The Radio Tower
Location: Point Fermin, Rancho Palos Verdes Estates, California
Date: January 23, 2023
Net Handling Team: Jim Babor, Norbert Lee
Documentation Team: Keith Chu, Shane McWilliams
Observation and Training Team: Jamie Mitchell, Walter Zagzebski
The Radio Tower
Ghost Divers set out aboard the Giant Stride to clean up the Radio Tower. The Radio Tower has unknown origins but rests in 110 ft at the deepest portion of the structure. The shallowest portion of the structure sits in 85- 90 feet. A previous survey of the structure showed that nets were intertwined with various parts of the structure. This clean up presented some unique challenges because of how the net had become entangled in the structure.
The first piece of net recovered was at the shallower end of the structure. It was dangling vertically and still attached to a significant amount of line. This line added a level of complexity to the mission because in order to safely lift the first piece of net, the line had to be unraveled from the structure to ensure the net would lift without snagging. Thenet team worked diligently to ensure this was done with care.
The second section of net served as a grim reminder of why our mission is critically important. This second section of net, which was a thin monofilament net, had captured and claimed the life of a sheephead. California sheephead live around rocky reefs and kelp beds. The final piece of net recovered was a mesh net in the middle of the structure.
There is still work to be done at the Radio Tower. The team observed a hoop net and an additional smaller piece of net needing recovery. Unfortunately, the team did not have enough time to safely recover the nets. Their locations were noted for later recovery.
Abalone Cove
The second dive of the day was at Abalone Cove. The goal of the Abalone Cove dive was to find a net in approximately 30 feet of water. The intention is to use the net to provide net training for Ghost Divers. unfortunately, due to visibility at the site, the team was unable to locate the net. The team will return to Abalone Cove to search for the net and recover it for training.
The Beam Center
The nets recovered will be sent to the Beam Center in New York City. The Beam Center provides young adults with opportunities to collaborate with artists, engineers and various fabricators. Through this collaboration, the young adults build unique and innovative projects.
You can learn more by visiting the Beam Center website: https://beamcenter.org/
Farnsworth Bank and The Midnight Hour
Location: Farnsworth Bank & The Midnight Hour - Catalina Island
Date: October 10, 2022
Open Circuit Team: Norbert Lee, Rene Tetter, Curtis Wolfslau
Closed Circuit Team: Jim Babor, Karim Hamza, Tianyi Lu
The Goal
Team Ghost Diving USA set out to survey two targets: Farnsworth Bank and the wreck of the Midnight Hour. The objective of these surveys is to collect data and images that will help the teams evaluate the impact the net is having on the environment around it, the potential risks of removing the net and, ultimately, the logistics of removing the net.
Target #1 - Farnsworth Bank
Farnsworth Bank is a state marine conservation area (SMCA_ on the windward side of Catalina Island. As an SMCA, some recreational and commercial take is allowed with varying restrictions. Farnsworth Bank offers some of the most beautiful and unique diving that Catalina has to offer. The dive site is a series of pinnacles that range from approximately 60 - 150 feet in depth. Recreational and technical divers alike flock to Farnsworth Bank to experience the wide variety of unique marine flora and fauna. A 200 foot net was previously reported by Karim and Jim after they found a drowned cormorant in the net.
The teams descended on the middle pinnacle, called middle 68, to 143 feet and located the net. Upon arriving, the teams collected GPS data, survey notes and video of the net. the teams also found lobster traps and small pieces of net on top of a pinnacle at 90 feet. After a successful survey dive, the team moved to their next target: The Midnight Hour.
Target #2 - The Midnight Hour
The Midnight Hour is a commercial purse seiner that sank off the west end of Catalina on August 30, 2011. She is 61 feet long and resting on her starboard side at approximately 100 feet. The crew was rescued with no injuries or fatalities, but the cause of her sinking is unknown. The Ghost Diving team descended upon the wreck and found that the drum, which holds the majority of the net, has now separated from the wreck. The team collected data as well as video of the wreck and the drum. They feel that they, with appropriate planning, can successfully clean up the net. One of the most significant logistical factors will be conditions at the site of the wreck. It is well known that the site has strong currents and rough surface conditions. The team will have to plan conservatively.
The Moody
Location: San Pedro Bay, California
Wreck: The Moody
Date: September 10 & 17th, 2022
The Moody
The Moody is a Wickes class destroyer that is 314 feet long. She was commissioned in December 1919 and assigned to the pacific fleet. She was decommissioned in June 1930 and set for disassembly. In 1933 she was purchased by MGM for the movie “Hell Below”. The Moody was remade to look like a German destroyer. On February 21, 1933, crews detonated explosives between watertight compartments with the hope she would float after the explosion. Unfortunately, another series of explosions damaged the watertight compartments causing her to sink at 5:30 pm. She rests in approximately 150 feet of water. The two halves of the wreck are about 111 feet apart.
Californiawreckdivers.org (n.d.).
September 10, 2022
Survey Team: Jim Babor, Karim Hamza, David Watson
The survey team set out with the objective of collecting GPS data to pinpoint locations of the net on the wreck. The team found that there were 5 area of the wreck holding nets with a significant concentration of net being found at the stern Pictures, video and survey notes were collected.
September 17, 2022
The team returned to the Moody for a clean up mission.
Closed Circuit Team: Jim Babor, Karim Hamza, Nir Maimon
Open Circuit Team: Jung-han Hsieh, Norbert Lee, Mark Self
The teams agreed to take one half of the wreck each. The closed circuit team descended first to stage the lift bags for both teams and start working on their half of the wreck. The open circuit team descended upon the wreck and began removing net from their half. The teams planned a 2 hour dive and were excited to report that their dive was shorter than anticipated at an hour and 30 minutes. They attribute this efficiency to the use of the GPS data. They were able to plan their dives with a high level of precision because they knew exactly where to find the net. They were able to successfully remove the majority of the net from the wreck and plan to monitor the status of the remaining net.
