http://www.divesouthafrica.co.za/news/archive-february2006.php News and articles relating to scuba diving in South Africa and abroad. Topics include diving equipment, dive sites, diver training, dive specials, wreck diving, reef diving and shark diving news. en-us http://www.divesouthafrica.co.za/imgs/pics-greatwhitecagediving-sm.jpg http://www.divesouthafrica.co.za/news/archive-february2006.php 80 80 News and articles relating to scuba diving in South Africa and abroad. Topics include diving equipment, dive sites, diver training, dive specials, wreck diving, reef diving and shark diving news. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/dive-south-africa-to-present-workshop.html From great whites on the West coast to the sardine run on the East coast, South Africa is not to be missed for diving. Dive South Africa will be flying in just for the weekend to give a flavour of what's on offer! http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/dive-south-africa-to-present-workshop.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/important-new-materials-released-by.html TDI announces all new Advanced Wreck Student Manual and support materials. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/important-new-materials-released-by.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/egypt-promotes-red-sea-causeway.html Egypt is promoting a $3 billion causeway across the Red Sea linking Sharm el-Sheikh resort with Saudi Arabia's northwestern Duba port in the wake of another ferry tragedy. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/egypt-promotes-red-sea-causeway.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/visit-bsac-world-at-lids-2006.html LIDS 2006 will, for the second year, feature BSAC World. You can find out everything you want about the BSAC and have the total BSAC Experience! http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/visit-bsac-world-at-lids-2006.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/landslides-hit-popular-dive.html Torrential rain has triggered floods and landslides around the popular dive destination of Manado in Indonesia. Rescue officials said at least 26 people were killed by falling mud in the North Sulawesi provincial capital on Wednesday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/landslides-hit-popular-dive.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/peter-benchley-man-who-loved-sharks.html Peter Benchley, who died at age 65, was the very model of a pulp writer. The grandson of Robert Benchley, the humorist and Algonquin troubadour, and the son of Nathaniel Benchley, the novelist, Peter had one truly inspired idea that he proceeded to pound into the ground for nearly three decades. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/peter-benchley-man-who-loved-sharks.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/australia-researchers-tag-grey-nurse.html Researchers are tracking two grey nurse sharks in the waters off south east Queensland in a bid to protect the endangered species. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/australia-researchers-tag-grey-nurse.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/sharks-future-in-doubt-as-they-shun.html Fears for the future of the world's sharks have been raised by research which suggests their territory is smaller than previously thought. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/sharks-future-in-doubt-as-they-shun.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/shark-attacks-down-in-2005-but-up-over.html Worldwide shark-attack numbers fell in 2005 for the fifth year in a row. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/shark-attacks-down-in-2005-but-up-over.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/visit-ponta-mamoli-in-mozambique-with.html Cross north over the border of South Africa into Mozambique and there is a point where the road ends and the adventure begins. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/visit-ponta-mamoli-in-mozambique-with.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/why-do-you-love-south-africa.html I know this is not scuba related but since I live in South Africa, I thought I might share this with the world. Why are South Africans so patriotic? What makes them so passionate about their country? Why do the hairs on the back of their neck stand up? http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/why-do-you-love-south-africa.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/scuba-diving-in-mauritius.html With its lush vegetation, sandy coastline, and coral-circled lagoons, Mauritius might as well be a purpose-made luxury holiday destination. But does that necessarily make it a divers' holiday of a lifetime? http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/scuba-diving-in-mauritius.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/look-at-giant-squid-cannibals-or-kinky.html Until now experts believed that Giant Squid were cannibalistic. This conclusion was based on the fact that they discovered pieces of other Giant Squid in the stomachs of specimens studied. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/look-at-giant-squid-cannibals-or-kinky.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/food-for-thought-dont-miss-breakfast.html Is breakfast the most important meal of the day? Well, according to evidence unearthed by doctors in the US, eating breakfast is the secret to staying healthy. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/food-for-thought-dont-miss-breakfast.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/thousands-of-giant-squid-wash-up-on.html Authorities began removing hundreds of tons of squid that washed up on a beach in southern Chile and were in a process of decomposing, police said Friday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/thousands-of-giant-squid-wash-up-on.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/australia-ningaloo-reef-may-go-world.html Western Australia is closer to asking for World Heritage protection for Ningaloo Reef, one of the world's most pristine marine environments. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/australia-ningaloo-reef-may-go-world.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/south-africa-poachers-beat-legal.html The perlemoen and Patagonian toothfish poached in South African waters and sold illegally in Asian markets are worth more than the country's entire legal fishing industry. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/south-africa-poachers-beat-legal.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/mozambique-new-diving-resort-opened-by.html A Brand new diving resort has been opened in Mozambique. It is situated south of Inhambane, in between Guinjata Bay and Paindane. You just have to follow the bright orange sign with the manta on it! http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/mozambique-new-diving-resort-opened-by.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/dan-research-newsletter-february-2006.html DAN releases their Safety Stop for February 2006 http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/dan-research-newsletter-february-2006.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/australian-wreck-attracting-record.html THE Sunshine Coast now has another tourism ace up its sleeve with the wreck of the former HMAS Brisbane attracting divers in record numbers. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/australian-wreck-attracting-record.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/7-deadly-sins-of-scuba-diving.html DIVE Magazine asked their specialist writers to consider the conventions of modern diving and come up with a new set of seven deadly sins for 2006. This makes for very interesting reading. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/7-deadly-sins-of-scuba-diving.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/dive-contributors-report-back-on-best.html What was your best dive of 2005? That was the question we put to DIVE's contributors, and they've reported back on a vintage year. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/dive-contributors-report-back-on-best.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/world-shark-attacks-dipped-in-2005.html Assertive and even aggressive human behavior could explain why shark attacks worldwide dipped last year, continuing a five-year downward trend in close encounters with the oceanic predators, new University of Florida research suggests... http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/world-shark-attacks-dipped-in-2005.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/new-zealand-divers-survival-of-3-days.html While the country celebrates an extraordinary feat of survival, many experts are saying Robert Hewitt has defied all logic by surviving 75 hours adrift in Cook Strait. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/new-zealand-divers-survival-of-3-days.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/for-divers-sinkholes-along-yucatan.html I thought I'd share with you a diver's perspective on diving the sinkholes along the Yucatan peninsula. I have not been there yet, but it sounds like paradise. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/for-divers-sinkholes-along-yucatan.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/two-japanese-divers-rescued-after-30.html Two Japanese divers survived the threat of dehydration, hypothermia, sunburn and sharks while drifting for more than 30 hours in the open waters of Palau earlier this week. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/two-japanese-divers-rescued-after-30.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/uk-diving-incidents-in-2005-highest.html Diving incidents in 2005 were the highest ever recorded, but the number of fatalities was reduced from last year, according to the BSAC's Diving Incidents Report. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/uk-diving-incidents-in-2005-highest.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/great-barrier-reef-climate-change.html The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) says the threat climate change poses to the Great Barrier Reef cannot be overstated. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/great-barrier-reef-climate-change.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/worldwide-shark-attacks-down-in-2005.html The number of fatal and nonfatal shark attacks worldwide dropped in 2005, continuing a five-year trend, researchers said Monday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/worldwide-shark-attacks-down-in-2005.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/why-do-tiger-sharks-eat-more.html Take a dive with researchers in Australia's Shark Bay to find out why tiger sharks make more meals of the sleek, high-flying loggerhead sea turtle than its slower bottom-swimming cousin, the green sea turtle. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/why-do-tiger-sharks-eat-more.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/shark-diving-in-south-africa.html John Dwyer visits Gansbaai and combats his fear and comes face to face with a Great White shark. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/shark-diving-in-south-africa.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/diver-lost-off-puerto-rico-swims-home.html A lost diver who was the subject of a U.S. Coast Guard search managed to swim 10 miles through heavy seas to safety, authorities said Thursday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/diver-lost-off-puerto-rico-swims-home.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/galapagos-tour-operator-banned-for-two.html The regulatory authority of the Galapagos National Park suspended Celebrity Xpeditions from operating tours in the Galapagos Islands for two months as a consequence of an illegal shark-fishing incident. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/galapagos-tour-operator-banned-for-two.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/world-first-diving-instructor-captures.html A diving instructor has recorded what may be the first ever images of killer whales interacting with humans in Argentina. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/world-first-diving-instructor-captures.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/shark-attacks-fall-as-humans-fight.html Shark attacks dropped in 2005 because people are fighting back more often when threatened and the ranks of ocean predators are thinning, a University of Florida report said on Monday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/shark-attacks-fall-as-humans-fight.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/caribbean-atoll-boasts-treasure-trove.html An underwater mountain with some of the richest diversity of marine life in the Caribbean has been found by scientists. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/caribbean-atoll-boasts-treasure-trove.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/holiday-resort-on-artificial-island.html I realize that this does not really relate to scuba diving, but it is indeed fascinating to know what lengths people will go to, to recreate another piece of paradise. Hopefully a few good dive spots will be made too! http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/holiday-resort-on-artificial-island.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/scuba-diver-found-alive-against-odds.html Plucked from the water after being missing for three days, Robert Hewitt had a shock message for his rescuers: "I've been swimming all the time." http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/scuba-diver-found-alive-against-odds.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/research-needed-on-marine-sound.html Research into the effect of sound in the oceans on marine mammals should be commissioned by the UK Government, a report recommends. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/research-needed-on-marine-sound.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/hundreds-of-endangered-coral-reef-fish.html Hundreds of humphead wrasse were released back into the waters of the Bunaken National Marine Park after being confiscated from a fisherman who was intending to illegally sell the internationally-protected fish species abroad. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/hundreds-of-endangered-coral-reef-fish.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/epic-odyssey-of-great-white-shark.html A female great white shark tagged in waters off South Africa has completed the first known transoceanic trip for an individual shark. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/epic-odyssey-of-great-white-shark.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/project-aware-whale-shark-project.html Project AWARE Foundation, the dive industry's leading non-profit environmental organisation has recently joined forces with ECOCEAN a marine conservation group dedicated to the conservation of the whale shark. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/project-aware-whale-shark-project.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/project-aware-honors-2005-eco.html Project AWARE Foundation recognizes tireless efforts of outstanding diver retailers and resorts to conserve the underwater environment. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/project-aware-honors-2005-eco.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/greek-diving-opens-up-with-new-law.html The new bill prepared by the Ministry of Mercantile Marine regarding recreational diving in Greece, is the outcome of the Hellenic Government's Strategic Plan for positioning Greece prominently into the world's scuba diving industry, and in addition for boosting the country's alternative tourism. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/greek-diving-opens-up-with-new-law.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/dan-will-conduct-dive-safety-seminars.html In 2006, DAN will conduct dive safety workshops at two dive shows, officials of the dive safety organization announced recently. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/dan-will-conduct-dive-safety-seminars.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/australia-reef-shade-structures-almost.html Shadecloth structures protecting parts of the Great Barrier Reef could be commercially available to tourist operators within a year. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/australia-reef-shade-structures-almost.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/mediterranean-sensitive-deep-sea-coral.html Three ecologically-important deep sea areas have been protected off the waters of Italy, Cyprus and Egypt, following a recent decision by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM). http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/mediterranean-sensitive-deep-sea-coral.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/israeli-inventor-develops-like-fish.html An Israeli inventor, Alon Bodner, has designed and built a system called "Like-a-Fish". http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/israeli-inventor-develops-like-fish.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/australia-bleached-coral-reefs-force.html Bleached coral wastelands could soon become new dive attractions as the Great Barrier Reef teeters on the brink of widespread bleaching. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/australia-bleached-coral-reefs-force.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/south-africa-overstrand-anti-poaching.html The days are numbered for the highly successful Marines anti-poaching unit in the Overstrand - but no one is saying what will take its place. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/south-africa-overstrand-anti-poaching.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/disability-doesnt-deter-scottish-dive.html Fraser Bathgate fell from a wall over two decades ago and became confined to a wheelchair as a result of the injury. Despite the disability, Bathgate, now age 43, went on to learn to dive and then in 1994 became the world's first wheelchair-bound fully qualified scuba diving instructor. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/disability-doesnt-deter-scottish-dive.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/great-white-sharks-are-really-grey.html Australian Broadcasting began a new series this month designed to teach the public many fascinating facts about great whites and the shark family as a whole. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/great-white-sharks-are-really-grey.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/uk-divers-provide-biological-boost.html British divers are taking an increasing interest in marine life survey, judging by the latest figures from research group Seasearch. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/uk-divers-provide-biological-boost.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/introducing-twin-seat-amfibidiver-not.html What is it? A car? A boat? A submarine? The answer is: all three! Welcome to the twin-seat Amfibidiver. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/introducing-twin-seat-amfibidiver-not.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/dan-addresses-concerns-about-insurance.html Dan Orr, DAN President and CEO, issued the following statement, addressing concerns among members about insurance coverage. The statement was issued Tuesday, Jan. 31. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/dan-addresses-concerns-about-insurance.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/great-barrier-reef-coral-severely.html Scientists warned on Friday that high ocean temperatures linked to global warming had caused severe coral bleaching in parts of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/great-barrier-reef-coral-severely.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/south-africa-anti-whalers-do-it-for.html The SA Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) is demanding erroneous paperwork from an anti-whaling ship detained in Cape Town harbour, its captain said on Saturday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/south-africa-anti-whalers-do-it-for.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/divers-need-to-help-earthwatch.html If you've been fortunate enough to dive in Southeast Asia, you know the coral reefs there are the most diverse on Earth. They are also the most threatened, with more than 80 percent at risk from coastal development and overfishing. Earthwatch invites divers to help stop the decline of coral reefs and lend a hand to healthier oceans. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/divers-need-to-help-earthwatch.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/artifical-reef-project-gets-underway.html Phuket's Bangtao Bay, has commenced the seeding of the bay area with concrete structures to promote the development of an artifical reef. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/artifical-reef-project-gets-underway.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/saudi-arabia-only-recompression.html The only publicly accessible recompression chamber which is capable of treating decompression sickness - commonly known as the bends - in western Saudi Arabia is permanently shut. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/saudi-arabia-only-recompression.html