Archive for October, 2007
Posted by DivePro - Info on
October 24, 2007
By Lou Robson
PACKS of great white sharks are feeding off southeast Queensland, experts say.
The warmer weather and migrating whales brought the sharks north from their traditional cooler cruising waters in Victoria and South Australia.
"The great whites move up with the whales and follow them back down again," said Department of Primary Industries shark-control program manager Tony Ham.
Posted by DivePro - Info on
October 24, 2007
By Paula Thompson
IT covers 70 per cent of the Earth's surface and could hold the cure for some of our most terrible diseases from cancer to AIDS and MRSA. But we know more about the surface of the moon than we do about our oceans.
Despite its importance for human survival, more than 95 per cent of the world's seas remain unexplored and only five per cent of its species have been discovered.
MPs warned this week that more scientific research is needed into our seas.
Posted by DivePro - Info on
October 24, 2007
Phetchabun, Thailand (Oct 23, 2007 16:01 EST) Chon Daen district Tuesday announced the discovery of two "coral mountains", which are being touted as new tourist attractions.
Posted by DivePro - Info on
October 24, 2007
East Anglia, U.K. (Oct 23, 2007 14:41 EST) Further evidence for the decline of the oceans historical role as an important sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide is supplied by new research by environmental scientists from the University of East Anglia.
Since the industrial revolution, much of the CO2 we have released into the atmosphere has been taken up by the worlds oceans which act as a strong sink for the emissions.
This has slowed climate change. Without this uptake, CO2 levels would have risen much faster and the climate would be warming more rapidly.
Posted by DivePro - Info on
October 24, 2007
Plan to Slow Ship Speeds in East Coast Waters Stalls as Agencies Fight Over One of World's Most Endangered Mammals!
By Juliet Eilperin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sixteen months ago, a federal agency proposed slowing ships in certain East Coast waters to 10 knots or less during parts of the year to save the North Atlantic right whale, one of the world's most endangered marine mammals, from extinction.
Posted by DivePro - Info on
October 24, 2007
By Dave West
The BBC has commissioned a one-off documentary about a South African attempting to pursue his dream of swimming with great white sharks.
Posted by Martha Edwards on
October 24, 2007
Filed under: Scuba Diving, Festivals and Events
I don't know about you, but I often have a heck of a time trying to carve a pumpkin. Even the best-laid design is at the mercy of how well you can make a precise incision in the shell of that orange, goopy mess. So I can't imagine how difficult it would be to do what these people are doing --
carving pumpkins underwater. Ok, so the lubrication of water might make cutting the pumpkin slightly easier, but consider this: Pumpkins float. And I'm not a diver but I suspect if I tried something like this, I might be too focused on, oh I don't know,
breathing than forming perfectly shaped eyebrows. But that's just me -- and I'm the farthest thing from a qualified Scuba diver.
Intrigued?
Here are some instructions. And
here are some great photos too!
(via
Intelligent Traveler)
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Posted by DivePro - Info on
October 23, 2007
by Alex Chadwick
In Palmyra Atoll, scientists are taking advantage of technology to help them track the movements of sharks, birds, fish and other animals. They use tiny devices, called tags, to record or transmit data.
But the fish and birds must be caught before they can be tagged, and some, like sharks, are more challenging to get hold of than others.
Posted by Abha Malpani on
October 17, 2007
Filed under: Scuba Diving, Photos, Video
For someone (like me) who is petrified of marine life -- but still thinks it's phenomenal and often moans about probably never being able to see the "real thing" -- the leading resource of marine life imagery,
Wetpixel has launched a
quarterly print magazine to quieten such moans and to bring the splendor of the marine world to your couch.
In the market since 2000,
Wetpixel is the best online resource for professional real-life underwater photography and videos; the new quarterly is an extension of the site that will bring that quality to print.
When I see mind-boggling photography (especially underwater shots), be it online or in print, I always think that there must be some computer manipulation here. But no: It is possible to capture marine life in its complete essence without using Photoshop, and Wetpixel's new print piece proves just that.
Wetpixel has always provided a platform encouraging dialog between those interested in marine conservation, and is open to contributions from professional as well as amateur photographers and videographers; the magazine will continue with that.
For as little as $45 a year, you can subscribe to this slick quarterly, especially if -- like me -- you want to see the underwater wonders without any fear of fish attacking you or of your tank running out of air.
To get a taste of what you'll be getting as a subscriber, check out the sample images below...
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Posted by Grant Martin on
October 2, 2007
Filed under: Scuba Diving, Egypt, Airlines, Transportation, Budget Travel
Airfare Watchdog is reporting the latest in a string of strange USA-LON-XXX flights that are remarkably cheap for this time of year. This week, the Egyptian port of
Sharm el-Sheikh is on sale from
New York City for the paltry sum of about 600USD.
Availability appears to be anywhere between November and March, and
AFWD has created a series of handy dandy links to help you search throughout an entire month of availability. The trick with booking this flight is to
be flexible. Most dirt-cheap tickets are going to require a little bit of leeway on your part -- leaving on a weekday or flying out of your way to get to where you need to be. Just remember that you're getting a steal on airline tickets and any deal you can work out and book is a gift.
Another thing to remember is that deals like this often don't last long. Gadling readers searching for this fare on Wednesday may already be too late; often times you may have a few hours to research, book and confirm your tickets. I won't advocate making any snap decisions on international travel, but it may be a good idea to check the cancellation policy on your favorite booking engine's FAQ. Many have a clause where you can cancel a ticket within 24 hours without penalty. That way you can book a ticket for you and your girlfriend from work right now and ask for her permission when you get home.
Trans-Atlantic legs appear to be mostly on
British Airways, a
oneworld alliance member earning you miles on American, British, Cathay and Quantas among others.
With regard to Egyptian travel, you can pay for a
visa at the border (nifty postage stamp visas that you can paste into your passport yourself) for a reasonable price. Sharm el-Sheikh is a fabulous city at the tip of the Sinai Peninsula well known as a tourist destination and home to excellent scuba diving and western hobnobbery.
Don't forget your Cipro.
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