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SCUBA News 65

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011)
Issue 65 - September 2005
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

If you would like to reprint any of this newsletter you 
may do so, as long as you include the following notice and 
a link to our web site.
* Copyright SCUBA Travel - http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/
* Reprinting permitted with this notice included.

Contents:
- What's new at SCUBA Travel?
- Your Letters
- Creature of the Month: Emperor Angelfish
- Diving News from Around the World 
__________________________________________________________

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

Diving Sipadan
  The island of Sipadan is one of the most famous dive 
  sites in the World. However, all diving operators and 
  resorts have had to leave the island on environmental 
  grounds. A good place to base yourself for diving here 
  is Semporna, and we have new recommendations for the dive 
  operator to choose.
  http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/malaysia/malayop.html 

ADVERT:__________________________________________________

  LOW COST TRAVEL INSURANCE: World Nomads offers 
  divers low-cost travel insurance which doesn't limit 
  the depth to which you can dive. For more details visit
  http://www.worldnomads.com.au/
__________________________________________________:ADVERT

Dive Centres in the Red Sea
  Find an Egyptian diving centre with the newly updated 
  Red Sea directory.
  http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/

Find Cheap Flights to Diving Destinations
  We have placed a couple of flight comparison engines on 
  the site, so you can quickly see typical prices and 
  which airlines are the cheapest.
  http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/flights.html
__________________________________________________________

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

  Hi there 
  I'm looking for dive shop recomendations in 
  Nice, France. Anybody any thoughts?

  M.

--

From the Diving Board...

  I will be working on a project in Nigeria and was 
  wondering if anyone know of a good place to dive 
  there.

  deepwateraggie
  http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=191

--

If you have information on dive shops in Nice or diving 
in Nigeria, please either e-mail news@scubatravel.co.uk or 
post a message at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/
__________________________________________________________

Creature of the Month: 
Emperor Angelfish, Pomacanthus imperator
==============================================

For a photo of an Emperor Angelfish see
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/emporerangel.html

Emperor Angelfish have deep, flat, bodies and small 
mouths.  They are striking to look at, being large (40 cm) 
and colourful. 

The flattened shape of angelfish enable them to wind 
their way amongst the corals; it also enables them to 
retain their stability when manoeuvring at low speed 
to pick up items of food, in the same way that a keel 
of a sailing boat helps with its steering and prevents 
it from turning over.

You see the Emperor Angelfish in warm seas around the world, 
including the Red Sea, East Africa, Hawaii, Japan and 
Australia.  The young angelfish looks totally different to 
the adult, having concentric white rings on  a dark blue 
background.  You will find the juveniles under ledges or 
in holes of shallow reef flats. Adults go deeper, from 
3 - 70 metres.  

Adult males typically defend a large territory containing 
2 females.  However, you will ususally see the fish in 
pairs.  The fish are protogynous.  This means that they 
are born as females and develop into males later.

Further Reading:
----------------
Coral Reef Fishes, Indo-Pacific and Caribbean 
by Lieske, E. and R. Myer
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/fishbook.html

The Underwater Photographer: Digital and Traditional Techniques, by Martin Edge, Paperback,  536 pages (2009)
 Part I Fishes
by Farid S. Atiya, ISBN 977-00-0443-X
__________________________________________________________

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/newsfeed.html
It's free and automatically updates you with the latest 
SCUBA news via your web site, e-mail or any news feed 
reader.

Exercise during a decompression stop reduces bubbles
  Decompression sickness is initiated by the formation of 
  gas bubbles in tissue and blood if a diver returns to 
  the surface too fast. A new study finds that a mild 
  underwater swimming during a 3-min decompression period 
  reduced postdive gas bubbles.
  http://highwire.stanford.edu/cgi/medline/pmid;16118578  

Insurance doesn't cover 20,000 GB pounds Medical Fees for Bent Diver
  A SCUBA diver has to pay all of the 20,000 GB pounds 
  medical fees after suffering decompression sickness in the 
  Red Sea. Although he had insurance, it was only valid down 
  to 30 metres and he was diving at nearly 50 m.
  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/  

Divers Risk Attack from Armed Dolphins
  Armed dolphins, trained by the US military to shoot 
  terrorists and pinpoint spies underwater, may be missing 
  in the Gulf of Mexico as a result of hurricane Katrina. 
  Experts who have studied the US navy's cetacean training 
  exercises claim the 36 mammals could be carrying 
  'toxic dart' guns. Divers and surfers risk attack, they 
  claim, from a species considered to be among the planet's 
  smartest. The US navy admits it has been training dolphins 
  for military purposes, but has refused to confirm that
  any are missing.
  http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/

Shark victims seek cage-dive ban
  With more shark attacks reported in South Africa this 
  year than for a decade, scientists, marine 
  environmentalists, conservationists and tour operators 
  are locked in fierce argument over accusations that the 
  booming shark-cage-diving industry is to blame.
  http://www.timesonline.co.uk/  
 
Colossal Squid Caught at Surface of Ocean
  A colossal squid has been caught in Antarctic waters, the 
  first example of retrieved virtually intact from the 
  surface of the ocean.  "Now we know that it is moving 
  right through the water column, right up to the very 
  surface and it grows to a spectacular size."
  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2910849.stm

ADVERT:__________________________________________________

 POSTERS AND PRINTS: Save money on a vast selection of 
 posters and prints: Doubilet's Red Sea, sharks, Great 
 Barrier Reef, whales...browse the offers at 
www.allposters.com
__________________________________________________:ADVERT

Caribbean Corals Hit by Warm, Storm-Spawning Seas
  Corals in the Caribbean are being damaged by the same 
  warm seas that have fuelled Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, 
  according to the WWF conservation group. Corals off 
  Florida, Barbados, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and 
  Cuba seemed to be undergoing the worst damage, known as 
  bleaching, since 1997-1998. Corals are vital breeding 
  grounds for many species of fish and draw divers to 
  the Caribbean. 
  http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=8888  

Footage reveals threat to stunning Irish corals
  Researchers have released the first ever video footage of 
  spectacular cold-water, deep-ocean coral reefs, found off 
  the coast of Ireland, in a bid to convince the Irish 
  government that the ancient reefs need protection.
  http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7947  

Essential emergency equipment for divers
  The FlashPac is a waterproof (to 50 m) torch/strobe/beacon 
  for emergencies. Attach to yourself or equipment. The 
  FlashPac was awarded an Honourable Mention by the judges 
  at the National Marine Manufacturers Innovation Awards 
  in Las Vegas
  http://scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=262

Killer Whales Fish for Birds
  A crafty killer whale has devised a new way to catch a 
  tasty bite. The orca spits regurgitated fish onto the surface 
  of the water - and then waits.  When a passing gull dives 
  for the bait, the whale lunges at the feathery treat with 
  open jaws. What's more, the trick was picked up by other 
  family members. 
  http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18725144.000  

Divers Conducting Coral Reef Study
  A new, state-funded study is analysing the health of 
  coral reefs off Florida's coast. Scientists hope the results 
  will change the way reefs are cared for worldwide. The data 
  will show scientists for the first time the health of the 
  entire reef - about 300 miles - and identify the healthiest 
  areas that are least effected by bleaching.
  http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=8708  

Investigation Reveals Why Dive Instructor Drowned
  A veteran San Diego scuba diver who drowned three months 
  ago while exploring a sunken ship off of Mission Beach 
  ignored standard safety practices, according to a 
  published report. An investigation concluded that Steven 
  Donathan did not mark his route with a guideline and left 
  his diving partner to explore a part of the Yukon that 
  had previously been off limits to divers.
  http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/4882227/detail.html 

Ocean floor simulates lunar conditions
  As part of a programme to return to the moon, NASA is 
  sending six astronauts on an 18-day mission next month to 
  an underwater lab called Aquarius, 20 metres beneath the 
  surface of the ocean near Key Largo, Florida.
  http://www.newscientistspace.com/
__________________________________________________________

* Copyright SCUBA Travel - http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/
* Reprinting welcomed with this footer included.

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

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