A convulsion is a medical condition where body muscles contract and relax rapidly and repeatedly, resulting in an uncontrolled shaking of the body. Because epileptic seizures typically include convulsions, the term convulsion is sometimes used as a synonym for seizure. However, not all epileptic seizures lead to convulsions, and not all convulsions are caused by epileptic seizures. Convulsions are also consistent with an electric shock and improper enriched air scuba diving. For non-epileptic convulsions, see non-epileptic seizures.
Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. Its sheltered waters have been used by ships since prehistory and it has played an important role in travel, trade and conflict throughout the centuries – especially during both World Wars.
Scuttling is the deliberate sinking of a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull. This can be achieved in several ways—seacocks or hatches can be opened to the sea, or holes may be ripped into the hull with brute force or with explosives. Scuttling may be performed to dispose of an abandoned, old, or captured vessel; to prevent the vessel from becoming a navigation hazard; as an act of self-destruction to prevent the ship from being captured by an enemy force ; as a blockship to restrict navigation through a channel or within a harbor; to provide an artificial reef for divers and marine life; or to alter the flow of rivers.
A snow coach is a specialized passenger transport vehicle, designed to operate over snow or ice, similar to a large, multi-passenger snowcat that is equipped with bus style seating. These vehicles may have multiple sets of very large low pressure tires or they may have tracks. Snow coaches may seat ten or more passengers and are often used for sightseeing tours or for over-snow transportation.
The French fleet at Toulon was scuttled on 27 November 1942 to avoid capture by Nazi German forces.
Shakedown cruise is a nautical term in which the performance of a ship is tested. Generally, shakedown cruises are performed before a ship enters service or after major changes such as a crew change, repair or overhaul. The shakedown cruise simulates working conditions for the vessel, for various reasons. For most new ships, the major reasons are to familiarise a crew with a new vessel and to ensure all of the ship's systems are functional.
MV Koolama was an Australian merchant vessel which sank as a result of several attacks by Japanese aircraft in February–March 1942. It was also the centre of the Koolama Incident, an alleged mutiny resulting from these attacks.
The Monar Jonban, or Menar-e-jomban, is a monument located in Isfahan, in central Iran. Construction began in the 14th century to cover the grave of Amu Abdollah Soqla. Its notable feature is that if one of the minarets is shaken, the other minaret will shake as well.
SS Traffic was a tender of the White Star Line, and the fleetmate to the SS Nomadic. She was built for the White Star Line by Harland and Wolff, at Belfast, to serve the Olympic-class ocean liners. SS Traffic ferried some of the third class passengers to RMS Titanic for her maiden voyage. She served as a tender for White Star, as a minesweeper for the French Navy between 1917 and 1919, and supported troop ships at the end of the First World War. After the war she was sold to Société Cherbourgeoise Transbordement, and later renamed Ingénieur Reibell. She was scuttled by the French as the Germans invaded in 1940, but was salvaged and used by the Germans as an armed coastal vessel until being scrapped in 1941.
HMAS Doomba was a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) warship of World War II. Built for the Royal Navy around the end of World War I as the Hunt-class minesweeper HMS Wexford, the ship only saw two years of service before she was decommissioned in 1921 and sold to the Doomba Shipping Company. The vessel was renamed SS Doomba, converted into a passenger ship, and operated in the waters around Brisbane until 1939, when she was requisitioned by the RAN for wartime service. Serving first as an auxiliary minehunter, then an auxiliary anti-submarine vessel, HMAS Doomba was purchased outright by the RAN in 1940, and served until early 1946, when she was sold and converted into a linseed oil lighter. Doomba was scuttled off Dee Why, New South Wales in 1976.
Cockle Bay is a small bay within the locality of Picnic Bay on south-western corner of Magnetic Island, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
SS James Iredell was a Liberty ship in World War II that was attacked in Naples and scuttled on June 8, 1944 to protect Omaha Beach.
The Ussukuma was a German passenger ship named after a location in the central highlands of German East Africa. She had a crew of 107, could carry 264 passengers and was powered by steam turbine. Her building number was 389 and her home port was Hamburg. Her sister ships were the Usaramo of the Deutsche Ost-Afrika Linie and the Wangoni of the Woermann-Linie.
HMAS Medea was an auxiliary minesweeper of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) between 1942 until 1946. Built in 1912 for the Ocean Steam Ship Co. she was sold to the Straits Steam Ship Co. in 1925. She was requisitioned by the Royal Navy in 1939 and converted into an auxiliary minesweeper and named HMS Circe. She was transferred to the Royal Australian Navy in 1942 and renamed HMAS Medea until she was returned to her owners in 1946. She was sold and was scuttled off Sydney on 20 January 1948.
HMAS Mercedes was an auxiliary minesweeper of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) between 1942 until 1946. Built in 1913 for the Ocean Steam Ship Co. she was sold to the Straits Steam Ship Co. in 1925. She was requisitioned by the Royal Navy in 1939 and converted into an auxiliary minesweeper and named HMS Medusa. She was transferred to the Royal Australian Navy in 1942 and renamed HMAS Mercedes until she was returned to her owners in 1946. She was sold and was scuttled off Sydney on 23 January 1948.
SS Barcoo was a 1,505 gross ton passenger ship built by William Denny & Brothers, Dumbarton in 1885 for the Queensland Steam Shipping Company. She was transferred upon merger of parent company to the Australasian United Steam Navigation Company in 1857. She was hulked in 1911 and requisitioned by the Royal Australian Navy in 1914 and utilised as a coal hulk in Sydney Harbour.
Monte Pascoal was a Monte-class ocean liner built in 1930 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg for the Hamburg-Südamerikanische Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft. She managed to reach Germany after the outbreak of World War II and was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine for use as an accommodation ship. She was sunk in 1944 during an Allied air raid on Wilhelmshaven. Subsequently refloated, she was seized by the Allies post war and was scuttled in the Skaggerak with a cargo of gas bombs in 1946.
Cattaro was a Yugoslavian passenger ship which was laid down in 1914 as the Austro-Hungarian Hunyad. However, construction was delayed due to the First World War and she was not launched until 1920. The vessel was then laid up and not completed until February 1932, entering service as Jugoslavija. She was seized by the Italians in 1941 and was put into service as the auxiliary cruiser Cattaro. She was scuttled in 1943 but was raised by the Germans, repaired and entered Kriegsmarine service. She was again scuttled in March 1944 and suffered further damage in June 1944. Raised in 1945 and returned to her former owners and name, the ship was scrapped at Split, Yugoslavia in 1947.
The following index is provided as an overview of and topical guide to recreational dive sites:
