Latest news with #scubaDiving
CBC
7 days ago
- General
- CBC
Q&A: Divers locate car that sank to bottom of Lake Minnewanka over 8 decades ago
A car that's been sitting at the bottom of Lake Minnewanka for more than eight decades has finally been located and photographed by a group of divers. It's believed the car sank about 85 years ago and has been sitting 55 metres below the surface ever since at the popular lake in Banff National Park. The lake is a big draw for scuba divers because a dam built in 1940 forever submerged the summer village of Minnewanka Landing. Three divers from Alberta and B.C. recently made the journey to the lake's dark and icy depths and took some spectacular pictures of the car. Calgary's Alan Keller is one of the divers. He chatted with Loren McGinnis, host of CBC Radio's the Calgary Eyeopener, on Thursday. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. What do you know about the car, how did it get there? They don't know much about the car other than the legend or rumour about the car that the guides share about it. That a gentleman was on the ice. He wanted to take a picture of his car with the backdrop of the mountains, and he's setting up his camera and as he's turning around, his car fell through the ice. Glug, glug. Glug, exactly. Do you know how old the car is? We estimated it's a 1928 Hudson Essex Saloon, based upon images that we can match with it on the internet. How did you find it? We found it because there were people in the lake a few years ago doing some searching for other purposes. And so they came across this target. And of course with the world being a small place and scuba divers being a small community, they shared that information with us right instantly. And so then we went out and gathered our resources and then did the dive. Take us to the moment when you saw it. What was it like when you first encountered it? There was a lot of stuff going on initially when we found it. So when we got down, we didn't see it right away because we weren't that lucky. We had to do a little bit of searching. So we did a spoke pattern and then about the third time that we went out, my buddy Johnny saw it and he was the first one to lay eyes on it. And I was, of course, the second. But it was a state of like, "Holy cow, we actually found it." That's very lucky to be able to find something so small on a first go, but also to be the first people to lay your eyes on it after 85 years was pretty spectacular. And just the condition of the visibility, that sort of thing, to be able to see it properly and take proper images of it it all — it all worked out. How did you prepare for the dive? Because 55 metres — that's no joke. Behind the scenes, there's a lot of training behind it … like estimating how deep it's going to be. So we have the estimate from when they were out on the lake, but then we had estimated based upon where the lake level is now, because it's an active reservoir. And so they'll manage the lake level for the spring runoff, that sort of thing. And then it's just a matter of, OK, it's this deep. Now we need to plan what our gases are that they're going to be breathing, and how are we going to be co-ordinating the dive teams, that sort of thing. And then how are we going to mitigate any risks, like, what if something goes wrong. How long did it take you to find it? When we were doing the dive, about seven minutes. Oh, that's amazing. Oh, we had really good information. So the information we had was really good and then we also interpreted the information as well. How has the reaction been in the diving circles that you run in? It's pretty cool. It's just something, because it's a lake that a lot of local people dive, just to have something new out there. A lot of people aren't going to be able to dive it because of its depth, but just that there was something actually new to find and there's other stuff out there. What else do you figure is out there? One of the images that I saw looks like a box car from a mine — there was lots of mining activity there. Are you now going to spend some time in Minnewanka trying to find out what else is in there? Yeah, definitely. Now that we've been successful with what I'm probably going to say was the most challenging one to target, just because of the depth and where it's at in the lake, we definitely want to tackle the other ones. Is this discovery going to attract more divers to this site? Oh yeah, everybody's just like, "Hey, next time hit me up."
CBC
29-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Solving a Lake Minnewanka mystery
The Calgary Eyeopener talks to scuba diver Alan Keller about the recent discovery of a vintage car beneath the waters of Lake Minnewanka in Banff National Park
RNZ News
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Seaweed: A Love Story
environment media 1:35 pm today There's a new short documentary that takes a deep dive underwater in Wellington. Seaweed: A Love Story follows Dr Nicole Miller scuba diving in the city's harbour highlighting both the beauty and underwater plight of its underwater forests.
National Post
21-05-2025
- National Post
I spent a week island hopping in French Polynesia — here's my action-packed itinerary
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Article content When most people think of French Polynesia, an image of Bora Bora's famously crystal clear waters and white sand beaches comes to mind. This island paradise, made up of 121 diverse islands and atolls, spreads across five archipelagos in the South Pacific Ocean, and is much more than sea and sand — though they are certainly top tier. Article content Article content Article content Article content Only a short flight away (about one hour from Bora Bora) lie Rangiroa and Fakarava — part of the largest atoll chain in the world known as the Tuamotu Archipelago. Host to extensive coral reefs and teeming with marine life, these islands are a scuba diver's you've been manifesting a getaway filled with adventure, breathtaking landscapes, rich cultural heritage and a touch of luxury, French Polynesia is for you. With only seven days, I was able to explore three diverse islands and tick off so many items on my bucket list. I'll be returning to explore further west and experience more of the magic these islands offer. Article content International flights will take you to Tahiti, the largest and most populous island in French Polynesia. Use this as a jumping-off point for exploring the outer islands, but be sure to give yourself at least one full day in in the bustling capital of Papeete and head straight for the local Papeete Market. Grab handmade crafts, fresh tropical fruits and locally-made monoi oils made from soaking Tahitian gardenia petals in coconut oil. Next, hit nearby Notre Dame Cathedral or the Black Pearl Museum — these pearls originate from black-lipped oysters that are found in Tahitian waters — or head south to the Museum of Tahiti and the Islands to dive into the island's culture and history. Article content Article content
Daily Mail
11-05-2025
- Daily Mail
How safe is YOUR dream Maldives holiday? How swimmers have repeatedly been attacked by sharks in paradise islands' crystal clear waters
Smattered across the Indian Ocean and made up over 1,000 intricate coral islands that are each encircled by white sands and cobalt blue waters, its understandable that almost every one of us dreams of visiting the Maldives at least once in our lives. The Republic of Maldives is home to some of the clearest waters in the world, which themselves house jaw-dropping marine structures. Plunging into the seas around any of the Maldives' 26 atolls is a dream for any scuba diver, as they are home to countless animals that swim around the pristine seas. But, as with any complex ecosystem, the remote islands are home to terrifying predators whose only instincts are to kill and devour. Dozens of species of shark stalk the watery depths of the island. The apex predators ordinarily keep to themselves, preferring to hunt for smaller, easier, targets than human beings. They are often said to be more afraid of us, than we are of them. But since the powerful jaws make them dangerous, particularly to people choosing to dive and pose for pictures in shark hotspots, and as a result the Maldives has seen its fair share of human tragedy caused by the deadly beasts. From the death of a decorated young army officer, to influencers who found themselves on the wrong side of these predators, the sheer range of shark attacks on the Maldives is well-documented. Terrifying moment giant shark clamps its jaws around a diver's head Terrifying footage captured the moment a massive shark clamped its jaws around a diver's head in a surprise attack off a Maldivian island. The clip shows a swimmer innocently drifting in the blue waters, until out of nowhere, with shocking speed, the shadowy figure of an enormous shark appears behind them. In a heart-stopping moment, the shark swiftly opens its jaws before engulfing the diver's head. For a few seconds, the swimmer's head remains in the mouth of the predator as it shakes the sea explorer around in an attempt to gnaw off their head. The diver can be seen kicking their feet and spreading their arms, desperately trying to flee the hungry shark. Miraculously, the swimmer made a lucky escape as the beastly fish unlocked its jaws and swam away, freeing the diver of the chilling attack. The diver then scrambled away to the surface of the water, waving their hands at the brave cameraman in a warning for them to flee the scene too. Both swimmers could be seen quickly working their way up and out of the dangerous waters, before the hair-raising footage ends. Terrifying moment woman is savaged by a shark while snorkelling in the Maldives The dentist was left with several scars across her arm A dentist told of her terror when a shark sank its teeth into her during a luxury holiday in the Maldives. Ekaterina Alexandrova, 30, from Moscow, was bitten in the hand when she was snorkelling with a friend. She complained of 'insane pain' but was able to get back to her tour boat. The attack was by normally docile nurse sharks after she was told an excursion was 'safe'. 'I got lucky – I pushed [the attacking shark] away with my left hand, and it didn't manage to bite hard,' she said. 'Of course, I've had men tell me I'm a tasty pie and can make some, you know, bite,' she said. 'But I didn't think I was on the lunch menu of sharks in the Maldives. 'So it was certainly a shock and a huge surprise to me.' The dentist was filmed shaking from shock in a clinic afterwards as she was given stitches for the gash in her skin. She said: 'Just so you understand – I was in shock and just smiling stupidly. The pain, of course, was insane. I cried later.' Her friend Masha 'turned pale and almost fainted - the boat was covered in blood,' she said. Influencer is left covered in blood after being attacked by a shark Russian influencer and singer Nastya Vitonova was swimming off the coast of the paradise islands when a shark sunk its teeth into her hand. Footage shows a tearful Vitonova on an organised tour boat just moments after the horrific attack, as her hand gushes with blood while members of the boat crew hurriedly pour water over her wound. 'I got bitten by a shark,' she says in between sobs, while a female onboard the boat tells her: 'You're bleeding really badly.' 'I won't die of blood infection?', the panicked influencer asks. Another social media personality onboard the boat, Isabelle Zagfarova, tells her: 'No, no, no, with sharks, the most important thing is that they don't bite your finger off. 'You won't get a blood infection', she reassures her. In tears the shark victim - who has 780,000 TikTok followers - goes on to say: 'I'm having a panic attack. I'm scared.' Vitonova was later transported to the nearest island where she received medical treatment for her bite. In a separate clip she is heard asking: 'Are they going to stitch it up?'. She later spoke about the shark attack on social media, explaining how she had been swimming alongside the sea beasts - an activity that is popular among tourists in the Maldives. While most sharks on the island are considered to be friendly, some encounters with the animal can turn deadly. Describing how the sea creature suddenly chomped on her hand, she said it dug its sharp teeth into her for around two to three seconds. 'All the worst scenarios started running through my head', she recalled. 'I immediately swam to the boat and did everything with a cool head, despite the panic inside. 'I had a smile and laughter for the first five minutes, but it was hysteria and a defensive reaction.' She admitted: 'There was horror inside, I was shaking all over…. 'I realised that it was good that it all ended with just my hand. 'But then the realisation came, and finally the emotions came out. 'I started crying really hard, sometimes I couldn't breathe from the shock.' '[The shark] bit [my finger] to the bone, now there is a small bump at the site of the stitch. But it is healing', she said. Horrifying moment woman is attacked by a shark while diving This is the terrifying moment a woman was bitten by a shark while diving off a paradise island. Travel influencer Lilian Tagliari was swimming among a group of 50 nurse sharks in the Maldives early last month when one suddenly took a bite out of her right leg. Footage viewed more than 18 million times shows Lilian screaming in pain underwater. Blood can be seen coming from her leg with teeth marks clearly visible on her calf and shin. Lilian said she thought she was bitten because one of the sharks mistook her for a fish due to their 'bad eyesight'. She said: 'I would say [there was] probably around 50 sharks, and I've been swimming in this same spot for many years. 'The boats do throw fish where they are, and because nurse sharks have very bad eye sight, that one just thought my leg was a piece of fish. 'I did have to take antibiotics in case of any bacterial infection. I got a sore leg for a few days. 'We had with them for a good hour, then I decided to go back to our boat. Then the conditions got better and I thought "oh a few more dives won't hurt". 'As I came back up this shark decided to take a nibble. I thought "just my luck" because it happens so rarely.' Tragic young army officer perishes after shark attack A young Maldives National Defence Force officer tragically passed away after being attacked by a shark. Lance Corporal Mohamed Zaidhan, from the island of Ungoofaaru, had his shoulder mauled and dislocated by the beast while he was snorkelling. The 30-year-old was rushed to L. Gan Regional Hospital's intensive care unit. Local media reported he needed heavy blood transfusions due to the severity of his injuries, but tragically he succumbed to these wounds. He was later buried on his native island with military honours. A seven-gun salute was fired by fellow soldiers at the funeral, which was held at the Ungoofaaru Islamic Center after Asr prayer. MNDF officers met with the late soldier's family and offered their condolences. Heart-stopping moment shark clamps its teeth around tuna near an underwater photographer The hungry great white sharks were snapped by a British photographer as they fed on Tuna A bit close for comfort: The striking images were captured by London-born filmmaker and photographer Euan Rannachan with a Nikon D850 in a Aquatech water housing Stunning and terrifying in equal measure, dramatic images show two hungry great white sharks closing in for chunks of tuna just a few feet away from a British photographer. Captured by underwater snapper Euan Rannachan, 36, the striking images show a shark called Keyser Soze coming right up to the camera with its mouth wide open reaching out for its meal. And in footage reminiscent of Steven Spielberg's Jaws, a thrilling video was able to capture the fearsome shark Brutus going in for another chunk of tuna. The fearless London-born photographer was unflinching as he managed to dive and record the video at the same time. These stunning shots were captured at Guadalupe island off the coast of Baja California, Mexico. They were captured by filmmaker and photographer Euan with a Nikon D850 in a Aquatech water housing, which protects and secures camera and other equipment underwater. 'In the photos you can see a shark called Keyser Soze spinning around and going for a chunk of tuna at the surface just feet from me,' said Euan. 'In the video you can see Brutus going for another chunk of tuna. 'I was taking photos of this as well as running my GoPro.
