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SCUBA News 90~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome October's SCUBA News: this month a guest article on diving the Galapagos and Ecuador. I hope you enjoy the newsletter, but should you wish to cancel your subscription you may do so at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html Contents: __________________________________________________________ What's New at SCUBA Travel?
New page on the dive sites and dive operators of Cuba. Comments include:
"The diving was excellent and I saw a proliferation of sealife. There
were Eagle rays, Giant Barracuda, large French Angels, big Hog Fish and
a multitude of other species...The condition of the reef is brilliant,
warm blue green water, great visibility and plenty of proof that the
Cubans respect this fantastic natural resource and are doing plenty to
take care of it...Absolutely superb diving with 30/40 m vis, lots of big
marine life about in large quantities, quality corals."
Need a gift for a diving friend? Why not give them a magazine
subscription. We've found some of the best at...
More rave reviews about the diving in Mozambique, this time in
Malongane. "Tons of tropical fish, honeycomb eels, parrot fish, turtles,
and beautiful coral. I also saw two Humpback Whales, giant manta rays,
a sea turtle, a prodigal son and a big sea bass."
The best-selling diving books and DVDs of the last quarter are now
up on the site. Dive Atlas of the World keeps its top spot yet again,
but it is joined by 5 new entries.
__________________________________________________________ Your Letters Niue Island I recently visited Niue Island on recommendation from a friend that
had previously visited, and found the place a treasure. It has the most
amazing water visibility and excellent cave dives with a diverse array of
marine life. Have already booked for 2008 with a couple of other friends.
Not a lot of people have heard of this little island but its worth the trip
despite arriving at 3 am in the morning. Have to go through New Zealand to
get there and flights are only once a week. Apparently the island gets less
than 2000 visitors a year.
__________________________________________________________ Diving the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador 
An article by Bill Mashek, Rubicon Adventures, www.rubiconadventures.com The Galapagos Islands are an isolated archipelago of roughly 125 volcanic uplift islands. They straddle the equator and are 600 miles (1000 km) off the coast of Ecuador. The extreme currents and cold water contribute to the diversity in the marine environment, and also make diving a challenging experience. I started my trip in Guayaquil. My plan was to spend a few days on the central coast of Ecuador prior to our departure on the Galapagos Aggressor II. My first stop was Montanita, a popular destination on the international surfing circuit. Due to pacific storms the conditions were far from "epic". My accommodation at Charos Hostal was comfortable and clean. Charos is located right on the beach and I highly recommend this place (www.charoshostal.com). The next day I caught a bus to Puerto Lopez—the gateway to Machililla National Park and port for boats going to "Isla la Plata." Puerto Lopez is a small fishing village centered in a picturesque crescent shaped bay. During June to September hundreds of Humpbacks pass this area on their annual migration. Isla la Plata is approximately 15 km off the coast and part of the National Park. It is home for many indigenous birds including: albatross, blue footed boobies and frigates. Isla la Plata is also renown for large mantas and excellent diving. They call the island: "the poor mans Galapagos". I was lucky enough to get on a combination dive and whale watch trip. (All day trip $95.00 including equipment--$35.00 whale watch only.) 
At Isla la Plata I dived with Exploramar divers (www.exploradiving.com). The first dive was to 35 m (110 ft). My rented equipment didn't include a computer but the instructor had one. We followed his profile dive and spent most of our time at 18 m (60 ft). Visibility was over 10 meters, close to 40 ft. The fish life was prolific and included cornet fish, stone scorpion fish, 3 turtles and two manta over 3 meters. The second dive was 25 meters. On this dive we hit very strong currents and similar underwater sea life including more trumpet and cornet fish, 4 large mantas 4 turtles, several large morays. After a full day of diving and whale watching I took the bus to Ayampe and stayed at La Tortuga Eco Lodge. They offer inexpensive cabanas on the beach (latortuga.com.ec). It was a full days bus ride back to Guayaquil. Galapagos Islands Dive Two (day 2) was Mosquera point. Visibility over 15 meters maximum depth 22 m (70 ft). Very little current, sea life included: 2 green turtles, 2 white tipped sharks one Marble Ray, a Mola Mola (sunfish). The topography was a rocky ledge. Dive 3, same spot maximum depth was 17 m (56 ft). Same Marble Ray and fish but this time we played with a bull sea lion (not normally recommended) Dive 4 and 7. Land Slide (I call this dive the amphitheater), Wolf Island, visibility over 25 m (80 ft). Fantastic dive. Strong currents. 4-6ft swells with consistent surge. We dropped to rocks and held on tight to watch the show. Hundreds of hammerheads, black tip, white tip, silky and Galapagos sharks. Large schools of eagle rays "floating" in the currents. Huge morays were abundant through out the rocky structure. Saw 5 green turtles. Dive 5-6 Stark bay, visibility 18-25 m (60-80 ft). moderate currents. Saw several dolphins, more sharks. Dive 8,9.10 Darwin Arch. 26 m (85 ft), visibility over 24 m (80 ft). Moderate currents. Again, more hammerheads, Galapagos blacktip, pod of dolphins, eagle rays and creoles. Several curious sharks came with in a meter of my camera. Prolific fish population. The week before six whale sharks were seen at this site. We had several land excursions on 3 different islands. New rules prohibit land excursions on some of the islands, as they are open to tour boats only. We did see the marine iguanas, land iguanas, boobies, frigate birds, albatross, and many sea lions. Since there are no predators, the wild life on the Galapagos have no fear of people. 
On our last day we toured Santa Cruz Island and Puerto Ayora. We visited the national park headquarters and the Darwin Center but the highlight was a private ranch about 10 km out of town. The new owner had relocated the domestic goats and cattle (grazing animals compete with tortoise habitat) and opened his land to the national park. The ranch is now a refuge for hundreds of giant tortoises. Galapagos Aggressor is a first class operation and one of two operators who have permits for land and dive excursions. (www.aggressor.com) In July 2007 the Galapagos National Park Service announced its immediate suspension of recreational dive trips operated by tour companies without specific diving permits. This was rescinded on 23 August for pre-booked dive trips until 31 December (www.galapagos.org). It is unclear what will happen in 2008. Article copyright Bill Mashek, photos copyright Galapagos Aggressor. __________________________________________________________ Creature of the Month: Spotted Eagle Ray, Aetobatus narinari 
Spotted Eagle Rays are second only to Mantas in size, reaching a width of over 2 m. They are stingrays with venomous barbs near the base of the tail which can deliver a fatal sting. The name Aetobatus is derived from the Greek aetos meaning "eagle" and batis meaning "ray". The eagle part comes from the ray's beak-like nose. The A. Narinari species refers to several forms of Eagle Ray across the world. In fact, the name actually might refer to four different species, a so-called "species-complex". Molecular research is presently underway to help resolve the matter. The pregnancy of the female Eagle Ray lasts a year. Up to four pups are then born fully developed and measuring 17-35 cm across. Young Eagle Rays are kept in nurseries: a place where the mother gives birth and the babies and juveniles spend the first part of their lives. It's thought that nursery grounds provide the young a better source of food and protection against predation The Eagle Ray lives on seagrass flats and sandy areas of coral reefs. Its disc is diamond-shaped and is wider than it is long. The tail is long and slender. Eagle Rays are more often seen actively swimming than are the other rays. They are often encountered near the surface and sometimes even jump out of the water. They are, however, also found down to 60 m. Normally they are solitary but, as in the photo, they may be seen in large groups. The low reproduction rate of just four or less offspring a year, the ray's inshore habitat and thus susceptability to a variety of inshore fishing gear, has lead to it being classed as Near Threatened and Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Further Reading: Coral Reef Fishes, Indo-Pacific and Caribbean __________________________________________________________ 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. Researchers pronounce diving with asthma "safe" Israeli scientists have studied the published information about diving with asthma, and concluded that, under the right circumstances, asthmatics can safely dive without any apparent increased risk of an asthma-related event. They added that decisions on whether or not diving is hazardous must be made on an individual basis and be founded upon an informed decision. New British Columbia Dive Guide Just released, a new edition of Betty Pratt-Johnson's book of one hundred and fifty-one dives in the protected waters of Washington and British Columbia. Includes maps, succinct descriptions of conditions and animal life, tide information and site warnings. Mauritius Scientists Fear Tourism Impact On Coral Scientists in Mauritius are warning the island's ambitious tourism targets will place too much strain on remaining coral. Mauritius is boosting tourism with a goal of two million tourists per year from an anticipated 900,000 in 2007. But scientists are nervous. They fear the combination of warmer seas and mushrooming human activity will place even more strain on the island's few remaining pockets of quality coral. You buy...we donate: Support charity when you buy insurance Fancy a warm charitable glow when you buy insurance? From now on if you purchase World Nomads travel insurance via SCUBA Travel, we will donate to the Footprints charity of your choice. Thousands of New Marine Microbes Discovered Scientists have uncovered thousands of marine microbes -- including never-before-seen bacteria -- thriving deep in the sea near cracks in the Earth's crust where warm fluids and cold sea water mix. Sushi Craze Threatens Mediterranean's Giant Tuna Japanese demand for its fatty flesh to make sushi has sparked a fishing frenzy for the Atlantic bluefin tuna -- a torpedo-shaped brute weighing up to half a tonne that can accelerate faster than a Porsche 911. Now a system of corralling the fish into "tuna ranches" has combined with a growing tuna fishing fleet to bring stocks dangerously close to collapse. Arctic Thaw May be at "Tipping Point" A record melt of Arctic summer sea ice this month may be a sign that global warming is reaching a critical trigger point that could accelerate the northern thaw, scientists say. The Arctic summer sea ice shrank by more than 20 percent below the previous 2005 record low in mid-September. Micronesian Presidents Sign Reef Check Pledge The presidents of Palau, the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia have signed a declaration of reef rights and pledged to protect coral reefs. __________________________________________________________ * 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. 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 re-subscribe. Send us your Press Releases
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