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SCUBA News 86~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to Issue 86 of SCUBA News. In this issue we've a guest article by Tab Hauser on diving Roatan and a review of a new Scapa Flow Dive Guide. Should you wish to cancel your subscription to SCUBA News you may do so at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html Contents: __________________________________________________________ What's New at SCUBA Travel? 
Diving Christmas Island, Australia
Christmas Island is a small territory of Australia located in the Indian Ocean, 2,360 kilometres (1,466 miles) northwest of Perth. The diving there is terrific. Masses of sea life, great visibility and dramatic drop offs. Diving the Dominican Republic, West Indies
More dive operators and dive sites are now on the Dominican Republic page. __________________________________________________________ Your Letters If you can help any of our letter writers either e-mail news@scubatravel.co.uk or register and post on the Diving Board at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/ Red Sea I plan to land in Cairo on Aug 23 and would love to hop on a liveaboard but am overwhelmed with tour operator info and not a lot of feedback from fellow divers...personal feedback/report outs from fellow American divers are not so common so I would love some recommendations on a tour operator that is safe and good with novice divers (under 35 dives). Some great info would be:
Thanks so Much! Tunisia Has anyone dived at Delphinius Dinving in Sousse, Tunisia? If so was it any good?
Thanks Dive Computers Can anyone recomend which dive computer I go for?
Bluetang __________________________________________________________ Bookshelf:  
Lawson Wood On Midsummers Day in 1919, a German Admiral ordered the German High Seas Fleet to be scuttled. Seventy-four German ships had been anchored at the Orkney Islands of Scotland. They were sunk to prevent them being divided up amongst the allies. Many of the ships were recovered for salvage, but those remaining submerged have helped make Scapa Flow into one of the most popular dive sites in Europe. Lawson Wood's book is a comprehensive guide to diving Scapa Flow. The book begins with an introduction to the Orkneys and a history of the German High Seas Fleet. It goes on to cover travelling to, and accomodation, around Scapa. The rest of the book is a guide to the diving It is a very extensive guide covering 75 wrecks and 9 reefs. Wood gives the history of each wreck and has plenty of photographs of the dives and the ships. He also provides sea-bed scans of the wrecks and detailed descriptions of each dive site. Each site covered features a key points box with a summary of vital information such as location, depth, access and diving experience required. Many divers assume that you must be extremely experienced to dive Scapa Flow, but the book makes plain that even novice divers can have a fantastic diving holiday there. All of the Motor Torpedo Boats and Blockships are in less than 18 m (60 ft) with many in less than 9 m (30 ft). Lawson Wood rates these as "quite possibly some of the best shallow shipwrecks in the world". If you are considering going to Scapa Flow then this book is a must. I would buy it well in advance to help you prepare for the trip, deciding where to dive and what equipment to take. It is a greate diving guide which is a blend of detailed diving information, wreck history and local information. About the Author
Review by Andrew Reay-Robinson The Scapa Flow Dive Guide is available from Aquapress, http://www.aquapress.co.uk; Amazon, http://www.amazon.co.uk/, and all good bookshops. __________________________________________________________ Diving in Roatan, Honduras by Tab Hauser
It was Christopher Columbus who discovered this island in 1502 for the Spanish. For the next 100 years it was used as a stop for provisions for galleons traveling in the area. Eventually the islands became more English with Puritans coming from Maryland in the mid 1600’s and then by other Englishmen joining them from the Cayman Islands and England in the early 1800’s. As a result of this history, nearly everyone we met spoke English. An older local fishing charter captain said that when he was a boy only English was spoken. He said that with the influx of Hondurans from the mainland working in the tourist or construction business, more and more Spanish is now spoken. After much research I picked Luna Beach Resort as our place to stay for the 6 days we were here. Luna Beach is 20 minutes from the airport on the western end of the island. It is also a pleasant 10 minute stroll on the beach to the village of West End. This resort offers 1 and 2 room beach front suites along with what they call 3 and 4 bedroom tropical wooden houses that are up a short hill. These houses are perfect for families and couples that want to share a house and still have their own bedroom and bathrooms. There are no TV’s or phones in the rooms but there is air conditioning. I found the hammock on the large shaded porch more than adequate as a break from the sun for a short nap. The hotel does offer internet access but only by using their laptop in the lobby at $6 per hour. This was the only real flaw I found with them. There are plenty of internet cafes to plug into in the village for $5 per hour. The Diving Roatan and Luna Beach is a dive destination with 3 boats going out daily. Our routine on most days was to have a breakfast by the pool and head off for our 9 am dive to one of the several sites on West Bay. The ride each day to the site was a mere 5 minutes in calm seas. Our first morning's dive was along a wall with a 40 foot (12 m) bottom depth. This is what Luna Beach calls their check out for new guests so they can get acclimated to being in the water. I found this is to be a sensible policy for new divers or those who have not been in the water for a while. Here our guide led us past walls of soft and hard corals and many different tropical fish. After coming back to the hotel dock we had 30 minutes before boarding back for the 11 am dive. If you wish you can do another dive at 2 pm. On the first day our 11 am dive was to Half Moon Bay which was less than 5 minutes away. At Half Moon Bay our group of 6 had two guides, one in the front and one in the back keeping our profile at around 50 feet (15 m). Here we saw pristine walls and canyons of coral along with three turtles, a 50 pound grouper and two cuttle fish. Our only complaint was that the dive ended a little early with everyone having plenty of air for another 10 minutes. Our dive master told us that the 11 AM dive was sometimes a little shorter so the staff can make the 2 PM dive on time. I do want to say the dive staff and boat captain were incredibly nice and would do anything for you. They are friendly and enthusiastic about their jobs and I would not hesitate to use them again. That afternoon we passed on the 2 pm dive. Instead we walked to the village of West End. West End has plenty of places to eat and drink, buy a T shirt or trinket as well as get food at the local Mercado or fruit off the back of the truck.
There were three unique dives worth mentioning by name. The first was called “Hole in the Wall”. Here we went to 60 feet (18 m) and swam along the wall and coral canyons. We saw tiny shrimp reef shrimp, star fish, turtles as well as giant crab with a head nearly a foot wide and a body over 2 feet around. Our group of 6 were guided by two dive masters for safety as well as the use of their local reef knowledge. The highlight of this dive was going through 3 swim-throughs. Our guide led us through 3 L shaped tunnels no longer than 30 feet (9 m) each with the final one ending just outside a wall. Our deepest dive of the week was the Wreck of the Anguila. The Anguila was a 200 foot ship that was sunk off a nearby island to form an artificial reef but later moved just off the coast of Anthony’s Key. The bottom of the wreck where the stern sits is in 110 feet. There is a 50 foot (15 m) long by 5 foot (1.6 m) wide swim through between the stern and bow section. The bow section has opened hatches but we were advised it is not wise to penetrate this section as it is not stable. On the bow we were told there were a few moray eels usually on the prowl but on this day they were off the ship. We did see a few 30 pound (14 kg) groupers in the area. What makes this wreck nice is that it was sunk near a coral reef. With a bottom time at 100 feet (30 m) of 17 minutes we were able to swim to the nearby coral reef at 40 foot (12 m) for about 15 minutes and then continue with a 5 minute safety stop while diving the top of the reef at 15 feet (5 m). I always prefer to do a safety stop while swimming around instead of hanging in one place. When our 45 minute pre-planned dive was up our dive master inflated his yellow sausage so the boat could see the pick up spot. Luna Beach only allows divers to do a deep or wreck dive having either done over 100 dives or if you take the PADI awareness mini-course. This is a course that gives you an hour lecture and discussion on what deep or wreck diving would be like as well as a mini quiz while sitting on the wreck using writing slates. One of our less experienced divers took this mini course and felt much more comfortable about going down to the 100 foot (30 m) level. During the middle of the week Luna Beach does a night dive. The boat ride to the sight was less than 5 minutes so you gear up under way. This was one of the best and easiest night dives I have done. Conditions were good for our 45 foot (14 m) maximum dive. We were 5 divers to a guide so we were not crowded. During the dive we saw both hard and soft coral open up as well as sleeping parrot fish and squirrel fish on the prowl. We also spotted a large octopus glowing with a greenish hue when we shined our lights near it as well as a baby red & white striped octopus in a crack in coral head.
After the quick check out we boated over to the dolphin pen on a small island a few hundred yards from the dive center where we are introduced to the big male. Here, five divers at a time walk to a small swim platform where the trainer instructs to dolphin to stay by your feet while you pet him. He also explains the different interesting facts about dolphins. The dolphin is then is instructed to give each of diver a kiss and has it do a few tricks before the next phase of our visit. After the dolphin lesson in the pen we boarded the boat where were given the dive briefing about meeting the dolphins in open water not far from Anthony’s Key. We were told the dolphins are trained the follow a small boat and meet the divers when we are under water if they choose to do so. Our group of 8 plus guests, videographer and two dive masters jumped over board and dropped to about 45 feet. With in 5 minutes three dolphins went straight to the dive masters putting their noses into their hands in a nuzzling sort of way. If this was on land I would say there were like puppies. From there they swam around us getting very close and at times very playful. We were told they may give a friendly nip at your arm and if you pull the arm away they will possible tease you even more. Several times the dolphins would swim amongst us circling each diver and then disappear for a few minutes. The trainer says they sometimes will chase a wild fish or go for a fast swim in the ocean before coming back. We heard about a story where the trained dolphins swam out, met wild ones and then came back with them. Toward the end of the dive one of the dive masters looked at the dolphin and with a simple hand signal it just froze in the sand so everyone can pet it or take a close look at these beautiful creatures not moving underwater. After 45 minutes when nearly every one sucked their tanks dry we surfaced. On the surface the dolphins did a few leaps for food then and headed off. One funny scene towards the end had a 30 pound grouper trying to mimic the dolphin by trying to jump out of the water for a piece of fish the trainer had. From under water you saw this grouper move its tail fin extremely fast trying to jump out only to get as far as the top of its head before sinking down. All in all I would recommend this dive as a break from the wonderful coral diving in the area and as a way to see how dolphins swim and interact with the divers and dive masters under water in an open setting. Just the Facts... Luna Beach Resort:
Weather: The climate is tropical with a rainy season from mid-October to late November. Temperatures are in the mid 80’s with pleasant trade winds through out most of the year. Roatan has not been effected by hurricanes very much as they tend to head north before they get to this area. Transportation: When we got to the airport the taxi rates started as high as $100. We found a driver with a van who agreed to do it for $25. The driver and his son went out of there way to help us so we handed him $40 and told him to come back on our pick up day of which he left. We used Aleman Transportes back and forth to the airport. The cell is 3316-9384 I recommend renting a small 4 wheel drive vehicle at least a day or 2. There are many beaches to explore on the island as well as take a ride to Punta Gorda where West African-descendent Garifuna people live.. You can also drive to Gumbalimba which is a park that has a zoo and where you can go zip lining through the forest. The reason for the 4 wheel drive is that there are some roads in the north and the east that are dirt and rutted. Please check to make sure your tires are in good shape before renting your car. Dinner: The advantage of staying near West End was that it was a pleasant walk to many good restaurants and bars. You do not need to have a car or take a taxi here.
By Tab Hauser __________________________________________________________ Creature of the Month: Table Coral, Acropora species 
Table coral has a short, stout stem attached by a spreading base. Branches arise from the top of the stem and sread in a horizontal rather than a vertical direction, often fusing together. The closely set and interlocking branches form a roughly circular plate sometimes two or three metres in diameter. Acropora species are among the fastest growning corals, with upward growth between 10 and 20 cm per year. This is achieved through their porous skeleton and the branched habit that will re-establish themselves readily when damaged. In the Caribbean, Acropora colonies are brown or yellowish in colour, often with white tips. In the Indo-Pacific, though, they are among the most brightly coloured corals on the reef. Acropora is an important reef-building coral and often dominates shallow areas. It provides shelter for a variety of small fishes and other animals. Table corals are the most vulnerable to storm damage. Their broad, flat top supported by a narrow stalk makes them more susceptable to strong wave forces than bushy or mounded corals. However, severe storms, by themselves, would do not pose a large threat to reefs. Young colonies do not form tables and the Acropora corals grow and mature quickly. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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. Decompression sickness causes lasting poor health Poor health in former North Sea divers is associated with decompression sickness, according to a new report. A team from Haukeland University Hospital in Norway investigated the impact of decompression sickness and diving exposure on the health of Norwegian former North Sea divers. They concluded that having had decompression sickness during a diving career contributes significantly to a reduction in all health aspects, and neurological decompression sickness has the most pronounced impact. Cumulative diving exposure, including days in saturation, and maximal depth also contributed to poorer health. Caribbean Turtles Threatend Turtles in the Caribbean are under threat from over-fishing and illegal trade, a wildlife trade monitoring network has said. More than half of the 26 nations surveyed -- in Central America, island states in the Caribbean and Venezuela and Colombia -- had weak regulations on turtle catches.
Caribbean Corals in Danger of Extinction Caribbean coral species are dying off, indicating dramatic shifts in the ecological balance under the sea, a new scientific study of Caribbean marine life shows. The study found that 10 percent of the Caribbean's 62 reef-building corals were under threat, including staghorn and elkhorn corals. These used to be the most prominent species but are now candidates to be listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Red and Pink Corals Get U.N. Trade Protection Trade in red and pink corals prized as jewellery for 5,000 years will be restricted to try to help the species recover after drastic over-exploitation, a U.N. wildlife conference has agreed Wednesday.
Countries at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) voted 62 to 28 to start regulating export of corals, now harvested mainly in the Mediterranean and Western Pacific in a business worth millions of dollars. ADVERT:__________________________________________________ Costs of stabilising global warming 'negligible'
Climate scientists, economists and policy researchers are all in agreement: limiting long-term global warming is achievable at a "negligible" cost. Now, the responsibility for action lies in the hands of politicians, they say. It could cost as little as eating one meal out per family.
Emission impossible for carbon trading Short-sighted plans to allow European companies to buy their way out of making reductions in their greenhouse gas emissions are undermining efforts to prevent climate change, a new WWF report shows.
Europe's seas already 'seriously damaged' Europe's seas are in serious decline from coastal development, overuse of fertilisers, chemical pollution and over-fishing, a new study warns. Over the next 20 to 30 years, the Mediterranean, Baltic and Black Sea, and the North Atlantic will deteriorate further unless action is taken, say the researchers, who were funded by the European Union. Demand More Marine Reserves Greenpeace want you to demand more marine reserves. They are campaigning for a network of reserves covering 40 per cent of the world's oceans. Electric fields could give subs 'fish-like' sense
Robotic and uncrewed submersibles could operate more effectively by mimicking the way some fish probe their surroundings with electric fields, say researchers.
Many marine and freshwater fish can sense electric fields, but some also generate their own weak fields over short ranges to help navigate, identify objects, and even communicate with other fish.
Malcolm MacIver and colleagues at Northwestern University in Chicago, US, studying the biomechanics of these "weakly electric fish", have now come up with an artificial electric-field sensing system. They say it could ultimately give robot submersibles the same additional sensory capabilities.
Salty Oceans Provide Early Warning For Climate Change Monitoring the saltiness of the ocean water could provide an early indicator of climate change. Significant increases or decreases in salt in key areas could forewarn of climate change in 10 to 20 years time. Presenting their findings at a recent European Science Foundation (ESF) conference, scientists predicted that the waters of the southern hemisphere oceans around South Africa and New Zealand are the places to watch. First Buoy to Monitor Ocean Acidification Launched The first buoy to monitor ocean acidification has been deployed in the Gulf of Alaska. Attached to the 3-metre-diameter buoy are sensors to measure climate indicators. These transmit their readings via satellite. The instruments will measure the air-sea exchange of carbon dioxide, oxygen and nitrogen gas in addition to the pH. This is the first system specifically designed to monitor ocean acidification.
The buoy is anchored in water nearly 5,000 meters deep. Scuba Diving Safety Released
This new book is aimed at serious divers and diving instructors. It addresses both rescue and first aid across a wide range of diving environments. It provides techniques for surface and underwater rescue, open water resuscitation, self-rescue, currents and dams, overhead environments, faulty or damaged equipment and dealing with potentially dangerous marine life. The topics address virtually every type of diving environment or situation.
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After visiting the island of Roatan what I will say is that it this place will be “the” next destination with in a few years. If you visited Grand Cayman say 40 years ago or Providencial on Grand Turk 20 years ago you will know what I mean. Roatan is a tropical island 30 miles long by 3 miles wide and is situated off the coast of Honduras on the second largest barrier reef in the world. The population, which is 30 000, speak English and Spanish.
I did 10 dives during the week. Each dive was located between West Bay which the very end of Roatan and Anthony’s Key a few miles east of West End. Each dive offered coral walls and canyons to swim by. During the dive we saw the usual tropical fish that inhabit the reefs. We also saw giant crabs, 5 turtles, a few 30 pound (14 kg) groupers as well as large snappers swimming above the reef. Bottom depths for the week, with the exception of the wreck dive, ranged between 40 and 70 feet (12 and 21 m).
On one afternoon we dived at Anthony's key resort. This is on its own little private island with small cottages all around it. This island is just opposite where the dive operations take place. The dive operation here is big. There are big boards with names of the different boats one can sign on for. Our visit here was for the dolphin dive. Normally I would be the last person to do a dolphin dive because I would not want to be with these beautiful creatures in a pen. The reason we signed up to do this was because the operation is run differently as they swim with you in open water nearby. After signing in and paying the $112 you are required to do a 2 minute check out dive just off the boat at the dock. The dive master wants to make sure you clear your mask and find your regulator in case the dolphins accidentally knock it off.
This hotel can be found at www.lunabeachresort.com . The sight is quite detailed and should be tell you everything you need to know. We took the Breakfast/ Lunch Dive package. The food was good but you are on “island time” after you place your order. The dive staff is aware of this and if your breakfast or lunch takes 30 minutes to arrive you are never rushed to finish it. The boat waits for you when that happens. Our trick was to order breakfast and the go to the lockers to get our gear while it was being prepared. As for food, we did not find anything bad. We ate plenty of grilled fish sandwiches, salads, chicken and hamburgers. They also made a wonderful conch and conch and seafood soup. The omelet’s were always cooked to order. I liked the eggs wrapped in a tortilla with salsa using only the whites I requested. The fruit platter we ordered in the morning or after the dive was always fresh. The staff at Luna Beach is very pleasant and helpful. Also, you can always find Chuck the owner around or at the bar during happy hour. He is the only 78 year old man I know that can do one arm push ups.