Lots to unpack this week so let's go underway . . .
TONGA VOLCANO & TSUNAMI - You've likely heard by now about the underwater volcano that erupted on Saturday (our Friday because of the Dateline) off of the Kingdom of Tonga, which is SE of Fiji and NE of New Zealand. First of all, the eruption was massive and was captured with time-lapse images from a Japanese satellite. If you haven't yet seen the 10-second video, click here:
TONGA VOLCANO ERUPTS. You'll see the shockwave spreading out and - because night was approaching - you'll see the terminator (not Arnold - the night/day barrier) approaching as well. Although there are no reported casualties in Tonga and the airport seems intact, there is a lot of ash falling, and there appears to be significant damage to some roads and bridges. Australia and New Zealand seem to be leading the recovery and aid efforts. Tonga is well-known as a destination to swim with Humpback Whales. There's no indication of how the whales may have been affected, nor what the eruption might due to to this aspect of Tonga's tourism industry.
TSUNAMI ADVISORY ISSUED FOR SoCAL - Because of the eruption, a tsunami advisory was issued for most of the West Coast Saturday and while a lot of people poo-poo'd it, many beaches were closed, and lifeguards in the area spent a good part of the day shooing people out of the water as well as performing some rescues. It's hard to believe that something happening 5300 miles away can have an effect on our local waters but it did. People also have a misconception of a tsunami and think it's simply a single large wave that breaks onshore. Not necessarily. Many times it's simply a surge of water but it's a surge that seemingly never ends and just keeps coming and coming. Under that scenario, the surge doesn't have to be very high. 2-3 feet waves, waves we could probably dive in, can be big enough to cause significant damage. I've seen a few videos and the best way to describe it is like a very fast current that doesn't let up.
TSUNAMI REPORTS AND VIDEO - Staci Kaye-Carr posted a video on her FB page from Ventura Harbor that clearly shows the current as it sinks a Harbor Patrol boat and then rips it away from the dock. You might be able to see it here:
TSUNAMI IN VENTURA HARBOR. Someone else posted a video from Cat Harbor - backside of Catalina opposite the Isthmus on the front - showing a similar water surge. Avalon didn't seem to get any of this because the island itself would have blocked the water. But there was this post from a boat captain up around Santa Cruz, where a parking lot flooded and submerged a number of cars: "Santa Cruz Harbor was hit hard. There's really no place for accumulating water to dissipate and it built up in there quickly. Parking lot flooded along with restrooms, from water marks looked like it must've been at least three feet above the pavement level. At least one boat was partially flooded but the bilge pumps kept it afloat. In Moss Landing we and the other whale watching boat captains/owners came up to check conditions and all canceled, in fact OES asked the harbor to shut down commercial boat operations but we'd already decided [not to go] after seeing the surge. A good 5-6 knots ebbing and flooding with height difference being a foot and a half or two. One dock partially destroyed. Our RIB is tucked into a very protected part of the harbor and there was some surge there but nothing like out where wood was breaking and pilings [were] working out of the mud." This was nothing to be trifled with. Thankfully, it is now over.
DAN ORR SPOKE LAST WEEK - Dan gave his usual great talk and this one was on how to adjust your diving and other considerations as you get older. In case you missed Dan's advice, we've got it up on our YouTube page and you can watch it through this link:
DAN ORR - ZOOM SEEKERS - JANUARY 2022. Next month our speaker is Dr. Doug Ebersole who spoke last year about diving and COVID and who returns to us this year with an update on what we've learned in the past 12 months from a diving standpoint as well as offering good tips as to what to do while we continue to move forward. Doug will be talking on February 8.
BONAIRE REVISES COVID PROTOCOLS - Speaking of COVID . . . Bonaire announced last week that they are revising their COVID protocols for anyone travelling there. The stated reason for the previous protocols were to delay the arrival of Omicron to Bonaire. But now it appears that 90% of their infections are Omicron, so they're relaxing a bit. the biggest change is the elimination of the mid-week test. If you're going to Bonaire you need to:
• Complete a health declaration 12-24 hours pre-departure
• If you're fully-vaxxed, have a negative PCR test 48 pre-departure or . . .
• A negative Antigen test 24 hours pre-departure
• No more on-arrival test as well
• No more 5-day test while on the island
• Negative test 24 hours before you fly home (which is a U.S. requirement, not Bonaire)
The government's COVID info page is here:
COVID FAQ FOR BONAIRE.
THERE BE SQUID AT VETS!!! - We've got another report from over the weekend of squid at Vets Park so maybe this heralds the beginning of the run. Geoff Walsh & Todd Polson went out from the main stairs, kicked out on a slight diagonal to the right (towards the Pier), and found them at 55-85' which is generally the typical depth. They've posted a video on YouTube:
SQUID AT VETS PARK - 1-15-22.
FATALITY AT THE RIGS ON SUNDAY - We don't have many details but have gotten word of a fatality at the Oil Rigs on Sunday morning. It's a sobering reminder that the ocean can be unforgiving and for those of you who have taken time off from diving due to COVID - and this was one of the points Dan Orr made in his talk - don't assume you can pick right up where you left off. (I have no idea if that factored in to the fatality but it's just good advice.) Take it easy and get your sea legs and diving legs back and don't push it. Many of you know that one of my favorite sayings over the years is, "You don't get hurt on a dive you don't make."
CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR DI KRALL - A lot of you dove with Di Krall over the years. I wrote of Di's passing (COVID complications) just over a year ago. Her daughter Kirsten is organizing a Zoom-based "Celebration of Life" for Di this coming Sunday, January 23, at 11AM, which will feature plenty of pictures and a few people talking about the impact Di had on their lives. It'll go for roughly an hour. I will send out a reminder to you on Friday but in the meantime if you'd like to attend - there will be a chance for you to share stories about Di towards the end - make a note of this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82356014685?pwd=QVk1MTEyd2o0aTNiYjdqd1NEYWY2QT09
Whew!!! That'll definitely do it for now. Have a great week and let's go diving soon!!!
- Ken
