SCUBA Diving News

A study by the University of Hawaii into treatment of diving accident victims, found that a delay in starting treatment did not influence outcome. The most sensitive predictors of outcome were the severity of injury and age of the diver concerned. The deep treatment tables used utilized increased atmospheric pressures, several mixed gas combinations and a more gradual staged decompression rate than US Navy treatment schedules.

Journal Reference: Undersea Hyperb Med, September 1, 2005; 32(5): 363-73.

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Bali lies in the Indian Ocean, north-west of Australia. It measures just 140 by 80 km (87 by 50 miles). There is diving all year round: between April and September is the dry season but the best diving is possibly between September and November. There are a wide variety of dive sites, some suiting beginners and others with fierce currents and only for experienced divers. The SCUBA Travel site now lists more dive operators, dive sites and a new guide book on Bali.

Bali's best dive sites are located away from the major tourist areas. On route to the better dive sites you travel through some very pretty Balinese countryside, seeing rice terraces, coastline, rural villages and Bali's most revered volcano Mount Agung on your journeys: take your camera. Roads in Bali are not up to western standards, therefore it takes longer to get from A to B than it would "back home" if you simply look at the miles/kms involved.




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Shark attacks dropped in 2005 because people are fighting back when attacked and shark populations are decreasing, according to a University of Florida report.

Worldwide there were 58 shark attacks in 2005, of which only 4 were upon divers. This is down from 78 attacks in 2000.

Part of the reason for the trend is that there are fewer sharks, a result of a decline caused by overfishing of this slow-to-reproduce animal. The other factor is that people are defending themselves more aggressively.

What should you do as a diver if you see a shark? George H. Burgess of the International Shark Attack File advises you to
"Stay calm and maintain your position in as quiet a manner as possible. Most sharks merely are curious and will leave on their own accord. Enjoy your opportunity to see one of nature's most magnificent predators.

If a shark begins to get too interested, the best strategy is to leave the water watching the shark all the time, with your dive partner close at hand. Sharks are less likely to attack a 'school' of divers than a solitary individual."

He goes on to say that if the shark is acting overtly aggressive then back up against whatever structure (reef, rock outcropping, piling) is available. If you are in open water, orient back-to-back with your dive partner and gradually rise to the surface and the safety of your boat.

If a shark attacks, the best strategy is to hit it on the tip of its nose. If it bites then be as agressive as possible and claw at the eyes and gill openings.

Further Reading: International Shark Attack File

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The Isle of Man, with its extremely diverse and plentiful marine life, offers excellent diving. The waters are clear and nurture teeming communities of plants and animals. Now write-ups of the dive sites around the island are available on-line at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/isleman/mandive.html

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011)
Issue 69 - January 2006
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Welcome to the first issue of 2006 - a little late so my
apologies for that. This year we introduce a new regular
feature - "Did You Know?" - with snippets of information
on coral reefs and the marine environment. This is
courtesy of the Beautiful Oceans company, of which more
next month.

Should you wish to cancel your subscription to
SCUBA News you can do so at
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html

Contents:
- What's new at SCUBA Travel?
- Your Letters
- Did You Know? Coral Reef Facts
- Diving News from Around the World
__________________________________________________________

What's New at SCUBA Travel?
============================

Find a Dive Centre in Thailand
For newly listed dive centres in Pattaya, Phuket and
Koh Lanta see
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/thailand/thaiop.html

SCUBA Bestsellers 2005
Discover the top ten bestselling diving books and DVDs
of 2005. The list features three guides to the best
diving destinations, diving guides to Bali and Truk
Lagoon, a couple of sea life books and even
a map. Top of the list for the second year running
comes Jack Jackson's "Dive Atlas of The World".
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/bestsellers.html

Diving in Sharm El-Sheikh, Red Sea
We've increased our coverage of diving centres in
Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/sharmop.html
__________________________________________________________

Your Letters
============

From the Diving Board...

Hi everyone,

I am thinking of doing my Advanced Open Water cert in
Greece this year, but do not know which island to go to.
I've been to Crete before so I'd like to go somewhere
else, has anyone been to any other islands diving,
particularly Halkidiki or Zakynthos? If so could you
also let me know which diving club you used and any
good hotels nearby if you can remember any names, thanks!!

Emma Newton

To reply to Emma visit
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=300

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Hi guys, "What elements make up your perfect dive site?"

Andrew

Tell Andrew about your perfect dive site at
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=295
__________________________________________________________

Did You Know? Coral Reef Facts
==============================

The origins of collective nouns - such as "school" of fish
- are unclear. Some sources suggest that they were
originally old English hunting terms. Whatever the origin,
there are certainly plenty of interesting and thought-
provoking examples. Here are a few other marine related
collective nouns. (I especially like the knot of eels.)

Knot of eels
Smack of jellyfish
Beds of clams or oysters
Pod of dolphins or whales

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From the Beautiful Oceans science diver and science
snorkeler program, Coral Reef Architecture and
Organisms. For more on this excellent on-line
course visit
http://www.beautifuloceans.com/

__________________________________________________________

Diving News From Around the World
=================================

If you would like to read the diving news as it happens,
without waiting for this newsletter, then grab the SCUBA
News feed from http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scuba.xml
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Spy-Diver Killer Invented
When you are diving, be sure not to swim anywhere near
any ship or installation that has been protected by
the Raytheon Corporation's new "swimmer denial" system.
Otherwise you will very quickly feel extremely sick and
probably drown. Raytheon's underwater sensors detect any
unwelcome presence and trigger an underwater sound system.
The pulse rate and audio frequency of the sound make
human organs resonate like organ pipes, causing swimmers
to vomit into their masks or suffer internal ruptures.
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8559


Narwhal's tooth senses temperature, pressure and particles
For hundreds of years scientists have wondered why the
narwhal, or unicorn, whale have an 8-foot-long tooth
emerging from its head. The answer is that the narwhal's
tooth is a sensor which can detect changes in water
temperature, pressure and particle gradients. This
means that they can discern the salinity of the water,
which could help them survive in their Arctic ice environment.
It also allows the whales to detect water particles
characteristic of the fish that constitute their diet.
There is no comparison known in nature.
http://web.med.harvard.edu/sites/RELEASES/html/12_13nweeia.html

New Study Measures Nitrogen Narcosis
The narcotic effect of nitrogen impairs diver performance
and limits dive profiles, especially for deep dives using
compressed air. A new study attempts to establish
measurable correlates of nitrogen narcosis using EEG
(an electroencephalogram which records electrical waves of
the brain). If confirmed by studies with larger case series,
the researchers hope that EEG patterns could be used to
identify nitrogen narcosis for various gas mixtures and
prevent the dangerous impact of nitrogen on diver performance.
http://highwire.stanford.edu/cgi/medline/pmid;16313139

Can Fire Coral cause Kidney Disorder?
A case has been reported of woman scuba diver developing
a kidney disorder after being exposurd to fire coral
(Millepora species), according to an article published
in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.
http://www.ajkd.org/article/PIIS0272638605014964/abstract

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Deep-sea fish species decimated in a generation
At least five species of deepwater exotic fish - only
caught since the 1970s - are now on the critically
endangered list. Most commercial fish, such as cod,
live on the continental shelves. But overfishing in
the 1970s led fishing vessels to move on to a
hitherto-unexploited wealth of strange-looking fish
on the slopes of the continental shelves, down to
1600 metres. The bonanza was short-lived. Most of
these fisheries peaked after five years and
collapsed after 15.
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8533

World's biggest fish shrinking
Whale sharks spotted off the coast of Australia are
getting smaller. In a decade the average size recorded
by observers has shrunk from 7m to 5m. Whale sharks,
the world's largest fish, are caught for food in some
east Asian countries and Australian researchers suspect
this is causing a decline.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4620960.stm

South African Divers Need New Permits
Scuba divers who were granted an exemption allowing
them to dive in marine protected areas (MPAs) now need
to re-apply for such exemption. The old permits expired
at the end of the year.
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/

Failing ocean current raises fears of mini ice age
The ocean current that gives western Europe its
relatively balmy climate is stuttering, raising fears
that it might fail entirely and plunge the continent
into a mini ice age. The dramatic finding comes from
a study of ocean circulation in the North Atlantic,
which found a 30% reduction in the warm currents
that carry water north from the Gulf Stream.
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8398

Asia-Pacific group pledges cleaner technologies
The six-nation Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean
Development and Climate committed to invest in
cleaner energy technologies at its inaugural meeting
Australia. But pledges by the US and Australian
governments were slammed by green groups as disastrous,
as these countries have not also signed up to cut
their greenhouse gas emissions.
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8581

Marine Census Shows Both Diversity and Declines
A massive census of all the fish and other marine
life in the world's oceans has reached the halfway
point with new evidence of the rich diversity under
the sea along with warnings about the alarming decline
of many species.
http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=9486
__________________________________________________________

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SCUBA News
The Cliff
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UK
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Discover the top ten bestselling diving books and DVDs
of 2005. The list features three guides to the best
diving destinations, diving guides to Bali and Truk
Lagoon, a couple of sea life books and even
a map. Top of the list for the second year running
comes Jack Jackson's Dive Atlas of The World.

1. Dive Atlas of the World: An Illustrated Reference to the Best Sites by Jack Jackson
   300 pages detailing some of the world's best dive sites. (1)
   
   
2. Collins Pocket Guide: Coral Reef Fishes by Ewald Lieske, Robert Myers
   A compact, guide to over 2000 species of fish you might see whilst diving on coral reefs. (9)
   
   
3. Dive: The Ultimate Guide To 60 Of The Worlds Top Dive Locations by Monty Halls, Describes 60 of the world's best diving areas, and highlights specific dives not to be missed whilst you are there (--)
   
   
4. Lonely Planet: Diving and Snorkelling Bali and Lombok by Tim Rock, Susanna Hinderts
   Guide to the dive sites of Bali and Lombok, Indonesia. (--)
   
   
5. The Blue Planet DVD
   The BBC television series on DVD - action shots of the intriguing behaviour of the underwater world with commentary by David Attenborough. (2)
   
   
6. Sardegna (Michelin Regional Maps)
   Map of the Italian island of Sardinia (--)
   
   
7. Lonely Planet : Sardinia by Damien Simonis,
   Guide to the Italian island of Sardinia (--)
   
   
8. World War II Wrecks of the Truk Lagoon, by Dan E Bailey
   The definitive guide to Truk Lagoon. (--)
   
   
9. Reef Fishes and Corals of the Red Sea by Pete Harrison and Alex Misiewicz
   A guide to 270 reef fishes and corals found throughout the Red Sea. (4)
   
   
10. Scuba Diver's Travel Companion by Jeremy Agnew
    
    Tells you for what level of diver a dive destination is suitable. (10)
    

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