SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011): Issue 46

SCUBA News 46

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) Issue 46 - February 2004 http://www.scubatravel.co.uk ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to SCUBA News. This month we're asking you to help us improve the newsletter by filling in a short survey. We hope you enjoy this issue, but should you wish to cancel your subscription please do so at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html Contents: - SCUBA News Survey: Improving SCUBA News - What's new at SCUBA Travel? - Creature of the Month: Napoleon, Maori or Humphead Wrasse - Diving News from Around the World __________________________________________________________ Improving SCUBA News ==================== At SCUBA News we want to write a newsletter which you want to read. We'd appreciate it, therefore, if you would take a couple of minutes to fill in our short survey. Miss out any questions you don't wish to answer

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    What's New at the SCUBA Travel Site
    Adverts
    Letters
    Book Reviews
    Interviews with Authors
    SCUBA Diving Bestsellers
    Creature of the Month
    Diving Articles
    Travel Articles
    Diving News from Around the World

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    Marine conservation and sea life news
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    Travel news

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Many thanks (You will be returned to this page after sending the survey) __________________________________________________________ What's New at SCUBA Travel? =========================== Indonesia: Bali Since the bomb in 2002, the number of divers visiting Bali has dropped dramatically: some governments still warn against travel there. However, diving in Bali remains very good - for dive descriptions and other information see http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/indonesia/ Red Sea: Elphinstone For notes on the diving at Elphinstone, in the Egyptian Red Sea, see http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/elphdive.html Italy: Sardinia The Sardinia section of the site is proving very popular and we've added more accommodation options to help you choose where to stay. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/italy/sardacc.html New Photos If you thought there was little life around the British Isles, take a look at the fish, crabs, lobsters, seals, shrimps, anemones, jellyfish, sea urchins and sea hares in our newly expanded gallery. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photouk.html __________________________________________________________ Creature of the Month: Napoleon Wrasse, Cheilinus undulatus =========================================================== The Napoleon Wrasse, also known as the Maori or Humphead Wrasse, is found throughout the warm waters of the Red Sea, the Indian and Pacific Oceans. An extremely large fish, it grows to over 2 m and weighs up to 191 kg (420 lb or 30 stone)! Living between 1 and 60 m down, you can easily identify the fish by its large size and, for a male, the prominent bulge on its forehead. Usually solitary, it feeds primarily on invertebrates and will even take toxic animals like crown-of-thorns starfish or boxfish. Like others in the wrasse family, the Napoleon Wrasse doesn't usually move its tail when swimming but flaps its pectoral fins. The species can live for at least 30 years, and becomes sexually mature at between 5 and 7 years. Napoleon Wrasse are particularly vulnerable to fishing, as they grow slowly, mature late, and are uncommon. They are traded on the live reef food fish market, which serves luxury restaurants in, amongst others, Hong Kong, China, and Singapore. There is evidence of decline throughout its range, but particularly in Southeast Asia. Historical information shows Cheilinus undulatus was common in the 1950s and 1960s, and that declines have coincided with increased fishing activity. To compound its problems, the species changes sex from female to male, which, if a fishery selects for larger fish, may make it even more vulnerable to over-fishing. It is estimated that less than 1% reach maturity as males. For a photo of a Napoleon Wrasse, taken in the Red Sea, see http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/humphead.html Further Reading: IUCN, The world conservation union http://www.iucn.org/webfiles/doc/SSC/CoP12/Analyses/1238.pdf Coral Reef Fishes (Collins Pocket Guides), Ewald Lieske and Robert Myers http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/fishbook.html :ADV_____________________________________________________ Save money on a vast selection of posters and prints: whales, sharks, dolphins, seascapes... Browse the offers at www.allposters.com ______________________________________________________ADV: __________________________________________________________ Diving News From Around the World ================================= RED SEA DIVE BOAT EXPLOSION An American schoolteacher and two Korean pupils were killed in a fire on a dive boat moored at Ras Umm Seed, off Sharm Sharm El-Sheikh . http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2524455 PRE-DIVE EXERCISE MAY PREVENT DECOMPRESSION SICKNESS New research shows strenuous exercise 24 hours before a dive, reduces the number and size of bubbles in the blood after the dive. http://jp.physoc.org/cgi/content/abstract/jphysiol.2003.059360v1?ct] FIRST AMPHIBIOUS DIGITAL CAMERA Sea & Sea are claiming the world's first underwater digital camera that needs no housing and can be used above and below the surface. It's currently available from amazon.com for $499 at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/B000134V4M DIVERS TRY TO FLY WITH LIVE AMMUNITION A group of Australian divers tried to board an aeroplane with live WWII shells in their luggage. They were released without charge, but customs officers admitted they should have detained them. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/02/06/ DIVER RETURNS HISTORIC SHIPWRECK BELL Almost 40 years since it was taken from a shipwreck off Australia's south west coast, the bell from the clipper Loch Ard has been returned to heritage officials by an anonymous diver. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/02/06/ DIVERS BANNED FROM BRITISH WRECK Divers are outraged at being banned from the wreck of the Hood in Dorset (UK). Conspiracy theories abound that this is because of a potential windfarm development in the area, and that more restrictions on diving might follow. http://www.thisisdorset.net/dorset/archive/2004/01/15/ WINDMILLS BENEFIT MARINE LIFE Windmills off the Swedish coast are providing unexpected benefits for marine life: fish and molluscs are making them their home and creating thriving new ecosystems. http://www.enn.com/news/2004-02-11/s_13011.asp :ADV_____________________________________________________ Automatically count the customers entering your dive shop - by the day, by the hour, by the week - you choose. Use any Windows program for analysis and decision making. More details see... http://www.videoturnstile.com/ ____________________________________________________ADV: CALIFORNIA MARINE RESERVE STILL OFF-LIMITS A judicial panel has rejected an attempt by the fishing industry to reopen waters around California's Channel Islands that were designated last year as one of the largest no-fishing zones in the country. The restrictions give endangered white abalone, rockfish, giant kelp forests, and an array of other species a chance to recover from years of excessive fishing. http://www.enn.com/news/2004-02-19/s_13272.asp EVIDENCE OF NITROGEN NARCOSIS IN SHALLOW WATER A recent study has found evidence of that nitrogen narcosis occurs at depths shallower than 30 m. The scientists suggest that narcosis might be a problem in shallow underwater operations that require accuracy speed or complex psychomotor skills. http://highwire.stanford.edu/cgi/medline/pmid;14756232 SHERWOOD SCUBA RECALL FAULTY KIT Sherwood and Genesis buoyancy compensators purchased after 1 July 2003 may have faulty inflator valves, and should be returned for a free upgrade. Check your serial numbers at: http://www.sherwoodscuba.com/bc_safety_recall.html BENEATH THE SEA CONSUMER DIVE SHOW 26-28 March 2004 Meadowlands Exposition Center, Secaucus, NJ, USA http://BeneathTheSea.org/v2/tickets.html LONDON DIVE SHOW 27-28 March 2004 ExCel Docklands, London, UK http://www.diveshows.co.uk/ GO DIVING 2004 Part of the Outdoors Show at Birmingham's NEC on 2-4 April. Features equipment, travel and lectures. http://www.theoutdoorsshow.com/dive.php __________________________________________________________ * Copyright SCUBA Travel Ltd - http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/ * Reprinting welcomed with this footer included. We are happy for you to copy and distribute this newsletter, and even use parts of it on your own website, providing the above copyright notice is included, and a link back to our website is in place. Previous editions of SCUBA News are archived at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html SUBSCRIBING AND UNSUBSCRIBING Visit http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html and add or remove your e-mail address. CONTACTING THE EDITOR Please send your letters or press releases to: The Editor SCUBA News The Cliff Upper Mayfield DE6 2HR UK ADVERTISING Should you wish to advertise in SCUBA News, please fill in the form at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/newsad.html PUBLISHER SCUBA Travel Ltd, 5 Loxford Court, Hulme, Manchester, M15 6AF, UK

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