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Scuba diving news from South Africa and Worldwide destinations - Archive December 2005
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.
- South Africa: Shark spotters have an eye for a tooth
Sitting at the top of Boyes Drive with binoculars in hand is the best job imaginable for Aghmat Jacobs, one of three shark spotters scanning Muizenberg for Great Whites every day, whatever the weather.
- European Commission issues marine warning
European Union member states must do more to protect dolphins, whales and porpoises from dangers such as pollution and illegal fishing or face legal action, the European Commission said on yesterday.
- Australia: Shark fears prompt call for steel nets
A SPATE of great white shark sightings along Adelaide's metropolitan beaches has triggered calls for steel mesh to be installed at the city's most popular beach.
- Belize: Discovery Divers charged over missing U.S. snorkeler
December 17th makes one month since 68 year old American tourist John Dresp went missing while out on a snorkeling tour near Caye Caulker island in Belize with Discovery Divers.
- Belize: Deep Sea Detectives team to dive Blue Hole
A team from the renowned television show, Deep Sea Detectives, are in San Pedro and want to be the first to document a dive to the bottom of the world famous Blue Hole off the coast of Belize.
- Thailand: Dive tourism development a growing concern for Koh Tao
While Koh Samui is well-paved and packed with five-star resorts, and Koh Phangan turns into an international frat party during its full-moon festivities, neighboring Koh Tao is still hanging on to its place slightly off the map - but barely.
- Whale Shark sightings in the Musandam, Oman
Whale Sharks were sighted over the last weekend in the beautiful waters of the Musandam region, Oman.
- Sport Diver UK launch Ultimate Dive Destinations
Former BBC newsman John McIntyre has carved himself a niche in the diving market, producing exquisitely filmed DVD's focusing on some of the world's best reef, wall and wreck diving.
- Researchers: Whale Shark food foraging secrets revealed
Researchers in Belize using electronic tagging on whale sharks have finally solved a marine mystery and discovered where the sharks find food.
- Ocean census reveals weird and wonderful
The world beneath our oceans is a mystery only just starting to be revealed but if the carnivorous sponge is any indication, it must be pretty weird down there.
- 'Air Jaws' photographers make desperate plea for South Africa's dwindling shark population
To all involved in the battle against shark finning. Please read on...
- Ireland: Rescue diver's body found
The body of a diver, lost while searching for the missing crew of a sunken fishing vessel off Ireland, has been found.
- SSI to Launch the Master Diver Challenge - A great way to keep divers involved
SSI promotes new and different way to get divers involved in continuing education and advancement!
- Fatal dive: company puts record straight
A top professional scuba instructor has died off Fort Lauderdale in the USA - and some reported facts about the incident need correcting, the diver's employer has said.
- Basking shark granted international protection
The basking shark has been granted international protection, following an agreement of world leaders at a conference in Kenya in November.
- Welsh dive site under threat
Divers in Wales believe the demolition of a wooden jetty near Caernarfon is set to destroy an important marine habitat and popular dive site.
- SCUBAPRO Serializes Twin Jet Fins
SCUBAPRO UWATEC has announced that effective immediately, all new SCUBAPRO Twin Jet Fins will incorporate a dedicated serial number molded into both fins of every pair.
- Deep sea gardens discovered everywhere
Ocean explorers are uncovering a whole gaggle of new undersea gardens from the Arctic to the Indian Ocean powered by nothing but hot water, and rich in both exotic life and valuable ores.
- Non-fogging glass may have use in scuba gear
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have discovered a simple process that produces glass that is less smooth. Significantly less smooth.
- Coco and Christmas Island Reefs in better shape than expected
An eight-year research project has found coral reef around the Christmas and Cocos Islands is in much better shape than first thought.
- Virgin Islands' sponges may assist in the treatment of human disease
The coral reefs of the Caribbean are showing potential as the next great frontier for drug researchers seeking to cure cancer, malaria and other deadly diseases.
- Diveheart Foundation offers online auction for Bonaire Dive Vacation
The Diveheart Foundation is dedicated to building confidence and independence in children and adults with disabilities. They accomplish this goal using the sport of SCUBA diving, snorkeling and other related activities...
- Police probe Florida dive instructor's death on 'staff technical dive' gone wrong
Police are investigating the diving death of a professional scuba instructor on Thanksgiving Day off Hallandale Beach.
- Australia: Great white sharks to be tracked by sonar or satellite technology
Great White sharks may soon be tracked along the metropolitan coastline using sonar or satellite technology.
- Scuba divers rescue 50-ton humpback whale near Farallon Islands
A group of scuba divers rescued a 50-foot-long humpback whale that had become entangled in crab fishing gear near the Farallon Islands.
- Tensions rise as dive buddies banned from search for missing scuba diver off Irish Coast
Tensions between the Navy, the Coast Guard and club divers desperate to recover the remains of their missing colleague, Billy O' Connor reached fever point at Kilmore on Sunday night as accusations of engaging in politics were levelled at the state agencies involved in the search.
- Investigation reveals boat captain at fault for stranding three German divers in the Philippines
The boatmen, who took three German scuba divers to the seawaters off Anda peninsula, were blamed for negligence that caused the near fatal accident of the tourists who were billeted in a resort in Anda town.
- Giant jellyfish invasion off Japan, China and South Korea
Giant jellyfish called Echizen kurage have invaded territorial waters off Japan, China and South Korea, prompting a top-level summit to deal with the menace.
- Professional dive instructor drowns
On Thanksgiving Day, dive instructor Zak Jones was diving with colleagues on what Fort Lauderdale's Pro Dive International CEO Frank Gernert described as a "staff technical dive."
- Dive in the Maldives and get a Guinness World Record Certificate
The Maldives is to attempt a new world record for the greatest number of scuba divers simultaneously diving on a single site. This Dive Maldives event is scheduled to be held on Saturday, February 25, 2006 at 11:00hrs.
- Snorkeler presumed dead, family to hold memorial
The family of a 68-year-old Omaha man lost in a snorkeling incident is holding a memorial service for him on Friday.
- Singapore adventurer to challenge Guinness World Record for scuba dive
Singapore adventurer Khoo Swee Chiow plans to challenge the Guinness World Record for the longest scuba dive next week, Channel NewsAsia reported Thursday.
- Australia: Great White Shark attacks bait boat
Robert Hogg, his son James and a friend have had a terrifying brush with a 4m Great White Shark. The trio were enjoying a "relaxing day in the boat" when a shark launched out of the water and tore into a bait bag attached to their 5.4m fibreglass boat.
- Australia: Researchers record nearly 3,000 whales in annual migration
Scientists have begun analysing the results of a land and sea survey of the annual migration of the humpback whale along the east coast of Australia.
- Saudi Arabia: Another scuba diver drowns in Red Sea
Members of the Jeddah scuba diving community are mourning the death of another young Saudi who drowned while scuba diving.
- Ireland: Search resumes for missing scuba diver
The Irish Coastguard has resumed its search for a diver who went missing while looking for the skipper of a sunken fishing boat.
- Diver-held sonar developed to help locate objects in zero visibility
A new device has been developed to help divers conduct searches underwater. The engineers at the University of Washington's Applied Physics Laboratory have invented a diver-held sonar with better resolution than any other hand-held sonar used today by the military or civilian sectors.
- New Zealand: Divers bent after running out of air
Two students are today in Auckland's Devonport Naval Hospital undergoing decompression treatment after a near-fatal diving accident off the Bay of Plenty coast.
- Cornish Divers arrested on treasure hunt suspicion
A team of Cornish divers could be facing extradition accused of plundering shipwrecks off the Spanish coast.
- Sharks may be extinct in a decade
Shark nets may reduce the incidence of attacks on swimmers but they are drastically diminishing general marine populations
- Do you panic when scuba diving?
Over half of all divers report feeling panic at one time or another. Divester sheds more light on this issue.
- DAN announces new President and CEO
Divers Alert Network has named Dan Orr as President and CEO of the dive safety organization. The appointment follows the announcement at DAN of the resignation of Dr. Michael D. Curley.
- Dive Gear Review: Two new HID lights by OMS
OMS has two new dive lights available, just in time for Christmas. The first light is the two-part Phantom 10w HID light, which retails for about $650 and features a redesigned, ultra-compact, anodized head with a new captured O-Ring assembly in the lens area and 4 titanium screws to hold down the bezel.
- Leave your mark on PADI History
Help make PADI history by designing the next great PADI T-shirt. Current stocks are dwindling and the staff needs your help to create a great new eye catching design.
- Review: Five Full-Face Masks
What if you could buy a mask that never fogs, offers a better field of vision, lets you breathe through your nose and--when properly equipped--allows you to talk with your buddy and the dive boat?
- Diver Dan student grateful to be alive after near drowning
The last thing Kimberly Pratt said she saw was the sun shining through the blue ocean as she swam toward the surface. Then, she swallowed another gulp of salt water and lost consciousness, falling toward the sea floor.
- Wales: Defective dry-suit valve caused divers death
A SCUBA diver suffocated after air escaped from his tanks, an inquest has heard. A coroner has now called for the diving equipment the father-of-four was using that tragic day to be taken out of use.
- White Shark cage diving: SharkTrust report
The subject of cage diving and the possible increase in shark attacks has been regularly aired over the past 6 months, and in deed featured in the latest edition of the Shark Trust membership magazine Shark Focus.
- Interesting facts on Stinging Fire Coral
Fire corals are so called because of their powerful stinging hairs or nematocysts. These are used primarily for defence against fish like parrotfish which would otherwise nibble the coral. However, they are strong enough to injure divers who brush their skin against them, causing burning and itching.
- South Africa: Shark-spotters thrown lifeline by city council
Two years ago Patrick Davids spent his days spotting empty parking bays for visitors to Muizenberg beach in return for tips. Today he has the task of spotting sharks swimming too close to the shore and, thanks to R400 000 from the city council, will also be responsible for training 15 new shark spotters to be deployed at False Bay beaches over the next 10 months.
- Swim with Sharks and live to tell tale
Britain's first commercial shark diving trips are to start off the coast of the Westcountry next summer.
- Great Barrier Reef passes health check
The Great Barrier Reef has been given a pass mark after its biennial health check by the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
- Tahiti coral drilling program yields exciting results
Forty-two days of drilling in three different parts of Tahiti's coral reef ended this week with scientists from nine nations "all excited and confident that the scientific objectives of the mission have been met," one of them wrote in a logbook.
- Two-headed marine turtle found in Costa Rica
A deformed two-headed olive ridley sea turtle hatchling was found on a beach on Costa Rica's northwest Pacific coast, leading experts to believe that contaminants, increased temperatures possibly resulting from climate change and other factors may be at play.
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