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SCUBA News 42

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011)
Issue 42 -  October 2003
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Welcome to October's SCUBA News. If you have any diving 
news, comments on this newsletter or dive reports we'd 
love to hear from you.  E-mail the Editor at 
news@scubatravel.co.uk

We hope you enjoy this month's issue, but should you 
wish to cancel your subscription please do so at 
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html

Contents:
- What's new at SCUBA Travel?
- Creature of the Month: Grouper
- SCUBA Bestsellers
- Diving News from Around the World 
__________________________________________________________

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

Sardinia, Italy
  For more information about the diving and where to stay 
  on the Italian island of Sardinia see
  http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/italy/

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  Accomplish Travel Insurance, 
  Recommended by Which? Magazine - Best Buy
  Why settle for cheap holiday insurance when you can 
  have full cover travel insurance at affordable prices? 
  Single trip or annual multi-trip including SCUBA diving 
  to 30 meters.  Tel: +44 (0)20 8398 8986
  http://www.accomplishtravel.co.uk/
______________________________________________________ADV:

Gifts for Divers
  We've researched the best gifts for divers available 
  over the internet,including underwater cameras from 
  just $99.99 (US) or 79.99 GB pounds.  See our 
  suggestions at
  http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/presents2.html

The Maldives
  Find which Maldives islands are the best for divers.
  http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scuba.html#Maldives

Photo Gallery
  See more underwater photos in our gallery.
  http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photo.html
__________________________________________________________

Creature of the Month: Grouper (Epinephelini)
=============================================

Legend has it that a grouper fell in love with a beautiful 
girl but inadvertently swallowed her.  She had with 
her shells which she used to cut slits in the grouper and 
make her escape.  The grouper was unhurt and became the 
first fish to have gills.

As well as gills the Epinephelini tribe of groupers have 
big mouths and small teeth. They are top-level predators, 
mainly found close to coasts. They often appear docile - 
hardly seeming to move and resting below overhangs or in 
holes in the reef.  When an unwary fish comes within range 
though, they rush out and suck the victim into their mouths.

You see groupers all around the world, some species as 
far north as Norway.  The biggest type of grouper grows  
to 270 cm and weighs over 300 kg (660 lb or 47 stone). 
This is now very rare though.  The potato cod, often seen 
in Australia, reaches 200 cm and 110 kg. 

Groupers are territorial and solitary apart from during 
the mating season in mid-summer.  Then hundreds or even 
thousands of groupers gather together at their spawning 
grounds.  This behaviour has been their downfall in
some areas, as fishermen have drastically decreased their 
numbers to unsustainability.  Many governments, however, 
are now acting to protect the spawning sites.

Groupers are protogynous: they begin adult life as females 
then later change into males.  This strategy is thought 
to maximise the number of offspring they can produce. 

For photographs of groupers see: 
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/grouper.html
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/ausgrouper.html

Further Reading: 
For a good identification guide to reef fish, including 
groupers, we recommend Coral Reef Fishes (Collins Pocket 
Guides). Read our review at 
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/fishbook.html

For more on spawning ground protection see
http://www.panda.org/

:ADV_____________________________________________________

 Save money on a vast selection of posters and prints: 
 whales, sharks, dolphins, groupers, seascapes...
 Browse the offers at 
www.allposters.com
______________________________________________________ADV:
__________________________________________________________

SCUBA Diving Bestsellers
========================

These were the best selling diving books, videos and DVDs 
between July and September. Red Sea books are the most 
popular, and we're pleased to see one of our recommended 
books - Great British Marine Animals - retaining its
position. Last quarter's position is in brackets.

 1. Red Sea Reef Guide
    by Helmut Debelius
    Identification guide to fish, coral and other marine 
    life of the Red Sea. (8)
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0953891909/1286

 2. Collins Pocket Guide: Coral Reef Fishes 
    by Ewald Lieske and Robert Myers
    A compact guide to over 2000 species of fish you
    might see whilst diving coral reefs. (4)
    http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/fishbook.html

 3. 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)
    http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/blueplanet.html
 
 4. Reef Fishes and Corals of the Red Sea
    by Peter Harrison and Alex Misiewicz
    A guide to 270 reef fishes and corals found throughout 
    the Red Sea. (3)
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1859742076/1286

 5. Lonely Planet: Diving and Snorkelling the Red Sea
    by Jean-Bernard Carillet, Gavin Anderson and Peter Harrison
    Guide to the dive sites of the Red Sea. (5)
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1864502053/1286

 6. Great British Marine Animals
    by Paul Naylor
    Fascinating photographic identification and 
    behaviour guide. (6)
    http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/britishmarine.html

 7. Lonely Planet Diving and Snorkelling Thailand
    by Mark Strickland and John Williamsr
    Another in the Lonely Planet diving series. (--)
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1864502010/1286

 8. Dive Scapa Flow
    by Rod Macdonald
    Guide to the Orkney wrecks - the intact remains of 
    the scuttled German fleet. (--)
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/

 9. Top Dive Sites of the World
    by Jack Jackson
    Features around 60 of the world's top diving locations. (--)
    http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/topdives.html

10. Lonely Planet : Baja California
    by Wayne Bernhardson
    Guide to Baja California. (--)
    http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/baja/bajabook.html
_________________________________________________________

Special Offer for SCUBA News Subscribers: 
Free Amazon.co.uk Voucher
=========================================
If you haven't yet made a purchase from Amazon we can 
offer you a £3 voucher to spend at the SCUBA Travel site. 
E-mail the Editor at news@scubatravel.co.uk for yours now. 
__________________________________________________________

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

UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION
  The 30th annual underwater photography and film 
  exhibition and contest takes place at the end of this 
  month in Antibes (France).
  http://www.underwater-festival.com/

DIVE 2003
  Meet suppliers of equipment, holidays, boats, training, 
  etc. Plus take in seminars and presentations by names 
  such as Tanya Streeter (free diving record holder), 
  Paul Naylor (author, photographer and marine biologist) 
  and Kevin Curr (of the Titanic expedition). 
  15-16 November at the NEC, Birmingham (UK).
  http://www.diveshows.co.uk/

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____________________________________________________ADV:

WHALES GET THE BENDS
  Whales blasted by military sonar appear to die of the 
  bends. Lesions caused by bubbles were found in 14 
  beaked whales stranded in the Canary Islands after sonars 
  were used in a major international naval exercise.
  http://www.newscientist.com/news/

US NAVY LIMITS SONAR USE TO PROTECT WHALES
  The US Navy has agreed to limit the use of new high-
  intensity sonar as part of a court settlement with 
  conservationists who contend the sonar is deadly 
  to marine mammals.
  http://www.enn.com/news/2003-10-14/

PIPIN FERRERAS MATCHES RECORD
  On the anniversary of his wife Audrey's death, 
  "Pipin" Ferreras matched her free diving record in 
  Cabo San Lucas, Baja California. Titanic director 
  James Cameron used two mini-submarines loaded with 
  cameras to film Ferreras' dive. He hopes to use this 
  footage in a film about Ferreras.
  http://www.iafdusa.com/

RED SEA LIVEABOARD SINKS NEAR SHARM EL-SHEIKH
  A liveaboard has sank at the "Alternatives" dive site 
  west of Ras Mohammed. The divers had to rescue themselves 
  in the middle of the night, escaping to the RIB in their 
  nightclothes and some having to swim for it.
  http://www.bsac.org/news/news2.shtml

PALAU BANS SHARK FISHING
  Palau has barred foreign vessels from fishing for 
  sharks, turtles, reef fish and marine mammals in its 
  waters. Fishermen must now release the animals, dead or 
  alive. Foreign vessels are banned from fishing all 
  together within a 50-nautical-mile radius of Palau. 
  http://www.sharktrust.org/sharkconservation.html
__________________________________________________________

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The Editor
SCUBA News
The Cliff
Upper Mayfield
DE6 2HR
UK

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