Diver Cao Chien-shun (趙健舜) said his diving maps, which describe the waters near Keelung’s Wanghaisiang Bay (望海巷灣), are to be published today, as the Lunar Near Year holiday ends.
The Keelung City Government in August last year banned rod fishing in the waters near Wanghaisiang Bay, after the area was declared an ecological preservation zone three months earlier.
Following the efforts of local diving instructors, who volunteered to clear the seabed of refuse, the marine environment improved significantly and the area is being repopulated by many rare fish species, such as yellow sea horses.
The set of eight hand-drawn maps detailing seven diving locations were made for recreational divers, Cao said, adding that they contain information about the geography, environment and an illustrated guide to the 81 known fish species in the area.
The maps are printed on easy-to-manage, 15cm by 21cm cards, Cao said.
To gather the information for the maps, he said used an underwater camera and performed the necessary calculations for depth, relative positions and investigations of local species.
Each spot required scores of survey expeditions and the entire project took six months of hard work, he said.
The maps will help diving instructors make full and practical briefs for recreational divers, while enhancing their dives by providing data about the area’s marine biology, Cao said.
Divers using the maps should still employ professional diving guides when exploring the area to ensure safety, he added.
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