26. Boat Diving Etiquette, Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and Sea Hunt – It’s Still Alive – The Aquanettes



In this episode we discuss boat diving etiquette, the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, and Sea Hunt – It’s Still Alive – the Aquanettes.

Boat diving is fun and convenient. Boats however are small and move around a lot and can present some challenges. With a little common sense and etiquette you can make it enjoyable for everyone. My number 1 rule for boat diving etiquette is to follow the boats rules even if they do things differently than you are accustom to doing. Be mindful of your gear. Don’t spread it around. Follow the boats procedures for getting in and out of the water. If you want to do something different – just ask. Remember you are not just a paying customer on the boat you are also their guest.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 was signed into law on October 21, 1972. This act called for the protection of marine mammals with a moratorium on taking and importation of marine mammals and marine mammal products. It also called for the protection of marine mammals from commercial fishing operations and mandated the development of commercial fishing gear to eliminate harm to marine mammals. This law also established the Marine Mammal Commission and the Committee of Scientific Advisor that are both still active today.

The Aquanettes is an episode from season 4 of Sea Hunt and aired on March 25, 1961. In this episode Mike is training 3 women “Astronettes” who are going on a mission to Venus. A little bit of science fiction for Sea Hunt. One of the women has some problems and panics a couple of times underwater and it causes a fight between two of the Aquanettes. Mike breaks up the fight by throwing them both in the water. One of the women decides to go in on her own to make up for her panic attack. Now Mike and the others must find the missing Aquanette. Sharks are in the area and causing a problem with the rescue. Mike is ready to fight off the man-eating shark with a knife but ultimately uses a spear gun to save the day.