African Diver 17

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w w w . a f r i c a n d i v e r . c o m

June / July 2011 | Issue 17

w w w. a f r i c a n d i v e r. c o mYour Free Onl ine Div ing Magazine

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C ontents

Cover Photographed by Cormac McCreesh

Editors: Cormac McCreesh & Paul Hunter

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Ed’s Logbook 5

FEATURES

Broadnose Cow Sharks 6

NEWS

SACS Update 18

Allen Walker 48

CONSERVATION

Eyes on the Horizon 14

Dest inat ions

Sakatia Lodge Madagascar30

Mola Mola 22

Junior Divers 39


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Contents


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Ed’s Logbook Technology, or rather the use of

technology, has been on my mind whilst putting this issue of African Diver together.

It’s thanks to the Internet and some pretty nifty software that we are able to compile this magazine and deliver it all over the world via our website. Our contributors and friends situated in remote and interesting locations all over Africa are able to keep us informed and supplied with information to populate our website with, and get the information out to you, our readers and followers.

And it’s pleasing to see technology being used by marine researchers to better understand and put into action plans to conserve the delicate marine life in our African oceans. Satellite tagging is fast becoming a significant player in mapping the travels our large pelagic marine animals follow and this information is the foundation and impetus for cross-border environmental planning.

Already satellite tags have provided information for researchers in Mozambique on mantas and whale sharks and in this issue we learn of the vast distance covered by bull sharks.

Digital photography is a technology

we at African Diver are particularly fond of, given both Paul and I learned our underwater photography skills back in the days of film. But it’s even more pleasing to see in our Eyes On The Horizon feature how conservationists are using digital photography to assist the Mozambique government to focus conservation efforts on poaching hotspots.

Facebook, Twitter, blogs and various other social media outlets keep us informed of our readers’ thoughts and concerns as well as facilitating our efforts to get our news out there. And while these sites are useful, the most important thing about information and information sharing, is that it needs to be actionable. Too often we social media users share bad news without giving thought to how we can do something about it, no matter how small the effort.

So we’re incorporating that thought into all our publications and articles – we want to be able to do something about the stuff we come across and we want to help you do so too.

So, may your bubbles always be free and your information a catalyst for something that gets done.

Cormac



Cowshark in the (kelp) woodArticle by: Georgina Jones and Photographs by Geoff Spiby

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Conservation Status

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Chondrichthyes

Subclass: Elasmobranchii

Order: Hexanchiformes

Family: Hexanchidae

Genus: Notorynchus Ayres, 1855

Species: N. cepedianus

Classification

Distribution of Seven Gill Broadnose Cowsharks

• A shark’s skeleton is not made up of bone, it is made up of cartilage. Cartilage is a tough material, like the material that shapes your ear

• A shark’s skin is covered with denticles, which are small, razor-sharp teeth

• A shark also has a remarkable sensitivity to vibrations in the water. They also have an amazing sense of smell

• Like many mammals, including humans, sharks have a large heart with four separate chambers

• Shark meat has an unpopular image as food, so fish markets and chefs change the name of shark meat to rock salmon, rock eel, huss or flake

Cowsharks differ from modern sharks in having seven rather than five gills

Did You Know


Shark diving is definitely not for everyone. Many people can happily go on with life without once deliberately going in search of any of the big toothy things. On the other hand though, there is a special thrill in being in 10m of water being circled by sharks bigger than any human and in doing so without a cage and in apparent safety.

The site is Pyramid Rock, a shallow inshore dive site just south of Simonstown. It is reached either by boat or about a 100m surface swim from shore. The sharks involved are not great whites, as many might expect, this being Cape Town after all, but instead are cowsharks. Just why they are called cowsharks is a mystery, since they are not particularly bovine and they most certainly do not eat grass. And just why divers at this site should be safe from their not-inconsiderable appetites is as much of a mystery, but so it has been so far.

Inspecting the photographer

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Cowsharks, or sevengills, are part of the most ancient shark family known, the Hexanchidae. There are four members of the family, three of which are deep water species. Cowsharks, by contrast, are coastal species and are found in all cool inshore waters of all the oceans of the world, other than the North Atlantic. Despite their being relatively common, pretty big, and generally slow-moving, many facets of their lives remain unknown.

They are large sharks: the largest measured

was a female of around 3m and massing over 180kg. They have black spots dorsally, are greyish above and paler below, and have one small dorsal fin set far back and close to their tails. Their eyes are small and their teeth are usually hidden, but they are no less functional for all that.

The teeth in the upper jaw are jagged and

sharp, for holding struggling prey, while the lower jaw has comb-shaped teeth for tearing into and cutting prey. Cowsharks are opportunistic predators and will eat a wide range of prey, both in size and species. Prey is either eaten in a single gulp or else bitten in two and eaten in two or three bites. This may be because cowsharks tend to be found

in groups and any dithering on the part of the hunter might lead to another nabbing its meal.

Cowsharks are known to have several hunting strategies. One involves cruising slowly and apparently harmlessly while choosing a prey animal, then suddenly turning and speeding towards the victim. Another uses ambush at night or in poor visibility, when cowsharks have an advantage over prey, probably because

of their electromagnetic sense. The third involves swimming very slowly, with only the slightest fin movements, enabling the shark to approach its victim. Once close enough, it’s a sudden dash and then dinner. Lastly, in some circumstances, cowsharks will pack hunt.

They usually do this when the prey animal is bigger than they are, such as a seal. The group surrounds its target and moves ever closer, until finally, one takes the first bite.

The blood visible on the leading edge of the fin is probably mating damage


This inspires the rest of the group and the result is almost always unsatisfactory from the seal’s perspective.

Exactly what makes a cowshark choose a particular animal as prey is not known, nor is it known how they decide to switch from solitary to pack hunting, although they are known to be efficient near-apex predators. Their predators are probably only great white sharks and perhaps killer whales, though cowsharks will even attack a great white if it seems weakened. They eat 350kg seals, big rays, other sharks and bony fish, but are not above snacking on cephalopods, lobsters, carrion or shark eggs if they’re available.

As regards eating humans, the story gets perplexing. There is one record of human remains being found in a cowshark’s stomach off the Californian coast, but since this was after a suicide off the Golden Gate Bridge, the general consensus is that the shark was bottom feeding. O

N T

HE

HUN

T

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Cowsharks are curious animals and come in close to inspect divers

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Their cartilaginous skeleton gives cowsharks extraordinary flexibility

“Cowsharks are known to have several hunting

strategies. One involves cruising slowly and

apparently harmlessly while choosing a prey

animal, then suddenly turning and speeding

towards the victim.”

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Around the New Zealand coast, there have been several documented attacks on humans, even some on scuba divers. Perhaps the fact that the divers were hunting crayfish at the time had a bearing on the attacks. There have also been attacks on swimmers there, and cowsharks have been implicated in one fatality. Why New Zealand? No-one knows.

No such records are known for the South African coast. The cowsharks at Pyramid are there year-round, and will come in close to inspect divers. Despite regular visits by divers of all levels of skill, and despite some gentle mouthing of dangling bits of gear, there has so far been no attack. No one knows why.

Perhaps the South African cowsharks aren’t at Pyramid for hunting. It’s probably worth giving night diving there a skip though. Just to be on the safe side.

The cowsharks’ impressive set of teeth are usually hidden from view


Eyes on the Horizon

Article by Dr Simon Pierce and images courtesy EOTH.

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It is easy to forget that this situation won’t be maintained without effort. The first time I realised this was while walking along the beach not far from my house. I noticed something sticking out of a bush on the dunes. I pulled it out, and found it was a large green turtle shell, fresh meat still evident. Despite all sea turtle species being fully protected in Mozambique, this turtle had been opened up like it was a tin of sardines.

Unsurprisingly, I was upset. I was also angry. I’m a professional marine conservation biologist, yet this endangered species had been slaughtered in my backyard. I was determined to find out the scope of the problem. The next day I recruited a friend of mine with a background in turtle research to help me investigate further. We searched through the scrub for about 400 m, and found an additional 18 shells. After that we were both so depressed we had to stop for the day.

Asking around, I realised that sea turtle poaching is one of the big untold stories in Mozambican marine conservation. The official record for that year listed less than 30 turtle poaching events reported nationally, which was patently ridiculous. Clearly, what was out of sight had also been out of mind.

Dr Simon Pierce

When I first arrived in Tofo Beach, an idyllic little beach-side village in southern Mozambique, I was absolutely blown away by its marine life. A happy confluence of biology and oceanography concentrates all sorts of charismatic sea life off this coast, allowing me to dive with whale sharks, manta rays, sea turtles and many other species on a daily basis.

Mozambique is well-provisioned with environmental laws, but its long, remote coast is tough to deal with for a developing country.

Enforcement officials have limited resources, and they don’t have perfect knowledge of where they should be focusing their attentions. But, without enforcement, these laws appear to be regularly flouted along its long, 2700 km coastline. The government needs help to identify what issues to prioritise, and where to direct their attentions.

We can help to point them in the right direction. Eyes on the Horizon is a new marine conservation movement, supported by CDM, DHL and Fujifilm, formed to expose these hidden threats.

The EOTH tagline of “many eyes, one vision” refers to people-power: we’re crowdsourcing conservation.

Crowdsourcing is a term that has been invented to describe the process of encouraging mass participation focused on solving a problem, or achieving a common goal. In this case, we want to protect the marine life of Mozambique.


We have some good examples of where this crowdsourcing approach has been successful. In Tofo, Eyes on the Horizon enlisted a team of volunteers from All Out Africa to monitor turtle poaching in the local area, taking photographs and GPS positions of each shell they found, and individuals and businesses asked their guards to look out for evidence of poaching. We met with officials, explained the problem, and gave them the evidence. They acted, conducting a series of public meetings with local fishers and making several arrests. Our ongoing monitoring work has shown that turtle deaths have now reduced to almost zero along ‘our’ area of coast.

We want to expand these efforts along the whole coast of Mozambique. While we can’t tackle every problem at once, we can start identifying particular issues and areas where we can make a difference.

We’re continuing with efforts to monitor sea turtle poaching along the coast, identifying and reporting the presence of illegal fishing vessels in our waters and working towards conserving shark populations in the country. By acting together, we can help solve these problems that can seem impossibly huge for individuals.

Our research philosophy is to study our animals without disturbing their natural behaviour. Using digital photography, we can spy on the life of threatened species without intrusion. Whale sharks, manta rays, sea turtles and some shark species, such as leopard sharks, all have unique “fingerprints” of spots or scales on their bodies that enable us to follow the lives of each member of their species, allowing us to track important events such as pregnancy and birth. Through national and international collaboration we are also able to track whale sharks and manta rays on their global migrations by sharing photos with other researchers working around the world.

Along with pure science, photography is also the best way for us to carry out and document our conservation work. High-quality photographs are both stunning in themselves, and can also provide evidence for our direct intervention work. For instance, our photographs of sea turtles being poached illegally has led to several arrests in Mozambique and a dramatic reduction in the numbers of sea turtles being slaughtered. We also use photography to document the presence of illegal fishers in Mozambican waters, where they target threatened shark species to export their fins with little monitoring or control.

New Teltron, the agents for Fuji cameras in South Africa, recently sponsored our research efforts by donating various compact Fuji cameras and housings to bolster our photographic research efforts and studies.

In the picture above, Arie van Rheede of New Teltron can be seen handing over the cameras to researcher Peter Bassett.

How EOTH uses photography for research and conservation

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Help us. If you see evidence of illegal or unsustainable activities

taking place along the Mozambican coast, let us know at [email protected]

You can find further information on our website, www.eoth.org

If you’d like to follow our progress, and find out more about what’s happening in the marine conservation field in

Mozambique, sign up to our newsletter on the website as well.

We’d love to have your help in these efforts!

Remember to use the hyperlinks to follow the story further

Because Africa is worth it

“... our photographs of sea turtles being poached illegally has led to several arrests in Mozambique and a dramatic reduction in the numbers of sea turtles being slaughtered. We also use photography to document the presence of illegal fishers in Mozambican waters, where they target threatened shark species to export their fins with little monitoring or control.”

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Special report from South African Shark Conservancy

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The Bull shark (known locally as the

Zambezi shark) is well known worldwide

for swimming far up rivers, thriving

in low-saline water, but until now has

only been documented several hundred

kilometres further to the north-east.

Although there have been sightings of

Bull sharks in the Breede River over the

years, some locals dispute their existence

and documented evidence has been

scarce.

The report of Bull shark activity in

the South-Western Cape was therefore

exciting news to local marine scientist,

Meaghen McCord of the South African

Shark Conservancy (SASC), who initiated

a research project to establish the nature

of the Breede River population.

Said McCord “ this project began as an

exploratory expedition to determine what

species of sharks were using the Breede

River estuary. We were extraordinarily

lucky to find the system was home to

some of the largest Bull sharks ever

recorded in South Africa, as well as being

the most southerly distribution for the

species in the country.”

In March 2011, after two years of

examining the behaviour and movement

of Bull sharks in the estuary, a large

male was captured and tagged with a

Pop-up Archival Tag (PAT - also known

as a satellite tag), to record the seasonal

In 2009, a 4m Bull shark was captured in the Breede River estuary in the Southern Cape region of South Africa, at the time representing a new global size record for the species.


migration of the shark as it left the river

before winter. The tag is firmly attached

to the dorsal fin and set to release from

the host after a period of time, whereafter

it floats to the surface and transmits data

via satellite.

Up to now it has only been speculated

as to where the Breede River population

of Bull sharks migrate, if at all, as very

little has been studied on the African

populations of these sharks, other than

recordings made by the Natal Sharks

Board via their beach netting program

along the coast of KwaZulu-Natal.

“We are slowly beginning to gain insight into how this apex predator utilises river systems” said McCord. “This is the first time the ecology and behaviour of Bull sharks has been studied in South Africa and we hope it assists with the development and implementation of management measures for this near-threatened species.”

The tagging of the shark in March of this

year, made possible by a research grant

from the Save Our Seas Foundation, was

very important to establish if the Breede

River population was endemic to the area

or indeed part of the larger population

and, therefore, global gene pool.

In May, two months after tagging the

shark, the first satellite transmission was

made off the coast of Mozambique, near

the island of Bazaruto. This was more

exciting than anyone had expected, as it

revealed a journey of over 2 000km, or 36

km per day!

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“A special thanks to all who have assisted with funding and supporting this project,

including: the Department of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries (DAFF), Department of

Environmental Affairs (DEA), Lower Breede River Conservancy, White Shark Projects,

Western Province Shore Angling Association, and our primary sponsors, the Save Our

Seas Foundation,” said McCord.

A significant discovery by any means,

it gives a glimpse into the extraordinary

range of these sharks and how local

conservation practices can have

international implications.

“Despite being listed by the IUCN as

near-threatened globally, there are no

existing management or conservation

measures for Bull sharks in SA or

Mozambique “ said McCord. “We

have now shown this species migrates

across international borders, whereby

it becomes vulnerable to a multitude of

fisheries and environmental pressures”.

According to McCord, it is vital to

obtain temporary protection of the

Bull shark in the Breede River system,

until it can be studied further. “It is

widely recognised that estuaries play

a critical role in the life-history of this

species, and we feel that affording a

degree of protection to Bull sharks in

their southernmost habitat will play a

vital role toward maintaining ecosystem

integrity in African waters, “ she said.

Map showing the distance in which the tagged shark travelled


Article and photographs by: Cormac McCreeshMola Mola

Creature Feature

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Conservation Status

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Actinopterygii

Order: Tetraodontiformes

Family: Molidae

Genus: Mola

Species: M. mola

Classification

Did you know

• The Mola mola is the heaviest known bony fish in the world

• Mola mola live on a diet that consists mainly of jellyfish, but because this diet is nutritionally poor, they consume large amounts in order to develop and maintain their great bulk

• Mola mola are considered a delicacy in some parts of the world, including Japan, the Korean peninsula and Taiwan

• Mola mola often swim near the surface, and their protruding dorsal fins are sometimes mistaken for those of sharks


More than a little weird, impressively large, surprisingly gentle and shy, the Mola mola is the heaviest bony fish in the world.

Struck by a boat off Sydney, New South

Wales, Australia in September 1908, the

largest ever recorded weighed in at an

impressive 2 235 kilograms and measured

3.1 metres from snout tip to “tail” fin, and

4.26 metres from dorsal to anal fin tips.

However in general, Mola mola average

1 000 kilograms in weight and 1.8 metres in

length.

Belonging to the order Tetraodontiformes,

Ocean Sunfish share many traits with

other members of this order (puffer fish,

porcupine fish, file fish and trigger fish) with

the common trait being the four fused teeth

that form the characteristic beak and give

the order its name (tetra – four, odous – tooth,

forma – shape).

Ocean sunfish comprise three known

species in the Molidae family:

• Mola mola (round tailed or common

sunfish)

This is the gloriously large and weird-

looking sunfish most commonly seen

sunbathing in our oceans.

• Masturus lanceolatus (sharp tailed mola)

Looking very much like a Mola mola but

with a little bit extra on the tail, Masturus

have a smoother skin, which is less

covered in mucous, and are less inclined

to sunbath. Apparently they carry a

smaller parasitic load.

• Ranzania laevis (slender mola).

Significantly smaller than its larger and

more well-known cousins, Ranzania

never reaches more than a couple of feet

in length. It is the most colourful and

rare of ocean sunfish and has a smooth

and thinner skin and sports a vertically

oriented mouth.

All three species are found in temperate

and tropical waters around the globe.

While studies have shown that Mola

genotypes appear to vary widely between

Atlantic and Pacific populations, genetic

differences between individuals in Northern

and Southern hemispheres appear to be

minimal.

While the name Sunfish probably refers

to its habit of sunbathing at the surface of

the water, its Latin name, Mola, refers to the

grey colouration and rough texture of its

skin as well as its rounded body … because

Mola is Latin for “millstone”.

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However, the Dutch, Portuguese, French,

Catalan, Spanish, Italian & German names

(respectively: maanvis, peixe lua, poisson

lune, peix lluna, pez luna, pesce luna,

mondfisch,) mean moonfish in reference to

its rounded shape.

It is also known in German as

Schwimmender Kopf or swimming head.

So, looking like a giant fish head without a

tail, Mola mola can be as tall as they are long

when dorsal and ventral fins are extended.

Its distinct shape is particularly striking, in

no small part because of the lack of a caudal

fin. Instead it has a rounded pseudo tail

called a clavus.

The clavus contains 12 fin rays and

terminates in a number of rounded ossicles.

Its large body is flattened laterally, while its

pectoral fins are embarrassingly small and

fan-shaped. The dorsal and anal fins are

lengthened significantly and Mola mola rely

on these fins for propulsion. Surprisingly, for

such a large and ungainly looking fish,

Mola mola have been recorded as

swimming 26 kilometres in one day, at a top

speed of 3.2km per hour.

The slippery mucous skin ranges from

brown to silvery grey or white and often a

large variety of mottled skin patterns are

seen. Mola mola exhibit an ability to vary

their skin colouration especially when under

attack. It seems that certain geographic

areas may have discrete colour patterns – for

example the mola in Bali are typically darker

than ones off Southern California, but these

data are still preliminary.

Mola mola are pelagic and swim at depths

of up to 600 metres, occupying both the

epipelagic and mesopelagic zones. The range

of food included in their diet being the main

indicator of this.

Their diet consists mainly of jellyfish.

However, this is a nutritionally poor diet

and mola have to consume large amounts

to develop and maintain their bulk. Their

diet also includes salps, squid, crustaceans,

small fish, fish larvae and deepwater eel

larvae. Sunfish can pull in and spit out

water through their small mouths to tear

apart soft-bodied prey. But they also have

pharyngeal teeth located in the throat to

grind food into smaller pieces before passing

it on to the stomach.

Like turtles (which also eat jellyfish), Mola

mola are vulnerable to harm or death from

eating floating trash, in particular plastic

bags that resemble jelly fish.

Diet preferences of Masturus lanceolatus

are presumed to be similar to that of Mola

mola while Ranzania eat an assortment of

crustacean, fish and molluscs.

Females produce more eggs than any

other known vertebrate and mating habits

are poorly understood. It is estimated that

females can produce as many as a million

eggs at a time, which are released into the

water and externally fertilised by sperm. A

1.4m female was estimated to be carrying

300 million eggs in her single ovary.

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Mola mola fry look like miniature puffer

fish with large pectoral fins, a tail fin and

body spines – quite unlike adult sunfish. As

they grow however, the spines disappear,

as do their tails. Young sunfish school for

protection but this behaviour is abandoned

as they grow.

Fully-grown Mola mola have few natural

predators. But sea lions, orca and sharks

will consume them. Sea lions appear to hunt

sunfish for sport – tearing fins off, tossing

the body around and abandoning the still-

living but helpless fish to die on the seafloor.

Younger individuals are vulnerable to

predation by tuna and dorado.

Little is known of predation on Ranzania

however an adult female (355mm in total

length) was found in the stomach of a marlin

off Hawaii. Numerous Ranzania youngsters

have been found in the guts of dorado.


The sale of fish and fish products derived

from the Molidae family is banned in the

European Union. However, Mola mola is

considered a delicacy in some parts of the

world, including Japan, Korea, and Taiwan

These striking and unusual fish are

frequently (accidentally) caught in fishing

nets as by-catch and this is unregulated.

The impact on Mola mola population is not

understood or known but it can be reliably

concluded that by-catch, and increasing use

in human diet is having an impact on the

worldwide population.

Ocean sunfish, particularly Mola mola often

swim near the surface and the dorsal fin can

sometimes be mistaken for sharks. However

the two can be distinguished by the motion

of the fin – the shark’s dorsal fin remains

stationary while it swims while the sunfish

swings its dorsal fin in a characteristic

sculling motion.

Sunfish appear to be easily susceptible to

parasites. Over 40 species of parasites have

been recorded on the skin and internally.

Hence Mola mola are most often seen or

sighted in situations where they are being

cleaned. One mola parasite is the larval

stage of a shark tapeworm. So at some point,

mola likely fall prey to a shark enabling this

parasite to complete its life cycle. Masturus

lanceolatus are not as heavily parasitized

as Mola mola. And while they dive to great

depths, even greater than Mola mola, they do

not appear to engage in sunbathing to the

same degree. Little is known of the parasites

of Ranzania.

Much remains to be learned of the three

species of ocean sunfish, not least their

lifespan in their natural habitat. Individuals

have been kept in captivity for up to 10

years. One individual kept in captivity at

the Monterey Bay Aquarium gained 364

kilograms in 14 months, fattened on a diet of

squid, fish and prawns. This fish had to be

airlifted out by helicopter and released into

the bay after out-growing its tank.

• Ranzania laevis (slender mola). • Masturus lanceolatus (sharp tailed mola)

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The Mola mola images that accompany this article were taken in Algoa Bay, off Port Elizabeth. One operator in this area made 35 sightings of

Mola mola over April and May of this year.


Nosy Sakatia, Madagascar.Article by Paul Ben-Israel and Images by Jacques Viera

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The secreted paradise of Sakatia Lodge, Nosy Sakatia

(Orchid. Island) is the perfect setting for that special romantic

getaway. Resting at the foot of the Sacred Mountain, the

lodge nestles serenely on the beaches of a protected bay.

The Island of Nosy Sakatia, situated on the west coast of Nosy Be,

Madagascar, is a tropical heaven. Only 6km long and 2km wide,

with no roads, cars or vehicles, the tranquillity and beauty of the

island has been preserved. The well crafted footpaths allow one

the opportunity to wander around the island and discover both its

hidden treasures and rich cultural heritage.


This lodge offers luxury bungalows,

consisting of 26 beds, with a selection of

nature or ocean bungalows. The four Ocean

bungalows are larger than their Nature

counterparts, offering a mesmerising

view of luxuriant greenery and a breath-

taking scene of the ocean, surrounded by

neighbouring islands.

The approach of evening changes the

scenery, with purple and golden hues

decorating the evening horizon. Sitting on

the edge of the beach, one can easily get lost

in the serene sound of the ocean beating

a rhythmic tattoo against the terrace. The

sweet smell of the ylang ylang flower,

mystifying your senses as you unwind

before the evening feast.

Your hosts, Jose, Isabella and Jacques and

the compliment of professional and friendly

staff, ensure that all your needs are met. The

dinner is an exquisite three course meal,

individually plated and decorated to top

restaurant standards. There is no chance of

you having the same meal within a seven

day period, with Isabella ensuring on your

arrival that the kitchen staff understand

your dietary requirements.

The first meal of the holiday consisted of

prawn wrapped cucumber rolls, followed

by beef, onion and pineapple skewers, set

on a bed of couscous. The Crème Brulee

and coffee completed the delectable meal

in preparation for a night of friendly

conversation, whiskey and relaxation.

Spend the night chatting to Jose and watch

how he effortlessly switches from English

to Portuguese then into French or Italian,

ensuring that he is able to communicate

with almost any guest in their native

tongue.

Unless you are truly in the mood for a

large breakfast, it is advisable to skip the

offerings of eggs as the breakfast usually

consists of a plate of various fruits, frozen

yogurt and delicious and soft flavoured

bread. You can also grab a bowl of cereal,

coffee and fruit juice to start off your day.

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The Lodge has a fully equipped NAUI

dive centre, offering numerous diving

experiences, including wreck, night and

Nitrox. The lodge’s diving instructors,

Jose and Jacques, ensure that your diving

experience are not only memorable but also

educational. Their combined knowledge of

the area, the marine life and plants adds to

the excitement of the dive as time is spent

understanding what you see.

On arrival, one simply drops the

equipment in the dive centre and arrives

for the dive. All the equipment is setup for

you prior to the dive and waiting on the

boat. But don’t forget to enjoy the cool and

smooth Island style welcome cocktail (also

a great cocktail waiting for you after your

night dive).

The bath-warm waters and smooth seas

provide the gateway into a magnificent

underwater spectacle. The richness and

diversity of the coral reefs and both large

and small marine animals, makes Nosy

Sakatia an exceptional diving experience.

The underwater landscape is inhabited

with large schools of barracuda, snappers

and fusiliers and colourful coral beyond

imagination.


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For those inclined to photography, the

reefs provide for a wealth of assorted

opportunities, including sea horse,

nudibranchs, arrow crabs, jellies, manta

shrimps, eels, turtles and shark. Yet the

highlight of the diving was undoubtedly

the night wreck dive on the Mitsio Wreck.

Diving down to 25m, the wreck is home

to throngs of lion and devil fire fish, arrow

crabs and a dazzling honeycomb moray,

hiding on the starboard side. The coral

growth on the wreck (sank 2008) provides

a home to a plethora of species and an

exceptional diving event.

For those who wish to see more of

Madagascar, the lodge offers other

activities (or arranges them) including,

island tours, quad biking, spear fishing

and more. It is well worth taking the

time to explore other riches the country

has to offer, including going to see the

mischievously cute and friendly lemurs.

But don’t be surprised when these

companionable little creatures jump on

your shoulders in search of hand outs.

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Take the time to travel around the Island of Nosy Sakatia with a private guide and

interact with the warm and friendly Malagasy people. Don’t miss the opportunity to

buy handmade and beautify crafted table clothes, curtains or clothing.

As a quiet, romantic and fun filled getaway, Sakatia Lodge is highly recommended

for both divers and non-divers. To maximise your time on the Island, one should

consider flying directly to Nose Be (from Johannesburg) on a Saturday and flying

directly out on a Tuesday, unless one wishes to visit other parts of Madagascar. All in

all it was one of the best dive holidays experienced to date.


By: Cormac McCreesh

Let the children boogie

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“I believe the children are our are future

Teach them well and let them lead the way …”

These are the opening lines to Michael Masser and Linda Creed’s inspirational song, the Greatest Love of All, popularized by George Benson and later, Whitney Houston.

Diving with junior divers is always a special treat for me. Junior divers always seem so much more excited about the experience and bubble with enthusiasm and joy when diving. Recently I had the great fortune to dive with two junior divers under two sets of very different circumstances and their stories reminded me of my own introduction to diving and why I continue to pursue this passion of mine.

I dived with Connor Campbell in the Red Sea, and Andrea van Rooyen on a baited shark dive off Rocky Bay and I couldn’t resist interviewing them to find out why and how they got into diving to see if there was a connection and shared experience to learn from.


Connor is a quietly confident and polite

young man with large eyes and an open

engaging smile. About 2 years before his 12th

birthday, Connor’s Dad, Ian Martins, decided

to take Connor to the coast for a holiday.

In preparing for the trip, Connor ended up

at Sandton Scuba to buy a set of “goggles”

for the trip where he met Jason Joannides

which soon led to Connor asking his Dad if

he could do the Junior Open Water course

offered by the Dive Centre.

Dad was very supportive and Connor

was soon on his way learning under Jason,

who took special care of him. The “goggles”

Connor went in to the store to buy soon

morphed into a full kit set consisting of

wetsuit, mask, fins, regulator set and BCD.

Not long after Connor qualified, an

opportunity came up for him to accompany

Sandton Scuba on a live aboard trip to the

Red Sea. Connor was 11 years old at the

time and Dad, Ian, was quite relaxed and

confident about letting Connor go on the

trip. He had confidence in Connor’s abilities

as well as the care and concern Jason had

shown for Connor.

Connor CampbellCurrent age - 12

Birthday - 30 July

Ian however decided that he wanted to go

along with Connor on the trip in a father-

son bonding experience and surreptitiously

signed on to do his Open Water course

in order to surprise Connor. It was while

doing the course that Ian slowly realized

the complexities inherent in scuba diving as

well as the quality of the instruction he was

receiving. From being a care-free Dad who

happily let his son go on a course he became

a studious diver making sure he understood

everything he and his son needed to know.

Ian’s qualifying dives were made special by

having Connor diving with him on these

dives.

Ian describes Connor’s interest in diving

as being a passion and he illustrates this

by pointing out that Connor struggles

with comprehension when reading. So,

for Connor’s training, Jason had to read

out aloud all the training notes to him

and Connor had to take his exams orally.

Ian says Connor’s theory knowledge is

“second to none” and it’s because of his

passion for diving and in spite of his reading

comprehension issue.

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Connor is a very conservative diver and Ian points out that Connor will not buddy with him because Connor doesn’t believe Ian to be qualified enough to dive with.

Ian goes on to cite examples where Connor decided to call off diving because he wasn’t comfortable ... an example being where he wasn’t happy with the functioning of his regulator.

Maturity above his age is also apparent. On the Red Sea trip there were dives, which Connor couldn’t do because of his age and qualifications. This didn’t worry him at all and he took it in his stride.

Connor displays good routines on his pre and post dive checks and uses a dive computer when he dives. Like most junior divers, he hasn’t a full grasp of dive tables ... but then most adult divers don’t either.

Connor commenced with his Junior Advanced Diver while he was in the Red Sea and completed it on his return home. While he is not yet considering a career in diving, he has ambitions to do his Junior Rescue Diver, and maybe even Master Diver and would love to be able to dive every weekend.

Unfortunately, school and other commitments make this difficult.

It’s only natural that Connor has a passion for diving; he is passionate about nature and inspects everything he sees in nature ... be it a spider or even a snake. He loves the marine life and has already built up a formidable knowledge of the marine world.

So far, the only thing Connor doesn’t like about diving is night diving. But who knows, maybe this will change.

I asked Connor about his best dive so far as well as what he finds special about diving and this is what he told me:

“My most special dive so far was a Cave

Dive I did in Dahab, Egypt. It was special

because I saw so many creatures and fish

hiding in dark places from predators. In

some of the very dark areas of the cave, I

could see some of the creatures coming out

to hunt and I was able to see so many more

fish species in the cave. The special thing

about diving is that it’s a different world

under the sea and I feel so relaxed and safe.

No one can harm you under the water. I’m

not scared of anything under the water

because I am in their home, and if I respect

them, they will respect me.”


Andrea is an athletic blonde with an infectious smile and open nature. Her love affair with the sea began with and was nurtured by her parents’ annual visit to Rocky Bay on holiday.

Each holiday, for 6 years, Andrea joined Rob Nettleton’s Offshore Africa Dive Charters fun ride trips out on the ocean. These trips were about showing off the marine world to holidaymakers and featured whale and dolphin sightings. Rob always made a point of explaining what he saw on these trips to his passengers.

2 years ago Andrea saw a “learn to dive” advert while on holiday and asked her parents to let her learn while on holiday. They supported her and she qualified as a junior open water diver. Her open water course and subsequent dives were on Aliwal shoal. She had 23 dives under her belt at time of my interview with all of her dives having been on the Shoal and off Rocky Bay.

In December 2010, Andrea qualified as an Advanced Junior Diver with Debbie Smith of Diving with Sharks, and I joined her on two baited shark dives in April this year. Having qualified in December, Andrea was keen to do more diving and supported by her

parents and Debbie, she flew down from her home in Limpopo, unaccompanied, and was collected at the airport by Debbie.

Debbie describes Andrea as a competent, comfortable and fearless diver. For example, on one occasion Andrea lost her fin on entry and confidently informed her buddy (Debbie) and swam back up, collected it and dived back down to resume her dive.

Andrea is very light on air and a brilliant

buddy. She sticks to Debbie like a remora

on all dives, not only the shark dives we

were on, and follows Debbie’s instructions

to the letter. She’s already doing negative

entry back rolls - a requirement for diving at

Aliwal and off Rocky Bay.

Like Connor, Andrea uses a dive computer

but is not confident in using tables only. And

like Connor, Andrea appears mature and

responsible … in excess of her 12 years of

age.

Andrea displays a passion for nature

saying she “just wants to look after nature

and enjoy it”. She was neither nervous nor

scared about doing the shark dives and the

best thing for her on these dives was to see

Andrea van RooyenCurrent age - 12

Birthday - 16 November

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“all the sharks in one place” - a particular highlight being taken up to the bait drum by Rob on both dives.

This was not Andrea’s first encounter with sharks though. On previous dives she’d been lucky to see Ragged-Tooth sharks on Aliwal Shoal and since her first sighting of a shark she’s never been scared.

According to Andrea, shark cage diving seems wrong because “the sharks seem scared and as a diver you can’t swim around with the sharks naturally”.

Andrea’s next objective is to do the Junior Rescue Diver course. She has a huge passion for the sea and ultimately wants to live at the coast and travel to other dive spots around the world.

Andrea loves animals – she says “animals are not like people, they may be dangerous but they’re beautiful ... and they not really that dangerous”. Andrea loves to visit the Ushaka Marine World Aquarium, and displaying knowledge of current issues facing marine conservation, she says, “over fishing and shark fining make her heart- sore”.

When I pressed her on what she wanted to do with her life post school, she replied quite simply … “I just want to dive!”

There is a connection between these two divers and a shared experience. Both divers share a passion for nature, and particularly the marine world. Both love animals passionately and both enjoy experiencing what nature has to offer.

http://www.dansa.org


But also, both divers have supportive and

trusting parents and both were exposed to role

models early on in their introduction to diving.

These role models nurtured them, invested time

in making the experience meaningful, safe and

enjoyable. Both Connor and Andrea are superb

divers, confident, responsible and mature.

Long may this continue in Connor and Andrea’s lives. May they continue to dive and enjoy and love what they see and experience under water and my hope is that they too will become role models for other children who have a passion for nature.

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Seems to me our abiding mission, as divers, should be

to teach a child to dive, today.


mailto:mailto:info%40diveculture.co.za?subject=Extreme%20Housing%20-%20Enquiry%20from%20African%20Diver%20Magazine%20


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Allen WalkerIntroducing

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I got into diving many years ago on an informal basis but only really learnt that I had to go on “actual dive courses” when I met Dr. Eghardt Brand. This was real news to me, but I enrolled anyway!

It is an interesting story, I met this guy (Eghardt) in a pub; we had a good chat over a few beers and the discussion came to the subject of diving. I was asked if I could dive and I said heck yeh! “Cool, meet us at Dolphin Beach tomorrow morning we are going for a dive”.

I did not realise that people would look at me rather strangely when I pitched up with a back plate, cylinder (K-Valve), regulator, zero wetsuit (Cape Town, if you catch my drift) and a pair of navy fins, (that somehow landed up in my possession) - don’t even ask what brand it was. He gave me one look and asked if I had done a open water course? When I said no, he said no diving and the next step, was pool sessions. This was in ‘97 and in ‘98 I qualified as a PADI Instructor and by the end of ‘99 I was a Staff Instructor. Go figure?

So yes, diving has been part of me since then. I must say I did not like videographers and photographers; always taking their merry time, getting lost, never following the dive masters etc. I was a purist when it came to diving and training - no camera’s or video’s until 2007, and

Allen Walker then after 3000 or so dives a friend stuck a W7, point and shoot, in my hand and said, “go and have a fun dive and bring back some pictures”. I did exactly that and they were absolutely shocking! Blur, back scatter, flat and colourless! Thank goodness for credit cards (not that I am saying credit cards are good), I went out that same afternoon and bought my first underwater camera from Ushaka, yes a W7 and that’s where my photography journey started.

It would be fair to say that since that day my approach to a lot of things changed and the challenge of mastering underwater photography became my passion. I am a driven person and I do not consider failure as an option. I think this can be seen in the progression of my photography from my first attempt to now.

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Underwater Photography is not easy and it has a totally different set of rules; the elements that you work in are not working with you but rather against you and you need to adapt to this. This is the challenge I love and want to perfect. Heck, I do not think I will know what to do with a camera in 40+ viz, - we are not as fortunate down on the South Coast as our friends up in Sordies and Ponto. I have learnt one thing though, you have to put the hours in and be prepared to work very hard, for long hours, to get the right results. Patience is critical, having the ear to listen to all advice, the ability to apply and use the good advice, and last but not least not to ever compromise the animals and environment you are working in just for the shot.

It has been a huge journey for me from when I started with underwater photography till now. I could most probably write a book on the do and don’ts of camera’s, housings, accessories etc. The good part though is that it helped me build relationships with all kinds of people in the industry, from sales through to pro photographers.

These people have made a huge impact on the way I photograph and the style I have adopted. As for the best dives sites, well you have to go far to beat “Shark Park” with Blue Wilderness, “Cape Town” with Animal Ocean and “Sodwana” with Amoray Diving.

I love wide-angle photography and every now and then I will dabble in the fine art of macro, but not too often. This may change though - watch this space. As for my enthusiasm it has been the reason why I started Dive Culture Photography and we have become the agents for Hugyfot Underwater Housings for Canon and Nikon & Green Force Lighting systems. I am also in the process of trying to promote South African Dive Sites and South African Photographers, this project will hopefully be ready for implementation on the 1st of December 2011 with some help of some really good mates (Andrew, Anthony, Hans, Geo, Graham, Mark, Gail).

My bigger picture or dream: I hope to one day be able to use my photography to assist in the protection of our amazing South African & International heritage i.e. our wildlife and sea-life, especially the ones hunted for idiotic beliefs, potions, so called “tradition or culture”. The unnecessary slaughter of Whales, Sharks, Dolphins, Manta’s, Rhino’s, Lions, Cheetahs etc. etc. which will result in the extinction of entire species can no longer be condoned or accepted by humanity, neither can we idly stand by and watch. We need to use what we have to make a difference and I sometimes wish I could do more. (Trust me I am working on it)

Clear Waters, a dash of back scatter (SA Flavour) and happy clicking!!


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“ Patience is critical, having the ear to listen to all advice, the ability to apply and use the good advice, and last but not least not to ever compromise the animals and environment you are working in just for the shot. ”

http://www.samsung.com/africa_en/consumer/cameras-camcorders/cameras/compact/index.idx?pagetype=subtype_p2

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Featured Photographer

http://www.samsung.com/africa_en/consumer/cameras-camcorders/camcorders/hd-camcorders/index.idx?pagetype=subtype_p2


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http://www.samsung.com/africa_en/consumer/cameras-camcorders/cameras/nx-series/index.idx?pagetype=subtype_p2

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Documents

African Diver 17