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SCUBA News 81~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) Issue 81 - January 2007 http://www.scubatravel.co.uk ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Happy New Year. This month I'm asking you to help shape the direction of SCUBA News and the SCUBA Travel website by filling in a short survey below. Thanks very much if you have the time to do this. Some of the SCUBA Travel team have been on holiday this month resulting a delay in responding to some e-mails and comments. My apologies. If you've contacted us we'll be getting back to you as soon as possible. We'll soon be launching a new section on diving in Dominica. If you've visited Dominica then please get in touch. Should you wish to cancel your subscription to SCUBA News you can do so at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html Contents: - Improve SCUBA News: New Year Survey - Your Letters - SCUBA Diving Bestsellers - Did You Know? Coral Reef Facts - Diving News from Around the World __________________________________________________________ Improve SCUBA News: New Year Survey =================================== To help us improve SCUBA News, and the SCUBA Travel website, could you fill in the following questions? Miss out any questions that you don't want to answer. Thanks for your help.__________________________________________________________ Your Letters ============ Office Position in Bali, Indonesia AquaMarine Diving – Bali (Seminyak) seeks an outgoing, computer-literate and conscientious female with managerial experience to start with us in February 2007. E-mailing clients and computer-work make up most of the job and, although it is not a difficult job, it is a responsible position, can be a heavy workload and requires great attention to detail. English must be your first language; you must be able to type very well and like dogs. This is NOT a Working Holiday position. It is an office job - there's no diving, guiding nor instructing involved. 8hrs/day; 6days/wk; 12mth commitment. Fax: +62 361 735 368. E-mail ScubaTravelEmployment@AquaMarineDiving.com Annabel http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=917 http://www.AquaMarineDiving.com/ - Jordan I am in Jordan in mid February and was looking at diving for 4 days in Aqaba. Can anyone suggest a reliable center? Are there dive centres elsewhere in Jordan. Can I stay in a cheap place to save money on hotels? Giles Khan - Red Sea We want to get married in the red sea. Has anyone any suggestions? Tanya and Larry -- From the Diving Board... Philippines My boyfriend and I want to try some diving in the Philippines in April/May 2007. We have never scuba dived before, so we are going to do an open water dive course when we get there, but we would like some advice as to which are the best dive spots for beginners? We will have over 2 months in the Phillippines, so we don't mind travelling to dive spots that are far apart. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Also, if anyone could recommend a good company for our open-water dive course, that would be great too! Thank you VERY much for your time and I look forward to your reply! Skyblue http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=935 - New Diver Questions and Training in Spain I have taken the Discover Scuba Diver PADI course and I have loved every single second of it. Of course my wife is not too happy because I have discovered a new hobby and I can't wait to try it on open water. I have got a few questions and maybe some more experienced diver can help me: First I am partially sighted, only can see from my left eye and wear contact lens on it. I know that I can get prescription glass for a mask but would prefer to avoid. So do you know anybody that dive that is in the same situation than me. My goals for now would be to dive not too deep and very easy surrounding (once of course I qualify). I am quite fit (well I think I am) can swim reasonably well for some distance and hit the gym a few times a week. Secondly shall I buy some of my own gear, ie mask, snorkel, and fins and maybe a suit. I so can anybody recommend a shop in Essex or not too far from it, as I gather i should try it on (any recommendation on the gear would be good, of course I will be on a budget) Thirdly, I spend quite a bit of time in Spain on the Costa Blanca and I am not too far from the Mar Menor, could anyone recommend a diving club, association where I could take my PADI exams. JC http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=906 If you can help with replies to any of these, either register and post at the Diving Board (http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/), or e-mail us. ADVERT:__________________________________________________ LOW COST TRAVEL INSURANCE covering diving to 50 m with qualified instructor. For more details visit http://www.essentialtravel.co.uk/ and quote ref 100534 to ensure you get the best deal. __________________________________________________:ADVERT __________________________________________________________ Diving Bestsellers List 2006 ============================= For several years we've been compiling a bestseller list of diving books and DVDs. For third year in a row the Dive Atlas of the Word retains its top spot. The highest new entry is also on diving around the world: Dive in Style by Tim Simmond. Figures in brackets show last year's position. 1. Dive Atlas of the World: An Illustrated Reference to the Best Sites by Jack Jackson 300 pages detailing some of the world's best dive sites. (1) http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1843303647/1286 2. Dive: The Ultimate Guide To 60 Of The Worlds Top Dive Locations by Monty Halls, Describes 60 of the world's best diving areas and highlights specific dives not to be missed whilst you are there (3) http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/dive.html 3. Collins Pocket Guide: Coral Reef Fishes by Ewald Lieske, Robert Myers A compact guide to over 2000 species of fish you might see whilst diving on coral reefs. (2) http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/fishbook.html 4. Dive in Style by Tim Simond An illustrated book combining the best of travel, lifestyle and nature photography. Pairs dive destinations with the best places to stay. (--) http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0500512922/1286 5. Lonely Planet: Diving and Snorkelling the Red Sea by Jean-Bernard Carillet, Gavin Anderson, Peter Harrison Guide to the dive sites of the Red Sea. (--) http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1864502053/1286 6. Reef Fishes and Corals of the Red Sea by Pete Harrison and Alex Misiewicz Identify 270 reef fishes and corals found throughout the Red Sea. (9) http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1859742076/1286 7. Neutral Buoyancy: Adventures in a Liquid World, by Tim Ecott Tales of the characters and episodes in the history of diving: the sponge divers, the second world war saboteurs, the free divers, etc. (--) http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/neutral.html 8. Scuba Diver's Travel Companion by Jeremy Agnew Tells you for what level of diver a dive destination is suitable. (10) http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0762726687/1286 9. 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. (5) http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/blueplanet.html 10. Sardinia Diving Guide by Egidio Trainito A diving guide to Sardinia, Italy. (--) http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1853109223/1286 __________________________________________________________ Did You Know? Coral Reef Facts ============================== The reef crest protects coastal communities as it causes waves to break over the reef that would otherwise pound directly against the shoreline. Coral reefs provide numerous other services to humans: 30 to 40 million people depend directly on coral reef resources for their livelihood. The worldwide economic value of coral reefs in terms of fishing, tourism, pharmaceutical prospecting and coastal protection is estimated at approximately $375 billion US dollars each year. -- From the Beautiful Oceans on-line course: Coral Reef Architecture and Organisms. To read our review of the course see http://tinyurl.com/zayos __________________________________________________________ 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. Nitrox Training from the Beginning with BSAC The British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) are now including Nitrox training at a basic level within their Open Ocean and Sports Diver courses. These are the first two courses offered by BSAC. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/ Warming to Raise Seas for 1,000 Years World sea levels will keep rising for more than 1,000 years even if governments manage to slow a projected surge in temperatures this century blamed on greenhouse gases, a draft U.N. climate report says. The study, by a panel of 2,500 scientists who advise the United Nations, also says that dust from volcanic eruptions and air pollution seems to have braked warming in recent decades by reflecting sunlight back into space. http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=12106 Manatees Have Long-Distance Sense of Touch New research suggests that manatees' tactile sense is so finely tuned that the animals may experience "touch at a distance" - an ability to "feel" objects and events in the water from relatively far away. In recent studies marine biologists found that the giant mammals are covered with special whisker-like hairs that act as sensors. Together these tactile hairs form a kind of sensory array, possibly allowing manatees to detect changes in current, water temperature and even tidal forces. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/ Octopus Study Shows Way to Save Fish Stocks Protecting marine areas for even relatively brief periods can significantly restore depleted fish stocks, scientists have said, citing a study of octopus catches in Madagascar. The researchers found that after an area off the coast was closed to fishermen for seven months, the number of octopus caught later rose 13 times while the total weight of the octopus catch jumped 25 times. Experts say nearly 75 percent of fish stocks, from tuna to cod, are caught faster than they can breed as more and more people depend on them for food and livelihoods. http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=11878 WWF Pushes to Protect China's Yellow Sea In an attempt to protect the Yellow Sea's rich biodiversity from pollution, WWF is pushing for a joint marine protected area in the shared waters between China and the Republic of Korea. The Yellow Sea, one of the largest shallow areas of continental shelf in the world, is home to a diverse range of species, including dugongs, gray whales, marine turtles and rich fish life. http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/index.cfm?uNewsID=89600 Butterflyfish Decline with Coral Australian scientists have found evidence that climate change may play havoc with fish populations. Researchers have tracked a dramatic decline in the numbers of coral-feeding fish, after a reef was destroyed by bleaching caused by high sea temperatures. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/ Norway Wants U.S. Politicians to See Warming Artic Norway will invite U.S. politicians to visit a group of fast-thawing Arctic islands in 2007, hoping to win converts for tougher action against global warming, its foreign minister says. http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=11933 Lawsuit Filed to Protect World's Most Endangered Whale The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a lawsuit to compel the Bush administration to protect the North Pacific Right Whale. The Department of the Interior has proposed opening areas in the Bering Sea frequented by the species to offshore oil development. The North Pacific Right Whale, once ranging from Baja California to Alaska, is the most endangered large whale in the world. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/ Robot heading for Antarctic dive The UK's first deep-diving remotely operated vehicle is to trawl the depths of the Antarctic sea-bed. Researchers hope to uncover more about the effects of glaciers on the ocean floor, and also find out about the animals that inhabit these waters. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6198019.stm EU Includes Airlines in Pollution Allowances Trading Program Airlines that fly within the European Union will have to trade pollution allowances beginning in 2011, which could see travellers paying more for European diving holidays. http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=11900 Adobe Photoshop for Underwater Photographers A new handbook for underwater photographers explains how to edit, fine-tune, retouch and enhance underwater images with Adobe Photoshop. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/asin/1584281898/ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ * 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 web site, providing the above copyright notice is included and a link back to our web site 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, The Cliff, Upper Mayfield, DE6 2HR, UK 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. 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