Let the diving begin!! Yahoo
VIDEO's to view - HAVE A LOOK AT TWO OF THE DIVERS, DREW AND PETER, GOING DOWN THE DIVE HOLE AND AN INTERVIEW WITH CHAZZ AFTER HIS FIRST DIVE FOR THE ANTARCTIC SEASON: We have some sluggish internet connection happening at the moment out at New Harbour and I can't download the videos for you to see yet! But it seems a bit of a miracle to even have internet access way out here on the edge of the sea ice, so I can't complain!!! I will put them up as soon as possible... they look great!
Chazz in the drysuit under garments (with long merino underneath the puffed suit). The sea water is -2oC so the divers need the warm layers as it gets pretty cold down there!
The drysuit goes over top the under garments. The only thing that gets wet is the diver's head.
Chazz with the full dive gear on.
Dive gloves screw on to ensure they are water tight.
Diagram of diving under the sea ice with the people above tending the ropes connected to the divers.
Rod's serious underwater camera for taking amazing pictures of the coastal Antarctic sea life.
Here are a few of the first photos from under the sea ice of the fish and benthic life here at New Harbour, Antarctica. These were taken with an underwater camera by Pete, one of the divers!
Diver in the water under the sea ice.
An Emerald notothen (common name) or Trematomus bernachii (scientific name). These fish were following the diver and he took this photo as he turned around to see what was there.
A Brittlestar (common name) or Ophiospharte gigas (scientific name). When these starfish get stressed they can easily loose their arms!!
An Antarctic starfish, Notasterias armata (scientific name)
A lacy bryozoan, probably from the Camptoplites species.
A pencil urchin (common name) or Ctenocidaris perrieri (scientific name). These urchins are brooders (just like kangaroos are) and carries it's embryos and young under itself in little hollows until they are big enough to run free!
A couple of long Nemertian sea worms (common name) or Parborlasia corrugatus (scientific name). These long worms are nasty predators. They wriggle their way into shellfish and eat them from the inside out!
Antarctic scallops (common name) or Adamussium colbecki (scientific name). These scallops are much thinner and more brittle than the NZ scallops because it is harder for them to form their shells in such cold water.
A heart urchin (common name) from the Abatus genus (scientific name). These are also brooders, caring for their young close to their bodies until they are old enough to survive on their own.
