Nicaragua - Fluch der Langustentaucher (360° - GEO Reportage)

Miskito Indians are gifted divers. But their constant companion is fear. To reach the valuable Caribbean lobsters, they must dive to depths of up to 40 meters – up to 15 times a day. They use equipment that's barely suitable even for shallow waters: broken breathing hoses, rusted seals, and compressed air cylinders without pressure gauges. Around 100 divers in Nicaragua contract decompression sickness every year. To protect the Indians, diving is scheduled to be discontinued in two years – but the Miskitos are resisting this, as diving is their livelihood. A 360° GEO report follows the Indians on what may be their last dives and shows a young American trying to help injured divers. A film by Frank Kleemann © 2008, Licensed by MedienKontor / ARTE Season 10 - Episode 4 Subscribe to wocomoTRAVEL: https://goo.gl/tIk2Qc Follow us on Facebook:   / wocomo   Press Release: Moncado McCanley and his son are once again preparing for a dive – and like most of the Nicaraguan lobster divers, the two men don't have their own boat. Instead, they're hired on a large industrial boat that plans to catch hundreds of lobsters over the next two weeks. On the Miskito Coast in eastern Nicaragua, this is their only job – and a well-paid one at that. But the men risk their lives on every dive: The equipment on the boats is ancient and often defective. In recent years, countless divers have had accidents and suffered from dangerous decompression sickness. It occurs when the diver does not have enough time to slowly ascend. The consequences are lifelong disabilities or even death. The only chance of surviving such a diving accident without damage is rapid treatment in a decompression chamber – however, there is only one on the entire east coast of Nicaragua. This was brought here years ago by the private aid organization SubOceanSafety from Miami and has already saved the lives of numerous Indians. The head of the organization is the young American Joshua Izdepski, who took over the job from his recently deceased father. To help, he inspects the hospital in Puerto Cabezas, visits sick divers in the villages, and goes on boats to observe the deplorable diving equipment used by the Miskitos. Ostensibly to protect the Indians, the government plans to ban lobster diving in two years – but the Miskito Indians are fighting back. Diving and catching the globally sought-after Caribbean lobsters is their only source of income.