Lots has happened since our last newsletter.

They have said it’s our coldest winter in 40 years but it’s still been a whole lot warmer on the South Coast than inland. The N3 was closed twice with snow which is just amazing and quite un-heard of!

Despite the gloomy winter weather we have had some great diving days. On the last long weekend pristine conditions prevailed which allowed us to do three back to back dives on the wrecks with Brett seeing the biggest Brindle Bass he has seen in years. The whole group got to see “him” which was a rare treat for everyone. For a number of the divers that weekend was the first time that they had dived Nebo or Produce, and what an introduction to the wrecks it was, great visibility, calm conditions and abundant marine life!

Forthcoming Activities

We have the following booked, so please contact us to reserve your spot!

· 23rd to 25th September – PADI Shark Speciality Course with Jeremy Cliff from the Natal Sharks Board. This course includes a lecture on Friday evening and two dives with Jeremy on Saturday. This is followed by a shark dissection (by Jeremy) which is fascinating. . This course is a must for anybody that is interested in Sharks and wants to learn from an acknowledged world expert. Have a look at www.sharksinternational.org/keynote-speakers.html for some more information on Jeremy.

· 15th October – Sharks vs. Lions Rugby at Mr Price Kings Park. After two great weekends so far (Natal vs. Bulls and SA vs. Australia) this is going to be our third diving and rugby weekend. Transportation to and from the game and ticket will be included in the package of R1980 per person sharing (Includes 2 nights’ accommodation, breakfast and 3 dives).

· 28th October – Join us for our first diving and cricket weekend. Come and watch SA take on Australia in a one day game in Durban. Transportation and ticket to the game will be included. From R2695 per person sharing (Includes 3 nights’ accommodation, breakfasts and 4 dives)

Please let us know if any of the above events interest you. If the dates do not work for you let us know and we will put you on our list for our next ones.

Lots has happened since our last newsletter.

They have said it’s our coldest winter in 40 years but it’s still been a whole lot warmer on the South Coast than inland. The N3 was closed twice with snow which is just amazing and quite un-heard of!

Despite the gloomy winter weather we have had some great diving days. On the last long weekend pristine conditions prevailed which allowed us to do three back to back dives on the wrecks with Brett seeing the biggest Brindle Bass he has seen in years. The whole group got to see “him” which was a rare treat for everyone. For a number of the divers that weekend was the first time that they had dived Nebo or Produce, and what an introduction to the wrecks it was, great visibility, calm conditions and abundant marine life!

Forthcoming Activities

We have the following booked, so please contact us to reserve your spot!

· 23rd to 25th September – PADI Shark Speciality Course with Jeremy Cliff from the Natal Sharks Board. This course includes a lecture on Friday evening and two dives with Jeremy on Saturday. This is followed by a shark dissection (by Jeremy) which is fascinating. . This course is a must for anybody that is interested in Sharks and wants to learn from an acknowledged world expert. Have a look at www.sharksinternational.org/keynote-speakers.html for some more information on Jeremy.

· 15th October – Sharks vs. Lions Rugby at Mr Price Kings Park. After two great weekends so far (Natal vs. Bulls and SA vs. Australia) this is going to be our third diving and rugby weekend. Transportation to and from the game and ticket will be included in the package of R1980 per person sharing (Includes 2 nights’ accommodation, breakfast and 3 dives).

· 28th October – Join us for our first diving and cricket weekend. Come and watch SA take on Australia in a one day game in Durban. Transportation and ticket to the game will be included. From R2695 per person sharing (Includes 3 nights’ accommodation, breakfasts and 4 dives)

Please let us know if any of the above events interest you. If the dates do not work for you let us know and we will put you on our list for our next ones.

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Whist diving on the last PADI Shark Course, an Ornate Sleeper Ray was found and photographed by Roel Jonkman. Here is some information on it supplied by East Coast Fish Watch:-

“A new sleeper ray (Family Narkidae) was first made known to scientists by diver-photographer Peter Chrystal (through Rudy van der Elst), who photographed this spectacular ray on a patch of sand on Aliwal Shoal in 1984. The ray was subsequently rediscovered on Protea Banks off Shelly Beach, KZN in 1997 by underwater photographers Stephania and Peter Lamberti who sent us a video-clip of the ray. It has also been photographed underwater at the T-Barge north of Durban by Dennis King and at Aliwal Shoal by Len and Avril Fish, and Allen Walker. A live specimen of the ornate sleeper ray was seen underwater by Phil and Elaine Heemstra at Coffee Bay, Eastern Cape, but it fled before Phil could net it.

On close examination this sleeper ray was so different to other sleeper rays that Leonard Compagno (of Iziko – South African Museum) and Phil Heemstra had to create the new genus Electrolux for it. Electrolux is distinguished from other genera in the family Narkidae by the absence or rudimentary condition of the forward projection of the snout and the configurations of the spiracle papillae, nostrils, nasal curtain, jaws, chondrocranium, and pectoral and pelvic girdles. The name Electrolux alludes to the well-developed electrogenic properties of this ray (collectors and photographers have experienced the shocking personality of this bold, very active and brightly patterned electric ray first-hand), the discovery of which sheds light (Latin, lux) on the rich and poorly-known fish diversity of the Western Indian Ocean. And the vigorous sucking action displayed on the videotape of the feeding ray that was taken by Stephania and Peter Lamberti may rival a well-known electrical device used to clean the detritus from carpets, furniture and other dust-gathering surfaces in modern homes. The species name is for Mark Addison of Blue Wilderness dive charters (Widenham, KZN) who collected the holotype and instigated the capture of the paratype. Mark Addison has an intimate knowledge of the marine fish fauna of South Africa. It was Mark’s idea that Phil should start Fish-Watch to complement his fish survey work and he was a founder member of Fish-Watch. “

Other News

A new extended gate has gone in at the boat area so that both boats can now use the area as intended. I am still not too sure how we got the last one so wrong (Sonia has commented about blokes not being able to translate size correctly but I am choosing to ignore that remark!). This will make the area more user friendly as an embarkation and drop off point for our divers.

We are all getting ready to welcome in the Spring and hope for some great weather, great diving and good company down on the Coast.

See you soon

The Agulhas Team

Critter Find

Whist diving on the last PADI Shark Course, an Ornate Sleeper Ray was found and photographed by Roel Jonkman. Here is some information on it supplied by East Coast Fish Watch:-

“A new sleeper ray (Family Narkidae) was first made known to scientists by diver-photographer Peter Chrystal (through Rudy van der Elst), who photographed this spectacular ray on a patch of sand on Aliwal Shoal in 1984. The ray was subsequently rediscovered on Protea Banks off Shelly Beach, KZN in 1997 by underwater photographers Stephania and Peter Lamberti who sent us a video-clip of the ray. It has also been photographed underwater at the T-Barge north of Durban by Dennis King and at Aliwal Shoal by Len and Avril Fish, and Allen Walker. A live specimen of the ornate sleeper ray was seen underwater by Phil and Elaine Heemstra at Coffee Bay, Eastern Cape, but it fled before Phil could net it.

On close examination this sleeper ray was so different to other sleeper rays that Leonard Compagno (of Iziko – South African Museum) and Phil Heemstra had to create the new genus Electrolux for it. Electrolux is distinguished from other genera in the family Narkidae by the absence or rudimentary condition of the forward projection of the snout and the configurations of the spiracle papillae, nostrils, nasal curtain, jaws, chondrocranium, and pectoral and pelvic girdles. The name Electrolux alludes to the well-developed electrogenic properties of this ray (collectors and photographers have experienced the shocking personality of this bold, very active and brightly patterned electric ray first-hand), the discovery of which sheds light (Latin, lux) on the rich and poorly-known fish diversity of the Western Indian Ocean. And the vigorous sucking action displayed on the videotape of the feeding ray that was taken by Stephania and Peter Lamberti may rival a well-known electrical device used to clean the detritus from carpets, furniture and other dust-gathering surfaces in modern homes. The species name is for Mark Addison of Blue Wilderness dive charters (Widenham, KZN) who collected the holotype and instigated the capture of the paratype. Mark Addison has an intimate knowledge of the marine fish fauna of South Africa. It was Mark’s idea that Phil should start Fish-Watch to complement his fish survey work and he was a founder member of Fish-Watch. “

Other News

A new extended gate has gone in at the boat area so that both boats can now use the area as intended. I am still not too sure how we got the last one so wrong (Sonia has commented about blokes not being able to translate size correctly but I am choosing to ignore that remark!). This will make the area more user friendly as an embarkation and drop off point for our divers.

We are all getting ready to welcome in the Spring and hope for some great weather, great diving and good company down on the Coast.

See you soon

The Agulhas Team