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SCUBA News 70
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011)
Issue 70 - February 2006
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello and welcome to the 70th issue of SCUBA News.
This month we have a free draw in which you can win
an on-line coral reef biology course, designed
especially for divers. We also review the course,
bring back the Creature of the Month and give all
February's diving news.
We hope you enjoy SCUBA News, but should you wish to
cancel your subscription you can do so at
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html
Contents:
- What's new at SCUBA Travel?
- Win an on-line coral reef course
- Your Letters
- Bookshelf: Coral Reef Architecture and Organisms
- Creature of the Month: Moorish Idol
- Diving News from Around the World
__________________________________________________________
What's New at SCUBA Travel?
============================
Diving Bali
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 but the best diving is perhaps
between September and November. There are a wide
variety of dive sites, some suiting beginners and
others with fierce currents for experienced divers.
We now list more dive operators, dive sites and a new
guide book on Bali.
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/indonesia/
Diving the Isle of Man
The Isle of Man, with its diverse and plentiful marine
life, offers excellent diving. The waters are clear
and nurture teeming communities of plants and animals.
New write-ups of some of the dive sites around the
island are now available at
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/isleman/mandive.html
Diving Mozambique
From whales and mantas to leaf fish and harlequin
shrimps - there is great diving around Mozambique.
Find notes on the dive sites and dive operators at
this diving destination.
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/africa.html#Mozambique
Diving Honduras
You've recommended more dive sites and dive operators
in Honduras. These are now listed at
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/americas/honduras.html
ADVERT:__________________________________________________
For LOW COST TRAVEL INSURANCE which doesn't limit the
depth to which you can dive visit
www.worldnomads.com.au/
__________________________________________________:ADVERT
__________________________________________________________
Win an On-Line Coral Reef Biology Course
========================================
Beautiful Oceans are offering SCUBA News readers a chance
to win their on-line Coral Reef Architecture and
Organisms course. To enter the draw just subscribe then
e-mail SCUBA News with "Beautiful Oceans" as the
subject line.
For more details of the course see our review below.
__________________________________________________________
Your Letters
============
Several questions are being asked at the Diving Board at
the moment. Can you help answer them? Leave your
experiences at the web site.
--
Thailand
Should we really avoid the Andaman Coast in the summer
and dive the Gulf of Thailand? I'd love to hear from
anyone with local knowledge of the best probable
dive/beach experience in Thailand in July. Thanks.
Kirk
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=357
--
Sharm El-Sheikh
Wondered if we were better to book the PADI course
via our travel agent or wait until we got to Sharm and
book from the hotel, can you offer any advice? There
are two experienced divers going on the holiday and
two wishing to do a PADI course
Kathy
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=354
-
My husband and I live in the US but are looking to
plan a trip to Sharm in the September timeframe to
visit a friend of ours who is working there (GREAT
excuse for a diving trip!)
I have been doing some research on the site and have
found some good info and have found a book I plan to
purchase as well.
I would be interested in any personal recommendations
on dive operators (and must-see sites) as well as
accommodation and sight-seeing trips.
Thanks,
c-b-low
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=317
--
Corsica
I recently read a short article about diving in
Corsica, which caught my attention since we are
thinking about a trip to France in the near future.
Amazingly enough, it's hard to get much information
about Corsica diving in the USA. So here I am on a
UK web site asking if any neighbours have been there
and whether it's worth doing? Thanks in advance.
Oregon Canuck
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=321
--
Wakatobi
Has anyone ever heard of or been to the Wakatobi
Marine Park in Indonesia? Any thoughts on what the
diving and facilities are like there? Anyone know
anything about other activities to do there, the
culture etc.? What makes it better/worse than other
dive destinations in South East Asia?
Jo
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=314
--
USA
Hi, I'm Joey. I'm 15 and I'm from New York...I love
scuba diving and me and my dad love to go to places and
dive for a long weekend...(plane on Friday, dive all day
Saturday and Sunday, leave on Monday) and I was wondering
where great places to scuba dive and are not extremely
expensive. We are warm water people, and we love wrecks
and reefs.
Thank you
Joey
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=324
__________________________________________________________
Bookshelf: Coral Reef Architecture & Organisms Course
=====================================================
Beautiful Oceans
Science Diver & Science Snorkeler Program
$66.55
http://www.beautifuloceans.com/
When asked to review an on-line marine science course
I was sceptical. I thought it might just be an e-book
with little original content. However, when I
previewed the course I was very impressed.
The idea for on-line courses specifically designed for
divers comes from Stephan Becker and Ian Popple.
Becker has a Diploma in Environmental Studies and a
background in interactive education programs.
Popple has a MSc in marine biology and has written
extensively for many publications including National
Geographic and New Scientist. Together they want
to give divers the opportunity to learn about coral
reefs and directly benefit the ecosystem that
they explore.
Don't be put off by the term "course". You don't
have to attend any virtual lectures and one of the
main aims is to be fun. You are given access to
the web site where you can see marine videos and
read the course materials. You can work through
at your own pace, and if you need any help, or
want to talk to other students, you use their web
forum. Optionally, you can get the course book
as a pdf file or printed manual.
The manual is well-designed, clear to read with
a photograph or diagram on nearly every page.
Unlike other marine biology texts, it is
specifically aimed at divers but is not just an
identification guide. It instead helps you
understand the layout of a reef and why animals
and plants that live in each reef zone do so.
Organisms are not discussed in isolation but
relative to their environment and behaviour.
A full index would have been helpful though.
Throughout the course there are boxed "quick
quizzes" which reinforce the message given in
the previous pages. Other asides include
"Science Facts" and "Did you know?" which were
some of my favourite bits of information. For
example, "...The plural of fish is 'fishes'
when referring to a group that comprises more
than one species, but 'fish' when referring to
a group that comprises just one species."
The course doesn't try to give a comprehensive
account of a large number of animals. If this
is what you are looking for then you would be
better off buying an identification guide of
the marine life of your diving destination.
What it does do is concentrate on just a few
typical organisms of each coral reef zone:
shore, reef flats, drop-off, etc. It teaches
how to relate the animal's behaviour or
structure to the conditions in which it lives.
This new venture provides a good introduction
to coral reefs. However, it also gives much
information to interest experienced reef
watchers. I certainly learned things from it,
and I've been diving for over 20 years, have
a biology degree and regularly consult half a
library of sea-life and marine
biology books. It is also refreshing to
see a project with such a commitment to
preserving the marine environment that they
donate 10% of their profits to marine conservation.
For more information or to sign up for a
Beautiful Oceans course visit
http://www.beautifuloceans.com/idevaffiliate/
(As we were impressed with the course we have
accepted Beautiful Oceans invitation to become an
affiliate, and so make a commission from each
sign-up via the above link.)
We can also offer you the chance to win free access to
the course. Just subscribe to SCUBA News then e-mail
us and put "Beautiful Oceans" as the subject line.
__________________________________________________________
Creature of the Month: Moorish Idol, Zanclus cornutus
=====================================================
For a photo of Moorish Idols see
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/moorishidol.html
You see the Moorish Idol in ones, twos or large groups in
the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It's not found in the
Northern Red Sea though. They are very easy to recognise,
with their daytime black, white and yellow colours. They
also have a distinctive orange band over the long nose
which they poke into cracks and crevices on the reef to
feed on coralline algae and sponges.
Moorish Idols change to a darker colour at night, to
reduce their chances of being spotted by nocturnal
predators. The darker hues blend in with the gloom and
help to break up their outline.
The common name, Moorish Idol, is said to originate
from the Moors of Africa who purportedly believed the
fish to be a bringer of happiness. It is the only species
in the family Zanclidae.
Like the butterfly fish, Moorish Idols mate for life.
They live at depths of 3 to 180 m.
Further Reading:
----------------
Coral Reef Fishes, Indo-Pacific and Caribbean
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/fishbook.html
__________________________________________________________
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
It's free and automatically updates you with the latest
SCUBA news via your web site, e-mail or any news feed
reader.
Delay in Decompression Treatment Not Major Influence on Outcome
A study by the University of Hawaii into treatment of
diving accident victims, found that a delay in starting
treatment was not a major factor influencing outcome.
The most sensitive result predictors were the severity
of injury and the age of the diver concerned. The deep
treatment tables they used utilised increased
atmospheric pressures, several mixed gas combinations
and a more gradual staged decompression rate than
US Navy treatment schedules.
http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/
Shark Attacks Fall in 2005
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. "If a shark
attacks, the best strategy is to hit it on the tip of
its nose. If it bites then be as aggressive as possible
and claw at the eyes and gill openings" advises George
H. Burgess of the International Shark Attack File
http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/
Egypt Awarded Shark Guardian of the Year
Due to the campaign to secure a decree banning shark
fishing in the whole of the Egyptian Red Sea, the
Shark Project has named Egypt as the Shark Guardian
of the Year 2006.
http://www.hepca.com/
Top climatologist accuses US of trying to gag him
NASA's top climate scientist has accused the Bush
administration of trying to stop him from speaking
out after he called for swift cuts in emissions of
the greenhouse gases linked to global warming in a
recent lecture.
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8650
ADVERT:__________________________________________________
POSTERS AND PRINTS: Save money on a vast selection of
posters and prints: Doubilet's Red Sea, sharks, Great
Barrier Reef, coral...browse the offers at
http://www.allposters.com/
__________________________________________________:ADVERT
Sperm Whales Use Engines As Dinner Bells
Sperm whales are probably using the sounds of fishing
boat engines as underwater dinner bells to hone in
on longlines hung with fish, scientists say.
Researchers estimated there are 90 male sperm
whales feeding from longlines in the eastern Gulf
of Alaska.
http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=9854
Underwater vehicle maps ancient shipwreck
A 4th century B.C. merchant ship that sank off the
coast of Greece has been surveyed by an international
team using a robotic underwater vehicle. The scientists
said the project demonstrates how advanced technology
can dramatically change the field of underwater
archeology, completing in two days what would have
taken SCUBA divers using conventional methods years
to accomplish.
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/
Mexico Bans Import and Export of Marine Mammals
According to the International Fund for Animal
Welfare, Mexico has banned the importation and
exportation of marine mammals. Dr. Yolanda Alaníz,
Director of the organization for the Conservation of
Marine Mammals in Mexico, said, "Capturing cetaceans
for exhibition presents a serious threat not only to
the welfare of the animals themselves, but also to
the conservation of the populations from which they
are taken."
http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw/general/
Commission Leaders Say Government Must Act Fast to Save Oceans
Leaders of two US expert commissions that spent years
examining the nation's ocean policies have given the
Congress, Bush administration and governors a near-failing
grade for not moving quickly enough to address hundreds
of their recommendations.
http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=9807
Australia's Reefs Face Bleaching Risk
A bout of coral bleaching hitting Australia's
Great Barrier Reef could be as bad as an episode
in 2001-2002 that affected 60 percent of the reef,
scientists have warned. An international team studying
the world's reefs said that water temperatures for the
past four months off Australia's northeastern coast
have been well above long-term averages. Coral
bleaching occurs when the microscopic plants, or
zooxanthellae, which live in coral tissue stop
working due to stress that often is caused by
rising temperatures. The zooxanthellae provide
corals with food.
http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=9790
Divers need license for Great Lakes wrecks
Divers wishing to explore the Edmund Fitzgerald
and two other Great Lakes shipwrecks in Canadian
waters will need a license from the Ontario
Ministry of Culture under a newly approved regulation.
http://www.record-eagle.com/2006/jan/31divers.htm
Scientists Tracking Fish With Sonar
A group of scientists has come up with what they say
is a better way of tracking and estimating fish
populations, which in turn could change the way fishery
regulators manage the resource. The new sonar technique
is able to scan for fish over an area a million times
larger than what could previously be studied. The
current methods for estimating fish populations -
used by regulators to limit days at sea and catch
sizes in an effort to rebuild populations of some
species - have been sharply criticised by the
fishing industry as inaccurate.
http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=9817
__________________________________________________________
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