AfricanDiver Issue 5

1 Jun/Jul 09AfricanDiver.com

Diving Mauritania and Western Sahara

Paradisiacal Pomene

Moving Sushi

Andrew Woodburn

Jun/Jul 2009Issue 5AfricanDiver

The Boundless Southern Africa ExperditionPonta Mamoli

Sodwana ShootoutThe 10th Anniversary


ContentsPage 3Paradisiacal Pomene, Mozambiqueby Andrew Woodburn

Page 12Experiencing boundless Southern Africa in Ponta Mamoliby Cormac McCreesh

Page 16Save Our Seas Foundation Awareness Campaign by Lesley Rochet

Page 19Diving Mauritania and Western Saharaby Moving Sushi

2African News

Page 23Ponta Du Ouraby Gary Clamp

Page 25Marine animal injuriesby DAN

Page 30Will the Sardine runby Cormac McCreesh

Page 32The 10th annual Fujifilm Sodwana Shotoutby Cormac McCreesh

Page 39One shot - right time right placeby Simon Brown

Cover by Andrew Woodburn

Paul and I were in Mozambique when we heard about the mass stranding of pilot whales near Kommetjie on the Cape Peninsula. Throughout the day, we followed reports that brought the distressing news of unsuccessful attempts to save the stranded whales. Back in Johannesburg and getting this issue ready for publication, we sought further news. Reports vary on the number of whales that either died, were euthanized or saved. Reports even vary as to whether these were pilot whales or false killer whales. Nonetheless, it turns out that around 50 whales died. And sadly, no one knows why these strandings occur.

It is sad to open this issue of African Diver with such news but it reminds us of how little we know of our oceans and the animals that frequent it. Once again, we are reminded that only when we witness mass strandings of whales or visuals of slaughtered dolphin or the inhumane finning of sharks do we begin to care about the oceans that surround our countries. However, tireless individuals that champion the conservation of the oceans are around and their voices are beginning to be heard.

In this issue, we feature the Save Our Oceans Foundation’s latest campaign to heighten awareness for the poor state of our oceans. We travel to Ponta Mamoli to catch up with the Boundless Southern Africa expedition and learn of their work with transfrontier conservation areas. And the Moving Sushi team bring us news of the poor state of fishery stocks in the Western Sahara and Mauritania.

All is not bleak though and our feature on Pomeme will lift your spirits and have you itching to jump into your 4x4 to dive the Zambia Shoal Reefs. Staying in Mozambique, we visit the ever-popular destination Ponta d Oura – a place of great dive sites, endless parties and sand and surf.

And then we catch up with the diving off Rocky Bay which leads us to speculation about this year’s sardine run – will they run or not? One thing’s for sure: we will be able to tell you in our August edition.

Finally, we report on the 10th anniversary of the Sodwana Shootout where conditions were less than favourable for underwater photography. Despite this, the competitors managed to produce some fantastic images and we are lucky enough to be able to bring them to you.

African Diver continues to be a labour of love for Paul and I and with your support, more and more people are beginning to download the magazine. We are excited by the interest in what we publish and thank our contributors for their support.

We look forward to bringing you the next edition on the 1st of August and urge you to visit your local dive spot frequently.

May your bubbles always be free.

Cormac and Paul

Editorial by Cormac McCreesh

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Paradisiacal PomeneText and images by Andrew Woodburn


P is for Paradise – Paradisiacal Pomene. This feeling of paradise washes over me while under the clear blue sky I fin past a flock of pink flamingos, with their upside down heads, gracing one of the sandbars in the clear water of the Pomene estuary.

I’d been here before, many years ago when I was lucky enough to be a founding explorer on reefs only frequented by fisherman and spearos. In those days I wasn’t an underwater photographer and hadn’t been able to capture paradise on film. And now, in this day and age of cellphones , diary mania and credit crises I find myself back in central Mozambique to see if paradise remains as perfect as in my memories.


I looked down from the boat into 50m of water and could see the pinnacles we were headed for clearly on the bottom. We backwards roll and I turn, exhale and freefall into the indigo blue water.

Focussing on the pinnacles below, I identify the shapes of eagle rays and large bass moving in formation, jolt into a frenzy of preparing the camera so that by the time I reach them I can record their presence.

This is 3 sisters (3 deep pinnacles off the northern end of deep Zambia shoal) which in my opinion has to be the premier pinnacle dive in Southern Africa. These are no gentle bumps like deep pinnacle off southern Mozambique’s well known dive destinations

but rather, distinct structures rising from 48m at the base and topping off at 30m and covered in black coral and green coral trees.

The green coral trees harbour schools of goldies, coachmen and reef fish that attract hunting pelagic game fish and larger marine species such as manta arriving for cleaning. I think I am the first diver to slot the keyhole at 35m; a nearly closed hole in the reef between the first and the second sister.

The dive is over all too quickly since diving at an average depth of 35m destroys my bottom time and forces me to surface. Ascending from 35m I can clearly see the boat on the surface, ripples diffracting the cloud patterns in the sky above and red fang trigger-fish


silhouetted in midwater. Since we are so far from the Pomene estuary (20km) it’s ideal for double tank dives and so we snorkel on shallow Zambia (6m deep in the middle of the ocean) where a sailfish swims past the boat its sail distinctive above the surface.

We select the Trojan dive site for a second shallower and more traditional reef dive. Trojan runs along the inside edge of Zambia shoal meeting sand at 24m and rising up to 15m and boasts wonderful amphitheatres. I loved finding turtles, bass and shoaling fish which stimulated my immersion into their world on the reef. For the first time ever I found a large plate coral with a coral tree growing right out the centre of it. It was graced by an obliging bass for a great photo. The reef is named after a piece of structure which when viewed side on resembles a horse’s head.

I was enthralled by my day’s diving and excitedly shared the experiences on the pool deck outside the bar while my wife, Clara and I toasted the sunset with cold 2M beers.

Little did I know, that wasn’t all Pomene had to provide.

Waking up after a comfortable night’s sleep in our tent I peeked out to see the ocean less than a hundred meters away in the pleasant morning light with not a breath of wind on the water. We launched from the river mouth again and headed to sites off the old Pomene hotel that sits in ruins atop the “Barra falsa” point. The old hotel has not been used since the 1970s and is still a bone of contention between prospective investors for refurbishing, and the Mozambique government who are demanding a hefty fee in US dollars for the development rights.

As we arrived we circled the dive site and I was lucky enough to free dive the legendary Playstation reef to test for current and visibility. On my descent I was greeted by a mature gray reef shark of over 2m at 12m down. What an honour; since on most well-dived reefs these creatures are normally absent and on some days this particular set of reefs can be un-divable with ultra strong currents.

Pomene Playstation is a 5-star reef with fantastic features including a mini-cave network, large reef structure with deep cracks, sandy fish-filled arena, overhangs, swim through’s and a manta cleaning station on the south side visited by reef and hunting game fish continuously. At 24m it’s a good intermediate dive site providing world-class diving with enough bottom time to enjoy a 60min dive allowing us to cover most of the reef.

After I surface from this dive I just can’t wait to do it again; it’s almost too much to absorb in one experience and if we are lucky we may get whale shark interaction which congregate off the Pomene point. On this day due to calm conditions I get a second double tank treat and add “Steps” to the dive sightseeing tour. Steps is fascinating since I’m sure it adds credibility to the theory that ancient civilizations cut rock from sites that are now subterranean, in order to build great wonders of the world. Drifting along in the current I fly over multiple 90 degree cuts in rock layers just too geometrically perfect to be natural. I don’t know, go dive it for yourself to decide.


The fissures and blocks are now home to moray eels galore, and on the deep areas impressive vertical walls stack up from 36m towards the surface.

Getting back from the dives I had pretty much thought that diving here couldn’t really get much better till that evening talking with Joe and Natalie the managers and Dave and Jill the Barra Resort owners I learned a little secret. I was informed that Neville Ayliff the Sodwana legend, fish life guru and diver extraordinaire was becoming part of the team at Pomene later in the year and would bring with him his wealth of experience, fishy facts and diving leadership that was a crucial part of developing Sodwana into the diving destination it has become. I’m sure Neville will have years of work ahead of him to do more exploration in this region. In addition the resort has built an artificial reef in the estuary just off the dive centre where seahorses abound and macro critters dominate in the sea grass. Not to be outdone by my experiences so far Joe also showed me photos from 2006 of dugong in the estuary mouth which had me scanning the water on every exit and entrance from the river from then on.

Pomene lodge occupies a unique spit of beach separating natural mangrove forests and a freshwater estuary which feeds around the spit into the Indian Ocean through a tidal estuary. In fact the spit probably doesn’t get more than 2m above high tide at any one place which has led to, during the devastating cyclones in past years, knee-deep waves washing through the reception door and out past the pool into the estuary. At any one time while walking on the spit I am able to see the aquamarine ocean out one eye across the squeaky white sand beach and out the other eye the reflections off the estuary in different stages of tidal flux. This place presents a sensory overload to me, with visuals representing travel brochure images of coconut palms, blue sea and white sand, with warm tropical breezes cooling the sun’s rays on my skin, the waves from the ocean crashing in my ears and the smell of untainted air.

This paradisiacal environment delivers feelings of peace and space and makes me feel like the only person on the planet. Pomene has traditionally been known as a secret fishing destination and over the last few years more and more diving has been done exploring and identifying its awesome reefs.


Not only does Pomene have two of Southern Africa’s best reef dives but will soon be home to one of Southern Africa’s best known dive personalities, Neville Ayliff. I’m not sure it gets better than this.

This ideal location is unique in that it provides a delicate mix of the old Sodwana camping atmosphere, but even better since you get to camp with the beach as your front door step. Each campsite comes with a fresh water tap, braai facilities and electrical point. Most sites have thatched barracas which can accommodate fridges and all your camping tables/ food and are fitted with lights for the evening. This destination offers basic to beyond expectation camping, self catering group chalets and top end water chalets, all backed up by a professional dive operation. The self-catering chalets offer 6 and 8 sleeper options in large rustic thatch lodges which, although basic, still bring the sea straight to your door step. Each self-cater chalet is serviced with bedding, cutlery, crockery a freezer and mosquito nets. The chalets range from ocean view to sunset and the Den, a grouping of four double rooms en-suite. I even met some fisherman who had driven from Port Elizabeth to Pomene towing a boat, that’s about 4 days of dedication each way.

But that’s not all, the pride and glory of the resort are the Water chalets, and our room became affectionately referred to by my wife as the “water palace”. Double rooms en-suite , built Mozambique style on stilts, with reed roofs serviced by raised


walkways are an architectural feature facing out west over the lagoon. Our room had an almighty double bed within a billowing mosquito net covered by fresh sheets and an airy duvet. Power points for charging the camera gear and a balcony with the most brilliant sunset vista over the estuary

and private stairs down to the squeaky white sand covered by tidal waves running up between the stilts at high tide.Pomene also provides family activities including horse riding, quad bike adventures, sunset cruises, fly-fishing, shore fishing and offshore fishing on the famous Zambia

banks. We met friendly travelers and divers in this off-beat corner of Mozambique and enjoyed the finest fish caught that day and prawns from the restaurant at reasonable prices after enjoying cold 2M on the deck. This was a great adventure providing a delicate mix of paradise supported


by some of the more necessary amenities such as power (generator driven from 8-12am and 4-10pm) hot water showers, a small shop and even a satellite TV for those important rugby matches or soap operas, yet far enough

away not to be intrusive. The central lodge area also provides a pool table, bar area and rim-flow fresh water swimming pool. So I’d recommend saddling up the 4*4 (yep you need a 4 wheel drive to get through the last 2

hours of beach sand track) turn north at Maputo and keep on going till Masinga (approximately 700km) before falling off tarmac. Or fly in directly from Jhb South Africa via Inhambane . Pomene Lodge is part of the Barra Resorts


group supported by the same infrastructure that services the Barra lodge and Flamingo Bay Hotels in Inhambane. For more information on rates and rooms see www.barraresorts.com

So since the trip was planned to experience the diving at this far flung piece of paradise let’s cut to the chase. I think that Pomene is blessed with two of the best dives in Southern Africa. Three sisters the leading pinnacle dive and Pomene Playstation a spectacular site competing with the best I’ve seen worldwide. In short this piece of paradise will definitely be on my must visit list again and I’ll be salivating at the thought of what Neville will find and add to the already abundant selection of world class diving.

http://www.barraresorts.com


There is something insanely illogical about a border between countries. And nowhere is this more evident to me than in Africa. Take this weekend for example: Paul and I drove down from the city of big smoke ( Johannesburg for those who don’t know) to the land of endless coastlines (very northern Kwa-Zulu Natal). And as we headed north along the coast we took in the rural countryside and crossed the border from South Africa to Mozambique. At the South African border, the tar road ceases to exist and is replaced by sandy tracks that criss-cross the dunes. Through villages and wetlands these tracks haphazardly weave along the coastline feeding numerous resorts that are steadily gaining a foothold in what was once war-ravaged countryside.

How bizarre is it that an artificial line separates the people that live here and determines how they should live. Mankind really has some strange behaviour.

This silly and irrational behaviour not only affects people, it imposes on the natural habitat of the resident wildlife. Elephant no longer wander their long migratory routes for example. Antelope, lion, buffalo, to name a few live their days hemmed in by electric fences and are managed by rangers who monitor their health and well-being.

If Europe can tear down their barriers and build a European Union, then why can’t such a state be envisaged in Southern Africa? Thankfully some forward-thinking people in commerce and government are plotting a way forward that holds some hope.

Boundless Southern Africa is the consolidated brand adopted by Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe to promote Trans-frontier Conservation Areas (TFCA’s). Together, these countries have adopted a strategy to increase the tourism potential of Southern Africa by consolidating marketing, infrastructure development and investment promotion efforts of these TFCA’s. This is fantastic news and bodes well for the future and the management of Southern Africa’s conservation initiatives. Long may this last.

Experiencing Boundless Southern Africa in Ponta MamoliText by Cormac McCreeshImages by Cormac McCreesh & Paul Hunter


To promote and raise awareness of these issues, The Boundless Southern Africa Expedition, led by well-known adventurer Kingsly Holgate, cuts across nine Southern African countries, seven TFCA’s and covers some 10 000 kilometres over a period of 120 days.

The expedition not only focuses on tourism and investment opportunities but also on humanitarian activities such as:

“one net, one life” distribution of mosquito nets in •malaria prevalent TFCA’s to pregnant mothers and children under five“teaching on the edge” project which focuses on the •donation of mobile libraries to rural schools around the transfrontier parks“right to sight” campaign where reading glasses are •distributed to the poor sightedupgrading of soccer fields and distributing of soccer •balls

We were fortunate enough to be invited by the management of Ponta Mamoli to meet up with the expedition as it covered the Lubombo TFCA.

This TFCA crosses the borders of Swaziland, South Africa and Mozambique and includes the Tembe Elephant Park and some breath-taking landscapes such as the Usuthu gorge.

Kingsly and his team exude conservation and a love of wildlife and the rural people that live in and around the TFCA’s. Kingsly spoke passionately to us about conservation and humanitarian efforts such as the “one net, one life” initiative. Of particular interest to us at African Diver is the extension of the TFCA concept to include the marine and coastal areas of Southern Africa. Already there are significant efforts in South Africa, Mozambique and Namibia to declare and manage “marine protected areas and we salute this. But more needs to be done.


Our marine and coastal resources are delicate and easily abused. It struck me that we can easily fly over a land mass and survey the wildlife population and effects of mismanagement of the land but we cannot do the same for our seas. We simply can’t count our stocks of sharks, whales and dolphin and neither can we see the effects of pollution. Nor can we fence these animals in to protect them. Whale sharks have no boundaries. Nor do great white sharks for example! Imagine a TFCA of southern African marine areas where fishing is strictly regulated and managed. An area where pollution is not tolerated and indiscriminate long lining is prohibited. Imagine a safe haven for fish stocks to replenish and grow. All it takes is the political will demonstrated in creating the TFCA’s. Ponta Mamoli lies in the Lubombo TFCA and is a few minutes drive from the Tembe Elephant Park. It is a secluded paradise where life slows down and flows with a different energy. It is a place to sooth the soul, to listen to the breathing of the ocean as it shapes the Ponta Mamoli beach and bay. It is a place to reflect and energise; to learn to love the sea and land we live on. It was the perfect place to meet with the Boundless Southern Africa expedition and to learn about efforts to conserve our natural heritage.


To follow the Boundless Southern Africa expedition visit www.boundlesssa.com and to find out more about the Ponta Mamoli resort visit www.pontamamoli.com

We have previously written about Ponta Mamoli and you can download that article here.

Ponta Mamoli resort was once a titanium mine that later became a camping site but was destroyed by the revolution and subsequent civil war. It is now a resort that blends in with the environment and offers a unique African experience. It boasts a variety of activities for those who find relaxing at the pool or on the beach too strenuous. These activities include scuba diving, bird watching, horse riding, deep sea fishing to name a few. The hosts are charming, caring and friendly and go out of their way to make sure you forget about life for a while.

It’s a kind of magic you won’t forget too easily.

http://www.boundlesssa.com

http://www.boundlesssa.com

http://www.pontamamoli.com

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The Ocean is Dying and Cry-ing Out for Help

The Save Our Seas Foundation Ocean Speaks Out Awareness CampaignText and photographs: Lesley Rochat/SOSF

The Save Our Seas Foundation has come up with another thought-provoking awareness campaign. For about six years I have been working closely with the dynamic and multi award winning ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi, Cape Town. I was introduced to them by the Two Oceans Aquarium and commissioned them to help me change people’s perceptions of sharks for the Save Our Seas Foundation M-Sea Programme, which focused on the satellite tagging and releasing of ragged tooth sharks from the Aquarium. The result was the award winning RETHINK THE SHARK campaign, which has gone a long way toward putting shark encounters into perspective.


Since then I have continued to work with them in the development of campaigns that help raise awareness about the plight of the oceans. Not too long ago I presented them with a new challenge: to come up with a campaign for the Save Our Seas Foundation that would educate and create awareness about the plight of the oceans. A couple of meetings and intense discussions on how to approach such a complex topic, fraught with many issues, sparked their creative ingenuity. The result is the SOS OCEANS SPEAK OUT awareness campaign, which literally gives the oceans a voice, something only Saatchi could conjure up! The campaign consists of three specific elements, each a direct appeal for help from the ocean to those who find them. It was rolled out over three days during May on Muizenberg Beach in Cape Town, South Africa.

To find out more about the campaign, visit www.saveourseas.com

No matter where in the world we live the oceans are our life support system, they govern climates, absorb carbon dioxide, provide the oxygen we breathe, the fresh water we drink, as well as being a source of medicine and protein for millions of people.

http://www.saveourseas.com


But our oceans are suffering due to relentless negative human impact caused by pollution, climate change, habitat destruction and over-fishing. Scientific reports warn us that if the current rate of exploitation of our marine resources continues then there will be no fish left by the year 2050. Many animals are being driven to extinction, and large predatory species such as specific shark species have declined by 90%. Most people are unaware of the plight of our oceans and a campaign like this aims to raise awareness and educate the public about the alarming decline in marine life by literally giving the ocean and its inhabitants a voice.


Trying to fully understand the impact of the lack of fisheries management along Senegal’s coastline was exhausting and resulted in both Linda and I suffering from multiple illnesses including our fair shar e of malaria. Although it was tough, we encountered great projects and fantastic individuals working hard on current conservation issues. We would have loved to continue working and collaborating with these various initiatives, however it was time to head up north towards Mauritania and Morocco; the last country of our West African leg of the expedition.

Heading north from Dakar was trying as we unknowingly chose to drive to the Mauritanian border on the Prophet Mohammed’s birthday. This meant that every Muslim in Dakar was celebrating either in a car on the roadside or in the markets. The police diverted us off the main road and into a small village with thousands of celebrating people. It was utter chaos and it took 3 hours to penetrate the crowd and finally make the 2 kilometers back onto the main road. Flustered and rattled by the crowds and chaos we had just come through, we arrived at St. Louis, a fishing town just 50 odd kilometers from the Mauritanian border. Interestingly enough, St. Louis was the port, which docked the infamous Dae Sung N2 Korean fishing trawler, which I arrested on numerous occasions whilst working in Gabon. Not wanting to dig up any ghosts from the past, we spent a relaxing night in a beautiful national park situated literally on the beach and left early the next morning for the Mauritanian border.

Our goal was to get to Nouakchott, Mauritania’s capital, from where we would make our way to the famous Bank d’ Arguin National Park. The national park is a world heritage site and in winter has the largest concentration of wading birds in the world. Additionally it is the most important breeding area for birds on the Atlantic seaboard, and offers the richest fishery along the West African coastline. The park encompasses an area of 12 000 km2 of which the marine component is approximately 6000 km2. For Linda and I, it was not only important to appreciate the fantastic diversity of birds (from waders to flamingo’s and pelicans), but also to submerge ourselves amongst the reefs and fish to observe and understand better this so-called ‘fisheries wonderland’. The National Park is characterised by the huge barren red sand dunes of the Sahara

cascading down towards the turquoise blue and warm Atlantic Ocean. Islands, saltpans, shallow mud flats, inlets and protected bays, divide the coast into an interesting network of variable habitats.

Entering the water at Cap Tafarit, approximately half way between the Bank d ‘ Arguin National Park’s southern and northern borders was exciting. But experience has taught us to have few expectations and, although cynical, we expected nothing great. Based on other national parks in Africa, fish were the last thing I expected to see. We free-dived a series of cliffs, which entered the water and descended from 5 to 10 meters to a sandy bottom with intermittent small rocky pinnacles, and caves. What we saw was mind-blowing; the diversity of fish, cuttlefish and invertebrates was astounding. Cuttlefish in the hundreds were spawning and we watched them changing colour, flickering through every shade of

Diving Mauritania and Western SaharaText and images by Moving Sushi team


brilliance. Each rock we looked under, or cave we peered into, showcased different fish of varying sizes. A parrot fish of over 5 kg swam past, and when we peered into the cave it had entered a shoal of scianids interspersed with various sparids looked straight back at us. It seemed that in every direction we looked, something was either swimming, chasing or hiding. Incredible.

We used up all of our video and still camera batteries and 3 hours lapsed in what appeared to be almost an instant. It was unforgettable looking up from the water to see the barren endless sand of the Sahara extending to the horizon. That such emptiness can give way to such biodiversity and astounding beauty both in colour and species richness right under our feet in water we could stand in, and a stone’s throw away from the side of the cliff, was inspirational. For me, the diving showcased the perfect playground for kids with

expanding minds and a passion for wildlife and is undoubtedly the ultimate classroom.

Packing our dive gear away was sad, but time was running and we had to get to Morocco. Our goal was to reach Dakhla and try to get our cameras underwater for a look at what another important fisheries port has to offer. And so started a sequence of events I will never forget. Dakhla is a military town. Hundreds of military personnel are stationed here in case of renewed aggression with Mauritania or Western Sahara. This made our jobs as South Africans with video and still cameras extremely difficult. Nevertheless, we persevered and although we were denied access to the port, we managed to organize a dive in the bay. A small-scale dive operator there told us that the reefs were magnificent and teeming with fish life. We could choose to dive a reef or a wreck, and a small boat with security would take us there.

The addition of “security” made me wonder what we were getting into as did the price of the dive - 55 Euros each. This was ridiculous as not even a dive in Europe or the Red Sea would cost 55 Euros, especially since we had all our own gear. After an hour of negotiation we managed to organise the dive for the next day.

On arriving the next morning at the agreed rendezvous site, we geared up and jumped into a tiny boat powered by a 7.5 horsepower Suzuki engine and puttered off. According to the skipper, whom we found out was also the security detail, we were heading to a stunning reef where we would get great pictures and video footage. As we progressed the dark water showed no sign of cleaning up and the 3 km boat drive into the wind took nearly

1 hour and 15 minutes. We were disappointed at the water quality when the boat stopped. It was so bad, in fact, that I decided to do a quick dive to see if we could actually use the cameras at all. The depth was only 10 meters but by the time I got to the bottom there was only a meter or so visibility; sub-optimal in my opinion. We decided to dive anyway as we had to pay for the boat and over we went, cameras and all, into the Western Sahara sea-gloom.


We dived for 65 minutes and saw very few fish. The species of the day with respect to size and abundance was the sea cucumber, in all its magnificence. There were hundreds littering the reef in between the thick layer of silt and a labyrinth of hooks and fishing line. The water was so dark and green it made photography almost impossible, especially given that the slightest of movement would send a plume of silt mushrooming into the water column darkening out the last remaining hope of sunlight. We wound our way through the uncomplicated reef, as there were basically only a few scattered rocks, and tried to think of what diving here must have been like. Were there fish, what species were present and so on? Based on all the ghost gear, the reef must have been subject to over-fishing pressure from the local fishers, which had culminated in not only the destruction of the reef (evidenced by the huge amount of lost anchors) but the deterioration of

fish life as well. It was an experience that was emotionally overwhelming for us, especially after the excitement and beauty of the Mauritanian dive just 570km south. Our second dive was to be on the wreck, but due to the horrific water, we decided against spending the money, thankfully so. Discussing the layout of the wreck, it came apparent that the vessel was a pirogue sunk for tourist diving purposes, and was not a ship-wreck at all. A short-term business plan if you ask me, especially since the asking price for the wreck dive was 50 Euros.

West Africa’s fisheries, as I have stated in previous articles, fails primarily due to a lack of political will and structure. It was evident through all our discussions and interviews during our journey. Looking back it is clear that South Africa has excellent fisheries laws, but the inability to police them. Namibia has fantastic environmental laws, and the

development of the new MPA is testament to that. The rest of West Africa is a mess, until you reach Morocco that is, and is characterized by poor political ability and will, a lack of capacity and financial mismanagement.

The Moroccan Government manages its fisheries strictly; so much so that there are no conservation NGO’s (which raises its own set of questions). One thing for sure is that understanding Morocco’s fishery story is going to be complex and, given our experience in Dakhla where we were denied from the port and observing the tight port security, coupled with the political situation regarding South Africa, our journey ahead will be full of challenges.


African NewsThis book is for local Cape divers, visitors and anyone curious to learn about and identify the profusion of submarine life in the waters around the Cape Peninsula. Just as the Cape floristic kingdom has many unique plants, so the waters around its peninsula teem with unique fauna. In the course of researching this book, several new species from very different animal groups came to light and it’s a sure thing that many still undiscovered species remain to be found.

From sponges to whales via basket stars and tube worms, this guidecontains field descriptions of over 400 species of marine animals, allwith colour photographs. It also contains illustrated explanations ofthe biology of the major animal groups covered.

It can be ordered from [email protected] for R250 inc pnp (withinSouth Africa) and is stocked at all good divestores and bookshops. See www.surg.co.za or www.readersforumbooks.co.za for more detailsGeorgina Jones first dived at A-Frame on the western shores of False Bay in 1990. Despite having dived in many different places since then, she remains convinced that the most fascinating place to dive is right where she began.

Review by George Branch, co-author of Two Oceans:This book is an outstanding addition to the literature available toscientists, students, divers and beachcombers. It combines the benefits of breadth of coverage, local detail, spectacular photographs and scientific accuracy. Everyone with an interest in the sea should have a copy.

Rocky Bay Update - by Gary Clamp

Winter is approaching, the daylight hours are getting shorter and the rainy season is coming to an end. All this is true, except maybe someone forgot to tell Mother Nature that the rainy season should be ending, as she seems to be keen on extending it a while longer. Winter means colder water temperature, but the absence of rain leads to increased visibility underwater here on the Kwa-Zulu Natal south coast. This is the time to dive, albeit with a bit more protection from the cold than before. The last couple of months have confused us somewhat however, as we have experienced water temperatures as low as 14 degrees Celsius. This is quite a shock when you are wearing a 3 mm wetsuit! The following week, not wanting to be caught off-guard again, we all put on as much neoprene as possible, fell into the water and experienced 22 degrees Celsius of water temperature. What is happening? Clearly this is way beyond my understanding. Suffice to say that I have never experienced water as cold as that in my diving on this coastline.At Rocky Bay we have been fortunate with the visibility varying between 8 metres and 25 metres over this period, and have generally had very pleasant dives. Our previous skipper saw fit to abandon us and take up a position in Tanzania, lucky fellow (or words to that effect), and we now have a new skipper to abuse on a Saturday morning. We are breaking him in gently and in return he is taking us to dive sites that are rarely dived by anyone. A win- win situation for all concerned. The last couple of dives have been spent on Chart Reef, apparently named after a slain British Army officer. This is a spectacular reef of swim-throughs, gulleys, ridges and abundant life. Perhaps the most exciting visitor we have recently had was a 4 metre Tiger Shark. Tigers are regularly seen in the area as there are three well-known specialist operators with permits to work with these animals and provide divers with a shark diving experience. It was special to have a natural encounter with this beautiful creature, no bait involved. We have also had a Thresher Shark visit which had the camera carriers among us clicking and filming for all they were worth. A rare sight indeed, but caught on camera for all to see.Winter heralds the start of the annual Sardine run and hopefully we will be in the right place at the right time to experience this phenomenon and its accompanying entourage. We will also await the return of the Ragged Toothed Sharks to our area.

Seems like we have a lot of good diving to look forward to and I intend to make the most of them.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.surg.co.za

http://www.readersforumbooks.co.za


The 22nd of January 1998 is a day that is indelibly fixed in my mind. This was the day that I was to discover the amazing world under the sea. We had left Johannesburg at midnight, driven through the night in convoy, covering some 600 kilometres to arrive at the Mozambique border at 8.00 a.m. when the border opened for business. Formalities dispensed with, we then had a further 12 kilometres of sand to contend with before we arrived at our destination, the diving paradise of Ponta Do Ouro.

Our first boat launch and sea dive followed later that morning at a reef called Crèche, the first dive location of

many of South Africa’s divers. My log book reflects that the water temperature was 27 degrees Celsius and visibility an astounding 30 metres. How could I resist, I was hooked. The next three days we experienced the delights of Steps, Steve’s, Doodles and then the awesome deep dive that is Pinnacles. It was on the Pinnacles dive that I encountered my first shark, a Hammerhead, as well as my first Barracuda and my first Manta. This was 35 minutes of heaven, and the last dive of the trip. Devastated I was, but I knew that I would return. It took me almost a year to return to this diving Mecca.

Just after New Year in January 1999 we drove into Ponta as excited as the first time, but now more experienced and with an Advanced Diver qualification. On this trip Kev’s Ledge, Three Sisters, Checkers, Bass City and Paradise Reef were added to our spots dived. Doodles and Pinnacles were revisited and proved themselves to be worthy of the praise I had heaped on them the year before. Zambezi (Bull) sharks, Potato Bass and numerous other thrills were encountered and celebrated with a few beers at the end of the diving day. As our diving abilities improved, the underwater world blessed us with its treasures.

Ponta d’Oura - by Gary Clamp Images by Paul Hunter and Cormac McCreesh


I have been fortunate enough to return to Ponta many times since then. My Rescue Diver and Divemaster qualification practical dives were done there. I have also had the privilege of taking my own students to Ponta and qualified them at surely one of the best sites for training in Southern Africa. I can truly say that I have never had a bad time there. Whether staying at the camp site, the Motel Del Mar or one of the available houses like the Mermaid House, each trip has special memories. Many of South Africa’s diving fraternity will remember the infamous Graceland bar, the cause of many a missed early morning dive and the ensuing hangover from hell. Gone now, but surely not forgotten.

Writing this I am trying to remember when I was last there. I am told that there has been a lot of development in terms of the available facilities and I worry that maybe somehow this will have changed the ambience of the place. Perhaps now it is no longer an adventure, merely a dive trip. What I do know is that development on the shoreline doesnot mean that the special diving available on its fantastic reefs no longer exists.

It has been too long. I need to talk to my dive buddies and arrange a trip to get re-acquainted.


MARINE ANIMAL INJURIES by Dr Frans J Cronjé , MBChB(Pret), Bsc(Hons) Aerosp Med Executive & Medical Director - DAN Southern Africa


Injuries caused by marine animals accounts for less than 2% of all diving injuries or illness and South Africa is fortunate to have relatively few hazardous or aggressive marine creatures. Nevertheless, chances are that someone on the beach may happen upon a misplaced Blue Bottle and treatment will be required. Although the treatment of marine animal injury is not complicated and follows the same basic principles that apply to other traumatic injuries sustained on land, the aquatic environment can complicate matters: injuries may occur in remote areas or out at sea and the emotional impact of the gaping wounds from a shark attack, for instance, may interfere with the need for urgent haemostasis and stabilisation of the victim. This article is intended to supplement the information available to you from other excellent resources, with some additional practical considerations and solutions. Where medical or paramedical therapy is suggested, this is obviously limited to those licensed and competent to do so.

Hazardous marine life can be conveniently divided into five groups: • stingers;• stickers;• snappers;• scrapers;and• shockers.

The division is useful in describing not only the various mechanisms of injury but also the relevant treatment considerations.

General principles of treatment

The best way to approach and remember the principles for treatment of marine animal injury is to apply three basic rules:

Remove the cause Treat the effects Prevent further complications

Dangerous animals

1. Stingers ( Jelly fish; Blue bottles; etc.)

Stingers have specialised envenomation cells known as nematocysts. These cells, when stimulated by contact or endosmosis, discharge an inverted dart into the victim when the hydrostatic pressure within the cell has reached a certain threshold. The projectile introduces an irritating and damaging protein venom that is fortunately destroyed rapidly by heat or contact with acidic or alkaline substances. Certain people may develop a severe anaphylactic reaction to the venom - similar to that of a bee sting. Stings in the face should always be observed carefully because of the risk of swelling and consequent danger to the airway. Nematocysts can remain viable (and dangerous) for several hours or even days after they have been washed up on shore - beachcombers beware! Always wear two pairs of gloves when handling tentacles or treating the victim of a marine animal envenomation to prevent becoming a victim yourself. Never use hypo-osmolar fluids (e.g. fresh water) to rinse wounds caused by a stinger, as any active nematocysts that are still in contact with the victim will immediately be discharged, making the injury worse. Even urine is better than fresh water. It is sterile and is usually readily available!

R: Rinse or apply a gauze swab to the wound that has been soaked in vinegar or alcohol (even 43% if nothing else is available) as soon as possible. Best results come from early applications. Vinegar and alcohol kill the nematocysts without discharging them and neutralise the venom. After the stinging cells have been destroyed, any remaining tentacles can be removed with water, beach sand or scraped off with a blunt knife.

T: Application of local anaesthetic cream, e.g. Lignocaine / Prilocaine (EMLA 5%) cream, has shown to be the most effective for pain relief. Antihistamines may be used for swelling or mild local allergic reactions. Some varieties such as the South African Sea Wasps, though less dangerous than their Australian counterparts, cause scarring and the addition of topical cortisone cream may minimise this. Parenteral administrations may be required for severe reactions, including anaphylaxis.

P: Allergy and localised pain are the most common manifestations of these injuries. Some patients may present with paraesthesia, mental disorientation, nausea, vomiting and malaise. Although these venoms are potent neurotoxins, very little is usually transferred to the victim and a depressed level of consciousness and death (due to cardiac or respiratory


arrest) are the exception. Patients should be taken to hospital for observation if there are signs of facial swelling, hoarseness or neurological involvement.

2. Stickers (Cone shells; Sea urchins; Devil-firefish, Scorpion fish & Stone fish; Sea barbel; Stingrays)

Stickers have venomous barbs or spines that are either covered with venomous mucous or have specialised glands and hollow spines that can inject venom into the victim. As with stingers, the venoms are also proteins and are denaturated rapidly by heat. As stingers can deliver extremely painful and even fatal envenomations (in the case of stone fish and certain stingrays), hot water is the treatment of choice. The water should be as hot as can be borne (40 - 50 EC) and immersion or continuous rinsing of the affected area should continue in 10-20 minute sessions until symptoms abate. Symptoms tend to fluctuate and the hot water may be discontinued when relief is achieved and continued when they recur. Hot water may not be sufficiently effective for very deep envenomation and the site of the injury may make immersion in hot water awkward or impractical and continuous rinsing or hot packs (or even heated sand in flexi-wrap or a plastic bag) may be an acceptable alternative. Intermittent use of heat is important to limit scalding. Pain is a very prominent feature with stonefish and sea barb envenomation causing more than 24 hours of agony if left untreated. Mental disorientation due to pain may cause fainting or incoherent behaviour resulting in drowning, decompression sickness or even an arterial gas embolism due to a subsequent rapid ascent.

R: Immediately soak the wound in hot water (40 - 50 EC) until symptoms abate. Best results come from early interventions. Clean away any foreign material that can easily be removed. Deeply imbedded barbs and spines should not be removed in the pre-hospital setting as this may release more venom or cause bleeding. Be careful to avoid injuring yourself and always wear two pairs of gloves. If the patient starts developing cardio-pulmonary symptoms, be ready to assist.

T: Hot water is extremely effective in relieving the pain from envenomation. Local anaesthetic (without adrenaline) may be injected into the wound area for further relief.

Stonefish injuries may also be treated by an injection of Buscopan (N-butyl-bromide-hyoscine) into the wound or intramuscularly. This seems to relieve symptoms although the exact mechanism is unclear. Application of a venous pressure bandage (as for a snake bite) will delay the spread of the venom if immediate hot water treatment is unavailable. Never apply an arterial tourniquet.

P: Extreme localized pain radiating to the regional lymph glands, swelling, allergy and disorientation are the hallmarks of sticker envenomations. All patients (with the exception of mild sea urchin spine injuries) should be taken to a hospital as soon as possible. Symptoms may become progressively worse and seem disproportionate to the extent of the injury. Spine and barb remnants frequently remain in the wound and may only be visible on x-ray. Pain usually persists until these are eventually removed surgically. Administration of Tettox is essential and antibiotics may be required.

3. Scrapers (Coral; Fire Coral)

All marine animals are colonized by bacteria and any contact made with marine animals resulting in disruption of the skin may therefore be complicated by an infection. Abrasions and lacerations sustained underwater should always be treated with suspicion and cleaned


meticulously. Some types of coral and marine hydroids have stinging cells (see stingers). These stinging cells are readily transferred to gloves or hands causing severe skin reactions when they come into contact with delicate skin (e.g. when removing the mask or wiping the face following the dive).

R: Apply vinegar, meat tenderiser (made up as a paste with sea water) or sodium bicarbonate to neutralise any venom and destroy viable stinging cells. Clean the area with a mild antiseptic (Savlon or Dettol).

T: Antiseptic and local anaesthetic ointments are useful. Avoid further contact with seawater or sunlight until wounds are healed.

P: For any injuries other than superficial abrasions, Tettox

is recommended. For puncture wounds and lacerations, prophylactic antibiotics may be indicated.

4. Shockers (Electric ray & eel)

These animals generate electrochemical energy and can deliver electric shocks to stun prey or predators. The electric ray is a common resident in shallow temperate waters and may easily be disturbed by unsuspecting bathers, especially in rocky areas and under ledges. The electric ray has two kidney shaped organs on either side of the spine that can generate an electric discharge of up to 220 volts. Treatment is not usually needed as the shock very rarely results in any serious disability unless the diver or swimmer aspirates water or loses consciousness.

5. Snappers (Sharks; Game fish; Morays; etc.)

Although South Africa features with Australia as having the greatest number of shark attacks, this has changed somewhat in recent years due to the netting of beaches and fishing exploits. At present, there are approximately two shark attacks per year. Only one SCUBA diver has ever been attacked and killed in South African waters. This occurred at Hartenbosch in the Southern Cape during 1992. If the initial attack is not fatal, the usual cause of death is acute haemorrhagic shock and control of blood loss is therefore the cornerstone of treatment. Shark attack instils a primeval fear and emotion in bystanders and even emergency personnel. However, the treatment of a shark attack should not differ from that of conventional trauma and one should not be distracted from the basic priorities.

R: Get the patient out of the water as soon as possible. Reassuring statistics indicate that less than 0,4% of rescuers are bitten during an in-water rescue attempt. If the shark does return, it almost invariably attacks the bleeding victim. It is important to get the victim out of the water quickly to achieve effective haemostasis and provide life support.

T: Stop the bleeding by direct pressure (on the wound) or indirect pressure (pressure points). Do not hesitate to


use an effective tourniquet if bleeding cannot be controlled otherwise. Mark the patient’s forehead with a “T” and note the time accurately. Where access to a boat or shore is delayed, further blood loss must be stopped in the water. Spear gun elastics (used as an improvised tourniquet) have saved the lives of at least two injured spear fishermen who actually succeeded in swimming to shore unaided following the attack after stopping the bleeding themselves. Never use a towel as a tourniquet as one cannot apply sufficient pressure to the artery and the towel disguises the continuing haemorrhage. It is important to try to keep the area clean and avoid complicating the wound.

P: Control haemorrhage and start treatment for shock. Place the victim in the shock position and administer ABC’s. Treatment includes nil per mouth and rapid intravenous infusion of Ringer’s Lactate and/or colloids via two large peripheral lines. Arrange transport to the nearest level-one trauma facility, if possible. If bleeding can be controlled and resuscitation commenced effectively, there is little to be gained by blindly rushing the patient off to a hospital (i.e. to scoop and scoot). First, stabilize the victim and stop the bleeding before transport. Do not allow pressure from bystanders to interfere with your medical judgement. Every case is unique, manage it accordingly.

Despite exaggerated fears, most marine activities are uneventful. If a casualty does occur due to a marine animal injury follow basic ABC’s and deal with the problem rationally. Remove the cause, Treat the effects and Prevent further complications.


It’s June and everyone is speculating, planning and hoping. Will the sardine run this year or will it be another non-event? In 2003, the sardines failed to ‘run’ for the third time in 23 years. While 2005 saw a good run, 2006 marked another non-run, as did 2007 and 2008.

If you read the article on Rocky Bay in this issue you will note that the divers in that area are experiencing variable conditions – water temperature is fluctuating like a third-world currency as are currents, visibility and rain fall patterns. So the question remains, will the sardines run or not?

The Sardine Run occurs between June and July when huge shoals of sardine - the Southern African pilchard Sardinops sagax - spawn in the cool waters of the Agulhas Bank and move northward along the east coast of South Africa. The run occurs when a current of cold water heads north from the Agulhas Bank up to Mozambique where it then leaves the coast line and goes further East into the Indian Ocean. And along with this movement is a feeding frenzy of note.

Comparable to the great wildebeest migration, the sardine run is a mass movement of biomass. The ideal water temperature for the run is believed to below 21°C.

The shoals are often more than 7 km long, 1.5 km wide and 30 meters deep and are clearly visible from spotter planes or from the surface. When attacked by predators, the sardines group together in an instinctual behaviour. This is a defence mechanism as individuals are more likely to be eaten than large groups. These groupings, or bait balls, can be 10-20 metres in diameter and extend to a depth of 10 metres. The bait balls are short-lived and seldom last longer than 10 minutes.

Dolphin (mostly the common dolphin but also the bottlenose dolphin) are largely responsible for rounding up the sardines into bait balls. Once the sardines are rounded up, sharks (primarily the bronze whaler, but also dusky shark, blacktip shark, spinner shark and zambezi shark), game fish (like shad or elf, king mackerel, various kingfish species, garrick, geelbek and eastern little tuna) and birds (like the Cape gannet, cormorants, terns and gulls) take advantage of the opportunity. Occasionally Orca make the run their “game plan” too, while Cape Fur Seals also follow the shoals. The run also coincides with the annual migration of Humpback Whales that move north for the season into warmer water to mate and calve. The spectacular breaches of these whales are a daily phenomenon and it just adds to an already dazzling wildlife extravaganza.

Will the sardine run or will they stay at home?Images by Jean Marx


So little is known about the run – the where’s, why’s and what for’s – but it is a must-do for anyone vaguely interested in the marine environment. And there are many stories, films and photographs already published on the topic.

We at African Diver rate this event as a Sea-fari of epic proportions and a massive privilege to be able to witness. And, although it is unpredictable and sometimes a non-event it is something that has to be seen. And if the sardine don’t run you’ll still be assured of experiencing whales, dolphin, birds and the magnificent South African coastline that will make the trip well worth your while.

It’s June, so we urge you to plan, hope and speculate. Hope to see you there.


The 10th annual Fujifilm Sodwana ShootoutText by Cormac McCreesh

Michael Westcott


On Wednesday the 27th of May, the 10th annual Sodwana Shootout kicked off. This was always going to be the shootout to be at and always the one to remember.

From humble beginnings to, arguably, the most challenging photographic competition in South Africa, the Shootout has grown up.

While competitors from all over South Africa descended on Sodwana Bay the organisers and dive operators stepped into over-drive and got the Shootout machinery running.

From the weekend before to the day of the competition, weather and diving conditions had been perfect, pristine almost. Then things went pear-shaped. The beastly easterly blew: the swell swelled, the surge surged and the visibility, well it wasn’t.

107 competitors reverted to plan B, then plan C and finally just made a plan to cope. And the common comment was; “well, we’re all in the same boat” – figuratively speaking that it.

You have to take your hat off to the competitors. Sodwana Bay is considered to be the premier South African dive site and is the only tropical dive site in South Africa, and diving and photography was expected to be near-perfect for the competition. It wasn’t but the competitors soldiered on. Competitors from parts of the country like Durban were in their element – after all, they’re used to 3 to 5 metre visibility but the vast majority of competitors just had to manage with conditions foreign to them.

This year the Shootout delivered another “first” and set the bar for future and similar competitions. It has long been a concern that so many divers “working” the reefs for photographs in so short a time is too intensive an activity for the reefs to sustain. And the organisers of the Shootout have always been at pains to emphasise conservation. This year, the organisers partnered with the Reef Atlas Project and under the direction of Doctor Kerry Sink, implemented a policing and self-policing system to protect the reefs and sustain the competition. The system worked beautifully and all concerns non-photographers may have should be dispelled. The Reef Atlas Project is run by The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and you can find out more about the project here and you can also contribute to their research by submitting underwater “landscape” photographs for their database.

Deborah Wright

http://dev.sanbi.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=262%3Areef-atlas-information-page&catid=97%3Amarine-program&Itemid=722


A highlight and a “coup” for the Shootout organisers was a presentation by Laurent Ballesta of his underwater photographs, many of which are published in his book Planet Ocean. His photographs and presentation were inspirational, exciting and entertaining and everyone who attended was left in awe.

Of the 107 competitors, 9 competed in the video section and the balance in stills photography. Approximately 70% of the photography competitors competed with compact cameras in housings. This is very exciting as the Shootout was founded on the principle of growing underwater photography among divers. Versatile and dynamic compact cameras bring the excitement of photography to everyone and underwater photography is no longer elitist. Long may this trend continue.Whilst the diving and photography conditions were exasperating, the quality of images produced was splendid under the circumstances. Macro photography dominated the entries because of the conditions but there were some innovative and spectacular wide-angle entries too. The salon-style judging system has matured too and judging went by without a hitch.

Jean Marx


Michael Westcott

Mike Fraser

Mike Fraser

Michael Westcott


On behalf of the judges, Andrew Woodburn had this to say:

“Judging the 2009 shootout has definitely been the most fun of all the judging experiences now that the convening system and salon scoring has settled into place. This may also be since all three judges have had experience with the scoring system and all having underwater experience. Reflecting on the quality of entries I would have to say that I think the imagery was of a high standard based on the conditions most contestants had to brave. The two categories where weak entries were fielded was the open macro traditional where it was apparent that contestants are forgetting how to get the most from their equipment and basic photography skills in water, and may well be relying on photo editing to get the image they are wanting. Creative digital was also disappointing with only 1 good concept getting delivered and the other entries merely looking like a quick attempt at using a set of filters on a “maybe” image therefore delivering only a fraction of what the category could really achieve. There was an overwhelming volume tending towards macro probably because of the conditions and while the volume of clown fish imagery has declined those intrepid photographers have just switched to blennies & coachmen. Photographers, try do something that’s not too obvious so as differentiate your entry, get your technical basics in camera right and keep looking for the wow factor”

It’s been a while since I’ve been to the Shootout and this year I attended as a judge. I am impressed with the professionalism of the organisers and the dive operators and the sense of community that pervades the Shootout. Sponsors, dive operators, skippers, Dive Masters and so on – every one just seemed to get involved and enjoy the proceedings. Truly, everyone was “in the same boat”.

Please visit the shootout website to view more of the winning images - www.shootout.co.za

Garth McQuade Amal Hirani

http://www.shootout.co.za


Michael Westcott


The shootout is not only an underwater photography competition. For some years now, the shootout has included a section for underwater video. Initially a very specialized field it is now finding growing in popularity as technology makes shooting and editing video affordable.

Video at the Shootout has always been the sideshow in a way - mainly due to the fact that it does not draw a large number of entrants. 2008 saw the biggest entry of 19 in all and the standard was indeed high.

This year, 2009, provided 12 videos to judge - six novice and six open entrants. All novice entrants were new to the competition and some of the submissions provided something to think about. Sabrina Hindley from Submerge produced a fine first-attempt with a theme of Yellow underwater. This provided her with a second place in the novice section. Christo Van Jaarsveld outshone everyone though with his first attempt entitled “Life After 40! (Meters)”. This video was filled with corals and sea life at 40-50 meters that provided images of vivid colour well edited to a jazzy music track.

In the open section, two music video entries were shown together with four mini documentaries. Gabby Metcalf took the honours with her sea life characters displaying a rendition of Sinatra singing “Amore”. Fujifilm sponsor Sam De Jager was placed second with “Sandman”. The four mini documentaries were varied. Again Gabby Metcalf took first and second place with two well presented stories: one of environmental interest and the other a close up look at a goby and

shrimp going about their business in sharing a home on the seabed. Best overall video prize went to Gordon Hiles with an unconventional entry depicting waves. This provided some interesting visuals taken in the surf zone, as well as some crisp shots of two playful dolphins.

All shooting and editing work on the video productions takes place at the Sodwana Shootout. Only scripting, commentary and music is permitted as pre-preparation before the allocated shooting days. Video production requires entrants to put in a great deal of work after shooting as editing a production of minutes can take 24 hours easily - a bit longer than it takes to create an image in Photoshop for the creative stills category and way longer than the time taken to select two images for stills entries, so don’t take the video entrant too lightly.

The low number of entrants however does allow the section to be manageable. With videos running between 2 and 3 minutes means a dozen videos tales in excess of half an hour to get through. Consolidating all of the videos into a show-reel for judging and presenting is also a task of note so anything in excess of 20 entrants would in fact become difficult to manage under the shootout format and the time available to process everything.

Look out for the best of the 2009 Shootout Videos on SodwanaCamera on Youtube soon.

Video at the shootoutText by Gordon Hiles


The image of the feeding goose was conceived in a shallow lake in Cornwall, England. Living alongside the wildfowl were some large resident carp, accustomed to visitors throwing bread for the birds and sneaky enough to snatch the food from the surface before the birds got it. It was the fish I hoped to photograph but like many pictures, what you set out to create is not what you end up with. With my youngest daughter as chief bread thrower, I laid on the bank, holding the camera at arms length in the lake. The carp remained camera shy, and I only had to flex my right index finger to trigger the shutter and they would scoot off, showing only a tail. But the birds were more relaxed and used to getting close to humans – particularly ones bearing food. With the camera on aperture priority I kept shooting until the bread ran out. After downloading the images the results were all blurred; the shutter speed was too slow to freeze the birds’ movement. I sealed the camera back into the housing and armed with more bread we returned to the lake, this time with the camera set to shutter priority. This goose image is one of six images (including one of a feeding carp) that worked from the second attempt and its beak was almost touching the dome port when this shot was taken. The biggest problem was not encouraging the birds close enough but coping with the deteriorating water quality; the water at the lake edge was shallow enough for the birds to stand in, and their webbed feet kicked up the silt as they scrabbled for the food. The decision to go back to the lake immediately was reinforced the next day. Heavy overnight rain had filled the lake with dirty brown silt – far in excess of what a few webbed feet

could do – and destroyed any chance of a third attempt. In March the goose photo was entered into the Advanced British and Irish prints section of a photographic competition run by the British Society of Underwater Photographers (BSOUP), with votes cast by visitors to the London International Dive show. The feeding goose took top prize.

This image is available as a 16” x 20” print. For more information please click here or visit Simon Brown’s website by clicking here.

One shot - right time right place

http://www.simonbrownimages.com/html/goose_print.html

http://www.simonbrownimages.com

AfricanDiver Issue 5

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