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The brains behind this machine, four Omer submarine engineers, were on their way from Canada’s École de technologie supérieure in Montreal. Meanwhile, we had been dealt a serious blow by the Ministry of Commercial Shipping’s Port Police Management. At the eleventh hour, they rejected our request for permission to place Omer 6 in the sea.
My wife, Carolina Sarasiti, was glued to her phone as Andreas studied his maritime law books desperately trying to find a solution to our dilemma. It didn’t look good. The weather continued to deteriorate and all flights in and out of Kefalonia were cancelled. The Omer submarine team was stuck in Athens. The bad weather and unexpected red tape had already delayed us by a day.
I took a leisurely walk with my father-in-law and Greek engineer, Vageli Sarasiti, in an attempt to clear my head. We came across a large catamaran getting smashed against jagged rocks and scrambled on board to help. The waves were relentless. We managed to free the boat from the rocks but one of the engines was jammed solid. Vageli and I grabbed a mask, knife and torch and dived into the murky water. It was like being in a washing machine but we eventually managed to cut through the rope that was wrapped around the propeller shaft.
After sailing for 29 days across the Atlantic Ocean, we were also left wondering where the calm, warm, sparkling blue water was of which the Ionian Islands were so famous for. At least my head was clear.
When the Omer team arrived we celebrated in true Greek fashion. The project remained blocked, but their high spirits helped us forget the bad news for a while. Surprisingly, after almost two years of planning the world’s first human-powered submarine expedition we had never met before this day. They were happy that I really existed and the whole thing wasn’t just some strange prank played out by a guy in his basement!
Later in the day, continual bad weather and red tape still prevented us from testing Omer 6 in the sea. We desperately needed to get the sub in the water so I could begin my pilot training. With no time to lose, I found a nearby resort that was willing to help us out. When I returned with the good news, drills were screeching as the engineers assemble the submarine.
Now, I seek only the top (and often hardest) instructor trainers when I require additional training for myself, and I love the challenge.
Read moreSo says Dr Phil Nuytten, inventor of sub sea submersibles and the NewtSuit, a deep-sea hard suit employing break through technology that allow scientists to walk the bottom of the ocean in one-bar atmosphere with a freedom and range of movement un
Read moreFrom macro to wide-angle photography, there are plenty of subjects that can be taken against the sun. If the subject covers at least two thirds of the sun, it will stand out as a silhouette.
Read moreThe sperm whale is the canonical whale, its form immortalized by books and drawings centuries old.
Read moreIn fact, virtually every photograph taken since then had to use Silver Halide crystals in recording the image.
Read more“So, what’s under the water?” I asked Maurice, the aged Greek instructor from a local training facility for commercial divers.
Read more“There is a feeling of alchemy when crafting something of value from a supposedly dead material.”
— Sam MacDonald
The sudden fall of the Berlin Wall changed the idea of an expedition to Lake Baikal from just wishful thinking to a project that was actually realisable.
Read moreShe became enamored with the underwater realm and eventually came to work abroad as a SCUBA instructor and underwater videographer for several years. She returned to London in 1995 to work as an underwater photographer.
Rebreathers aren’t exactly an impulse buy, but they don’t quite require the same deep pockets as a super car. So, you could actually own one if you put your mind and piggy bank pennies into it.
Read moreThis first impression has stayed with us ever since. With great topside adventures and sights to balance easy and wonderful diving, Jordan is clearly one of the most under-appreciated dive destinations around.
Read moreKnown for his organic forms and environmentally sensitive creations, Chihuly has also created glass installations for various environments beyond the conventional gallery including bridges, glass houses and botanical gardens in the US, the Royal G
Read moreBekman said, “I was always fascinated by nature and its beauty. In my family, museum and gallery visits were common, and my family taught me to really see things through careful observation.” The ocean was very much part of Bekman’s childhood.
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