http://www.divesouthafrica.co.za/news/archive-july2005.php News and articles relating to scuba diving, marine and environmental issues in South Africa and abroad. Features on Great White shark cage diving, tropical reef diving and wreck diving holidays plus diving with sharks, whale sharks, whales, dolphins and turtles en-us http://www.divesouthafrica.co.za/imgs/pics-greatwhitecagediving-sm.jpg http://www.divesouthafrica.co.za/news/archive-july2005.php 80 80 News and articles relating to scuba diving, marine and environmental issues in South Africa and abroad. Features on Great White shark cage diving, tropical reef diving and wreck diving holidays plus diving with sharks, whale sharks, whales, dolphins and turtles http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/coral-queen-under-refit.html Coral Queen, the popular Red Sea diving liveaboard sunk in early July, has been refloated and has returned to port for repairs. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/coral-queen-under-refit.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/scuba-instructor-and-tourist-diver.html Police believe that the diving student who drowned at the Grotto, a popular cavern dive site on Saturday 16th got low on air while she was several meters underwater, causing her to panic and to attempt ascending fast to the surface. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/scuba-instructor-and-tourist-diver.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/dema-drops-houston.html DEMA - the American trade show for the diving industry - has announced that for the next six years it will be alternating its venue between Las Vegas and Orlando, Florida. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/dema-drops-houston.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/maldivian-divers-concerned-about.html Diving instructors are complaining that the over-fishing of sharks has led to a serious reduction in their numbers, which is having a detrimental impact on tourism. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/maldivian-divers-concerned-about.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/plankton-can-run-but-cant-hide-from.html Basking sharks are much more canny predators than previously thought, ecologists have discovered. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/plankton-can-run-but-cant-hide-from.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/lemon-sharks-swarm-florida-lovers-lane.html Samuel "Doc" Gruber, a marine biologist at the University of Miami, has studied juvenile lemon sharks in the Bahamas for three decades. His research, conducted largely in a Bimini Islands lagoon nursery, has produced one of the world's most comprehensive shark studies. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/lemon-sharks-swarm-florida-lovers-lane.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/whale-collisions-spur-call-for-speed.html Alarmed by the deaths of eight North Atlantic right whales in the past 16 months, some scientists are calling for immediate protections. Listed as endangered by the U.S. government, the whales are now believed to total about 300. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/whale-collisions-spur-call-for-speed.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/raising-dead-incredible-story-behind.html At the bottom of the biggest underwater cave in the world, diving deeper than almost anyone had ever gone, Dave Shaw found the body of a young man who had disappeared ten years earlier. What happened after Shaw promised to go back is nearly unbelievable - unless you believe in ghosts. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/raising-dead-incredible-story-behind.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/shark-shields-electrical-and-chemical.html Recent shark attacks in Florida have sparked the now customary feeding frenzy in the media. Before Florida it was South Africa, where last month a medical student was eaten by a 16-foot (5-meter) great white near Cape Town. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/shark-shields-electrical-and-chemical.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/unesco-adds-new-marine-heritage-sites.html The World Heritage Committee chaired by Themba Wakashe, South Africa's Deputy Director-General for Heritage and National Archives, inscribed seven natural sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/unesco-adds-new-marine-heritage-sites.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/old-vessel-launches-new-career-in.html The White Holly, which served in World War II as a Navy yard freighter on San Francisco Bay, is beginning a new life -- as an oceanographic research vessel for a scientific expedition that seeks to discover how and why so many of the Earth's coral reefs are dying. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/old-vessel-launches-new-career-in.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/cousteau-japan-lying-about-whaling.html Oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of the late diving pioneer Jacques Cousteau, has accused Japan of lying, using scientific whaling as a cover for commercial takes of the marine mammals. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/cousteau-japan-lying-about-whaling.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/farmed-sea-creatures-to-boost-asias.html Fisheries specialists representing seven South-East Asian nations agreed last week to intensify and better coordinate efforts to enhance stocks of rare marine life by releasing animals reared in captivity into the sea. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/farmed-sea-creatures-to-boost-asias.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/clinton-warns-of-global-warming.html Former President Clinton sounded a warning Tuesday against the dangers of climate change as he met with young South Africans and had lunch with anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/clinton-warns-of-global-warming.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/world-aquarium-scientists-accelerate.html St. Louis sits hundreds of miles from the nearest natural coral, and it's on the other side of the world from the most famous coral reef. Yet the key to saving this crucial oceanic organism just might have sprung from the muddy banks of the Mississippi. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/world-aquarium-scientists-accelerate.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/greenpeace-in-court-bid-to-protect.html Environment pressure group Greenpeace is today launching a legal challenge in a bid to save dolphins from being drowned in large fishing nets. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/greenpeace-in-court-bid-to-protect.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/is-shark-finning-loophole-closed-iucn.html The IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) on July 12, 2005 made a public clarification regarding shark finning. The clarification is related to the IUCN official recommendation against shark finning passed in November 2004. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/is-shark-finning-loophole-closed-iucn.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/microchip-saves-rare-turtle.html They're calling him "the lucky royal turtle" a rare and endangered reptile that was saved from a likely fate in a Chinese soup pot by keen-eyed wildlife officers and a tiny microchip. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/microchip-saves-rare-turtle.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/pemba-island-zanzibar-missing-divers.html Rescue workers searched by air and water yesterday for four Danish divers and their British-Canadian instructor who disappeared off Zanzibar. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/pemba-island-zanzibar-missing-divers.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/arctic-and-chinese-ocean-expeditions.html Two ocean expeditions, one in 1405 and another in 2005, are 600 years and oceans apart but are now connected by the voice of a Chinese scientist on the Internet. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/arctic-and-chinese-ocean-expeditions.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/bull-shark-threat-they-swim-where-we.html Bull sharks are chewing up the headlines this summer. The predators have been linked to two highly publicized attacks that left one teen dead and another seriously injured in the Florida Panhandle last month. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/bull-shark-threat-they-swim-where-we.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/deep-sea-fishing-trawler-seized-for.html The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) today seized the deep-sea trawler "Sandile", its gear, equipment, stores and cargo including the fish on board. The seizure was undertaken by Fisheries Compliance Officers of DEAT. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/deep-sea-fishing-trawler-seized-for.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/twelve-dead-dolphins-found-on-black.html Twelve dead dolphins have been found along Romania's Black Sea coast, authorities said on Tuesday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/twelve-dead-dolphins-found-on-black.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/new-artificial-shark-skin-solution-for.html The growth of marine organisms such as barnacles on ship hulls is a major drag for the naval industry, since their presence is one cause of increased energy costs. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/new-artificial-shark-skin-solution-for.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/shock-at-slap-on-wrist-for-korean.html Environmental NGOs WWF and BirdLife South Africa are outraged at the news that a Korean fishing boat skipper who broke "almost every rule in the book" was fined R50 000 and handed a suspended sentence in the Eastern Cape last week. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/shock-at-slap-on-wrist-for-korean.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/solomon-islands-denies-japan-bought.html The Solomon Islands Government has denied allegations that Japan poured money into the country for support on whaling and cheap access to tuna. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/solomon-islands-denies-japan-bought.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/is-south-africa-experiencing-hotter.html Yes, you're right - this winter has been the warmest in decades and the Weather Service has the figures to prove it. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/is-south-africa-experiencing-hotter.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/tropical-algae-leaves-beach-goers.html More than 150 beach-goers required treatment in the north-western town of Genoa for high fever and breathing problems after inhaling a toxin produced by a tropical algae, officials said Tuesday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/tropical-algae-leaves-beach-goers.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/st-lucia-wetland-park-is-fantastic.html Wrapping up a busy 29th session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) World Heritage Committee meeting in Durban, members headed north to the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park on Monday for a two-day field trip around South Africa's first World Heritage Site. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/st-lucia-wetland-park-is-fantastic.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/freediver-shifts-goalposts-with.html Patrick Musimu, from Belgium, has become by far the deepest freediver in the world by plunging to a staggering 209.6m in the sport's No Limits category, descending on a weighted sled and shooting back to the surface behind a lift-bag. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/freediver-shifts-goalposts-with.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/make-safety-for-people-and-sharks-net.html By all means find ways to prevent shark attacks, as long as those ways dont involve killing thousands of sharks, dolphins, turtles and other marine life forms. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/make-safety-for-people-and-sharks-net.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/wdcs-opposes-moving-grey-whales-to-uk.html It has been widely reported in the UK press over the last few days that two British scientists are proposing moving wild grey whales from California to the UK coastline and thereby hoping to boost the local whale watching industry. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/wdcs-opposes-moving-grey-whales-to-uk.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/wwf-launches-wildfinder-worlds-most.html The worlds only searchable database for all four groups of land vertebrates launches today on WWFs web site, worldwildlife.org. Wildfinder is the only online, map-driven tool to cover the entire globe. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/wwf-launches-wildfinder-worlds-most.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/whale-sharks-enigmas-of-ocean.html Some of the great experiences in life come from being overwhelmed by the beauty of nature, and every year more and more people are having this experience off the coast of North West Cape in Western Australia. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/whale-sharks-enigmas-of-ocean.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/australian-deck-hand-blows-whistle-on.html A FORMER deck hand who blew the whistle on illegal shark finning by commercial fishermen in the Northern Territory says he has received death threats. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/australian-deck-hand-blows-whistle-on.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/gentle-giants-swimming-into-danger.html Scientists monitoring the movement of whale sharks from Western Australia's Ningaloo reef, off the state's north-west, say the giant fish often swim into areas where they are in danger of being slaughtered for their fins. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/gentle-giants-swimming-into-danger.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/dolphins-used-as-shark-bait-in.html ILLEGAL fishermen are killing dolphins and using them as bait to catch sharks in Territory waters, an expert revealed yesterday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/dolphins-used-as-shark-bait-in.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/mtv-damaged-sea-turtle-beach-in-tobago.html MTV's shooting of its reality TV show The Gauntlet on Turtle Beach in Tobago (of Trinidad & Tobago), caused massive damage to a critical nesting beach for critically endangered leatherback sea turtles. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/mtv-damaged-sea-turtle-beach-in-tobago.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/japan-accused-of-buying-whaling-votes.html Japan has denied claims it is paying the expenses of countries in return for their support at the International Whaling Commission (IWC). http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/japan-accused-of-buying-whaling-votes.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/bid-to-protect-whales-from-ships-hits.html The federal government wants to protect the endangered right whale from getting hit by ships, and the solution seems simple enough: Have vessels slow down whenever they get near areas used by the whales. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/bid-to-protect-whales-from-ships-hits.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/penguins-come-out-on-top-in-new-film.html Who would have thought a film about penguins could beat 'War of the Worlds' at the box office? Michael McCarthy explains why these amazing birds will always come out on top. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/penguins-come-out-on-top-in-new-film.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/sea-life-in-peril-oceanic-plankton.html Oceanic plankton have largely disappeared from the waters off Northern California, Oregon and Washington, mystifying scientists, stressing fisheries and causing widespread seabird mortality. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/sea-life-in-peril-oceanic-plankton.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/world-heritage-sites-two-more-south.html Taung's Skull and the Mokapane Valley added to the Cradle of Human Kind World Heritage Sites. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/world-heritage-sites-two-more-south.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/africa-world-heritage-sites-named.html Two natural wonders of Africa have been added to a list of protected World Heritage sites by the United Nations. The world's largest and oldest meteorite crater, the Vredefort Dome, in South Africa was added for its scenic and scientific interest. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/africa-world-heritage-sites-named.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/southern-right-whale-entangled-in.html A southern right whale entangled in ropes has been spotted off Hangklip - but the Dolphin Action and Protection Group's Nan Rice has warned the public not to try to free it. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/southern-right-whale-entangled-in.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/history-channel-documentary-remembers.html The July 18 episode of the History Channel's "Deep Sea Detectives" delves into the fate of the USS Perry, the World War II minesweeper that struck a mine and sank off of Palau in 1942. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/history-channel-documentary-remembers.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/tagged-great-white-shark-swims-7000-km.html A GREAT white shark tagged in the Neptune Islands has swum 7000 kilometres to Rockhampton in Queensland and back to the Neptune Islands in less than a year. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/tagged-great-white-shark-swims-7000-km.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/south-africa-awarded-seventh-world.html More than two billion years after it slammed into the middle of South Africa, a gigantic lump of rock was officially welcomed to the Earth on Thursday with champagne and a raucous cacophony of vuvuzela blasts. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/south-africa-awarded-seventh-world.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/sea-birds-spread-pollution-in-arctic.html Sea birds can spread pollutants such as mercury and pesticides across the Arctic in their droppings, Canadian researchers report. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/sea-birds-spread-pollution-in-arctic.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/frenchman-stretches-deep-diving-record.html Pascal Bernabe, a 41-year-old Frenchman, has claimed a new world record depth of 330m on open circuit scuba. The record was previously claimed by South African Numo Gomes - whose 318m mark stood for just three weeks. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/frenchman-stretches-deep-diving-record.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/uk-scuba-diver-goes-missing-off-south.html An evening training dive off the Devon coast on 12 July ended in disaster, with the loss of a diver after a 28m wreck dive. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/uk-scuba-diver-goes-missing-off-south.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/tagged-whale-sharks-surprise.html Australian scientists tracking massive whale sharks said on Wednesday that they are demon swimmers just like other shark species. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/tagged-whale-sharks-surprise.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/fingerprints-point-to-human-cause-of.html Researchers claim to have found the first strong evidence that human activities are responsible for warming the world's oceans over the past 50 years. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/fingerprints-point-to-human-cause-of.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/australia-seaworld-researcher-wants.html The director of marine sciences at Seaworld on the Gold Coast says adequate research will be the key to protecting the endangered grey nurse shark. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/australia-seaworld-researcher-wants.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/tsunami-earthquake-displaced-china.html The 26 December quake that originated off Sumatra ripped a gash of at least 1000 kilometres in the Indian Ocean's floor and displaced the Earth's crust as far as southern China, a study says. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/tsunami-earthquake-displaced-china.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/data-reveal-sea-levels-have-risen-more.html Melting ice and warming waters have raised average sea levels worldwide by more than an inch since 1995, new data from space satellites and robotic submarines have revealed. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/data-reveal-sea-levels-have-risen-more.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/south-florida-scientists-create-shark.html Several shark attacks in Florida waters are bringing the ocean's top predator front and center again. Is there a solution? Some South Florida scientists think they have found an effective shark repellent that could save humans and sharks. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/south-florida-scientists-create-shark.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/florida-divers-seek-out-sharks-after.html With the recent shark attacks in Florida, you would think people would be doing everything they can to stay away from the animals, but lots of Florida divers are actually going out with the sole purpose of running into sharks. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/florida-divers-seek-out-sharks-after.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/kiperousa-salvage-back-on-track.html Efforts to refloat the bulk carrier Kiperousa, which went aground off the Eastern Cape coast south of East London on 7 June, were renewed at the weekend with the arrival from Uganda of a giant Russian Mi26 Halo helicopter. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/kiperousa-salvage-back-on-track.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/iceland-prepared-to-work-with-japan-on.html Iceland has told fellow pro-whalers Japan that it may be possible for the two countries to work together on commercial whaling, reports have suggested. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/iceland-prepared-to-work-with-japan-on.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/hurricane-dennis-creates-artificial.html Mother Nature tidied up a man-made mess off the coast of the Florida Keys when the force of Hurricane Dennis flipped a sunken US Navy ship into the perfect position to help form an artificial reef. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/hurricane-dennis-creates-artificial.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/sarah-baartman-to-keep-watch-over.html A R160 million offshore vessel called Sarah Baartman is expected to dramatically improve marine patrols along the coasts of South Africa, Mozambique and Tanzania. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/sarah-baartman-to-keep-watch-over.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/synthetic-fragrances-harmful-to-marine.html Synthetic fragrances commonly added to perfumes, soaps, shampoos, and dozens of other personal health care products are proving harmful to the marine environment and potentially to humans as well, according to marine scientists. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/synthetic-fragrances-harmful-to-marine.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/africa-to-establish-its-own-world.html In an effort to secure the future of some of the African continent's most precious landmarks, world conservation leaders have given overwhelming support for Africa to have its own World Heritage Fund. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/africa-to-establish-its-own-world.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/artificial-gill-may-revolutionise.html An artificial gill that mimics the way fish breathe could allow divers to dispense with bulky oxygen tanks, it was claimed yesterday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/artificial-gill-may-revolutionise.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/scuba-diving-skills-equalizing-your.html As you descend, pressure increases on the dead air spaces in your body, especially the ears and sinuses. It also increases in the dead air space in your mask. This is because the air is being compressed. To equalize the air space, you need to add more air to these areas. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/scuba-diving-skills-equalizing-your.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/false-bay-beach-too-dangerous-says.html A 23-year-old man drowned on Tuesday at Monwabisi Beach on the False Bay coast. The NSRI said more people drowned at this beach than at any other beach in the area, with five drownings having been recorded in one day. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/false-bay-beach-too-dangerous-says.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/police-seize-abalone-perlemoen-at.html Police seized perlemoen with an estimated street value of R1,4-million at the Nakop border post near Upington on Monday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/police-seize-abalone-perlemoen-at.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/minister-welcomes-home-sarah-baartman.html "Fish species don't respect man-made fishing boundaries. Poachers and illegal fishers don't respect them either. For too long this has placed our enforcement authorities in Southern Africa at a major disadvantage." http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/minister-welcomes-home-sarah-baartman.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/dan-safety-stop-for-june-2005.html The DAN Safety Stop edition for June 2005 has been published on the DAN website. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/dan-safety-stop-for-june-2005.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/dan-trip-insurance-reaches-first.html On June 1, 2004, the DAN Trip Insurance website went live, offering travelers easy, around-the-clock access to trip insurance coverage. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/dan-trip-insurance-reaches-first.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/red-sea-liveaboard-sinks-after-hitting.html My Coral Queen, one of the best-known Red Sea liveaboards, sank at the Sha'ab Sataya dive site at Fury Shoals, after hitting the reef in the early hours of Tuesday morning. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/red-sea-liveaboard-sinks-after-hitting.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/scientists-check-oceans-pulse.html Nearly 500 miles off San Diego, night has shrouded the ocean, but electric lights illuminate the research vessel New Horizon. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/scientists-check-oceans-pulse.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/science-of-shark-attacks.html Despite two highly publicized shark attacks last month along the U.S. coast, at least one scientist says it's safe to go back in the water. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/science-of-shark-attacks.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/blair-climate-change-talks-are-small.html Tony Blair has papered over the cracks in the G8 on climate change by announcing that a "new dialogue" will be launched between the world's richest countries and the emerging nations. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/blair-climate-change-talks-are-small.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/blind-sea-creature-hunts-with-light.html Many deep-sea creatures use blue or green luminescent light to defend themselves, but this relative of the jellyfish has twitching appendages that glow red - apparently to lure fish to their death. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/blind-sea-creature-hunts-with-light.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/sharks-myth-vs-fact.html With two major attacks off Florida beaches the last month, sharks are back in the spotlight - unfortunately once again, as a menace to the public. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/sharks-myth-vs-fact.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/stiff-new-law-to-protect-environment.html With effect from Friday, 8 July, companies violating environmental regulations face a fine of up to R5m or 10 years in prison, following the expiry of government's "window period" for offenders on Thursday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/stiff-new-law-to-protect-environment.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/western-cape-officials-seize-abelone.html Table Mountain National Park staff seized 279 perlemoen worth R65 000 from a commercial perlemoen operator who had violated his permit conditions. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/western-cape-officials-seize-abelone.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/most-important-move-on-environment.html The agreement at Gleneagles by China, India and other leading developing nations to start talking to the G8 countries about their greenhouse gas emissions is the most important step to counter climate change since the signing of the Kyoto protocol in December 1997. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/most-important-move-on-environment.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/south-africas-off-shore-environmental.html The Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk will on Monday, 11 July 2005 officially welcome back the Sarah Baartman environmental protection vessel from her first-ever month-long trilateral patrol of SADC waters. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/south-africas-off-shore-environmental.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/florida-men-kill-bull-shark-too-close.html As sharks continue to search for food, and vacationers continue to take to the waters in search of fun, more encounters may be in store, researchers say. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/florida-men-kill-bull-shark-too-close.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/australian-fishers-accused-of-helping.html The Australian Marine Conservation Authority says Northern Territory fishermen cannot escape blame for depleting shark numbers off the north Australian coast. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/australian-fishers-accused-of-helping.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/its-good-year-for-right-whale-calving.html This is one of the best years in recent memory for right whale calving, with 28 mother-calf pairs sighted so far, government biologists say. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/its-good-year-for-right-whale-calving.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/whale-hunt-gets-go-ahead-from.html Greenpeace today strongly criticised the Icelandic government's decision to issue quotas to hunt whales for the third year running. The government has just granted permission for 39 minke whales to be killed in the 2005 hunt. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/whale-hunt-gets-go-ahead-from.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/g8-calls-for-new-climate-dialogue.html The G8 leaders have promised a "new dialogue" on climate change. Their communique, released at the end of the Gleneagles summit, states that global warming is a "serious long-term challenge" for the entire planet. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/g8-calls-for-new-climate-dialogue.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/polar-bears-vulnerable-to-warming.html The world's polar bear population is expected to decline by more than 30 percent within the next three to five decades because of global warming's effect on their icy habitat, according to a report by a World Conservation Union panel. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/polar-bears-vulnerable-to-warming.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/shark-that-snapped-at-womans-legs-was.html An expert says a shark that snapped at a woman dangling her legs at the Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge was in its death throes, suffering from the effects of red tide. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/shark-that-snapped-at-womans-legs-was.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/new-species-of-lobster-discovered-in.html A bizarre crustacean, tagged the 'musical furry lobster', has been found in Australian waters for the first time. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/new-species-of-lobster-discovered-in.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/autopsy-reveals-scuba-instructor-died.html Autopsy results show that a scuba instructor who died while exploring a sunken battleship over the weekend drowned while inside a boiler room compartment that was sealed off to divers. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/autopsy-reveals-scuba-instructor-died.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/taggers-stare-down-sharks-to-save-them.html A riot of activity erupts on the Eugenie Clark, a 50-foot research boat plying the emerald waters 15 miles off this barrier island near Sarasota. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/taggers-stare-down-sharks-to-save-them.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/marine-police-are-fighting-losing.html Perlemoen poaching is rocketing in the Gansbaai areas, where 12 law enforcement "Marines" are working 18-hour days in the battle to save one of the country's most lucrative marine resources. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/marine-police-are-fighting-losing.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/poisonous-algae-invade-swedish.html Carpets of poisonous blue-green algae have started invading the coasts of Sweden, a senior scientist said on Wednesday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/poisonous-algae-invade-swedish.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/un-suspends-food-shipments-to-somali.html The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has suspended all shipments of humanitarian assistance to Somalia following the hijacking of a chartered vessel carrying food aid for 28,000 tsunami survivors, the first time in the agency's history that a ship carrying relief food has been commandeered. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/un-suspends-food-shipments-to-somali.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/climate-change-and-africa-to-top-g8.html The campaign against poverty in Africa and the fight against global warming will top the agenda of the Group of Eight (G8) summit in Scotland from Wednesday to Friday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/climate-change-and-africa-to-top-g8.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/scuba-dive-sites-in-south-africa-rocky.html Rocky Bay is one of South Africa's best kept scuba diving secrets. This group of reefs lies between two and four kilometers offshore and at a depth of twenty to forty meters it is for advanced divers only. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/scuba-dive-sites-in-south-africa-rocky.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/family-mourn-fisherman-who-lived-for.html Hawston fisherman Solly Booysen, who drowned in False Bay, is expected to be buried on Saturday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/family-mourn-fisherman-who-lived-for.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/fishermen-warned-to-report-whale-shark.html Fishermen must report whale shark catches and make sure that they do not exceed the annual catch quota for this year, with fines and jail terms for offenders, the Fisheries Administration under the Council of Agriculture (COA) said Monday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/fishermen-warned-to-report-whale-shark.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/shark-lovers-slam-plans-for-coastal.html The Natal Sharks Board plans to start development of an electronic beach barrier as an alternative to shark nets, and a prototype would be ready for use in about 12 months. The aim would be the removal of the nets as soon as possible. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/shark-lovers-slam-plans-for-coastal.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/innovative-shark-barriers-given-go.html Electronic barriers to keep sharks away from popular beaches are to be given the go-ahead in Australia and South Africa. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/innovative-shark-barriers-given-go.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/tagging-great-white-sharks-research-on.html The ghostly grey shape makes its first cautious approach towards the tuna-head bait bobbing in the water off Seal Island with an effortlessness and grace that defies description. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/tagging-great-white-sharks-research-on.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/experienced-diver-says-sharks-are.html After hearing about the recent shark attacks, any fear you had of sharks probably jumped about tenfold. But there's one guy in Central Florida who has a different theory. He thinks sharks are misunderstood. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/experienced-diver-says-sharks-are.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/icecaps-and-hurriances-proof-of.html Some, including influential figures on the American right, still deny the arrival of global warming. Mark Lynas has documented examples for his book 'High Tide'. Here is his compelling evidence. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/icecaps-and-hurriances-proof-of.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/family-identifies-body-of-hawston.html The body of one of the two Hawston fishermen whose boat lost power and drifted into choppy seas at the weekend has been identified by his family. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/family-identifies-body-of-hawston.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/dna-samples-reveal-new-dolphin-species.html Two north Queensland researchers have identified a new species of dolphin in Australian waters. The australian snubfin dolphin lives in shallow coastal waters in northern Australia and possibly Papua New Guinea. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/dna-samples-reveal-new-dolphin-species.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/nsri-calls-off-search-for-missing.html The National Sea Rescue Institute has ended its search off the Western Cape coast for the remaining crew member of a skiboat that went missing in rough seas on Saturday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/nsri-calls-off-search-for-missing.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/western-cape-game-smugglers-bust-by.html A major Western Cape game smuggling racket involving the illegal capture and sale of over 1 000 protected wild animals worth over R1 million has been bust. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/western-cape-game-smugglers-bust-by.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/big-grouper-grabs-diver-on-florida.html No doubt, sharks are the most notorious for latching onto underwater divers. On occasions, barracudas have been known to do the same. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/big-grouper-grabs-diver-on-florida.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/no-final-decision-on-sea-search.html The National Sea Rescue Institute is investigating whether to continue Sunday's search off the Western Cape coast for the remaining crew member of a ski boat that went missing in rough seas. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/no-final-decision-on-sea-search.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/forget-alligators-this-expert-wrestles.html Great white sharks may be the poster child of marine predators. Yet scientists know surprisingly little about Carcharodon carcharias. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/forget-alligators-this-expert-wrestles.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/bull-sharks-are-common-in-florida.html Great whites and tigers are bigger, but the scariest shark people are likely to encounter in Florida is the bull shark. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/bull-sharks-are-common-in-florida.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/nsri-finds-body-and-boat-on-day-2-of.html A body believed to be one of two fishermen who went missing on a ski boat in rough seas in the Western Cape was found near Cape Point on Sunday, the National Sea Rescue Institute said. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/nsri-finds-body-and-boat-on-day-2-of.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/drugs-from-sea-may-help-medical.html International scientists have successfully cloned marine DNA in a breakthrough they say will provide promising "drugs from the sea" to treat cancer and viral diseases. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/drugs-from-sea-may-help-medical.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/another-shark-attack-in-florida.html The third shark attack in a week occured in Florida waters today as an Austrian tourist was bitten in chest-deep water near Boca Grande, on Florida's Gulf Coast. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/another-shark-attack-in-florida.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/seals-sing-soulful-songs.html An Australian researcher had found the males of two seal species in Antarctica woo potential mates by singing complex melodies. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/seals-sing-soulful-songs.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/african-heritage-sites-safe-from.html MINISTER of Arts and Culture, Dr Pallo Jordan, has assured that no African World Heritage Sites risk delisting when the World Heritage Committee convenes for its 29th session in Durban from July 10-17. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/african-heritage-sites-safe-from.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/emission-cuts-vital-for-oceans.html Marine species are under threat from rising levels of acidity in the oceans, says the UK's Royal Society. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/emission-cuts-vital-for-oceans.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/ocean-species-at-risk-from-global.html Thousands of marine species are at risk from global warming because of acidification of the world's oceans, scientists said. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/ocean-species-at-risk-from-global.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/australian-researchers-develop-new.html Australian scientists are developing a new method of determining the age of humpback whales which can avoid killing the mammals in previous methods. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/australian-researchers-develop-new.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/skipper-dies-3-rescued-after-ski-boat.html One man died and three were rescued when their ski-boat Motta capsized two nautical miles off Cape Point. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/skipper-dies-3-rescued-after-ski-boat.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/odyssey-marine-exploration-provides.html Odyssey Marine Exploration, a leader in the field of deep-water shipwreck exploration, provided an operational update on several shipwreck projects. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/odyssey-marine-exploration-provides.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/international-commission-bans-shark.html Late last week, the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) adopted an international ban on shark finning in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The lucrative market for "shark fin soup" is the driving force behind finning -- the practice of slicing off a shark's fin and dumping the rest of the body back into the ocean. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/international-commission-bans-shark.html