Hey Hey!
Today on Jonathan Bird's Blue World
A surprise visit to a Blue World fan's house!
I got this!
Hi, I'm Jonathan Bird and welcome to my world!
( ♪ music )
Recently, I got an e-mail from Chris Whitlock the father one of my biggest fans: Jake Whitlock.
He thought I might be interested in this paper Jake wrote as a homework assignment. It turns
out Jake's biggest dream is go scuba diving with Jonathan Bird. Well, you know sometimes
dreams really do come true. Boy do we have a surprise for Jake today!
But first the production team has to find Jake's house. You would think someone would
have brought a GPS!
Kat: "It's right here "
Jonathan: "You can throw a golf ball across it."
Jonathan: How can we be lost?
With me is Kathryn Apse, a scuba instructor who specializes in certifying younger divers.
Jonathan: Hopefully he doesn't see us coming. That would ruin the whole thing. (Knock on door)
( knocking on door ) Jonathan: "Hey hey"
"Hey"
"Hey Jake"
"hi"
Jonathan: "How are you doing man?"
Jake: "Good! What are you doing here?
Jonathan: "I got this from your dad. This paper that you wrote about scuba diving with some guy
name Jonathan Bird."
Jake: "Oh my God"
Jonathan: "Yeah. So here's the thing..."
Jake: "He sent that to you?"
Jonathan: "Yeah. Here's the thing. In order for you to go scuba diving with me you actually
have to become a scuba diver.
"OH"
Jonathan: "So guess what I have here. I have a special person to introduce you to."
( jake gasps )
"This is Kat. She's going to be your dive instructor."
Kat: "Hi Jake"
"Hi nice to meet you"
Kat: "Alright to get started with the certification here"
"Umm"
Kat: You're going to have a little bit of reading.
-"OK"
Kat: "Here is your own dive book. We're going to get started on that and once we start doing
dives. Your own dive log book."
"Oh thank you. So cool."
Kat: "You better start reading right away mister."
"Yeah"
"We going to do classroom portion and then jump into pool and do some work with you in
the pool."
"OK"
Kat: "Alright. When you're good and ready you take an exam, you'll pass flying colors
no problem. Then we'll hop into the ocean"
"OK"
We meet Jake's parents, and fill them in on Jake's adventures to come. But we're keeping
a few things secret!
Kat: "We're going to read through that book. There's going to be a bunch of questions
your going have to answer."
"OK"
Jake has been dying to go scuba diving since he was four years old, when he did this drawing!
Jake's mom: "Yeah he's wanted to be under water for a very very long time."
What Jake doesn't know is that the surprises are not over. But first things first. Jake
has to learn to dive.
In the classroom, Kat teaches Jake about diving physics, the basics of the gear and how to
untangle a regulator.
...and then she takes him to the pool where he must pass a swimming test. You can't really
be a scuba diver if you can't swim.
Kat-'Twirl around"
She checks to be sure he can tread water...
Kat: "Clap your hands"
Jake: "What?"
Kat: "Clap your hands"
...And he executes a perfect cannonball. I'm not sure if a perfect cannonball is part of the
class though.
Once Kat knows Jake is comfortable in the water, he's ready for his first experience
breathing from a scuba regulator.
Kat: "So where's your hand going to be? There you go, get your feet in the water. Makes
it a lot easier."
But as he discovers, just getting into the water with all that gear is a bit of a challenge!
And then the big moment. Jake breathes underwater for the first time.
Next Kat teaches him to control his buoyancy using a small ring through which Jake must
swim without touching the edge.
It takes him a couple of tries, but when he finally gets it...time for a little underwater
fun!
Kat: "So how did you like it?"
Jake: "It was amazing!"
Kat: "Yeah?"
Jake: "A dream come true"
To prove he actually learned something, Jake takes the written final exam and aces it.
With the classroom and pool work behind him, now Jake must prove his skills in open water.
He and Kat will do two ocean dives in the murky Atlantic, off the coast of Massachusetts.
The water is chilly, so Jake needs a wetsuit. He struggles a bit with putting on a wetsuit
for the first time.
Kat and I are suiting up too.
Jake: "I can't even get this thing on!"
With his dad watching in amusement, Jake finally squirms into the wetsuit and he is ready to
tackle the North Atlantic.
I have made my way to the water, ready to film Jake's first open ocean dive.
Jake and Kat take a dive flag to let boaters know where they are. There's a last minute
adjustment underwater, and then Kat tests Jake with a series of exercises and drills.
She wants to make sure Jake knows what to do in an emergency.
There's even a moment to explore some wildlife--a rock crab desperately trying to get away.
And then his first of five checkout dives is over.
Kat: "The sharks were amazing!"
There were no sharks.
Jonathan: "So that was your first real dive. What was it like?"
Jake: "It was amazing. So much fun being down there, swimming around being able to breathe,
seeing the rock formations. Underwater with all the sea weed on the was really cool cause
you can't real see them from up here, but seeing them down there was really cool."
Jake's almost ready now, for his adventure diving with me. But we're not going to do
it in the North Atlantic. No, we are about to surprise Jake again.
We hop a plane to a tropical island with crystal clear water—Grand Cayman!
Grand Cayman is a world-famous diver's paradise in the heart of the Caribbean.
We stay at Sunset House, world-renown as one of the ultimate hotels for diving.
And later that day, yet another surprise for Jake.
Jonathan: "Jake! Just the guy we're waiting for! Buddy! We have a huge surprise for you. I
want you to see something humungous. Check this out!
Jake: "Oh my GOD!"
Jonathan: "This is a gift for you. This is from Subgear, and Diver Supply and Sunset House.
Jake: "Oh my GOD!"
Jonathan: "I'm going to introduce you to Adam who's going to tell you about what you have just
won."
Adam: "Mask, snorkel, fins, with booties for you. We've got suit so you're not cold for
your dives. A BCD and regulator and a bag to carry it all in."
Jake: "Thank you so much!"
Adam: "You're very welcome!"
Jonathan: "That is cool. You know what. This is unfair. I'm the host and I didn't get anything."
Jake: "I'm the lucky one."
Jonathan: "You ARE the lucky one."
Jake: "I'm the star."
Jonathan: "This is cool."
Jake: "My show now."
Jonathan: "WOW! I'm out of here ( laughs in the background )
Jake it turns out is also a runway model.
Equipped with his new gear, Jake goes with Kat for his final checkout dives right off
the dock at Sunset House.
In the crystal clear water, Jake practices his skills until Kat believes he is ready
to go exploring.
Then Kat takes him on his first tour of the amazing underwater world of Grand Cayman Island.
Kat: "Congratulations Jake you are officially open water certified!"
Jake: "Thank you so much"
Kat: "Now let's go diving!"
Jake: "Yeah!"
The next day, we head out to the reef for a real dive, and now that Jake is a certified
diver, we can dive together. First, a briefing about the dive site, then you be able to see
top of reef there lots and lots of fantastic coral.
Jonathan: "Are you ready?"
"A huh"
Jonathan: "Let's do it. GO!"
Jonathan: "We're alive"
Jake: "Yeah!"
The Cayman Islands are built from coral, which grows on top of an underwater mountain range.
I show Jake the drop off where it gets really deep.
Then we head into shallow water to explore some fun passageways through the reef.
As we get ready to return to the surface, a little celebration. What started as a dream
in a school paper came true. Jake is having a blast!
The next day, I have another surprise for Jake, which I give him on our way out to dive
a shipwreck.
Jonathan: "Jake you've been through a lot this weekend so we only have one more thing to foist upon
you. (Laughs) This is going to be fun. You get as your final gift..."
Jake: "OHHH"
Jonathan: "...an authentic pair of Force Fin Pros. That's the exact same model I wear. These
are a gift of Bob Evans and Force Fin. He's the guy who makes these things. You'll notice
he even signed it for you."
Jake: "OOOHH"
Jonathan: "Yeah! Those are authentic Force Fins"
Jake: "OOOH. Thank you so much."
Jonathan: "You're welcome."
Jake: "You have to thank Bob for me."
Jonathan: "I will and you can try on this dive if you feel like it"
Jake: "Yeah!"
Jonathan: "Living dangerously!"
Jake: "After all I heard how much better these are."
Jonathan: "They are!"
Jake: "I think I have to definitely have to try them."
Jonathan: "Much better."
Jonathan: "All right! Let's go diving."
Our next dive is on a shipwreck. First Jake and I listen to the dive briefing.
Divemaster: "The Kittiwake was a submarine rescue vessel it was actually sunk this year.
In January it took form 10: 00 in the morning to 2:00 in the afternoon for it to sink and
here it lies."
Jonathan: "All right, let's go find this wreck. You ready Jake?"
"Yes"
Jonathan: "Let's do it!"
Jake and I hit the water and can't believe how well we can see the entire wreck! The
water is extremely clear!
The Kittiwake was sunk as an artificial reef in January of 2010. It hasn't been down very
long. The ship was thoroughly cleaned, all toxic materials were removed, and dangerous
pieces detached before the ship was sunk. It's still like new though. It hasn't been
underwater long enough to build up much encrusting sea life.
There is one homesteader who moved in immediately though. This Goliath Grouper just hangs out
here on the sand by the propeller. He must be used to divers because he isn't bothered
by us at all.
The Kittiwake rescued sailors from damaged submarines, and much of its history is still
classified.
It's in only 67 feet of water, an ideal depth for recreational divers. It's so shallow at
the top that even snorkelers can enjoy this wreck!
Jake and I swim above the decks, exploring the ship, imagining her secret past, the sailors
who served here, and the adventures she had in the service of the U.S. Navy. Shipwrecks
are fun to explore!
In the Kittiwake's wheel house Jake takes control of the ship. He may have a lot more
trouble with getting a drivers' license than he did with a scuba certification!
And these jacks aren't taking any chances either. They're getting out of the way.
Jake, newly certified and diving in the Cayman Islands, truly is king of the world.
We have one last treat for Jake we can't pass up while here--diving with the stingrays.
Now there's two stingray cities on the island. We've got the dive site, which we're on
at the moment and the sandbar where they take all the cruise shippers. OK. So the sandbar
is about 3ft deep and you just paddle about and they just brush up against you and all
that sort of stuff. You don't get a chance to feed them like you do here. OK. We got
some squid and feed them.
Most Stingrays don't readily approach humans. But here on Grand Cayman, years of fishing
waste thrown overboard has attracted them.
Stingrays are related to sharks, but as you can see they're quite docile.
The defend themselves with a sharp venomous barb at the end of their tail, but they are
rarely aggressive.
This is what divers feed them. Little pieces of squid. Appetizing, huh?
Sometimes you can lead them around with your hand, kind of teasing them until you give
them the food.
Jake discovers the trick for feeding the stingrays. You have to put the food in your palm and
let them do the work. It does take some practice.
Eventually Jake and I have a stingray mini-feeding frenzy on our hands.
One of them develops a crush on Cameraman Tim and won't leave him alone. I think Tim
likes her!
And so after the dive at Stingray City, we prepare to leave the Cayman Islands. And would
you believe it? Jake's school paper, in which he dreams about diving with some guy named
Jonathan Bird, magically came true.
( ♪ music )