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operator know that I will not book
if required to sign away my rights
(or those of my heirs) protecting
me against gross negligence.
— Ray Albers, Pittsboro, N.C.
DAN’s response:
Unfortunately there is no
straightforward answer to your
inquiry because of variations in
laws and their enforcement across
different jurisdictions. Even if a
diver signs a waiver, in some places
it won’t be an effective waiver. As
you suggested, reviewing the waiver
early in the booking process is the
best way to avoid difficult situations
like the one you described.
— Brian Harper, Alert Diver
Editorial Director
COVER CONTROVERSY
I’m really disappointed in you.
The cover of the latest Alert Diver
with the great white leaping out of
the water with a seal in its jaws is
precisely the reason I don’t watch the
sensationalized Shark Week on TV.
I’m saddened that you felt the need to
stoop to that level to attract attention.
I don’t even want to open the issue.
Get back to dive safety, education
and practice. Your sensationalistic
cover only turns off those of us who
have been among your most ardent
supporters — until now.
— Anonymous, via email
DAN’s response:
Thank you for your letter and your
passionate defense of sharks and
seals. Please note there is no seal or
sea lion in the photo — it is a decoy.
The behavior shown in the photo
— an ambush predator bursting
explosively out of the water in
pursuit of prey — is not uncommon
in False Bay, South Africa. The
photographer is a scientist of note
and was among the first to observe
and document this behavior in
the wild. He is the lead author of
this paper, which you may find
interesting:
I do not dispute that Discovery’s
Shark Week has chosen to
sensationalize these sharks’ behaviors,
but that shouldn’t dissuade us from
sharing an extraordinary image of
one of the most iconic animals in the
sea at the peak of its most impressive
natural behavior. I hope you do
choose to open the issue, for you will
find many articles relating to dive
safety and education.
We very much appreciate your
input and would not demean the
creatures of the sea. Rather, we
celebrate the power and impressive
grace of this apex predator.
AD
— Stephen Frink,
Alert Diver Publisher
WRITE US
Tell us what’s on your mind by
writing us at:
MAIL
Alert Diver
6 West Colony Place
Durham, NC 27705
ONLINE
Send email to:
All letters included in this
column are subject to editing
for length and content.
TheMagazineofDivers alerTneTwork
AlertDiver.com / FALL 2013
Doug Perrine: nature in the raw
South africa: PreDator’S ParaDiSe
+
emergencySimulationS forDiveProS
thewiDeworlDof lembeh
theobServer effect
Cover1_Fall2013.indd 1
10/17/13 12:01PM
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