would you dive in radioactive bikini lagoon?

[will_tekkie]

i just wrote a reply at a post in this forum..and i remembered something i read in a article for a diver who spent more than 3 weeks diving in the bikini lagoon. As is known for the most of you this place was used for the american army during their nuclear bombs test including the crazy Bravo test with a yield of 15 megatons ( 15 MILLIONS OF TNT TONS)!!!!...

The point is...due to the radioative levels this atoll have been untouched for years. Now it is plenty of a wonderful and now very dificult to find enviroment with lots of fishes and sharks. But wrecks lying on the botton ( result of the nuclear tests) has became bikini maybe the best diving place in the world. Pristine water..good temperature, almost unlimited visibility and several historical and huge wrecks ( including aircraft carrier the only one diveable in the world) wait for divers there...except some residual low level of radiation and a layer of radiactive cesium (which are not dangerous for people..only if you eat coconuts)

Would you dive there?..are you willing to exposed you to this low radiation levels ( lower than cities ones...all this said for scientists from Lawrence Livermore LAB)...Maybe i´ll go there..of course with my geiger meter and after i have sons.....

 

[Jon]

IF I had the cash I would go in a heartbeat.

I think that radioactivity is only a problem if you eat food grown on the island. When I checked into going there a few years ago I was told that ALL food gets shipped in.

Jon

 

[Amphibious]

Hell ya! Saratoga would be a great dive! and only 160fsw in warm water! Oh... sooooo sweet..

Willer

 

[will_tekkie]

Has some of you been there?...would be interesting if you share your first hand impressions with us...this diving are really something different to the average diving...

 

[zipy]

hi
as i know radioactivity is almoust normal in sea it is just a problem on land and since all fishing has been banned from there since the experiment there is an abundance fo all sorts of fish!!!


Zipy

 

[Sharky]

not a problem. I would love to dive the wrecks in that place.
But how much is it to get there?

 

[Craig]

prices

Here is a link to bikini lagoon prices

http://www.bikiniatoll.com/divetour4.html

 

[RICHinNC]

Just watch out for the three headed sharks.

 

[EdHand]

In a heartbeat.

I don't quite have the experience yet, only being OW with about 2 dozen dives. But given a bit more experience, no problem. I'm not worried about the low residual levels, I've already had the big V done anyway. :hungover

 

[wwwtimmcp]

I did truk lagoon in 1990 and hell yes I'd go.

 

[hidiver1]

In a second!

 

[wwwtimmcp]

I remember diving at night in truk with the phosphoressence lighting up the water skaren all the fish. most of the hidden sea creatures hide during the day so a night dive would surely be needed.

lifes full of funny little surprises, maybe I'll get there one day.

 

[mwilding]

I read a research study on Truk and there is no danger from the radiation. I'll see if I can find the study to post here

 

[mwilding]

from here: http://www.diveadventures.com/marshalls.htm
Radiological Status:
The US Dept. of Energy (DOE) and Lawrence Livermore Laboratories have done extensive research and monitoring of Bikini.

Their reports state in general that the environment poses no radiological danger. However, there are some very low amounts of residual cesium deep in the soil that may be absorbed into plants with deep root structures such as coconut trees. If these plants are consumed in large quantities over a long periods of time, an unacceptable level of cesium may be absorbed by humans.


"The potential dose [of radiation] to a person swimming in the Bikini Lagoon around or through the sunken ships is so low... that it can be considered essentially zero." The chances are you are receiving more radiation from background sources at your hometown right now than if you were to be at Bikini.

 

[mwilding]

more info: http://www.bikiniatoll.com/whatrad.html

 

[Gordon Mackie]

I dived there in August and nothing has fallen off yet - buy Beyond the Blue to see how you get 10 Scots divers in 1 Bikini.

As stated, background radiation is not a problem, Caesium in the soil means that you can't eat the local coconuts or seagulls, all food is shipped in and it is pretty good too.

Briliiant diving, safe and easy stuff. See www.gordonmackie.com if you didn't get Beyond The Blue.

give me a shout if you want any info on Bikini

regards - Gordon

 

[Stephan Whelan]

Bikini Atol (and specifically the Saratoga) is one dive that i'm planning to do in the next few years. I haven't figure out how yet but it's something that I just HAVE to do...

 

[^Milan^]

Yeh i'd dive there in a second 2 but i have heard it is insanely expensive

 

[island_sands]

Diving Bikini Atoll

see the book "Sharks and Rays Elasmobranch Guide of the World", Author, Ralf Henneman.

?http://www.born2dive.net/books/sharks.asp

there is a brilliant article with photos about some experienced shark divers (cameramen) that spent some time in the Marshall islands.

at Shark Pass, even the divemaster wouldn't go in the water. the demonstration was by throwing in a coconut into the water. dozens of sharks went into a frenzy to eat it. they lowered the camera into the water on a line to film, and it was nearly eaten by a tiger shark!

a guy dipped his mask in the water to clean it before diving and that also caused a shark sensation! sounds like fun.

 

[johnjohn]

anyone know how much a trip out there costs? I am in honolulu and bikini atoll is not too far away, well it is but ya know with those flying metal contraptions now days you can get just about anywhere.