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SCUBA News 6~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) Issue 6 - October 2000 www.scubatravel.co.uk ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thank you for subscribing to the monthly SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011). This issue contains: * What's new at the SCUBA Travel web site? * Interview with the author Michael Zinsley * Diving news from around the World We hope you enjoy it - if you have any diving news e-mail news@scubatravel.co.uk _________________________________________________________________ What's New at the SCUBA Travel Web Site? ======================================== We've added essential information to the new Isle of Man section - how to get there, accommodation options, dive operators, recompression facilities and so on. See http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/isleman/manacc.html As always, we have new pictures and notes in our sea life section. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/redsealife.html Our photo gallery has also continued to grow http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photo.html We want to know about your diving experiences - good or bad - please fill in our form at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/recommend.html _________________________________________________________________ SCUBA News Bookshelf: Interviews with Authors ============================================= Not only does SCUBA Travel review the best diving books, we also interview their authors. This month we talk to Michael Zinsley, author of August's book of the month: The Rapture of the Deep. What prompted you to write the book? I originally intended the book for an audience of fellow diving professionals who could relate to anecdotes of our "existence" overseas. Due to outside interest, it expanded into a monster that had to be wrestled to the ground with editing and further writing. The initial storytelling chapters were easy. Which authors influenced you when writing the book? P.J. O'Rourke is my favourite travel writer. If you don't know him, try "Holidays in Hell." Pico Iyer was in there somewhere, even though I ignored his travel story pattern when doing mine. Dave Barry, the Miami columnist, is an inspiration to all writers. He can write hilariously about something as mundane as his frontyard lawn. Favourite Dive? New Dropoff in Palau under special circumstances. See the chapter "Fish Daydreams" in my book, The Rapture of the Deep. Where would you like to dive next? For recreation: Maldives, Red Sea and a return trip to Fiji. For work: Hin Daeng with Phra Nang Diving School out of Krabi, Thailand. Worst diving experience? Worst diving experience was working with high-strung customers who couldn't unwind and expected too much. I actually had someone complain that I "smiled too much." * Mike is currently working for himself as an engineering geologist in the San Francisco bay area in California. He picks up summertime (dry season) overflow work from local consultants. When the rains start in November and the work drops to nil, he makes his annual migration south to the tropics. * Links SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) subscribers can obtain signed copies of The Rapture of the Deep from the author - see our review for details. The book is also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com For notes on diving Hin Daeng see http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/thailand/thaidive.html _________________________________________________________________ Diving News From Around the World ================================= This month we focus on sharks and shipwrecks. Mystery of Dead Sharks Earlier this month half a mile of Florida's beaches were littered with dead sharks. The sharks were mostly juvenile blacktips or Atlantic sharpnose. Mass mortalities in sharks are very unusual. Biologists have speculated the deaths could have been caused by a viral infection or a low level of oxygen in shallow waters. No other fish species were killed. http://www.enn.com/news/wire-stories/2000/10/10192000/reu_sharks_39376.asp * Treasure Hunters Find Esperanza? In 1806 the Spanish ship Esperanza sank off the Philippines with a hold believed to be full of gold and gems. A team lead by Dempsey Pagan, former US navy, think they have located the Esperanza. This is not just a treasure hunt though: it is a major archaeological project that has only come to light through serious scientific research. The next step is to send a deep- water robot and two-man submarine to take a look around 120 m (394 ft) below the surface. http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4074260,00.html * Oil Leaks at Scapa Flow When HMS Royal Oak was torpedoed in October 1939 in Scapa Flow it was a disaster for the Royal Navy. It may still prove a disaster for the environment. The Orkney Islands Council are threatening the British Ministry of Defence with prosecution as 300 litres of oil is leaking from the wreck a day. So far the Navy has welded on steel patches, laid down hundreds of sandbags, built a huge replica of the warship in a tank and carried out dozens of hydrographic studies. Without success. http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,18718,00.html * Global Protection of Shipwrecks UNESCO is calling for a global treaty to protect an estimated three million undiscovered shipwrecks scattered throughout the world's oceans. Salvors say it is unrealistic and unworkable. While various nations have taken steps to protect, preserve and manage historic shipwrecks within their territorial waters, the same has not been the case for shipwrecks in international waters. Archaeologists warn that with no international legal barriers, well-funded multinational corporations seeking specific shipwrecks for the booty they may contain, will turn the high seas into the Wild West. http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4019565,00.html ________________________________________________________________ * Copyright SCUBA Travel - 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 (ISSN 1476-8011) 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. Subscribe To SCUBA NewsOur newsletter, SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011), is absolutely free. It is a monthly publication, delivered by e-mail. To receive your copy fill in your details below. We will never pass your e-mail address to any third parties, or send you unsolicited e-mail. You will receive an e-mail confirming your subscription. If you don't receive this you have probably entered your e-mail address incorrectly - revisit this page and resubscribe. Send us your Press Releases
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