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From: Wade Doak
Date: 27-04-08
Time: 11:33
Dear Ali: i was thrilled to hear of my old diving mate Gary Tee. An amazing person. A true polymath. You have to go to Fiordland to see BC trees. At PK some were stolen; many got hauled off by cray potting winches; { I know of actual trees that went that way and spent much precious deep diving time removing pot lines from around them] ; a bacterial disease in the eighties in a warm period may have killed others. I have filmed a 'coppicing' stump off the NW side of Serpent Rock. It is still quite beautiful with all its adhering life forms. Years ago a tropical pearl oyster was reported in a PK BC tree. All sorts of organisms use them for support. I have photos of the twenty foot tree once standing by Cathedral cave at Pinnacles and movie of another whopper that was near Oculina Point. Mixed gas divers still report them beyond normal diving range. I saw one at 89m per a ROV sub.
The depths they used to live at[ mostly around 2oo ft] shd have been fr mixed gas techies really. But we survived very well. None of our old gang had trouble. We were pioneering and hence, ultra cautious.
Last changed: 27-Apr-2008