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Weather in the news again . . .
HAWAII IS LALA LAND TODAY -
Hurricane Lala that is. Although the storm
technically didn't make landfall, the eyewall
brushed the southern tip of the Big Island and
the wind and rain were everywhere. 200,000
people are without power (including two
hospitals that are running on generators), the
major airports closed as the storm bore down on
the island but have since reopened (this
morning), there is widespread wind damage and
flooding, and it's going to take a while for the
place to fully recover. The storm, which has
been downgraded to a tropical depression but is
projected to regain strength and become a
hurricane again as it moves over water,
essentially moved along the southern edge of the
Hawaiian chain, has now cleared the islands, and
is curving slightly northward. Where it tracks
from here is still anyone's guess. Some
predictions show a second storm developing
Thursday east of Guam, which will possibly block
Lala, but which in and of itself looks like it
might be taking aim at Japan ten days later.
It's hurricane/typhoon season (technically June
1 - November 30 with September usually being the
most active month) and when you're planning
diving, always something to consider.
DIVING IN HAWAII POST-HURRICANE -
I don't have any specific reports but just
looking at the general track of the storm which
basically brushed against the south and
southwestern areas, it passed through the most
popular dive locations on the Big Island. You
got to think, especially with rain and runoff,
that water conditions will be undiveable for at
least a week or so. If anyone's in Hawaii with
direct knowledge, shoot me a note and I can
share your info with everyone else.
SABA 2027 -
I sent out an announcement on Friday about our
upcoming Saba trip April 2-10 next year and it
looks like we're already pretty much sold out. I
wanted to keep this trip at 16 people max and
we're at 15 right now, so I'm happy to cap it
there. We'll be diving with SeaSaba and staying
at Juliana's. I've still got four people who
said they were going but have yet to officially
confirm, so there may be room if you're late to
the party on this one. Call or e-mail me ASAP.
But don't fret if you missed out on Saba because
. . .
BONAIRE MOST LIKELY IN JUNE -
I've got to get hold of Buddy Dive to confirm
dates but I'm thinking sometime in June for a
week in Bonaire. We haven't been there since
2023 and it's high time we went back. They are
still feeling some of the effects of SCTLD but
most places in the Caribbean are as well. We'll
look to put together our "typical" Bonaire trip
with a dozen boat dives, unlimited shore dives,
a dusk dive here and there, breakfast daily, a
vehicle included for shore dives or to explore
the island, and staff/crew tip included as well.
Keep an eye on this space for an exact date
announcement. Usually these trips are
Saturday-Saturday, which means leaving late
Friday evening (puts us in Bonaire Saturday
early afternoon) and sometimes requires an
overnight (Newark when we fly United - there's
an airport Marriott that's quite nice) on the
way back.
FLORIDA CORAL REEFS IN TROUBLE AGAIN -
It's no secret that Florida's coral reefs, the
only living coral reefs in the continental
United States, are again in trouble. It's a
combination of global warming, agriculture
runoff, general pollution, and also simply a
feeling of malaise that nothing can be done. But
there's hope. Florida is looking towards the
Dominican Republic, where they also have coral
reef problems but where they're trying some
innovative actions that seem to be working. You
can read more about this here: HELPING
SAVE REEFS.
2027 ECLIPSE UPDATE -
Hopefully you've seen some of the pix from the
eclipse this past Wednesday. We're still working
on plans for the Egyptian eclipse next year (on
August 12). Right now, due to logistical issues,
it's going to be an eclipse-only trip with a
side of pyramids and touring included. I'm still
waiting to get some numbers from my travel
person in Cairo but we'd likely fly into Cairo
for a few days of touring Pyramids, the Sphinx,
and the new Grand Egyptian Museum. Then we'd fly
down to Aswan and board a large ship for a Nile
River cruise, heading towards Luxor. This would
also include some tours along the way as well as
when we get into Luxor. We'd be on the boat
(docked in Luxor) for the August 2 eclipse,
check out the next morning, and fly home. I've
got boat pricing (incudes room, meals tours,
tips) and am waiting on Cairo pricing so I can
package it all up. If you're not already on my
"interested" list, shoot me a note so I can add
you.
HAMMERHEAD SIGHTING -
(Thanks to Alan Blaustein for the heads-up on
this.) Everyone wants to see a Hammerhead Shark.
You just don't expect to see one in . . .
MALIBU???? But that was the case the other day
as one was filmed off of the Malibu Pier.
KABC-TV (channel 7) did a story about it and you
can watch that with this link: HAMMERHEAD
IN MALIBU.
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week and
let's go diving soon!!!
- Ken |
