2006 Tanzania CCR Expedition

[mattmexico]

2006 Tanzania CCR Expedition

This update is to let our friends and customers know of an interesting new project that is currently in the works for the summer of 2006. Matt has been invited to work as the Diving Safety Officer on board an exploration boat in Tanzania (Part of East Africa) from May through July of 2006. He has been in contact with the Expedition group for months working out details, dive planning and dates and now they are set. For more information contact him directly at matt@protecdiving.com and as well we will bet getting photos and pre-trip information out as we have it. This is just one of the great projects you will see from the ProTec Team this year.

The 2006 Tanzania CCR Expedition is searching to locate and assemble a dive team of Closed Circuit Rebreather divers including scientists and film makers with deep CCR diving experience to explore and document locations off the Tanzanian coast http://www.tanzania-web.com, East Africa to locate Coelacanth "Dinofish" in the months of May to July 2006.


One of the main goals of these expeditions is to search and study the presumed 400 million year old Coelacanth (see-la-kanth) which pre-date the dinosaurs by millions of years. Once thought to have gone extinct with the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, the Coelacanth with its "missing link" or "proto legs" was discovered alive and well in 1938. More information can be found on this government website. http://www.austmus.gov.au/fishes/fis...fish/coela.htm

Virtually unique in the animal kingdom, with a saga steeped in science and popular imagination, the fabulous Coelacanth ("see-la-kanth") http://www.austmus.gov.au/fishes/fis...fish/coela.htm , that 400 million year old "living fossil" fish, paddles on. Pre-dating the dinosaurs by millions of years and once thought to have gone extinct with them, 65 million years ago, the Coelacanth with its "missing link" "proto legs" was "discovered" alive and well in 1938.

The discovery of Coelacanths in the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park at the end of 2000 by recreational divers led to the development of the African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme (ACEP) http://www.acep.co.za. The program was initiated in March 2002 with an expedition using the FRS Algoa and the German submersible Jago. ACEP is a multidisciplinary project of South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, the Comoros, the Seychelles and Madagascar, that uses science to explore the deep unknown and develop sustainability, and ultimately to benefit people. The ACEP will be participating in The 2006 Tanzania CCR Expedition.

Very little is known about the Coelacanths behavior, reproduction and population numbers. The data gathered from our diving team during this project will be a valuable resource to the Marine Scientific Community world-wide. Depending on the results of this expedition, many hope to begin further study and conservation of the Coelacanth.

The divers of the 2006 Tanzania CCR Expedition will be working closely with Tanzanian officials and scientists as well as an international scientific team, film crews and journalists to locate, document, describe, study, photograph and film the Coelacanth in their natural environment.
Current CCR technology makes it possible to safely penetrate the largely unexplored “twilight zone” (the area between 55 – 110 meters / 180 – 360 feet) and learn more about the ocean and its living organisms in this hardly explored area. Rebreather and CCR technology is not new, but recent developments and advancements combined with a greater understanding of deep diving procedures and decompression algorithms make studies into the “twilight zone” more accessible. These methods are viable and ready to be used in scientific diving more extensively.

Prerequisite for participating in one of the Expeditions is the ownership of a CCR and diver level training and certification on your CCR is mandatory. Due to the diving depths a Normoxic Trimix or Hypoxic Trimix (CCR) certification is prerequisite to participate on this expedition. The large scientific diving vessel will accommodate 10 technical divers comfortably, including space for film teams, scientists and crew. Each expedition is 10 days in length, 6 Expeditions back to back, please have a look at the http://www.thekairoscompany.com web page for more information.

For experienced CCR divers who want to participate but do not have the training or experience to the Normoxic Trimix or Hypoxic Trimix level, limited training will be available during the Expeditions for divers with CCR experience.

For questions regarding CCR support during the expedition, dive planning, emergency procedures and protocols, expedition space availability, or training space availability please contact matt@protecdiving.com for more information.

[Simon TW]

£2900 for 10 days to share a room. Not including flights and you want me to bring my own CCR.

Maybe it's not just scientific, could it be someone is making a profit or am i just cynical.

[Phil Ennis]

Originally Posted by Simon TW

£2900 for 10 days to share a room. Not including flights and you want me to bring my own CCR.

Maybe it's not just scientific, could it be someone is making a profit or am i just cynical.

They would have to pay me! I'm with you on this one Simon.

[onthetrain]

Originally Posted by Simon TW

£2900 for 10 days to share a room. Not including flights and you want me to bring my own CCR.

Maybe it's not just scientific, could it be someone is making a profit or am i just cynical.

Now don't be such a cynic. The price is in euroes :O

[NotDeadYet]

And I don't have a bloody cert for any depth on my KISS so I'd have to shell out for a course too! Bah!

Can you eat coelacanths?

[mattmexico]

Hi there

I actually did not post this little update to fish for people on the trip, I was just thinking more along the lines of letting people around the world know whats happening on the other side in regards to CCR.

In 2004 there was a CCR expedition to Indonesia diving yellow bread boxes to 120 - 150 meters to find, study and document the old fish over there, succesfully.

I agree close to 3 G Euro is a lot of dough though ...
Greetings from Peso land
Matt
www.protecdiving.com

[Ken]

Originally Posted by mattmexico

Hi there

I actually did not post this little update to fish for people on the trip, I was just thinking more along the lines of letting people around the world know whats happening on the other side in regards to CCR.

In 2004 there was a CCR expedition to Indonesia diving yellow bread boxes to 120 - 150 meters to find, study and document the old fish over there, succesfully.

I agree close to 3 G Euro is a lot of dough though ...
Greetings from Peso land
Matt
www.protecdiving.com

I wish you the best of luck in your expedition(s). It's way, way cool to look for Coelacanth. Ken - Mad Dog Expeditions