Air to the Diver, a photo from Baja California Sur, Baja

Photographer's Note

I had some great fun Thursday, 13 August I joined a crew of about 35 fishermen and divers, organized by Noroeste Sustentable (NOS), who are moving callos de hacha from a marina channel that is scheduled to be re-dredged shortly, part of the groups larger mission of restoring and preserving the estuary at the backwater end of La Paz Bay. These scallops had been widespread, but years of careless pollution in a rapidly-growing city has drastically reduced their numbers. They are transplanting 60,000 of these shellfish one-at-a-time, by hand, by divers using hookah pumps (no air tanks, just an air hose run by a small motor and compressor on the boat). They gently detach them, bring them up in baskets, motor across the bay, then replant them. Some lo-rez fotos of the process can be found herehttps://www.dropbox.com/sh/v6frwixo8n90pm0/AADP6ww8TDA7AXctH6zqw9Oja?dl=0

In this foto, you see one of the pumps. I love the old machine and how it has been rigged to the board and strapped to the boat. I'm not sure I would want to rely on it for underwater air... but the divers did!

ikeharel, pajaran, tyro, jhm, marabu61 oznaczył to zdjęcie jeko użyteczne

Critiques | Translate

pajaran (116947) 2015-08-20 11:49

Dobar dan.
Interesantan i dobar tekst ...
Lepo pokazan motor i kompresor za vazduh, dobra ostrina i kontrast.
Dobra kompozicija, lepo uhvacen trenutak rada masine.
Imajte lep i uspesan dan, sve najbolje, srecno.
Paja.

Good day.
Interesting and good text ...
Nice demonstrated motor and air compressor, good sharpness and contrast.
Good composition, beautifully captured moment of the motor.
Have a nice and successful day, all the best, good luck.
Paja.

tyro (30513) 2015-08-20 14:59

Hello Russ,

What a fascinating note! I hope no people from the "Health and Safety" groups read it or see your photograph and discover how precariously these divers' air supplies might be!

Like yourself, I love all things mechanical and I'm impressed how this old petrol engine seems to be spinning away remarkably smoothly with little evidence of smoke or vibration as it drives this ancient and rusty air pump. It looks like both pump and engine have themselves spent several years at the bottom of the sea but at least they appear to be functioning!

An interesting note and a fascinating and clear photograph with good light and colours, perfect exposure and excellent details and sharpness.

Excellent!

Kind Regards,

John.

P.S. Thank you for your recent critique of my last picture. I'm going to write a little reply to you describing what "fiscal" or "RAC" horsepower was in Britain in pre-war days!

jhm (211738) 2015-08-21 4:56

Hello Russ,

Almost not to believe that you this found, an engine that works!
Perfect photographed through the turning of the wheel
Composition and presentation are wonderful in image brought.
Very well done, TFS.

Have a nice weekend,
John

marabu61 (11587) 2015-08-22 7:25

Hello Russ
At first I thought of looking at a piece of old junk when I saw this rusty piece of motor, until I discovered the movement in the spinning wheel. Honestly I would't want to trust my luck and be reliable on a piece of junk like this when diving underwater.
The project to save the estuary at La Paz is of corse honorable I wish them good luck in there endeavors.
have a great time
Daniel