I plan to finally get back in the water this coming Saturday, April 16th for the Divevet’s Easter Egg hunt.

I’ve been trying to get my right ear to pop from the on going congestion that I’ve had, and have decided on a regimen of Sudafed and saline nasal spray to help.

So, with that in mind, here is your weekly fluff to fill another post and let people know that I’m still alive and not in jail or the hospital.

The following videos are not new, but the thing is, I just found them while doing a search for “dumb SCUBA diver” – something that I’ve only been called about a dozen or so times.

When divers are in the water, the only time that they’re ever attacked is when marine creatures feel threatened – with the exception of maybe a test bite from a shark.

I’ve been attacked by a Garibaldi diving Catalina – apparently, they attack if you’re to close to where they laid their eggs.

Crazy Ivan was attacked by a red crab while lobster hunting off Cabrillo Beach a few years ago – remember that Crazy Ivan?

But as I stated, these creatures who “attack,” attack with the perception of self defense.

And then, there’s the dare devils and dumb asses…

With that in mind, if you ever get so comfortable to where you’re going to hand feed eels or kiss sharks on the lips, you will eventually suffer the consequences.

WARNING, THE FOLLOWING VIDEOS MAY BE CONSIDERED GRAPHIC BY NON-MACHO PEOPLE

So here’s the question to be asked – Does an eel know when the food stops and the hand of the one who feeds it begins?

To watch this video on Break.com click here.

Do sharks ever look pretty enough to play with, let alone kiss?

To watch this video on Break.com click here.

After watching the above videos, I think that I may not be such a “psycho” diver after all.

A San Francisco man has been arrested for his third abalone poaching violation in as many weeks, a California Department of Fish and Game spokesman said.

Qiong Wang, 31, was arrested Saturday in Van Damme State Park on the Mendocino coast three miles south of Mendocino, Fish and Game spokesman Patrick Foy said.

Fish and Game wardens watched Wang and David Trevors, 28, of San Francisco, for two hours as the pair allegedly kayaked into the ocean and used scuba gear to collect 55 abalone, Foy said.

The men allegedly stashed the abalone near the beach and drove to the Sub-Surface Progression dive shop in Fort Bragg to return their rented kayak, Foy said.

Wardens arrested the men at the dive shop and recovered the abalone and Trevors’ vehicle. They also seized the pair’s dive gear.

Wang and Trevors were booked into Mendocino County Jail for felony conspiracy, the taking of abalone for commercial purposes, and other charges, Foy said.

On Feb. 12, Mendocino County sheriff’s deputies stopped Wang for speeding on state Highway 28 near Boonville, Foy said.

The deputies found two wet duffel bags containing fresh abalone in the back seat and contacted Fish and Game warden Don Powers, Foy said.

Powers found 36 red abalone, five of them undersized, as well as five scuba tanks and scuba diving gear in the trunk of Wang’s car, Foy said.

Wang was booked into Mendocino County Jail for possession of abalone for commercial sale, and his Toyota sedan and dive gear were seized as evidence, Foy said. He was released from jail Feb. 14.

While they were investigating another crime, Petaluma police also contacted Wang and Trevors in Petaluma on Feb. 2, Foy said. The two men were allegedly in possession of five abalone during closed season.

The abalone season closed Dec. 1 and will reopen April 1.

Wang was cited for several misdemeanors, including over-limit and out-of-season takes, Foy said.

Wardens have noticed an increase in abalone poaching over the past few years on the Sonoma and Mendocino coasts, Foy said.

Fish and Game Assistant Chief Tony Warrington said that for many abalone poachers, the profit from selling illegal abalone outweighs the risk of getting caught.

James Lanaras, Bay City News

The original February 23, 2011 article can be found here.