Diving, Don't Tread on the Seals
Paul Ward - 1985-86 - Signy Island - Antarcticans Database Project - more

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Before getting into the water a check needs to be done in case there's a seal around that might just be on its way up for air. It's not unknown for a seal to pop its head up at your feet when just about to slip into the water. That never happened to me unfortunately, but I did see seals appear when I was being a line man and the divers were down and in particular when we'd just broken the ice on a hole to set a fishing net - they were more common then as we set nets a lot deeper than the shallower areas where we'd dive.

Seals were reputed to be more approachable with the twin hole demand valves we had as the bubbles come out from the unit which is attached to the tank behind you head and not from your mouth. They were a bit harder work than single hose units (have to suck more) but it was nice not to have bubbles going past your face all the time.

Photo; © Paul Ward