July 2, 2012 - Sand Tiger Night Club

Photo of the Week
Carcharias taurus within the wreck of the Aeolus. (New)
www.evolutionunderwater.com

     The wreck of the Aeolus, which lies 28 miles south of Morehead City, NC was the sight of a very exciting photo shoot for myself this past Saturday where numerous sand tiger sharks, maybe a dozen strong, had gathered within the wreck. Every once in a while you will find a shark or two loitering about inside the wrecks here in North Carolina, but to see this many is a rare occurrence. From the stand point of a photographer, this makes for some great subject matter.

     With my favorite 10.5mm Nikon fisheye lens and D300 camera I carefully made myself at home inside the stern section of the wreck and snapped away until my fingers bled. OK, maybe that's a stretch; my fingers didn't actually bleed, but the opportunities for great photos were everywhere and my flash was firing rapidly. The eerie light emanating from outside of the deteriorating wreck made for a superb backdrop for the sharks lurking about within their dark night club. I was a kid in a candy store with one 'keeper' photo after another filling my camera's memory card.

     Several sharks even swam up and down the companionway on the port side of the wreck which is lined with stunning brilliant purple colored sea fans. There's nothing like adding a little color to a scene to spice it up your image. Human models couldn't have posed for a better shot than these sharks and I don't have to pay them.

     After about thirty minutes of pure bliss with my 'fave' sharks, it was time to head up to my divers waiting up top. This past weekend a group from Seahorse Scuba in Midlothian, Virginia chartered the boat I skipper for Olympus Dive Center. They too had a look at the Aeolus and her sand tiger shark squatters.

     The past few years the Aeolus has had sporadic sand tiger sightings on her remains while the neighboring wreck of the USCGS Spar was the hot spot for shark sightings. Although the Spar still has sand tigers on it this season, the Aeolus seems to attract more this dive season. Not much is known why or where sand tigers roam in their range of habitat but studies are being done in Delaware State University by Dr. Dewayne Fox and by The Guy Harvey Research Institute. By attaching transmitters much is being learned of the sharks migratory patterns. When I find out more about the results I'll be passing this information on to you.

     The Aeolus wasn't the only wreck visited by the divers from Seahorse Scuba. They also got a taste of the USCG Cutter Spar and were introduced for the first time to the wreck of the legendary U-352. A visit to the North Carolina coast to dive would not be complete until one scratched a few lines into their dive log about this wreck experience. Visibility has been around 30-40 feet depending on where you dive. These conditions certainly aren't the best North Carolina has to offer, but not the worst either.

     Presently, the Midnight Express has been grounded due to bad weather on this day, but we are scheduled to run again on Tuesday and Wednesday with the gang from New Joisey's, Ocean Explorers headed up by Jim Masters and Donna Gunn. I'll have more about their dives very soon. Rumor has it we are heading to the Caribsea to see some sharkies. So what else is new?

Happy Diving!

-Mike Gerken

Photo Gallery

Crazy Outer Banks weather can be scary and awe inspiring at the same time. This storm dumped more than an inch in a few hours and caused damage up and down the eastern coast of the US.
Shot taken on July 1, 2012 at the Olympus Dive Center dock.

Sand tiger shark on the wreck of the Aeolus. (New)

Sand tiger with brilliant purple sea fans. (New)

Sand tiger 'strolling' down the port companionway
of the Aeolus. (New) 

Sand tiger hanging out in 'Club' Aeolus. (New)

Annette Papa shooting with her new D7000 on the W.E. Hutton aka Papoose.

A black and white sand tiger shark. A very rare species.

Annette Papa posing with her new 'baby'.

Annette Papa hanging out in the deep dark and dangerous.

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November 12, 2011 - Year in Review

Olympus Year in Review

The 2011 Olympus crew  on the foredeck of the M/V Olympus.

     My 2011 dive season at Olympus Dive Center in North Carolina is very sadly all but over. The vessel I captain, the Midnight Express, has no more trips scheduled so far this year. Overall it was a great season. Sure, the weather was problematic at times but between 'blow days' and hurricanes there was some stunning diving. I can remember the many ecstatic faces climbing the dive ladders after epic dives on the U-352, USS Schurz, Atlas and my fave for the year, the W.E. Hutton aka Papoose. For me, what will be most memorable about the 2011 dive season was the multitudes of sharks seen on the wrecks and not just Sand Tigers but Dusky's, Bull and even a Hammerhead Shark or two. For the first time since 2008, I shot UW video and managed to capture five dives on tape highlighting these shark encounters. You can check them out here at my web site: Evolution Underwater Imaging. It was also a banner year for photography. With visibility sometimes in excess of 50 feet, conditions were optimal for shooting. I was very pleased with many of the images I collected, some of which that have already been published or plan to be published soon. Please visit this link for a look at all the 'keeper' shots from this year: Click Here.

One of my favorite images from 2011. 

A quintessential shot of a Sand Tiger Shark. Taken on the
Atlas Tanker 2011. (stock)

Just because I sound like I'm done running charters for this year doesn't imply that you should cross off the Outer Banks from your 'to do' dive list for the remainder of 2011. Olympus's flag ship, the M/V Olympus, captained by Robert Purifoy, has dive trips scheduled throughout the month of November. Please contact them at the link above to find out what the schedule entails. If the weather is good you might find me on board getting my last dives in and trying to score a few more photos or video clip or two. The dive conditions are still optimal and will stay that way for much of the Fall and even the winter so don't give up on Olympus just yet.

Mate, John Thompson was a true piece of
work. His 'flare' will be missed.

    Some have already been asking me if I will be running the Midnight Express next season in 2012. At this point, I honestly have no idea. It all depends on what happens over the winter. If I return next year to Olympus I will most certainly do so with a smile on my face. I have had in the past and continue to have some of my all time greatest dives here and without Olympus Dive Center as the staging ground it would not be possible. Headed up by Robert Purifoy, I am honored to be working for what I consider the apex of professionally run dive operations in the US if not the world. The staff at Olympus are more than just co-workers, they are an extended family. A special thanks goes out to the crew of the Midnight Express, Mike Phillips and John Thompson. We worked hard, played hard and experienced some outstanding dives this past season. Without these guys watching my back I would have lost a lot more of my hair out there and I cannot afford any more hair loss thank you. 

Other mate, Mike Phillips helped balance
John Thompson's presence.

Articles

My photos have appeared in publications on a regular basis in 2011 and wanted to take it to the next step in publishing by writing. Writing has been a new pursuit of mine and this year and I am pleased with the results thus far. I always accept and appreciate comments on my stories to get ideas on what you, the reader, enjoys reading. So drop me a line anytime or add comments at the bottom of the Blog.
     SCUBABoard.com is a popular diving forum and social networking internet site where one can go to buy and sell gear, find dive tips, chat with like minded individuals and read articles. I just published my first story on SCUBAboard.com that appeared on their site last week. It is the same story posted on my September 22nd Blog titled, The Spar: "The Cutter With the Most Gold" except with some revisions and a few new photos added. Go check it out. It can still be seen on the home page. 

     Wreck Diving Magazine, Diver Magazine and SCUBA Diving Magazine have all agreed to print stories written by myself with accompanying photos for editions to be released in 2012. I will be posting more on these stories as it happens.

Speaking Engagements
      Eastern Carolina University (ECU) in Greenville, NC has graciously asked me to do a presentation for their students and staff on the evening of November 17th at 7PM. I will be presenting on a variety of topics from wrecks and the documentary films I produced on them as well as having diving and photography as a career. I will also be speaking about the need for protection of sharks. The decimation of shark species worldwide can have and already is having a serious impact on overall fish stocks if something is not rectified very quickly. Come to the presentation and learn more. Location is at the East Carolina Heart Institute at East Carolina University, on Heart Drive off Arlington out by the Hospital. I hope to see you there.
      Beneath the Sea is the largest dive expo open to the general public in America and this year they have accepted my photo workshop titled "Wide Angle Wreck Photography and More" to be presented at the show on March 23-25, 2012. Wreck photography has been my favorite subject to shoot and it can be said that I specialize in it. For a small fee you can sign up for a three hour presentation and learn some of my tricks and techniques for capturing the essence of a shipwreck. I will have more info on this to come.

     Stay tuned for potential dates where I will be hosting photo workshops at trade shows or dive centers around the US. I have no set dates as of yet but I should have some soon. If you are part of a dive center or dive club and would like me to be a guest speaker or conduct a workshop please contact me at mike@evolutionunderwater.com. For more info or visit this link to my web site: Click Here.  If your an individual I am also available for instruction in person or live online via web cam.

Photo Tip of the Week

 Backscatter

A gratuitous quantity of dots, specks and crud, otherwise known as backscatter,
can ruin an otherwise perfect shot. 

     Have you ever had a great photo ruined by thousands of tiny white or brown dots strewn all about the image? If you said, 'no' then you're lying. 'Backscatter', as it is known in the industry, which is the direct reflection of strobe light off of suspended particulates through the lens and on to the sensor creating an image that looks like numerous tiny mirrors. These minute reflections muddle an image and distract your eyes away from our subject. They are the bane of every photographer at one time or another. There are ways to eliminate or reduce the amount of backscatter with these few simple tips.
     The simplest way to avoid backscatter is to dive in clear water with minimal suspended particles. No particles equals no backscatter. Easy right? I wish. Well, we don't always have the luxury of diving in said conditions so what next? Do not create any more suspended particles on top of what is already there. Superior buoyancy and finning techniques are critical to not kicking up the bottom and only come with training and practice. When you are shooting on the sea bed or wreck be sure to not kneel or stand on the bottom whenever possible. 

Proper finning such as this will minimize unwanted silt
and cut down on backscatter. 

Your fin action will most certainly ruin a photo subject and possibly alienate you from other divers and photographers. By hovering over the bottom with your knees bent and fins off the bottom you will prevent the silting up your photo area. If you must absolutely sit on the bottom then be very careful to not kick up silt but, very few will succeed in doing so. Shooting a subject that is up current from where you are kneeling will pull the silt away from the photo area and help you if you have to touch the bottom. Some divers prefer to use small metal poles, pointers or pokers to assist them in staying of the reef. I see these merely as a crutch that will prohibit a diver from obtaining superior buoyancy skills. A diver with top notch buoyancy does not need one. Also, in the hands of a sloppy diver those little pokers can cause damage to marine life even though they are very small. You will be amazed at how well you can not only hover over a reef area but change position ever so slightly with minor fin tip kicks only. It just requires lots of practice.

Built in flash units, such as the one depicted here, are the worst for creating backscatter.
The closer the strobe is to the port the worse the glare and backscatter.

     Sometimes no matter what you do the environmental conditions will still prove challenging when there is a lot of silt or particulates occurring naturally in the water column. Heavy rains, steep seas are but a few weather conditions that will cause excessive silting. If this is the case, here is what you can do. First extend your strobe arm(s) out as far as you can or as far as your subject will allow you. The closer the strobe light is to your dome port the more likely the strobe light will emanate out and directly back in to the port. For example, stand in front of a mirror and shine a flashlight directly in to the mirror in front of your face or slightly to the side in to your face. You might find the light is more likely to shine right back in to your eyes. Now hold the flashlight out at your side and shine it on your face in the mirror. You will now see that the light is reflected off to the side and not in to your eyes.  

The illustration shows strobes pointing inwards which is
not always a desirable position.

The same holds true for your strobes reflecting light off particles, through the port and on to your camera sensor. If you find that when you move your strobes out to far there is a dark patch in the middle of your image then you need to pull the strobes closer in and point the core of the strobe slightly outwards away from your subject utilizing the fringe of the strobe light in your exposure more then the core. Not only will backscatter be cut down but sometimes you will get more desirable softer edges on your subjects with this 

Slightly pointing strobe units outwards can cut down
on backscatter greatly by redirecting strobe light
away from lens port.

slight tilt. Adding a diffuser over the strobe can help cut down hot spots but even with this addition the center of the strobe may be to intense and direct. This factor also depends on the model and make of your strobe units. Some are more intense in the center than others. This slight adjustment in strobe angle will help in reducing or even eliminating backscatter all together and works well with both macro and wide angle photography.
      Even when you use all the tricks in the trade taking photos there is one more you can use in post production. When you have a winner shot but still has a fare amount of specks on it there are post photo tricks you can utilize to rid your photo of this backscatter. In image processing softwares such as Photoshop there are tools you can use such as clone stamps and filters to eliminate those irksome specks. This segment will not get in to the use of these tools though. You will have to do some research or call Mike for a photo lesson. Hey, a man has to eat ya know.
      In closing, sometimes no matter what you do though the water quality will be just to crummy to take photos without backscatter. When conditions are like this you can either call it quits, turn for home and look for a bar to drown your sorrows in or spend the time in the water practicing your dive and photo skills. You might not yield quality photos on dives like this but you may learn something that will help you out in the future. Practice, practice, practice is the name of the game. If first you don't succeed....well you know the rest.

Next Weeks Blog Report

DVD Documentary film,
The Wrecks of Truk Lagoon

      Truk Lagoon is a keyword that will set off thoughts of the worlds greatest wreck diving in the minds of sport divers around the world. With more than three dozen wrecks to choose from it is epic in scale as a dive destination. In next weeks' blog I will tell you about my five years living and working in Truk Lagoon on the liveaboards, Truk Aggressor II and the Truk Odyssey. It was here where I became inspired to film my second documentary film aptly titled, The Wrecks of Truk Lagoon. In this film there is more than 40 minutes of narrated and archived film footage as well as ninety minutes of my best underwater video that was selected from nearly 60 hours of total footage. In my Dive Blog Report I will tell you all about the making of this film and what it took to get it done. Until next time....

Happy Diving!

Mike Gerken

Mike Gerken

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If you wish to dive Graveyard of the Atlantic contact

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Olympus Dive Center, Morhead City, NC.

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September 22, 2011 - The Spar: "The Cutter with the Most Gold"

The Spar

"The Cutter With the Most Gold"         

The USCG Cutter Spar in 1957.
Courtesy of USCG Archives.

A close encounter with a Sand Tiger Shark, Carcharias Taurus
on the deck of the USCG Cutter Spar. (Stock)

     Hovering at a depth of 80 feet of seawater and only a few inches over the foredeck of the wreck, I remained motionless while breathing slowly in and out in an effort not to startle my prey with the noisy bubbles venting from my regulator.  After waiting nearly ten minutes several targets in the distance slowly approached to within range for a shot.  My patience was about to pay off.  A large Sand Tiger Shark at around 8 feet in length slowly approached me from the head on while not heeding my presence.  I lined my sights up on the rows of the gnarly ragged teeth jutting out of her mouth and just when it seemed she was going to bump in to my dome port I fired off a round of shots from my submerged digital SLR camera.  Snap, snap, snap!  The brilliant flash of my twin underwater strobes fired off in rapid succession but did not alarm the Shark as she continued to approach me.  I then had to lower the bulky camera housing and try to back out of the situation to avoid contact.  My sudden movement must have gotten her attention because within a split second the once languid Sand Tiger Shark instantly sprang to life as she snapped around folding her body almost in half until pointing her snout nearly in the opposite direction. The whipping motion and the lighting speed of the tail created a cracking sound like a muffled shotgun blast.  

Sand Tiger Shark on the Spar. (Stock)

Instinctively, I covered my face with my free hand so the concussion of water would not knock my mask off as had nearly happened on previous encounters with these sharks.  A turbulent wall of water rushed at me knocking me for a spin but luckily with no further dire consequences for the shark or myself.  When I dropped my hand all I could see was the faint outline of the shark speeding away from me in to the blue water. Phew!  I could now take a deep breath and allow my heart rate to return to a normal pace while reviewing on my cameras LCD the images that I hoped would yield one great shot.  I could clearly see a large quantity of teeth taking up a substantial area of the LCD while many of the details of the face were in clear focus.  Success!  I had just landed another prized photograph of one of my all time favorite subjects.  

A Sand Tiger Shark swimming across the buoy deck
of the USCG Cutter Spar. (Stock)

     This is but one of many of my memorable encounters with Carcharias Taurus  on the wreck of the United States Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC), Spar. She was sank 26 nautical miles due south of Morehead City as part of the North Carolina artificial reef program in 2004 and has become one of the most sought after wreck dives in the region primarily due to her abundance of marine life highlighted with the ever present Sand Tiger Sharks. The Spar is visited every year by hundreds of sport diving enthusiasts from all over the country and even the world to experience the thrill and excitement of wreck diving with these enigmatic creatures. However, I suspect many who dive upon her rusting hulk are unaware of the distinguished career the Spar had with the Coast Guard prior to her sinking. I'm going to change that as of right now.

The USCG Cutter Spar under construction at the
Marine Iron and Shipbuilding Corp. in Duluth MN September 30, 1943.

     The USCG's motto is Semper Paratus; Always Ready whose acronym spells SPAR. The Spar was commissioned on June 12 of 1944 as part of the Coast Guards program to develop a new class of buoy tender that was initiated in early 1941 prior to the outbreak of WWII. This new class of tender was designed to fulfill the service’s multi-mission role to conduct Search and Rescue operations (SAR), Law Enforcement missions (LE) as well as their primary mission of tending to Aids to Navigation (ATON). The new class of tender measured 180 feet overall hence making them the 180 Class tenders. The 180's, also known as Iris class, had a beam of 37 feet at her widest point and drew 13 feet of water with a displacement of 935 tons. They were propelled by a single screw electric turbine motor powered by twin diesel generators with a 30,000 gallon capacity and a max speed of 13 knots sustained.  A reinforced bow and an ice belt at the waterline gave the vessel ice breaking abilities and with design modifications to the hull it made her a more seaworthy vessel then her predecessors.

The launching party for the Spar on November 2, 1943.
Photo courtesy of USCG Archives.

The launching of the USCG Cutter Spar on November 2, 1943.
Photo courtesy of USCG Archives.

    By the time the Spar's keel was laid in September of 1943 at the Marine Iron and Shipbuilding Corporation in Duluth, MN, WWII was already in full swing and the industrial might of America at this time was at it's peak. All of the thirty-nine  180 class buoy tenders were produced between 1941 and 1944 at two shipyards in Duluth. With much of the male workforce off fighting in the war, shipyards began turning to women by the thousands as electricians, welders and machinists in Minnesota in order to get the job done. These women workers, also known as "welderettes", played a key role in the production of the USCG modern class buoy tenders and their efforts in the war should not be discounted.

The Spar during WWII painted gun
metal gray. Photo courtesy of the USCG
Archives.

    The Spar was placed in to service in June of 1944 and participated as a convoy escort in anti-submarine warfare off the coast of Brazil. To protect the ship and her crew of 6 officers and 74 crew the Spar was fitted with an assortment of weapons. To defend against air attack she was fitted with 4-20mm guns two on the superstructure and two on the aft section. A single 3" cannon was mounted aft of the stack to attack air and surface targets. Depth charge racks mounted on the stern were installed and a device called a 'mousetrap' was mounted on the bow to defend against enemy submarine attacks.

Anti-sub weapon a 'mousetrap".

A 'mousetrap' was a rocket propelled explosives that were designed to detonate on impact of a submarine hull. The Spar although equipped for action did not encountered the enemy in the war but served her country well all the same.
    After the war ended the Spar was permanently stationed in Woods Hole, MA until 1951 where she was relocated to Bristol, R.I. at that time. In 1957 she was assigned the duty of conducting hydro graphic surveys in the Northwest Passage and it would be here where her ice breaking capabilities would play a key role. The Spar during the course of this mission became the first ship to circumnavigate North America. President Dwight D. Eisenhower even sent his personal congratulations to the crew of the Spar for this remarkable feet.  In 1966, the Spar was dispatched to the North Atlantic where she participated in an undersea oceanographic charting operation. During the course of this mission she logged over 17,000 miles and visited over 6 countries including Germany, Iceland and Norway.

The Spar in the ice during her mission to the Northwest Passage in September 1957.
Photo courtesy of USCG Archives.

The Spar testing oil skimming equipment. Date unknown.
Photo courtesy of USCG Archives.

    In 1973 the Spar was relocated once again to Portland, ME where she served general duties maintaining New England Coastal navigational aids in waters that were known for their rocky and treacherous shoreline. To be able to pilot a vessel with success in such hazardous waters leaves much to be said for the superior skill of the crew. It was in 1981 where the Spar was noted for her outstanding service when she scored the highest marks by any ocean going tender in the fleet at Refresher Training in Little Creek, VA. In following years she would accumulate additional high scores and proudly displayed a gold "E" with three gold service stripes for eight consecutive overall excellent scores in operations and seamship training. Vice-Admiral Paul Welling, the commander of the Atlantic Area (LANTAREA), recognized the Spar as "The Cutter with the Most Gold" in the Atlantic Fleet.

The Spar underway in 1968.

Photo courtesy of USCG Archives.

This series of photos was taken by Robert Purifoy in August 2004  at the sinking of the USCG Cutter Spar.

     The Spar's career came to a halt when she was decommissioned in February of 1997 and placed in to storage at the Coast Guard yard in Curtis Bay, MD. Her illustrious duties of course were far from over. After collecting rust for seven years the Spar was purchased by the State of North Carolina and sent to the bottom of the Atlantic to become an artificial reef to attract fish life for sport fishing and recreational sport diving. Today, the Spar is one of the hottest wreck dives off the North Carolina Coast. With a max depth of only 110 feet and the shallowest point at 75 feet she appeals to divers with beginner to expert skills alike. The water temp in the summer months can climb as high as 82 degrees on the bottom with average visibility at a respectable 50-60 feet. Traditionally dozens of Sand Tigers could be found hanging about the wreck on any given day as well as large schools of Atlantic Spade Fish schooling around the tall superstructure. Fearless Greater Amber Jacks regularly sneak up behind divers coming to within arms reach. I have had to push them away from me on many occasions while photographing.

A Greater Amber Jack swimming
past the stem of the Spar. (stock)

The USCG Cutter Spar.
Illustration by Charles R. Hitz© 1990.  

The Wreck of the Spar may be only a modest 180' long and not have as memorable a history as say the aircraft carriers USS Oriskany, and USS Saratoga or even the WWII troop transport ship the SS President Coolidge but her story is a respectable one that deserves attention all the same. Let it not be forgotten that this ship served it's country to the best of it's abilities in war and in peace time and continues to serve today as a stunning and marvelous dive sight. The "Cutter With the Most Gold" just keeps on giving.

A Sand Tiger Shark swimming past the superstructure
on the buoy deck of the Spar. (Stock)

The latest News from the Spar.

Diver hovering over the superstructure
of the Spar with school of Spade Fish beneath. (Stock)

     In the summer season of 2011 the population of Sand Tiger Sharks had dwindled somewhat and divers had only spotted a few at a time per dive. The reason for this is unknown but the behavior is not unheard of. These sharks have been known to take up residence in mass on other wrecks only to have moved to other wrecks years later. Why Sand Tigers will move off a site to another site is a mystery but we are expecting them to return in force to the Spar soon enough. Other recent noteworthy happenings with the Spar occurred when the eye of Hurricane Irene passed directly over the wreck of the Spar in August of 2011 with waves an estimated 29 feet on the surface. The force of this storm apparently has moved the wreck nearly 200 feet from its previous location and pushed it over on to its side with a 45 degree list to port. As of the writing of this article I have yet to dive the Spar in her new location and her position due to adverse weather and poor visibility left behind by Irene.  I am scheduled to run charters there this weekend since conditions have improved vastly and the 2011 dive season in North Carolina continues. I hope to have new photos to publish when I get down to the Spar again soon.


Happy Diving!
Mike Gerken

Please visit my web site www.evolutionunderwater.com to see video excerpts from my documentary films and a complete underwater photographic portfolio of my work and purchase fine art prints and DVD's of my films.

If you wish to dive the Graveyard of the Atlantic contactOlympus Dive Center for more information.

Olympus Dive Center, Morhead City, NC.

Also, follow me on Facebook at Evolution Underwater Imaging (by Mike Gerken) and click like to receive the latest updates.

Mike Gerken