but
we were under no circumstances allowed to
leave aer having an even number of cups.
He was quite adamant and we were not ex-
actly hard to persuade.
My single paper cup with poor quality Egyp-
an airport coee is almost empty and I swal-
low the last lukewarm swig with a frown. It
is me I get my things together, nd the gate
and embark on the plane back to where the
coee is rarely this bad, never that delicious
but of immeasurable social importance. With
me I bring more bright memories from Egypt.
THE EQUALIZER Nov-Dec 2011
MARINE PARK
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In 1983, 97 square kilometers of the south-
ern p of the Sinai peninsula was designated
by the Egypan government as the protected
Naonal Park of Ras Mohammed. The name
stems from the word Ras, Arabic for head-
land, or cape, and the fact that at a certain
me of day, when viewed from the right an-
gle, the clis which we know today as Shark
Observatory appear to form the outline of a
face that is widely regarded as the face of theprophet Mohammed. Since then the park has
been extended to cover approximately 480
km2, of which around 75% is underwater.
The enre Sinai peninsula had previously
been regarded as a protected area during the
period of Israeli occupaon at which me the
sprawling resort which is Sharm El Sheikh to-
day was lile more than a couple of hotels,
a road or two (of sorts), and a diving para-
dise. The Israelis recruited members of the
Bedouin tribes that inhabit the local desert
as park rangers in return for the preservaonof their tradional shing rights.
Following the return of Sinai to Egypt, well
known marine biologist Dr. Eugenie Clarke
(The Shark Lady) and the Egypan photog-
rapher and diver Ayman Taher (son of the fa -
mous arst of the same name), together with
early pioneers of the dive industry (now large
companies such as Camel Dive Club and Si-
nai Divers) who recognised the potenal for
development in Sharm El Sheikh, pushed to
ensure that the environment would be pre-served for future generaons of tourists.
Whilst their eorts were not in vain, the mas-
sive growth of Sharm over the last ten years
or so has seen some of the reefs that lie along
the coastline of the resort almost completely
destroyed in places due to careless and un-
caring construcon work.
Nowadays, the park of Ras Mohammed
stretches from the Qad Ibn Haddan light-
house in the Gulf of Suez to include the
Sharm coastline as far north as Tiran with its
famous island reefs the entrance to the Gulf
of Aqaba where the park borders with the
Nabq Protected Area.
The naonal park includes the mountainousdesert interior which seems completely bar-
ren but is in fact home to a number of larger
creatures including the Dorcas gazelle (Ras
Ghozlani means Cape of the Gazelle), the Nu-
bian ibex and the Red fox. Sadly, the gazelle
and ibex have been hunted almost to exnc-
on by the very same tribes that were once
hired to protect them and driven into the
interior by the increased human presence
nearer the coast.
Avian inhabitants of the park include Heronand Osprey, and white stork stop for a brief
respite during their annual migraon to main-
land Africa. Dierent types of snakes, lizards
and spiders can also be found.
MARINE PARK
At the very south point of the Sinai
Peninsula, surrounded by waters
reaching the depth of nearly 2.000
metres, Ras Mohammed Naon-al Park is indeed extreme in many
ways. On land the sun beats the des-
sert sand , In the water nutrience
currents bring life to a kaleidoscope
of coral reef and sh. The extreme
locaon of Ras Mohammed has al-
ways had huge strategic importance.
Ancient Egypans fought to controll
trade on the Red Sea from this ad-
vantage point. The Arabs and later
the Oomans who ruled Egypt, al-
ways kept a strong military presence
to secure the land and naval routes-between Europe and the East, as
well as the passage ways to Mecca.
The name Ras Mohammed allegedly
comes from one of the clis in the
area which resembled the features of
the Prophet Mohamed. Here Mark
Crowley lls us in on all the facts we
didnt know about this beauful Na-
onal Park
Opposite: One of many birds oen seen in Ras Mohammed Naonal Park is the Osprey.
This Page: The mangrove found in Ras Mohammed Naonal Park is one of the most
northerly known in the world.
RAS MOHAMMEDThe Extreme End Of Everything
Words Mark Crowley - Photographs Anders Jlmsj
THE EQUALIZER Nov-Dec 2011
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54 55THE EQUALIZER Nov-Dec 2011
The raised shoreline of much of the southern
p of Sinai is formed from the fossilized re-
mains of the ancient coral reef, raised out of
the water due to seismic acvity caused by
the fact that the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red
Sea lie along a ri between the African and
Arabian tectonic plates.
Underwater, the southern p of the Sinai
is the meeng point for three very dier-
ent bodies of water. To the west, separang
the peninsula from mainland Egypt, lies the
shallow gulf of Suez which has a maximum
depth of perhaps 250 metres compared to
the 1.7km deep gulf of Aqaba to the East that
empes into the Red Sea proper over 2km
deep in places and superheated at depth by
volcanic acvity through the very narrow,
very shallow straits of Tiran.
The resultant srange and unpredictable cur-
rents conspire to drive these three forces
together in the submerged part of Ras Mo-
hamed. Water rich in nutrients is driven to
the surface to support an ecosystem which
ranges from the microscopic all the way to
pelagic giants such as whale sharks. Approxi-
mately 200 species of coral and around 1,200
species of assorted sh, elasmobranchs, in-
vertebrates and the occasional turtle exist
within its boundaries.
Park rules include no touching, no feeding, no
taking, and the use of muck-scks or lobster-
cklers has recently been forbidden. Contra-
ry to popular belief, the wearing of knives and
gloves is permied, although please only use
knives to cut shing line and only wear gloves
if you really have a problem with cold ngers.
Visitors pay a 5 Euro per day entry fee, and if
you want to know why you need a visa to go
to Ras Mohamed from Sharm, please see my
arcle in issue three of the Equalizer.
Unfortunately, the rules governing touching
and taking have been consistently broken
over the years by incompetent or ignorant
divers (and guides, it has to be said), and
the no taking rule has been broken by peo-
ple seeking only nancial gain through illegal
shing and although the snapper sll gather
en masse outside Shark reef every summer,
the sharks that used to hunt them there do
not. As any visitor will know, the reef itself
remains spectacular, and since building is for-bidden south of Sharm El Mina (beer known
as Travco harbour), there is lile in the way of
damage from coastal development, and long
may it remain that way.
The future of the park is uncertain, because
Egypt as a naon is going through a very di-
cult polical transion right now, but there is
a very vocal group of people who wish to en-
sure that the beauty of the marine environ-
ment is preserved, and in the long run, it will
be more nancially lucrave to ensure that
this remains so.
Having said that, the decrease in tourism
has for sure had a posive inuence on the
reef this year, with absent friends such as the
hammerheads in Tiran and the Barracuda at
Shark & Yolanda making a welcome return,
although not in the numbers they were ten
years ago.
Ras Mohammed is a spectacular contrast be-
tween the desolate appearance of the desert
mountain interior and the immensely rich
and colourful underwater ecosystem that
connues to thrive there. It contains one of
the most important and impressive coral reef
structures on the planet, and you have to go
a long, long way to nd beer diving.
Above: The Nubian Ibex (Capra nubiana) is a desert-dwelling
goat antelope found in Ras Mohammed Naonal Park.
Above: There are cleare rules for how to behave in Ras Mohammed Naonal Park.
PHOTOGRAPHY FOCUS
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56 57
If it looks ok, apply some silicone grease to
your thumb and nger and gently ease the
grease over the whole o-ring. You want there
to be an even shine across the whole o-ring
with no clumps or blobs of grease built up.
Again, visually inspect the o-ring for any uff
or specks of dirt and then place it in the groove
of the housing. Take care not to stretch it too
much and avoid any snags or kinks. Place
the camera in the housing and perform anal visual check before closing the housing.
Ensure the lock is correctly closed and that
the o-ring was not caught at any point.
Before closing the housing, it is also possible
to include silica gel packets around the
camera if there is enough space and you can
be sure they wont interfere with its operation.
These will absorb small amounts of moisture
within the housing
such as condensation,
but will not help with a
serious leak.
Once the housing preparation is completed,
take a test shot to ensure that the camera
is operating correctly and check the buttons
are all functioning. Finally, dip the camera in
freshwater and look for any leaks or bubbles.
If all is ok, remove the camera from the rinse
tank and leave it somewhere safe until its
time to dive.
Its important to give yourself time to prepare
your equipment correctly. If you need to
rush the set-up theres a greater chance of
missing a step or making a mistake. If youare in any doubt about whether the housing
is watertight, its safer to leave the camera
behind until you can be sure. A ooded
camera can be costly and annoying, but it can
also cause stress and anxiety underwater
which may lead to dangerous outcomes. If
in doubt, wait until the next dive and ensure
you can dive safely.
In the next issue of The EQUALIZER well
look at how to clean and store your equipment
between dives.
More tips and advice
can be found in this
new guide. Available
as an app for both
iPhone and iPad.
Click here for details
Check the o-ring is evenly coated with silicone
grease, silica packets can help to remove
moisture caused by condensation, always
double check the camera by taking a test shot
and the housing by dunking it in fresh water to
look for bubbles
Keeping Your
Camera Safe & Dryby James Dawson
The only guaranteed way of never ooding
a camera is to never take it in the water in
the rst place! However, there are some
simple steps you can take to minimise, if not
completely remove the chance.
The rst thing is to develop a routine. The
more you do something, the more adept you
become and by sticking to your own routine
you can be sure that youve covered each
step and not missed anything. Try to prepare
your equipment in an environment that has
a similar temperature to that of the water to
help reduce the likelihood of condensation
due to temperature change.
Before you begin with the housing, ensurethat the camera is set up correctly. Check
that the battery is fully charged and that you
have sufcient space
on the memory card.
Its always best to nd
these things out before
you spend time with
the housing and need
to start over again.
Once you have your camera ready, set it to
one side and make sure that the housing is
dry. Open it and carefully remove the o-ring.
This can be done with the manufacturers tool
if you have one or with a credit card or guitar
plectrum if you dont. Alternatively, you can
squeeze the o-ring down the two longest sides
so that it extends past the housing groove
and use your ngers to remove it without the
need of a tool. Avoid using anything sharp
(such as a knife or screwdriver) as this may
nick the o-ring or scratch the housing.
When you have removed the o-ring, avoid
putting it down on any surface where it can
collect dust or sand. The safest place is to
hold it between your lips until youre ready to
clean it.
Next clean the housings groove for the
o-ring with a clean towel. Tissue paper and
cotton buds can leave small pieces of uff in
the groove so I nd