409 Dive Log Australasia December 24

I recently revisited the Rodney Fox Shark Museum and Learning Centre for a guided tour of the latest new exhibits. It was great to see the new displays and check out some of the older ones again. The museum is much more than a shark museum as it features displays on many topics such as shipwrecks, diving, photography, shark deterrents, etc..

* * * * * AusOcean wasn’t permitted to deploy one of its underwater cameras at Port Noarlunga jetty and reef, so they are now deploying one of their floating rigs on the northern end of Port Noarlunga reef instead. They say that the kelp forests further away from the jetty are much denser, so they will have a reef kelp cam instead. * * * * * A New Zealand navy ship recently sank whist conducting a reef survey off Samoa. HMNZS Manawanui ran aground when it struck the reef off the island of Upolu. 75 sailors had to be rescued from the sinking and smouldering ship. Wikipedia states that HMNZS Manawanui was a “Littoral operations vessel, Hydrographic and diving support” with a displacement of 5,741 tonnes (full load) and a length of 84.7 m. The NZ military said that it aimed to minimise the environmental impacts of the wreckage. * * * * * Fiona Maxwell from Save Our Marine Life says that the Australian Government has revealed its plan for the Heard and McDonald Islands Marine Park following months of consultation. The marine park will ensure the bulk of the waters around these islands will be free from mining and new, damaging pelagic fisheries. Also, the park will now include increased protection for part of the Gunnari Ridge – an important foraging ground for penguins, albatrosses and seals. The expanded marine park and sanctuaries will help protect and preserve this unique and special part of the world. The government has, however, decided to leave important undersea canyons, highly biodiverse seamounts and the Williams Ridge outside of sanctuaries despite leading scientists calling for increased sanctuary protection around these critical seafloor habitats and foraging areas. The marine park’s management plan will soon be open to consultation. A strong management plan is needed, covering issues such as ocean surveillance and scientific research. * * * * * One of the many anchors on

Inside the Rodney Fox Shark Museum and Learning Centre

I see that the future King of England, Prince George, is following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather in the enjoyment of scuba diving. King Charles was a diver and Prince Wiliam has introduced 10-year-old George to the sport. * * * * * * According to https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-08/three sisters-cave-roadside-entrance-limstone-coast-diving-sa/1043 03038?utm_medium=social&utm_content=sf274561056&utm_ campaign=abc_south_east_sa&utm_source=m.facebook.com& sf274561056=1&fbclid=IwY2xjawFMoyRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQAB HS_OTPc96ExN_Gr1QDeGxkKQP7C5Sa_ORdG4dgrTmeJP0v NIrT-PG-RuuQ_aem_ocRJeVXl1nCnUSF51XMiig , the Three Sisters cave, near Tantanoola in South Australia's South East, now has a newly opened entrance for advanced divers. A new entrance with a cement hatch has been made to ensure that the cave is more accessible for when divers are able to drop back in. The new entrance allows the divers to abseil straight down, causing less abrasion for their ropes. The cave had previously been closed in recent years. Cave divers have been negotiating with the local council to take over the lease for the 30-metre-deep limestone cave. Cave Divers Association of Australia (CDAA) site director Kelvyn Ball says that making the site accessible was important as more caves and sinkholes were being made off limits. " We're losing more sites than we're gaining … due to access arrangements and that, " he said. "[Some] landowners aren't willing to have diving out on their properties because of litigation .”

the South Australian Anchor Trail

The Marine Life Society of SA has launched a South Australian Anchor Trail detailing over 100 anchors

both underwater and on land throughout the state. Details can be found at https://mlssa.org.au/2024/08/29/the-south-australian-anchor trail/ .

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DIVE LOG Australasia #409 - December ‘24

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