Video:

Filmed off the Marine Room Restaurant in La Jolla, CA

© Michael Bear 2010

SCHWEINFURT, Germany — Six months of underwater scuba training culminated in diver certification for five Soldiers from Charlie Company, Warrior Transition Battalion-Europe at a ceremony held here on Ledward Barracks.

The program was modeled after the Soldiers Undertaking Disabled Scuba (SUDS) program at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, according to Staff Sgt. Stephen Gagne who, along with Staff Sgt. Josh Kennedy-both divers and WTB-E cadres-breathed life into the program months ago.

“One of the hardest things about the program was finding a dive school that was willing to bend to the needs of the Soldiers,” said Jeff Franklin, a disabled veteran and diver who put the cadres in touch with a local dive school willing to work with the Soldiers’ schedule and disabilities.

Gabbi Knorr, a certified dive instructor and owner of her own shop in Schweinfurt, instructed the Soldiers.

“It was very different,” she said regarding her time in the water with the wounded Soldiers. “We had to be careful with different injuries which we had to overcome. We had to be creative and we did that with special equipment like special fins.”

http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=45903628171

Date: 9-16-10

Location: La Jolla Shores/South Wall

Surf: 1-2 ft. negligible

Viz: seemed pretty good, approx. 12-15 ft below 70 ft.

Max Depth: 120 ft.

Mix: 32%/ppo: 1.5

Dive Length: 45 mins

Dive Buddy: Dave H.

Marine Life Observed: numerous Spot Prawns  out on the kelp mats, observed as large fields of glowing  eyes, Sarcastic Fringeheads, Spanish Shawl [1], Strawberry Anemones [1 small clump], Vermilion Rockfish and one absolutely huge Sheephead, wedged back into a large hole at around 115 ft.

Highlights:

–Dave and I waded out from the bathrooms at V. St. through negligible surf to drop down into the canyon and headed south toward the South Wall, opposite the Marine Room restaurant, which is always a treat, which its spectacular striated face, dropping away into the abyss.

–on the way back, came across that mini-cave at around 115 ft. and noted a small clump of Corynactis californica [Strawberry anemone] on the north side, as well as a couple large, Vermilion rockfish patrolling the outside, as well as an unbelievably large Sheephead, who appeared to be hopelessly wedged into the back of the cave, his body seemingly larger than the opening of the hole.  It’s always fun to speculate how these large, male Sheephead get into/out of the openings, which appear much smaller than their body size. One assumes they manage somehow–or there’s a ‘back way’ out somewhere we can’t see. A lone Flabellina iodinea [Spanish Shawl]  provided a neon visual treat on the way back, out all by itself on the sandstone cliffs.

A quick reminder that online ticket sales for this year’s San Diego Undersea Film Exhibition (SDUFEX) will be suspended on Friday September 17, 2010 at noon.

Tickets will be available at the Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Hall the night of the shows, but by ordering them online now you will avoid the ticket lines. If you order close to the deadline, please bring your receipt to “Will Call” to avoid any possible late timing difficulties.

See here for more info: www.sdufex.com

What: 11th Annual San Diego UnderSea Film Exhibition

When: Friday and Saturday evenings, September 17 and 18th, 2010 7:00 pm

The judges’ results are in, and 32 underwater videos have been selected
to be shown at the 11th Annual San Diego UnderSea Film Exhibition, at
the Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Hall on Friday and Saturday evenings,
September 17 and 18, 2010. The programs for both nights are now posted on
the organization’s website, www.sdufex.com. What makes this exhibition unique
is that there are no entry fees and no prizes, except for the prestige of having a
film shown.

Fifty five entries from six countries around the world were vying for the
honor. A panel of three independent judges picked the winners. This year’s
judges were Shannon Hull, Andy Sallmon, and Bonnie Toth, professionals in the
fields of scuba diving, photography, and televison.

Among the films that made the cut are two by Howard and Michele Hall,
renowned for their IMAX and television productions. Subjects of others include
sperm whales, microscopic plankton, sharks, shipwrecks, and manta rays.
Locations include Indonesia, the Maldives, the Arctic, the Red Sea, and our own
California coast.

A different program will be presented each evening beginning at 7:00 PM.
Each show will feature 16 digital films, limited to five minutes each of fast-paced
entertainment. They will be shown on Qualcomm’s state of the art high definition
digital projection system.

Tickets are available for $15 per evening online at www. sdufex.com.
SDUFEX is incorporated as a 501c3 nonprofit organization. A portion of
the proceeds will go to Birch Aquarium and San Diego Oceans Foundation.
Previous years’ shows have been sellouts, so get your tickets early. Seating is
open, and doors open 30 minutes prior to the show. Free Parking is on site at the
Qualcomm campus. Further information is available online at www.sdufex.com.

2010 San Diego Undersea Film Exhibition – Trailer from Pete Fowler on Vimeo.

Lion Nudibranch on Kelp/Used w/Permission

AFTER A 600-KM JOURNEY from the sub-Antarctic, a variety of crustaceans, molluscs and other small marine animals have washed up on a beach in New Zealand.

Scientists say this confirms theories that these unlikely adventurers are able to travel vast distances to settle in new homes.

The team analysed six southern bull kelp specimens found on St Clair Beach in southern Otago in February 2009 and May 2010, and turned up large goose barnacles and another nine marine species, including sea spiders, snails and sea stars. The discovery solves the enduring mystery of how these animals – many sedentary – move between the continents.

http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/sea-creatures-travel-across-oceans-on-rafts-of-kelp.htm